Boring out an early 1600 pinto

[Kev Ush]

What the maximum overbore can an early 1600 pinto block take. I’ve read a few posts about folk taking the out to 90mm but can they go a bit further? 92mm 93mm.

Are the standard crank strong and rods strong enough to handle anymore more power?

I’m not looking to build a cheat engine for motorsport or anything like that...if I do anything with it it will just be a road going engine.

I’ve just got an old 1600 pinto sitting in the corner of my shed that came out an old Mk4 cortina and I’m just thinking of a little side project to fill my time and if I can turn it into something a bit special then I might even consider putting it back in the cortina instead of going down the Duratec route. I’m not looking to build a cheat engine for motorsport or anything like that...if I do anything with it it will just be a road going engine.

Ive already read posts about use a 2L crank but just looking for information regarding building up an engine using the original crank and going for a larger bore.

cheers,

Kev

[rallyrob]

What the maximum overbore can an early 1600 pinto block take. I’ve read a few posts about folk taking the out to 90mm but can they go a bit further? 92mm 93mm.

I'm pretty sure it won't go out to 92-93mm. Some of the 2.0L blocks struggle with 93mm so I've read.

[Kev Ush]

Yeah I’ve heard that it can be a hit or miss if an older 2L block can go out to 93mm...some do some don’t.

I alway thought an early 1.6 just had a shorter block and smaller bores than an early 2L but otherwise the same.

at 93mm you would get just short of 1.8L

[Graham]

some 1600 blocks will go to std 2.0 size which is 90.8, so already a tad over 3mm oversize, the chances of one going to 93mm, is slim, if the boring cutter doesnt break through a cylinder wall, they are going to be so thin they will distort in use

[Kev Ush]

Cheers for the info

Has anyone ever had any experience with a 1700 pinto? I actually quite liked driving the cortina with the standard 1600. It’s just a bit under powered for keeping up with modern day traffic.

[Graham]

i dont think going to 1700 will make a lot of difference, but every little helps. 1600 gt spec was a lot more lively than std 1600, so just fitting a 32/36 and standard 2.0 cam will liven it up a fair bit.

but why not just fit a 2.0?

[Forest_rallying]

There's a Gentleman called Memphis that often post on here and his ambition is to built a 1700 Pinto. He'll be able to tell you about bore, stroke and compression all of which's a minefield.

[Kev Ush]

Fitting a 2L night still be an option but a 1600 has a total different character to a 2L which I quite like. If I could get more power out of it while keeping the same characteristics then I think it would be a cracking engine.

[Graham]

Fitting a 2L night still be an option but a 1600 has a total different character to a 2L which I quite like. .

smooth revving and gutless??????

[alladdin]

smooth revving and gutless??????

[Kev Ush]

Well yeah if I could keep the smooth revving and just work on the gutless side I’d be quite happy

[rallyrob]

I would think personally that by effectively modifying a 1600 pinto, you would alter it's characteristics anyway.

[Forest_rallying]

smooth revving and gutless??????

Basically they were shite that's why most Mexicos ended up with 2.0 in them. Unless someone want an engine for a specific CC class then there's very little point spending money on a 1600 block.

Back in the very early 90's we would hire a Transit to Tow the Rally car to events with a full load of spares and people, that was only a 1600 Pinto. It was a bit slow on Hills but the little thing never failed us.

[Graham]

in 1600 form it really doesn't have any advantage over an x/f, no more power and bigger and heavier, and whatever you do to it a 2.0 will always give more poke

[Dyno]

I had a Pinto 1600 in Rally-Cross -1600cc class. It was cheap, reliable (runnen sky high RPM's) and despite being much heavier as the Kent engine, no other Escort with Kent came close to the power I had those days (talking about 34 years ago). So the power potential was not bad.

But I would never use it for anything where you could start from a 2 ltr. The 2 Ltr is always MUCH better.