Welcome to the all new Geo Metro Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are features you can't use and images you can't see. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: Join our community! |
| converting 4 cylinder metro to 3cyl | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 10 2010, 07:14 PM (4,486 Views) | |
| Horn | Jun 14 2010, 11:10 PM Post #61 |
![]()
|
haha. no the autoparts stores i called couldn't order them. worthless. living in the midwest sucks. no were to mod ur car or get the right parts. Ive got it takin care of though. Im still driving the 3 cyl and loving the gas mileage, im gona hate giving away the 3 cyl. lol. also quick question. taking off the crank pulley on the 4 cyl. got all the bolts off but there is not enough room to pull it down or up. It keeps hitting the inner fender. im assuming there is a trick. it was getting dark out and didn't feel like messing with it anymore. |
![]() |
|
| Woodie | Jun 15 2010, 06:33 AM Post #62 |
![]()
|
You need to loosen the passenger side motor mount and lower the engine a bit. |
![]() |
|
| Horn | Jun 15 2010, 03:54 PM Post #63 |
![]()
|
I was thinkin that....no biggie thou. these suck to work on compared to the 3 cyl. lol. Im still thinking about swapping trans and selling the 4 cyl 4.39trans 01 swift, because I don't think anyone would pay much for my 96 metro. If you have a little frame rust (under the tie rod) can you cut that out and weld in a piece? |
![]() |
|
| cdmccul | Jun 15 2010, 04:09 PM Post #64 |
![]()
|
Just a quick note on head bolts... I've reused them with no problem, but what you have to be careful of is to make sure that the bolts have not streatched... lay the threads along a straight edge, and see if they are all touching the edge. Also, by doing that you can spot where the bolt shaft has narrowed due to streatching. In a pinch, that would surely work for re-using a head bolt. I have known at least 4 engines to re-use 'inspected' head bolts with zero ill effects for many many miles - one of them being my own Metro 1.0. |
![]() |
|
| Horn | Jun 16 2010, 10:02 PM Post #65 |
![]()
|
If you have a little frame rust (under the tie rod) can you cut that out and weld in a piece? I know it can be done but has anyone on here done it to make it look good? Im assuming that you make sure you support the whole car and try to find a car at a junk yard, cut the good pieces out of that car and weld them in....? and also someone talk me into keeping the 3 cyl. lol |
![]() |
|
| daytonamike955 | Jun 19 2010, 09:16 AM Post #66 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Don't do the swap! I own a 94 Swift and a 2000 Swift. Just got back from a 600 mile trip in the 2000 and it got 48mpg with the a/c on at 65- 70 mph. My 94 will top 50mpg easy on the interstate! I'll never buy another 3 cyl after having driven and living with them both for several years. The drivability of the 4 is much better than the 3 cyl. The 3 cyl has to work much harder to maintain speed on hills and your gas mileage suffers. All of my cars are 5 speeds. I have 98 metro 3 cyl 5 speed with a rebuilt motor that I have to shut the a/c off to get up a some hills or get going from a stop. Passing another car on a two lane road with the 3 cyl is almost impossible! I also have a 92 xfi that runs perfect, but struggles to maintain speed on the interstate. Both Swift's average about 35 -37 mpg in stop and go town driving. My XFI gets aout 38-39 mpg in same situation, but not near as much fun to drive. My favorite is the 94 Swift. Very light and responsive. Stick with Swift or sell it to me! |
![]() |
|
| Bad Bent | Jun 19 2010, 08:28 PM Post #67 |
|
Facetious Educated Donkey
![]()
|
What you describe is certainly one way to repair the car. However there may not be another car in a local junk yard. Take a look at Frame Rust Repair. Fabrication in welding is taking raw sheet metal and forming or cutting the proper shapes to be welded to good metal. The important thing being to weld to clean solid metal and keep the same dimensions in the frame. Problem being the heat in welding can warm metal. So, if you want to keep your 1.0, 3 cylinder perhaps it's a matter of perspective. So we have the 1.0 for FE and if you drive sanely it can get say, +/- 54 mpg. That 6 mpg over daytonamike955's 2000 will add up in the long run. Now, what do you want? It's a life style decision. Do you want a hot rod, granny car or tuner? A show car or daily driver? Do you need A/C? The car, as is, is designed to get FE and we know we can get up to 60, 70 mpg if we hypermile, make aero mods and some engine mods. Set your goal and make your mods. Let's say we want handling. So, question now becomes how far are you willing to go? Cut your springs one round, sway bars, upper tower struts, lower tower struts, frame supports, tac weld the frame and add a roll cage. You can get it if you want it. I went for "power," I wanted my 1.0 to drive like a well tuned 4 cylinder. Fortunately, over the years I learned what to do and now it was "cheap" to do so. Header, exhaust, cam, cam gear, fluids, filters, yada, yada, yada. BUT one thing I learned was how the engine was designed. This 3 cylinder 1.0 gets max horsepower at 5,500 rpm. The shift light is ~3,200, or around max torque. Install a tachometer. So if I want "power" I need to run up in the neighborhood of 4,500 - 6,000 rpm before the drop off. Yes, at this rpm I have low gas mileage but I know, being realistic, you can't have both with the 1.0. IMHO the gearing is a 4 speed with overdrive. Cruise all day at 2,800 rpm at 55 and get good FE. Want to pass you have to get into 4th at least. Climb a hill, maybe 3rd depending on the hill and how fast you want to climb - I did 65-70 up a 7% grade in 3rd at 5,500-6,000 rpm once. I 3rd gear. If I followed the shift light and made no mods then I'd be doing 40 in 3rd maybe.So, you can get the 3 to act like a 4 and still have some FE (I get 55 mpg highway). Getting the 4 to get the FE of the 3 is harder. IMHO. I hope that helps.
|
![]() |
|
| Horn | Jun 20 2010, 02:53 PM Post #68 |
![]()
|
I appreciate everyones info. There are some ppl that seem to be in love with the 4 cyl 16v motor and some that are big into the 3 cyl. I understand all that you guys are saying. and honestly the only reason that I have metros/swifts if for mpg......but anyway I swapped the head and gasket last night and the car still blue smoked at first.....Come to find out I completely forgot about the oil being overfull stupid me. anyways I checked the oil and it was a white ish, but it also looked foamy, so maybe the oil was foaming up and possibly I did get some coolant in the cylinders from the gasket change. After I initially started it last night (only ran for a few seconds) I drained all the oil and replaced it. It smoked alot less, so I put some oil additive in there and will check today. and as for mpgs I live in almost all flat land. I live in the country so there is little stop and go driving. Im still debating what to do. depending on how the oil smoke goes will decide what i drive probably. and I know of a few junk yard metros I could get the frame pieces out of so I might look more into that |
![]() |
|
| Horn | Jun 20 2010, 02:54 PM Post #69 |
![]()
|
and no im not gonna swap the motors anymore |
![]() |
|
| Horn | Jun 20 2010, 03:35 PM Post #70 |
![]()
|
yep still smokes.....damn. o well what would be the best route for selling the whole car, sell it complete? or keep the trans for myself and part it out? I have a spare head If anybody is interested in the whole car let me know but I would like the trans |
![]() |
|
| Coche Blanco | Jun 20 2010, 03:42 PM Post #71 |
|
Troll Certified
![]()
|
Rebuild it, or do an engine swap. |
![]() |
|
| Horn | Jun 20 2010, 03:50 PM Post #72 |
![]()
|
nah too much work. my original plan was just to resell it or drive it. plus I have to either weight on the parts to get to my house or go hunt for the motor and I've got a little tuner project im also working on. The car runs great other than the smoke and when I had the last head on it the smoke would go away after driving a little bit......the car isn't perfect but the body is pretty solid for a metro/swift. i've got some pics just cant figure how to put them on here |
![]() |
|
| Coche Blanco | Jun 20 2010, 06:37 PM Post #73 |
|
Troll Certified
![]()
|
if they're on your PC, upload them to Photobucket. |
![]() |
|
| Bad Bent | Jun 20 2010, 09:51 PM Post #74 |
|
Facetious Educated Donkey
![]()
|
Engine swap is maybe $600 for a rebuilt engine(?) and takes about 1/2 a day, and I'm slow. Have you changed the PCV valve? Just a thought.
|
![]() |
|
| Horn | Jun 22 2010, 06:01 PM Post #75 |
![]()
|
not pcv. checkd that. found out title is messed up so probably gonna part out |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Engine Tech & Diagnostics · Next Topic » |


Welcome to the all new Geo Metro Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.







![]](http://z3.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)

Install a tachometer. So if I want "power" I need to run up in the neighborhood of 4,500 - 6,000 rpm before the drop off. Yes, at this rpm I have low gas mileage but I know, being realistic, you can't have both with the 1.0. IMHO the gearing is a 4 speed with overdrive. Cruise all day at 2,800 rpm at 55 and get good FE. Want to pass you have to get into 4th at least. Climb a hill, maybe 3rd depending on the hill and how fast you want to climb - I did 65-70 up a 7% grade in 3rd at 5,500-6,000 rpm once. I
3rd gear. If I followed the shift light and made no mods then I'd be doing 40 in 3rd maybe.
7:39 PM Jul 10