Pug 405

U

unstable load

Well-Known Member
I bought my Father in Law's 405 off him as a fill-in runabout to replace my decrepit old Honda and it died on me thanks to
the workshop that replaced the cylinder head gasket and left an engine mount bolt off resulting in a damaged head and block.
The Dealer here in Cape Town won't weld the head and block up to fix them and will only replace the engine, which is OK by me
but I have subsequently located a 16 Valve engine at a scrappy...........
Now, my car is the 1.9 carb edition, so this leads me to a question....

What exactly is involved in making a carb car into an injected car? I can get whatever I need off the scrappy, but is it a feasable
proposition to undertake?

The whole sags is with the lawyers right now as the workshop claimed from their malpractice insurance and pocketed it because
the original work was for my F.I.L etc etc etc, but once the bloke has been done over by my Lawyer, funds will be forthcoming to
fix the car.
Pug wants 29k South African Rands to buy and fit an 8 valve engine and I can get the 16 valve for 12k with all the electronics etc
to convert it over.

Is it a worthwhile exercise to have an almost Mi-16?
 
I think the main difference between the carb version and the 16 valve is that the latter had anti-lock brakes, rear discs and PAS. I had a 1.9 carb version from new and I always found it very temperamental so it would be worth doing if you really can get all the electrics. You probably need things like speed sensors on the speedo drive too.
 
I know people who've done similar things on other cars but not the Pug specifically. Transplanting the lump (and maybe gearbox) isn't the hardest part. Most of it is the details.

For example its highly likely the entire exhaust is totally different on the performance model. Injected cars need a circulatory fuel system which works at high pressure so possibly new lines and even the tank.

I hope the engine is complete with all ancillaries, wiring looms, manifolds and the ECU otherwise frankly it's a non-starter for all but the most determined. Sourcing missing parts is either incredibly time consuming, frustrating or expensive and often all three. The challenge will be mostly wiring the thing up I'd guess. Far more sensors on an injected motor and you'll need to splice it to the rest of the car somehow. Also if you don't have the Mi16 box are the ratios going to work well with the motor?

But the main problem is you'll need to convince someone to insure it. A performance motor in a car without performance brakes and suspension is not a great prospect.

At the end of the day doing this on a 15 year old (at least) car is never going to be an exercise in economics, nice challenge but the result isn't going to be as good as buying a real Mi16 which can't be worth much these days anyway.

Kinda fancy an Mi16 engined 205 GTi though.....
 
Hi, Why are you/they persevering with a 15 year old car which you admit is a daily runabout?
Why not get them to buy you out of the car? Which gives you a lump sum to go and buy another
car. Or does the economics of the SA second hand car market make this not viable?

Colin
 
Colin,
Basically, the workshop that damaged the engine has been paid out by their insurers for their defective workmanship
but they have pocketed the money and pulled a fast one by saying I bought the car from my F.I.L and thus I have no leg
to stand on. Under SA law, this is indeed the case, so the Old Man is the one suing them for the repair to b re-done and
this involves replacing the complete engine as the head and block are damaged and they won't entertain welding the parts.
Meanwhile, car is still unserviceable since March 7th, hence the lawyers and the pursuit of the case.

I bought the car as a daily driver specifically because I know it's history as an ex-French Embassy car that the Old Man
bought and used for a few years at work. He is a diligent tinkerer and the car is in great shape, all round, with everything
that needed replacement being replaced.

The setback it has suffered is not for my account, but an opportunity has presented to possibly do this engine swap and
turn it into a 16 Valve. The donor car is an accident damaged wreck, so everything I need is available to make my car into
the same spec as the Mi 16 donor, right down to brakes should I go this route.
All I want to know is whether this is a physically possible endeavour or if I should stick with the 8 valve replacement engine
that the dealers are punting and fiddle with that instead by adding a pair of Webers or similar.

The Insurance will pay for all of it once the matter settles, all I have to do is decide whether the car goes to the dealer for
them to have a second shot at it or whether I DIY it into a 16 valver.
 
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