I Finally Have An Engine...

[Batfink 201]

Today I managed to sort a 1.8 16v engine for the small price of £130 -

Plan is to get this into my trackcar as an interim engine

 

So what shall I do to it? I have a set of throttlebodies, an mi16 dry sump, lightweight flywheel etc

I understand the ports are small, but whats the lairiest camshaft set I can get in these without doing any real headwork or changing pistons. I feel it will need something in there to give a little pick me up. I'm not going gti-6 head as I will use this head at a later date in the race engine...and thats extra expence anyway

I was thinking maybe get the valve seats worked on, skim and be done? I'm thinking I should do the headgasket, cambelt and all those sort of bits as a precaution anyway..

 

I've read most threads about this engine on the forum but no-one has made a cheap trackday engine out of this, just very good race engines...

 

Kev

[welshpug 1,661]

gti6 cams go straight in, as will some newmans PH2's IIRC (that's what I have in one but haven't run it yet)

 

would be interesting to see how it goes with the original head, craig has just done a gti6 head and inlet on a stock bottom end which gave a decent power figure, torque to me looked a bit low.

Edited October 1, 2009 by welshpug

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Pip470 did some DIY headwork on an XU7 which didn't seem too difficult.

 

Perhaps chat with him and get a Dremel for some fun evenings in the kitchen whilst the missus watches crap on the telly and gets annoyed at the grinding noises.

[Batfink 201]

if I remember correctly someone was telling me that the area round the valves is the worst bit of the design.

[richsmells 2]

Sandy put up a very detailed thread about this head IIRC.

[Batfink 201]

yes i read that and although was very useful in terms of technical specs Sandy likes the engine because he can do significant work to the head. I want to know what the minimum is so its not s*it I'm not going to pay lots of money to get a head matched to a cam I will only use until a new engine can be built.

i may have to accept that its not worth doing anything and thats ok really.

Edited October 2, 2009 by Batfink

[James_R 3]

If you're planning to crack the head off then I'd lay your hands on a XU10R head (not GTi-6) and go from there, virtually Mi/s16 ports in size and shape from the off, then wang in the biggest cam you can, I think sandy has suggested a catcam 106 inlet on a Gti-6 exhaust cam.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I must say I'm interested in the uses of these 1800 16v engines. One of my next planned projects to build is a turbocharged 16v engine to replace my 1600T. Looking at the low cost of this 1800 engine to source, possibility of bolting on a 16v head that may potentially lower the CR, and the fact they are also alloy is quite tempting I must say. I was going to build a turbocharged alloy Mi but perhaps I will base it on one of these XU7's.

[James_R 3]

Yep putting an Mi/s16 head on an XU7 bottom end gives 9.4:1 which would be ideal for a high(ish) boost engine, shame those manifolds aren't in the offing I've been thinking about it myself.

[bales 1]

I must say I'm interested in the uses of these 1800 16v engines. One of my next planned projects to build is a turbocharged 16v engine to replace my 1600T. Looking at the low cost of this 1800 engine to source, possibility of bolting on a 16v head that may potentially lower the CR, and the fact they are also alloy is quite tempting I must say. I was going to build a turbocharged alloy Mi but perhaps I will base it on one of these XU7's.

 

I've fancied doing this but its the damn price of the turbo manifolds for the 16V that always puts me off, unless of course you can fabricate one yourself but the DP ones don't half look sexy

[24seven 104]

The standard head with RS camshafts, inlet/exhaust manifolds and throttle body isn't a bad setup on its own. I had this in my 306 and it was much livelier than standard (it's actually really surprising how much more torquey the engine felt with the RS exhaust manifold in place of the standard cast thing), though the ports did get quite restrictive at high RPM and it felt very choked from 5700 onwards. I never got round to playing with the cam timing much, but since the RS cams don't come into life at 4000 - 4500 and are meant to rev up to 7500 you'd probably benefit from advancing them a little.

[Batfink 201]

I've been doing a bit of digging and it seems the XU7 head has small ports, but massive throats so you cannot do much work around the valves. Apparently the gti-6 engine is the opposite and allows you to do a lot of work to get the flow right over the valves.