ElectroFox
New member
Hello all, I've been looking recently into the 1.6 diesel from the 2nd generation Cruze, and am wondering if anyone knows what it would take to swap it into a 1st generation Sonic. I didn't see any threads on this, so I started a new one, sorry if I missed it though.
Knowing that both the 1.4T and 1.6 turbo diesel are both in the Cruze from the factory is a little reassuring to me, it seems that they fit on the same mounts and would be a drop in replacement as far as engine bays are concerned. However, I'm not too sure about the transmission. Currently, I have the six speed (M32) transmission in the Sonic RS, the diesel may or may not work with this transmission, but even if it does, I have the RS Sonic, which means the gearing puts me at a smidge over 4,000RPM on the highway, which is too high for a diesel to sit at long term.
As far as ECU goes, the current plan is to rip it out of a Cruze and do a reflash if I need to.
My main concern though, is all the little things. Things like somehow getting a working intercooler, getting all the electronics sorted out, and fueling is kind of an unknown to me. Obviously the Sonic is a gasoline powered car, and I'm trying to swap a diesel engine into it, so new lines, fuel pump, ect might be necessary.
Any input is appreciated, keep in mind I might be missing something completely obvious here, my main reasons for swapping are I'm 17 and can afford some downtime on my car, as I can always take my parent's old LeSabre to work and back if I need, my current engine has ~260,000 miles on it and a bunch of random issues, (Leaky thermostat, dying PCV, randomly toggles limp-home mode, alternator is on it's way out, and the cooling system as a whole is a little leaky/unrelable, just to name a few) and my guess is with the millage it's at those issues will keep coming. I could swap another 1.4 into it, or fix all the issues with my current engine, but the thought of having that kind of torque (especially when tuning comes into play) with a vehicle weighing less than 3,000LBs, is quite appealing to me.
Knowing that both the 1.4T and 1.6 turbo diesel are both in the Cruze from the factory is a little reassuring to me, it seems that they fit on the same mounts and would be a drop in replacement as far as engine bays are concerned. However, I'm not too sure about the transmission. Currently, I have the six speed (M32) transmission in the Sonic RS, the diesel may or may not work with this transmission, but even if it does, I have the RS Sonic, which means the gearing puts me at a smidge over 4,000RPM on the highway, which is too high for a diesel to sit at long term.
As far as ECU goes, the current plan is to rip it out of a Cruze and do a reflash if I need to.
My main concern though, is all the little things. Things like somehow getting a working intercooler, getting all the electronics sorted out, and fueling is kind of an unknown to me. Obviously the Sonic is a gasoline powered car, and I'm trying to swap a diesel engine into it, so new lines, fuel pump, ect might be necessary.
Any input is appreciated, keep in mind I might be missing something completely obvious here, my main reasons for swapping are I'm 17 and can afford some downtime on my car, as I can always take my parent's old LeSabre to work and back if I need, my current engine has ~260,000 miles on it and a bunch of random issues, (Leaky thermostat, dying PCV, randomly toggles limp-home mode, alternator is on it's way out, and the cooling system as a whole is a little leaky/unrelable, just to name a few) and my guess is with the millage it's at those issues will keep coming. I could swap another 1.4 into it, or fix all the issues with my current engine, but the thought of having that kind of torque (especially when tuning comes into play) with a vehicle weighing less than 3,000LBs, is quite appealing to me.
