which engine?

[dredgies]

hello can any1 help me? me and my dad have just bought a marlin berlinetta with two engines none of them are in the car and none of them are unleaded. so we thought about putting in a sierra 2l engine. will it go straight in? both of the old engines are ford cortina

[gouldsborough7]

Re: which engine?

Your first problem with the Cortina engines is that you probably don't know for sure whether they are clapped out. While you can do compression tests down the spark-plug holes, and inspect the camshafts, and even take out the odd valve or two, nothing beats having the engine running. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with a 'leaded' Cortina engine - you just have to keep putting an additive in the tank every time you stop for petrol. My 26 year old 2 litre Cortina engine goes like a rocket, admittedly the carburettor is off a 3 litre Granada, and I think the camshaft is a Piper.

Not sure if a Sierra engine is a direct swap. My previous kit had a Sierra Pinto engine, which looks very much the same as my Cortina one. There might be subtle differences with mountings or plumbing, which should not take too much trouble to overcome I would think.

Also, you will probably need to check for any gearbox differences. Hopefully somebody else on the Forum might have more positive info. Good luck.
Mike

[billjackson54]

Re: which engine?

There is almost no difference between the Sierra and Cortina engines. The Sierra units were nearly all unleaded from the factory (there are markings on the head) and come in 3 capacities, the 1600, 2000, and (at the end of the production run) the 1800cc. An 1800cc will be pretty much certain to be unleaded. The other difference is to do with the engine mountings: the Sierra used a clever hydraulic arrangement to quieten noise transmission to the body, but the good news is that the mountings are interchangeable if you unbolt at the engine block end. My Berlinetta has an 1800cc Pinto from a Sierra, but my last Spartan had a 2000cc Sierra motor fitted with Cortina mountings. (The Spartan was a Cortina based car). If you really need an unleaded head, I have one in my garage, minus camshaft.

[billjackson54]

Re: which engine?

In my enthusiasm to reply to your query, I didn't answer it all and I didn't phrase it very well either. 1600, 2000 and 1800 cc refer to the SOHC Ford Pinto engine (it is said to have been based on 2300cc American engine which was used in the American Ford Model called the Pinto). Other engines were fitted to the Sierra...notably the 2000cc DOHC engine (which is said to be too tall for the Berli, and is not tooo strong anyway) and various V6 engines. Any of the Pinto engines should be a straight installation (with the right engine mountings, see above). The type 9 five speed box will also fit behind any Pinto engine: I know of no differences between boxes fitted to 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0L cars, except the rear mounting which is about 4 inches further back on the 5 speed unit than on the 4 speed one. On Spartans, one used a gearbox carrier from a Cortina automatic...and it was a straight bolt-in job. I can't imagine it's much harder in a Berli...but I've never done it so I can't comment. Best of luck, anyway!

[lizbillings]

Re: which engine?

My Berli has a 2lt cortina engine fitted and I just use additive. It also has a 5 speed box. Using this to see if I can post a reply.

[danny_nelson]

Re: which engine?

Hi hope you got my email okay.

[Dane_Rescueman]

Re: which engine?

Hi
I am replacing my 1976 cortina 2 litre with a 2.1 Sierra lump. The gearbox and mountings (as above) fit together no probs. I'm going fuel injection so am half way through making the new loom up. The Sierra carb SOHC is interchangeable with the Cortina 2litre SOHC except for ignition which is easily sorted.

[ROBERT.JACKSON]

Re: which engine?

Just watch with the gearbox input shaft as there are 2 types 1 has 20 splines and other has 23 splines and slightly different lengths, if in doubt speak to Danny Nelson as Henry Ford was his apprentice.

[dredgies]

Re: which engine?

hello bill jackson just wondering if we could meet up? so i can have a look at your berlinetta im about a mile out of frome so your the nearest person who has got one.

[billjackson54]

Re: which engine?

Hi, Dredge...happy to meet up...I'm between Frome and Trowbridge. Danny Nelson has my phone number.

[stonefisk]

Re: which engine?

There is post of mine detailind difference you may encoutner if you are changing from a 1600 pinto to a 2.0 5 Speed. The propshaft for one will be replacing. And depending on the build number of the kit then the chassis crossmember that supports the gearbox will need modification so gearbox does not foul. Later builds where shaped to allow for fitting without a mod. Also there may be issues with the speedo cable entry being too tight and needing a right angle replacement.

[CABRIOBOB]

Re: which engine?

If you run the speedo cable inside the car along side of the tunnel then drill a hole through inline with the gearbox speedo drive as this saves a angle joint.