THE EAGLE PAGE 4
Real Four Wheel Drive
The Other Engines (A.K.A the four cylinders)
One thing comes to mind when the word Iron Duke Four comes to mind, it's made of iron. But on a heavier note, if you are stuck with one of these you are treated with good gas milage and bearly passible performance with the short wheel base Eagle (SX/4, Kammback), and nothing short of pethetic when coupled with the Wagon and automatic tranny. Any semblence of acceleration is erased with this combo. While the 5 speed manual may help your acceleration (and sanity) it certainly won't make up for the fact that this engine is a dog.
But there is a chance for teaching the old hound a new trick. Thanks to GM, fuel injection is possible with this motor for less mooolah than you think. Countless 2.5's were put into front drive Buicks, Pontiacs, Chevies, Oldsmobiles, even the Caddilac Cimmeron! And here comes the best part, tons of them came with fuel injection!!!! Find a cheap Pontiac Sprint 2.5 F.I fer 100 bucks and you got cheap power. After the swap you can use your old carb for the source car and sell the Poncho fer 100 bucks, basically it's free!!! Now not every one can be so lucky and find a car for that cheap, but you will make at least some of the money back!
Now
on to the even rarer AMC 2.5. This engine was avalible for one
year, and that year just happens to be 1984. Performance options
for this sucker are next to nothing. Jeepers might be able to
help you with this one. It was more powerful than the GM 2.5.
One insteresting fact is that it is based on the big bad inline
six. Lop two cylinders off of the six, put in a crank with a shorter
stroke and Abra Cadabra a brand spankin' new engine! The chances
of you buying an Eagle with such an engine is the same as winning
the lottery or getting struck by lighting depending on how you
look at it.