Author Topic: Which Engine? (Read 3954 times)

Typrus · « **on:** January 22, 2007, 02:18:57 pm »

Hello. My school recently gutted out a Rabbit. I think 79. They want to give me the engine and tranny. I do not know if it is a 1.5 or 1.6L. I know it is a diesel, NA. Anyone tell me what to look for to distinguish from one to the other? Is it worth it? I do know it ran before it sat for several years, then some idiot at school tore the wiring harness apart and we couldn't get it to turn over. Dunno if anyone tried straight-powering the starter though.

Thoughts??

jtanguay · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2007, 02:43:40 pm »

i put my money on a 1.5 N/A.

edit: if its a '79 then it should be a 1.5 N/A. if it was swapped it could have a 1.6

SMOKEYDUB · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2007, 03:08:23 pm »

on the back of the engine its casted right into the block with about 2 inch lettering it will say 1.6D or 1.5D

zukgod1 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 22, 2007, 06:58:43 pm »

there going to give it to ya?
1.5 or 1.6, who cares if it's free.

What was the question again?

dan

Typrus · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2007, 07:20:42 am »

Ok guys. The engine has just a D cast into the block. No 1.6 or 1.5. Based off of that, I'd assume its 1.5L.
The school is, as far as I've been told, either going to give it to me or sell it to the iron-man. Its the engine, intake and exhaust manifolds, AC Compressor (lines are mangled, dunno if I'd use it anyway) Timing belt is in tact, water pump is there (and little do they know, there is a 375watt in-line block heater on it too!) The injection pump lines all look in tact. I do not know if the pump or injectors are fouled from sitting so long though. If I try to get it running, I'll likely run straight SeaFoam through it for a filter or 2.

The tranny has half-shafts on it and I believe the knuckles. Disc brakes (joy, heh) As far as I was aware it was a manual, but I don't know if it was 4 or 5. I can't remember back to last year when the car was in tact here. I was more concerned with the bloody wiring harness. Oh well.

So what should I be looking out for on a 1.5L? Any major common flaws, other than psycho-low power? On that, how much can they take without turbo'ing, and with, how much boost can they safely handle?

Thanks guys, you've been quite helpful.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2007, 07:33:55 am »

I think the pump will still be good, unless it is dried out and the seals cracked But even then there are lots of people looking for garbage pumps to practice rebuilding.

If it comes with a 4A transmission consider yourself lucky. I think it's better then most 5 speeds and I'm thinking of putting it into my mk2

Typrus · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2007, 11:23:17 am »

And where might I find that out?

I'd imagine its the one they based the 5-speed off of and the OD is just an add-on in the 5'ers? Or am I crazy?? Lol.

My goal would be good revvability, 90-100ft/lb torque, and whatever HP to go with the torque. Realistic?

Anyone with a 1.5 tell me what the redline is? It makes peak horse at 5kRPM, so I'd imagine its pretty well up there, but I want to know for sure. Also.... Whats it run at reliably? Someone said the 1.6 is about 3100 tops for healthy constant running. What about the 1.5?

Again... I can't thank you guys enough.

rabbid79 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2007, 10:22:15 pm »

The tranny code is stamped on a little flat spot next to the bell-housing on the bottom of the transmission. A 1.5s is a good engine. It makes 48 peak HP at 5000, so there's not much point in spinning it faster. You would probably have to spin it quite a bit faster than that to cause damage though. The 1.5 has an 80.0 mm stroke, compared to the 1.6 which is 86.4 mm. The 1.5 was designed to run at higher RPMs than the 1.6, so don't be timid.

I don't know what kind of HP and torque an all-out, all-motor (no turbo) 1.5 could make. I'd really like to know though. I'm actually thinking about trying it. I currently have a 1.5 with a VNT-17 on it, which is pretty unique, but not unique enough, so I'm thinking about replacing it with headers. If you really want to get into a discussion of every little thing that could be done to a N/A diesel to make more power, let me know.

Typrus · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2007, 05:14:48 am »

Hmmm...
Port, mildly perhaps, the intake and exhaust ports in the head. See if the combustion chamber and/or prechamber can use any optimization. Design a good set of 4-2-1 headers, get the best oil pump you can put into the beast. O-ring the heads and use a copper gasket material (oh wait, thats all-out turbo... nix that then :wink: ) See if you can't balance the bottom end out as best possible. Try to dry-sump the beast. Remove all unnecessary accessories, and underdrive what you can get away with. Better injectors are a must, along with a better injection pump. What that means for this engine, I'm not sure. I know the Powerstroke likes to have a 2nd High-Pressure-Oil-Pump added (remember Powerstrokes are HEUI setups that use 3000psi oil to fire the injector) and, oh, say Mini-ME injectors? :twisted: Can you say smog-alert?

I'm quite sure I'm missing some things. Oh yeah, tuned intake would help in a narrow RPM band at least. Dunno how good the stocker is. I dunno if a lightened fly would help revvability at all or just make the idle hell.

So, based on which stick-shifter it has, about how much power will it take? I'm thinking about taking it and if I don't use it in a Terc I might try and put it in my little 4-door Geo Metro. The tranny in it is shot, and it got 50mpg highway with its 1.3L I-4 gasser (72HP.. Yee-haw! lol) so who knows what a diesel coupled with its proper tranny could do. Not like the Geo was ever meant to be a speed-demon regardless. But if I do use it in a Terc, modding is a must, no doubt.

Typrus · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2007, 02:40:53 pm »

4-Speed. Couldn't find the stamping, but the shifter selector had 5 postions, thus 4 forward one reverse would likely be safe to assume.
She's mine. No bloody clue where I'm going to put her till I can do something though.
Thinking it might not fit in the Geo. Might be too wide. If I use it in the Terc, I won't be able to use the trans (way too wide as an assy).

So after I figure out how to get it out of the back of my Tercel (poor wagon is sagging bad right now... worn out coils) I then need to figure out where to store it. Lol. We'll see....

So anyway... Anyone have more info to offer up?

burn_your_money · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2007, 03:25:42 pm »

Quote from: "Typrus"

So anyway... Anyone have more info to offer up?

Yep, get it out of the back of the terc or you'll have blown struts too (just like me) which really, really sucks.

Typrus · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2007, 04:04:11 pm »

Hooray for shocks and seperate coils. And good bump-stops. And life-time warrentee shocks. And 20 minute total shock change time.
I just need new coils....