1.4 16v Conversion - About to tackle it.

Hi all,

I've been lurking around for a while on here, put a few posts up from time to time but I thought it was about time I gave some real input.
Over the next few weeks I'll be dropping a 1.4 16v AFH engine from a Polo. It's currently got a 1.3 ADX from a polo with a 5 speed box so I'll retain the current gearbox.

It wont be super quick progress but I'm hoping to have it done reasonably soon!

Anyway I'm going into this a bit blind so if anyone has anything to add then please do! I won't be offended if you point anything out that I've got wrong!

Parts list:-
AFH Engine
AFH Inlet manifold modified for bike carbs.
Bike carbs (600CC Yamaha carbs, jetted by Bogg Bros)
Stainless 4 branch manifold for AFH.
Facet fuel pump and regulator.


I'm going down the bike carb route to simplify the wiring, I'm going to splice the wiring for the sensors and the rest should be fairly simple.

This is the car it's going in:-


I spent a whooole load of time and money welding and painting the car, loads of bodywork later and it went for it's MOT and that's when the problems started, 2 carbs later the engine finally gave up and here we are! I'd usually tackle the engine first but I didn't know it'd give up when it went for the  MOT!

Good luck mate, I'm sure you'll do a fine job and I bet there's loads of us out there who'll be interested for their own projects, I'll be watching just coz I'm nosey!

Cheers dude, Hoping it'll go well.

If it does go alright I've got another Mk1 on the way for the same conversion! I had a blast in a friends Mk1 Polo with an AFH on bike carbs, cammed too, it was wild, a proper little rocket, but not too over the top, most fun I've had in a car in a long time!

BRILLIANT! this is a similar set up I'm planning on my hatred 1272cc driver.

except I'm keeping mine injection, for reliability/65 mile commute purposes.

Will be keeping a close eye on this one, good luck mate!

PS I'm assuming if you've already got a 1.3 lump from a polo it's got an ECU? if so, how hard was the fitting process? If not, you haven't  listed it in your itinerary..

.

^^^^ give us a clue :dontknow:

Hi mate- sorry been super busy with work at the moment! Ended up lending my 1.4 16v block to someone as his crapped the bed the day before a photoshoot!

The head is currently away getting tested and skimmed, going to get it ported and polished and the crank balanced while it's there, not so much for pure power, but to make the most out of what I've got, cost effective tuning in my eyes…

It's currently running a 1.3 polo engine but it's on a carb so the wiring was a doddle, just sensors, no ECU as such, there was just the small controller which is wired into the coil…

I was going to use the injection but as it's not my daily I figured bike carbs were the way to go… Pictures to follow soonish- still trying to rescue the golf from the garage I left it at a few months ago!

Any Updates ?  i'd like to see how your getting on .

ohh good luck! i'll be watching this to and this is the project for autumn!

Sorry for the lack of action on this- Work commitments etc…

I've got the head skimmed and block ready to go, all the gaskets and bolts so will be building the block back up with a lightened flywheel and balanced crank…

Will get pics as I go along, expect action soon!

Right so I've started cracking on with this (or rather a friend of mine has) I'll get some pics, just got a few bits to source, will be needing a radiator which is better at it's job than the battered one that's in there now… Any ideas?

IIRC the mk1 radiator will work with the polo 16v rad hoses.

Cheers- Will get a new radiator ordered!


So I've enlisted the help of a friend of mine from Club Polo- He's done a 1.4 16v Polo saloon, he's gone a step further and had the head fully ported and polished, really wild cam set up too, it's a little rocket is his, I wouldn't be suprised if he was hitting the 140-150bhp mark.

I'm letting him take the reigns on the conversion, I can do ideas, I can't do mechanics…

Here it is sat in his garden after a quick wash ready to go…


This is what was in before:


Engine out…



Will get more pics up as we do stuff!

Got the engine built up, took a while to get the right bits from GSF and euro, couple of wrong sets of headbolts and cam belt kits later…



All timed up…




Gearbox got a lick of hammerite ready to go back in!




Just having trouble locating the right speedo cable now though, it was battered so we cut it out, now can't find a replacement, it's a 5 speed polo box, gonna have a look at some breakers over the weekend see if any are kicking about!

Should have the engine in over the weekend too, looking for a set of coilovers and some wheels to replace the battered P slots then she should be ready to go!

Nice progress mate, are you using the mk4 polo alternator setup then?

Yeah a mk4 alternator with a custom bracket so that it doesn't foul anything.

Measured up and alternator belt bought, it's all going swell at the moment.

Wiring is a bit ruined, bodge job from the last engine fitting meant that nothing matched up.

Luckily the lad who's doing the legwork knows what he's doing so all's good!

Have you got any pictures of the custom bracket, how it fits etc? What exhaust are you using?

Well, it went from a 'custom bracket' to a bolt with some washers in different places, turns out there's no way it was going to foul anyway. I'll get pics so you can see how it's done!

The exhaust is a full stainless powerflow that was connected to the original 1.3! It's fine for the engine we've put it now though, just waiting on a lad to come weld the manifold to the exhaust, it's about 3 inches gap so he's going to stick a bit of an extension on it so it fits.

Engine is up and running today- exhaust isn't connected so it sounds like a big V8 (apparently, haven't heard it myself yet!)

The lad who's sorting it all for me is cracking on at a decent rate, should be ready for MOT this week!

Forget your big block nonsense, small block conversion for a small block car, it's a beast!!!  



[video width=400 height=350]http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid53.photobucket.com%2Falbums%
2Fg46%2Fcraig_b%2F43d936da.mp4[/video]

Great stuff mate! The video doesn't work  :wink: You got any videos of it driving?