SandyC
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 08:51 PM |
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XE power
Hi all,
i've just bought an XE engine (in pieces/ boxes) to replace the pinto in my tiger avon. I'm about to rebuild the XE and looking for advice
on what to replace for OE or to upgrade. It came with kent fast road cams and planing to run it on twin 45's as i already have them. Ignition
not sure yet!!!
As mentioned it is in piece form, crank shaft, con rods, pistons, cams etc all in boxes just now. I was planning on replacing big end bearings, ARP
con rod bolts, rings, complete gasket set. Do i need to replace head bolts or are these re-useable?
Any advice welcome, i'm hoping to do a few sprints/ hillclimbs with it, nothing too serious!!!! and still drive on the road.
I'm also looking for shallow sump, bellhousing, inlet manifold & exhaust if anyones got for sale.
cheers Sandy
Tiger Avon
C20XE
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AndyW
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 09:01 PM |
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the head bolts are re-useable but for what little they cost you'd be better putting new ones in, that way you know there shouldn't be a
problem
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cd.thomson
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 09:02 PM |
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best engine ever 
dont have time to give a proper response now but will do later on if you havent had one already!
Craig
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matty h
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 09:28 PM |
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Two main options for ignition are
H and H solutions dizzy around £250 less at shows.
http://www.h-h-ignitionsolutions.co.uk/
Or
Megajolt ECU
http://trigger-wheels.com/store/index1.html
Some people also use old MK2 Vauxhall Cavalier vacuum advance dizzy but this is not set up for your engine unlike the other two.
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perksy
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 09:29 PM |
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Nice choice of engine
As always it depends how much you want to spend, it can start to add up quite quick
Fit new head bolts
New big end bearings and ARP's is a good move
Main bearings should be ok unless its had a hard life
( *If* its an early XE the cranks are lighter)
The Rear crank seal can be a Bas***d to get right
Make sure you use the proper Vauxhall spec' sealant
Check/replace Water pump & Timing belt pulleys
Replace Timing belt
Either strip & check or replace the oil pump
Consider fitting SBD's Nylon oil pressure releif valve
Your probably already aware of the head issues that can affect the Non Coscast head engine (Oil & Water mixing)
There's plenty of info' on SBD's website which is well worth a read before you go too far
Autovaux are a good source for spare parts
HTH
Perksy
220 bhp VX
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SandyC
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 09:54 PM |
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Thanks for the response so far guys, keep it coming, all VERY welcome.
Yeah, as you mentioned the £££'s soon add up! I'm trying to gauge whats worth doing for the ££ and whats not. I guess when the block is
stripped this far down it's all worth doing but where do i draw the line. The block is an 89 HH3 with a GM head, (not so good).
I'll be looking to bin the dizzy as the previous guy cut the end of the cam off, the engine was destined for a Mk1 escort.
cheers Sandy
Tiger Avon
C20XE
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blakep82
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 09:57 PM |
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i got a newer ecotec, same block. i'm going for megajolt. its the best way i think
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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mediabloke
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 10:48 PM |
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Megajolt works well and allows you to use std Vx ignition leads if you use the newer Ford coil pack (the pins inside the HT posts fit perfectly). The
std. trigger wheel is built in to the crank pulley, but doesn't have the right no. of notches to generate the pulse angle that Megajolt expects.
You need to budget the time to fit a 36-1 trigger wheel to it or the cash to get a machine shop to fit it for you. I did the latter as I
didn't have the gear / lathe to mount the wheel properly, and no regrets.
Best to use ARP rod bolts as others have suggested, if you're planning to raise the rev limit drastically. Head bolts are stretch items - I
wouldn't even consider re-using them after being torqued fully.
There is a mod for the non-coscast head, if you find it to be porous.
Valve stem seals are cheap and are a common cause of smoky engines. You need a spring compressor with a wide span to remove the valves, though.
While you're there, strip & clean the lifters - they're fiddly boogers to separate, but it'll do wonders with noisy tappets.
This is a guide that I found helpful
Whilst you have the engine in bits, get the inlet manifold flange face skimmed, to make sure it will fit flat against the head, to ensure that the
seal is gas-tight (and water-tight, as the feed to the head water jacket passes through the head...). Improves your carburation consistency no end!
I'd agree with Perksy re. the timing idlers / tensioner, but I wouldn't think of refitting the old ones - IIRC, the originals had plastic
bearings that were prone to failure. New belt+new idlers+new tensioner = peace of mind.
Francis.
[Edited on 17/3/10 by mediabloke]
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loggyboy
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 11:07 PM |
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Just do the basics plus the ARPs
they are largely bullet proof unless you plan on going for silly HPs.
I rang the nuts out mine for 5 years anod only ever needed to do one head gasket.
IIRC headbolts are stretch type and only £1~ from VX.
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mediabloke
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 11:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
they are largely bullet proof unless you plan on going for silly HPs.
I'd agree, so long as it has been serviced (timing belt in particular). You can be lucky, but these engines' valve & pistons
interfere, so a jumped tooth on the timing belt is frequently expensive. Also bear in mind the advancing age of the XE - a relatively new '96
lump is now 14 yrs old: how well will it have been treated in the meantime?
Depends on the point of view, but I'd rather know how much a project will cost to complete than risk it as-is and have to replace major parts at
an unexpected cost.
[Edited on 17/3/10 by mediabloke]
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 17/3/10 at 11:36 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mediabloke
I'd agree with Perksy re. the timing idlers / tensioner, but I wouldn't think of refitting the old ones - IIRC, the originals had plastic
bearings that were prone to failure. New belt+new idlers+new tensioner = peace of mind.
The earlier 20XE used a big all steel tensioner and a steel idler that seemed to be almost indestructible, the one on my 16vGTE lasted about 130k
miles (due to being horrendously expensive, well over £100 just for tensioner at the time), though I did repack them with grease a couple of times.
The later engines changed the tooth profile of the belt and used two plastic idler bearings. Cheaper and definitely nastier.
[Edited on 17/3/10 by MikeRJ]
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