General Im back with another panda cross

[crosspanda]

So I had a panda cross, didn't get on with the 2 cylinder engine and moved on well I missed it and have bought a 2015 panda cross in red and the plan is I'm hoping my mates garage can put the 500x 1 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine 120 bhp in, they do engine conversions but obviously have never done this conversion before

 

[Bonefish Blues]

A bold move!

 

[crosspanda]

A bold move!

But if it work? Then it could be just the engine that the panda cross has been dreaming off, oh and I'm having a custom black and red leather interior as the brown is depressing

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

It'll be interesting to see if this works. I wonder if you'll need to change teh gearbox too though -- the twinair 'box includes the transfer gears to drive the propshaft - may not be room for this with the three cylinder engine?

 

[crosspanda]

Yes that is a worry, the garage have the new engine and are basically going to rip my car apart and see what's what

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Yes that is a worry, the garage have the new engine and are basically going to rip my car apart and see what's what

Might end up having to use the 5 speed box from the diesel 4x4, with its separate PTU?

 

[crosspanda]

Well if that happens it happens, time will tell but it would be a huge improvement to have the 1 litre turbo engine imo

 

[boozyjay]

How much is all this going to cost?

 

[porta]

It'll be interesting to see if this works. I wonder if you'll need to change teh gearbox too though -- the twinair 'box includes the transfer gears to drive the propshaft - may not be room for this with the three cylinder engine?

If there’s room for the 4pot diesel there should be room for the 3pot…having had the 1.2 out of a 4x4 I never noticed a difference in bolt pattern but that was a 169

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

If there’s room for the 4pot diesel there should be room for the 3pot…having had the 1.2 out of a 4x4 I never noticed a difference in bolt pattern but that was a 169

Yes, but the 169 4-cylinder also used a separate PTU.... it's the way the gearbox fits 'round the back' of the twinair engine when in a 4x4 that i was thinking about. In earlier posts somewhere about 'where is the PTU filler" there were photos of each gearbox.

 

[porta]

Yes, but the 169 4-cylinder also used a separate PTU.... it's the way the gearbox fits 'round the back' of the twinair engine when in a 4x4 that i was thinking about. In earlier posts somewhere about 'where is the PTU filler" there were photos of each gearbox.

In that case, I suggest he gets the complete engine and box from a 500X 1.4 and really screw the knackers off the panda

 

[Panda IIs]

So I had a panda cross, didn't get on with the 2 cylinder engine and moved on well I missed it and have bought a 2015 panda cross in red and the plan is I'm hoping my mates garage can put the 500x 1 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine 120 bhp in, they do engine conversions but obviously have never done this conversion before

Interesting! Aside from mechanical differences (mentioned above) which I'd expect, money no object, could be engineered around, my main concern would be the engine management and associated electronics. But then I'm a mechanical engineer not an Electronics engineer! For example I believe there are two suppliers to 4x4 BCM Marrelli and Bosch and the two I think are not interchangeable.

Do keep us advised of progress!

 

[chris3234]

So I had a panda cross, didn't get on with the 2 cylinder engine and moved on well I missed it and have bought a 2015 panda cross in red and the plan is I'm hoping my mates garage can put the 500x 1 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine 120 bhp in, they do engine conversions but obviously have never done this conversion before

Unlikely unless you go for a full custom ECU to run it

 

[The Panda Nut]

A remap could get 115bhp and none of the huge costs, but I will be fascinated to follow this. I cant see teh effort of changing from 2 to three cylinders and .9 litres to 1 litre would be worth the pain, but I hope it works and you can prove you are right.

 

[FiatMatt94]

A remap could get 115bhp and none of the huge costs, but I will be fascinated to follow this. I cant see teh effort of changing from 2 to three cylinders and .9 litres to 1 litre would be worth the pain, but I hope it works and you can prove you are right.

I have to agree with Panda Nut on this one, if it was a T Jet conversion then it would be worth while, having said that though in my opinion the Twin Air engine isn't one of Fiat's finest moments in history so anything would be better than that but I'd make it more worthwhile than an extra 124cc & an extra cylinder

 

[crosspanda]

It's basically the engine new pandas will be getting but the turbo charged version, we are retaining the 6 speed gearbox

 

[The Panda Nut]

It is an interesting idea but laden with potential engineering issues. Please keep us posted how it goes though

 

[crosspanda]

It really is, and we may end up with the megasquirt but ideally I'd like to use a new fiat panda ecu but been told not possible