My son & I are in the process of designing a composite homebuilt aircraft. We are looking for an automotive power plant as an alternative to a certified aircraft powerplant. Would like to talk to someone with some experience with the eco-tech 4 cyl. I am told it will make 500 HP with the stock crank & rods on the turbo. Also told that the chevy 3.4, V6 makes 185 HP, with max torque at 2400 RPM. What we are looking for is something in the range of 200 HP, with max torque around 2200- 2400 RPM, & max HP around 3000 RPM. Turbocharger or naturally aspirated. We are trying to get away from a belt drive to cut down the prop speed, & really don’t care to listen to the motor/prop noise at 6,000 RPM. We have no experience with either of these motors, & would appreciate any help.
Bill
My daily driver is a 2008 HHR SS, which has a turbocharged Ecotech as standard equipment — 240hp — and it hauls @ss.
New Comp Eliminator world champion, Bruno Massel Jr. (and Sr.) helped GM (and vice versa) with the development of that combination. I’m sure they’d be happy to speak with you. Call Bruno’s Racing Transmissions, just outside of Chicago and tell ’em I said hi.
Randy,
Thanks for the info. I know John Lingenfelter was running a turbo eco in his former Pro/stock truck when he had the accident. I heard he was making over 1,000 HP and running in the 7’s with it. I have heard a lot of good things about that motor. I’ll give those guys a call this week & see what I can stir up.
Thanks again.
Bill
Have you ever considered a small diesel? The little 4 and six cylinder Kubota engines are pretty decent, and you could adapt a turbo to one I’ll bet. Just a thought. I worked on the 3, 4, and 6 cyl. engines when I worked on the Carrier Transport Refrigeration units, and they were pretty dependable………..Mikey
Mikey,
I know diesels make a lot of torque, but do you think they would produce 200 HP ? Also what do they weigh ? I’ve been reading about a
Susuki conversion, which is about 150 lbs heavier than the rotac it replaces. It does however offer increased performance over the rotac. But, it also uses a belt drive to cut down prop speed, While the engine is buzzing along at 5500-5800 RPM. Most direct drive aircraft engines run much lower RPM at cruise, & they’re noisey enough. Course a turbo would cut down on that. I’ll look up the specs on them, might could work.
Bill
The intrinsic problem with an auto engine in aircraft, which Bill didn’t get into, is that aircraft engines must run at 75% or above power levels continuously. Auto engines rarely run at those power levels continuously.
When you hang a prop on one of these engines, you have to put a gear reduction on them, so the prop is turning maybe 2,400 prm, but the auto engine is continually turning at
5,000-5,800 rpm. That’s tough for a car engine. That’s why Bill is looking for something with the torque down real low.
storm-king.