Hi All,

I’m looking to replace the original engine of my 120 5 speed with a Felicia 1.3 MPi engine, complete with the multi-point fuel injection. I pulled the 120 engine out at the weekend and have established the following modifications will be needed before the 1.3 engine can be made to fit… Has anyone else carried out this conversion and if so, is there anything else I’ll need to do that I haven’t lasted below???

• The flywheel position sensor will need to be fitted to the 120 bell housing

• Probably best to keep the Felicia flywheel as it will be compatible with the crank position sensor. The ring gear pitch is finer so will a Felicia starter motor fit? The 120 clutch plate (with coarser input shaft splines) looks as though it will fit with the Felicia flywheel.

• There is no gearbox input shaft bearing in the 1.3 crank so it will have to come out to have a hole bored in the end to fit the bearing. Should I get the rotating assembly balanced while it is all out?

• Oil pick-up pipe and sump from the 120 engine to be fitted.

• 120 engine mount bolt holes will need drilling out and thread to be tapped…

• Lambda sensor to be fitted to exhaust.

• Felicia engine wiring loom with ECU to be connected up to 120 car loom.

• High pressure fuel pump and return pipe to be fitted.

Any suggestions about how to get round the coding of the ECU that has to match the code in the Felicia ignition switch chip? Are there a couple of terminals on the ECU I can short out to resolve this isse?

Any suggestions re any of the above will be gratefully received!

Cheers,

Paul

Any suggestions about how to get round the coding of the ECU that has to match the code in the Felicia ignition switch chip? Are there a couple of terminals on the ECU I can short out to resolve this isse?

there is no way to 'fool; the ecu into playing i'm afraid, but if you can obtain a immobilizer unit and the key from the same donor vehicle (felicia) then you will be able to graft that into the fuel injection loom fairly easily and do some vag-com jiggery pokery to get it going

it might be possible to fit the 120 ring-gear to the felicia flywheel also

Edited 8 September, 201015 yr by TeflonTom

Thanks for that. Unfortunately the car from which the ECU was harvested has now been scrapped so I presume i'll need to get another Felicia ignition key/switch and get the ECU programmed to match.

Do you where the programming unit is plugged in? I'll need to ensure I've got that part of the loom in the 120...

It looks as though a Felicia stater motor might fit into the 120. I'll try this first as this will be easier than changing over the ring gear.

Cheers,

Paul

yes, you could use the immo unit (behind instrument cluster) and key from any felicia or mk4 polo + a few others so long as the key and the immo unit are from the same vehicle.. it's a simple 10 second operation to match the donor immo unit to the ecu using vag-com..

the diagnostics port in a felicia is under the bottom edge of the dashboard on the drivers side and it's a standard 'euro' 16pin connector, in your 120 it obviously wont have a diagnostics connector, but to make the wiring simpler and shorter it would be better to put it nearer the engine bay and ecu... if you get really stuck i have got a compete set of the real skoda current flow diagrams for the ecu and immbilizer etc. so i can send you a copy or if you need any help with the loom i may be able to help you..

the 2 things which you will find most difficult is 1, the fuel injection pump, obviously you need the high pressure (3 bar) pump from an mpi felicia, but at least you could re-use the exising pressure regulator on the felicia engine... and 2. the crankshaft position sensor, you need to make sure that the sensor is accurately aligned relative to the engine because the ecu uses it as a TDC reference point for the ignition timing, so when you drill a hole for it, it needs to be in the same position as it was in the felicia bellhousing..

I have done the modern engine (Favorit) into Estelle a couple of time, but not with the injection......although I have just had my old 5 port engine set up with injection. Heres the original guide which covers carb(s) that I did a year or 2 back.

Ive put an engine from a Favorit GLi into an Estelle 105.

You need to replace the following items on the Favorit engine with the Estelle version -

1. sump

2. oil pick up

3. water pump

4. crank pulley

5. alternator and mounting brackets

6. clutch

7. engine mounts

Unless youve got a carb Favorit with points ignition, you also need to change the distributor (I opted for a full Favorit electronic system from Jorily) and put the Estelle fuel pump onto the Favorit (you need to change over the studs as the ones on the Favorit engine will be too short)

You also need to swap the spigot washer thingumy at the clutch end of the crank for the bearing on the Estelle engine (or buy a new sealed 6202 bearing....less than a �10 so worth it!)

Last but not least, you need to tap off the ring gear on the outside of the Estelle flywheel and put it onto the Favorit flywheel by heating the Favorit wheel up in the oven first (having already removed the Favorit ring gear of course!!) and then tapping on the Estelle version.

You will also need to source an inlet and exhaust manifold.....Jorily sells both new but they cost. Ive opted for the good old banana manifold and Weber DCOE.I believe the Favorit exhuast manifold can be made to fit and if you can find a carb Favorit the manifold from that will also work but it'll sit at a wierd angle.

I think thats everything, although a couple of the studs on the bellhousing needed moving to different holes ......I reckon I could do the whole job in about 5 hours now if I had all the parts and tools to hand

The main issue Ive had with fitting injectio has been the fuel tank which need a swirl pot added. I use my car for motorsport so I ended up buying an alloy tank with a pot in it and front mounted it.

For the crank sensor you'd be easier fitting a trigger wheel and sensor to the crank pulley (its what Ive done)

Edited 9 September, 201015 yr by hawkeracing

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Thanks for this information, really useful stuff. I was thinking of modifying the 120 fuel tank by cutting a hole and fitting the Felicia fuel pump/swirl pot assembly and to ensure compatability with the ECU (and to save cost!), I'll try re-using the Felicia crank position sensor. A trigger wheel activated sensor on the other end of the crank will be plan B.

I'm hoping to go for some type of high performane exhaust manifold and silencer. I think Jorily might be able to supply one of these or I'll find one cheaper on my next trip to CZ.

On a different subject, while the car is in bits I'd like to change the rear suspension over to the semi-trailing arm set up if possible (one of the main incentives is that the rear brakes are knackered and I've not been able to find a puller that can remove the drums which seem to have welded themselves to the drive shafts). I gather the conversion is just a nut and bolt job but finding a transaxle assembly will be more of a challenge. Does anyone on the forum have one for sale???

You have a PM

If the puller won't shift the drums, there's a good chance there's a wear ridge that you've trying to pull off. Have you released the handbrake, and backed the adjusters right off so the drum to shoe clearence is maximised?

It's a while since I tried pulling the drums off; the handbrake was definitely off and I think the brake shoes are so worn there should be no need to back off the adjustment. I suspect the puller I was using was not man enough to break the seal on the taper holding the drums on the drive shafts...

cheers,

Paul

There was a bloke called Jellyhead who used to be on here and put a Felly 1.3 in an Estelle. He used to come to the Maidstone meet but don't think he is active anymore. You could try looking him up and PM ing him though.

Edited 16 September, 201015 yr by Matt Bodycombe

just thought i'd update this thread to say that the felicia starter motor definitely fits and engages properly with the ring-gear on a felicia flywheel, tried it today!!

Good news, I don't think wife would have been too impressed if I tried baking the 120 flywheel in the oven and stinking the house out to try to get the old ring gear off...

Good news, I don't think wife would have been too impressed if I tried baking the 120 flywheel in the oven and stinking the house out to try to get the old ring gear off...

Of course the Felicia flywheel and the Felicia starter fit...theyre from the same car! The felicia starter doesnt fit in an Estelle without some re engineering though I dont think. Fitting it in position isnt the same as actually using it in a working situation. The ring gear taps off without heat.....it just needs heat to go back on. It doesnt need that much either....no need to fill your house with smoke! It really is the easiest thing in the world and far more sensible than fitting a starter from a different car.

Edited 20 September, 201015 yr by hawkeracing

^^ the felicia starter motor deffo fits... full stop..