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Elio Turbo

Hog

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"..Zip ties???????????????? Then how about some duct tape while your at it and a chrome hood ornament. Should give you .2 of a sec in the quarter mile..."
Thanks Desertrat57 ! I had almost forgotten about hood ornaments!

car_hood_ornaments_15.jpg
 

hawg_ryder

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I think you're probably right. I must have been remembering an older post I read somewhere. There was a mention of using a timing chain instead of a belt on the new design. Belts would only be used on overhead cams. Then again they do say they're using a chain instead, which COULD be a little verbal slight of hand for pushrod, but I would hope not. I just can't find anything that actually says so, and I can't get much conclusively from the drawings that are available.

Here's a link to a YouTube animation of the motor posted almost a year ago which clearly shows a SOHC...
BTW... My 5.0 liter R Spec motor in my 2013 Genesis is a DOHC motor that utilizes chains not belts... Belts are inexpensive compared to chains, but the higher performance engines will generally have chains which require them to be internal with an oiling system...
 

wheaters

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Chain drives tend to make a noisy protest for some time when they aren't happy and last a very long time provided the engine oil is changed on time. Belt drives are cheaper but need changing every so often and this can mean higher maintenance costs. They stay relatively quiet when about to fail then let go without warning. If your engine is of the interference type, in that the valves and pistons can crash into each other if the cam timing drops out, think new engine if the belt snaps.

BMW had a brief flirtation with cam belts. They subsequently reverted to chain drive. There is a moral in that story.
 

Jim H

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Here's a link to a YouTube animation of the motor posted almost a year ago which clearly shows a SOHC...
BTW... My 5.0 liter R Spec motor in my 2013 Genesis is a DOHC motor that utilizes chains not belts... Belts are inexpensive compared to chains, but the higher performance engines will generally have chains which require them to be internal with an oiling system...
Martin, welcome to the forum and congratulations on jumping right into the conversations. Its the members and their comments that make this forum so enjoyable and informative. Welcome again and thanks for adding detail to help us learn about the Elio.
 

ArthurKent

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I think the 9.6 was with 70 hp.
I'm guessing 11.5 with 50 hp, unless the gearing changes.
Keep in mind, that this is likely with the A/C off and turning on the compressor will likely add a few seconds.
A really hot day over 90 degrees will also add a second or two.
Accelerating an up sloping ramp onto a highway with the A/C on will be a challenge.
The 1995 Geo Metro (second gen body with 1.0l) had a 14.9 0-60 (20 with A/C on).
I use this reference as the standard to beat.
4 people, A/C, hot day.... just floor it and leave it there.
The Morgan three wheeler currently in production weighs exactly the same as the Elio and runs to 60 in
under 5.8 seconds with an 82 HP engine. I would assume an Elio turbo would easily match those numbers.
The Acceleration numbers provided by Elio are for the vehicle with the IAV engine. Same for the mileage numbers.
Under hard acceleration, every car that I know of cuts off the AC compressor. No one has to cut it off
to obtain max acceleration.
The 1995 Geo Metro is more than 50% heavier than the Elio - weighs over 1830 pounds. It cannot be compared
to the Elio.
 

2.ooohhh

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Chain drives tend to make a noisy protest for some time when they aren't happy and last a very long time provided the engine oil is changed on time. Belt drives are cheaper but need changing every so often and this can mean higher maintenance costs. They stay relatively quiet when about to fail then let go without warning. If your engine is of the interference type, in that the valves and pistons can crash into each other if the cam timing drops out, think new engine if the belt snaps.

BMW had a brief flirtation with cam belts. They subsequently reverted to chain drive. There is a moral in that story.

Timing belts still have their place they just aren't as suitable for low maintenance cost and reliability in the long term. On a light weight high revving engine the low mass is certainly appreciated.
 
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