BX / ZX / Peugeot 1580cc cylinder head

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:44 pm

What differences are there (apart from the obvious hydraulic ones) between the BX and ZX 1.6 XU/B2C engine?

I.e. would it be possible for me to get a head off a ZX 1.6 and fit it to my 1991 BX16 ... as I'm guessing they're a bit more plentiful than BX16 heads.

How about the Pug 405 1.6 ... or the 205 1.6 ... 309....?

Just thinking about whether it's possible for me to get my other Meteor roadworthy again so's I can sell it... rather than scrap it. It's been garaged for 3 years because the headgasket failed.

Cheers,

Mark.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:16 pm

Blimey, Mark. That's almost as long as the Arsemobile has been garaged! Get it sorted

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:14 pm

Have you confirmed that there's something wrong with the head that's on it at the moment yet? I'd have the head off and have a good look at it before trying to get another one. You may find the one you have is fine.

If it is cracked/warped/generally had it, then a Pug 405 one should fit, but then 1.6 pug 405's are a bit thin on the ground too.

In fact, most older 1.6 engines are a little thin on the ground these days, as they are generally the first ones to get scrapped. (smaller engine'd cars being more sought after due to lower tax bracket and all that)

Doz · Post by **Doz** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:34 pm

The head will fit from the 205 1.6GTI, although there are some "extra" cut outs in the intake ports (I presume to let the injectors "squirt" the fuel in) ... mind you I only know this because I've tried to fit a BX head to a pug 205GTI and you can't get the manifold to fit, I've never done it the other way round.... ran fine once I swapped over the carb and ignition off the "donor" BX

1.6 Carb 205GTI anyone ...??!?!?

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:57 pm

DavidRutherford wrote:Have you confirmed that there's something wrong with the head that's on it at the moment yet? I'd have the head off and have a good look at it before trying to get another one. You may find the one you have is fine.

If it is cracked/warped/generally had it, then a Pug 405 one should fit, but then 1.6 pug 405's are a bit thin on the ground too.

In fact, most older 1.6 engines are a little thin on the ground these days, as they are generally the first ones to get scrapped. (smaller engine'd cars being more sought after due to lower tax bracket and all that)

Funnily enough, I've found a nice looking J plate Peugeot 405 GL 1.6 in the Thames Valley Auto Trader...

The thing is David, it's a lot of effort to get the head off (jacking up the engine, cambelt off, removing engine mount.....

) and if I did, I wouldn't know what to look for really (apart from the damage to the gasket of course). Show me a picture of a cracked or warped head, and that might help. On my own, this job would take hours. If I took off the head and found it needed replacement/skimming, I'd have a half dismantled engine with the car sitting on a jack until I found a new head.... Even if I managed to replace the gasket and torqued up the new head (with new bolts), I still need to obtain and fit a new rad.

First of all I've got to get it trailered to somewhere I can work on it. There's very limited access around the car at the moment in the garage at my mum's where it's at. I'd like to find out whether it's better underneath than my current Meteor... before I decide what to do with it. Panel-wise it certainly IS better, and overall the paintwork is in better nick. The plan is to go round my mum's one weekend, roll it out of the garage, get it started and raised up and give it a wash and polish since it's covered in dust.

Cheers,

Mark.

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:42 pm

If it were mine Mark, and I was getting another car for its headgasket anyway, id probably just use the whole engine, changing the camshaft/pulleys or whatever needs changing to suit the hydraulics. I say this after my bad experience of doing the headgasket on my GT. Having said that if your more skilled than me, or know a garage that is (and cheap), then have a go. At least with a cheap donor car thats perhaps failed its MOT on other things you can give the engine a good test for any smoke or rattles, see the service history etc.

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:15 pm

To be honest, it sounds like you have everything you need already:

1 BX meteor with good bodywork and cream crackered engine.

1 BX meteor with good engine and tatty body.

A swift engine swap, picking all the best bits from both cars will see you with a car that would last a fair old while.

Significantly easier than trying to modify a Pug engine to fit, or buggering about trying to fix a blown head gasket.

Or do you need the car on an every-day-driver basis?

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:28 am

Yep, the eBay Meteor is my daily driver while the GSA is having its cabin water leaks sorted @ Chevronics following its MOT, which it sailed straight through

I'd like to give the other Meteor a good check-over underneath... because this engine-swap would be worth doing if the boot floor and passenger inner wing are in better shape, for example.

TBH, I'd rather get a worse donor car. The Chief Sub of Classic and SportsCar told me mine was looking very tidy - which is high praise indeed (see another thread to explain how come I know him!)

Maybe it would be easier in a way to make it into a 19 diesel... Far easier to get hold of a donor.

Mark.

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:36 pm

Unless I'm forgetting things, isn't it the case that the hydraulics are on the the cambelt-side of the engine on XU-petrol-engined BX? If this is the case you're in for a little more swappery than just the engine, as the pulley and pump on a diesel go where the distributor and points are on an XU petrol. Nearly everything on a petrol-engined BX seems to provide laughably good access after you've run a turbodiesel BX.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:31 pm

mnde wrote:Yep, the eBay Meteor is my daily driver while the GSA is having its cabin water leaks sorted @ Chevronics following its MOT, which it sailed straight through

You're trying to make a leak-free GSA?

I think it would be easier to put a 1.9TD engine (or even a 16V and 4x4 kit) into your BX...

Disclaimer for those who don't know: GS/As are my favourite cars but they always, always, always leak!