S3 205 GTI engine conversion

Thanks for all your comments Rich, very helpful.
 
Graham, is the xu10 bottom end from a gti6 or something else? Been so long since I did mine, but was it just the gti6 that had the baffled sump??


GRAHAM WALLIS said:
I have a freshly built 2 litre Xu10 with 1.9 Mi16 head available. Piper Ultimate Road cams with solid lifters, cost a few dollars to do the head. Bottom end stock but with Total Seal rings. Includes Jenvey throttle bodies. I'm sticking with the 1.9 with GTi6 manifold for the 309, so the Xu10 is surplus to my requirements. It runs very well, just done running in km. Will need aftermarket ECU, I have been running it on Megasquirt 3. Will sell at less than half my cost.
I also have a BE3 gearbox with 205 GTi ratios and a 5.1 FD with Quaife but would want full replacement cost for this as I have a use for it in the Xsara VTS or the 309. Cost for this would have been $4000 or so.
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Hicho said:
Graham, is the xu10 bottom end from a gti6 or something else? Been so long since I did mine, but was it just the gti6 that had the baffled sump??
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Xu10J4 from an Mi16. Trapdoor sump but even the 8v 2 litre has that.
 
A K24 with a remap will definitely be the best bang for your buck. If must stay with an XU, the XU10J2TE and an aftermarket ecu is worth a look, as is any of the XU10J4’s. THe XU9J4 is more complex and difficult to rebuild properly.
 
Has anyone done a K24 into a 205? It would be very cool but would engine mounts, linkages etc all have to be custom? Would it need engineering certificates to get it registered?
 
Yes the K24 is interesting and if it will be possible to get it through vicroads then ....
If it needs a heap of professional experimentation then it doesn’t sound that cheap
 
Probably not cheap. Speaking of vicroads, how will you get it registered with a cage? That wouldn’t happen in NSW without a rally permit.
 
Pretty sure the K20/24 thing has been done. There may be some info on the UK forums. Recall cutting subframes etc to fit it in though.

If it’s just a road car, not for competition, I’d just go the one that is easiest to slot in and sounds the best. If I did another conversion I’d go GTi6 again, although you can have almost as much fun in a well sorted 8V on the road.
 
PeterT said:
Probably not cheap. Speaking of vicroads, how will you get it registered with a cage? That wouldn’t happen in NSW without a rally permit.
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It seems that the rules have changed in vic under what is allowable under a modification to a permit car. The regs explain a cage is OK in certain circumstances, such as having a CAMS certification, proper padding and the intrusion bars not impeding ingress.
 
SilverGTi_6 said:
Pretty sure the K20/24 thing has been done. There may be some info on the UK forums. Recall cutting subframes etc to fit it in though.

If it’s just a road car, not for competition, I’d just go the one that is easiest to slot in and sounds the best. If I did another conversion I’d go GTi6 again, although you can have almost as much fun in a well sorted 8V on the road.
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Is there any consensus on the definition of a well sorted 8V? I mainly want to keep the light and playful fun of the car. One guy who put in the heavier S2 mi16 said he noticed more understeer.
 
Everyone probably has a different idea of that. I’d definitely say non-turbo, but I’m generally not really a fan of them.

GTi6 motor is heavier than 8V but it didn’t seem to ruin the handling or anything - Still a lively little thing.
 
I guess the 8v is a paperweight to start with
 
Having built a GTI6 by hand and put it in the car and now have a high compression mi16, I know which one I will end up with. Handling is good with heavier damping but that goes against what you and I are after, god I miss driving it. Sat in and drove an excellent / top end Gti6 conversion and took to it like a duck to water. I prefer my own creations like you will, do it.
 
Matthew can you spell out exactly what floats your boat, i cant quite follow.Gti6 you prefer right?
 
1.9 16v built with ITBs if its mainly a road car

If you want similar performance but want to keep to ‘light footed feel’ of a 205 stick with the 8v and work it. Lighter, more space and less cost

If your going to track it and dont want to have the added expense of having dry sump/accumulator etc GTi6 motor every day. With cams and an ecu you knocking on the door of 200hp, add the right throttle bodies and cams and you close to 220 with bags of torque.

Gti6 motors are torquey and have a flat curve. Mi16 are a bit more old school in the way the fly past 4500rpm. The 1.9 is lighter and more thrilling. Its also more fragile. The gti6 still revs and are more efficient but is not as much ‘fun’ as the old 1.9mi16.

Why not start with making it handle well. Dampers, rear beam upgrades (21mm bars 22-24mm arb and bilsteins valved to suit) brakes and bushes, vts steering rack etc. Then work out how much power you want. Theres 3-4k to do that properly. Gearbox rebuild by Adrian with a LSD thats another 1500 give or take. Then theres 10-13k for an engine rebuild, custom loom and ecu, clutch and flywheel and the list goes on.

Your 20k will go quick!

Whats its main purpose?
How much power do you want? (You know how scary they are with a 16v turbo)
How much ‘actual’ track time will it see.

Like a few of us here Ive had all 5 combos. Worked 8v and fairly stock other wise. 180hp 1.916v, konis, rear bars etc, xu10j4 PTCams and haltech, xu10j4r and gti6 etx.

If it were my money it would be a 1.916v with throttle bodies(followed by a hot 8v) bilstein/konis and vts springs (or quality coilovers with 185lbs springs) with 21mm rear bars and 24mm arb. Adrian W short ratio box, plate LSD, 266mm brakes with the best pads you can afford. VTS rack and power steer a must.
 
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Hey Cam, I have an Si rack ready to go and I understand the existing power steer will connect up ok. Is the VTS just a quicker ratio again?
Also, I have that spare bonnet if you still need it.
 
VTS 2.5 Si 2.75, no big deal. I have an Si bonnet for Cam to pick up.
 
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