20XE Mods

[VXandy]

Hi Fellas,

Im thinking of modifying my c20xe in my nova, im just wondering whats available out there? Or whats the best way to go about it without turbo-ing it!!!

Thanks in advance:thumb:

[chimp007_uk]

I've been looking at the same thing...

Lighenting and balancing
cams
uprated pistons
arp bolts
carbs - weber/bike
throttlebodies - jenvy etc/bike
management
bigger injectors
Head work
permormance manifold
performance exhaust
powercap
filter
oil cooler

loads :)

[Welsh Dan]

What do you want from it, and what's your budget?

If you want more power from an otherwise standard engine, ie for track use so if you pop one you can fit another then aftermarket cams, throttlebodies and management will be the best things to go for for more power. If you throw a rod you can bolt the lot to another XE and go again.

For the drag strip nitrous oxide is the best money/time gain.

[VXandy]

Its just for general use Dan, i dont have a budget as such im just after some ideas at the moment, im quite interested in the throttle bodies path but unsure of cost and powergains etc

[chimp007_uk]

i've been thinkg long and hard, and its cost at the end of the day and how much you want from them.
tb's you need management, and full kit 2nd hand you're looking at £1500 then mapping. you can run bike tb's as well, several of my mates do with good results!
bike carbs, you can sort the parts or kit from bogg brothers... £300 - £700
Smaller gains but alot cheaper.

Depends again on budget and aims...

[Welsh Dan]

You could expect to pay £350 for cams, £3-600 for throttle bodies, £3-600 for management and £3-600 for mapping of the management. £85 to have an engine fully balanced, £4-500 for machinework to the head. £50 for ARP rod bolts(stronger). £315 for forged, lightweight, "H" Section 4340 Chrome Moly con rods, balanced in sets +/- 1gramme.

Olly H's nova had cams, tb's, management and a few other things done and got about 200bhp at the wheels through a trick gearbox.

If I had an XE nova and got bored of the power for road use, I'd put the money I could have spent tuning it into a LET.

[VXandy]

You could expect to pay £350 for cams, £3-600 for throttle bodies, £3-600 for management and £3-600 for mapping of the management. £85 to have an engine fully balanced, £4-500 for machinework to the head. £50 for ARP rod bolts(stronger). £315 for forged, lightweight, "H" Section 4340 Chrome Moly con rods, balanced in sets +/- 1gramme.

Olly H's nova had cams, tb's, management and a few other things done and got about 200bhp at the wheels through a trick gearbox.

If I had an XE nova and got bored of the power for road use, I'd put the money I could have spent tuning it into a LET.

So you recommend turbo'ing it then Dan if i was going to tune it? Would that be cheaper?

[chimp007_uk]

If I had an XE nova and got bored of the power for road use, I'd put the money I could have spent tuning it into a LET.

Cheat lol

I know what you mean... Easy power with a turbo! engine is £1500ish so you pay £1200 more than an xe and have 200hp straight off.

Sadly you can't beat the sound of NA :) I'm investing in bike carbs ;) see how it goes then, aim for 175-180ish with a new exhaust and manifold.
Looking to go sub 14sec 1/4mile. Just need to actually get it on track and use it this year...

[VXandy]

Cheat lol

I know what you mean... Easy power with a turbo! engine is £1500ish so you pay £1200 more than an xe and have 200hp straight off.

Sadly you can't beat the sound of NA :) I'm investing in bike carbs ;) see how it goes then, aim for 175-180ish with a new exhaust and manifold.
Looking to go sub 14sec 1/4mile. Just need to actually get it on track and use it this year...

You might of touched a point with the bike TB's it might be worth giving that a go first before ripping the engine back out, what needs to be done there then matey? How much would it cost?:thumb:

[Welsh Dan]

It would depend on what you wanted to do to the XE. If you were going to be spending £1500-2000 on tuning the XE then yes, you could buy+rebuild a LET for that, and have more power as a starting point than you might have from the XE. The downside, depending on your personal opinion, is that it then has turbo characteristics rather than NA. A standard LET has circa 200bhp if I remember correctly. Suitable cams, headwork, management and mapping will see similar/a little more from an XE, but you'll need the bottom end work done aswell to make sure that it'll take the revs needed to produce that power, so it would cost you more than a LET would. As far as tuning LET's goes, as long as the innards are healthy and you're not going mental all the changes are bolt-on items.

[chimp007_uk]

well... my mates 106 rallye with a vts engine has bike tb's, on emerald ecu. My mates vts is running bike tb's on standard management atm, as they don't run a maf sensor just and air temp sensor.

xe wise, you're still going to need bike tb's then an aftermarket manifold, management, and mapping... not cheap.

I chose the poor mans route of bike carbs, and electronic ignition. won't gain as much but 1/4-1/2 the price :)

[chimp007_uk]

It would depend on what you wanted to do to the XE. If you were going to be spending £1500-2000 on tuning the XE then yes, you could buy+rebuild a LET for that, and have more power as a starting point than you might have from the XE. The downside, depending on your personal opinion, is that it then has turbo characteristics rather than NA. A standard LET has circa 200bhp if I remember correctly. Suitable cams, headwork, management and mapping will see similar/a little more from an XE, but you'll need the bottom end work done aswell to make sure that it'll take the revs needed to produce that power, so it would cost you more than a LET would. As far as tuning LET's goes, as long as the innards are healthy and you're not going mental all the changes are bolt-on items.


In a nut shell...

[VXandy]

well... my mates 106 rallye with a vts engine has bike tb's, on emerald ecu. My mates vts is running bike tb's on standard management atm, as they don't run a maf sensor just and air temp sensor.

xe wise, you're still going to need bike tb's then an aftermarket manifold, management, and mapping... not cheap.

I chose the poor mans route of bike carbs, and electronic ignition. won't gain as much but 1/4-1/2 the price :)

How about this chimp???

http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/items-sale/383107-r1-carb-kit-pictures-manifold-ignition-etc.html

[chimp007_uk]

How about this chimp???

http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/items...ition-etc.html

Thats the kit i just bought lol off craig

[VXandy]

so is that sold now then?

[chimp007_uk]

agreed a price, collecting it this week.

[VXandy]

Mofoo, can you run it on standard management then?

[chimp007_uk]

I kept umming and arring... then finally thought sod it... :) Can't wait now

you could run them on standard management. get a smaller gain than with aftermarket stuff, you'd need to make up and plenum ;)

have a read of this...

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.16vminiclub.com/gallery/albums/userpics/bay.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.16vminiclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php%3Ft%3D11235%26sid%3D0f45632c8e68ccd9 6c726d52027ff7bb&usg=__cCz8oVrBX7E42TlsCdetXIjR26E=&h=600&w=800&sz=121&hl=en&start=26&um=1&tbnid=wRo7P0URwD1-CM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbike%2Bthrottle%2Bbodies%2Bplenum%26s tart%3D18%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

I looked at loads of articles before taking the plunge

[chimp007_uk]

no doubt the big boys will share they're secrets tomorrow when they awake

[Stuart]

with an XE, cams = pointless ones that work with std pistons, or get pocketed pistons and use cams that actualy gain something worthwhile.

[philip]

Olly H's nova had cams, tb's, management and a few other things done and got about 200bhp at the wheels through a trick gearbox.



ollys made near 200bhp at fly, not the wheels.

dan - where in wrexham are you? price for headwork is a tad dear too tbh. dont suppose you know darcy or any of them lot?

[VXandy]

Pm'd you phil!

[Welsh Dan]

ollys made near 200bhp at fly, not the wheels.

dan - where in wrexham are you? price for headwork is a tad dear too tbh. dont suppose you know darcy or any of them lot?

Oli's made about 200bhp ATF. Olly's made about 200bhp ATW. I'm in Garden Village but I'm currently Nova-less. I quoted the headwork+cam+balancing prices from autosprint, seeing as their work is regarded on here. I don't know darcy and them sorry.


EDIT: you were right, he had 174bhp at the wheels.

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92015

[The Simps]

Having owned both in a nova I would go the LET route for road use.

To get similar power from an NA you have to be revving quite hard whereas with a turbo 3,5k and you're away!

Buy a LET & F28, stick it straight in on standard power. Get bored of it get some phase 2 chips (copies are only £50 on ebay) and smile like fook :D. When something breaks replace it. I wouldn't go crazy with a rebuild on the LET, just the usual timing belt, oil & filter, plugs, leads, dizzy before fitting.

[philip]

suprised you dont know darcy, big into nova's/vaux, has a LET powered ratty kadett C, audi blue nova turbo on polished cav tubby rims?