Twin Cam engine weight

[kwhittle]

Does anyone know the weight of a complete, ready to run, standard Twin Cam engine.

Kevin

[nmauduit]

some elements to get started, depending on your options...

lotus-twincam-f39/twincam-engine-weight-please-t32701.html

[Slowtus]

Does anyone know the weight of a complete, ready to run, standard Twin Cam engine.

Kevin

Going from memory, 290 lbs, with all the bits hanging on and (kinda) full of fluids...but it has been a while so I could be out by a few lbs/kgs.

Maybe you should look at a DFV, they don't weigh much more

[Frogelan]

I weighed my TC race engine with light-weight flywheel, distributor, spark plugs, leads, and Webers but less exhaust, fluids, dynamo, fan belt and fan = 103 kg.

This should give you the general idea.

Anorak fact: the all aluminium Rover K series engine in the Elise (with 16 valves)...weighs about the same!

[Davidb]

Frogelan: I don't think it can be that light--the Coventry Climax FWA-with single cam, alloy block and head and only 1100 cc weighs about that. I would think that the Lotus Twin Cam should weigh a bit more than a similarly sized Alfa engine-and that has an alloy block and weighs ~290 lbs. I wish I had weighed mine-I usually do weigh engines using two bathroom scales and a piece of wood between them to support the engine but forgot to with the Elan engine.

[Frogelan]

David,

I measured most of my project parts on a Longacre cornerweight scale. This does not give the weight to decimal places, but this is what I saw and noted down.

It is always possible that this scale was wrong or that they way I perched it on the scale gave a misreading. I was personally expecting 120 kg. However, I did check the scales with myself first and it seemed fine. (Like everyone else on the Forum, I'm obviously on a strict racing driver's diet).

I have always marvelled at how compact this engine bloc is - this probably as it was designed by Dagenham as an even smaller unit. It really is dinky compared to a MGB engine.

The gearbox came in at 19kg without the aluminium bell housing (3kg). I forgot to do the chassis. When I have finished the trial build of my car (ie all parts but w/o paint), I will strip it and rebuild it taking car to measure all parts before and after paint.

Andrew (Frogelan)

[2cams70]

I'm not surprised. The ford kent block was an excellent design. So simple yet so effective - the essence of what engineering should be. I have lifted Alfa twin cam engines before and yes they are heavy despite being alloy and nowhere near as compact. They are bulky long stroke engines from an earlier era.

[kwhittle]

I have seen 260lb quoted

Further to the weight question.
How long, tall, and wide is a TC ?
Kevin

[gav]

I was wondering the same thing - I wanted to compare a zestec to a tc in weight.

I have a 2l. Blacktop and weighed it with everything but the alternator and that was 115 kilo so it seems quite similar in weight

Gavin

[gus]

I have seen 260lb quoted

Further to the weight question.
How long, tall, and wide is a TC ?
Kevin

The reason it is so hard to find replacements that fit

TC is 18 inches long and 17 inches tall centerline of crank to top of cam cover

[Matt Elan]

And don't forget that it was the advances in thin wall cast iron casting techniques that the Americans were making in the 50s and 60s that meant there was only a little weight advantage in using expensive aluminium for their blocks - hence the Buick alloy V8 being superseded very quickly and being passed on to Rover....
I've got a couple of 711 blocks in my garage and they are a lot lighter than an MGB/B-Series block! An when I rebuilt my TC on its 'L' block I was surprised how light it seemed.

[kwhittle]

Interesting stuff
I note that the Lotus 900 series V8 weighed in at 375lbs, set against the Daimler V8 of 419lbs complete with iron block
Kevin