Your car was invoiced by Lotus on 23rd December 1964. It was fitted with Engine No LP2625. That is in the same four number series as the surrounding cars of the era.
Frank,
Your 26R Engine No 15 64 1002 is a Cosworth number, as used on the Series 1 26Rs.
The 15 was Cosworth code for the Twincam (Mk.XV (1594 cc, wet sump, 130-140 bhp, for Lotus 26R and Lotus Cortina); 64 the year built and the next two numbers were perhaps a batch number followed by the last two numbers being the engine no itself.
Out of interest, Engine No 15 64 1006 is fitted to Tojiro Ukiya’s 26-R-27 on display at the Toyota Museum in Japan in virtually original condition.
Hi Frank,
My 26R, S2 #40 was delivered new with a Cosworth engine which is still fitted. The car was ordered by Geoghegan & Son’s and shipped to Australia for Bill Gates and Jim Bertram for use in 6 and 12 hour races. The Lotus sales record for the car has it recorded as “1600 Cosworth C13651202” with “Dry sump, steel crank and rods” also noted underneath the number.
The following is extracted from a listing of Cosworth engine types - Mk.XIII 1963 116E 1594 cc 140–150 bhp Improved Mk.XII with steel crank and rods, dry sump Formula B, Lotus 22, 23B, 23C
I understand most 26R’s if fitted with Cosworth engine used the following - Mk.XV 1963 116E 1594 cc 135–145 bhp Racing Lotus TwinCam, steel crank and rods, wet sump Lotus 26R, Lotus Cortina
Regards
Vaughan
I realize this is a fairly old thread, but there was at least one recent-ish reply, so here goes.
Does the T11 cast in the block signify anything? I’m looking at an engine that is in a Mk2 Cortina Wagon but I don’t have anything more than 1 photo and the only recognizable number is the T11. I’m trying to figure what engine this is, 105E, 109E etc and what cc it might be.
The T11 refers to the casting pattern set used not to a particulalr engine type.
The bock casting number in the bottom left of the engine is your best bet for identifcation it should be something like 116E-6015 or 120E -6015 if its an early 5 bearing 1500 block as used by Lotus. If i remmeber correctly In a Mk2 cortina it may be a 681F-6015 also.
Unfortunately this is the only picture I have. The seller is not exactly car literate and doesn’t understand what we would be looking for. The Cortina was bought by the current owner for the engine as a spare or replacement for the 997cc (I think) 105E in a 61 Lotus 7. I’ve bought the 7 and the engine comes with it, I’m just trying to figure out what it is. I guess once it’s here it’ll be simple enough to figure out.
Thank for the info. Any good info on tuning a 997cc 3 bearing 105E? I would like a nice free revving, lumpy, angry little donkey!
I dont think Mk2 cortinas came with 3 bearing 105E engines so most likely its a later five bearing one ? I have neverr played with the early three bearing pushrod engines but lots of work done on the 1300cc formula junior engines so data should be available.
You might be right! I’m having trouble nailing it down. It seems the Mk2 came with 1.2L, 1.3L and 1.5L pre-crossflow, in addition to the crossflow and V6, I’m unclear if they are 3 or 5 bearing, but I’ll quickly figure it out once it gets here.
The historic F3/FJ guys should be able help, but I also have a friend who is ex-Cosworth and has built few!
From the pic, and purely judging by the airbox shape, that looks like either a 1.2 or 1.3 engine. Both were fitted in Cortinas at the time. If you look at the engine number it will either start 112E or 113E which will give you the definitive answer if 1200 or 1300cc
The 1.2 and 1.3 engines though have a 3bearing crank and are not really a suitable base for tuning at all, the 3 main bearing crank setup not being up to the job and had a short main bearing life even in standard road form.
The 997cc 105E engine was never fitted in the Cortina.
A 1500cc of course has the 5bearing crank, and bored out to 1650 cc and fitted with a suitable cam makes a nice performance engine.
Assuming the engine is original to the car it will be one of the last of the pre-crossflow pushrod engines.
It will have 5 main bearings
It will have a lip type rear main seal and 6 bolt crank.
It will have a press in type oil pickup and no provision for rear dipstick
The block casting number on the rear left hand side will have the prefix 2730E if it’s a 1300cc engine or 2371E if it’s a 1500cc engine.
Note an easy visual way on pushrod engines to distinguish 1300cc blocks from 1500cc blocks is to look at the top of the water pump in relation to the deck face of the block. If the top of the block is almost level with the water pump it’s a 1300cc block. If the block is significantly higher it’s a 1500cc block
Oh - and insofar as your desire to build a 997cc screamer I can well understand. For that your best bet is a 109E 3 bearing block. That humble engine was the start of a revolution and one of the most significant automotive engines ever developed. Note the 109E block although dimensionally the same as the earlier 105E block has an improved (and lower cost) spring loaded timing chain tensioner whereas original blocks had a hydraulic tensioner.
The owner bought the Cortina to use the engine as an upgrade/spare so hopefully he knew what he was buying. What would XXXE number be if it’s a 1500cc?
I may end up keeping the 105E 997cc engine and just spicing it up a bit. It would be fun if not overall super fast.
I was at Mountune in LA a couple of days ago and Ken showed me a 3 bearing motor being built; steel cap, steel crank, Carrillo (I think) rods etc. it looked pretty bullet proof to me! Beautiful work!
Definitely 1500cc:
Blocks with prefix 116E, 120E, 122E, 2731E
Could be 1500cc
Blocks with prefix: 681F, 701M
The “could be” 1500cc are when Ford changed their part numbering system to where it’s the suffix and not the prefix of the casting number that indicates the block height (and hence the maximum cc)
Off the top of my head head I can’t recall which suffixes apply to which capacity. The origin of the 701M block appears in fact to be as a service replacement block for the pre-crossflow pushrod engine when it went out of production as a line fit. Although very, very rare there does exist a 3 main bearing short height 701M block intended as a service replacement for the 997cc engine.
I too have a 109E 997cc short block tucked away which I’m looking for a head for. I want to keep it 100% standard and original though because of the historical significance and what it represents. It’s the origin of a huge line of fantastic engines.
I agree with keeping things original, I try to whenever possible.
The 105E engine is not the original engine to this car we believe. It shipped with a BMC A Series, the 105E was fitted in '64 we think.
I love the idea of keeping the 105E but spicing it up a bit. I’m afraid I’d be a menace when I inevitably had to get on the freeway with all that 39HP! It already has Twin Webers so there may have been work done already internally, so if I could keep the 997cc but add a steel crank, Caps, Carrillo Rods CP Pistons do some head optimization, better breathing, new valves, springs etc, keep the very over-square architecture I think it could be fun, super light as the engine is tiny, sort of 1000cc screamers were but without some of the scream!
A lot will depend when I get into the car, just how original I will be able to make the end result. It is already a ‘bastard’ in the eyes of the ‘authorities’ as its lacking the Lotus plate.
