General Mk2 C20XE Seicento - The Rebuild

[sei16v]

Well a bit of an update... Yet more troubles with the engine!! Its like someone somewhere is trying to get me to give up with it all!!

Anyhow...

Ive had a good clean of the valves, and have found one that needs to be replaced... (which now has been, with a shiny new one.. The rest were cleaned, thanks to oven cleaner... Came out pretty well to be honest!!

The PU glue arrived for the mounts... Its the same as tiger seal... however a fair bit cheaper!! The mounts were then filled... However i only got the one side of each done, as i ran out not good... Although when its fully cured (in about 5 days)... they should be fairly solid with minimal flex.... Il be buying another tube to finish them off

Then the fun came with the stem seals.... I bought a kit from ebay which included all the top end gaskets, and stem seals.. However one of the seals came without a spring.. which annoyed me, then upon fitting some of them, they split!! Big pile of cr*p... they were left in oil for 24 hours prior to fitting, so im putting it down to the quality... Another set are now on order..

I also fully re-seated all the valves.. Forgot how long this takes... its the one thing i HATE doing with engine rebuilds... However it needed to be done....

Another issue that annoyed me today... £80 of cambelt kit arrived.... minus the tensioner spring!! So thats another thing i need to sort out... Cant really time it up without it! GRR.... Although with the bottom end trouble, i doubt il be timing it up anytime soon haha!!

Im off to my partners parents tomorrow to drop the carbs,flange & alloy tube off... so hopefully my manifold should be together at some point next week (fingers crossed)... I need it super close to the block, as per the pics... Should squeeze in the sei quite nicely then

As for a sei... watch this space..... well watch it about this time tomorrow eve... as im collecting one for £350...
Its a Yellow Abarth, with tax till jan, and mot till oct next year!! Just a few running issues, which is more than ideal for me... The only down side is the colour scheme... i may have to choose a different engine colour to orange

 

[hf turbo]

the c20 seh engine (8v 130 bhP) engine has the same bottom end as the XE they can be found in mk3 cavalier sri's

 

[sei16v]

the c20 seh engine (8v 130 bhP) engine has the same bottom end as the XE they can be found in mk3 cavalier sri's

Cheers, ive looked around but cant find one... I dont suppose you know if it has the restrictor in for the oil to the head like the 16v does?

Cracked on with cleaning the pistons.... More naff quality oven cleaner haha!! Although annoyingly the rings look fairly new like everything else inside the engine, GRR if only a cover was thrown over the engine when it was under the bush!!!

On another note.... As for the seicento i went to collect, please see pic!

 

[blu73]

not having alot of luck are you fella.. I hate bad descriptions, keep looking, one will turn up.

 

[sei16v]

not having alot of luck are you fella.. I hate bad descriptions, keep looking, one will turn up.

Lol will do, cheers

 

[sei16v]

Well hurrahhhhh, ive found a decent bottom end for my engine, after ages of searching... Sadly it was located in north wales, however i jumped in the van today to collect it, along with a cavalier internal gear shifter... Both for the grand total of £55

Im in two minds wether to take it to a machine shop to be honed or not tomorrow... dont want to have a massive chip out of the top like last time.. idiots...

Also ive managed to track down and win a gearbox on ebay... This time instead of an F20, i will have a F16WR... This is an epic gearbox, geared to 160mph... however i really wanted it as it has a longer ratio than the f20, thus giving a bit more economy on the motorway... the only downside, it needs picking up in west yorkshire lol.

As for the engine mounts... their still not dry

 

[sei16v]

Oops..... missed the pics haha...

Also found a possible sporting, with long mot for £500... however not sure what the going rate for them is now... Its an 02 plate, although the tax is on its last legs... and apparently £165 for the year :O

 

[randomizered]

put the mounts in the oven on a low (plate warminig or as low as it goes) setting overnight

You'll have too rehone it for the new rings to bed in. Even if using old rings (if they fit ok) it'll need a hone.

Keep it up though, it's coming along

 

[sei16v]

put the mounts in the oven on a low (plate warminig or as low as it goes) setting overnight

You'll have too rehone it for the new rings to bed in. Even if using old rings (if they fit ok) it'll need a hone.

Keep it up though, it's coming along

Yea i know i need to have it honed, but i dont know if i can trust another machine shop lol... Cheers for the tip on the tiger seal... I was a bit scared to put them in the oven just incase lol... il have a go at that tomorrow

Who do you use for engineering work around here? I was under the impression that nuneaton rebores were really good, but after my block coming back with a massive chip out of the top of one of the bores, im less than impressed. I know there was a problem with the pitted bore, but its not the point, it didnt go in with a blooming great piece of block missing lol

 

[randomizered]

I've had good luck with nuneaton rebores personally, and a terrible time with IB?? Engineering (todgers mate works there).

I don't know of any more about the area though lol

 

[sei16v]

I've had good luck with nuneaton rebores personally, and a terrible time with IB?? Engineering (todgers mate works there).

I don't know of any more about the area though lol

Yea IB are really bad lol, there always seems to be a 'problem' whenever i go in....

I might pop back to Nuneaton rebores & have a moan to them then, may just have been a one off

 

[arc]

How close are you to;

John Toovey Road & Race
Unit 8 , Wynns Venture Centre
Cannock
Staffordshire
WS11 3XL
0843 277 8106

It's been around 6 years since I was last there, but they did some work for one of my engines - and came recommended

 

[sei16v]

How close are you to;

John Toovey Road & Race
Unit 8 , Wynns Venture Centre
Cannock
Staffordshire
WS11 3XL
0843 277 8106

It's been around 6 years since I was last there, but they did some work for one of my engines - and came recommended

Not tooooo far, about 30 or so miles away.. Il give them a bell in the morning for a quote, thanks

 

[sei16v]

Tried calling John Toovey Road & Race this morning but coundnt get through, so ive ended up popping to Nuneaton rebores again.. Had a moan, and now their honing it.. fingers crossed when i collect this one its not going to be scrap like the last haha...

Then i suppose its a case of getting it all built up... Just a new sump to try and get hold of now, then its all done...

Just need to paint the engine block... Not sure what colour to do... Bored of the black, and the top is green & orange...

Dont know wether to go for a blue block, or matt silver... (any silicone bits will be blue, hence why that colours an option)...

 

[sei16v]

Instead of me making a pointless thread... Does anyone know the size of the speedo pod in a sei? Want to know wether i can fit a 4.3" screen in?

Looking at pulling it all apart and replacing with a screen inside, then putting my vauxhall clocks in the boot (inside a box.. with a camera, running the display to the tv)... Thus meaning i can keep the standard dash, and not have to make a gay emo style dash like last time....

Also need to work out a simple place where i can hide the air/fuel widebang gauge.... want the car looking as standard as poss, so cant put a massive chrome halfords pod in the mid of the dash lol...

If i get a sporting then il take the rev counter apart and put it in there, however the non sportings have no rev counter on the top?.... Is it possible to retro fit one to a non-sporting dash, or is this a no go?

 

[fingers99]

For the last bit, it's possible, but involves cutting a hole in the top of the dash (the panels are different). You may be lucky and find that the wiring is there, waiting for you to connect it. If not, the diagram is in the Seicento Technical Manual, in the Downloads section.

Try and get the connector -- if not already there -- it's a really wierd one.

 

[sei16v]

For the last bit, it's possible, but involves cutting a hole in the top of the dash (the panels are different). You may be lucky and find that the wiring is there, waiting for you to connect it. If not, the diagram is in the Seicento Technical Manual, in the Downloads section.

Try and get the connector -- if not already there -- it's a really wierd one.

Yea, i dont need the wiring as i wouldnt be using it as a rev counter, just a pod to hide my wideband.

Are there any fixing points for the rev counter or would it be a case of glue lol

 

[fingers99]

Wierd Harold clamp fittings. Should be easy enough to cobble something up -- you'll see when you get the tach -- on the dash rather than the revcounter. Better to do that than use Sika to stick it on (or you'll never be able to get the wideband monitor out).

 

[Renrut]

Having removed and refitted the dash on mine loads of times and seeing as you'll be behind there anyway for the wiring, it'll be easier to just get a spare dash and rev counter from a sporting, plenty in scrap yards. Shouldn't cost more than a tenner or so.

 

[sei16v]

Il have a look when i get a sei... might end up with a sporting..

I collected my engine back from the machine shop, and gave it a lick of paint... While i was waiting for that to dry, i made a start on the other bits.

As i wasnt sure if to go for silver or blue paint, i asked a mate... He said to go silver to keep it a bit tame.... so i chose blue

I want the engine to be crude, to really stand out in the standard sei.... So fingers crossed it will do...

I knocked together a funny spray booth to stop spray dust getting everywhere, as all the painting was done indoors, to make sure it cures well...

I took a pic of all the bits together so you can see the colour scheme... (note the paint finish was between dusting coats, and i can assure you its all super smooth now)...

Off tomorrow to collect the silly MPH gearbox