got a 1300.....now need some ideas!!!

[youngcorsakeenan]

a neighbour of mine has got a 1300 ascona c model i'l probly end up buying it of him for a song(mk2 cav to all over the sea) im not sure weather its 'n' or 's', i think the 's' has a gm carb and the 'n' has a solex item, are these the only differences.

I know the 1300 is a very revvy/nippy little engine but i need something to give it a bit more power. I have searched the old threads and seen that the 1200 ohc head is more free flowing but the valves are smaller, could i use 1400/1600 valves along with some machine work. overall which head is best? also which cam would be the best eg kent ast1,ast2,ast3,ast11? maybe there is a better cam kit out there? i dont want a full on race engine just one with a bit more poke than origional and drivable on the road. i know this question was probly asked a million times before but cant seem to find anymore info in the searches.

Which carb would be best t40's or 32/34 twin choke? i know the twin 40s can be a pain to get set-up right and also very costly

I dont have a fortune to spend approx 450/550 quid, im aiming for anywhere between 95 to 115bhp

Thanks

[youngcorsakeenan]

what are you using on your 1300's and what kinda power are they putting out??

[garyc]

Sell it to some short oval lads and buy a bigger engine :-) They are in short supply over there and go for a few quid or euro's.

[youngcorsakeenan]

no i'm sticking with the small block 8v

[craig green]

Dellorto's are better for road use than the twin webers, but I'd be tempted to run the weber 32/34 for the sake of a few bhp, it'll be a nicer drive 9 time out of 10.

Maybe put the irmscher injection on it. I've still yet to see someone on here run that setup.

[youngcorsakeenan]

i dont really want injection i want to keep it as simple as possible and there probly rare as fk 2 and costly!!

[comptoncj]

My 1300 was running twin 40s some port matching, gte exhaust manifold and a kent ast2 cam. it went well and i got nearly 40mpg out of it when i didnt pedal it.

:)

[youngcorsakeenan]

where they delortos or webers, anyone else??

[DW-Nova]

Bike carbs :) Yamaha R1 or similar, this is what i'm going to be doing to mine and i've heard many positive reviews on them !

[youngcorsakeenan]

nah, id need to use megaquirt or something like that, i dont really want the hassle of anything like that

[mowgli]

get it rebored to take 1200 pistons... 1400 high compression FTW you will gain 15-20hp & a ton of torque..

[Mk1'SR'Dan]

i was thinking about R1 carbs, but thought it'd work out more expensive than webers so i went with the 40s, im just not looking forward to keeping them in tune, cost 60 notes at my local engine workshop, going to teach myself, and on the original convo subject, i didnt think the Ascona would only have a 1300 in it, thought they'd be at least 1800, would i gain out of putting 1200 pistons in my 1400 block mowgli?

[craig green]

i dont really want injection i want to keep it as simple as possible and there probly rare as fk 2 and costly!!

There isnt anything complex about injection systems, small handfull of lives. earths & gauge wires & it runs itself. + its a std GM/Irmscher product.


i was thinking about R1 carbs, but thought it'd work out more expensive than webers so i went with the 40s, im just not looking forward to keeping them in tune, cost 60 notes at my local engine workshop, going to teach myself, and on the original convo subject, i didnt think the Ascona would only have a 1300 in it, thought they'd be at least 1800, would i gain out of putting 1200 pistons in my 1400 block mowgli?

Mk2 Cav's (Acona) had a 1300 as the smallest engine option, likewise the mk3 Cavaliers had 1400's.

To use 1200 pistons you actually need a 1200 block, but keep the 1300 crank & conrods. The 1300 is actually a longer stroke but smaller bore size. Using the longer stroke & larger bore give a 1400cc engine that is very powerfull when buiult with a nice hot camshaft & fuelled by twin 40's or similar. Over 100bhp easy. :thumb:

[youngcorsakeenan]

thanks if i find a cheap 1200 carbed engine i might consider it, would the block from an spi corsa b do as i think i might have one in the yard???;)
Would an ast2 be enough if i were to use 1200 block and pistons with 1300 rods and crank and 32/34 (or would i need t40s)??

[craig green]

No, the corsa bocks have different bore/stroke again. You need an equally old Nova carbed 1200 block.

[youngcorsakeenan]

i'l keep my eyes peeled for one thanks

[youngcorsakeenan]

would i need any machining to the pistons or would to C.R be too high or would be just right, would an ast2 be enough

[mowgli]

Right, 1400 engine myths sorted out.

you need to get the 1300 rebored to take the 1200st pistons. as the 1200 had a bigger bore but shorter stroke.

1200st pistons will not gain anything in a factory 1400, and as far as i know, the con rods won't fit.

if you stuck a 1300 crank & rods into a 1200st engine, you would get a 1400, but due to it being a 20 year old engine & the stroke being altered, it would not be a reliable upgrade, because it would still need reboring to get rid of the grooves.

if you looked at the piston crown on the 1200 piston, there is a dish in the centre with 2 valve cutouts. if you got a decent engineer to take a total depth of 5mm out to where the dish finishes, & put a slight radius on the corners, (piccy can be sent if needed) it will give about 10:1 cr on a std head. I ran one for about 90000miles & then sold the engine on to a bloke who stuck it into an astra van...

[youngcorsakeenan]

does anybody kn0w roughly how much a rebore would cost???

[mowgli]

ring a couple of local engineering shops

[mowgli]

Government scrappage scheme?

1. the car is in Ireland.. so the scheme isn't running.
2. it is actually a rare model.
3. you seem to really enjoy insulting people

[youngcorsakeenan]

i doubt they would be open this hour lol, i'l ring around on monday and talk to a few lads, as far as i know there only one place near me that does anything like that

[mowgli]

please eat some yellow snow, you tit, it is an opel ascona........

[youngcorsakeenan]

now now lads be good!!!! actually there is a scrappage scheme in ireland but im not sure when its starting probly after the new year. dont worry jonny im not insulted, the scrapage scheme really gets on my tits with all the old retro cars being scrapped for new shyt. id never scrapp an ould opel/vauxhall i think its a sin.

[mowgli]

http://yovia.com/blogs/davidappelman/files/2009/10/troll-web.jpg

[youngcorsakeenan]

hahahaha mowgli good 1

[youngcorsakeenan]

right im going of track here, im looking for simple mods here with minimal machining apart from skiming, porting and polishing i dont want any other machines involved.
Would a 1.4 mpi head work in the 1300 block without modification/machining to pistons ect...

If i were to use 1400 mpi head on the standard 1300 block and use the 1300 cam carrier, dizzy and ignition and an ast2, would this work out? has it been done before? how would the timing fair out?

[matt_vaughan]

So mowgli, the 12ST block can be used, but will need the bores honing to remove wear marks etc.

Or would you say its definately worth having the 1300 bored out to suit the 12ST pistons?

[youngcorsakeenan]

i think im guna use the standard 1300 block, it would work out to expensive if i have to get it rebored ect....

[youngcorsakeenan]

Would a 1.4 mpi head work in the 1300 block without modification/machining to pistons ect...

If i were to use 1400 mpi head on the standard 1300 block and use the 1300 cam carrier, dizzy and ignition and an ast2, would this work out? has it been done before? how would the timing fair out?

[mowgli]

So mowgli, the 12ST block can be used, but will need the bores honing to remove wear marks etc.

Or would you say its definately worth having the 1300 bored out to suit the 12ST pistons?


the 1200 block will be needing much more than a honing to get rid of the lip, thus i would have the 1300 block bored out. then you don't have the trouble of line boring main shells to make the crank line up etc.

you keep a 1300 engine no & use a 1200 head gasket.