9 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

Interesting Steve Harris (ex-Downton/Longman) Mini-Ford CVH Hybrid conversion....(Fast Car mag - Dec 1990)

 

 

Edited by mab01uk, 01 March 2023 - 06:57 PM.

[Avtovaz]

i cant think of a worse engine ... lol

[evoderby]

Fast Car Magazine late 80’s it seems….

[stoneface]

Fast Car - December 1990 - I have it in my collection.

[imack]

I normally love these types of conversations, but the CVH is a steaming pile of dung of an engine.

[greenwheels]

Remarkable piece of engineering.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

I had a Sierra that I bought for £285 in 2001 which had the 1.8 CVH engine with about 100,000 miles or so on it.  I caned that about for a few years with no troubles.  It was little tappy but went fairly well and would return 40 mpg on a long run so I was happy enough with it.  Oddly that was one of the best cars I ever had, maybe because I paid so little for it.

[Homersimpson]

I had a Sierra that I bought for £285 in 2001 which had the 1.8 CVH engine with about 100,000 miles or so on it.  I caned that about for a few years with no troubles.  It was little tappy but went fairly well and would return 40 mpg on a long run so I was happy enough with it.  Oddly that was one of the best cars I ever had, maybe because I paid so little for it.

My dad had a couple of 1.8 Sierras and in both the engines smoked like made, I rebuilt one and when he bought the next one with a duff engine I swapped it over.  The machine shop joked that the 1.8 CVH has rubber pistons!

[mab01uk]

Improved definition scans from the original magazine article now added to first post.

(many thanks to 'stoneface' for these)

The Ford CVH engine may not be much in favour nowadays and the standard Mini gearbox was always an issue with these period hybrid engine conversions (Ford Crossflow/BDA/Imp, etc)....however I think the engineering innovation necessary to create them and make them work is more interesting than the more modern method of dropping in a modern transverse fwd engine/gearbox complete from a Honda/Vauxhall/Rover/Suzuki/Nissan/other. Back in the day there were few compact alternative fwd engine/gearbox units available for swaps other than the Austin Maxi or BMC 1800 which were really too heavy and bulky to offer much of a power advantage and usually compromised the Minis handling.

Edited by mab01uk, 01 March 2023 - 07:11 PM.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

 

I had a Sierra that I bought for £285 in 2001 which had the 1.8 CVH engine with about 100,000 miles or so on it.  I caned that about for a few years with no troubles.  It was little tappy but went fairly well and would return 40 mpg on a long run so I was happy enough with it.  Oddly that was one of the best cars I ever had, maybe because I paid so little for it.

My dad had a couple of 1.8 Sierras and in both the engines smoked like made, I rebuilt one and when he bought the next one with a duff engine I swapped it over.  The machine shop joked that the 1.8 CVH has rubber pistons!

 

Must have got lucky with mine.  I never had any trouble with the engine apart from the slight tapping which never got any worse.  It didn't use oil and I didn't treat it gently.  Same with the old automatic choke Ford VV carb.  No troubles.

Edited by unburntfuelinthemorning, 01 March 2023 - 09:26 PM.