16v to Diesel conversion - hydraulics

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:29 pm

Garage informed me they wouldn't contemplate this because apart from the obvious, the hydraulic piping wouldn't fit between the turbo diesel innards and the 16v. Is this right please?

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:48 pm

Utter rubbish.

Anything can be made to fit into anything else. Vanny had a TD engine in a 16v car for years.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:27 pm

As above, total bollocks. It's actually a fairly easy conversion.

We converted an old 405 Mi16 that had had the engine ripped up into a MiD

Easiest if the donor engine comes from a diesel version of the same car though, so the looms are easier to hook up etc.
With the suspension, you'd just take everything from a diesel engine bay and hook it to the engine as normal, then just connect to the existing system. Pretty straight forward stuff.

One question.....why??!

Is the 16v engine shagged?

Mike E (uk) · Post by **Mike E (uk)** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:32 pm

I know of a 16V shell that had a turbo D motor in it.

The only part the owner did not get working was the ABS. He was better mechanically than with electrical stuff, but he say the engine swap was not hard.

If you want fast and economy, have you considered LPG?

Or you could just buy a BX already fitted with the engine in that you want!

Mike

jonathan_dyane · Post by **jonathan_dyane** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:36 pm

It sounds rather as if they just don't want to get involved with the job, and are trying to put you off...

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:23 pm

Well the car in question is now on BX chat with more details about the engine problems. In the right hands, it could probably be tuned well enough, in good times, the car went well and drove extremely well hence my preference for wanting to keep it. and also toying with the idea of a diesel/petrol cost comparison since it wouldn't be cheap to do up anyway. Maybe I would get to drive it more if it was a diesel and after all that's the point of having it, so
(restoration cost + cost to run) / (miles driven)
was the consideration there.

Also as a cat model, I can understand it being out of favour with the most adventurous, and so there's less to be lost dropping this one down to diesel power. Yes I agree the garage are most probably indicating they don't want responsibility for the job, but in any case the fact is they could turn round and say 'told you so' after me parting with a fair amount of cash. So that doesn't sound like a good deal for me from that particular garage at least. That's not to say I wouldn't trust them for standard servicing, but anything too far out of the ordinary for most garages is something else, and even harder to find. And with the economic gloom and doom we now have, who's to say if even I find a specialist garage now, that it will still be there when I want them again?

Anyway blog over. If it's possible and not totally impractical, I don't see why it isn't a more popular choice when faced with a pugged 16v which is otherwise intact.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:45 pm

Thing is, an original proper valver would be worth less with a diesel engine fitted. It's not a clever financial move, and it would be better to get a diesel version and fit whichever bits of the 16v you wanted to keep to that car.

Personally, having read what I've seen so far, I'd stick with it. It doesn't sound too bad IMO.