Fast Marina Magazine

If you were to re-build an an A Series engine, what things could you add/change to make it "Greener"?

A strange question but was just wandering?!

Dan

eh, paint usually helps...

Sean

Beckett Bros "Splish Splash I was having a slash"

Hi Dan,

A twincam BMW bike head, throttlebodies and fuel injection, its been done before on mini's and goes well with good economy.

Alternatively fuel inject the standard engine with CANEMS system, I've driven his mini and it was brilliant, with a soft cam the economy would be excellent.

Ask Chris to sell you one of his adapter plates and fit a 5 speed sierra type 9 gearbox, then learn to drive quietly like Kilroy, instant fix even with crappy carbs.

1.8 'B' series Martec made 1.8-2.0 CO2 and 400 HC at the last MOT and has made 39.5 mpg on motorway runs, an 'A' series should better that.

Brian

David Vizard has a chapter in his book about tuning the A series about tuning for economy and as Brian says above, you prepare it as if it were a race engine but back off the cam duration to be able to dial in much better part throttle economy. DV built just such an engine for his daughters 1275GT and drove across America averaging over 55mpg if I remember correctly.

Throttle body injection and a 16 valve head will only improve on this.

At the very highest level, being 'green' is about minimising the use of fossil fuels and minimising the production of greenhouse gases. I would take this to include reusing as much kit as possible (to avoid using fossil fuels to make new things)

I think there are 3 big headings

Recycle
Increase efficiency
Improve the system

Recycle
Using existing parts ratherthan buy new - so for example convert the existing head to unleaded rather than buy a spare and have that done. If you have to use different parts, then buy second hand rather than totally new.

Increase efficiency
Porting the head to increase gas flow
Increasing the combustion ratio
Free-er flow exhaust system
More efficient induction - this could mean reconditioing the existing carb or fitting fuel injection
Improving ignition - I read somewhere that 1 in 10 times a traditional points ignition triggers there is no spark, so 1 in 10 cylinders of fuel goes to waste. So electronic ignition controls the spark. Also the bigger the spark the better the fuel air mixture is burnt. so a higher powered coil will allow you to open the spark plug gap and give a bigger spark. All distributor based ignitions rely on springs, rotating weights and distributor cam profiles, although they are highly developed for a standard car, when you start to change the engine as above, your distributor won't be as optimum as it could be. So think about 'performance' distributors or mapped ignition.
The cooling fan is a drain on power and can be subsituted with an electric one, this saves engine power.

Improve the system
Overdrives, 5 speed gearboxes, larger diameter wheels and tyres and lower back axle ratios fall into this category - all increase the engine gearing meaning going further for fewer revs and hence saving fuel.

In terms of bang per buck, I think it depends on what you use the car for, an electronic ignition, unleaded higher compression head and suitably reconditioned and modified carb. would be my first steps. Purely by chance these are also the things that make the cars go faster, so you have a choice of driving faster or driving more 'greenly'.

I have to say that with an Ital, if that's what the engine is destined for, you have the best base for building an efficient A+ series. It has the Metro style twin outlet exhaust and HIF44 (1 3/4") carb which are both a lot better than the original Marina items. If it's a late model Ital, it will also have the taller rear axle ratio. I had an Ital for a couple of years which regularly returned 45mpg and could rev to 8000prm (not while doing 45mpg of course!!). Great car.

A smaller carb will have higher velocity airflow, so gives better fuel atomisation. A 1.5" carb is good for 40-85hbp, so should give better economy than a 1.75", which is good for 50-100bhp. Ensure the carb is correctly aligned to the manifold, and the manifold matched to the ports. Any misalignment will disturb the airflow.

Do Piper etc have any cams designed for economy rather than power?

A taller diff (numerically lower) would be an excellent step, as would electronic ignition.

A late Cooper S engine with catalytic converter would also be "green" - they met Jap emission standards in the mid '90s. Not sure if the English market versions were built to the same spec.

I once got 68mpg form a 998cc Mini in stock form, and 38mpg around town. Went down to 28mpg with a warm cam, ported head, twin carbs and a lead fott. :shock: 8)

Take a leaf from Al Gore's book and buy a private jet

Isn’t this just nonsense? Let’s face facts here. We have Marinas because they are basic cars so why spoil them and try to make the planet greener. I’m all in favour of improving the cars performance but talking about cats and how to make the emissions better is defeating the purpose.

If you want a “Green” car then you will get at least £2000 for your banger at a main dealer. This talk of global warming is just crazy and a ploy by the governments to raise more revenue in taxes. It’s just a pity that people fall for this old chestnut every time.

I'm now away to burn some old tyres!

Sean

Beckett Bros "Greenhouses are for tomatoes and old people"

Well said

Fair play, I reckon the global warming stuff is crap too as there is lots of evidence to suggest that the world has been warmer than it is now and that CO2 has never been the driver for climate change. Having said all that, I'm a supporter of getting the most out of the resources we have so more efficient engines are a good thing in my book. That way you have the choice of using the performance or getting better mpg as your mood suits.... :twisted:

Just don't get me started on the 'Toyota Pious' crew who think they're saving the planet by lugging around loads of environmentally harmful batteries in a car that struggles to do a real world 35mpg... :roll: These same people look down their noses at people like me who have a V6 petrol saloon that struggles to get over 25mpg but mine is 14 years old and has less impact on the environment by keeping it running rather than being compulsory scrapped after 10 years which is what I believe has to happen to the pious crew..

Global warming is indeed a myth. While the vast majority of this country’s population is sitting back watching East Enders and Corrie and all the other junk on the telly like Jeremy Kyle etc, I watch the discovery channel and the other factual channels.

The earth works in cycles. It heats up and cools down over periods of time, it’s as simple as that and called the cycle of life! Planet Earth has had countless ice ages since its formation. Tides have risen and fallen and all this happened long before man was even on the planet.

Now all that has been said it still makes me wonder why someone would want a Morris Marina and then make it environmentally friendly? If you want to have a “green” car then a Morris Marina isn’t the car for you. I’m not technically blessed to carry out any sort of conversion as what’s been mentioned and I doubt there are many on here who could either so why not just enjoy the Marina for what it is instead of making it something it never was or will be.

I have Marinas because they are built on simple mechanics and fairly easy for an amateur mechanic like me to work on. When you lot start talking pish then this to me takes the fun out of Marinas. No wonder Top Gear see us as easy pickings when folk on here talk a lot of tosh. This forum has really gone down hill in recent months and really lost its way.

No wonder the old hands never post much in here and I can’t blame them. Some of you lot need to get a life and possibly get laid a bit more rather than being boring B******S!

Sean

Beckett Bros “The futures bright”

Everyone is allowed an opinion, thanks for yours.

If you don't like the pish being talked, then don't bother coming on and being plain rude - simple as.

Number 63 wrote:Everyone is allowed an opinion, thanks for yours.

If you don't like the pish being talked, then don't bother coming on and being plain rude - simple as.

Yes mate I do have an opinion just like your opinion on Toyota's. Rude I am not but again stating facts. I could go on further but shall refrain from doing so as I have already stated my points.

Tell me something. Where is the hardcore regulars who used to grace this forum with their great chat? We used to have a good laugh and also some really good topics on the go here but as mentioned it's died off big time.

Back to your corners, chaps! :shock:

Marina's are "green" because running one meets the "reuse" part of Greenpeace's "reduce, reuse, recyle" mantra. And it gives you bragging rights over recyclers, since reusing beats recycling (uses less energy etc).

And if you really want to reduce your carbon footprint, don't drive at all. Lock yourself in your room with the lights and heat off.

We all have different reasons for having (or wanting) a Marina, either because it's a "simple car for simple folk" :P , or because "old skool is cool" 8) , or just to be different .