1991 Peugot 309 2.1td conversion

1991 Peugot 309 2.1td conversion

Author
Discussion

Lawbags

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

129 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Howdy all,

Been a while since I posted so I thought I'd start a build thread for my 309.
I wasn't even intending to do another car after the Civic, but started getting the urge for another car, this time more usable.

So I ended up buying a 1991 309 GLD from ebay unseen.
It arrived all good and only needed an indicator relay and passenger door locking mechanism for the MOT, which it passed with no advisories!

Then the modding started.
1.9GTI wheels with 45 rubber and 50mm lowering springs on the front and the rear torsion bar I dropped to match.
The breaks were terrible, so I fitted GTI6 items to stop myself from dying.

I got the car to use, so it's been all over the country but was painfully slow, being 1.9 na with 60odd bhp from new. Reduced to racing lorries and tractors.




Then my friend messaged me one day saying he was scrapping his Xantia, that has a 2.1 turbo lump....

So it began....

We pulled the engine, rad/intercooler and fans out of the Xantia.
It came with the Lucas EPIC, ecu controlled diseasel pump which was no good to me. I'll run the ever tunable and mechanical Bosch pump.




Once home, I began to strip all the stuff off the engine I don't need.
Hydraulic pump, AC compressor, clutch and flywheel.


Then decided my days of working on engines on a tyre are done so knocked up an engine table.


I then pulled the XUD9


Then came working out what to run and how.
I swapped the thermostat housing from the XUD9 onto the 2.1 to save having to chop and splice the sensor plugs and also gutted the 2.1 thermostat.
It sits at the bottom of the engine at the rear and is an absolute nightmare to change with the engine in.
Another reason not to run that one!





Next I swapped the oil pressure switch again, to save chopping the loom


Then came the fun of fitting the timing belt.
I locked the diseasel pump and cam pulleys out and also the flywheel, fitted the belt, then every time, after a couple of rotations, the fly pin wouldn't line up.
Was about 3 degrees out.
I must have tried 10 times.
Then after half a day, i realised the issue.
When I was tensioning the belt, before tightening the tensioner, I'd press a little on it before tightening it.
That meant as soon as I removed the pins, the bottom end rotated a tad.
And then once done, I realised I'd not fitted the engine mount.








When I removed the Lucas pump, its mounting bracket went with it as it had the bits to mount the un needed bits too, so I fitted the Bosch mount but this meant there was nothing to mount the alternator with.
So I used the one from the XUD9, but this meant there was no tensioner.
So I bodged something together using the old tensioner.
Now I know what's needed, I'm taking it to a mates workshop to make something proper.


Along with the pump, I needed to swap to Bosch injectors so while doing them, I did the glowplugs too, seeing as they were only a few thousand miles old.







Then I realised the alternator pulleys were miles out of line.
So I fitted the pulley from the old engine, which bought them much closer, but still out.
So a couple of washers spaced out the alternator pulley enough for me to be happy with it.




Gear box wise, I'm going to run the XUD9 one, along with clutch and fly.
It'll mean it'll accelerate like hell, but ultimately it's not the ideal box for the conversion.
I'll run a 306td one eventually but that can wait for the mo.



I also cleaned the inlet from all the EGR grime.
I never realised how much crud they deposited!


Things left to do:
Make EGR blank plate.
Make brackets for 2.1 rad/intercooler
Make proper alternator tensioner.
Wind out actuator
Adjust fuel on pump.

Then it can go in!

More updates to follow




Edited by Lawbags on Sunday 24th December 16:49


Edited by Lawbags on Sunday 24th December 16:52


Edited by Lawbags on Sunday 24th December 16:53


Edited by Lawbags on Sunday 24th December 16:55


Edited by Lawbags on Sunday 24th December 17:04

CornedBeef

514 posts

189 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Following smile looks like an interesting build! How much power does the Xantia lump make in comparison to the derv?

Lawbags

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

129 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Stock, the XUD9 is just over 60.
The XUD11 (the 2.1td) is just over 110.
But I'll add a bit more boost and fuel so it'll be around 130 and a shed ton of torque.

The engines can take 160 stock, but as I use it so much, I'd rather stay safe.

Even in the Xantia, which weighed about half my 309 again, it went like stink, so it's going to be fun for sure!

chris1roll

1,698 posts

245 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Love stuff like this, working outside in all weathers and sometimes in the dark making things fit where they shouldn't!
Kudos.

Who was it that decided feeding filthy diesel exhaust back into the intake was a good idea? I had an S40 diesel where the inlet manifold was reduced to about half it's original size by all the crap.

Lawbags

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

129 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Cheers dude!
And yep, ive definitely seen it all!
Was soaked through after pulling the lump from the xantia.

And who knows! I honestly had no idea how bad the EGR valve left the intake system.
How that can be classed as cleaner I don't know!

Edited by Lawbags on Sunday 24th December 17:28

carinaman

21,326 posts

173 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Good work! Looking forward to updates.

Mr Happy

5,698 posts

221 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
It looks like a fun project but a lot of work!

Why not put the XUD9TE in from a 306 DTurbo? Wind up the boost/fuel and get a relatively smoke free 120-130hp, unless they're now becoming a bit harder to source these days.

105.4

4,097 posts

72 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
This looks ridiculous, awesome, genius amd mad, all rolled into one thumbup

Caddyshack

10,842 posts

207 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Great project.

stichill99

1,046 posts

182 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Great work! Although a vw fan I love Dirty Derv vehicles! It's such a shame it is viewed as Satan's love juice these days as I will forever remember mk Mk1 golf diesel knock!

Fatboy

7,984 posts

273 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Great project, love it

Alex Z

1,139 posts

77 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
That’s a good looking car that’s aged really well. Should be a load more fun when you’ve got it all back together.

Lawbags

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

129 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Mr Happy said:
It looks like a fun project but a lot of work!

Why not put the XUD9TE in from a 306 DTurbo? Wind up the boost/fuel and get a relatively smoke free 120-130hp, unless they're now becoming a bit harder to source these days.
The price of that lump and the bosch pump would be twice what I paid for this. I've already made nearly all my money back from selling the bits I don't need too!

It's also not even done 100k miles yet and I know the history of it too!

And the old saying goes, there's no replacement for displacement!

Lawbags

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

129 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Alex Z said:
That’s a good looking car that’s aged really well. Should be a load more fun when you’ve got it all back together.
I was really surprised how good mine is.
No rust in the usual spots at all!
It had a little bit in one wheel well and a couple of bits in the boot but absolutely nothing on the important areas.
Its so so clean!

Once it's all done, I'll get some good pictures biggrin

Dr.Hellno

112 posts

16 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
quotequote all
Nice! Light car with decent torque is always a good laugh.

Lawbags

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

129 months

Monday 25th December 2023
quotequote all
Thanks for the comments guys.
It's certainly going to be fun!
And a usable car too, which is definitely what's missing from my civic.


I swung past my mates workshop on the way to my rents last night and we made a much better alternator tensioner.







Master Of Puppets

3,269 posts

63 months

Monday 25th December 2023
quotequote all
Great thread, will keep a watch on this. Reminds me of 20 odd years ago when 309 GTi's could be bought for a few hundred quid
we had one with a blown engine and decided to convert it to a DTurbo from a BX, it was an easy swap and was a great daily runner, all
the looks of the GTi with superb economy and reliability, word got round and we ended up doing half a dozen of them, all were 3 door,
one was a Goodwood and another was the rare Miami blue version with the blue chequered seats and carpet.

Seems like a waste when you look at the prices of them now but back then they were readily available and cheap.

Mr Happy

5,698 posts

221 months

Monday 25th December 2023
quotequote all
Lawbags said:
Mr Happy said:
It looks like a fun project but a lot of work!

Why not put the XUD9TE in from a 306 DTurbo? Wind up the boost/fuel and get a relatively smoke free 120-130hp, unless they're now becoming a bit harder to source these days.
The price of that lump and the bosch pump would be twice what I paid for this. I've already made nearly all my money back from selling the bits I don't need too!

It's also not even done 100k miles yet and I know the history of it too!

And the old saying goes, there's no replacement for displacement!
Fair comments! I didn't realise the price of them had gone up so much!

15 years ago they were ten a penny! And you definitely can't beat an almost-free project!

ishanolee

7 posts

85 months

Thursday 28th December 2023
quotequote all
Master Of Puppets said:
Great thread, will keep a watch on this. Reminds me of 20 odd years ago when 309 GTi's could be bought for a few hundred quid
we had one with a blown engine and decided to convert it to a DTurbo from a BX, it was an easy swap and was a great daily runner, all
the looks of the GTi with superb economy and reliability, word got round and we ended up doing half a dozen of them, all were 3 door,
one was a Goodwood and another was the rare Miami blue version with the blue chequered seats and carpet.

Seems like a waste when you look at the prices of them now but back then they were readily available and cheap.
I bought a red 3 door K reg GTi which had been converted to 1.9TD from Stockport around 2006. Must of been one of yours.

BrettMRC

4,107 posts

161 months

Thursday 28th December 2023
quotequote all
Nice work OP! smile

I don't miss working on the XUDs, so the things you've chosen to do with an eye on not swearing so much in the future are exactly what I would have done too!