Missed it by that much!!!!, oils aren't oils Sol

[Roverlord off road spares]

Little sisters 98 Festiva 1.5 litre developed white smoke out of the exhaust. I pulled the head and no obvious signs on a head gasket gone, but the coolant tank was draining and blowing out the exhaust. The plenum is water cooled also. Any took the head off pulled the camshaft and there was signs of corrosion in the cam carrier of pitting.
I took the head to a machine shop and it was warped 7mm, hence the oil leaks around the head. Harness was ok, but the pitting on the cam carrier had us concerned.
Anyway off to find another head. Well they are non existant recoed, they are even harder to find anywhere. All the usuals like bursons Repco, tried one place they had brand new engines for $3.5K ( for that price I would have fitted a brand new 300tdi If I could get it in. ) $3.5K on a $3.5K car purchase not so long ago was out of the question as the car would still be worth $3K.
So I go to pick a part wreckers, they had about 14 of them and all has untouched engines. These engine were also in Mazda 121s and Kia made the festivas for Ford with Kia engines.

Now sorting out the wrecks in the yard from 1.3 litres to 1.5litrs and many were early years. I found a 1.5 litre in a 99 year with low kms. The head had no oil leaks engine bay was clean, all the others in the yard were dripping oil.
So I pulled the rocker cover off and this had the upgraded roller rockers.
So I pulled it and paid $120 for it and off to the machine shop, had it cleaned, skimmed , valves recut and valve seat don. All up another $760.
another $115 for a VRS, and off I go to install it 90 kms way.
Ok the head went on without dramas, then the problem started.
I exhaust manifold was out on the stud holes by approx 5-7 mm. Strange??? some thing is not right. The engine and every thing in the engine bay was identical to the 98 and 99 engines. Then come the inlet manifold and plenum. It wouldn't bolt on either it was 5-7mm out by the fasteners and the coolant ports where higher the the 98. GRRRRR.
So left it for another day. Back to pick a part, hoping that the donor car still had been untouched since I was there nearly 2 weeks prior. To my relief it was. So i took off the exhaust manifold and the inlet manifold,
Ok get them home and start to fit the fuel rail and injectors.
Well '99 was the year Kia decided they had surplus steel and made the fuel rail a tad longer. Naturally the 98 fuel rail was too short. GRRRRRR!!!
So of I go to pick a part again and buy the injector rail and loom.
I negotiated a price with the counter chap, since I had bought half the motor already. So off I go with the fuel rail and loom.
Ok by this time I was getting sick and tired of the whole job, but preservered. Now I find the plug on the injector loom had a 3pin socket at the end, where as the 98 had a 4 pin socket. So I refitted the 98 loom to the injectors.
But the 98 loom had only 4 injector plugs, where the 3 pin injector loom from the 99 had 5 plugs, it incorporates a temp sensor for the sensor on the upper part of the intake.
Hmm, The 98 had a separate wire with plug that fitted from the under side of the intake. The plugs are the same however, so it the existing plug don't reach a small length of wiring will fix that.

The IAC (stepper on the 99 is on top and faces upwards, the IAC on the 98 is in same location but faces down.)
The engines look Identical, but there are such minor differences
So now I have sorted out the mods, I'll fit it in the next couple of days.

[PhilipA]

Welcome to the updated engine wonderworld.
I reckon its much harder to adapt a later engine than change to a completely different engine in many ways.
The drama I had with fuel rails, kickdown cables, TPS etc when I changed a 3.9 inlet to a Thor sound similar to your problems.
Regards Philip A

[isuzurover]

I had similar problems with body panels between '77 , '79 and '80 Mitsubishi Lancers. They all look the same, but over the space of a few years they changed most of the body panels, TWICE!. At least with bodywork it is nothing a welder, hammer, dolly and bog can't fix.

[crash]

I have a 95 Festiva with the Kia 1.3 engine.
I understand what you went through.
A few years ago the manual transmission was starting to play up and was looking like rebuild time. Found a 97 wreck online (only had limited photos to go by ) with about 1/3rd milage of mine and thought I would do a complete engine and tranny swap.
Once I got the wreck home I noticed there were alot of little variables as you mentioned - mostly due to wiring, so I just swapped the trannys instead as I could not be bothered to deal with the wiring differences.

All up it cost me about 1/3rd the price of a recon tranny and have a paddock basher aswell now.

[Roverlord off road spares]

DeanO, from the forum was talking to me today and said why would I touch anything made by KIA, he reminded me of the FL 1.
Ah I said to him, at least the feativa doesn't have those ridicules almost meter long engine head bolts that fit the head and are long enough to drag on the road through the sump;).
He reckons I should have bought my sis a 300tdi, says he who drives an OKA:p

[Roverlord off road spares]

I took the long drive this morning armed with tools to fit the new intake /plennum and exhaust manifold.

The inlet plennum had to fit as it came of the vehicle I scored the head off. Well almost, only one slight snag, the exsiting upper engine mount on a 98 must be different to the 99. It need a slither or 2 ground off. But my angle grinder was at home. GRRRR. So of to bunnings in Rosebud and one cheap OZITO angle grinder, got the inlet manifold to fit.

98 has no EGR, year 99 did so there was this bulging in the casting of the inlet to accommodate that. So removed the EGR, now sis has very little in the way of tools or scrap metal laying about. Had angle grinder , she had a drill with blunt bits so couldn't make a blanking plate.
Heat hose from inlet to firewall tube connection, well the 99 set up need and extra 50mm of heater hose, so off to the local parts place for a bit of heater hose, problem solved.:)


Timing belt on, 2 matching colour coded wires to extend the inlet temp sensor done:)

No to fit the new exhaust manifold, it had to fit as it came of the 98 donor car. Yep fitted and bolted up.:)
Now to hook up the down pipe to the exhaust manifold, before we can turn the key and fire her up.
OCK OH! The new exhaust manifold is is now to short in the down pipe to fit the exhaust pipe:mad:, and the 3 holed flange on the 99 is slightly a skew and the bolt holes are a couple of mill out .:(:(

Well that finished the day on a sour note, another trip to the wreckers to scab the proper exhaust down pipe. Also the 98 has the O2 sensor in the downpipe, the 99 version has the O2 in the exhaust manifold.
Might as well score the correct engine mount of the donor at the wreckers.

[rangieman]

Wow mate in hindsight you should have got the complete engine from the junkers , Would have made life a little easier on the fuel & time and paitence account;)

[Roverlord off road spares]

Wow mate in hindsight you should have got the complete engine from the junkers , Would have made life a little easier on the fuel & time and paitence account;)
Yes Chris, I thought of that, ;) but when you see signs on the wreck's windscreen's with the words "smokey engine", then if will require a rebuild.
I orginaly bought her the Festiva a few months back, sis had no money, down in her luck. It presented well had a road worthy certificate and low kms, so for the money it appeared ok.
Unfortunately the owners don't let you take the rocker covers off , it had clean oil, but when I pulled the head, it looked like it could have had a few more oil changes in its life. I did drive like he clappers though real zippy.
I know one thing timing belts are a mongrel to fit.
I did one on a Daewoo and to get to the crank bolt and pulley you could so it through the drivers side wheel housing.
No on the Festiva, you can't get a socket and breaker bar onto it or a spanner. There isn't enough room.
I think they must remove the engine mounts on the drivers side and lower the engine on the side to access it.

I can tell you run of the mill mechanics won't touch Land Rovers as they reckon their too hard . Some of this jap crap that the do work on is harder in my opinion.
It's hard without the current service manual.
I subscribed online for 1 year Haynes manual that helped a bit, abeit for earlier years.
Cheers, Mario

[crash]

Mr Whippy and I had fun changing the timing belt on my Festiva, ended up dropping the engine to get the main pulleys off.
We still have one drive shaft / CV to replace - can not get it out of the transmission.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Mr Whippy and I had fun changing the timing belt on my Festiva, ended up dropping the engine to get the main pulleys off.
We still have one drive shaft / CV to replace - can not get it out of the transmission.
Tell me about that, the engine must come out or drop down to get to the crankshaft pully.:mad:

[Roverlord off road spares]

This CAR:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: is trying my patience.
I have everything sorted and turned the key and it started to run rough, checked the injector loom to ensure every plug wires were to specs. Ok on that front, I unbolted the injector rail and pulled the injectors and swapped them the originals and it ran Better but not smooth.
I pulled the plugs and found they had a thick film of NEW engine oil on the threads. It was clear engine oil that I had used to service it.
Well there no oil leaking from the New rocker cover gasket down to the plugholes from the out side of head. And underneath is a pubble of fresh oil .
I Didn't bother doing a compression check before I put the new head on as the original problem was coolant out the exhaust.
And After driving down to it today, I didn't think to bring my compression tester.
Hard taking all tools I have to a site 90kms away. I would have been easier if the car was brought to me.

But by the looks of things The OIL rings must completely be stuck in piston to allow that must oil into the tops of the cylinders to coat the plugs. I cant see how a torqued spark plug could get covered with a film of oil along the thread though
and the system must be over pressurizing with stuck rings to blow the oil out of the crank seal and sump gasket.
So it looks like pulling the entire engine out and check the bores.
It's just seems to be throwing good money after bad, but with what I have spent on it I would not get back as a wreck so I need to persevere.
Or go to the wreckers but a $200 engine and re ring etc and take a completed short motor and fit it a siss's place.
Another day wasted.:mad:

[PhilipA]

Mate, don't feel too bad we all have bad days.
One I can think of is when I was changing the timing belt of a 92 Mazda 121, which my daughter still has.
I jammed the flywheel with a screwdriver to undo the crankshaft nut.
I still cannot credit how it managed it , but the screwdriver fell into the bell housing so I had to half remove the gearbox to get it out. A few new words that day.
The other was similar to you. My son bought a 2 litre turbo Mitsubishi motor from an Auburn resident if you know what I mean. Assured it was in great condition. I kept on saying it was a pig in poke if you cannot see it run.

Put it in the Cordia turbo and smoked like a chimney, so it had to be removed and his 1.8 recod. The engine vibrated like anything when started, so I took the timing case off and did the balance shaft as per the manual and the reputable engine shop had fitted it 180 degrees out.

BTW his first oil cange was a beauty. Left the gasket on the oil filter housing and the new filter chewed it up and spat it into the oilway. Holy moly! I had been given some dental picks by a mate and I was able to get in and pick the gasket bit out of the oilway. Now that was a close shave.
Regards Philip A

[Roverlord off road spares]

Mate, don't feel too bad we all have bad days.
One I can think of is when I was changing the timing belt of a 92 Mazda 121, which my daughter still has.
I jammed the flywheel with a screwdriver to undo the crankshaft nut.
I still cannot credit how it managed it , but the screwdriver fell into the bell housing so I had to half remove the gearbox to get it out. A few new words that day.
The other was similar to you. My son bought a 2 litre turbo Mitsubishi motor from an Auburn resident if you know what I mean. Assured it was in great condition. I kept on saying it was a pig in poke if you cannot see it run.

Put it in the Cordia turbo and smoked like a chimney, so it had to be removed and his 1.8 recod. The engine vibrated like anything when started, so I took the timing case off and did the balance shaft as per the manual and the reputable engine shop had fitted it 180 degrees out.

BTW his first oil cange was a beauty. Left the gasket on the oil filter housing and the new filter chewed it up and spat it into the oilway. Holy moly! I had been given some dental picks by a mate and I was able to get in and pick the gasket bit out of the oilway. Now that was a close shave.
Regards Philip A
Phillip that's why some invented the T shirt "**** Happens"I gotta get me one of those.
I forgot to mention when I had the engine running and took the oil cap off drops of oil would fly out and hit me in the face, so it was pumping oil pretty good.
I got conned on this purchase, it was a last minute emergency to find a car for my sister and she needed one ASAP for work.
Marvelous what the seller did ,changed the oil , timing bet done, RWC everything looked good. But when the old head came off it showed a lack of oil changes. Should have pulled the rocker off to look and also do a compression check. But they don't allow you to pulled everything apart. and it drove fantastic also even at freeway speeds and no smoke.

We bought my son a 99 Pulsar ( He gotta pay us back one day), that was a good on, serviced by Nissan every 5000kms religiously , low kms and driven by old lady since new, sold it privately as dealer would not give her much for trade in, took it for RWC passed with out any thing wrong ist test.

But this Festiva, the seller he lied to me about his mother had this car and I fell for it hook line and sinker. Too trusting, I gotta get tougher! and get one of those T shirts.
Cheers, Mario