[Eggie]

question for Suzuki enthusiasts

Just asking about different engines that I think could be good for my sierra, mainly targeting the m13a, just want to know good reliable engine, strong block, head. Is it good for turbo charging?. seen them second hand for good prices for full engine, loom and ecu ( coming up for 2000$ - 3000$) i believe it’s a tbi ( correct me if I’m wrong) and importantly, I’m guessing they don’t bolt to the sierras transmission, is there any premade conversion kits so I can bolt it to it or will I have to get one made?. Looking for detailed answers and correct me as much as possible so I don’t go down the wrong track

[Gwagensteve]

Why not choose an M15, M16, M18 which is more likely to make the power you want without the cost, compromise and complexity of turbocharging. An M18 will make more power and torque than the Suzuki driveline can handle without spending huge money on custom work.

No, there is no "kit" or pre-made conversion.

You need a non-vvt Jimny manual gearbox which you fit the tail shaft housing of the Sierra gearbox to to put the shifter in the right spot.

They are MPFI, not TBI.

This conversion has been done a few times. . Jimbo_Jones has a write up on here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=56977

Instead of demanding we type out detailed replies to your broad questions, you'll get a better response by doing detailed research and then asking detailed questions.

When you ask for a reply to a question, you're basically requesting a service - someone sits down and writes a personal reply just to you. Many people are more than happy to do that, but they like to think the OP (that is, you) has thought through what they're asking and has done quite a bit of the ground work. Yesterday, you couldn't swap a BOLT IN engine into your car (because your dad wouldn't let you?) and now your asking about a complex, late model engine swap that is far from a bolt in.

This late model engine swap offers versions with plenty of power to meet your use, but you're still sure you'll require a turbo to do the job you need?

Turbos make interesting noises and the torque curve is fun, but they aren't actually very nice engines to drive. Especially in an off road car, you'll note there are basically no turbo petrol 4WD's available new. I own turbo cars and I've had a 660cc turbo Sierra. I would strongly recommend fitting an engine that does the job you need without needing a turbo. If you absolutely require a boosted engine (so, over 200hp - I can't imagine what for except breaking every other part in the car) then supercharging is a much better option as it just mimics a larger capacity engine throughout the rev range, throttle response is linear, and that makes the car more controllable.

However, in your other thread, you said you need a turbocharged G13A because your car can't do 100km/h, which is not true, you obviously have another issue with the existing engine/gearing/car. And you care going to make the car heavy. Sort your your existing problem and how about not making the car heavy? you get to choose that.

[Eggie]

So don’t bother with the m series engines is what I’m guessing, and I’m just asking questions to get answers so I get more knowledge.

[sideways]

The biggest problem I see with an M conversion in a Sierra is you pretty much need a donor Jimny and there are no cheap Jimnys anymore. Then if you got a whole Jimny you've still got an M13a which is not a great performer, it's certainly better than a G13ba but geez that's a lot of work and money for 25hp. Once you have the stuff required you can convert to an M18a but those are bloody expensive and hard to find. I was calling around to find one a while back and the cheapest I could get was $2400 for a bare engine in W.A.

You can source an M15/16 from various FWD applications pretty cheap but to fit it to the sierra you still need from the Jimny;

Gearbox
Flywheel
Water in/out pipes
Sump/oil pickup
Dip stick
Engine mounts
Exhuast manifold
Intake manifold depending which one you get
Oil filter stand (cheap from suzuki new)

If I wanted to turbo a Sierra I'd look at a G13b from a Swift GTi. You can get a turbo chip for the computer and turbo manifold from Ebay. It's been done a bunch of times in Sierras and there's tons of swifts running around like this. Every man and his dog has been turboing GTi engines for the last 35 years and they hold up well enough to it, there's also a ton of aftermarket support. As long as you get a later GTi engine (without dizzy) it's a simple conversion, it bolts up to your gearbox (essentially the same block), the sump and mounts from your block bolt on, you just need to sort out water pipes. The catch is GTi engines are old and hard to find these days.

A fair few people have turbo'd G16b Vitara engines with success just using a rising rate FPR and the standard computer, I've driven a Sierra with that combo and it was impressive. It had been running for years like that without problems... except the broken back springs. Old mate was in the middle of a 1200km road trip too.

You could turbo a G13ba quite cheaply with a blow through carby setup but the trade off is you need skills, patience and time to tune it. Unless you know what you're doing it could be very frustrating to get this working properly and end up with an unfinished project. Hos did a good one. He later converted it to TBi with a falcon throttle body and microsquirt. From memory he ended up making around 120hp at the wheels. Here's his thread.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=50289

[Gwagensteve]

I thought all G13b’s (DOHC) had distributors?

[sideways]

Gwagensteve wrote:

I thought all G13b’s (DOHC) had distributors?

Yeah they sure do, brain fart. Mk1 swift needs the angle drive kit as it has an old school dizzy, the later mk2/3 are just a short CAS/dizzy so you can use the 323 cap. You can also get an angle drive kit for the Mk2/3 if you so wish. From memory, the turbo chips aren't available for the Mk1.