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1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:58 pm
by EzyRider
Just wondering if anyone has actually done any decent work to one of these little dust blowers, and if so, what sort of (rough0 power are you getting out of it? Assuming usual mods of balance shafts removed, electric fuel pump, extractors, fan removal and thermo's added, is there any more info that can be added to squeeze a couple more horses out of them without going overboard with 84 carbies, 17 turbos and a bottle of NOS?

I've rebuilt more of these things than I care to remember for Imlachs (otherwise known as SigmaWreck and Triple Diamond Automotive back in my day), but that was mostly just stock re-rings and rebuilds. Been a while since I've had my fun with the old Saturns, and thought maybe someone might be a little more clued in these days compared to 16 years ago when I was tinkering with them.

Flame suit donned, burn me up. ;)

(Yeh, I know.. go for the big motor, put in an Astron II, pull down an L200.. just curious about the '32 I guess.)

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:04 am
by shuggy
people hate me for it, but i love em
depends what car though.
reason i love them is that in my GC they are perfectly ballanced engine weight to car weight ratio and they sound awesome.
you cant remove the balance shafts, and i believe it is better to get a g32b (4g32 belt drive) as they i personally think they are slightly more responsive and quieter.

when i get the money i am gonna build one rally spec but in lots of debt at the moment so not for a while.
they are harder to get high performance bits for than the astrons but still can get them.
im slowly gettin a part here n there off ebay when they comin up n just building up a stockpile.

my engine is out of a 87 colt so when i get around to rebuilding one good i will probably get another newish colt and grab the motor out of that to rebuild, i dont reckon there is any point gettin a oldy as you dont no if it has been bored of sleeved or what..

theres my 2 cents

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:30 am
by tandanus
I like em too - light and sound great. But if you want real power and torque, well, look elsewhere (4G63BT + driveline).
I dont have a dyno sheet on mine, but if they were stock at 100hp I'm guessing 105?
A couple of years ago starting on an OK motor: Ballanced crank, honed, reringed, new bearing caps in bottom end, new small end bearings, skimmmed head, decked block (yep, you need the expensive petrol!), spacers under the valve springs, mid range street cam (sounds lumpy at idle but is usable on the street), relieved and match ported to twin HF40D manifold (with SU copies). Standard exhaust manifold to slightly larger exhaust system. I think thats about it. Would never swap it for an Astron :P . (Unless it was in a Sigma/Scorp).
T.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:22 pm
by karl_2ltgc
Twin dcoes, some cam an and headwork could bring it up to something that might be ok to drive depending on what your used to.

Or just slot in a 2.6 an 5spd then do the cam headwork and twin dcoe 45s to that :D

And before all these saturn fanboys start blowing their trumpets too louldy :D :lol:, there is nothing wrong with an astron in a galant once you put some heavier springs in the front end.

Heres a old pic that shows how an astron sits in a galant bay.
Image

Seriously the astron might have 25kgs on a saturn an be a little longer. For the extra 1ltr capacity i would say thats a pretty good deal.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:57 pm
by 81GL
karl_2ltgc wrote:there is nothing wrong with an astron in a galant once you put some heavier springs in the front end.
Pretty much. & using GH sigma engine mounts sits the engine lower down also (not that you would use the galant ones anyway!)

Sorry to get off topic - Karl, there the strut tops that cheater made yeah? look pretty good!

Nick.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 2:57 pm
by tandanus
karl_2ltgc wrote:Twin dcoes, some cam an and headwork could bring it up to something that might be ok to drive depending on what your used to.
Tend to agree on the twin DCOE40s. But the $$ it costs to set these things up (if they dont come already set up for the 4G32) may make the swap not cost effective (hp/$). I think to justify this you would have to really love the Saturn (I do!) and have to have worked it to the point where other carbs were failing to deliver the engine's potential (almost there!). Which would mean Dyno time to diagnose and fix - more $$. Depends what you want....
T.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:12 pm
by 75wagon
Why is everyone so obsessed with making their cars so fast?
Does everyone on here race them?
I just want a car that drives well, sounds good and turns heads. Is that not enough?

I have known heaps of blokes over the years that have fully modded cars, spending thousands on getting every bit of performance out of them to what, just drive on the street.
Do they just have little dicks or something? :o
Fair enough if you actually race it, but if you don't, what's the point?
1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?
If you want to do a 1600 do it.
Mine sounds great. It's not the fastest car on the road but who cares. It's good for what it is, a 34 yr old car. I love my car the way it is (mostly). The twin carbs on the 1600 sound awesome.
How much power were you hoping to get anyway?

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:04 pm
by EzyRider
Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to do the quarter mile in under 10 seconds or anything.. hell, it's a 36 year old car. However, I do know that the 1600 Saturns are fairly high revving, and a little pep under the foot is all I'm really chasing at the moment. I've been doing a little fiddling under the bonnet this afternoon (after I went fishing of course. A man must have his priorities straight), and the comps are still fairly good. I had the thought of just bolting on a couple of sidedraughts and a set of extractors, little bigger exhaust and a better flowing muffler, and that should bring it up a little closer to what I'm looking for.

The GB Galants handle like a go-kart with a roof, so handling isn't really too much of a problem. I mean, you know it's a love affair with a car when you drive it, and you have a big old shit-eating grin on your face from the first corner, right? So yeah, I think for the time being, I'll stick it out with the 1600, see what happens. Later on down the track, should the need or time arrive, I'll go bigger or rebuild it with a turbo option.

Thanks for the advice guys, appreciated muchly.

Cheers;

Ezy.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:12 pm
by 75wagon
My brother-in-law had a '80 mitsubishi colt with a 1400. Had it balanced and blueprinted by Ron at Coltspeed in Meadowbank, it revved like no tomorrow and went really well. Was really satifying to punch it through tight S bends and tight corners. It only had a standard carb.
I'm sure a 4G32 would respond well to similar treatment. The addition of webers would just add that note that make '70's 4 cylinders just sound so good.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:20 pm
by tandanus
^^^ Yep ^^^^
Like Ive told folk on here before (ad nauseum) the first thing to do to a Saturn is get it ballanced. It'll be happy to rev higher safely, then you just have to allow it to breathe. But getting a donk ballanced means taking it apart and its so much easier just to bolt things onto it. Again, depends what you want... (and yeah, a Saturn with a cam at idle sounds pretty impressive :D add DCOEs and its a syphony to the ears :) )
T.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:38 pm
by Torana68
karl_2ltgc wrote: Seriously the astron might have 25kgs on a saturn an be a little longer. For the extra 1ltr capacity i would say thats a pretty good deal.

try 45 kilos..... and not so good a fit in early galants that never had the Anchor fitted at the factory

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:46 pm
by Torana68
Why is everyone so obsessed with making their cars so fast?
Does everyone on here race them?
well I used to and will agian so thats a yes from me :D

Do they just have little dicks or something? :o some on here are trying really hard to stretch theirs so thats probably a yes again.

Fair enough if you actually race it, but if you don't, what's the point?
its fun?

How much power were you hoping to get anyway?
160 is probably more than most will get out of one but its possable.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:09 pm
by 75wagon
Torana68 wrote:Why is everyone so obsessed with making their cars so fast?
Does everyone on here race them?
well I used to and will agian so thats a yes from me :D

Do they just have little dicks or something? :o some on here are trying really hard to stretch theirs so thats probably a yes again.

Fair enough if you actually race it, but if you don't, what's the point?
its fun?

How much power were you hoping to get anyway?
160 is probably more than most will get out of one but its possable.
haha.... :lol:

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:36 pm
by cheaterparts
81GL wrote:
Sorry to get off topic - Karl, there the strut tops that cheater made yeah? look pretty good!

Nick.
Yes they are Nick - they are matched up with some shortened sigma struts with coil over adjustable platforms ( I'm starting to think theres more cheater parts on karls car than mitsubishi )
EzyRider wrote:after I went fishing of course. A man must have his priorities straight

Ezy.
did you catch any ?

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:12 pm
by EzyRider
cheaterparts wrote:
EzyRider wrote:after I went fishing of course. A man must have his priorities straight

Ezy.
did you catch any ?
Caught a few squid, then headed out to the deep water chasing snapper, and all I got for the entire morning was one octopus. Still, there are a few reports of snapper running out to 6-7 kilo's at the moment, so I'm probably starting a little early yet. Give it another two weeks, and the snapper should be going stupid in the bay. We'll see ;)

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:52 am
by shuggy
got a few snapper 3 weeks ago out here but nothin decenet ahah
im glad to see a few peopla recommending the 4g32 ;)
stock standard love affair ;)

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:24 am
by MrBishi
Torana68 wrote: try 45 kilos..... and not so good a fit in early galants that never had the Anchor fitted at the factory
By my scales;
4G63 sohc - 87kg dry
4G54 - 107kg dry
No accessories

Are you saying the 4G3x is ~60kg? Be good to weigh one (I don't have one at hand).

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:06 am
by Torana68
your scales are out big time, :D factory weight (the factory not me, from the workshop manual ) for 4G32 is 113 kg and a 63 sure isnt lighter than that..an Anchor 45 more
Roger

edit the weight difference between 63 and anchor is a bit less than thought, is that a twin cam 63 or SOHC? from memory the difference from G3 to G6 is a bit under 20 for both SOHC NA , the DOHC G3 and G6 arnt much different

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:31 pm
by MrBishi
Remember that it is dry and no accessories. Scales aren't that far off!

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:13 pm
by Torana68
yeah I dunno if the factory weight is wet or what but it would be the complete weight so you get a good idea of the weight over the axle, its going to vary depending on number of cams NA or turbo etc.

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:33 pm
by MrBishi
Where did you get 45kg from?

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:57 pm
by Torana68
MrBishi wrote:Where did you get 45kg from?

the anchor weight minus the Saturn weight 45 kilos difference (approx)

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:13 pm
by shuggy
Torana68 wrote:
MrBishi wrote:Where did you get 45kg from?

the anchor weight minus the Saturn weight 45 kilos difference (approx)

i no they are fukin heavy for 2 teens liftin 4 of em onto the back of an f250 hahah - never again...

Re: 1600 (4G32) engine.. worth doing?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 11:07 pm
by boyracer
I was reading somewhere a bloke ran 44mm solex carbs and a no5 cam
suppose all will depend on what cam your going to run as to what engine
your going to build.

My brother has a M3 so dad took him for a drive in the GC wagon, says
you have to / can drive a Saturn bloody hard if you want to get the most
(read fun) out of it now my brother reckons the wagon is a beauty.

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3 X ANCHORTRON FS (think ones pretty hot, ex-rallycar?, came with twin-
sidedraft carbs on it) oh job lot.