Rebuild Or Replace

[Batfink 201]

I bought a nice 1.6 as a project as I'd like a 205 roadcar again.

Its a fantastic little buy and doesnt need much to get it working right again.

 

It does have a blown headgasket though.

 

Now Justin (Kyepan) and I had a debate on the way to get this up and running. Justin believes that my best bet is to get a replacement engine and do an engine swap. I thought that I should just do the headgasket and see if it works. Pricewise they will work out about the same as 1.6 engines are dirt cheap

 

But seeing the condition of the low mileage 1.9 engine C R thomson has for sale made me think that I should look for a cheap low mileage engine and drop it in, but I don't know lol

 

What would you lot do? It will be staying 1.6 so no gti-6 or 1.9 conversions will happen lol

 

Kev

Edited January 30, 2009 by Batfink

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Personally I'd do the head gasket- whilst the head is off check the guides and seats and either get recut or grind the valves in. Then fit new stem seals. This way you end up with a head you know is good and you can check the bores for wear or scores. If you drop a s/h motor in you are back to square one in some respects as you've no idea what condition the internals are in.

[Batfink 201]

Thats not stuff a complete engine novice can do at home is it. Whats the damage for that work?

[welshpug 1,657]

its certainly nowhere near as involved as a bottom end rebuild, good place to start if you're up to scratch on basic servicing.

 

Haynes manual, supply of T55 torx bits and a breaker bar and off you go

[Anthony 1,003]

Thats not stuff a complete engine novice can do at home is it. Whats the damage for that work?

If you're lapping rather than recutting the valves, you can do most of that at home. Only thing you can't do is skim the head (about £30-40 usually) and replace the guides if they're excessively worn (which they often are on the exhaust side). Replacing the stem seals, relapping the valves, and checking the guides for wear you can do at home easily enough, as well as reshimming the head if needed.

 

I'd agree with Tom though - if it's a car you're planning to keep, then it makes sense to spend the money getting the head sorted. 1.6 bottom ends generally seem to be pretty hardy and long-lasting in my experience so long as they've been regularly serviced, but the 8v heads are normally past their best by 100k miles or so.

[Batfink 201]

cool ok. Now does an H reg have the larger valved head

[Anthony 1,003]

cool ok. Now does an H reg have the larger valved head

Yes - all 1.6's from around '87 onwards were the 115hp flavour with the larger valve head. Engine code will confirm it.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I'd just pull the head off and ship it to your local engine machine shop, they can then inspect and advise you on what is needed.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

To replace the headgasket or not would depend if the head bolts come out without snapping!

If they snap and you cant get the broken studs out, then decide!

Edited January 30, 2009 by ALEX

[welshpug 1,657]

head will still come off if the bolts snap, though its quite tricky if more than one snaps.

[Batfink 201]

i have a magic touch and a big breaker bar

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

Personally what I intend to do on both my 1600's is take the current engine out, and put a 'running' 1600 in while I rebuild the ones that were originally in there.

[richsmells 2]

I'd rebuild it. If I had a garage i'd do it myself. Pulling it apart and building it up again would be a great learning excercise and make you more confident doing it again in the future.

[James_R 3]

I'd get a known good 1600 and throw it in, there's so many about from conversions you can find an ok one for less than having the head rebuilt and put back on. That said Doing what ant said head off, stem seals, valve shimming can be done yourself, just the skim, easily done in ones lounge

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Personally what I intend to do on both my 1600's is take the current engine out, and put a 'running' 1600 in while I rebuild the ones that were originally in there.

 

Or buy a cheap runaround while ones in bits.

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

Or that alex! I use the 206 as a daily driver anyway.

 

Go for what you want batfink, yes there would always in some peoples opinions be better ways, but its what you want to do that counts. I seem to 'buck the trend' of what everyone thinks I should do daily, yes it annoys people but its a learning curve.

[kate205gti 4]

you can pick up good 1.6 engines for peanuts (or an easter egg ) id get one of these and stick it in then can look at the old engine in the garage at your leisure to see if it can be saved and used in something else or re-sold

[kilauea 7]

I'm in a similar situation but with a 1.9 engine in the car that I know to be in poor condition (and not just head gasket - although that is going). My current feeling is replacing the engine with a decent runner will get me mobile quick and cheap. I do intend to have whatever engine I use rebuilt, but I fear the one in her is so bad the repair bill will be far worse than rebuilding a decent runner.

 

I.E, I strongly suspect the current engine will need bottom end repairs as well as the head sorting. If I put an engine in that has a sound bottom end and just needs the head "refreshing", it will be cheaper and may even allow some cash for modifcations to the head.

 

So, I'm looking out for a good 1.9 8v engine that I can hear running before purchase. I might open the old one up out of curiosity, but given the sounds it is making from both the block and head, I can't see me spending the time or money repairing it.