New Engine, What shall i do with it ?

[DW-Nova]

Just got myself a new engine for my nova and i am just thinking of different ideas, it is a 1.6 16v out of an N reg Astra Sport, i think this is a C16XE (correct me if i'm wrong) i started to take it out this evening, as regards to the loom it all seems to be in one if you get what i mean? so do i just need to chop it ? Once it's out i'm going to strip it all down and re-build it but i'm just thinking what to do with it really? everyone seems to be doing throttle bodies on these but i'm thinking either turbo charging or supercharging? basically looking for as much power as i realistically can !! What have others seen out of these?

[Pistol Pete]

Loom wise, trace everything back to the plug at the ECU.

Throttle bodies would go well on this engine, as would a turbo or s/charger, just depends on what money you have to throw at it!

[mowgli]

in std form with a mantzle powerbox intake plenum & a decent chimney, you'd be pushing 150hp......

[DW-Nova]

Is the ECU in the drivers footwell on these? Yeh i know that i could fairly easily get 150bhp but i want more ! my daily driver is 180bhp so i want something that's going to have a fair bit more pull than that, thinking of doing a DIY turbo conversion, really liking the idea of placing the turbo where the exhast back box would usually sit ! hoping for 220 bhp + am i being over optemistic? as i see you can buy a kit from SBD ?? to get around 200bhp running throttle bodies

[ck]

you want to get the chip from the key and the transponder (most of then have this in the astra)

if the engine is from a mk3/4 astra or a vectra it will be a x16xel around 100bhp but a dbilas inlet (better than mantzel) will bring it into the 120hp+ region.

[Stuart]

Is the ECU in the drivers footwell on these? Yeh i know that i could fairly easily get 150bhp but i want more ! my daily driver is 180bhp so i want something that's going to have a fair bit more pull than that, thinking of doing a DIY turbo conversion, really liking the idea of placing the turbo where the exhast back box would usually sit ! hoping for 220 bhp + am i being over optemistic? as i see you can buy a kit from SBD ?? to get around 200bhp running throttle bodies


remote turbos (like you mention, fitting at the back box) ONLY work tangably with big ass V8 engines that are pushing a feckload of air down the exhaust... a poxy 1.6L I4 wont have enough push to make it work.

[draper]

if your going for a big spec you wont be running standard management so the transponder/ecu isnt realy necesary

[Jack]

remote turbos (like you mention, fitting at the back box) ONLY work tangably with big ass V8 engines that are pushing a feckload of air down the exhaust... a poxy 1.6L I4 wont have enough push to make it work.
...and even if it did breathe out enough to spin up the turbo back there, you'd have massive lag issues.

[craig green]

Do not cut any wires, take the ECU & all the key/transponder etc from the donor car.

I would use a rotrex supercharger, choose the right blower & the compression can stay as it is.

If you are chasing numbers though (bhp) my opinion is that it will never be as quick as a bigger engine. A screaming little engine will have far less torque than a bigger 2.0 & will only really perform in a lightweight car. Not to mentionm the theories of tuned engines not lasting as long between rebuilds etc.

Get a bank loan, go to Jam Sport & drive home a supercharged, standalone mapped gem.

[Stuart]

mmmm rotrex's make me horny :D

[craig green]

Me too. If I had the funds, that is what I'd be doing to my smallblock.

[Stuart]

they are "only" £1K inc oil cooler lol

[DW-Nova]

Untrue about the remote turbo not working as i have seen a 1.9 205 gti running this set up and working perfectley ! as well a friends mini 1275 running the same set up and through a carb! went like stink too, i've taken the engine out now, i took the complete loom out but no key as it didnt have one, i was running it with the igniton wires crossed over so i'm not going to need the key anyhow, i'm going to split the loom down as much as i can and just run the bare minimum, i think i shall be turbo charging it through a custom inlet manifold so i'm very much doubting it's going to run properley with the standard ecu ! first things first shall be a complete strip down and rebuild with all new rods, low compression pistons and the like.

[Stuart]

I didnt say it wont work, just that its a stupidly inefficient way of doing it unless you are already banging a shed load of air down the exhaust.
If you are going to turbo it, then mount the fcuking thing in the traditional place, its not like there isnt room lol



If you do manage to make good non laggy power with a turbo in place of the backboax (at the back of the car as you imply) then I'll buy you a burger

[DW-Nova]

/\ The challenge shall be take up then ! but you gotta buy me a burger when i drive it to PV show 2009 !!! lol. i honestley think its going to work, without sounding like a dreamer i'm thinking that it would be a good (but complicated) idea to run 2 small turbos, one in the standard place and one in place of the back box. At the moment these are all thoughts and i'm open to any suggestions really !! turbo's, superchargers, bike carbs, webbers etc etc

[Stuart]

if running two like that then ideally you will need a K gate to move the air about otherwise air might get pushed back through the first turbo etc

[DW-Nova]

i got in touch with sbd motorsport and they have supplied me with a quote for everything i need for a reliable and driveable 200bhp, i nearley fell over when i read it !! £4969.10 i am perfectley aware that engine work is not cheap but i mean this is ridiculous for what you are getting ! so it is definetley going to be a DIY effort, i work at a scrap yard too so i can get on the blag for parts that i need, and i know an engineer that can make me up anything i need like a manifold and inlet plenum etc.. everybodys suggestions please welcome. i am thinking that instead of aiming for lots of power with the 1.6 i'll just go for something like a strip down and re-build with rods, pistons and bearings and put it on bike carbs, if that is the case i'm just wandering would something off a 600cc 750cc or 1000cc bike be the best ?

[mowgli]

the remote turbo thing was invented by large americans to make corvettes go down a drag strip quickly, the lag thing will make it horrendous on normal driving

[Ash]

I bet 150bhp in a nova will be quicker/more fun than your 180bhp daily ;)

Can someone please remind me of the company that make their own camshafts, etc, up norf - think Oli (DHdev) used them.... pro-tec or something?

[DW-Nova]

I'm not sure to as if 150bhp in a nova would be anything special to be honest, i cant see it being much quicker than my daily, the car is going to be completley stripped out which is obviously going to make a difference, hopefully go for around 180 to 200 bhp whilst keeping it as driveable as possible, i was going to go for a big power saab engine with manta gbox and volvo 240 back axle but i think i'll go one stage at a time, plus this engine that i have now just popped up at work so i thought it'd be rude not to.

[ben lee]

turbo at the back with no backbox work well if you use the correct size bore you wont get any lag and can get a decent power without intercooler or engine work but can only run low boost.

helped build a bmw e30 325 with the turbo at the back made a big inprovement brillent car to drive and still reliable still going strong after 3 years of abuse .and no lag.

[DW-Nova]

/\/\ I agree totally with you mate, so long as its thought out well it is a good way of turbocharging a car and you still keep the reliability without major work, however i am now thinking of doing bike carbs instead and waiting till i get the saab engine in to go for big power.

[Ash]

Can someone please remind me of the company that make their own camshafts, etc, up norf - think Oli (DHdev) used them.... pro-tec or something?

http://www.autosprint.co.uk/

[Stuart]

catcams/newman are tip top cam makers... wouldnt touch Autosprint cams with a barge pole.

[adam c]

I'm not sure to as if 150bhp in a nova would be anything special to be honest, i cant see it being much quicker than my daily

out of intrest whats your daily driver?

[alan b]

you read that rear mounted turbo thing in ppc(practical preformance car.)
i fekin hate that magazine they make evrything sound so easy. that 205 is laggy as ****. it does go well just a pig to drive every day, as quoted by the owner.
for that kind of power id really just go for a bigger engine to be honest cheapest way of doing it imo.

[DW-Nova]

Yeh i've decided that i'm not going to go for high power with the 1.6 16v as it's going to cost too much and it's going to be alot of effort for what i get, instead i'm going to go for a rebuild with forged pistons and steel rods, not sure as of what make, any suggestions ? get the crank ground and renew all the bearings etc, get the head ported with some more fiery cams and hopefully run it of bike carbs, not sure what kind of figures i'll get from that? dose anybody run a similar set-up to this ?? as regards to the question what is my daily driver it is this, http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105673 a Toyota Levin BZ-G. Alan b, yes i did read that article in ppc, yeh i know what you mean about them making everything sound so easy, it was what first gave me the idea but i also had a friend who had a mini 1275 running a remote set-up which was not in the slightest laggy and absolutley went like stink.