Nova 1.4 With Turbo

[avatari777]

I have two 5 door novas in my family and being concerned about the environment want to mod them without really going over 1500 cc. I have been able to source most of what I need but am stuck on what turbo to use on the 1.4. In normal form this engine puts out 84 bhp but will be about 120 bhp without the turbo. anyone got any ideas. I also have 1.2 which will put out about 100 bhp without too much modding.

[Asa-James]

what have you got lined up? are you planning to run carbs,throttle bodies,injection? if we know what you have to work with we'll be able to help you more

[Mike]

I also have 1.2 which will put out about 100 bhp without too much modding.

AFPMSL!!!!

Welcome to PNG by the way dude.

To Turbo your N/A engine, youll need a Turbo manifold (so a custom one for a Nova) a suitable size charger (T2 from the likes of RST etc) custom exhust downpipe, then lower the compresion ratio, and of course get the fuel pressure to increase as the boost pressure does.

[avatari777]

I am looking to keep on carbs if poss but will look at injection if needed

[avatari777]

cheers for the welcome

[General Baxter]

you dont want to kill mother nature, so you want to mod your car by jamming more fuel into it lol

welcome to PNG :)

[Mike]

I am looking to keep on carbs if poss but will look at injection if needed

Ok, so keep it under 1.6 to keep the road tax and insurance down. Also keep carbs but fit a turbo. Carbs and Turbo are muchos unreliable! Courtenay Sport did 6 or 7 SR turbo conversion way back in the day, all of which were recalled due to inherent engine failures lol sounds like a certain French tin can turbo box from the early 90s lol

[Asa-James]

personally for the 1.4, cam it, get some lovely twin 40's, bob's your uncle, fanny's your aunt, bing bang bosh, all happy.

but have you thought about the handling?

[avatari777]

the engine has been lightened and balanced to 7k line bored, plus 20 oversize powermax,has 1.6 st 3 head (base) and will easily hold a light pressure turbo. As the car is quick enough as it is I thought the turbo would be a good idea, I have had unos And gt turbos but have never seen A nove

[avatari777]

handling is not a prob

[Mike]

has 1.6 st 3 head (base) and will easily hold a light pressure turbo

No it wont. You melt a piston if you dont use a spacer plate or unless youve got low comp ones already. There N/A pistons, not designed to the boost or heat produced from a Turbo setup.

[dannyb]

I have two 5 door novas in my family and being concerned about the environment want to mod them without really going over 1500 cc.

No, that's because you don't want to pay the higer rate of road tax!lol

It will be an unorthodox method of getting a higher powered Nova, are you that au fait with turbochargers and Vauxhall engines?? If not, stick to tried and tested RELIABLE power gains mate!

[avatari777]

I am looking for about 135 to 140 bhp with a turbo and am looking at bio fuels to run it. running as it is 55mpg is possible without opening the second choke and I am looking to make it more efficient by redistributing waste from the engine.

[Stuart]

personally this is how I would turbocharge a 1.4 8v engine.

Take a 1.6 (earlier the better) mpi head, measure the combustion chamber and the other clearence volume in the head (see the compresison ratio measuring part of the 1.4 tuning guide in my sig/articles forum below the 3 tech ones). a light port refinishing job on the head to make it spangly, relap the valves and all that usual stuff ona head refresh.

once you are sure the CR is right for decent boost (no point running 5psi as it wont give much gain), then slip on the 1.6 mpi inlet manifold + injectors, fit the 3.0 12V throttle body, for cheapness get an adaptor plate made up to fit a T2 turbo to the std 1.6 cast manifold (beware this is likely to crack so support the turbo with extra stays), get something like megasquirt or better yet if you are a spanner with a soldering iron buy a 2nd hand MEB/DTA ecu and get it all mapped up.

use a std 1.6 mpi cam as the overlap will be minimal compared to a cam designed for a high revving N/A application.

you are aware that "being eco friendly" is bull poo when modding engines.... eg any engine making 100bhp will be consuming 10lbs or air per minute, and obviously fuelling to suit that air flow, so technically the fuelling will be the same for a 1200cc engine making 100bhp as it would be for a 3.0 V6 makig the same power.... ok small variations for inlet/burn characteristics but fundamentally its the same.

[craig green]

I would just find a clean R5 turbo (if there are any left) & use that to drive in.

For the cost/hassle involved. It might not be worth it.

There are still many factors not considered in the above list to get it running.
You'd be surprised what 5psi would do to a N/A engine though.

[Stuart]

Yep I'd be surprised that it did anything lol