20ltr 8v or 16v

[novawez]

just thought id ask a silly question but what is the best engine to get and what are the pros and cons of each cheers:thumb: :confused:

[sri_boi]

16v....smoother...faster.....more fun!! well depends how you drive lmao....i mean you could have more fun in a 1.0 if you have balls, well i would say 16v mate!

[novawez]

does it matter which one though astra gte cavalier ls gls gsi sriwhich ones the fastest and most economical cheers

[craig0120]

when i got my nova it had a seh in, now its got a xe after the seh spun a shell.

the xe had loads more power tbh so id go for that although the seh was plenty quick enough

iirc the 20xe has more power than the c20xe but once the cats been took off etc dont think theres much difference

[Jack]

C20XE has 150bhp out the box. Ecotec version has about 5bhp or so less. If you want an 8v, get the SEH engine as its 130bhp compared to the 115bhp of the other 8v engine (can't remember that code off the top of my head - SE? NE?).

Donor car might affect insurance.

[novawez]

whats the seh and the c20xe come out of im not good with codes

[Ste L]

C20XE has 150bhp out the box. Ecotec version has about 5bhp or so less. If you want an 8v, get the SEH engine as its 130bhp compared to the 115bhp of the other 8v engine (can't remember that code off the top of my head - SE? NE?).

Donor car might affect insurance.


eco's have got more thahn 5bhp less...
they are about 136 or something, so about 20brake :p

[Adam]

Aye, 2L eco's are 136bhp.

Benefits of 8v are:-
Cheap to by bits to, cheap to service, easier to work on, cheaper to repair

Benefits of 16v:-
More tuning potential

[novawez]

ah got you all the ecotecs like mk3 gsi gorsa gsi

[Adam]

?

Early mk3 astra gsi's weren't ecotecs.

[Ste L]

some gsi's had c20xe's and some was 1.8 eco's and some 2.0 eco's

[Jack]

Aye, 2L eco's are 136bhp.
I stand corrected... must have been thinking of the difference between the 1.6 16v's!

[novawez]

well what it was ive got my eye on a cavalier cdi 2ltr 8v for 100pound is it worth the hassle or not honest opinion or do i hold out for a 16v cheers wez

[Jack]

For ?100 you could take the engine out, then strip the car and sell the bits you don't want. Should make your money back.

[novawez]

so thats a good deal then and worth it would it still be quick though

[scott.parker]

I stand corrected... must have been thinking of the difference between the 1.6 16v's!

Well mate i was always quite miffed by this..

In the back of TV mag they have "The V-files"
and in there they have the mk2 astra 16v c20xe as 153bhp at 6000rpm (153bhp@6000rpm) and 150lbft at 4800rpm

but then the cav gsi mk3 2wd c20xe from the same year acording to there files is.. 147bhp at 6000rpm & 144lbft at 4800rpm ???:confused:

So acording to that there is 6bhp loss somewhere between the two,and i carnt see that my self,they use the same running gear and box etc so how's that work?

Scott

[novawez]

so the 16v just got a lot more torque than the 8v but if i did a 8v conversion would it still go quick enough and what would it beat

[Ste L]

i always though it was 156 for the gte due to no cat

and other's cav, cali etc was 153 because they had a cat?

[Philsutton]

For ?100 you could take the engine out, then strip the car and sell the bits you don't want. Should make your money back.


Tbh the only things worth anything on them is the engine an brakes. I have loads of bits off the calibra turbo I cant sell as no one wants them so a Cav 8v you'll be lucky to get ?10 back.

[novawez]

to be honest i can get 40 scrap for it or if i take it to them 60 but what would i need to strip and the more burning question what would i beat on the road well i know it aint goin to kill scoobys

[novawez]

oh that what i forgot to ask has anyone done this conversion

[Philsutton]

it is the same as fitting the 16v, its all one in the same. An to which there are loads of guides about for.

[novawez]

cheers for your help lads im goin to get it tonite i might be askin a few morw Qs before the weeks out cheers again wez

[scott.parker]

i always though it was 156 for the gte due to no cat

and other's cav, cali etc was 153 because they had a cat?

I know i have gone off topic,but Ste there should be no difrence mate the Cav and Astra they quote in the mag are both of same age 1988/1989 so niether would have cats on them,so im still left miffed lol

Scott

[novawez]

is the 8v fast in a nova then

[scott.parker]

is the 8v fast in a nova then

Humm I cant realy say,i my self have never driven or passengerd in a nova with one in.
Although i have seen one go down the strip at pod and it did 16.4's so i was not to impressed with that!
I would think your better of T40 ing a 1600 8v.

Scott

[novawez]

ok cheers for everything lads

[Christ]

if its a 2l 8v from a cav cdi, i think thats the 115bhp engine, I think its only the cav sri's and astra gtes that had the 130bhp engine.

[novawez]

oh got ya so itll still shift or do i hold out for a 16v

[scott.parker]

if its a 2l 8v from a cav cdi, i think thats the 115bhp engine, I think its only the cav sri's and astra gtes that had the 130bhp engine.

Astra mk2 gte 8v 20se 122bhp@ 5600rpm 127lbft@ 2600rpm

Cav mk3 sri 8v(early) 20seh 128bhp@ 5600rpm 132lbft@ 4600rpm

Cav mk3 sri 8v c20ne 113bhp@ 5200@ 125lbft@ 2600rpm

Scott

[Lee]

oh got ya so itll still shift or do i hold out for a 16v

You seem to want the quickest option so i dont understand all the questions?

8v is 130bhp, 16v is 150bhp.

Conversion is the same.

Is it just me or is the decision easy? :thumb:

[scott.parker]

Well if i was going to do an engine swap i would try and halth inch one of them new corsa VXR engeins into itlol me and mike wer talking about the new corsa vxr today,and when i told him its a 1.6 16v turbo runing 200bhp he said well i know what engine im putting into my nova in four years time lol lol ;) he loves his small block turbos.

Scott

[Lee]

Well if i was going to do an engine swap i would try and halth inch one of them new corsa VXR engeins into itlol me and mike wer talking about the new corsa vxr today,and when i told him its a 1.6 16v turbo runing 200bhp he said well i know what engine im putting into my nova in four years time lol lol ;) he loves his small block turbos.

Scott


Fair play, he's obviously not scared of a 'bit' of wiring lol

[scott.parker]

Fair play, he's obviously not scared of a 'bit' of wiring lol

I wonder though,how much would it coast if anyones silly enough to write one off and sell the engine:D

[Adam]

Well mate i was always quite miffed by this..

In the back of TV mag they have "The V-files"
and in there they have the mk2 astra 16v c20xe as 153bhp at 6000rpm and 150lbft at 4800rpm

but then the cav gsi mk3 2wd c20xe from the same year acording to there files is.. 147bhp at 6000rpm & 144lbft at 4800rpm ???:confused:

So acording to that there is 6bhp loss somewhere between the two,and i carnt see that my self,they use the same running gear and box etc so how's that work?

Scott
The difference is the cat, only mk2 astra's had 20xe's(155ish bhp)
The cav gsi's etc had C20xe's.

I guess TV just forgot to remove the C prefix from the mk2 astra version.

[scott.parker]

Humm well my Engine came from a Astra mk2 16v regesterd as a 1990 and that engein is a C20xe and with just a ITG induction kit and power cap and full 2"system it rr at 165bhp (on reliable rollers) so im even more miffed then mate lol

Scott

[lee 16v]

what about the ecu there not the same from a cav to an astra

i would say just buy a 16v nova easyer, or save up and get a mint shell then get a 16v, and do it properly not bodge it in

[Adam]

I should have changed my post to only Early mk2 astras had 20xe's.
The later ones, H/J plate would have had c20xes.

Identical apart from cat.

[scott.parker]

I should have changed my post to only Early mk2 astras had 20xe's.
The later ones, H/J plate would have had c20xes.

Identical apart from cat.

mine was a G;)

[Adam]

Your G must have been one of the first to have a c20xe then ;) Lol

[Philsutton]

what about the ecu there not the same from a cav to an astra

i would say just buy a 16v nova easyer, or save up and get a mint shell then get a 16v, and do it properly not bodge it in


There was quite a few different ecu's used over on the same car as well, there is at least 6 ecu types that I have seen recently anyway.

[General Baxter]

or see it this way

?300-?400 for a 2L16v engine with over 100k on it
?100-?200 for a 2L8v engine with 50k on it

i know what i would go for lol

[Lee]

or see it this way

?300-?400 for a 2L16v engine with over 100k on it
?100-?200 for a 2L8v engine with 50k on it

i know what i would go for lol

yeah, youd go for something much more complicated and not finish it lol

[Team Reg]

I had an standard seh in mine and used to get a couple of car lengths on my mates standard xe, up to 80-90mph...

At which point he'd come past me

But 8v's are lighter :thumb: