I've been supplied with a polo 1.6 engine, and the code above the flywheel starts ALM.

The old engine (burning oil) is an AEE engine.

Will this be a straight swap, or can I expect problems?

Does anyone know of any differences between the two engines?

Thanks in advance. (if anyone has a clue!)

I've been supplied with a polo 1.6 engine, and the code above the flywheel starts ALM.

The old engine (burning oil) is an AEE engine.

Will this be a straight swap, or can I expect problems?

Does anyone know of any differences between the two engines?

Thanks in advance. (if anyone has a clue!)

I appreciate this is quite a specific question!

Anyway... the answer is no it won't fit..... there's an engine mounting bracket bolted onto the engine block between (inside) the timing belt sprockets on the AEE engine. This is not the case with the ALM engine and the timing belt housing back plate (plastic) covers the engine block all the way between the timing belt sprockets, so there may be threaded bolt holes behind this which would enable mounting but I'm not prepared to break this off an engine I just payed 400 quid for!

Crikey how do you get an assured good engine in this country! There's loads out there for 150 quid but with near 100k on the clock I'm not risking it. for all the work of fitting an engine it may as well last more than a year.

Maybe I should just have gone with scrapping it!

Perhaps I'm missing something obvious here, but have you tried taking the timing belt housing off and having a look if there's any threaded holes? If so you could possibly then swap over the AEE timing belt cover?

What car did the ALM come out of? And whats it going into?

Looks to be a Polo Classic/Variant and Seat Cordoba? block

alm

aee

From some quick sifting through ETKA it looks like i should just be a case of swapping the engine mounting brackets around, it's hard to tell from the diagrams though

Edited 22 November, 201015 yr by AMD_Man

Thanks for the reply, yes that's the conclusion I've come to, to be honest I was hoping not to have to mess with the timing belt! Just a little apprehensive, but I've got a new belt....... the mechanic who got the engine recomended fitting a new timing belt anyway (which sounds sensible) and yes, looks like the back plate housing will reveal the bolt holes for the mounting bracket. any tips for changing timing belt? I'm obviously gonna have to remove the wheels,... but read somewhere about cutting the belt in half and sliding new one on to ensure correct setting..... sounded like a good trick?

If you have a Haynes manual it details the procedure quite well, there's two timing marks on the two pulleys, crank the engine by hand until the two marks line up (the two pulleys are on a 2:1 ratioso be sure that BOTH marks are lined up and not just one.

Slacken the tensioner and slide the belt off, shouldn't have any problems really, could try cutting the old belt and sliding the new on, depends if you'll be able to slide it on whilst it's under tension or not, whichever route you take I'd ensure the marks are lined up before starting just in case.

I'm a little hungover so probably best consulting another source as well!

Edited 24 November, 201015 yr by AMD_Man

Thanks for that... it has reassured me a lot. Yes I do have a Haynes Manual.... just need time to read it carefully. I'm usually quite good at these sorts of things... just when under pressure by TOH (who seems to believe she has the right to a car ALL the bloody time) I sort of lost my confidence! Just wish she'd piss off for the weekend somewhere!

Roll on the weekend!

Just to update the ALM engine went in fine!.... timing belt was far easier than expected, once I'd removed the belt housing the engine bracket holes were there (but a little rusty!) This was easy enough to sort with a homemade tap from a mounting bolt.

Engine in and working fine. Just feel I should regularly check (and LOCTITE) those 12 splined driveshaft flange bolts!

Don't know why they didn't just use ordinary hex heads!

Thanks for the help.

Keith

Because they're high-torque stretch bolts requiring twelve sides. They need to be torqued correctly,and should be renewed. No threadlock necessary given they hold tensioned under stretch.

Because they're high-torque stretch bolts requiring twelve sides. They need to be torqued correctly,and should be renewed. No threadlock necessary given they hold tensioned under stretch.

Thanks for that info. It said nothing about renewal in Haynes, I'll keep an eye on 'em anyhow and check the torque but it's bloody tight in there, don't think the wrench I've got'll get in.