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Thread: *HOW TO* fit a Smallblock XE. (1.4/1.6 16v)

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    Senior User AlexW's Avatar
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    Default *HOW TO* fit a Smallblock XE. (1.4/1.6 16v)

    Guide to fitting a 1.4 or 1.6 16v Corsa/Astra/Vectra engine. THIS IS A ROUGH GUIDE

    Best car to start with is any injection model, as i will base this guide on a 1.2 spi, if fitting to a carb theres more work which i will try and add on.


    Wiring;
    First job is stripping of course, haynes manual to the rescue. Wiring side isnt to hard but not coverd in the haynes manual. To make it simple its best to (if a 1.2 or 1.4 SPi) cut the plugs off at the ecu end, and pull the wires through the gromit to the engine side. Your then be left with a massive mess and just a few lives and earths.
    Once the engine is sat in the bay then its a good idea to connect all the wiring, and start cutting, I found it best to run the loom behind the drivers side turret and then through the blukhead by cutting out the corner slighty and then through a 52mm hole drilled in the blukhead though to the cabin. Once the hole is drilled its a case of colour matching.
    If your engine is a C16XE then its even easyer, no imobliser wiring to worry about. It may be worth while to pull some wires back from the passenger side of the car where the ecu used to be. If your engine is a X16XE your need to get the plug for the imobliser pickup and that is somthing im working on making some idiot proof diagrams, will be completed soon and added. Once all the wires are connected (Soldering is best) its a good idea to refit the dash and decide where you want to mount the ecu.

    Shell;
    Nothing to change on the shell it self, no need to do any cutting of the chassis. Other than your need to drill a 52mm hole in the bulkhead to pass the ecu wiring through.

    Engine Mounts;
    Standard nova 1.2 and up items. No need for any modding. One litre will need the drivers side (offside) mount changing for a 1.2 up, others are same as other engines.

    Gearbox/drive shafts.
    Any Nova drive shafts will fit, as for gearbox its personal choice, whatever came with the engine will fit though. Think about what speedo setup your using though. Best option is to use a early (Mechanical Cable driven corsa) box, or a nova box, then you can use standard nova clocks, if you are running a digi dash you can use the electronic corsa setup. If you have a electronic gearbox and want to run mechanical clocks you need to get the speedo setup from a mechanical cable box and also the plastic ring gear for the diff, to fit the ring you would need to remove the diff.

    Exhaust:
    Depending on your budget a custom exhaust is a good idea, but without a custom exhaust you can use a C16XE downpipe (if fitting a X16XE) mated to a nova SR centre section and matching rear section, this works but isnt perfect. I use a X16XE manifold and downpipe with a clamp on flexi, downpipe flange cut off and a SR centre with the flange cut off. It works fine but ofc not ideal, Just another idea though.

    Water hoses;
    Your need a nova GTE/GSI bottom hose and a corsa top hose. Your need the standard corsa heater matrix hoses, you may find one is too short, I used a nova bottom header tank hose with a bit cut off. Also a T piece for the top header tank pipe, Goes from the Throttle body to the top of the header tank, its to stop the TB from freezing, It can be removed by simplly blocking the hose from the thicker pipe.

    Brakes:
    256mm items would be best, but anything bigger than milk bottle tops.

    Alternator Belt
    This one is a tricky one. Some cars dont have the space to run the standard wide belt setup, Others (Like mine) have miles of space!
    If you dont have enough space, or just want to be sure you can just drop the engine straight up then this is a rough guide how.
    Your need a Single V belt bottom pully, it needs to have the crank sensor trigger though, so Nova SRi and some others are the same. Alternator you can use a nova one, or put a Single V pully onto the baby xe alternator. Your need to custom make a bracket for it to be adjusted, Some people have you extended brackets, or completely custom ones. Unfortunately i cant be much help here.

    If your car has enough space, or you cant find the correct bottom pully, then you can run the wide Multi rib V belt as per standard corsa engines. You will need a Non-pas and Non-pas Tensioner bracket etc, If you have a quick look through this thread there is a few pictures, I plan to get proper pictures soon though.


    Suspension.
    1.2 stuff with be fine with the weight, altho dont expect it to handle, Get some decent stuff before you ever even hover over the throttle.

    Gear linkage etc:
    Your need to chop the gearstick lug for the 5th gear if fitting to a 4speed car. The linkage and everything is standard nova.

    If Fitting To A Carb:
    Your need to change the fuel tank to a GTE/GSI/SPI tank, and a external pump if a GTE/GSI and all new fuel lines. If you chose a SPi tank then your problery need to cut a hole in the floor under the rear seat to access the pump. Your need to fit a MK3 astra MPi fuel pump as well as new lines if carb. 1.0 will need a return line put in.

    Other things to think about:
    Your need most of the things from the corsa or whatever you get the engine out of. Inc the throttle cable, ECU stuff as i say below.
    Clutch cable and the like can be used from the nova.
    Your need the ecu, keychip (from inside the key) and transponder from around the key barrel all from the same car. If they are not matched the car wont run.
    Your need to get a pump from a mk3 astra MPi if your starting with a spi nova. No need to replace fuel lines if it was already injection

    If i have missed anything or you feel somthing isnt right reply here, ive tried to note as much as possible but im writing this all from memory.
    Last edited by AlexW; 30-05-10 at 07:47 PM.

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    theirs a pic here that may be of some use http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthr...ht=transponder
    Last edited by nova321; 08-09-09 at 05:41 PM.

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    P N G Adam's Avatar
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    My wiring diagram may be of use.



    Also for anyone fitting one of these engines its also worth fitting a nova gte flywheel and clutch, and swapping the alternator/bottom pully to a single v setup from a nova sri/corsa 8v

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    thats the one should be useful it was to me thanks

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    i am fitting a x16xel engine in my nova.what do i connect the water pipe to comming from the throttle body? and on the wiring loom do i strip back the wires for the map sensor and the other wires beside the ecu so it will go through the 52mm hole?


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    Brookside Garage,Rochdale
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    Whats an x16xel?

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    User jonn's Avatar
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    its a engine out of a vectra the L stands for lower power i think beacuse it is 100 bhp

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    Club Member Club Member Plug's Avatar
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    right im sat at my missus trying to wire up the engine. (was when i posted it)

    Its the C16XE into a 1.2 spi nova.

    Ive disconnected the old ecu, and am going to have to strip back and get all the old engine loom out of the bay and keep the lights, rad, wiper motor, etc, etc
    I
    ve got the red and blue connecter that goes into the ecu, fine with that.
    Im left with a 9pin and a 3pin plug. Where abouts do i need to connect these into the nova loom?

    also on the Throttle body there is two nob bits for pipes, i know where one comes from but not the other.
    and on the TB to AFM pipe work there is a place for a pipe at the TB end where do i put that to?

    I know when i reciently(sp?) did a redtop conversion to an astra there where plugs in the drivers kick panel. Is there anything like this on the nova?

    Any help will be greatly appriciated

    Jimbo
    Last edited by Plug; 11-09-09 at 08:53 PM.
    Formally Known as Gsi_Jimbo, New name No Idea

    my project / my Daily / New track slag project

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    Senior User craig green's Avatar
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    Ignore the coolant pipes ontop the TB, leave them open or if you want, 'T' them into the coolant circuit. It's not needed however.

    The 9 pin plug needs the Earth, Live, switched live, temp, rev counter & fuel pump wires etc etc attaching to it. The other 3 pin plug can be ignored iirc. There will be speed sender wires aswell unless that is the 3..

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    Club Member Club Member Plug's Avatar
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    ok well i gave up the other weekend so im going to have to go back up and have a look when i can be arsed
    Formally Known as Gsi_Jimbo, New name No Idea

    my project / my Daily / New track slag project

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