Terios engine fitted to Hijet

Hi. My Hijet camper overheated repeatedly last year and despite repeated attempts to cure the overheating issue, eventually needed a new engine as the original 993CC engine got wrecked.

I couldn't find a replacement engine, so ended up fitting a 1.6 Terios engine into it. It is now back on the road and working - and for the first time can go up hills! However, the temp gauge still constantly fluctuates wildly between 1/2 way and over 3/4 of the way. Does anyone know if this is normal or if I still have a problem with overheating?

How hard/difficult/complicated was swapping a 993 over to a 1.6? Cant imagine what that would be like to drive!

Sounds like changing the engine has done nothing to resolve the overheating issue. Did you fit a new thermostat to the 1.6 lump?

"Fluctuates wildly" sounds like you have air in the system to me but how good is the radiator?

Sort it quickly, before you cook another engine.

Gra

Hi guys.
Dropping a new engine into it turned into a mission - I was very glad I had professional help! The 1.0 and 1.3 engines are the same size, but when we couldn't find a 1.3, and we found out the 1.6 was also the same size, so went for one of those.
Unfortunately, the engine mounts are in a different place, so we ended up cutting a bigger hole and using the engine cover from a 1.3 in order to make it fit. We also had a whole bunch of minor adjustments to make to get it all in and working. The Hijet website was really helpful for all this. Working out the wiring was a real pig, as was the fact that the engine had an immobiliser, and my 20 year old ignition couldn't cope with that, so we had to adapt yet again.
Anyway, after 18 months, it really rocks on the hills now! The problem is that she still can't go round corners very well, so I still have to slow down a lot for the bends, or she feels like she is toppling over.
On the subject of overheating, I think it's back to the garage for a bit more investigation....
Thanks for your input.

Presume you changed the radiator to the larger 1.3 (or would you need to use the one out of the 1.6)? I only have the 993 and as still new to driving it, still wary on cornering, no idea but would lowering it have any benefit and know on the VW T25 they change the suspension bushes to improve handling (along with a front spoiler) to help handling as they apparently suffer the same issues of cornering and cross winds. Are these something that can be done on a Hijet? Over to you Woody!

Yes - we put the 1.3 radiator in it. I now have no idea what to do about the radiator cover though. The one I have is the solid 1.0 one, and I need the vented 1.3 one. But I don't know if the 1.3 ones fit on the 1.0 van. Any ideas?

Apparently the 1.3 grill does not fit the 1.0 body (asked that question not long back). Woody will be a good one to comment on this topic as I think he is going to attempt the same engine upgrade as you.

Ok, thanks, that's helpful. I know a guy who does sheet metal work, so will ask him if he can make me something or adapt the one I've got.

Keep us informed how you get on

What year of manufacture is your Hi-Jet as most of what you have said don't make sense to me. Was it a  3 cylinder 993cc 6 valve engine,  or a 4 cylinder 16valve 1300 engine and ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND NOT IN ANY WAY INTERCHANGABLE. Gearbox and Propshaft are different.  Both Gearbox and Engine mounting subframe are different and the capsulated bolt holes in the chassis  in different places so the crossmembers aren't  even swopable. The engine mountings on the suffrage are in a different place totally . The WHOLE WIRING LOOM is totally different and would need to be totally changed with the whole dashboard taken out to swop it inside alone. The fuel injection system is totally different with all the fuel piping and the 1300 inlet manifold and pipes and electrics are not in any way changeable. The exhaust manifold and complete system is different down to even the exhaust mounting brackets being in different places. The whole cooling system with all the metal pipes and rubber hoses changed. Basically everything would have to come from a COMPLETE 1300 HI-JET.
THEN THERE IS THE MATTER OF THE ENGINE.
THE 1300 SUMP, INLET AND EXHAUST MANIFOLDS, CAMCOVER,  TIMING BELT COVER, COIL PACKS AND LOADS LOADS MORE HAS TO BE CHANGED OR IS NOT INTERCHANGABLE AND YOU ARE TELLING US THAT YOU HAVE DONE ALL THAT AND MORE BESIDES.
Why would anyone in  their right mind attempt all that when they can just buy a 1300 Hi-Jet and put a 1600  Grand Move Engine in?? Inlet and exhaust manifolds and sump would still have to be changed but easier than the Terios. You have got me baffled. Pictures??

See, told you Woody would know all about it

You seem very angry about this - why is that? The short answer is I learned all about the problems as I went along, starting from a position of knowing nil- and slowly worked through them - with professional help. I couldn't just buy another one as they are too expensive. The regular vans are cheap, but the campers are £3000-£4000. For me that was 10 years savings down the pan, so I worked at getting it back on the road. If money was no object I would have bought a Cutie 2, but it was, so I slogged on....

I find it awesome you got things done that everybody seems to say is impossible. Hats off to you and get those build pictures online! I would love to see that beast hanging in there.

I wouldn't worry about it one jot. I always sound like this. My bark is worse than my bite. I am sorry if it comes across that way.
I see have seen so many posts on here in in the last two and a half years of what people say they are going to do mostly putting a 1300 engine in a 993cc version and get this strange idea in their head that it is going to be a Cakewalk and a direct swop over of engine, wave a magic wand and the job is done. Then Highly Jetted ( Matt) and I end up with having to sort out all the questions which takes a lot of time and particularly for Matt with all the electronics questions and me sorting out how or what does fit or doesn't fit and supplying parts to try and get them out of a hole.
After owning (27 at one time) and working on dozens of Hi-Jets and having dismantled several hundred of them since 2003 and having worked as Service and Warranties Manager and worked on building the very first Romahome Outlook right from the drawing board. I built the 15ft diameter, four sections box steel body moulding roll over cage and helped building AND delivered the very LAST Hi-Jet Romahome Free Spirit to a solicitor in Croydon so hopefully you will agree I do have a bit of Hijet experience.
So hopefully you get some insight into why I question what or why people do or should have done and why at later than 4am in the morning I am STILL on this PC trying to answer questions and then getting up at 6am and going off to work.
Matt has gotten the same way. He has written twice as many posts as my 1735 on here and he has had enough of Hi-Jets now to last a lifetime and one of the reasons he has virtually stopped working on them and he hasn't been on this site since 22nd of September. We have seen and heard it all as I am sure you can appreciate.

Its just that a lot of your details were vague and several incorrect so please excuse my scepticism. I would love to have a chat with you at length at some time soon as to how you and your mate from what you have intimated went about this swap. You can if you so desire to, contact me initially on : hi.jetmaniow@gmail.com Woody (the Wild Man.)

woody wrote:I wouldn't worry about it one jot.  I always sound like this.  My  bark is worse than my bite.  I am sorry if it comes across  that way.

You never used to be like this Woody........must be an 'age' thing .......wonder if I'll get like it when I'm older .

I've always been like it Oldie. Ashamedly my bad temper is legendary on the Island. I acquired the nickname over 30 years ago of The Incredible Hulk because of my habit of standing on the inner wings of and pulling a 350 lb Ford Capri and Granada V6 2.8 and 3.0 litre engines out with two hands and carrying them and put it in the back of a Transit. ( No, I don't turn green) Bright red with the strain yes.

A 200cc Ford OHC Pinto engine I would stand on the inner wings and hold the exhaust manifold with one hand and lift it out. I could then pick up the front of the car ( Capri, Mk 5 Cortical etc) and wheel it. A Mk 3/4 Escort minus the engine was just like a wheelbarrow - minus the handles. Mk 2 Escorts were just like a Tonka Toy. 1300 and 1600 X/flow engines were child's play.
You have all seen my Avatar on here. That is me having picked up a 1600 Daihatsu Grand Move Engine COMPLETE taken last summer aged 64. Try that one you Old Git.
Oddly enough in the whole of my working life I have only EVER had four bad debts and three of them have died in awful circumstances. One, Robert, digging a well out in Africa when it collapsed in on him,. One Linden, with three other druggies had been involved with Robert who died in the well. The four of them were in a VW Golf just 2 miles from my garage late at night when they were totally flattened by a George Jenkins Transport Articulated Lorry and Trailer. It is well documented in the County Press Archives. Another one, a woman died of a bad batch of drugs and a third one was killed on his moped on his way home after work by a car on a roundabout late at night.
There is only one still left alive 6 years after conning me of£500. Guess he has got away with that one.

So in future Oldie, don't be disrespectful to me.

The only time I turn bright red is when I strain to have a poo ....

Well that's about all you every day isn't it?? Thought you had given up work. I did when I got my pension - - NOT!! I would be bored to tears stuck at home with Herr Hitler moaning at me all day.
My workshop is my refuge and Castle.

Hello again, Cakewalk is not the word I'd use for the blood, sweat and teas of the last 18 months or so! As I said above, I had a lot of professional help as I'm not a mechanic and so much of this was way beyond what me and my Dad could do. This is why a lot of it is vague, as I have really struggled to understand everything we've had to do.
Basically, we originally tried to repair the 993cc 3 cylinder engine, but it was utterly wrecked, so we started looking for a replacement engine. They are so rare that we couldn't find one, and what we did find wasn't worth having. So in the end, we looked at it and decided to go for the 4 cylinder 1300 engine. Again we couldn't find one, and ended up buying a complete (written off) terios and going for the 1600 instead. Its probably a good thing I had no idea what I was in for....
Then, yes, we did find that they weren't as similar as we'd been led to believe. The gearbox and Propshaft were different, as was the mounting subframe/ engine mounts, which was a real pain to sort, as it meant all kinds of faffing about to make it fit. That included removing the camper van interior, which I am still trying to shoehorn back in. The wiring loom was like wrestling with spaghetti and resulted in major headaches. I can't remember what we did about the fuel system or exhaust as I think by this point I'd lost the will to live. The cooling system has been a real challenge, and is still not working right. We took lots of stuff from the Terios and a whole load of second hand stuff Hijet from places like Breaker Yard. The whole thing was a step by step process of confusion and frustration and I am very glad that I had a mechanic who was willing to stick with me through it.
Anyway, its back on the road now, but the temp gauge is still all over the place. Everyone I've spoken to at home says it's fine, but as that's what they said last time, I don't believe them. Also, as I've only ever driven overheating hijets, I'm not sure what the temp gauge should actually look like!!!
Anyway, I've booked it into the garage that used to be a Daihatsu dealership, as they claim to have the experience to sort it out for me. Hopefully they can finetune what we've done, or recommend something. If they can't sort it then I guess I have to have a good hard look as my options.
I didn't really take many photo's but will try and get some on-line.
Anyway, have a nice weekend.

Thank goodness for your Dad and your very good mate then. And hats off to you for perseverance. What did you do about the sump and oil pick up. How have you got around that problem, the inclined engine and inlet manifold. So many differences in that regard except that the 1300cc, 1500cc and 1600cc Cylinder blocks are identical apart from the 15&16 being 10mm taller than the 1300.
I know how it should be done obviously but I would like to have a chat with you out of pure curiosity as to how you got round all the head aches. You are a brave man or a complete idiot. At the moment I am erring on the side of brave man.
I am very lucky, privileged, a damn hard worker all my life, call it what you will that I have all the parts imagineable for getting round these and most Hi-Jet / Grand Move problems. I bought 8 Grand Move's this year purely to pull to bits for the engines but both me and my wife loved driving them so much that we kept one each. I have broken two so far and have 4 left for breaking to put - - eventually in 4 of my own Hi-Jets.
96bhp in a Hi-Jet really appeals to my lunatic sense of fun.