1.8 cavvy into a mk2 1.2 nova?

[mellers]

hi, i have a 1.2 nova which unsurprisingly ain't that quick! i got it cheap so please don't suggest i should have bought a GTE or summat cos i would have if i could have. Anyway i have got hold of a cavalier 1.8 carb engine and gearbox and just wondered if n e 1 had done this conversion before? i would like to know what i am letting myslef in for if n e 1 can help me here?. I know i could do a 2.0 16v for lots of money, but this 1.8 engine and box is a good runner and it was free so a good deciding factor :lol:

Any way please help if you can
cheers people

[Dan]

basically you will have to do the same amount of work as the 2.0 conversions as the engine is a big block engine. The smaller gte/gsi engine would give the same benefits power wise without the pratting about as direct fit.

[geordie_racer]

yeah but it's a free engine as he says and he can always upgrade to a valver when he's ready.

basically is ur nova a carb? if so the swap is easy. go to valvers.com and ask brian for a set of his engine mounts they'll cost u summat like ?40. if ur engines a carb then ull just have to drop out the old engine and box and put ur new 1's in usin the new mounts. if ur novas fuel injected then ull have to disconnect the fuel pump disable the ecu and a few little bits like that not difficult tho.
oh yeah ull need nova gte driveshafts with 1.6cav inner cv's aswell
think thats it

hope that helps
chris

[mellers]

hey thanks for that!
one of the things i was concerned about was what driveshafts and cv's to use. Unfortunately mine is injection so i will have to frig it some!.
Any other input from anyone greatly appreciated.
cheers

[geordie_racer]

it's not that hard with injection all i did was tape the injection connecters into the loom out of the way

[mellers]

thanks again geordie racer, i was wondring something else though? :oops: what exhaust setups are people using with these sort of conversions? is it like a cavvy manifold to a nova system or can i use my nova manifold (as it has the lambda sensor in it!)
cheers

[_JH_]

you won't need the lambda sensor

may as well get the engine bay welded up while you have the engine out

[geordie_racer]

ud use the cav manifold and prob the downpipe aswell as itll clear the engine nicely and ud mate it up to ur standard system at the end of the downpipe

chris

[Ben]

Buy some flexi pipe from your local motor factors for the exhaust, just joins onto the downpipe and then to your exsisting system, costs about 310 for a 2m length.