Engine swap...any helpful info welcomed!

Hi all! Advice required please read!

New to the site, and new to driving having decided at 31 it's time to get on the road on 4 wheels!
See, I never fell in love with cars as a kid, I rode motorbikes for the past 10 years wishing every winter I had some sort of shelter...then last winter I found a 1litre N plate MPV Hijet on Gumtree for peanuts...loved it immediately!

So, I bought it, sent it to my mechanic friend who made sure it wasn't going to kill me, and I've driven it everyday since passing my test this May. In that short time ive learnt ALOT about flushing coolant systems, sadly my little MPV overheats as soon as I cover 30+ miles. I've persevered because the body is in fantastic condition and it'll make a fantastic camper, but finally came to the idea that I needed a spare 'reliable' set of wheels just in case the worst happened and I was off the road for a while. So I bought another Daihatsu, a Sportrak, which due to a knackered radiator also overheats...joy! That's soon to be sold, because I've just purchased (and re-painted) another Hijet! This ones got a larger 1.3 engine on an S plate with 76k on the clock, and it doesn't overheat, but the body is rusty as fook...

So my question to anybody with any knowledge on the subject is; Can I swap the engines over? Ideally switch both over and then I could use the rusty/overheating van as a bit of a rat for daily use and have all the best bits in the MPV, which I can then finish converting. 1.3 s reg van engine into 1 litre n reg mpv, and vice versa...

Thanks for listening!

Richey

You could, but it'd prob be better/easier/cheaper fixing your own engine?

And welcome

Pretty bigish job mate, the wiring looms need swapping over, along with radiator and pipework, plus all the little bits

Doable if you have both vans together though.

Would just be a million times easier to fix the over heating problem though.

Do you know what causes the over heating?

It's a long old story really with the overheating;
I bought it knowing it had overheating problems, seller thought it needed a new thermostat and a water pump.
My mechanic replaced the thermostat and got the pump working again.
I've read that certain thermostats are rubbish or even the wrong length, anybody know where I can get the correct one?
Cooling system flushed, bled, refilled, filled some more, both caps checked and are fine with no wear.
Runs very well for 30 miles, then overheats.
After 10 miles or so you can hear the expansion tank bubbling away.
If driven under 50mph lasts a little longer, but still overheats eventually.
I can generally get a weeks worth of driving 10 miles a day before having to refill at least half the coolant.
No loss of coolant from radiator pretty sure it's just boiling over and out via the expansion tank.
Using the internal heater set to hot/full flow/external air inward helps a little but does not solve.
Interestingly the heater on the 1.3 van does not work at all...
Does this sound like a head gasket problem?
What signs should I be looking for? I'd happily sell the van on and spend a bit of money on the MPV but I don't personally know a mechanic willing to do the job (if it is the head gasket) and I'm not the trusting type! Possible to DIY for the simpleton??
Any other obvious things I should be looking for?
Any help much appreciated!

Richey

I'd say head gasket failure.

Try some Steel Seal - might work, might not, but worth a try for around £30.

Well, in my little head I came to this conclusion on the hijet head gasket diagnostic thought:-

Make sure the coolant system is 100% filled under the metal cap and no air locks so well bled -

Mark the bottle at the known level point - e.g. draw a line on the water level - a torch in the opening helps!

Right.... Drive the vehicle hard for 5 miles or so.

Let it cool back down before you inspect it......

Do you have surplus water in the header tank?

When you lift the metal cap is there an air gap?

OKAY....

With the metal coolant cap off.... push the plastic overflow lid down tight, and blow down the rubber overflow pipe. This lets you put the coolant back from the header tank into the system.


Run it again, and go though this whole process again and again and again.

If you don't lose any water, and it keeps running OK on shortish journeys when you have moved the water back out the header tank into the system then it would say head gasket failure to me.

This conclusion is because - the pressure from the combustion chamber is blowing exhaust gases past the very tiny failing in the head gasket and into the coolant system - this displaces some water into the header tank. Keep running it enough and there won't be enough water in the coolant system for it to resist boiling anymore.

If during this testing process you are ending up with less and less water in the header tank, I would say you have either major headgasket failure and/or a leak somewhere.


That is unless the header tank is overflowing, then you know where the water is going and you definitely have major head gasket failure.

This is just my stupid little conclusion from all my testing and messing!!


Also when running it, make sure all the bottom coolant pipes under the radiator are hot, and the radiator is hot.

Or, it's a Hijet, it gets too hot, the headgasket's f#?ked......

So this all leads me back to the original question, if the head gasket is kaput, should I switch the engines?
I do have a mechanic friend, doubt he'd be thrilled with the job but hopefully I could convince him, how many hours work would it be approximately?
Alternatively is there any way to truly fix the head gasket if that's the problem?
Are there any particular parts to use/things that will need sourcing?
Could a new engine be the answer & if so where could i get one with a warranty?
Questions, questions...sorry

Happier news, turns out you can paint an entire minivan with just two small tins of chalkboard paint...
...now I just need to figure out the photo uploader...

Richey

Richeyrockshack wrote:
...now I just need to figure out the photo uploader...

Richey

Ask Woody   

Take head off, get it skimmed, build it back up.

Cure any small coolant leaks, replace hose clips

Test/inspect the radiator and pipe work

replace the thermostat and radiator caps.

Fill with fresh coolant mix

Enjoy your non overheating van!!


New engine with a warranty is not going to happen, changing between 1.3 and 993 is big job. Doing the above is childs play for any worthy mechanic.

Hour wise, depends how good he is, strip down take 2 to 3 hours. Rebuild takes about 7 hours.

Cheers Waz . Thankfully I had a very kind and very patient instructor --- Professor Rich The Mechanic --- you probably missed all the fun while you were out in Oz.

Logi came back from off holiday in the Faulklands -- South Georgia he said --- and uttered 
What the Faulking Hell is going on since I have been away --- Woody is posting pictures.

I must admit I prefer posting parcels with parts inside -- at least they earn me money. 
Posting piccies just earns me a load of derision-- but I love both.   

Yes I did notice that you was getting praised heaped upon you for mastering how to post a photo hence my tongue in cheek comment.

Mind you Logi was trying to imply it was South Georgia USA
and that he has a sun tan--- but I reckon it is rust from the wet
weather in the Faulklands.

I still don't buy it that woody posted a picture, maybe it was some sort of computer virus or some clever internet fraud.

Some bugger has nicked Woodys lappy and is posing as him

Looks like from now on I am going to be known as Woody the
Stig. When I get my laptop back that is !!

Truth is I got so fed up with it this morning by 4-30am that I chucked it out the bedroom window---- and somebody found it
and is now posing as me  

Logi wrote:Some bugger has nicked Woodys lappy and is posing as him

I blame Pay Pal:twisted: