Technical Engine Conversion!

[Brae91]

hi all

i was wondering what is the best engine conversion for a X1/9...i heard people put Uno tubros and Lancia Delta 2.0 in....are these the best one's or is there a better engine i could use....

many thanks

brian

 

[NineWhileNine]

Hi Brian
How about the 2.0 Litre Abarth Engine from a 130TC Strada/Ritmo?
There was an X1/9 on eBay a few years back with that very engine.
Tatty examples appear on eBay for 'Spares Or Repair' from time to time.
Dave

 

[jimbro1000]

In terms of most reward for least effort the Mk1 Uno Turbo engine has to be the best transplant. It is basically the same engine as the 1500 but with more bolted on the side (what an understatement that is) and the effort required to make it fit comes down to a bit of pick and mix with the parts and one bit of careful fabrication (for the bellhousing mounted crank trigger).

Second place goes to the old twin cams (not the new ones). Any of the 8v or 16v NA engines will go but require the fabrication of a cradle to mount the engine correctly. The engine bay was designed to take the larger twincam when it was first penned but other than Abarth using the 1800 engine in the Prototipo rally cars there are no "official" mounting parts. When it comes to the forced induction variants the 2L engines are just a bit too bulky and without butchering the car a bit you will really struggle to get everything to fit and even when you do things get a bit too hot on occasion.

There have been a number of other conversions over the years, the Mk1 MR2 1600 engine is reasonably popular, as is the Honda equivalent. The Alfa V6 (in 12v and 24v variants) has been fitted but it is an enormous amount of work to do so. All sorts of other engines have been fitted and worked admirably but it takes a lot of commitment to do so - most conversion projects end up being sold on uncompleted so make sure you really want to do it and have the time and money to spend on it before you start!

 

[Brae91]

i will want to change it next year.....i am starting to get abit P***ed off with all these kids in Golfs, corsa, clios, pugs, nova etc thinking they are really good and i wanna show them a real car ( X1/9 )

which engine would push out the most BHP..??

 

[jimbro1000]

Your best power to weight option is the Uno Turbo. Only 105bhp standard but will tweak up to about 120bhp with no trouble. No real impact on balance of the car.

The NA twinks give equivalent power but with a weight penalty.

A turbo twink or a supercharged (volumex) twink would give more ultimate power but the dynamics of the car are notably changed.

The Alfa V6 option gives very good power and torque but weighs even more and requires a lot of surgery (as already mentioned).

If you can find a good Mk1 MR2 powerplant you can get power and weight equivalent to the Uno Turbo but it is a more complex install. The supercharged version would be an excellent choice but good luck finding one and better still for an affordable one that works. The Mk2 MR2 wouldn't really fit well but the Mk3 would be just as good and more readily available (plus it is all set up for a mid-engine layout).

The honda engines might be more readily available but not one of the hot ones, the 1.8 engine from an Integra Type-R (DC2) would be ohh-so-tempting but you have to get everything to fit and it won't be a simple task.

A Toyota or Rover engine from an Elise would go nicely but they seem to carry a premium - a donor MGF might prove cheaper for basically the same engine (Rover).

To be honest *any* recent 16v performance engine would be a good choice once you are prepared to go through the fitting process. The new engines are all light and carry a pretty hefty punch in a small package.

 

[dekx1/9]

hi im new to this .I have a X1/9 .Im thinking about puting 2 engines in it . 1 in the front & 1 in the back. Im thinking about 1200cc with 750cc carbs .Enyone got info on how to do this

 

[jimbro1000]

It has been often suggested but I am not aware of anyone who has actually done it and there is a real lack of free space in the front (in terms of height) so you would have to be looking at an inclined install for all but the "shortest" of engines and that messes with the oil control so a dry pump system would likely become necessary which complicates things even further...

 

[bludvl_x19]

I'm going to have a go at it, the plan is to use a Regatta engine/gearbox (near Identical to the X1-9) and I'm thinking that I will have to have a bonnet scoop The idea isn't to be a chavmobile though.

First I want to get hold of tech drawings on an X and the Regatta engine, and some decent money behind me.

 

[dekx1/9]

Ive been thinking about bike engines but cant find a gearbox with reverse to fit eny pointers on this .I can get engines no bother & they both fit .

 

[Chriz]

I can remember a few years ago seeing a chain driven diff unit that had a built in reverse gear, it was in a kit car mag. Cant remember who made it, have you tried looking on the quaife site, might be something on there,

 

[dekx1/9]

have you seen the prices tho & i want 2

 

[dekx1/9]

would a seicento or cinquecento engine fit in a x1/9 ive so how would the gearbox link up .that still going with the 2 engines :slayer:

 

[Eoin611]

Honda works well. 2.2 vtec was a hoot in mine, but it did take a bit of squeezing in. Bike engine would be my choice if I was to do another x1/9, you can get an electric reverse kit thats handy enough. Google any autograss chassis builder, all the bits you'd need are readily available and it's not always as expensive as you'd think. Have GSXR1100 going into Cinq next, maybe......

 

[Brae91]

Would a turbo unit from a fiat uno turbo fit on a Fiat X1/9?

 

[jimbro1000]

You mean you haven't done a search on the subject?

The engine block is externally the same so you use the same engine mounts. Gearbox is a little tricky but still on the easy end of the scale.

Problems come from wiring and plumbing. There is a lot more to fit into the engine bay too and turbo engines don't like being cramped.

You have to use the Uno Turbo water reservoir (and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise, the original X1/9 tank fits but that doesn't mean it works right).

The biggest problem though is finding one in the first place = they are getting very rare these days and then you have to try and find one that isn't toast. The extra heat causes some of the blocks to distort (all fiat engines have basically the same problem but less apparent), the engine still runs but you will never get the extra power you were hoping for.

A good one though is worth all of the effort!

 

[Brae91]

Hey

I Knew About The Uno being The Same As A Fiat Basically....I Was Just Asking About The Turbo....Would I be Able To Nab One Of A Mk 1 Uno And Put It Straight On My X. Will I Have To Change Anything For It?

 

[jimbro1000]

If you had an american spec FI engine the answer would be no other than a few essential ancillaries and some way to feed oil to the turbo, for a european engine it is another matter. You need basically the entire engine, the compression ratio is just too high to start with unless you want to run really low boost. For all the work that is envolved you might as well swap the engines.

 

[Brae91]

I Asked As I Saw Two For Sale On Ebay...And It Said For X1/9's......Thanks Anyway.....

I Think I'll Just Buy A Lancia 2 litre Twin Cam And Just Build It Up Over 2 Years (So My Insurance Can Go Down)
But They Go For Abit On Ebay

Is There Any Website You Would Advise To Like At?

Cheers