Here are the major differences
FWD starter bolts through the block and trans, the RWD one just bolts to the transmission.
Most of the motor mount bolt holes on the RWD are present on the FWD ( not AWD) block.
Most of the Bellhousing bolts line up.
FWD distributor will not clear the firewall.
RWD S14 block/head has extra oil hole where FWD does not.
Basically you would have to cut out the starter mount on the FWD block, weld another tab for another bolt, then it would all pretty much fit. I am not 100% sure on the oil pan fitment though
This is what I have and what i'm trying to do. Eventually I would like to scavenge the P11 into a Lotus/Caterham 7 kit car. That wont happen for proabably two years. But that will allow me to use the parts I need and the rest to sell off on this wonderful website.
So my biggest issue right now is the FWD SR20DE+T that I currently have in the car that I would want to use in a RWD configuration in this Locost7 setup.
Space isn't an issue, so the firewall isn't a concern. The concern is that extra hole that i've seen on the top right of the block/head. The oil pan and finally the starter.
I think the starter can be managed, though difficult, I think it can be done. That extra hole has me baffled. From what I've read the extra hole is only on the RWD engine and it runs all of the way through the head and into the block, while the FWD only has the hole in the head stopping/plugged at the block. Is this for ventilation/oil return? Not sure of it's purpose, but that makes me think that maybe there are other small details that I've overlooked between teh FWD/RWD setup that would create oil starvation or something along those lines if you used a FWD sr in a RWD setup.
Then of course the oilpans. I would assume they could be swapped either from the lower or upper pan, but I haven't seen this first hand. Doesn't seem anybody has any knowledge of it and I don't want to be the one to find out.
If I can't come up with the solution on paper ahead of time, then I'll be scrapping this whole project and lean towards a drivetrain that has been used in abundance like the miata.
Thanks for the help guys. This has had me baffled for a while now, I just can't seem to find the resources online to figure this one out.
Gmac