1.4 to 2ltr 16v conversion

[m0rk]

Yup -Ibizaman is right.... you need to junk everything (and I mean everything) from the windscreen forwards.

The 1.4 is the wrong car to start off with. gearbox, driveshafts, hub carrier, rad, slam panel, subframes, mounts - the lot.

 

[Cupra Kid]

Your 1.4 does look good mate, perhaps not to everyones taste but at least its a sharp looker and i can understand why after doing that you would want to keep it.

But the hassle of swapping the engine isnt worth it, because you would have to rebuild the front of the car and even if you got the engine to sit in right you would have to start on the electrics which would be a sod.

Cost wise its just not worth doing it. Like mentioned get the job professionally done and converted best for the 1.8 20VT. Also swapping the engines would do horrible things to the insurance and noone would want to buy a 2litre 16v off you that had had its engine hacked out and replaced with a 1.4.

 

[m0rk]

Still need to swap all the bits for a 1.8T conversion too.....

 

[dougy69]

i understand that i will need to change everything but that will not corse a problem. My mate is a qulified vauxhall and bmw mechanic and says that helping me out with that shudnt be hard but he doesnt know much about seats and has told me to make sure that there are no major problems. eg. the engine bay been different or something that will cause major difficulty.

i am an electricain and am wanting to learn more about cars and that is one reason for doing this.

as for the 1.8 20vt this is not an option as it will cost far too much and i dont think my mate could do that conversion. also i would not learn from this and if anything went wrong i wouldnt know were to start to fix it same with my mates!!

 

[m0rk]

yeah - the nuts & bolts aren't hard to do. hell I'm not a qualified mechanic & it won't phase me a bit. 'technicians' at a dealership can often do a great oil change, but are more challenged with things that aren't normal, or clean, or std

BUT

the wiring will be an abortion. electrician or not - this isn't a plug. the reasonably complex electronics that your car will need require at least some prior knowledge, or a lot of good luck.

I think you are under estimating the value of the parts you are going to need to complete this sucessfully. I assume that this is your only car, so you need to get all the bits together, 'do it' then back on the road asap.

This sounds negative, but it's just to help you decide on an eyes wide open basis.

btw - 1.8T isn't a lot dearer than 16v, and you need most of the bits the same anyway.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

What is different about the 2 subframes? I have a 1.4ibiza and a 1.8 Cordoba subframe and they look the same, although I havent measured them up yet.

 

[m0rk]

can't remember - but when I had my 2.0 16v and my 1.4 at the same time - the subframe wasn't the same.

gearbox mounts differently etc.

 

[dougy69]

firstly thank u mork i understand were ur coming from and i appricate ur comments. this is why i posed on here.

however my mate has a 2.0 16v engine in his corsa and another mate has put a v6 into a astra van but i i sed b4 he used to work at vauxhall. he says the engine swap should be fine as long as it is just a swap and he isnt going to come across some problem which he will prob be able to get round but he wont no the prefered way as he has never worked on a seat b4 if u no what i mean

i have therefore been told to find out if there is.

This insnt my only car it is my 'toy' and the only thing im in a rush for is donny show. (or the vw one on the 5th of march but i dnt think ill b redy for that.)

as for the 1.8 agian lol. ive been told the wirring wud be very hard and i wud be looking at £4k for on fitted im thinking i should do the 16v for 2k and then get some money back from donner car/ parts i take off mine

 

[bizaman]

You have no idea do you lets be honest here. Neither does your mate if you aint gonna listen to advice dont ask

 

[bizaman]

Yup -Ibizaman is right.... you need to junk everything (and I mean everything) from the windscreen forwards

Errrr who now??? and to think you have even met me as well i am hurt

 

[m0rk]

The wiring for a 16v isn't any different (in complexity) to a 1.8T

Fitted prices are extortionate anyway, considering the lumps are available for >£500 if you look in the right places.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

I have 2 back subframes here, one from a 1.8 cordoba and one from a 1.4 ibiza. They are the same. The brackets that fit onto the motor and gearbox are clearly different, but the subframes look the same. The rear two engine mount bolts measure 600mm across between each mount. I dont see why you need to change the subframe. I`ll update you on the weekend when I try up the 16v into the beeza. The front is off ready to go...

 

[bizaman]

Look guys its not as though we dont know what we are talking about!! The prices you have quoted on conversions is extortion. You are being had. Why do you not believe us?

 

[dougy69]

You have no idea do you lets be honest here. Neither does your mate if you aint gonna listen to advice dont ask

firstly i have quite clearly stated above that i am not a mechanic. Not sure what u do but if u wanna be gimp then thats up to u init.

cant see why u have to be a ***** and answer like that.

back to the subject in hand!!!!

mork u sed the 1.8 20vt is no more complex than the 2ltr 16v!!!!

is this right cos that is obviusly a better engine but i have been told previously that it wud be a lot harder to do.

i do belive u its just that i wud have thort it wud be more difficult with it been a newer engine!!! (more electronics!!)

also if it is just as easy what car can i get the engine from?? its going to be easier to get a smashed cupra 1.8 20vt or cud i buy the engine from a tt golf passat etc and then source the other bits. not sure which wud work out cheaper

 

[m0rk]

ideally if you can get a crashed car of either type that owes very little then that's ideal

you get all the parts you need, and you can see how they come apart.

Splicing the wiring loom with the exising one is the hard part, but both cars run multi sensor ECU's - using an OE wiring loom, you can only wiring it one way normally (unless you really try hard...)

extra's for the 20VT are piping for intercooling that the 16v doesn't have.

All in all - neither are simple, both are straightforward given the right bits, the right tools, and the right frame of mind. Just a big mechano kit after all.

Most things only fit one way..

I think you would be most unsatisfied after a short period of time with a 16v (for the money & effort) when you could have bought a 20VT for the similar money (well +£500 all being told I guess)

I reckon you'd be working hard to be done in 3 weekends if all the bolts come undone, and it all assembles right. certainly not worth the £4.5k people list for straightforward swaps like this (that can use all OE parts)

 

[dougy69]

ill have to have a look and see if i can get at 20vt for the right money then

oh and thank u very much mork u have been very helpfull

if u or ne one else has anything to add please do.

 

[H8SV8S]

Mork is right; complexity of both swaps is much the same!!

The only advantage of the 16v is that you can, within reason, run a rod-change 020 gearbox, meaning swapping to cable change (which, by the way, is NOT easy), isn't 100% necessary.

You can also run the rod change on the 1.8T, but with it's extra torque, it's a bad idea. But anyway, the ABF 16v came with factory cable change for a reason too

At the end of the day, fitting the engine is the easy part. It's the wiring that'll be difficult.

I don't think I've ever seen a significant motor swap where the wiring has been perfect.

People seem to ignore factory equipment to make the swap easier: like removing the charcoal cannister and breather pipes etc etc. Everything on the car from the factory is there for a reason. If it didn't need to be there, it wouldn't be, and the price of the car would be cheaper and sell better. Do the math.

From what I know of the UK, about the only place that does proper engine swaps, using all original VAG parts, is JBS.

If you want to swap over an engine, get the entire car and use all the equipment on it. Swap over the ignition barrel sender and ignition and use the keys from your donor car, meaning you can keep the VAG ECU. Swap over the diagnostic ports. Use the lot. If you don't want to do this, buy a new car.

Cheers and goodluck

 

[Icecavern]

dougy69 I have pretty much all the parts you need to enable you to fit the 2.0 16v or 20vt ( hubs, brakes, subframes, bigger rad, 020 gearbox ) etc etc drop me a PM or a mail to [email protected]

Pete

 

[dougy69]

emailed

 

[Icecavern]

replied...