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toffee
toffee
6/9/22 6:02 p.m.

Could someone help with a list of very light weight 4 cyclinder engines for cars, not bikes.   Rover K series were light weight but seems to be problematic, and hardly available in the US, Suzuki?  I think most modern 3 bangers are all turbo?  

Any suggestion is appreciated. 

wheelsmithy (Joe-with-an-L)
wheelsmithy (Joe-with-an-L) GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
6/9/22 6:10 p.m.

Yeah, the G-10 and G-13B Suzuki engines are light, but getting hard to find.

What about the Fiesta 3 banger?

Outside the box, what about a K-100 BMW motorcycle engine?

Coventry Climax?

It is a pretty short list.

Tom1200
Tom1200 UltraDork
6/9/22 6:26 p.m.

Nissan / Datsun A-series engines:

The A12 (1200cc) In my car weighs 181 lbs complete (this includes starter, clutch and flywheel).

The A15 is 12lbs more.

The transmissions are 38lbs for the 4 speed and 54lbs for the 5 speed.

The Nissan E15 allegedly is 10lbs lighter than the A-series.

Noddaz
Noddaz GRM+ Memberand UberDork
6/9/22 6:27 p.m.

A K24 is about 413 pounds (Motortrend)

B series VTEC: 405 pounds  (Motortrend)

Stampie
Stampie GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
6/9/22 6:35 p.m.

Saturn LLO

lrrs
lrrs HalfDork
6/9/22 6:38 p.m.

Geo metro 1 liter?

codrus (Forum Supporter)
codrus (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
6/9/22 6:43 p.m.

How about a 2 cylinder out of a Trabant? :)

Is this for a specific project, or just a general "lightest you can think of" question?  If the former, more context is probably useful.

 

 

John Welsh
John Welsh Mod Squad
6/9/22 6:50 p.m.

The internet tells me that the gas engine from a Gen2 Prius, 1.5L weighs just 190 lbs and that might be with fluids in it. 

Same engine family as Toyota Echo 1.5L so should mat to Echo auto or manual trans. 

The best part is you can buy 125k mile examples for $300.

vwcorvette (Forum Supporter)
vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UberDork
6/9/22 7:02 p.m.

Smart Fortwo? 1.0 mitsu 3-cyl engine. 70 hp

californiamilleghia
californiamilleghia UltraDork
6/9/22 7:39 p.m.

2 cylinder

Citroen 2cv. 400cc or 600cc

Fiat 500 , the old aircooled 500cc or 650cc

stuart in mn
stuart in mn MegaDork
6/9/22 8:32 p.m.

Probably not what you're looking for, but the 1.1 liter engine in my old Opel Kadette was pretty light.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter)
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
6/9/22 8:44 p.m.
lrrs said:

Geo metro 1 liter?

came here to say this.  I don't know exactly how light they were, but I was working in a FLAPS and a big beefy guy was returning a 1.0L Metro core.  The forklift couldn't quite reach it in the bed of his truck so he picked it up and moved it to the back.  He might have just been freakishly strong, but it can't be that heavy.

Edit:  google says 164lbs in operational trim (with all accessories).  Another source says the 1.3L 4-cylinder was just over 200 lbs.

wearymicrobe
wearymicrobe PowerDork
6/9/22 9:23 p.m.

I give you the 2NZ-FE. 84kg with the transmission. 

Echo yaris and a few others. Also avaliable in a manual transmission option but 11kg more weight for that. 

The lightest you could find and it would be hard is the 3 cylinder in the scion IQ. I have heard less the 70kg all in for the motor and all accessories. 

 

TurnerX19
TurnerX19 UltraDork
6/9/22 9:33 p.m.

Thin on the ground these days, but the Hillman/Sunbeam Imp was 115lbs with the clutch installed. 875CC  SOHC.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
6/10/22 8:15 a.m.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
lrrs said:

Geo metro 1 liter?

came here to say this.  I don't know exactly how light they were, but I was working in a FLAPS and a big beefy guy was returning a 1.0L Metro core.  The forklift couldn't quite reach it in the bed of his truck so he picked it up and moved it to the back.  He might have just been freakishly strong, but it can't be that heavy.

Edit:  google says 164lbs in operational trim (with all accessories).  Another source says the 1.3L 4-cylinder was just over 200 lbs.

Yep I've also seen people lift up G10 and G13A long blocks. Suzuki also made some 600cc 3cyl and 4cyl engines that can be found in base Swifts/Metros and Kei trucks (like the Super Carry) respectively.

NY Nick
NY Nick GRM+ Memberand Dork
6/10/22 9:07 a.m.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I am not freakishly strong and I pulled a 1.0 l geo from Vince's U-Pull it. They did pull it with a front loader but I put it in my truck in the parking lot myself and then put it in my Trackster by myself when I got it home. It wasn't an easy lift but I did it.

Olemiss540
Olemiss540 HalfDork
6/10/22 9:39 a.m.
NY Nick said:

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I am not freakishly strong and I pulled a 1.0 l geo from Vince's U-Pull it. They did pull it with a front loader but I put it in my truck in the parking lot myself and then put it in my Trackster by myself when I got it home. It wasn't an easy lift but I did it.

You Freak!

buzzboy
buzzboy SuperDork
6/10/22 9:45 a.m.

ACVW is ~250 including the cooling system. Can be up to 2332cc without case mods.

fidelity101
fidelity101 UberDork
6/10/22 9:46 a.m.

In reply to Noddaz :

is that fully dressed numbers? accy drive and all/etc

Aspen
Aspen HalfDork
6/10/22 9:49 a.m.

Some 600cc Kei engine?

wspohn
wspohn SuperDork
6/10/22 11:35 a.m.

The Climax derived SOHC 875 cc engine from the Sunbeam Imps put out  51 bhp (more like 90 in 998 cc Rally form) and the engine and transmission weighed in at 176 lbs.

They were used in many light weight sports racing cars.

Trent
Trent PowerDork
6/10/22 12:05 p.m.

I haven't weighed my G13b but once I pulled all the cast iron mounts and whatnot off of it it was very light. A tubular header would drop another significant percentage of gravity.

 

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
6/10/22 12:46 p.m.

SOHC VW fours are in the 200-220lb range depending on dress.

toffee
toffee New Reader
6/10/22 1:20 p.m.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Was it a rover k series engine?

CrustyRedXpress
CrustyRedXpress GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
6/10/22 1:23 p.m.

Honda d16 family is something like 220. 

Dunno what your use case is but I'd look for aluminum block SOHC or push-rod engines. 

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