my car is a st162 GTS. I have some money I am willing to spend on the motor and I will do all the labor myself. I have researched the forums and I know to get ecu fuel pump etc. how do i know which motor it is and more importantly how do I pick between these: I have the funds for any of them but what which are what gen and is 3rd really the best.
Seems to me most 4th gen guys favor gen1. If it was me swapping I'd get a gen1 front clip so I had everything and part out what I didn't need.
I know the at what i was trying to say. I ment "Why a gen 1?? The numbers are best on a gen 3 then a gen 4 i believe." I shouldn't post msgs with the gf yelling at me lol
gen 3,4 are quite a difficult convertion compared to 1 and 2. Different engine mounts and clearance issues on the crossmember to the block. There are also packaging issues in terms of air box etc. Gen 2 also would seem to be the least reliable, cant count how may 185's i know of that are continually off the road due to problems, maybe thats coz of the extreme conditions here in oz though. what are your power goals and budget then go from there
My take on this age old chestnut. As rev says power goals are the key here.. and long term as well. The 3rd gen engine is imo the best out the box std, the ecu is good, it does away with the AFM using instead a Map sensor. The head is much better, you have a choice of cams, and even on a stock turbo with a decent FMIC set up and supporting mods up to 330bhp is a realistic goal. It does have its down sides, its much harder to fit compared to a gen 1 engine. The blocks have been known to crack. If you are buying second hand, I dont rate them that highly unless you rebuild. The ST205s were built and set up to be ragged to hell. Great brakes and a good suspension set up, most engines imo will have had a tough life, as these cars were not cruisers and its rare to find them being lightly used. If you want to go beyond 350bhp, for me The orginial gen 1 block is the best bet. If you go Gen 1 like I have done, straight out the box the engine is the weakest stock tune. You need to look at the ECU, as its hateful and restrictive. However... if you want more power, these blocks are great, most ST165s were soft set from the factory, many have rotted away, the blocks imo are the strongest of the lot. If you bolt on an aftermarket ECU, then you can stay with the first gen head or go 3rd gen, which gives you a great combo, best block with best top end. I have 280bhp from bolt on mods in my car, and the bottom end is totally stock and has done over 100k.
