[NOW ON EBAY] 1997 Citroen AX 1.0 - VTS swap

Hi, I can offer some advice, as I've been through this thing already with my 1.1 AX.

-I got my rear beam off a 1.4 furio- its probably the same as a standard non-vts saxo beam- its got an arb- the rear end feels just right for me in the corners, anything stiffer would make the rear end very jittery and nervous IMO
I had a hard time finding wheels with the right offset, as I wanted to keep my flat arches. Ended up with 14in peugeot wheels in the back with 185/65/14 tyres. If I remember correctly the ET was 20 or less. I had to trim the inner lip off the arches and pull them slightly outward. I don't see any rubbing under normal driving and speed bumps, but if the car has 2 or more people in the back seat, it will scrape the bumper if I hit a dip or a bump at a high speed. It sits a little high at the back, but I haven't messed with the torsion bars as I'd like to be able to carry more than 2 people from time to time.

-At the front, I installed complete VTS struts and brakes with AX top mounts, but the car sat high even with 16v block and rode like it was on leaf springs. Took a torch to the coils and softened them a bit (do not recommend this) and with the stock front ARB and Monroe shocks I'm really pleased with the way it sits and handles now. Very neutral in the dry and somewhat tail happy in the rain. Peugeot 306 wheels at the front with 195/65/14 rubber. No rubbing even under hard cornering.

-I used a 1.1 saxo brake master with my ax brake booster- the ax piston is smaller

-the AX motor mounts are fine on the transmission and exhaust side but the driver's deteriorated very quickly and had to be upgraded

-you can use a saxo diesel radiator and mount it behind the bumper, works fine with 1.6 block, otherwise it gets very tight, you'll need a expansion tank as well- its much easier to bleed IMO than the stock setup

I made my own hybrid loom and used the ignition system and distributor from my 1.1 engine. I'm running a LPG carb so no ECU- can't help with the loom.
Been daily driving for a year this way and has been reliable and trouble free so far. Running a JP4 block off a 206cc. Really can't complain about power- great midrange and keeps pulling well up to redline.

I've run a new direct feed from the battery to starter and it has solved the clicking issue, and the fuel pump is now priming! I cut and fitted some new lengths of fuel pipe and turned the key.

Then the fuel pressure regulator popped off and petrol leaked out everywhere!

Turns out I am missing a small retaining clip. The first photo is mine and the second is a friend's car with the clip I need. So the part hunt continues...





And now I notice how dirty the throttle body is, so I'll give that a clean while I try to get my hands on that clip

Some looms take a supply from the starter motor, meaning you wont need to do anything with the blue wire. (I have one of these looms)

Check if you have continuity between pins 2, 8, 11, (and 15 on a saxo loom) of the ignition relay and the main starter connection.

If not, this is where you connect to the blue wire.

Those pin numbers are just from a guide I have, so do check yourself that they are the correct ones.


Hope that makes sense

She starts!



Clearly running a bit lumpy at the moment but I am waiting on a new MAP sensor which should sort that out. There is a very bad leak coming from the cam cover which will need a new gasket, but I'll take a leaky gasket over a dead engine any day!

Apart from that I need to fit the new throttle cable and have a look at the brakes as they have been sat for almost a year now.

Thanks mate I appreciate it.

My MAP sensor is a mismatch too, it has the horizontal pins not the regular straight ones.

I can get you a photo tomorrow, just to be clear you want to see where the injector loom connects to the engine loom? The green plug?

Hi mate yes please basically the plug that comes off the injectors/fuel rail mine hangs through the lower part of the inlet manifold and is a black plug with 5 wires, where as my engine loom is a green plug with 3 wires I'm going to cut it off and splice them together,

But i just wanted to see how your injector rail plug looked connected together? Wondering if theres some differences in certain looms from certain year cars

I've no idea how to add pictures i would if i could,

Appreciate the help thanks again.

Mine is the green plug with the 3 wires too, but I'll get you that photo tomorrow

EDIT- just found this on the AX forums 

Heres that photo you asked for mate. Its looks as though I also have 5 wires on the injector side. The plug must connect the two injector pairs.

BIG help thanks mate appreciate that, il get to work splicing my 5 wire plug into 3 wires now,

may even get mine started the end of this week I'm waiting on fuel hoses and a fuel pressure regulator, exhaust too going 421 manifold to a saxo decat (mines a mk1 1989 ax GT5 didn't require a cat so I'm good for mot) I'm guessing you are using the ax center section as the saxo one won't fit due to the difference in fuel tanks?

I was planning on using an ax GTi standard centre section to some sort of raspy backbox, full system AX exhausts seem hard to come by now

Thanks again
Adam.