Vitara engine in a SJ

[baz2236]

Hi I am thinking of getting my dirty little paws on a 1.6 Vitara engine to put in my SJ I have found out whats involved. But is it really worth it does the extra 300cc make much differnt off road and on road what sort of cruising speed should i be aim for with a vitara engine in. I not doing it just for the speed but maybe if there is more grunt off road i mught do it.

Baz

[Evilgoat]

Have seen/hear a lot about PUg and VW deisels going into them of late. Especially the VW 1.8 TDI. Looking into a 2.0 FSI/T or 2.0 Gen 3 Audi TDI myself at the moment. Just the wiring scares me a little :) well that and the £800 price tag for the engine.

[wheelspinner]

Goat

Allan Chambers a.k.a Diesel Destroyer on Difflock has just put a VW turbo diesel in his.(I think he just bought a golf off ebay for the engine).....he is always glad to give advice.

BAz

i reckon the 1600cc conversion is definately worth doing for ease of install and the power and torque gain.Also there are several ways of installing it without the need for a plate so you get a £45 saving....
I have been toying with getting the 1800cc out of a Baleno  :D but i cant seem to find anyone else who has done this.
Other than that there is the Vaux/pug/ldv diesel route.I have seen the 1400 k series installed as well........

[Evilgoat]

The problen is I want the Gen3 engine out of the newer A4/A6tdi Conversion plate isnt a problem. Its all the electronics. I'm an electronics engineer by training but just looking at the diagrams is scary.Also have to tell the ecu that lots of bits are missing :)

Get the 413 and Vit engine specs side by side if you can, and maybe go for the 16v efi.

[baz2236]

If i was to go for the 1.6 engine what about registering it with DVLA and the MOT man or do people not bother about that. Is there anything i need to worry about on that front and i suppose my tax will go up as well.

[Evilgoat]

If i was to go for the 1.6 engine what about registering it with DVLA and the MOT man or do people not bother about that. Is there anything i need to worry about on that front and i suppose my tax will go up as well.

Needs to be changed at the DVLA and on your insurance.If you dont, crash and they find out your insurance will be invalidated and I think the DVLA can have you too.

[buckshot]

keep a close eye on the shape of the sump for axle clearance,and if you want to do the job properly buy the adapter plate.Another thing to consider is that the engine is 3" taller so to give you sump clearance and keep everything tidy looking(no bonnet bulges) you may want to consider a body lift.

[Whatmot]

i think baz alway has a body lift so no probs there. it depends what you want the engine for. when we were down at runhall weekend before last baz, the vit handled most of the hills in second low without revving the engine above 2K. unfortunately my carbs shot now, so the engine has lost no end of grunt but im getting that sorted with a replacement su. which one did you want, 8v carb, 8v efi or 16v efi? like its already been mentioned, your tax will probably go up (£99 for six months on my vit), youre insurance will probably go up and your petrol bills will go up. i quite liked the look of a tdi lump, but then i like my petrol for power and rev-ability

[Evilgoat]

but then i like my petrol for power and rev-ability

Ahem

Compression Ratio 18 : 1  
Fuel System Type direct diesel injection  
Aspiration Type Turbo D.  
Compressor Type  
Intercooler Type Yes  
Catalytic Converter Yes  
Maximum Engine Power 138 HP     (102.9 kW)  
Maximum Engine Power rpm 4000 d/d  
Maximum Engine Torque 320 N.m     (236.2 lb.ft ,  32.6 kg.m)  
Maximum Engine Torque rpm 1740 d/d  
Engine Torque at Max. Engine Power rpm 245.7 N.m    (4000 d/d)  
Power / Weight Ratio 93.9 HP/ton    (70 W/kg)  
Power / Engine Displacement Ratio 70.1 HP/litre    (52.3 kW/litre)  
CO2 Emissions 150 g/km

I Think thats at least ooo, 60bhp on a 1.6 cfi vit ;) Plus the cool noise of the turbo too and the nice bonnet vents for the intercooler.

Power wise you wont beat a deisel with a 1.6 vit engine, yes they rev, they sound meatier then they are (specially with the suzuki bust manifold(TM)) but they dont have the tourque. That said, wave bye to your halfshafts and driveshafts every pay and play :) 1.8TDI Gen 1 and 2 from the passat/golf/jetta/Audi 80 is a bit more tame, will cost you about the same as a vit and looks fairly stright forward.