2001 Alfa Romeo 146 1.9 JTD77kW to 2006 Fiesta 1.4TDCi Turbo swap?

Power/Fuel
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Before I start - yes, I understand that this question is probably stupid, but I have very little knowledge on turbochargers, so I don’t know.

Quite recently, I have managed to run out of luck with my 1000€ Alfa and took a bite out of 80kg wild boar. Alfa put up a good fight, but the boar was heavy, I was going 90km/h and my Alfa 146 was made of butterfly wings. The front was not only crushed, but also moved sideways entirely, rendering a repair to be a no brainer.

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As a replacement, I got 1000€ Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi. A car that I have learned to love instantly, as while it’s tiny, it’s very convenient and definitely shows what five years means in automotive world. There is only one problem with it, and that is it’s hilarious lack of power. 50kW really isn’t much.
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That have brought me an idea. My alfa has a turbo designed for 1.9 liter engine, so in my mind it should provide larger boost than a super tiny turbo (Smaller than my fist) in my Fiesta. As tools and tooling aren’t really a problem to me, I have come up with an idea to use what I have available.

So… How idiotic of an idea is it to put a turbo from Alfa Romeo + some intercooler (because the original is very dead) in to a Fiesta?
Will it increase power? Will the engine explode? Will it do anything? Is it waste of time?

The internet so far haven’t been very helpful with my question, and I really don’t want to wreck that tiny engine. As while it’s weak, it also hasn’t gone that far yet (just some 133000km). The reason why I’m looking for this option is because I have free turbo available, but only for a limited time, before I scrap the Alfa. If it will increase the power with no severe risk to the engine, I see it as worth the time on a lathe, preparing the intermediate pieces.

So what do you think? Any expert on turbos around here?

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You better be carefull. I know that people from the Czech Republic are clever of making weird contraptions work, but that Ford 1,4 diesel is fragile from the beginning and not known to be a sturdy engine. I could easily see a cylinder head shaped hole develop in that hood of an otherwise nice looking Fiasc… I MEAN FIESTA. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

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HA! Ford Fiasco! What kind of Czech would I be if I didn’t laugh at a good joke :smiley:
There was a reason for why I called my Alfa 146 “Derpy”…
…and there is a reason for why I call my Fiesta “Derpy2” XD

For 1000€ they are good choices, but they still are bound to be sh*t cars in need of repairs :smiley:

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As they say:
Ford - Found On Roadside - Dead. :wink:
Others say Fastest On Race Day

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One question, did you get to keep the boar? Some states (USA) allow you to keep your roadkill.

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Power increase ? maybe at a lot of money spent – Engine explode ? very possible – Will it do anything ? maybe for while – Waste of time ? I think so.

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Since it is a diesel, the extra air under pressure is a GOOD thing. To make more power means you need to add more fuel. A boost-referenced pressure regulator would help as would a guy who can tune the electronic controls in the Ford to add more fuel. The lift fuel pump will be too small and so will the high pressure pump. Both solvable.

I think the Alfa turbo is too big for your little 1.4. You can’t generate enough exhaust flow to really get her spinning and, well, diesels don’t rev very high as it is.

A turbo and diesels go together like bacon and eggs, but you need the right parts to make it all work.

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I see, it’s not as easy as slapping the bigger turbo in then. So I guess I’ll stick to salvaging tires and drying the fuel tank in Alfa, as well as I can potentially still remove the turbo and sell it as a separate piece, along with few other parts for profit.

When it comes to significantly tuning Fiesta, I’ll obviously need a full kit tailored to the car that comes with turbo, ECU tune, pumps and most importantly - that guy who knows how to do the thing without tearing the engine apart. As a factory mechanic, I see this is outside the sphere of me working on it in my driveway and knowing what I’m doing. :smiley:

Thanks!

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I’m not much in to wild meat, much more I was worried about getting my scrapped Alfa back home. But, should I have picked up the boar and just thrown it in to the trunk, authorities wouldn’t really care. In my opinion though it’s more trouble than good, though it was a clean kill. :slight_smile: