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CIH 16V Project

When I first saw CIH 16V conversions from 3.0 liter 24V, I knew I wanted it! Too bad that
finished project was beyond my financial mean, so I was first reluctant to start. But I
surrendered when I got a chance to access parts at low price.

First I bought a bare head for 100 Euros and thought that the project will not be too
complicated (wrong!) and that all I had to do was to look for the remaining parts.
Unfortunately, everything else was so expensive, that I wish I bought complete engine on
eBay. The cost for the remaining components would be the same as a whole Senator, so I
took the chance and bought a whole car.

I will show you the 24V to 16V conversion but it is only about half of what awaits you in this
project. It's really frightening how different CIH 8V is comparing to modified 16V! During
this modification be sure to have fresh brain and ask more questions before something goes
wrong. I am talking about the oil supply to the camshafts which I will explain further on, as
well as the coolant channels. Some images are from the Internet, I apologize.

The first cut is coarse.

Where to It allows you to
cut the determine more
cylinder accurately where
head? exactly you need to
cut.
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On the left side we see

the oil return channel.
It must be completely
closed and filled with
weld. That creates
place for the tapped
hole needed to attach
the back plate.

Welded to separate oil

channel from the
coolant chamber. It
also creates place for
another tapped hole
Head is for the back plate bolt.
sawed off,
you can see
position of
channels
and how to
proceed.
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Rough edges at the

coolant chamber and
the oil passage were
smoothed out and the
back side of the head
was milled flat.

At the bottom, more

welding was done and
the opening shaped to
match opening in the
head gasket.

The 5mm coolant

passage hole sits too
near to the oil return
channel, therefore it
should be welded
shut.
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Portion of coolant
chamber at the corner,
should be also fully
filled out with weld.
That would create one
more place for
threaded hole for back
plate bolt.

I used piece of
cardboard to trace the
shape of the cylinder
head. Taping on the
cardboard with the
hammer gave me
necessary lines to
create the template.

Back plate
The plate is 20mm
thick but I have seen
plates not thicker than
10 mm. Thicker plate
allows you to make
pockets for flush
installation of bolts.

In any case, it is not

easy to cut to the
exact shape. Probably
the easiest way would
be to cut with the
milling machine,
following the
cardboard template.
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Place the cardboard

template on the plate
and mark the holes for
attaching bolts.

Transfer position of
holes to the plate and
drill them.

Drill the holes in the

head and tap tem.
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I used heat-resistant
silicone between the
back plate and
cylinder head. I also
used threadlock for
the attaching bolts.

Redundant oil return

holes should be shut
welded. Avoid
damaging head bolt
holes (marked with
green lines).

The position of the

first head bolt does
not line-up with the
hole in the block,
therefore new hole
must be drilled and
tapped. Old hole
should be closed.
Important
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As the head gasket

still has the old bolt
hole, coolant in the
adjacent channel could
find its way out. You
can prevent this by
welding non-covered
part of the water
passage (you will mill
the head flat at the
end).

4 cylinder engine
supplies oil to the cam
through the front
vertical galley. It is
marked with the
copper ring inserted in
the head gasket.

6 cylinders engine is
using hole for one of
cylinder head bolt to
bring the oil to the
cam and lifters. It is
the 4th bolt on the RH
side, behind the
Oil supply cylinder Nr. 3.
for cam
bearings I used syringe to
and lifters inject some water
through oil hole in the
first cam bearing and
found that the hole for
the first head bolt is
also a hole for the oil
supply! Trust me on
that.
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So you can make a

grove in the cylinder
head between oil
passage (where the
copper ring is in the
head gasket) to the
hole for the first head
bolt. This will secure
lubrication of cams
and lifters.

Another possibility
would be to drill out
the plug at the end of
oil galley on the side
of the head and
connect it with the oil
port on the block
where the oil pressure
sender used to be. You
can use banjo bolts
and braided hose or
rigid oil line.

The original oil groove

to the 4th head bolt
can be welded.
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The 24V head does

not have the coolant
The cooling by-pass channel
of the (where rubber ring is
cylinder inserted in the cylinder
head? gasket). Therefore, it
is recommended to
plug this passage.

Standard head gasket

of the 2.0-2.4 engine
What head should be used,
gasket however a new hole
should I for relocated front bolt
use? must be added.

Which
Of course the 4
ignition
cylinder, not the 6
Distributor
cylinder distributor
use?
Inevitably the timing
cover is different. The
crankshaft oil seal is
smaller. 4-cylinder
pulley will not fit.

Which
timing
cover
should be
used?
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Different setup for

chain rails must be
made on the block.
Slide rails for the 16V
are no longer difficult
to obtain.

I haven’t done it yet

but I heard that some
piece must be cut
away in the timing
coverer to
accommodate the rails
on the other side.

How do I There are different

modify variants of valve
valve cover, depending on
cover? the type of injection. I
would like to continue
with the dual RAM.

I cut off the cover

10.5 cm at the front,
8-9 cm at the back. It
is not just a straight
cut here and there,
because the holes for
the spark plugs, the
fittings and the oil
filler cap must fit
again. I will also
relocate oil filler neck
forward.
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The valve cover is

welded. The oil filler
cap concern me.

Current
status: