So Im Building A 1.9 Xu Fast Road Spec....

[MerlinGTI 3]

Im in the process of building a 1.9 XU. This a a second engine so my car is still running and I intend to do it at my lesuire. Funds are pretty tight (ive allowed about £150 a month for however long it takes) and I will be doing the majority of the work myself (im in the motor trade although I dont play with engines at work... everything else but)

 

The point of this thread is so you can tear apart my plans and add new ones So far I have decided on:

 

Parts to renew non preformance related

 

Payen head gasket set

Payen head bolts

Payen conversion gasket set

Cam belt kit (Thinking of a Bailey item? although the last one was too wide and ate my plastic cam cover. Advise please)

water pump

Oil pump + chain

new shells (main, big & little end)

All new senders/switch's

Injectors (yellow) ultrasonically cleaned/flowtested and new seals

OE piston rings

 

Head

 

My 1.6 engine in the car has a ported and polished head and a P16BP270 (PIPER) cam kit fitted. This work was carried out 15,000 miles ago by a company called 'RPM' located in billericay Essex, by the previous owner. I am intending to have this head pressure checked/Chemically cleaned/valves checked for strightness/skimmed/3 angle cut/all seals replaced and tappets set up Questions related to this..

 

Is that cam any good? Ive read that piper and kent cams are pretty jank for our XU's and create hardly any power increase.

After 15, 000 miles what sort of condition would you expect to find it in? (10k was driven by me, with oil change every 3k castrol magnitec and pug filter)

To raise the compression how much can I safely have skimmed off this head?

3 angle valve seat cut or 5? whats the difference and whats better for our XU's?

 

Anything else to have checked/changed here?

 

Bottom end

 

Chemical clean

New liners (how much will these be and where from? Do they come honed already?)

Retain old pistons

Retain old rods

Have crank checked & polished (reground if necessary)

1.6 flywheel

have pistons and rods balanced

have crank/bottom pully/flywheel balanced

 

Upgrades

 

BBM Stiffened Uprated Top Mount. inc Stiffened buffers

BBM Stiffened Uprated Gearbox mount

Miles group N lower engine mount (have already)

BBM silicone hose set

Gp A Uprated Oil Pump Spring

BBM vernier pully

 

 

Please add stuff/take it away/suggest alternatives etc..

Edited September 27, 2008 by MerlinGTI

[welshpug 1,661]

Here's my personal views, based on experience and what I've read, heard etc...

 

Payen head gasket set whatever GSF supply typically Corrteco which is an o.e brand as well as Payen.

Payen head bolts as above!

Payen conversion gasket set not sure what you mean by conversion?

Cam belt kit GSF supply O.e or equivalent

water pump either GSF or peugeot (can you tell I buy most of my stuff at GSF or Peugeot )

Oil pump + chain no need at all unless worn, which they don't tend to (you can check them easily enough) replace the spring with and XU10 item for about £1.50 from Peugeot.

new shells (main, big & little end) ask Miles, Sandy, QEP or DES about these (or peugeot)

All new senders/switch's no need unless damaged/non-functioning.

Injectors (yellow) ultrasonically cleaned/flowtested and new seals spot on idea

OE piston rings same as the bottom end bearings

 

Head

 

My 1.6 engine in the car has a ported and polished head and a P16BP270 (PIPER) cam kit fitted. This work was carried out 15,000 miles ago by a company called 'RPM' located in billericay Essex, by the previous owner. I am intending to have this head pressure checked/Chemically cleaned/valves checked for strightness/skimmed/3 angle cut/all seals replaced and tappets set up Questions related to this..

 

Is that cam any good? Ive read that piper and kent cams are pretty jank for our XU's and create hardly any power increase.

After 15, 000 miles what sort of condition would you expect to find it in? (10k was driven by me, with oil change every 3k castrol magnitec and pug filter)

To raise the compression how much can I safely have skimmed off this head?

3 angle valve seat cut or 5? whats the difference and whats better for our XU's?

 

Bottom end

 

no idea on the specifics of the cam or the head, but I'm sure that one sounds far too close to a standard cam to be of much use, I'm sure one of the aforementioned specialists can advise.

 

 

Chemical clean goes without saying, coat of paint will help keep it clean

New liners (how much will these be and where from? Do they come honed already?) typically come with pistons and rings IIRC, ask as above

Retain old pistons as above!

Retain old rods check condition, maybe replace the bolts.

Have crank checked & polished (reground if necessary) naturally

 

1.6 flywheel if you're going to the trouble of building a nice engine a flywheel that can run a TDC sensor would be a good investment, one from a 1.8 XU is ideal, retains the standard 200mm clutch plate.

 

have pistons and rods balanced + crank/bottom pully/flywheel balanced

 

Upgrades

 

BBM Stiffened Uprated Top Mount. inc Stiffened buffers

BBM Stiffened Uprated Gearbox mount

Miles group N lower engine mount (have already)

BBM silicone hose set

Gp A Uprated Oil Pump Spring see above re-oil pump, save yourself a handy tenner or so

BBM vernier pully

 

 

not much more that I can add, only that if you go to the trouble of building a nice engine, it'd be a shame to leave it on Jetronic (hence my suggestion of a different flywheel)

As its a 1.9 8valve I'd look into getting hold of an MP3.1 system from a ZX BX or a 405 (ZX best donor IMO)

 

have fun

Edited September 27, 2008 by welshpug

[MerlinGTI 3]

Thanks for your input welshpug

 

I think im right in saying a 'conversion set' is the (stupid) name given to the bottom end gasket set.

 

What are these FSE boost vales all about? worth the cash? or the standard item good enough?

 

Anyone else see any flaws in my plans?

 

Cheers:)

[welshpug 1,661]

nonononnonnonno!

 

 

[Paintguy 0]

I think im right in saying a 'conversion set' is the (stupid) name given to the bottom end gasket set.

Usually everything that doesn't come in a head set - 'converting' it to a full engine gasket set

 

I removed my FSE bobar valve almost as soon as I got the car. If set up properly on a rolling road, they *might* help with fuelling, but most of the time they appear to be more trouble than they're worth

[DamirGTI 342]

... true , they're of no use for std. engine , however if you make a good job with the head porting you'll most certainly need more fuel and then this things can help to up the mixture a bit

 

Rgs !

Damir

[mad_dome 1]

Thanks for your input welshpug

 

I think im right in saying a 'conversion set' is the (stupid) name given to the bottom end gasket set.

 

What are these FSE boost vales all about? worth the cash? or the standard item good enough?

 

Anyone else see any flaws in my plans?

 

Cheers:)

 

 

I bought one of them fse boost valves when i was building up my xu engine and it was aloud of rubbish stick with wots already on it!! as for the cam i used a pipper 270 and it worked well for me!!

 

what head u useing?