XE - LET questions....

[Spudly]

Right got an interesting one for you peeps that know about compression ratios and such.

My mate Andy from here has just purchased himself a complete XE from a mate, it was running in the nova it was taken from, i myself have been in it and it was bloody quick for an xe and on the slam panel it had a carbon vin type plate saying 'Nova 1.2 slightly modified to 165bhp'

Now as he was cleaning the engine block up tonight for a spot of degreasing and painting he has looked at the engine code and its clearly stamped C20LET.


Now were wondering if its an xe that has been re-blocked into a let as it is clearly a let and has the oil feeds blocked off with bolts, or if its a let that someones say, blown the turbo on and converted it to n/a would it run with the different comp pistons and is there any way to tell short of a compression test as its not going to be in a car for a while, im wondering if the low comp let pistons are why it felt clearly faster than any other xe ive been in.

I knows nothing of compression and what would should or shouldnt work so am asking you guys:thumb:

[mowgli]

low comp will make it slower, not faster...

[Andy]

I thought that tbh,but have heard about the N/A YB engines going well still,or do they alter the comp on them?

[Nick J]

IIRC Im sure courtenay used an let block when building their tb sport vbh car? Im sure I read that somewhere recently......... :confused:

[Graeme]

If its a let block surely the oil return and feed in the block would be blocked off some how, and iirc the vbh nova is a xe running a let block due to it having more 'webbing' on the back of the block for strength and apparently is supposed to be a low noise block

[Benn]

Same block with just the oil ways opened up so it wouldn't take much.
Comp test is the only way..

[Andy]

The oil ways are blocked off with bolts

[djbrowney]

as above mate, i have been in a xe with let pistons and it was as flat as a pancake lol

i would say the oil return has been blocked of and the grub screw put back in the oil return !

[Count Vaux Alot]

low comp will make it slower, not faster...

I second that - the lower comp is to accommodate for the boost pressure.

[Andy]

So basically its just been re-blocked into whatever has been lying around at the time lol

[Nick J]

If its a let block surely the oil return and feed in the block would be blocked off some how, and iirc the vbh nova is a xe running a let block due to it having more 'webbing' on the back of the block for strength and apparently is supposed to be a low noise block

You learn something new everyday! :)

[Count Vaux Alot]

So basically its just been re-blocked into whatever has been lying around at the time lol

Probably lol

[Graeme]

Agree with others looks like someone has had a complete motor out of spares, highly doubt it'll still have low comp pistons in it, if it run fine (n/a) previously

[djbrowney]

If its a let block surely the oil return and feed in the block would be blocked off some how, and iirc the vbh nova is a xe running a let block due to it having more 'webbing' on the back of the block for strength and apparently is supposed to be a low noise block

would that not cause problems with standard ecu runing knock sensor, as in not being as sensitive, i fail to see thats true :p

[Graeme]

Just quoting what the feature said mate, don't shoot me down lol

[djbrowney]

Just quoting what the feature said mate, don't shoot me down lol

i still luff you dont worry lol

[Graeme]

I remember thinking, I bet Courtnay have blagged someone out of a few extra quid and then the poor owner is telling it to a magazine, looking a bit clueless

[Sloth]

knock sensors pick up sounds in a certain range, the thickness of the block has no bearing on the sensor. the sound still travels thru the block the same

[djbrowney]

knock sensors pick up sounds in a certain range, the thickness of the block has no bearing on the sensor. the sound still travels thru the block the same

if the block is thicker, the sound takes longer to travel through it, meaning the sensor will pick it up later :roll:

[Graeme]

I don't think its thicker just more 'webbing' not that I've ever noticed, but I suppose there must be a reason why they said the let block was quieter than a standard xe block

[Andy]

Would it be any easier to turbo this or would i be better off just buying a full let when time/funds allow for turbo sillyness?

[djbrowney]

you would still want to change the pistons although turbo gav is dring round in a xe with a turbo set up on 8 psi and seems to be fine atm

[Graeme]

Buy a full let, it'll cost you far less buy the time its finished, finding all the bits you need, will take forever

[Andy]

Thanks for the help fellas,its much appreciated

[Saloony]

Yeah it is just down to the webbing and being of low noise.

[alan b]

you would still want to change the pistons although turbo gav is dring round in a xe with a turbo set up on 8 psi and seems to be fine atm

we had a corsa running xe pistons and got her up to 10psi. eventually blew the gasket!