Engine and ideas needed

[christover1]

This is turning into a tech thread, if you wish to move it.

I can see a couple of down points, but not insurmountable.
They are still a "points" engine, but after market electronic is available.
They are old tech V belts, meaning I need to do some thinking for my ps pump and EF alternator.
No crossflow head, as far as I can tell from pix. Thus may have to rethink ps pump and alternator mounts. Or use gemini stuff fer all.
Not sure if Geminis had a PS option, will check that out.

[christover1]

Have decided to by a 1.3 Sierra donk.
Finding a good deal helped with that decision.
I chickened out, or wisened up on doing a conversion.
Bigger engines were out of my price range.
And have had zero problems with sierra gbox, so reliability is an issue, too.
All Geminis found were broken or not within my price range.
And not wanting to revert to older tech and V belts, and related issues with power steer and alternator fittings.
Thanks for everyones imput.
I'd consider a big conversion in future still, but with more time to do it.
Want to be go for Pauls desert trip.
Thanks all.
christover

[gwagensteve]

Sounds like a better solution Chris.

The thing with those gemini motors is to forget about the gemini bit and look to Jackeroo and Rodeo. All of the Isuzu north/south 4 cylinders are basically the same motor with different bore/stroke so once you have the mounts sorted and the gearbox in you can knock yourself out with different engine combinations, so points etc aren't an issue, and the availability of efi and lots of different capacity options is there.

However, there is a healthy gemini performance scene (lots of guys running them in drags etc) so that's why you won't find gemini motors easy to find in good nick.

I was going to suggest the CA20 engine from the australian RWD pintara would have been the go - there's no performance culture for these (which means nobody is breaking them with 30psi of boost in them), they have EFI and power steer and 4 speed auto (Borg warner?) too. There's always heaps at the wreckers because they're so unloved. Might be something to look at into the future, but I think by the time you did an "off brand" engine swap, and spent all the time and money putting an auto in, you'd want an engineers cert for the swap - imagine the pain of getting it running and having a little yellow flappy bird stuck to the windscreen....

I think you've made the right decision for now.

Steve.

[robsjimny]

I have a broken gemini auto sitting in my workshop. The auto are getting harder to find also. On the plus side was very easy to change.


rob

[gwagensteve]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSZpOq54 ... re=related

That's why there's not many intact Gemini motors in wreckers - 160rwkw @ 25psi....

Steve.

[christover1]

Yes the performance mob were influential in my decline.
A lot of Jackeroo donks are going into Geminis, along with Piaazzas(SP) and other stuff, too.
And the engineer thing was a big influence.
Frog is good, but not good enuff to warrant a big job.
Body and owner getting tired
It would be better to start with a new base vehicle, engineered from the start.