Where have I seen something like this ?

[Henry Harris]

OR fit a BMC A series.

A BMC A series engine doesn't fit in a Seven chassis without much butchery, rather it sits on and then the body gets in the way.
There are few alternative engines that will fit an unmodified car.

[flywheel1935]

OR fit a BMC A series.



Oh, come now. Any heathen can fit an alternate engine, and trust me I have been tempted, but in view of all the parts that are available then a crankcase , being the heart of the engine it would be nice to have the ability ( & funds ) to get a new one !!!!

[Dennis Nicholas]

OR fit a BMC A series.

A BMC A series engine doesn't fit in a Seven chassis without much butchery, rather it sits on and then the body gets in the way.
There are few alternative engines that will fit an unmodified car.

Fits my Nippy ok.  Extra longitudinal member added to take gearbox mount; front engine mounts bolted to existing cow horns using existing top and chassis bolts; engine lowered a bit by offsetting engine slightly to N/S and making a concave insert in sump; bulkhead very close to block so recessed about half inch round block.  Floor around gearbox area was already butchered for some reason so tidied up and new cover made to fit over gearbox. Using Mini pedal box and hydraulic brake and clutch cylinders mounted on top of bulkhead means no holes in floor with steering column coming up through a short tube in floor with rubber seal between box and floor wind proofing (old round rear light rubber).  Even room for 2 speed heater above gearbox cover.
Could be easily changed back to taking A7 engine.

Dennis

---

PS It would have been all scraped if I had not done this.

[flywheel1935]

OK guys thread drift, this is not about alternate engines, but using modern manufacturing techniques & getting a replica crankcase with some of its issues ironed out during a redraw. ie; better lip flanges, through bolting the block etc.

[Peter Naulls]

Anything is possible, just look at the supply of cranks, heads, blocks etc. but if you talk to our cherished suppliers you'll discover there is a significant up-front cost to these things (even if it is machined from billet someone has to draw it /redesign it first) and very few potential customers with pockets deep enough to justify it. 

There is always a trade-off of unit cost against quantity and second-guessing how many you are going to sell in a lifetime is half the skill.

Interestingly there are more ambitious projects like this in the MG world, but then the cars are worth twice as much as ours.

[flywheel1935]

Anything is possible, just look at the supply of cranks, heads, blocks etc. but if you talk to our cherished suppliers you'll discover there is a significant up-front cost to these things (even if it is machined from billet someone has to draw it /redesign it first) and very few potential customers with pockets deep enough to justify it.

Exactly Peter, that's the one part you can't get off the shelf, however deep your pocket is.

[austin]

Of course it could be done but the cost is hugely inhibitive.

Why would you spend say £20,000 doing something like this on a car with a total worth of about £20,000??

If you spent the same on say a Bugatti Type 35, (and they are made all the time) then £20,000 becomes a rather small percentage of the overall value.

Costs are coming down but not sure when it will be cheap enough to be practical cost wise for a standard A7 crankcase.

[Henry Harris]

New crankcases are available, unmachined, in 10 stud form. Late supercharged Ulster, Early Grasshopper and possibly Duck.

[flywheel1935]

If somebody has the ability to recast crankcases, and yes I recall seeing one at Beaulieu some years ago, why not then offer them fully machined ???
If I was selling anything, then it has to be 'fit & forget' or there is no point.
There was somebody selling "Austin 7 Dizzy'"s on ebay ( That were bog standard VW Dizzy's ) but without the gear supplied or fitted, so again a part you cannot fit straight out of the box !!!
Who does the 'raw' c/cases ?
Austin; check out Cozette Engineering, £20k is small change for one of their motors !!!!