Suzuki Club UK

Hello all new to the forum I’ve got a mk1 vitara as I’m sure you’ve guessed with the 8v 1.6 petrol and was wondering what engines would bolt straight to the gear box not fussed about engine mounts just the gear box thanks

Could fit the 1.6 16v?

J series engines such as the J20 2.0 out of the Vitara GV2000 are compatible, I believe. ScottieJ is the man to ask about the J series.

How do I get hold of Scottie j ?

Scottie J... just whistle & he'll be along shortly…

It depends on what you're going to use the vehicle for... which we don't know at the moment
We all want more power but I think this.... Those extra 400ccs are gonna have a whale of a time finding weak spots in your transmission.
If you're off-roading it & you've got bigger tyres & a stock front diff that would be the first item I'd address then the front half shafts.

Looking forward to the reply as its what I'm thinking about doing to mine.
I have a Vitara on 35s with a rear Vitara diff in the front & RCV Toyota IFS 1/2 shafts so my front drivetrain is ready for the engine upgrade followed by fitting 37s I've got in the garage.

So so far I’ve got a steal front diff with a 3 inch lift stubby conversion for the drivers side and welded rear diff and mk2 Astra rear shocks and wheel spacers with insta Samari tyres ...
I’ve got the 8valve engine so it’s as flat as a turd and want a bit more go on the hills and the lanes
I’ll see if I can work out how to add a pic in a bit

A J18 or j20 will bolt straight up to the gearbox, however you need to either source a j18 baleno flywheel or have your current flywheel machined to match the J series crank PCD.

The J18 baleno flywheel is the same size as the vitara g16 flywheel but with the J series crank bolt pattern, however the spigot bearing either needs to be swapped with one to match the input shaft or a brass adapter bush made. This is a machined g16 flywheel J20 GV flywheel left (too big for the 1.6 bellhousing) G16 flywheel right Don't rule out a 1.6 16v swap though, they perform much better than the 8v and it's a much simpler swap.

Also look into gearing, an aftermarket set of tcase gears with a low range reduction will really help offroad. I presume you are already running 5.12 diff gears?

Thank you for the help yes Allready running 5.12 diffs