best engine for nova

[torquey]

Whats peoples opinions on the best engine to fit to a nova? I am talking vauxhall only engines.? :roll:

[conza123]

I working one is a good start lol lol

[torquey]

Lol good point.

[totalnova]

X18XE1 is what I'm going with. Small block 1.8

[Jack]

3.0V6, no replacement for displacement lol

[torquey]

Big block vs small block lol

[totalnova]

Here we go...............

[Southie]

There's no answer to this, everyone has different opinions lol

Even in stand form someone will still love a 1.0.... \/\/\/ Mark69

[marc69]

I love the 1.0 ohv!!

[Balley]

XE on bodies, but boost gets you laid! So I am still undersided.

[srs1]

For weight balance v power. The best block is a c16xe. As these can be tuned up to c20xe level (budget pending).
However, a 1.8 bottom with a 1.6 head works well too

but if you want power and then have to adjust driving style, a c20xe is great fun out of the packet, but then a let puts you right up there

as others said, small block v big block argument.
dan (old admin) had a really well set up 1.6 8v. Ben had a 1.4 8v on 40's that went really well and cp has a really good spec'd 1.4 16v and all these are some of the best handling cars I've been in/seen.

Personaly I think it's
Handling v power argument.

[torquey]

Ive got a let in my sr and a standard 1.2 which is a good engine reliable and nippy for what it is. I love my let but get sick of running issues. One day its right the next time i drive it it plays up.lol

[Rob H]

Let in my opinion, can't beat effortless turbo pull. Few small mods and some stage 2 chips. 280/300bhp in something as light as a nova turns them into genuinely quick cars.

[bazzap8389]

Since you already have a let drop a 1.6 16v into the 1.2. Let would be my choice too though.

[Andy]

After experiencing all except the v6 il be shot down in flames when i say a 1.6 8v.in the right state of tune with a good suspension setup,theres not alot else that can match point to point of that cc and size

[torquey]

I do love the sound and power of the let. Was thinking to drop a 1.6 gte engine into my merit!

[marc69]

In all seriousness it depends what you want. If you want economy and reliability then any small block in standard form should be fine but for power the XE (and I imagine let even more) is great fun but handling can become lazy and expensive. Personally having owned a small block (tuned 1.4 8v) and big block (XE) track car, the XE was faster but for me the 1.4 is more fun, thus I sold the XE.

My standard 1.3SR is not that far behind the 1.4 either and part of the fun is having to rev the teats out of them but the cam etc in the 1.4 makes the engine want to rev if you know what I mean.

[ShawnAzzopardi]

RB26DETT

Well, in all honesty, I think it's what's in your budget. A bigger engine would require a lot more work.

[_Tomiboy]

For straight driving always the big hp, for quick good handle car smallblock.

[Stuart]

Never underestimate the joy of torque.

A sensible (silly) build of a 1.6 8v or a mid range 20XE build would be perfect imho.

The chassis thing is a fairly common solution for both big block and small block.

[BRoadGhost]

An all alloy XE with steel internals THE END

Failing that whatever engine code is from a 458 speciale

[Jack]

Never underestimate the joy of torque.
This. To all those who say they ditched an XE in favour of a 1.4 or 1.6 or whatever because the smallblock is more 'fun' - I guarantee you its nowhere near as fun as torque steering your way around Avonmouth lol

[boffer8]

I love my 1.4 8v, Keeps up with a lot more powerful cars, handles like its on rails and is super reliable but sounds mint

Granted if i could afford it, would go alloy block 2.0 16v with all steel internals, all the power and smallblock weight.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCzJLR4wi58

[boffer8]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqOQS8WkWQA

[BRoadGhost]

Nice video's there boffer, I do like people who know how to attack on a circuit! Making ground up on an EVO / Megan sport 225 braking & cornering proves the lightweight potential of the nova :)

[nova_stee]

For me its a c20let in a nova there effortless to drive around town and what can keep up on the straights? The people that say big block novas dont handle are the people that fit 400 suspension

[mowgli]

the best engine is the most powerful one you can afford. end of discussion

[Southie]

What's the reason for you asking the question? With you having an LET and a 1.2 are you still trying trying to find a happy medium?

[torquey]

Keep considering to do a engine swap on the 1.2. Was thinking 1.68v gte.

[Andy]

It all depends on what its for aswell.id still like to build a proper smallblock turbo myself.but i have no enthusiasm to run a road going nova whatsoever lol

[Scottcooper85]

It all depends on what its for aswell.id still like to build a proper smallblock turbo myself.but i have no enthusiasm to run a road going nova whatsoever lol


I keep having the urge to do that, nearly started buying parts this week.

[Stuart]

A proper 1.6 8v T would be lovely.... I can't believe its been nearly 30years and not a single proper build has happened

[Andy]

I know.If I ever get the urge that's what I want to do.A proper job though.

[Edd]

What's classed as a proper job?

Anything reliable and +50% bhp is successful imo

What till you see my 1.3T, you'll have to take back my signature :d

[Stuart]

100bhp/litre minimum and a good 30k from it :) No spacer plates, no water injection, no 5th injector crud, sensible intake temps and no screamer pipe lol

has as your build been a pikey one?

[Andy]

Decent management rather than manipulating the ecu into thinking the car is stone cold lol

[Edd]

Low comp pistons
No plate
No water injection
No 5th crap

All on standard management

[Stuart]

Close lol

[turbojolt]

Redtop

[Novasport]

X18XE1 on TB's?

[tom reid]

Or x18xe1/z18xe on bike carbs, I know this is a Corsa,but you'll have more bulkhead room in a Nova.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5LdwkSYBbKA

[Hobbit]

Imo what you loose in the corners with a big engine you more than make up for down the straights. Would love to be joined out on track by a small block and be proved wrong though.

On my budget the most powerful engine i could afford to fit was the V6.

[blue_peg_16v]

Let if you like constantly having problems

xe on carbs for feck all to go wrong running

[Rob H]

Not had a single engine issue with my let in the 3yrs I've owned it and it sees 22psi frequently lol. Only slight problem was the cts code 15 which turned out to be a corroded loom plug, even for the couple of times I drove it till I found the problem still ran and boosted fine. Compared to some of the engine's I've had over the years the let seems like a master piece in terms of reliability lmao.

[craig green]

Something will oil pishing out from the sump (stops the rot)

[BRoadGhost]

Well Blue peg, about that...

[ben doodar]

Low comp pistons
No plate
No water injection
No 5th crap

All on standard management


Come on then edd. Spill the beans.

Im building a 1.6 8v turbo myself will use omex manegment. Just want to finish all the odds and ends finished first before I start on the engine itself.

[Benn]

Let if you like constantly having problems

xe on carbs for feck all to go wrong running

Bar needing to make sure it says tuned to run right and i never had a prob with my Let till I messed about with it.

[craig green]

Decent management rather than manipulating the ecu into thinking the car is stone cold lol

Who's does this? !!

[Edd]

Everybody on here thinks the Courteney conversions did

[Scottcooper85]

What's the best way to lower the compression on a 16se's Pistons and what after market management is best to use?

[ben doodar]

Everybody on here thinks the Courteney conversions did


I thought they did?

[Edd]

I thought they did?

It was the TPS that was 'fooled' in to thinking it was wide open when boost came in iirc

Nowt to do with the CTS as everyone on here seems to think

It might of been a bit pikey, but those conversions give decent power and reliability if looked after

[Andy]

How many are still around?

[Benn]

It was the TPS that was 'fooled' in to thinking it was wide open when boost came in iirc

Nowt to do with the CTS as everyone on here seems to think

It might of been a bit pikey, but those conversions give decent power and reliability if looked after


Sure the CTS could only be fooled to think the engine/coolant is hot or cold.. So would only make it over fuel or under?

[ben doodar]

It was the TPS that was 'fooled' in to thinking it was wide open when boost came in iirc

Nowt to do with the CTS as everyone on here seems to think

It might of been a bit pikey, but those conversions give decent power and reliability if looked after

So if its just boosting a little bit it would fuel the same as if it was on full boost?

How are you thinking of doing yours then Edd?

i have thought about using an SU carb after seeing a Zetec turbo running one.

I bought a little contraption off mikeanics a while ago i cant remeber the name of it now, it retards the ignition when on boost via the coil wiring he says they were very common with old turbo conversions in the late 80s early 90s.

I won't be using it now tho as I'm going to run a c16se rather than the e16se I was planning to use.

Do you know if Courtney used the same technic on both the e16/c16?

[Stuart]

I never said I thought it was a temp bodge :p, just that it was an all round epic bodge lol

tbh fooling the coolant sensor would have been a better option, along with some god awful non linear rising rate pressure regulator (most fitted to cars are rising rate regs but people can't cope with that, so one has to be specific about the type)

[mowgli]

the l3.1 jetronic efi setup was fitted to various turbo motors over the years... I believe the fiat uno was one of them...there must be a way of adapting one to fit.. but tbh, a standalone setup would probably be cheaper to get running.

[Stuart]

What's the best way to lower the compression on a 16se's Pistons and what after market management is best to use?

imho 10:1 CR (ie Standard) will be fine IF you use proper cooling AND someone half sensible for mapping.
As for the "best" management.... Syvecs/motec/pectel/bosch/Siemens/conti/Visteon lol
The "reality best" is the one that the person doing the mapping is most comfortable with, they all do most of the same stuff in mostly the same way, but the user interface for the software is variable so you want the one that is most used by your mapper.

[torquey]

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww264/ashleyc17/Mobile%20Uploads/20140909_181050_zps6dlh7t1d.jpg (http://s726.photobucket.com/user/ashleyc17/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140909_181050_zps6dlh7t1d.jpg.html)
quick pic of let lol.