installing 1.9 head on 1.6 TD block

[chrissev]

If your diesel smokes excessively and idles poorly at cold temperatures then either timing, compression, or glow plug system are not within spec.  I've driven IDI diesels for 15 years and they only do that when something's not right.  Some white/blue smoke is to be expected, along with a lower idle, but the symptoms I experience with the 1.9 head (and what you're describing with your engine) are misfire symptoms.

yeah it misfires for the first two minutes or so when started cold (below -5 degrees).  The head has a valve that sticks in cyl #2, I've known about it for a while but I am replacing the head with a 1.9 so I haven't done anything about it.  That is where the misfire comes from.  I wonder if that could be what is creating all the smoke?  It would be nice to see it work properly for a change when I get the rebuilt 1.9 head on it.  

The D shaped intake ports are a definite improvement, but the valve size is the same as the 1.6 TD head that I was running before -> in fact, I used the same valves when rebuilding the 1.9 head.

The valves are the same eh?  Thanks for the info.  I had been informed they were slightly bigger.  Well that gives me one less thing to worry about with regard to the 1.9 head creating extra cc in the combustion chamber.

[wyldman]

Valves are 7mm,same as the 7mm 1.6LTD valves.The 8mm 1.6L valves won't work.

Not sure if you could retrofit the 1.9L head with the 8mm guides (they and the 8mm valves are much cheaper).I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[andy2]

I'm pretty sure all 1.6 er's were 8mm, the earily 1.9's had the same 8mm (dual spring) valves and the later 1.9's had the 7mm single spring ones(not sure which years).

[type53b_gtd]

I'm pretty sure all 1.6 er's were 8mm, the earily 1.9's had the same 8mm (dual spring) valves and the later 1.9's had the 7mm single spring ones(not sure which years).

That's right - 1.6 and 1.9 through engine number 678,000 (or build date 31.01.96 on) are 8mm guides, after that they're 7mm guides.

Drew