View Full Version : 1.0 nova tuning with bits from the scrappy
pyromaniac_yeti
10-07-09, 01:24 AM
Hi all.
Just wondering if it was possible to get a few more horses out of the 1.0 nova (1991 car) using vauxhall parts? i hear theres a lot that can be done by swapping bits from the 1.3's and 1.4's onto a 1.2 engine, but does this also apply on the 1.0 lump? not looking for mind boggling performance here or anything, but just a little extra..
or any parts that could be obtained from a scrappy on the cheap (carbs?)
"swap it for a 1.2" or "swap it for a 1.4" or "its not worth doing" and other such replies realy arent very helpful - i know i'd be better off doing that. its just a case of seeing what can be done with the 1.0!
so yeah, are there any better:
inlet/exhaust manifolds
camshafts
carbs
exhaust systems
or anything else
that'd fit on??
all i know of that may give me a bit extra would be some sort of better air cleaner, k&n copy or simmilar....but on the 1 litre thats going to give the grand sum of bugger all noticeable difference to the performance, only make a bit of noise.
anyway, hopefully someone can help.
thanks!
shed-on-wheels
10-07-09, 01:26 AM
no mate it will be different as on a 1.0 the dizzy is not on the cam ect best bet would be to drop in a bigger engine
brainsnova
10-07-09, 01:33 AM
drop in a 1300 with 5 speed and you can fly and cheap to insure.
pyromaniac_yeti
10-07-09, 02:04 AM
what about mainifolds/carb? :confused:
that way if i come across a decent engine, then those parts can be swapped over onto the new lump?
cheers for the replys though - honestly diddent expect anything at this time
the 1L engine is a completely different design to the rest and therefore has no swappable parts. the only possible thing to gets parts off is a 1.2 mk2 astra as that has a similar engine.
novaguy08
10-07-09, 07:21 AM
Agreed with burgo mate
the 1.0 will only pretty much fit 1.0 parts/1.2mk2 astra parts, its an over head valve engine with the cam actually in the block whereas the other 8v engines are overheadcams so the block design is different, along with the dizzy & fuel pump. if you want something to tune then buy yourself a 1.3carb engine and go from there just tell the insurance company you got it from a nova gl ;)
pyromaniac_yeti
10-07-09, 07:39 AM
righto - not big on vauxhall engines, or vauxhall's in general so not realy fammiliar with the different engines, id just assumed they were all different sized OHC's
seems then the best course of actions going to be shed as much weight as possible, and sort the cornering out. any suggestions on that front??
im figuring drop it by 60mm as the lowering kits usually stiffen up the suspension somewhat, and the lower ride hight results in better in the corners anyway...the lower the better? stick with the standard size wheels, then where do i go from there? dampers? if so what and where from? strut braces worthwhile or are they more for "bling" value then better handling?
another thought - anti roll bars? could they be hoiked off anything?
getting a bit off topic here - but thanks again guys
EDIT: forgot to ask - what cars and what years am i going to find the 1300 lump in?
MattBrown
10-07-09, 08:25 AM
The 1.0 engines do not respond well to abuse!
So doing anything in the way of tuning will hinder there life!
Theyre a push-rod style engine, cam runs below the head, then the timing drive is transmitted via "Pushrods" to "RockerArms" them onto the tops of the valves!
The problems I have faced with the 1.0 is:
Bending valves
Snapping Valves
Smashing pistons
Bent pushrods
Bent valve stems
Sheared springs
Sheared spring retaining collets
Basically, drive it hard, but not to hard, as theres no limiter and they keep going untill the rocker arms hit the rocker cover!
Guderian
10-07-09, 08:42 AM
Not all bad news though.... At least you can't break the cam belt..
On the handling front, check there is only minimal play in the rear wheel bearings before doing anything else. Makes a big difference.
pyromaniac_yeti
10-07-09, 08:43 AM
Lol, im all to familliar with pushrod engines...one of my previous cars was a '91 mini cooper. it'd been standing for a year and a bit when i bought it, first car and all...diddent think to put any release oil down the pots when we bought it. lo and behold a few months later overheating issues start, figured it was a head gasket. turns out the piston ring on the number 3 cylinder had cracked, blown a hole in the side of the piston & then shot bits of ring all round the top end of the engine. needed to be bored out, new pistons, rings, complete new head where it'd cracked, new bearings throuought, new rad which went when it boiled up...effing nightmare. just got the engine bedded in and i had a head on with another mini after locking up on a wet backlane with oil/diesel/fuel or something...sods law.
was planning on investing in a rev counter for it, i mean after all the 1.0 seems more of an engine designed for pottering about town rather than booting it up the backlanes...i mean its clearly not going to take as much abuse as a more modern engine.
anyway, as ive now discoved that ill be putting up with the limited power of the 1 litre till such times as i can scource enough money & an engine for transplanting, id like to see what can be done with the handling of the car! preferably vauxhall/other bits i can get off a scrappy, or cheapo bits...dont want to spend too much as its only a temporary car to see me through college.
so yeah, any suggestions on cheap mods that can be done to sort it out in the corners would be great. im not interested in silly bodykits or huge alloys or any of that cr@p... just in how the car feels to drive. strip it and a suspension kit maybe? i see ebay are doing a kit which consists of a set of "sports" dampers and a set of lowering springs for roundabout the £150 mark.
would i get any noticeable improvements from that, or am i better off going about it some other way??
EDIT: just saw that after id posted - spent a while writing an essay..plenty worthwhile giving it a good look over then and making sure the suspension thats on its in good nick before putting anything extra on then. worthwhile checking for any worn bushes and replacing any shot ones aswell im guessing.
righto - not big on vauxhall engines, or vauxhall's in general so not realy fammiliar with the different engines, id just assumed they were all different sized OHC's
seems then the best course of actions going to be shed as much weight as possible, and sort the cornering out. any suggestions on that front??
im figuring drop it by 60mm as the lowering kits usually stiffen up the suspension somewhat, and the lower ride hight results in better in the corners anyway...the lower the better? stick with the standard size wheels, then where do i go from there? dampers? if so what and where from? strut braces worthwhile or are they more for "bling" value then better handling?
another thought - anti roll bars? could they be hoiked off anything?
getting a bit off topic here - but thanks again guys
EDIT: forgot to ask - what cars and what years am i going to find the 1300 lump in?
best bet fo weight saving ideas is to look through project threads. dhdev, trackdaynova and count vaux alot are a good place to start.
imo if you are going the suspension kit route then a drop of 40mm wil be best for handling. 15" wheels seem to be the wheel of choice aswell
strut braces deffinetly help but dont get a rear one which bolts to the top of the shock as they are crap. ideally you want a weld in one
anti roll bars you want gte/gsi/saloon ones as you are only having a suspension kit. if you end up with coilovers tho then ditch the front anti roll bar
if you can weld thats a bonus because you could fully stich weld the shell which will cost you nothing but really stiffen up the shell
also you'll be wanting some 2L 16v brakes as the standard ones are shocking
pyromaniac_yeti
10-07-09, 12:08 PM
as for weight saving i wasnt planning on going too mental at first, just dump the back seats, back doorcards, rear carpets (other half would whinge if any more came out!)
as for the 15'' wheels - all well and good if its not on a 1litre! that'll realy over gear it..
supension kit, and front strut brace then...should be able to do that for round £200 which was about budget
with regards to brakes, im tempted to leave them as is and just whack some greenstuff pads in the front...gave the mini that little bit more once theyd gotten warmed up, untill such times as i can get a bigger engine built.
i figure run it like that, save the pennies and keep my eyes out for a 1.2 carb engine & a 1.3 carb engine. take the carb, cam, crank and rods out of the 1.3, pop them in the 1.2 along with porting out the head to match the inlet/exhaust manifolds, and slap a K&N on the top...cause theoreticly that should give me a fairly nippy 1.4 or thereabouts from what ive read on here.
as a budget build goes it'll come in pretty cheap. and im fairly sure come sept when im finally going to college to get my mechanics papers that some of that could be done as coursework...
People regularly throw away 1.2 carb engines or advertise them on here for free as they do conversions to red top etc. A 1.2 carb can be made to go reasonably well and would be a better base for tuning than the 1.0. So that could be an almost cost free solution.
napalm_27
10-07-09, 01:45 PM
iv got a 1.2 carb engine sitting around if your interested mate?
The 1.0 engines do not respond well to abuse!
So doing anything in the way of tuning will hinder there life!
Theyre a push-rod style engine, cam runs below the head, then the timing drive is transmitted via "Pushrods" to "RockerArms" them onto the tops of the valves!
The problems I have faced with the 1.0 is:
Bending valves
Snapping Valves
Smashing pistons
Bent pushrods
Bent valve stems
Sheared springs
Sheared spring retaining collets
Basically, drive it hard, but not to hard, as theres no limiter and they keep going untill the rocker arms hit the rocker cover!
Funny you should say that as my old 1.0 was thrashed to the limit for the 4 years I had it and nothing ever broke and still gave me 40-50mpg. Ok there not worth tuning but they're well worth thrashing.
MattBrown
10-07-09, 07:27 PM
Funny you should say that as my old 1.0 was thrashed to the limit for the 4 years I had it and nothing ever broke and still gave me 40-50mpg. Ok there not worth tuning but they're well worth thrashing.
Mine went at about 8200rpm!
It was nearly round the clock!:thumb:
Good times!
i wouldnt worry about weight saving if you have the 1L they weight nearly as much as an xe iirc
well i know they defo weight more than a 12NZ and a C16XE
please, just get a larger ohc engine & box, it will fit straight in. lightening a 1.0 is just not worth it.
jimbob-mcgrew
10-07-09, 09:36 PM
yeh im with brains on the 1300, decent engine that, at the lower end of insurance, wouldnt need to touch it either as its almost double the horse of your 1000 :thumb:
or 1200 if u cant get hold of a 1300 as there rarer now.
got a complete 1200 thats just been taken outta my wagon, where u based yeti ?
pyromaniac_yeti
11-07-09, 12:49 AM
im based maidstone kent - so ill keep my eyes out for something nearby. If anyones got a 1200 up for grabs or anything to boost the output of the 1.2 anywhere near me then let me know what you got and how much you want fer it!! evidently the 1.0's a complete waste of time doing anything with.
i take it being carbed engines the looms already compatible, so id need new mounts (im assuming?) and possibly different rad hoses and such if the inlets/oultles are in different places. anyone got a list of parts required to do the swap?
seems the 1200's the way to go as far as budget tuning goes...insurance only knocks up by a tenner a year for a 1.2 from the 1.0...
all depends on cash at the moment. bit skint...
but yeah, so thanks for the answers on the handling of the car, tweaking the 1.2 theres a guide already written up - so if someone could give me a list of parts needed to swap the 1.0 for a 1.2 then that'd be great. other than that everythings been covered & the faithful haynes manual should cover the rest of the job.
thanks again guys!
Right
Rad
Drivers side engine mount metal part
Rad hoses
Engine/Gearbox
There the main things anyways, iirc the 1.0 loom is similar to the 1.2 carb loom so shouldnt be any probs.
You will have to muck around with the coil and replace the clear wire with a solid one.
Apart from that you may have to run a return back to the tank, or change the tank.
Im only going off what i can remember and its not excatly the right time of day to be remembering stuff lol
AW06 has most of it covered.
Drivers side OHC (1.2-1.6L) Engine mount.
Radiator.
Radiator hoses.
Make sure you get the gearbox with the 1.2 as the 1.0 gearbox won't fit a 1.2 believe it or not.
The coil wire - many people say this needs changed but I never did....no biggie anyway.
Throttle cable and choke cables are the same iirc.
Get the exhaust manifold and downpipe from the 1.2...... and either chop/weld your 1.0 system to fit, or get a full 1.2 exhaust. Last thing to do anyways.
Driveshafts from 1.0 fit 100%. Same gearbox internally.
The loom is compatible apart from that. I think I may have had to mess about a little with coil wires when I changed my engine, but wasn't a big deal. I'm a noob so don't worry.
Same goes for if you fit a 1300 ^^.
Last bit - don't pay much for a 1200, they come up on here free from time to time.
pyromaniac_yeti
11-07-09, 02:25 AM
ppft. diddent sleep last night, and now its 2am. brains refusing to work...so im gonna go take a look a some cars tomorrow...i may have solved the 1.0 issue altogether by finding a 1.2 merit for around the same price as the 1.0...with lower mileage. downside is its got a sunroof, which the 1.0 diddnt.
anyway we shall see what happens over the weekend. and then ill report back on weather i actually need a 1.2 engine or not...seems so much less hassle to beggar about with one thats already a 1.2...specially if its in better nick than the 1 litre..
anyway, laters.
edit: the 1.2 is a four speed, so does anyone have a five speed knocking about on the cheap?? with all the relevant parts needed to fit it?
I forgot to say... if you are converting from 1.0 to 1.2... you will need to change the fuel tank aswell, to accomodate the return fuel line off the 1.2... the 1.0's don't have a return line.
About a days work converting from 1.0 -1.2 depending on experience/ how many mates help.
I forgot to say... if you are converting from 1.0 to 1.2... you will need to change the fuel tank aswell, to accomodate the return fuel line off the 1.2... the 1.0's don't have a return line.
About a days work converting from 1.0 -1.2 depending on experience/ how many mates help.
or get a t piece for the fuel line.
Hmmm I tried that when I was converting from 1.0 to 1300 but it didn't work. Mowgli if you were putting a T piece in, where would you put it along the line? I suppose it needs to be next to the tank? I put it in the engine bay section of the fuel line, perhaps thats why it didn't work?
yes i'd put it near the tank.
Guderian
13-07-09, 08:55 AM
If i remember right the MPG from the 1.0 is worse than from the 1.2spi. (someone will know)
Whether the 4spd is acceptable to you depends on what sort of roads you are using from week to week. I have been commuting in a 1.2spi with 4spd and am getting 50mpg. This is cruising at 70, and odd bursts of 80 for overtaking. Some of it is also urban driving.
It wouldnt suprise me if the 1.0 is worse on fuel. They both have about the same power too.
pyromaniac_yeti
13-07-09, 04:51 PM
Managed to find another nova in good condition on my budget...been and had a look and its all sound. Its a 1.2 carb aswell (makes life somewhat easier...)
So i shall have to start negotiating on that one, then start up a project thread after such times as ive got the money to start sodding around with it.
Thanks for all the help and advice
Yeti
brake-dust
13-07-09, 05:02 PM
is it a hatch or a loon? only did a 1.2 carb in a loon iirc
Guderian
13-07-09, 05:21 PM
Nice one. Won't pull from 20mph in 4th like the injection 1.2, but more oomph overall. Simple piece of kit, and you have full control over the idle, mixture, and ignition timing.
pyromaniac_yeti
13-07-09, 11:57 PM
Its a two door hatch. four speed box though - ive posted a thread asking about converting to a five speed.
History consists of old lady owned from new, ran it till she was 87...car had done 48,000miles. then the guy im getting it off bought it as a first car, ran it up to 53,000...and here we are today.
least thats only 5,000 miles of abuse thats been thrown at it, rather than an unknown history...
is it a hatch or a loon? only did a 1.2 carb in a loon iirc
lol lol lol lol lol What a load of rubbish. 1.2 carbs came in hatchs and loons alike, right from 1983 to 1992 (ish)
I think he means that saloons only had 1.2's. But they didnt, they had a 1.0, 1.2 and 1.3, mk2s would have also had the 1.4
Guderian
15-07-09, 12:26 PM
The other thing is pyro,
(If you buy this carb motor) It has probably had the ignition retarded slightly to run on 95 unleaded, in round about 1999 when leaded petrol became restricted. This was accepted as a solution at the time, but if you get the engine 'running on' after switch off it is a sign that the combustion temperature is slightly higher than it really should be, and you will benefit from using super unleaded. You might even be able to advance the ignition timing slightly as a result.
pyromaniac_yeti
15-07-09, 01:25 PM
Deals all gone through on it - ill keep a look out for the running on issue. just gotta go and pick it up now...it diddent run on or anything when we had it running. just have to see what happens on the run back to maidstone. that'll get it propperly up to temp and then we'll see whats what.
Im not expecting any hassle as its just gone through an MOT today requiring a tweak to the carb, a headlight bulb and new plates. not bad for an old girl realy!
not 100% on the way i should be adjusting the timing...i mean i know how i did it on the mini, but weather or not that was the right way or not i dont know. all i used to do with that was losen the distributor, and rotate it till the engine revved the highest, bolt it up there and then turn the idle down on the carb.
timing lights are a garage job cause both me and my dad have epilepsy (strobe lights not a good idea methinks...), so its just the way i was shown to do it. anyway, i dont see any point in touching it till such times as i get any issues with it or am doing mantinence on the thing.
hopefully be picking it up either tomorrow evening or this evening...cant wait!
Guderian
15-07-09, 05:25 PM
Oh quite agree, if it aint broke don't fix it. (ie if not 'pinking' or running on after switch off, fine.)
Good luck with it.
pyromaniac_yeti
16-07-09, 10:14 PM
got the car today - set about fitting my alarm system into it. whereabouts am i going to find the negative wire from the interior light??
runs beautifully btw - not a single hiccup all the way back from brands :)
got the car today - set about fitting my alarm system into it. whereabouts am i going to find the negative wire from the interior light??
runs beautifully btw - not a single hiccup all the way back from brands :)
the switches earth straight to the body, so it could be difficult.. try taking a feed from the drivers door switch
pyromaniac_yeti
16-07-09, 10:48 PM
i did think that, but surely then the alarms only going to trip from the drivers door?
lol Run it onto the passenger side one, it works off the interior light. And it will work on both.
Providing the alarm your fitting supports it though, some dont.
pyromaniac_yeti
17-07-09, 10:54 AM
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs192.snc1/6453_242265165053_816330053_7926190_270681_n.jpg
Wahey!
pyromaniac_yeti
17-07-09, 11:01 AM
wiring diagram says hook up to interior light negative...door trips the only wire im having an issue with at the momet. shock sensors in and working, everything else is all hooked up. so whereabouts do i wanna be connecting it? the car body or the plug on the drivers door switch?
jimbob-mcgrew
17-07-09, 02:43 PM
that thing would look mean with the heart-rate decal strip removed, then slammed on some sr 3 spokes, and thats it ! :thumb:
pyromaniac_yeti
20-07-09, 12:16 AM
mmm..now theres a thought. quite like the astra five spoke jobbies though - seen em on a nova up my way and it looked bloody good!
http://media.photobucket.com/image/astra%20mk4/riggy4/general%20pics/Image176.jpg those ones...
problem is the paintworks f*cked. gonna look into the costs of sorting out the dings and dents and spraying it...if its too much then a DIY job in the garage will be in order. same colour, and getting that stupid decal off is gonna be done ASAP...just a case of finding time to give it a going over with the hairdryer. took long enough to get the panda that took up the entire bloody bonnet off. bumpers either need colour coding, or a lot of work with that bumper spray stuff...
all in all its a good car, just not cosmeticly brilliant. anyway, modifications are a looooooong way off unless i can find some work. (however...with a bit of cash i'll have that looking spot on.)
nooo some nice steels and keep the paint and itl look good, those astra wheels look gash on mk1s
That looks pretty clean mate, i'll keep a lookout for it. :thumb:
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