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16v Fig

16vFig

Ex. Club Member
There's a number of people been asking me to post up the details of my latest project. As my username suggests I've been shoehorning a 16v CG13 engine into my wife's Figaro.
It all started with a burnt out piston, Figaro parts cost a fortune and the 28mpg you get from a standard Figaro are reason enough for a change.
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I picked up an insurance write-off K11 CG13 for £250. I bought the whole car because I know I needed the engine, box, ecu, loom, etc. Plus it was useful for robbing other bits when needed.

Out with the engine and box.
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First trial fit in the Figaro.
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This highlighted a number of problems with the engine and gearbox mounts, as well as the gear shift linkages. The major breakthrough was realising a K10 5-speed gearbox can be bolted up to a CG13 block. This makes fitting so much easier. The Figaro engine bay is a K10 engine bay so the left hand side and rear gearbox mounts bolt right in. The Figaro also share its floor pan and bulkhead with a K10 so a K10 pedal box and gear stick assembly also bolt right in. There is even the clutch cable hole already in the Figaro bulkhead but blanked off with a rubber bung.
K10 and Figaro pedal boxes-
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Fitted-
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Standard K10 gear stick assembly bolts to the Figaro floor pan. I made up a chrome outer sleeve from 15mm chrome pipe and a cue ball gear knob fits with the interior of the Figaro better than the standard black plastic. Note the centre console and front dash have still to be fitted.
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Once I'd got the engine and box in roughly the right place I mocked up adapter plates for the Figaro air-con compressor and alternator. It might have been easier to use K11 parts but I didn't have a K11 air-con compressor and it was easy enough to make adapters to bolt them to the CG13 block. The power steering pump was a different matter and I could not make the Figaro one fit so I used a K11 power steering pump and had special hoses made up to fit the Figaro rack.

Block with mocked up wooden adapter plates. The power steering one was an earlier attempt that I could not make work. Once I was happy with the fit I made them out of 10mm Aluminum plate-
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With the engine in the right position and the ancillaries mounted I could figure out how to make the right hand engine mount fit. I could have cut the original mount off the chassis and moved it forward to line up with the CG13 mount. However I had some aluminum plate left over so decided to make an adapter and use the original Figaro mount, turned through 90degrees.

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The rubber metalastic mount is obviously directional so a trip to a mates garage and we pressed out the old bushing (by the way, it took 13 tonnes on his hydraulic press to press out), pressed out the CG13 rubber from its aluminum housing and pressed the CG13 bushing back into the steel K10 mounting but turned through 90degrees so I could use the mount horizontally. I used high tensile (12.9) countersunk bolts throughout.

Ancillary mount detail-
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Next came the wiring which was a project in itself! Unfortunately the donor Micra had NATS, which I knew nothing about. A bit of reading up and I decided to source a non-NATS ECU. This added slightly to the complication because I now had to make a non-NATS ECU work with a NATS loom in a Figaro.

Thankfully I downloaded the NATS and non-NATS wiring diagrams from the forum and purchased the Figaro wiring diagrams, which I got printed out on A1 paper.

My advice when doing this is label everything!

The Figaro and Micra looms have a combination of 'engine' and 'car' bits to them. So I split the two looms as I wanted the 'engine' wires from the CG13 loom but the 'car' bits from the Figaro loom.

CG13 'engine' wires split out-
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Figaro 'car' wires-
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Two halves spliced together to make a new hybrid loom-
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ECU mounted in passenger side foot well in place of original ECU-
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The new loom hasn't been wrapped up yet just in case I have any problems.

The installation (nearly) complete-
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I couldn't fit the Micra air filter box so decided to use the original Figaro one.
Not sure about the ducting though, bit too blingy for me, might have to paint it black!
 
awesome work dude, been a long time coming but im sure its well worth it! now to bolt a small turbo to that for some extra umph!

any progress with the other cars dude?
 
awesome work dude, been a long time coming but im sure its well worth it! now to bolt a small turbo to that for some extra umph!

any progress with the other cars dude?
 
OP
OP
16vFig

16vFig

Ex. Club Member
Thanks Will.
Ha ha, I've had enough of turbos; this one's for economy and reliability!

Anyway, if I want more oomph I take out my Mustang. Arrived in UK last September which is why the Figaro was put on hold as I was a bit distracted!
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Looks really well done!!
Would love to see these beasts in the flesh one day!
Best of luck with the new ECU, let me know how you get on:)
 
Hi

I'm really interested in what you have done here. I have a Nissan Figaro who's engine has recently gone bye-bye and I'm considering whether or not to go for a reconditioned Figaro engine or do something along the lines of what you have done. I am a puny girl with little knowledge of car mechanics but am lucky enough to have a bloke who is a bit of a dab hand at such things, like yourself, and we are based in Brighton. We were wondering if you'd be willing to meet up for a coffee and a chat so Steve can pick your brain about whether or not this is something worth us delving into or not?

Charlotte
 
OP
OP
16vFig

16vFig

Ex. Club Member
Hi

I'm really interested in what you have done here. I have a Nissan Figaro who's engine has recently gone bye-bye and I'm considering whether or not to go for a reconditioned Figaro engine or do something along the lines of what you have done. I am a puny girl with little knowledge of car mechanics but am lucky enough to have a bloke who is a bit of a dab hand at such things, like yourself, and we are based in Brighton. We were wondering if you'd be willing to meet up for a coffee and a chat so Steve can pick your brain about whether or not this is something worth us delving into or not?

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte

Yeah, I would be more than happy to meet up and have a chat about the conversion. I would thoroughly recommend doing it as it has made the car much more fun to drive and considerably more economical to run. Whereabouts are you? I'm actually in Telscombe Cliffs (over towards Peacehaven way). There's a little car meeting at the Roedean Cafe (on the sea front by Roedean school) tomorrow evening (Friday) if you're free then? You can take the car for a spin and see what you think.

I could write you out a shopping list of the bits you'll need with some instructions. Everything is available quite cheap at scrap yards or Ebay and if your fella is quite handy then the conversion is straightforward now I've done all the hard work to figure it out! I'm also happy to give you a hand along the way if you get stuck.

Steve
 
hey im glad its come along nicely, and great to hear its driving well, if your ever around it would be awesome to have a coffe or something? if you still come up this way
 
OP
OP
16vFig

16vFig

Ex. Club Member
Hi Charlotte,

From around 7:30.
I'm not sure how many cars will turn up in this weather and basically it's a bunch of idiots talking nonsense for a couple of hours while enjoying pie & chips.
I've really sold that to you haven't I? Let me know if you can make it!
Steve
 
OP
OP
16vFig

16vFig

Ex. Club Member
Hi Will

I've been meaning to swing by but I haven't been up your way for a while. I've still got that amp and speakers if you're still interested? Let me know and I'll try and make it over.

Steve
 
awesome steve how much was it you wanted for it?

do you still have my number? should arange something for when you do come this way
 
OP
OP
16vFig

16vFig

Ex. Club Member
Ha! It sounds great! :)
Unfortunately we're not going to be able to make it tonight. You free next week at all?
Charlotte

Hi Charlotte,

No worries, as it happens the rear exhaust hanger snapped so I didn't make it to Roedean either! Just finished fixing it up with a Coke can and pop rivet gun; proper job. I'm driving to Telford tomorrow so I'm hoping it'll hang together. Thinks- must remember to pack a spare Coke can.
Next week some time should be fine. Were you thinking one evening? If so I can't do Monday but pretty much any other day, just let me know when you're free.

Steve
 
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OP
16vFig

16vFig

Ex. Club Member
awesome steve how much was it you wanted for it?

do you still have my number? should arange something for when you do come this way

Hi Will

Yeah still got your number. Can't remember how much I wanted but I know it wasn't much- does £25 sound about right for the amp and speakers?
By the way Will have you been to the scrappy at Pease Pottage recently? Do you know if they've got a K10 in?

Steve

P.S. please remember I'm twice your age so I believe it's actually illegal to use the word 'awesome' in a conversation with me. Unless maybe aliens land or something which I guess would count as pretty awesome.
 
Hi Steve,

Wow, what creative use of a pop can! I'm impressed! We're reasonably flexible as we're both freelance so daytime or evening is possible, just depends on the day. How about Friday lunchtime? Or Monday any time?

Charlotte
 
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