Engine dead? ... Diagnosis and Engine swap Advice needed

[Hodgins]

Hi guys,
sadly the lump in my dci van has died, after trying to resolve a cooling issue, i think the head gasket has gone,

Was driving at around 70 on the dual carriageway from work and it spluttered, cut out so
i bumped it as i was driving, then it started pouring out white smoke out the back and it eventually came to a halt and white smoke under the bonnet,

when trying to start it now it just turns over really quick, but the cambelt was done a few days before this happened and its all in tact,

ive just put it in my lock up and left it for a few days, but i need to get it sorted to get back and forth work,

i have another full dci that im breaking and though instead of throwing money at the current engine, just swap this one in,

now im pretty handy with the spanners but have never done an engine swap before, have i bit off more than i can chew or is it simple enough, while both engoines are out ill put the new waterpump and belt on the replacement,

im guessing its a case of unbolting and unplugging everything and just remembering where everything goes

only bit im unsure about ia keys and ecu etc

i have the key and full ecu looms etc in the donor car, what i was thinking was plug the donor ecu into my van, and swap the key bladed so itll fit my ignition barrel etc, would this work? And would i have to reprogram the key to work with central locking?

the van is a 51 plate DCi and the donor car is a 51 plate DCi lol
so it should be plug and play?

any help is appreciated as i need to get my lil van back in action lol

​cheers

 

[Michael Woodford MST]

They are really really really easy engines to swap.

Just take the front bumper off.

The only issue I can see you having in the injectors are coded and massively fragile.

Carefully take all the injectors out of the engine from the van, and put them in your new engine in exactly the same order they came out. Cyl 1 back into cyl 1 ect.

 

[Hodgins]

Thanks for the reply
if im honest i think the injectors in the donor are in a better working order, as in its last days the van developed a bit of an 'engine knock'

would i be able to use the donor injectors if i swap ecu or am i being awkward lol

​cheers

 

[Michael Woodford MST]

You need to write down the code from the top of the injector. Then just take them to anyone with Clip and they will code them for you.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Hi, I have clip

 

[Hodgins]

Cheer guys
so by swapping the ecu into the van with replacement lump (complete with its current injectors) wouldnt be enough to get injectors working?

going to start getting the engine out in a bit lol

 

[Dan@SJM]

Well if you swapped all of it with the UCH and key yes.

 

[Hodgins]

Yeah ive got the ECU and UCH free, engines ready to come out, just a case of swapping the blades in the key,refit and im good to go?

thanks for the help
really is appreciated

 

[Dan@SJM]

yep. providing the equipment level is the same that is.

 

[Hodgins]

Only thing is, my van got fog lights?
Both poverty spec really,
And the car hasnt, but has the switch on the stalk, but im not worried if they dont work
i dont use them anyway

just had a though tho, my van came without a radio display screen on the dashtop, but this car has? Will this **** it all up?

ive split the loom behind the bulkhead by the big connector and left all the wiring and plugs on the engine, i was thinking of just connecting it all back up with donor ECU, UCH and keys

Worst case is it dont work and i put my old ecu in and old injectors

really hope that the dash display difference wont throw this out the window now

thanks again

heres where ive left it today

 

[Hodgins]

another thought the donor car has electric mirrors and the van doesn't
will these differences mean my plan wont work?

cheers

Adam