Progress of my Turbo conversion...

BAD63R-V6+ · 06-07-2007, 09:18

Hi guy's. As some of you have spotted or read, I have converted my Vectra Sri to a C20Let from a Calibra Turbo. Apart from the fact we had to travel 300 miles round trip just to pick the engine up, everything went quite smoothly. A few little hickups with matching the looms but all in all went quite well.

The car started life as bod standard Vectra SRi 140. Then the guy who had it before me spent out on a genuine full Irmscher, GSi body kit which made it quite rare in it's self as I discovered from VVOC that Vauxhall never made a white GSi

The I decided that rather making just like all the other GSi's and dropping a V6 in, I went down the Turbo road

So here is the 24 hour progress that got the car to the turning over stage...

First things first, ROAD TRIP!!!

Couple of shots of the new engine

So then it was out with the old...

Which left the poor Vectra without it's "Hamster in-a Wheel Power" lol

And then it was time to play with the real engine.

Then it was time to clench buttocks as we lowered the new lump down to the gear box.

Lots of rolling around on the floor which made our backs pretty soar lol

Then Break time came

Shot of the engine now fitted to the mounts properly, and my god was it a tight squeeze to get the intercooler, oil cooler and radiator down the front with the turbo in the way lol.

And then we dragged poor old DAle into it aswell pmsl.

Will get some more pics up when i've got it running after the coil arrives

The only thing i would say was a pain in the arse was the fact that we had to drive nearly 200 miles just to pick it up lol, got it from Poole on the south coast in Dorset

Since this engine swap happened the car has had new plugs, leads, coil, dizzy, alternator and all new gaskets. The only things i need to get sorted now is the fact that the bloody temp gauge isn't working (don't think the wire has been matched to the vectra loom as i dont know which one it is) and also need to get the RAD sorted as the pipe on the top right of the RAD broke off so the turbo has no coolent flowing through at the mo lol, so can't even drive it.

So what do ya think then guy's as this is the first conversion i've done myself. Oh and by the way, incase you were wondering I'm the one with the worst condition back after being on the floor lol.

Cheers BAD63R

**Benn** · 06-07-2007, 09:36

looks good dude,

BAD63R-V6+ · 06-07-2007, 12:17

cheers bud

chubbston · 06-07-2007, 13:03

im liking that i do like vectra with the gsi front bumper looks nice m8

Mark_F · 06-07-2007, 13:31

Looks good. Most of the problems seem pretty normal

Prefer the bumper grill to be blackmyself, Kit looks good on a white car though.

**Nobbie** · 06-07-2007, 13:43

Looks pretty good, did you use the standard vectra mounts, or the clet mounts?

BAD63R-V6+ · 06-07-2007, 13:46

Funnily enough i used the veccy mounts but customised the the rear left one to mount to the alternator bracket. The other 1 was easy as it was the same as the 2.0 Eco-wrec, the gear box one lined up straight away aswell. Like i say just wanna get the temp gauge working as thats my biggest concern with not knowing what temp the car is running at.

**Nobbie** · 06-07-2007, 15:14

cool.

Spankee · 06-07-2007, 15:55

Did you fit the F28 as well...........as the F18 wont hold up to much avoid giving it some standing starts beans as those diffs in the F18 are crap once you fit a front mount you can dump the calibra rad and etc and go back to the standard vec rad and fan...

Adam · 06-07-2007, 16:33

good stuff

**Nobbie** · 09-07-2007, 07:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spankee

Did you fit the F28 as well...........as the F18 wont hold up to much avoid giving it some standing starts beans as those diffs in the F18 are crap once you fit a front mount you can dump the calibra rad and etc and go back to the standard vec rad and fan...

What about the water take off?

Spankee · 09-07-2007, 11:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nobbie

What about the water take off?

The standard vectra rad has the same place ie outlet as calibra rad for turbo

**Nobbie** · 09-07-2007, 11:59

Excelent, never knew that.

BAD63R-V6+ · 09-07-2007, 12:38

Mmm, thats nice to know. Think i might have to start looking for a FMIC either second hand or new. Still can't work out which is the temp gauge wire on the Veccy loom on the bulk head. I've followed the C20LET's one from the thermo housing and it just dissapears in the the wiring so i'm just gonna extend the Veccy one with a new clip. Can anyone tell me which it is?

Cheers, BAD63R

Ste L · 09-07-2007, 14:15

temp gauge should be a blue one,

pin 1 on the black plug

BAD63R-V6+ · 10-07-2007, 10:49

Wicked mate, nice one. Works a treat now. Right, now i've got to the stage i am at and due to the fact i'm not a fully trained mechanic. I need to someone to come and have a look at the work i've done and make sure i haven't missed anything and to see if the car is running well. I am willing to stick a few notes in someones back pocket and some fuel in their tank if anyone is interested. I live in Warwickshire in the Midlands, not too far from Coventry. Please, please please can someone help. I want to LET the fun begin lol.

BAD63R-V6+ · 15-07-2007, 10:29

Anybody????

**Nobbie** · 16-07-2007, 08:20

Best bet would be to stick a note on the regional forum, or pop along to a meet.

BAD63R-V6+ · 25-07-2007, 11:40

Ok, everything is done and working great. Thanks for the help guy's, couldn't have done without ya's

So here's a bit of an update from the last pic's you've seen.

Right then, it stopped raining just long enough for me to get a couple of picks but here we are. Theres a couple of little tidying bit's to do such as mounting the Coil next to the water bottle and hide a couple more wires but shes working great now. I've got a nice newly powder coated red spark plug cover on the way so i will be able to get rid of the shoddy, stickered up one lol.

Heres the shots'...

**CraigGreen** · 25-07-2007, 12:27

Some tidying to do but nice. Hats off for getting on with it so quick.

Stuck in!

BAD63R-V6+ · 26-07-2007, 09:15

Cheers mate. It's shcoked a few of my mates on how quick i got it to the point of running on the road again. Was only off the road for a total of 2 weeks lol. Theres just a couple of little bit's that need sorting out such as the couple of wires also need to get rid of the air lock in the water system, nearly got rid of but just a little more buggering about and hopefully "Job's a good'n" lol.

Rick Draper · 26-07-2007, 10:37

Are you going to mount the ecu inside the car? You need to really as it could get damaged where it is.

BAD63R-V6+ · 26-07-2007, 10:51

Well the plan is to put it back where the original vectra one was, just inside the bulkhead on the passanger side. Should be gettin sorted in the next few days.

Rick Draper · 26-07-2007, 11:01

Rather than cut and solder the loom its easier to just drill a hole in the bulkhead on the drivers side and put it in there.

CortraGTE · 26-07-2007, 11:04

Car is looking good!