MG Midget + Geo Metro 3cyl = MGeo

[MetroMPG]

Will: he's got a Samurai RWD transmission - it happens to bolt up directly to the stock 3-cyl engine.

And Jack: I forgot to say...

The MG folks like a restoration, the Suzuki engine guys want more power,
so I've come here to show my project.

That's why we're here! Happy to have you aboard & looking forward to the project.

[Wonderboy]

Will: he's got a Samurai RWD transmission - it happens to bolt up directly to the stock 3-cyl engine.

Samurai FD ratio = 3.73, 5th gear = .80

This makes his drivetrain (if there is only one 1.3l samurai 5spd trans configuration ever made) at cruising speed a little bit worse than an XFi and a little bit better than other garden variety g10 clones. Not too bad, but still gives my phat whip a fighting chance at beating the midget for hwy FE

Here's darin's stockpile of ratio information for reference by the OP.

[MetroMPG]

I was wondering about ratios in the Samurai gearbox.

I'm guessing the inevitably smaller outer diameter of the tires on the Midget compared to the Samurai are going to tilt things further out of favour for low RPM highway cruising.

[nimblemotors]

The Midget rear differential has a 4:10 gear, so it will have higher revs
than the XFI trans. It has 145R13 tires, pretty small, but I think the Metro has even smaller 12" tires? There is room for taller tires in back, but then they would add weight!

I actually spent a lot of time looking at tires and wheels to make them as light as possible. The bolt pattern on the Midget is not common, so
the only option is aftermarket wheels designed for the Midget which are expensive, the UltraLights. Otherwise I'd have to adapt other wheels.
It looks to me the stock steel 13" wheels are skinny and don't really weigh that much, the aluminum ones are 14 or 15, and weigh more, so I'm just keeping the stock wheels. I'm thinking moon disks on the wheels, so the appearance isn't a factor.

[Arragonis]

I love this project.

I spent a small fortune on a RWA 73 1275 Midget in the early 1990s - including a whole new body shell and a 1293 racing A-Series which was superb. Not so superb was the low (17 mph/1000) gearing in 4th - not eco friendly but good for mullering the occasional Suzuki Swift GTI around at the time up to 80-ish and of course 'drifting' the odd roundabout.

There are quite a few K-series conversions over here - the K-series goes from a 1.1 8v, 1.4 8v, 1.6 16v, 1.8 16v and 1.8 vvc - power from 60hp to 160hp. Gearboxes vary from ford (Sierra 5 speed - aka Murkur), toyota (Celica - when RWD) and Rover (77 5 speed from the SD1 and MG RV8, Discovery etc.).

As for your engine - its an interesting idea. I kind of wondered about following down the line of the K-series conversions but going for the smaller ones - e.g. the 1.1 4 cyl 8v version (60 hp) which would have matched the original A-series 1275cc in terms of power and torque but much better for economy and much lighter.

Try Frontline for K-series, suspension, 5-speeds etc.

Good luck.

[MetroMPG]

K-series being Honda engines?

(People sometimes forget that not everyone speaks the same language )

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

K-series being Honda engines?

(People sometimes forget that not everyone speaks the same language )

Whilst you are here, where's my ecomodder stickers paid for nearly 12 months ago ?

Anyhoo - no, the K-series to which I refer is the Rover one and not the Honda one - so it rotates the conventional way etc.

It can be confusing as at the time the K-series was being introduced Honda and Rover were development partners, but the Rover K is not the same. Its a very light engine with low levels of coollant etc and a sandwhich construction.

Unfortunately it also got a reputation for head gasket failure - so much so that the MGF was sometimes known as the MGHGF.

The 8v 1.1 (60hp) and 1.4 (75hp) seem reasonably reliable though.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Whilst you are here, where's my ecomodder stickers paid for nearly 12 months ago ?

Seriously!? ARG. That was Ben's job.

Please PM me your address and I'll send it myself, tomorrow.

Darin

[todayican]

Regarding drive ratios, it wouldn't surprise me if there is a ring gear mod out there for the Suzuki diff (You are using a samurai diff?

You might could go diff shopping as well, thats where I would look to get the gearing changed :-)

[todayican]

By the way, I just thought to add, Ive got another XFI motor pulled from a 55k car if you want another spare :-)