Im going to be starting my build as soon as the new book arrives on my door step.
Ive been thinking alot about what engine to use zetec, pinto, xe, cvh ect but i keep thinking of bike engines. my boss has told me he could get me a
decent engine (hes a biker so are all his mates) and its really got me tempted now.
I know how to fit car engines to the kits but i have no idea how to fit the bike engine. The car is going to be built using alot of ally and im only
fitting whats needed to make it work so weight should be kept quite low. How do i go about connecting the engine to the rear wheels? i obviously cant
bolt it up to a type9 lol so how do you do it? and what would i need to buy/make and what can i still use from a doner car? bike?
Its fairly simple, in a nutshell
You need a prop adaptor, remove the sprocket and fit adaptor in its place, the prop bolts too this.
You need a prop shaft with a center bearing, do not consider a one piece prop.
You need too fabricate a gear linkage too connect a gear lever too the foot operated change.
You need from the bike, engine loom, brain, regulator minimum, you can use the bike clocks if you wish.
This just gives you a basic idea as too what you need, when I built my chassis i shortened the passenger foot well too move the engine further back,
you may wish too consider this option and the chassis build stage.
Mine weighs in at 440 kgs full tanks, fluids etc.
If you go the BEC route its so well tried and tested now any questions problems you have will be easily answered by someone on here, go for it.
not as bad as i thought.
do you have any pics of the parts? or of your car so i can get an idea of what the bits look like please?
Good summary 
The only addition I'd say is that some bikes are shaft driven not chain driven. They're pretty easy to fit, you just chop the end off the
prop and fit a sleeve inside the prop that accepts the shaft. Then weld it all up (or that's what I did anyway)....
ive got a few engines in mind atm blackbird,R1 and hayabusa. are there any you lot would recomend?
all of them....
on a purely biased basis i would go for 'busa power
Out of the list, R1 for power v pounds spent, busa if you can afford it maybe but ZX12 would be on my list too, along with the Blade at the cheaper
end.
Here is a pic of my prop connected too the bike engine, the adaptor just replaces the sprocket, available too buy, i made my own. The sensor you see
aiming at the prop is the speed sensor, 2 x magnets stuck too prop.
You can just see part of the gear linkage, mine uses straight rods and M6 rose joints, cable ones can be made/purchased too.
Its all well trodden ground with no unknowns, all parts if you don't fancy making them can be bought these days too, pretty much off the
shelf.
A BEC locost will put you in super-car performance territory up too speeds in excess of 3 figures.
Rescued attachment prop.jpg
the one you are considering and most others is a normal chain driven bike engine Yamaha R1
basically the engine is sideways in the car
so you connect a prop shaft up to where the cog would have gone on the engine
take a look in my archive
[Edited on 10/2/07 by zxrlocost]
just looking at prices and i think the blackbird will probly be my choice just cos its the cheapest at the minute unless my boss can get me a better one cheaper.
zx12r as the price is right .approx £1500 all in see malk at yorkshire engines .good engine lots of bottem end power o and good luck all the best
paul
Cheers bud.
what prop shaft is best to use?
Hi,
Ive gone for a blade engine have a look at my website (link below) their is a build gallery which starts from when the steel for the chassis arrived
to date where im jsut starting the electrics.
Im also trying write up a reflective build diary but its only half finished atm.
As Jon said though its tried and tested now and any questions should easily be answered here.
Best bet is to get one made to order once you know the lengths from the diff to the engine, their is usually a splined silder at one end which allows
for a little gave and take in the measurements.
Since your in wakefield, Dunning and Fair bank are in leeds iirc, their is a thread on this subject in the bec section a few days ago
Discount the Blackbird engine, one of the few that's not suitable for a 7 type kit.
Why can't you use a Bbird in a Locost? I know they have a habit of blowing due to oil pressure problems- but that's the engine rather than
the car....
Just curious....
The Bird is a great engine, when turned 90* too suit a BEC application number 3 big end gets starved of oil, engine goes pop, 99.9% guaranteed too
happen without dry sump or minimum accusump, don't fit a bird.
I ran a bird mounted transversely, correct way around for years with no problems, they have the life expectancy of a butterfly when fitted in a 7
without some sort of oil surge/starvation protection
Okay, fair enough, its the same old problem..... Dry sumping works but it costs! Nova Racing do a dry sump kit for £575+VAT+carriage but that
doesn't include the dry sump oil tank....
The R1 suddenly looks very attractive, eh???!!
I'll second what Jon has said. When you bear in mind that there isn't much cost-wise between an R1 and a 'Bird, and cetrainly not that
much performance-wise, you do have to spend a lot more on a 'Bird to make it reasonably reliable....
Saying that, I do know someone who has a 'Bird in a Westie and it's done a collosal mileage! It isn't dry-sumped, though think he has
an Accusump.
John - have you been driving your car through the sea?
If I was to build another that's what I'd go for!! Not a great deal between that and a busa. Plus the difference in cost would pay for lots of lovely alloy brakes, uprights etc.
On the road they seem to be ok, but for track use the cornering is hard enough to cause issues. Having said that, I may have managed to do it to mine
on the road. 
If i go for the R1 lump or a 900blade will the sumps have to be modified?
If you go for a 98-03 R1you'll need a baffle plate (around £50 + a sump gasket) plus overfill it with oil to the top of the sightglass at
tickover.
A carb'd Blade is fine I think (up to '98), though I'm not sure about the later ones....
all i did was top mine up with an extra 250ml of oil
Think im going to go for the R1. seems the best choice for the money. will be a few months before i can even think of fitting an engine but its good to research lol.
Good choice - you won't regret it!
Where abouts are you in Wakefield Craig
Carl
not in wakefield just near on way out towards doncaster. Village called South Hiendley.
Right if i use a R1 engine apart from a baffel in the sump and a dome filter will anything else need doing?
From a R1 i will need the Engine/box, ecu, engine loom, clocks, I'll be using a separate harness for the lights.
Any thing else?
quote:
Originally posted by CraigJ
not in wakefield just near on way out towards doncaster. Village called South Hiendley.