V6 into a RHD Chrysler Neon mk1

[Richard Moss]

There should be no need to secure springs like that - if they are too loose, they are too short !

[Mitsuru]

They were done like that because the rubbers they were supposed to sit on
were shot! There is a photo showing this in the thread and I'm sure I stated
that because the replacements were coming from the states and would take
their sweet f'ing time getting here, along with the fact the car needed to be
moved. Which is why they were secured like that to be safe while moving
the car.

[rich.]

did it move Under its own steam??

[Mitsuru]

too many electrical faults to sort first, plus the immobiliser needs
bypassing as I think it['s now bust!

[Toledo Man]

Going from my experience with the Astra, there should be a chip in the key that's tied to the ECU. Didn't the Voyager's ECU come with one? It might be possible to reprogram the ECU so it will start with the Neon's key chip? It sounds like a MK2 Neon wiring loom might be the way to go.

I'm not surprised about the Haynes. The factory workshop manuals are the ones to go by. I had to resort to studying the factory workshop manual from my Dolomite when I wanted to work out which wires went where for the hazard switch. Early ones are different to later ones.

[Mitsuru]

the mk2 neon wiring option is a non starter before anyone else
suggests it! This is because the 97 voyager and mk2 neons you
have to either recode ALL moduals on the car with the same
security codes and in the UK that is only done by dealers.
And those moduals are.
Engine Control Unit
Instrument Cluster
(yes mk2 neon and mk3 voyagers and new the instrument cluster is on a
serial bus system with everything else)
Security Key Immobilizer
Ignition Barrel Ariel for chipped Keys
Security chip in each key and fob

And the vin needs to match and has to be stuff that was fitted to
that model and year of vehicle according to their database. Yes they
can be that picky!!

I dare not think of the charge if they did and I have asked if they
would and the answer has always been No!

If the Voyager ecu hasn't had it's security protocols removed the
engine will turn over for 2-5 seconds then shut and lockdown. I have
stated that I have an alternative ecu from a dodge intrepid with the
same engine and transmission but without the stupid security
protocols from California.The voyager ECU was supposed to have had
the security protocols removed by a certain garage for me, but that
same garage owner did a runner without paying his employees tax on
wages for years before they found out. So I doubt that ECU has been
touched but I live in hope

[TerryG]

Most more modern cars are like that. You should see the hoops you have to jump through to get Ford to program in a new set of clocks to a MK4 upwards mondeo or MK2 upwards Focus. (or do it the way I did and find a friendly locksmith with the appropriate kit)

Have you thought about doing it the "easy" way and bunging a carb on it? If you are going the LPG route anyway, if you don't want duel fuel you want LPG only then you can junk most of it and use the LPG system to run the engine indipendantly of the petrol kit. I know several Range Rover owners that have their cars set up that way.

[Mitsuru]

Terry the automatic transmission is electronic and speaks to the ecu
for various sensors so carb option is also out!

The car being manufactured with a cat might also cause problems with
a carb, or has someone worked with both on a car before for emissions?

As for finding someone to remove the security protocols, I did ring
around and email loads of people but it had to either be in situ in the
doner vehicle or they wouldn't touch it because of it being American
and they either didn't have the equipment or want the hassle.

I lucked out with the dodge intrepid ecu being from California and their
strict emissions like the EU, others might not be as lucky!

I think as time goes on that even practical classics will have to go into
that subject in more detail in the mag for the general reader.

[tractorman]

Mitsuru said:

I think as time goes on that even practical classics will have to go into
that subject in more detail in the mag for the general reader.

Surely the problem is that you are modifying a car and this is causing the problems. If you were just replacing a worn engine with a less worn one, then there wouldn't be a problem. If you were replacing a faulty ECU or component, then the dealers would be able to reprogram the system without any problems.

While it was easier and more practical to change the engine of (as example only) a side valve Minor with a 1275 'A' series to help the car keep up with modern traffic, changing an engine for a larger one (even if the car is fitted with the engine in another country) will cause problems.

Many years ago, magazines like "Hot Car" would run whole series about changing a small engine for a stupidly large one (as did PC with a V8 Capri!). The market for such a magazine has all but disappeared due to insurance costs restricting many of those who might have been interested in engine conversions and modifications to driving Novas/Corsas with body kits and loud stereos rather than interesting Chevvy V8-powered BMW 1series (or whatever!).

[TerryG]

As long as you have the fuelling correct there is no problem running a carb with a cat. I suspect all the auto box needs to know is the RPM and engine load which it will get from the TPS and rev counters. I won't claim to know how this works on your Neon but theoretically there is no reason you couldn't feed this data to the ECU when running a carb setup. I suspect that the imobiliser is only set up on the engine ECU. Assuming the auto box has it's own one it should be possible to get it working correctly. As the yanks have a fear of fuel injection it may be worth your while looking to see if someone has fitted a carb to your engine / box combo to see if it is possible.
Personally I like fuel injection but for modern cars I have either made / purchased the tools to set them up myself or found someone that can do it for me. Give your local locksmith a ring and ask if they can program a key to the ECU in a voyager / neon. From memory Chrysler cars in the states have a rubbish system where there is a resistor in the key and the ECU looks for the correct value rather than a real encrypted chip so it may be possible to fool it with a few pence of resistors. Your local locksmith will be able to tell you if this is the case by attempting to read the key.
If you do want to keep fuel injection but find that it is not possible to hybred voyager / neon parts then there are lots of after market options. megasquirt / megajolt are the two best known ones but there are dozens ranging from a few hundred £ to a few thousand. The mighty car mods forums have a few threads where people are discussing them if you want a bit more info.