Bits You Need

From the Vitara:

Complete engine with dizzy, alternator, Carb

From the 1300:

Flywheel

Clutch - Just buy new you cheapskate!

Original 5 speed gear box

Any 1300 or 1600 starter which still works.

Original exhaust.

Radiator

Throttle cable.

Clutch cable mounting bracket

Preparing the 1300

First thing to do is get the car secure and ready for removing the engine.
Remove the battery.
Drain the gearbox oil. It does not really need drained but when you remove the gearbox it could go everywhere, you have been warned!
Disconnect everything attached to the engine including radiator.
Lift engine and gearbox out complete.
Make it look like this:

Remove sh*t guard fitted over the bottom of the flywheel (2x10mm bolts)
Unbolt the starter motor.
Remove the 4 bolts holding the gearbox to the engine.
Split the engine and gearbox.
Remove old clutch and fly wheel from both engines.

Prepare 1600 engine

Fit the 1300 flywheel to the 1600 engine. Tighten the bolts to 65NM.
Fit new clutch, if you feel around the edges you can centre it whilst tightening it down. This will save you buying an alignment tool.

Remove the 2 captive bolts from the bell housing using mole grips. Some are tight and some just turn out.

Offer up the conversion plate (my is from Rob Storr) The counter sunk bolts supplied are standard Metric thread where as the original captive bolts are Metric fine pitch. I have done this conversion with 2 gearboxes and it always cuts its own thread with no problems.

Tighten the 4 bolts holding it all together. Refit the starter. Fit sh*t guard I ran a bead of silicone sealer around the starter, conversion plate and bell housing (personal preference)

Engine Mounts

The engine mounts are easier than people make out. I used the original Samurai mounts bolted to the engine. The only one that needs adjusted is the drives side. Imagine where this mount would be without the spreader plate

Here is where I drilled the chassis mount:

I now think it is about 10mm too far back. You use the Sammy mounts minus the C shaped spreader (you may wish to drill the locator hole just above it) You can get into bolt it up but my sausages would not fit, 30 seconds with a grinder makes changing the mounts a one minute job if they ever break.

Finishing

Now fit the original 1300 clutch bracket to the engine.

Refit the engine in the hole as if it was a 1300 engine.
Connect everything back up.

Here lies the point at which you have to start making small modifications to make the engine function in the way it needs to be.
To get the original air filter to fit you will need a 1inch piece of common drainpipe. Put it on then add the metal carb cover on and screw it down. When it goes on it will be an interference fit pushing the drainpipe inside the metal. I then sealed it with silicon.
I used a piece of pipe between the crankcase vent and the original air filter.

Wiring:

The Carb, Starter, Temperature sensor, Oil sensor and dizzy have the same wiring (even the same colours in most cases)
The alternator uses 3 wires, one thin one is called D+, this is a spade terminal into the back of the alternator. The other 2 (thick) need ring terminals and bolted to the brass fitting on rear of the alternator.
Once all the wiring, plumbing and oils are checked and refilled.
You're set to go on a test drive!

Other thing that you may consider but I never felt was necessary.
Body lift, definitely needed if you want to use the vitara top mounted air filter.
Fitting the 1300 Sump, needed if you have no spring lift. Some people just fit 1-2inch spacers on the bump stops to stop the axle moving up and coming into contact with the 1600 sump.
The water hose rail fitted to the 1300 can be bolted to the 1600 to keep all the hoses just in the right location. I found out too late!
The temperature sender may be different between the two engines but my guage does not work anyway.

Credits

This Write-up was witten by Andy Hamilton from www.inmud.co.uk and was originaly posted on difflock, and can be found HERE.