205 GTI engine rebuild

[1pugnut]

I am going to rebuild the engine in my series 3 gti.
I want to keep the motor looking stock with maybe a few modifications to make it go better, where is the best place to by good quality sleeve kits bearing and other engine parts, what cam will work and any head modifications. Who would you recommend to do the head preferably someone who is familiar with Peugeots, around Sydney
Regards Jamie

 

[schlitzaugen]

Is there anything obviously wrong with the engine?

If not, I would suggest you leave it alone. If yes, then do what you have to do.

Just a word of caution, it will take longer than you think so maybe get a second engine and run that to keep the car moving while you rebuild the other one.

I have been through the same exercise and it cost me close to 10k in parts and work I could not do myself. Took over a year and this was way before covid.

Longest time took to find a good block. Tried my luck three times with s/h engines bought and shipped all the way form the east and they all had corrosion. Eventually a wrecked 205Si came up at a local auction house and that turned out to have a block in pristine condition. The whole car cost less than it cost to have one engine shipped from the east coast. These costs are not factored in the price I mentioned above, by the way.

The result is great, but I did not modify anything so the engine is a stock DFZ with everything new and original in it.

If you want to modify anything others will make better suggestions than I can, but factor in a lot of tuning (that is dyno time) to get it right if you start playing with aftermarket engine management.

Also when adding more power remember these cars are not that strong and the bodyshell (which is pushing 40) starts to split at the seams so to speak. Even wider tyres will stress the shell enough to do it.

Good luck.

 

[1pugnut]

I have been restoring the car for the last 13 years. The car was not registered it had a little bit of accident damage so I never drove it on the street the motor started and ran fine I drove it in and around the yard, I was going to fit a gti6 motor into it but as years went by and they increased in value I decided to keep it original. So the gti6 motor went into the SI. No after market computer, I have rebuild every thing else so I might as well do the motor as well. I have a mint block as a backup that was my post asking about the different between the gti and the SI block.
Regards Jamie

 

[cam85]

I am going to rebuild the engine in my series 3 gti. I want to keep the motor looking stock with maybe a few modifications to make it go better, where is the best place to by good quality sleeve kits bearing and other engine parts, what cam will work and any head modifications. Who would you recommend to do the head preferably someone who is familiar with Peugeots, around Sydney Regards Jamie

Hey Jamie

Hope your well bud.

Im in the same position. My motor runs fine but is starting to show some signs or getting tired and want to make a few mods while it apart without going crazy to get a bit more out of it.

As far as I remember a skim of 1-1.5mm from the head, light throat work and a good 3 angle seat cut for the head and either a PeterT regrind or UK spec GTi cam or something like a piper 270 cam is the go. Any more than this I believe is outside what the standard ecu can cope with.

I would get in touch with Peter and get the recipe from him. Anyone else dosent really know what they are talking about. Rams should be able to do a really night job on the head, not sure about the throat work but perhaps Peter can obviously advise on this.

Im living in the USA now and have my 205 with me and will hopefully be doing the same thing in the near future.

In regards to rebuild kits I think Pug1off sell a kit that includes liners and its not too expensive. It may also be worth getting oversizes pistons and just reboring your liners 0.5mm while your in there (might be too much for the ecu again Peter Can advise) Mi16 liners are ribbed and stronger and can also be used fwiw.

All the best!

 

[cam85]

You will need. Vernier pulley also btw or an offset key that Peter can advise on to get the right advance.

 

[schlitzaugen]

Wow. 13 years?! That's determination. Well, nothing beats a job well done.

I ended up buying a piston and liner kit from Mahle in Germany, not sure if you can still find them, but it is a quality kit, all OEM spec, noting to report, all went smoothly. The crankshaft I used was in very good nick, only needed polishing, the rest was machined very lightly (or not at all) just to make sure there's nothing amiss, full head rebuild with just the lightest of skims (I had four heads to choose from, one was pristine so that went in), camshaft reground to OEM spec, the rest just routine, everything replaceable is new.

Find yourself a good gasket sealant before you start assembly (I use Threebond black) if you haven't already. The only thing I modified was the sump, and that was because I deleted the A/C and have no intention to put it back so I had the sump indent for the compressor welded up to increase capacity and I made a windage tray and some baffles to control the oil sloshing around.