EU3 or EU2?

[Brian Deacon]

1997 Supersport with a K Series 1.6.  I have been looking at various spare parts, alternator, starter, coil pack etc.  There is a starter on ebay which says for EU3 engine. How do I know if mine is EU3 or 2 or even some other variant?? 

[TomB]

One the main identifying features is whether your engine has a traditional coil & distributor or whether you have coil packs on the engine.   The cam covers are also different, with the earlier engine having a cast cover and no plastic, and the EU3 having some form of plastic cover.  Im sure there will be others, but I think they are the main visual differences. 

[paul richards]

1997 = EU2

[Brian Deacon]

Ok. Thanks. Its an EU2. Would the alternator and starter be the same as an EU3?

 

[TomB]

No, both are different. 

The EU2 alternator can be identifed by having a large fan immediately behind the drive pulley and is generally more bulky than the EU3 one.  The original EU2 starter again is a larger unit that than the EU3 and is most easily identifed by having the solenoid on top of the starter (ie immedaitely below the exhaust headers).  The EU3 starter used an under slung solenoid.  The starter can be swopped, but I dont think the alternator can be without modifiying the electrical connections.  I swopped to an EU3 starter on my 1996 car to move the solenoid and wiring away from the exhaust and its worked much more reliably than the EU2 one did.