[engine_work] V6 205 Convertible Build

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

I started this build towards the end of 2009 and hopefully it will be on the road this year.

 

I bought the car in January 07 as a 1.6 16v I drove it for a year whilst I was building mo old 106, after the year it had alot of faults mainly with wiring I chucked it down my grandads farm whilst I decided what to do with it. After leaving it there for a year and robbing various parts off it for my 106 I decided it was time to finally do something with it.

 

This is how it was when I bought it.

 

This is after it sat at a farm for over a year.

 

It needed quite alot of work and a few patches welding in I got those done and made a start respraying the engine bay.

 

 

Next step was to buy myself an engine I got one off eBay along with loom ecu etc, also got a set of baker bum mounts a top engine mount off Paul, 1.9 hubs , gti subframe. Whilst the engine was out I changed the water pump as it was leaking and resealed all 4 cam covers.

 

 

 

Next i cut the subframe to fit around the exhaust and gearbox also made up a lower engine mount and added a few plates for strength. Alot of work and time went into the subframe.

 

 

 

Paul cut down the driveshafts and welded the back together, did a great job you wouldn't know they've been welded. I got them painted and built back up.

 

[Lowercase 56]

great work mate, looking forward to seeing the finished article

 

future plans?

Edited January 15, 2012 by DaSneakyGit

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

great work mate, looking forward to seeing the finished article

 

future plans?

 

To get it on the road this year, I got the dates wrong i started in October 09 not 10 so it's been awhile.

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

Next I started work on the shell the car use to be White so all the inner arches would look crap if they were ever clean and there were a couple of areas of rust on the floor, so off came the tank fuel lines brake lines etc and I ground the worst rusty back and treated them, cleaned everywhere else off and undersealed the whole floorpan each inner arch and behind the rear bumper.

 

 

 

At the same time I rebuilt a 309 beam to put on with new shafts and bearings.

 

 

 

Once this was all done and back on the ground I made a start on the interior.

 

As said earlier the wiring in the car was crap most sections of the loom had cut and badly jointed wires, rather than buying looms off people and not knowing how well they worked I bought a full 1.9 gti and broke it for parts, I put the complete loom in apart from the section to the interior light, this also ment I had electric windows and central locking, whilst installing I converted to ph2 rear lights. Whilst the inside the interior was empty to install the new loom I treated any areas that needed it on the inside of the floor and painted it all black.

 

 

 

I was very pleased that everything worked after putting the loom in. Next was to put the carpet back in as the original underlay was ruined as most are I bought some aftermarket stuff then got the carpet in, the heater box and the top dash.

 

 

[N3VRAM 12 1 Cars]

I know this is probably common sense on this forum, but whats the main advantage of swapping over to a 309 rear beam as everyone seems to do this?

[BlueBolt 156]

I know this is probably common sense on this forum, but whats the main advantage of swapping over to a 309 rear beam as everyone seems to do this?

 

It's wider

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

None at all, stick with the 205 beam, It's much better

 

I think the old engine conversion was done by Pug Performance?, says it all about the wiring from every car of there's I have seen

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

I know this is probably common sense on this forum, but whats the main advantage of swapping over to a 309 rear beam as everyone seems to do this?

 

Thicker torsion bars.

[Alastairh 47]

It's wider

 

And thicker torsion and anti roll bars. (Standard 19mm to 20mm).

 

Who previously on the forum owned this car? It looks familiar, i just can't remember who!

 

Al

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Thicker torsion bars.

 

My understanding was the extra width esentially made the thicker tb's no stiffer than a 205GTI beam...

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Who previously on the forum owned this car? It looks familiar, i just can't remember who!

 

Damien

[Anthony 1,003]

My understanding was the extra width esentially made the thicker tb's no stiffer than a 205GTI beam...

Not true.

 

Whilst increased width does decrease spring rate for a given bar size, the small increase in width of a 309 beam over a 205 doesn't make a huge difference, and as such a 20mm 309 GTi torsion bar is stiffer than a 18.9mm 205 GTi torsion bar. I don't have the figures to hand, but they're on the forum if you do a search.

 

It's curious, as the width is if anything the disadvantage of a 309 beam compared to a 205 one, but it's seemingly the main reason why people buy them! The benefit is that it was historically a cheap way of getting a mild increase in rear spring and anti-roll rates, but these days that's less of an issue now that uprated torsion bars are readily available for sensible prices and with serviceable 309 beams becoming more scarce.

 

The wider track is helpful however for cars with bodykits and flared arches, like the OP's, as you can fill the arches without the need for such large spacers and/or heavily offset wheels, with the issues they bring.

 

(I'm not sure that this topic is the best place to have this discussion about 205 vs 309 beams, so if the OP wants it split off I'll do that)

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

I'm not sure if it was done by pug performance I've got alot of receipts from a company called ashford motorsport, who ever fitted the alarm did the worst job though looked like a rats nest.

 

As said Damien owned it originally and had all the original work done, I bought it from the person Damien sold it to. There were some photos of it when it was originally built I'll try and find them.

[Anthony 1,003]

who ever fitted the alarm did the worst job though looked like a rats nest.

That's about par for the course in my experience - I don't think I've ever seen a single "professionally" fitted alarm that has been anything other than a complete joke, and certainly I've never seen one that in any way met the criteria required for certification and wasn't a breakdown waiting to happen

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

Back to work on the engine.

 

I bought a adaptor to convert the standard clutch into hydraulic that the v6 uses, I had to route the clutch cable differently to keep it away from the exhaust.

 

 

 

 

Fuel lines were routed around the engine bay under the engine mount to a filter on the inner wing then to the rail.

 

 

 

Onto wiring next, i welded a standard 205 battery tray in the boot and run some 4awg cable from the battery into the engine bay were I made up a alloy plate to bolt onto the coil bracket to mount a relay some fuses and a splitter on, from there it goes off to the starter motor, alternator, the relay for the engine loom, and the shunt box which I had to rewire.

 

On the engine loom I took the lives needed for the relays and ecu to the fuses contolled via a relay I added, one to a permanent live an earth for the ecu, then I extended wires long enough to reach into the cabin for the starter motor solenoid, alternator, reverse light, coolant temp and some spare cables run to the front of the engine incase I want to wire up am oil pressure gauge. I took all the cables in through a seperate copex and connected them to the brown multi plugs using new pins from Peugeot so all the engine loom can be disconnected and a standard 205 loom could be plugged in if I ever wanted.

 

I tidied the whole of the headlight loom up, pulled the cables for the washer pump up into the scuttle to relocate the washer bottle, I also took the wiper motor wiring through the passenger side rather than run it across the engine bay.

 

 

 

 

[marksorrento205 80]

I recognise that clutch mech, it has Stu written all over it Looking good bud! Nice to see pics of it finally

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

I recognise that clutch mech, it has Stu written all over it Looking good bud! Nice to see pics of it finally

 

Yep I bought it off stu a couple of years ago now I think, I've been meaning to do a descent thread on it, takes so long to do though.

[marksorrento205 80]

I did his replacement pedal box to convert to full hyd clutch. Project threads do take time. Glad to see this one though

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

Fitted some areocatch bonnet pins. I got some flush lockable ones off eBay, Took ages to fit to a steel bonnet that I didn't want to make a mess of. I did it all using a dremel and about 20 cutting discs! Pleased with how they came out though.

 

 

 

 

Made up a new crossmember to mount the rad off, I had some steel folded up one piece at 1m by 60mm with a fold either way of 20mm for strength and a square piece with a 20mm fold on to cut in half and weld onto the headlamp pannel to lower it down, it sits around 40mm lower than standard. I then had to make some supports for the rad to sit forward on and a brace up to the slam panel to secure the rad.

 

 

 

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

That's about par for the course in my experience - I don't think I've ever seen a single "professionally" fitted alarm that has been anything other than a complete joke, and certainly I've never seen one that in any way met the criteria required for certification and wasn't a breakdown waiting to happen

 

All the ones I've seen have been have been very poor aswell which is annoying as I'll need one fitted to this for insurance but don't want some monkey making a mess of my hard work making the wiring good, I've resoldered and heatshrunk all previously cut wiring.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Will that plastic fuel filter be ok to use with fuel injection James?

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

I'd try and fit a bigger rad if you can, even the 406 rad is too small and get's hot in both the 406 and the 309 I have done

[BlueBolt 156]

My old v6 coupe didn't suffer from getting too warm, fan was in a lot and the engine did get abused quite a bit...

Don't know if it's any use but I have the rad from that sitting in a cupboard in my flat... Your welcome to it if u want it...

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

Will that plastic fuel filter be ok to use with fuel injection James?

 

Hope so I've made a Bracket to fit it now what usually is the problem with plastic ones? It seems ok so far but hasn't been run for long.

 

I'd try and fit a bigger rad if you can, even the 406 rad is too small and get's hot in both the 406 and the 309 I have done

 

 

My old v6 coupe didn't suffer from getting too warm, fan was in a lot and the engine did get abused quite a bit...

Don't know if it's any use but I have the rad from that sitting in a cupboard in my flat... Your welcome to it if u want it...

 

I don't think I'd manage to fit a bigger rad than the 205 one, there's no room in-between the headlights. I plan on running 2 12" fans off the standard twin speed loom.

 

Would you mind measuring the v6 rad please Chris?

[Tesstuff 222]

James it is a cool running engine in my 205 v6, so it is possible if done right.

 

Two 12 inch fans are not needed, I run two 10 inch slimline items on mine.