48 replies to this topic

[wolfys_mini]

agreed the older diesel sounded like a tractor, i know, i owned one.

the newer small capacity engines sound just like petrols.

[maph2]

Is there a 2 litre td engine thats tuneable, fast and reliable that exists?

Matt

yes, but it won't fit in a standard round nose - PSA VAG turbo diesels, more than enough power for a mini.

[mk3 Cooper S]

Yes they are quieter due to the way that the later ones inject the the fuel mainly but a lot has also gone into Noise and vibration handling.


It's a matter of opinion but personally I can't see enough merits into doing the swap????

[maph2]

It's a matter of opinion but personally I can't see enough merits into doing the swap????

exactly - size and weight of the diesel engine springs to mind.

better off with a lightweight petrol engine such as a 1.4 k series, cheap to buy. most parts of the shelf to do the conversion and will give good economy.

[wolfys_mini]

hmmm maybe the price of fuel?

[mk3 Cooper S]

Performance diesels are not that much better and you would need to do loads and loads of miles to make it pay

[wolfys_mini]

i dunno what diesels you driving but do you fill the car up with the green hose? thats p-e-t-r-o-l

i've never had a problem with fast diesels drinking fuel

[mk3 Cooper S]

MY 330D averaged 35mpg last week!! That is not much better than my M3 used to give me.

Obviously you don't have a problem if you drive like a g-i-r-l !!!

They have so much boost wound on that you loose all of the diesel consumption benifits. Yes loads of torque but they just dont rev and your have to keep changing gear.

[immortalbeast]

The reason i want to do this has absolutely nowt to do with the price of fuel. It has everything to do with the superior torque offered by a turbo diesel. If i put say a 1.4 petrol engine in , i would be getting about a third of the torque of a good turbo diesel.

Thats why i want to do one with a sequential gearbox with flatshift so i can carry that huge torque onto every gear.

Should be amazingly fast. A petrol would just be a mass of revs and not as much pull in my opinion.

Matt

[maph2]

Thats why i want to do one with a sequential gearbox with flatshift so i can carry that huge torque onto every gear.

Matt

lol, good luck then. and when its done, i'll love to see it drive - huge weight up front, no traction, torque steer.....

Edited by maph2, 08 April 2008 - 04:17 PM.

[Jammy]

Lets be honest. Your never going to do it with a sequential box. Not a true sequential box. The only one worth mentioning that would be cheap (relatively) and "small" enough to even contemplate taking anywhere near a Mini would be the VAG's DSG gearbox. No diesels mate to that as far as I'm aware, unless the new R10 will have it as an option.

Then you've got the problem, as said above, of the weight of the engine and gearbox ruining the CoG (Centre of Gravity) of the Mini, you probably wouldn't get that great handling, plus you'd need MAHOOSIVE wheels.

If you did find a suitable turbo diesel to fit in a Mini, then I would think the torque would probably give you traction issues.

If you REALLY want a big torquey engine, then get a 1.4 K series, use the existing subframes you can get for them and stick a turbo on it. Evolution on 16V forum has done this with good results (although he's just blown his clutch plate apart).

I like to see you do what you have said, but the cost (both in time and money and effort) to achieve what you want won't be worth it. The only reason I see for continuing doing this line of thought is purely just to see if it can be done, or 'because it hasn't been done yet'.

Wolfy, stop treating people like idiots if you don't want them to do the same to you. And thats rhetorical, just don't treat people like idiots!

[immortalbeast]

Lets be honest. Your never going to do it with a sequential box. Not a true sequential box. The only one worth mentioning that would be cheap (relatively) and "small" enough to even contemplate taking anywhere near a Mini would be the VAG's DSG gearbox. No diesels mate to that as far as I'm aware, unless the new R10 will have it as an option.

Then you've got the problem, as said above, of the weight of the engine and gearbox ruining the CoG (Centre of Gravity) of the Mini, you probably wouldn't get that great handling, plus you'd need MAHOOSIVE wheels.

If you did find a suitable turbo diesel to fit in a Mini, then I would think the torque would probably give you traction issues.

If you REALLY want a big torquey engine, then get a 1.4 K series, use the existing subframes you can get for them and stick a turbo on it. Evolution on 16V forum has done this with good results (although he's just blown his clutch plate apart).

I like to see you do what you have said, but the cost (both in time and money and effort) to achieve what you want won't be worth it. The only reason I see for continuing doing this line of thought is purely just to see if it can be done, or 'because it hasn't been done yet'.

Wolfy, stop treating people like idiots if you don't want them to do the same to you. And thats rhetorical, just don't treat people like idiots!

Hi,

Sorry but i must disagree. I have been in touch with a company that says a Sadev and a Quaife sequential gearbox would fit to a vag tdi engine. Plus i havent definitely said i would do a front mounted diesel conversion. Rear engined RWD and front engined RWD(with propshaft) is an option. I will do it if just to be different.

Matt

[charlie_the_miniboy]

if your going to all the trouble why settle for a 1.4, you'd be over taken by the milkman AND his grandmother!!

and the vibrations that'll run through the car, you'd be better off doing it properly with on of the PROPER VAG 2'0L TD's


above is only my opnion

never driven a small capacity diesel then?

obviously not!

shurrup til you got sumin decent to say

at work we have a fleet of 1.4 diesels (ford fiestas) and a 1.7 diesel vauxhall and some ford transit connects

and i know which ones i leave back at HQ, those stupid NOISEY, SLOW 1.4's

i was only stating what many ARE thinking, fitting a diesel is a great idea, but just make sure you know their not as refined as the petrol engines of today, their also SO heavy so i hope you live near straight roads, i'm not saying don't do it, i'd love to see the finished artical, just make sure your doing it for the correct reasons, if you want massive power you'll want to be able to use it, and this is only what point of view, the bigger the better but maybe when it come to all out speed in a mini, taking in corners as well as straights the petrol engine will ALWAYS win....

sorry.


but it's still something i'd love to see at a track day..... just don't drop diesel on the track..........

[Jammy]

Lets be honest. Your never going to do it with a sequential box. Not a true sequential box. The only one worth mentioning that would be cheap (relatively) and "small" enough to even contemplate taking anywhere near a Mini would be the VAG's DSG gearbox. No diesels mate to that as far as I'm aware, unless the new R10 will have it as an option.

Then you've got the problem, as said above, of the weight of the engine and gearbox ruining the CoG (Centre of Gravity) of the Mini, you probably wouldn't get that great handling, plus you'd need MAHOOSIVE wheels.

If you did find a suitable turbo diesel to fit in a Mini, then I would think the torque would probably give you traction issues.

If you REALLY want a big torquey engine, then get a 1.4 K series, use the existing subframes you can get for them and stick a turbo on it. Evolution on 16V forum has done this with good results (although he's just blown his clutch plate apart).

I like to see you do what you have said, but the cost (both in time and money and effort) to achieve what you want won't be worth it. The only reason I see for continuing doing this line of thought is purely just to see if it can be done, or 'because it hasn't been done yet'.

Wolfy, stop treating people like idiots if you don't want them to do the same to you. And thats rhetorical, just don't treat people like idiots!

Hi,

Sorry but i must disagree. I have been in touch with a company that says a Sadev and a Quaife sequential gearbox would fit to a vag tdi engine. Plus i havent definitely said i would do a front mounted diesel conversion. Rear engined RWD and front engined RWD(with propshaft) is an option. I will do it if just to be different.

Matt

Please note my choice of words.

I did say relatively cheap. The Quaife sequential box will cost you about 10k I believe. You could get a whole TT engine for that easily.

And I didn't say a FWD conversion will ruin the handle. In fact with all that torque I'm not sure I'd want it in the rear either, it would be quite tail happy if you weren't very careful with the throttle. The back end would be very heavy with a RWD installation, and you'd have no weight over the front wheels.

[immortalbeast]

Hi,

So what engine/drivetrain would you suggest then for a stupidly quick, amazing handling, torquey conversion that doesnt mean i have to rev to eternity?

Matt