Nubira Engine Transplant Into Lanos

[seattlelanos]

Hey,
I am very interested in putting a Nubira engine into my Lanos. I would like to find out everything I can before beginning the project, if it is possible. Some of things I can think off right now:

- Can I use the Lanos transmission?
- How hard is it to swap out the engine wiring and the ECU?
- What custom modifications will need to be performed for the new engine to be mounted?
- Are the new Suzuki cars using the nubira engine? Am I going to be able to find replacement parts for the Nubira engine in the future? With the Lanos engine, as I understand, I can use many parts from the new Chevy Aveo.

If you know anything about this topic, please contribute and help me out with this project. Thanks.

[PrecisionBoost]

The Nubria swap possibility has never been confirmed (using stock mounts) but there is a good chance it will work.

1) The Stock Lanos tranny will bolt up to the Nubira without a problem.

2)The wiring swap is extensive and could be tricky if you don't have any experience in automotive wiring

3)The T20SED ( 2.0L USA Nubria) normally has an engine mount extending out of the middle of the block between the timing belt. This block is similar if not the same as other GM 2.0L so there is a very good possibility that the bolt holes required to use a front mount are there but not utilized. If the bolt holes are there then you can take a front engine mount out of a 1991 Pontiac Lemans 2.0L and it will bolt up to the stock lanos engine mount with zero modification.
( The Lemans mount is identical to the Lanos )

4) Yes the new Suzuki and GM engines are pretty much the same as the Nubira so you shouldn't have to wory about parts.

All this being said I am personally going through with a 2.0L Turbo engine swap using a C20E engine out of a 1987 Sunbird GT Turbo.

This C20E is basicly the same block as the Nubria's T20SED with different internal "turbo" parts and an 8V head insead of a 16V head.

You can look at the posts about this swap and I will be continuing to document the swap via digital pictures as I go along with the project.

I have several hundred pictures allready and I'm sure by the end it will be a huge library of pictures.

[daewooluvr]

I know someone in Florida did the Nubi 2.0 swap into his Lanos. The garage he took it to had to do major fabrications to get it to fit and the lanos tranny did not bolt up to the nubi block. If you have any questions for him his name is Jason and I believe you can find him using the nickname "GOD" in the daewootech yahoo groups forums.

[Efrain A.]

I dont really understand the major fabrications thing about the garage...

i was talking to jason via email a couple of days ago... he told me he never had the time to go and see what they were really doing the mayor diference is just the side engine mount...

looking at some pictures i think the AC compresor is using the bolt holes that Erfinder mentioned... can PLEASE some one with a Nubira post some pictures ?

[PrecisionBoost]

I really wish I had a spare Nubira engine to check out everything....anyone want to sell me one ?

Was he trying to bolt up an automatic or a manual tranny?

The 5spd Lanos D16 and Nubira D20 (same as F16 and F20) have the same mount structure so I can't understand why the D16 wouldn't bolt right up to the T20SED.

I don't know anything about the automatics so I can't comment on them.

Given that the T20SED and C20E both have the same block (as proven by the pictures of the C20E 8V head and T20SED 16V head castings) I have to think that this swap should be fairly easy from a mechanical standpoint.

It's too bad your buddy Jason didn't know about the side engine mount before he went ahead with the center mount modifications.

The C20E mounts the air conditioning at the very bottom of the engine with a couple of brackets but I haven't seen a Nubira A/C system.

If any of you out there have a Nubira and a digital camera I would love to see detailed pictures of the engine ( you could email pics to me at lanosmfg@shaw.ca )

The biggest thing I need detailed pictures of is the area on the left side of the block (under the head) and the tranny mount bolts.( the bolts that screw the tranny to the block....not the tranny mounts in the engine bay)

It would be really nice to put this question to rest so we know what all is involved in the swap once and for all.

[seattlelanos]

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So, can we then say that we know for sure that:
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- Lanos D16/F16 transmission can be used with a Nubira T20SED engine.
- All engine mounts are compatible on a Nubira T20SED engine with those in Lanos engine compartment except the one located between camshaft gear under the timing belt. However, there is a possibility that the Nubira T20SED engine has holes on the front of the engine.

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More Question:
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- So, if the Nubira T20SED engine has holes on the front, why do I need to use the Lemans engine mount? Can't I just use the Lanos one?
- For the wiring, I'll need the Nubira ECU, and the main engine harness that goes from the engine compartment into the inside of a Nubira? Anything else?

Thanks everyone for your contribution. Please keep 'em coming. I really want to do this project!

[PrecisionBoost]

We can't say 100% that the T20SED will line up to a D16/F16

The resoning whay it should is based upon the fact that some of the other 2.0L engines that share the same block do use an F16 tranny.

The Nubira only has one engine mount in the center between the timing belt which is the main problem since it is no where close to lining up with the mount of the Lanos (near the front of the engine).

The LeMans has the same engine mount, engine bay dimensions and transmission (F16) as a Lanos but it came with two engines.... a 1.6L (related to the current Lanos engine) and a 2.0L (related to the current Nubira)

If you use the lanos front mounting bracket it will not work since the 2.0L block is about 3/4" longer than the 1.6L block.

So basicly you need the Lemans 2.0L mount bracket to attach to the factory Lanos engine mount.
( the 2.0L Lemans front mount bracket is 3/4" shorter than the 1.6L mount bracket in the Lanos)

I'm not sure what you would need for wiring, I haven't compared the two electrical harnesses to see if there are any major differences.

Given they are both OBD II systems I would hope that the harnesses would be very similar.

I will try to check into this later if I get some time.

[PrecisionBoost]

Ok the picture I need to check the front mount would be with the exhaust heat shield off just below the coolant line coming out of the front passenger side of the engine.

Unfortunatly the exhaust may block the holes from being seen but from the picture of the engine I just looked at ( Darkwoo) in one of the other forum areas it looks like the same layout as my C20E

This is to say it has the same coolant hose coming out of the same location.

To get a good picture you might have to put the digital camera inside the engine bay pointing between the block and the exhaust manifold about 3 inches down from where the cylinder head attaches to the block.

I don't see anything blocking the area (such as an A/C compressor) so I have my hopes up.

[mocpac]

Ok, let me take som pics of my nubira engine and I will send it to you :twisted:

[Maximus]

I have a little question... will the Nubira tranny be stronger than Lanos tranny ? I'm asking now to know what to buy if my tranny will say bye bye... What about the cluch ???

[PrecisionBoost]

The D20/F20 is a stronger tranny than the D16/F16 but most of the internals are very similar.

The best tranny is of course the F28 Transmission found throughout Europe.

Most (if not all) are 4X4 but many companies will convert it to a FWD only setup.

This tranny is used most of the high horsepower C20LET cars.

I'm not sure why you are worried, the F16's are a dime a dozen.

I could pick one up locally for about $75 (from a Pontiac LeMans..... aka Astra MKII)

If you ask me you would be better off picking up an F20 (Opel) than a D20 (Daewoo).....it has been said that the European F20 is better quality than the D20 even though they are nearly identical.

[Efrain A.]

Ok...

here is the wanted pic...

i'll let Erfinder explain what we're talking about the front mount... im falling sleep its almost 3am

[mocpac]

This is a nubira engine o a equivalent of another car, there are some thing diferents... I thinks.... but look very similar.

[seattlelanos]

So, by the looks of the engine, it will not work for the Lanos. There's no holes on the front. The only way to make it work is to make a custom engine mount on the side of the engine for that mount by the timing belt cover?

[PrecisionBoost]

The picture needs to be from the front to be 100% sure but I see the two out of the three bolts that my engine mount uses.

One is just above the big black pully and the other is back near the oil dipstick....... the third is about 6" straight down from the first one by the pully....so it's blocked from my view in this picture

So if this is the same layout as the Nubira (which it looks to be) the swap should be as easy as I figured.

Is that big pully for the A/C ???

What ever it is it has to go to make room for the Lanos/LeMans 2.0L engine mounting bracket.

The C20GET ( Sunbird 2.0L Turbo ) has it's A/C compressor mounted down near the bottom by the oil pan and this big aluminum cast mount doesn't exist on my 2.0L turbo.... the tranny and A/C mounts are much smaller steel brackets.