Engine Swap

[stimpysaurus 0]

Hi everyone, I'm trying to decide what to do with my car after head gasket failure and at the minute I can think of a few options.

1. sell all my cars in order to buy one decent one

2. get the gasket replaced

3. stick a different engine in

 

I know the easiest thing would be to sell up and buy something that works but I'll only have around £1000 and I'd like another 205 so I'm not sure if I'd get a decent one for my budget. Im also not sure about getting the gasket fixed because the engine block is cracked and was quite leaky before it broke.

 

so basically my question is should I get the head done despite the crack and leaks? and if not which engine's can be swapped easily, does it have to be the exact same engine model to avoid complications? (the engine is the xu9jaz-dkz)

 

I should probably mention that I'm broke too so sadly no expensive upgrades for me

 

thanks everyone

[Tesstuff 222]

Why don't you have my perfect 1.9 low comp engine off me cheap , it's had a fortune spent on it, so it's a known good one, it would do you while you are skint, then save up for what you really want over the next few months.

 

Just an option.

[richsmells 2]

The DKZ is the low(ish) comp one (9.2:1?) from a late Motronic car. Stimpy, does your car have Motronic management, a catalytic converter and lambda sensor and roughly a K/L reg?

 

Unless you can get the gasket done cheap, the extra welding needed will probably push the cost up. For piece of mind, i'd fit a known good, second hand unit. Any 8V XU engine will fit fine. Complete, working engines often sell on here for between £30 - £100. Factor in new fluids and other service items (£50 - £60).

 

However, if you do have the later engine management system, i'm not sure how well a non DKZ engine will run.

Edited September 30, 2009 by richsmells

[stimpysaurus 0]

The DKZ is the low(ish) comp one (9.2:1?) from a late Motronic car. Stimpy, does your car have Motronic management, a catalytic converter and lambda sensor and roughly a K/L reg?

 

Unless you can get the gasket done cheap, the extra welding needed will probably push the cost up. For piece of mind, i'd fit a known good, second hand unit. Any 8V XU engine will fit fine. Complete, working engines often sell on here for between £30 - £100. Factor in new fluids and other service items (£50 - £60).

 

However, if you do have the later engine management system, i'm not sure how well a non DKZ engine will run.

 

yeah my car's H reg so must be one of the first with all that jazz! there must still be a few of those engines about then if it was the latest model? (doesn't seem to be much of anything here up north however )

my local mechanic quoted around £300 for the gasket and said he could fix the crack at the same time (it cost me £850 for my corsa engine to be fixed by him tho ) another mechanic said about £250 for an engine swap - would this be an ok price or should I just try and find some people to help me out?

 

I'm pretty sure the 309 gti had the same engine? not that they are any more common than the 205 though. There was someone who worked near me with a running 309 gti and I always intended to stick a note on their window asking if they wanted to sell it, but a shop closed down and I haven't seen them since so I think they're long gone grrr.

 

I'm sure someone on here must know if any xu will run without sending the engine management to pot?

thanks a lot for all the info so far

[dcc 855]

Do you have a 1.6 or 1.9?

 

Daz's engine pulled very well when he took me out in it, didn't feel like a lazy 8v at all

 

A straight engine swap would take roughly a day if you are taking your time. I am sure somebody on the forum who is up your way could do the job with/for you for about £100-150.

[stimpysaurus 0]

Do you have a 1.6 or 1.9?

 

Daz's engine pulled very well when he took me out in it, didn't feel like a lazy 8v at all

 

A straight engine swap would take roughly a day if you are taking your time. I am sure somebody on the forum who is up your way could do the job with/for you for about £100-150.

the engine is a 1.9

aha I might just end up asking on here as at the minute I'm trying to get an odd mix of ex work colleagues and friends' dads to help me out!

I always intend to help but I seem to get relegated from assistant to coffee maker pretty quickly when it comes to anything mechanical

[stimpysaurus 0]

Whilst I remember,

as I've aparently talked myself out of selling the car....yet again, what can I do to maintain its condition whilst its sitting outside waiting for me to finally sort the engine out?

 

I read you should run the engine every now and again but should I run it if the gasket is blown or would this cause damage to other areas?

 

I think I'm just getting paranoid cos I'd only got it back on the road after 6 weeks when the gasket went - this could just be coincidence but its more likely something that I did or didn't do given my track record of breaking everything I get my hands on!

[welshpug 1,657]

just give it a clean every now and then, pump the tyres up a bit more than normal.

[Tesstuff 222]

Do you have a 1.6 or 1.9?

 

Daz's engine pulled very well when he took me out in it, didn't feel like a lazy 8v at all

 

A straight engine swap would take roughly a day if you are taking your time. I am sure somebody on the forum who is up your way could do the job with/for you for about £100-150.

 

LOL, that was a fine day Dan, you driving your car down that track was quite scary

[Tesstuff 222]

yeah my car's H reg so must be one of the first with all that jazz! there must still be a few of those engines about then if it was the latest model? (doesn't seem to be much of anything here up north however )

my local mechanic quoted around £300 for the gasket and said he could fix the crack at the same time (it cost me £850 for my corsa engine to be fixed by him tho ) another mechanic said about £250 for an engine swap - would this be an ok price or should I just try and find some people to help me out?

 

I'm pretty sure the 309 gti had the same engine? not that they are any more common than the 205 though. There was someone who worked near me with a running 309 gti and I always intended to stick a note on their window asking if they wanted to sell it, but a shop closed down and I haven't seen them since so I think they're long gone grrr.

 

I'm sure someone on here must know if any xu will run without sending the engine management to pot?

thanks a lot for all the info so far

 

 

Mine comes with the ecu , the Jetronic one that has a rock steady idle too

[chris-stdt 0]

If your interested i have a good 1.6 engine from a H plate CTI was running in the car 5 months ago ,includes everything you need except the gearbox and since you only live 2 miles from me il even deliver it for you

 

How does £50 sound

 

Chris

Edited September 30, 2009 by chris-stdt

[stimpysaurus 0]

just give it a clean every now and then, pump the tyres up a bit more than normal.

did just that today, all 4 tyres with one of those bicycle push pump things and now I'm completely knackered lol

 

If your interested i have a good 1.6 engine from a H plate CTI was running in the car 5 months ago ,includes everything you need except the gearbox and since you only live 2 miles from me il even deliver it for you

 

How does £50 sound

 

Chris

can the 1.9 gearbox be used with a 1.6 engine or would I need to get a gearbox to match?

 

thanks again everyone

[richsmells 2]

Will fit fine.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

can the 1.9 gearbox be used with a 1.6 engine or would I need to get a gearbox to match?

It can be used but imo it'll feel pretty flat unless its a very healthy 1.6.

 

If its just a temp fit until you get another 1.9 engine then it'll be fine.

 

You can get an engine swap done in a weekend easily even if you aren't overly handy with the spanners imo.

 

Graham.

[stimpysaurus 0]

It can be used but imo it'll feel pretty flat unless its a very healthy 1.6.

 

If its just a temp fit until you get another 1.9 engine then it'll be fine.

 

You can get an engine swap done in a weekend easily even if you aren't overly handy with the spanners imo.

 

Graham.

sounds like a plan then

so all i need to do is get some people to help, rent an engine hoist and then disconect all the attachements from the current engine and plop the new one into place?

are there any step by step guides to doing this lol? I have a haynes manual so I could always refer to that.

Also are there any special tools that I might not have already lurking in the garage?

 

im feeling more positive about everything now, thanks a lot

[dcc 855]

you will need the ECU, Injectors and AFM for a change from a 1.9 to 1.6, else it will run like sh't.

[chris-stdt 0]

The engine coms complete with injectors ,afm ,clutch and flywheel

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

You don't need an engine crane, it can be done with blocks of wood, bricks & a jack if your crafty.

 

There is a guide to swapping a 1.6 - 1.9 on the main website here & its the same.

 

Personally I find it much easier to fully remove the driveshafts completely but its even easier to remove the subframe to drop the complete engine & gearbox out the bottom.

 

Graham.

[stimpysaurus 0]

thanks for that pugtorque!

I'm guessing not many people change the 1.9 to a 1.6 then?

You don't need an engine crane, it can be done with blocks of wood, bricks & a jack if your crafty.

hmmm I'm not sure about crafty, unless its the new word for accident prone!

This is a really stupid question but how heavy are these engines anyway and how do you go about moving them? (im guessing you don't just carry them about)

 

Also, this isn't really on topic but what is that cylindircal thing sort of under and behind my passenger side headlight? and what/why is there lots of white fuzz on it?

I'm going to guess that its either the horn compressor and the white might be some sort of electrical corrosion, or its something to do with the cooling system but I could be very wrong either way

 

Am i close? lol