Renault 5 RSI (90+ Pictures)

[u33db]

For those interested, my R5 has been converted with an RSI engine by Chris H in Glasgow - top notch job and i'd recommend his work to anyone!

Progress is fully details at http://www.retro-renault.com/forums/...10-r5-rsi.html which will give you an idea of whats been achieved but for those who don't want to click here you go...

7th December 2006

So it begins…

Two days ago I saw a cheap Renault 5 1.4 Campus on e-bay which I was tempted by, partly to allow my girlfriend to learn to drive in and partly (as I’ve had two before) I knew it’d be a damn sight cheaper to run up and down to work than my Ford Mondeo. Anyway, after some thought I placed a bid and by the time the auction ended it was mine for £229.87.

Tonight I left early from work and got a lift the fifty or so miles down to Arbroath to pick it up. Needless to say it was a nervous drive up the road due to various “legal issues” but the car generally drove well and this is what it looked like after getting back to base;



1st January 2007

Not much has really happened since buying the car.

After getting it home and seeing it in daylight I found it had been welded on the sills, obligatory rust, the exhaust was burst and it idled very high. It did however come with a stack of receipts which gave some piece of mind but was beginning to wonder if it is worth progressing with the car. With a lack of time to fix these points and put it through the MOT I shifted it out to my parent’s house and into storage.

Today being New Years day, I decided to get my arse in gear – I wanted the car on the road (after complaints about it taking up space) and I also wanted something fun to drive again so I had some thoughts about modifying the car. The 16v steering wheel I had at home was the first thing I decided to use but due to differing column widths between R5 and Clio I had to find myself a GTT boss which didn’t take too long.

This picture shows the differences between the two and it bolted together;



2nd January 2007

More soul searching occurred last night/this morning as whether to sell the car on and get rid but I thought I’d bolt the wheel on anyway…



Looks a bit better eh?

The driving position has also become far nicer too.

3rd January 2007

The routine lunchtime scans over e-bay have provided me with some brand new Gmax springs; they arrived today - £20-ish including delivery which I’m quite chuffed about as I think that’s a saving of £40 over RRP!





Just need some shocks to go with them now but I’ve been reading that GTT Phase 2’s have better camber due to different top mounts so I’m on the hunt for some. Apparently they’re also discontinued items at Renault which isn’t a help.

15th January 2007

A fair bit has happened now!

I trailed the car down to Glasgow for Chris H to have a look at. After much poking about with the high idle it became apparent that the high idle was common problem which usually can’t be fixed except by replacing the entire injection system. This normally prices out well into the hundreds, and fair enough it might enable me to get an MOT, but that’s a lot of money to spend on a relic of an engine by any standards!

Anyway, sense prevailed so the 60bhp 1.4 is coming out in favor of a Clio RSI lump;

The 1.4’s water pump; this was shafted as it was moving in and out by up to 5mm - more expense if I’d decided to stick with this lump!





1.4 Beast!



Drive-shafts are also in a none-too-clever state;









Engine is out. Bay is in a reasonable state although there is a lot of sand caked over it?!







Homeless 1.4!



16th January 2007

Even more progress today by Chris;

The RSI lump was trail fitted with a spare 16v front mount. Worth a shot but unfortunately caused the engine to shift to far upwards in the bay so it looks like a GTX front mount will be needed.





The new look engine bay – pretty cramped!





16v mount removed and wooden block of similar size to the GTX mount put in place…looks like it will all fit correctly once we get that;





Radiator hoses will need a bit of work as they don’t route according to the R5 radiator but hopefully something can be done to retain as much of the original setup as possible (and obviously keep costs down).



Wiring has received attention today as well.

Chris has swapped the R5 black plug to a brown item. This way it’ll mate with the Clio RSI loom meaning plug and play capability and also look factory fitted, especially as it’ll all be routed through the correct grommets;













18th January 2007

Snow has unfortunately hit Glasgow stopping play a bit.

Good news from Chris is that the front mount has arrived (thanks Neal) and some more wiring work has been completed…one pin left to work out on ECU!

More brown plug action;



We have power!



Inside the 1.4 ECU;



Inside the RSI ECU;



Refurbished Phase 2 GTT strut tops;



20th January 2007

Some more pictures of the progress;

Overall engine;



Awaiting alternator – some hassle with this as the RSI unit won’t fit onto the 1.7 mounts as the bolt spacings are at something like 6 and 2 o clock instead of the 1.7’s (and 16vs) 6 and 12 o clock;



Awaiting radiator;



1.7 front mount on;



New filter;



A few external pictures…ride height hasn’t changed much;





Throttle cable;



Relays;



Brown plug – Clio loom hasn’t been touch so it’s all plug and play;



No extra holes have been drilled – everything connect through the 5’s original setup so it looks factory;



22nd January 2007

Update;

1.7 alternator brackets;







Selectors on RSI Gearbox;





MAP sensor location;



ECU – will probably mount this similar to a 19 once brackets can be sourced. Secure enough for just now though;



Another engine bay shot;



Leaking lines! Chris has replaced these too!



23rd January 2007

New cambelt;



Replacement fuel filter;







Trying to connect the radiator up using RSI hoses – nae going to work! 1.7 items will likely be needed;





24th January 2007

At my end: Used RSI air pipe arrived so I’ve mated that up to a spare IK using some drainpipe;





At chris' end; New cylinder and shoes;



Torsion bars freed off;





25rd January 2007

Bit of a quiet few days as still trying to source radiator hoses and sort exhaust but some more pictures of the old R5 engine;

The manifold gasket



Coolant;



Hole in backbox;



A video to show it runs;

YouTube - Renault 5 RSI 01

26th January 2007

Car is now lowered!













27th January 2007

Torsion bar dropped to match!



New driveshaft;



1st February 2007

Some parcels have arrived;





2nd February 2007

GTT exhaust on;





3rd February 2007

Pickup day – pictures of the completed car;













Drive home was very quick – acceleration is immense and, coupled with the torque, makes for a very easy car to drive. It’s good on petrol too - £27 has got me 250miles and that’s with a fair bit of gunning about. I reckon taking it easy this should increase a fair bit….

[Clio_GTT]

Nice little sleeper there

[big hp]

Nice conversion.

Good effort by Chris H there

[Imperial_16v]

Really good read that, looks like a great job! :D

[Amirclio]

Hat to you lads! Proper conversion!!! I seen a 16v engine R5 on ebay once, i bet that shifted!

[u33db]

I seen a 16v engine R5 on ebay once, i bet that shifted!

Next year!

[Winston]

Love it!!! :D

[MAXIBOY]

bb did a 16v 5 turbo

[Gray]

Looking good mate!
Now go and find some rood boys in there saxo vtr's and corsa sports and show them a renualt 5 campus is faster than them

Nice little sleeper youve got there

[u33db]

Thanks folks!

Think this is the first Phase 3 RSI transplant to be done too.

What makes that special you ask? Well, phase 3's have an immobiliser built into the ECU but due to a different flywheel pick up you can't get round this simply by sticking a phase 1 ECU in like you could with a Phase 2 engine - you need to make the phase 3 ECU work, and in this car it does.

But yeah, i await some VTRs with interest...should give them a good beating. Next year i may go clio hunting tho if a 16v goes in. The chap (david) who had the 16v R5 said it'd beat ALL clios...a williams lump might extend that to ALL modfied clios!