Emergency! In Need Of More Speed!

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Ok so raced the car for the first time two weeks ago at brands, but after spending the winter bringing it up to safety regs, I was disappointed to find it's lack of straight line speed diabolical!

 

Like most I'm on an incredibly tight budget and as a new driver spent all of the money on handling, which is fantastic, but on the straights everything was coming passed, xr2, xr2i, Zetec s, and saxos, very embarrassing! I know it's a standard engine (4 2 1 manifold, and k and n) but I was hoping for a tad more! So I booked it on the rolling road for next week to see if it is well down on power, but would like a (hate to say it) quick fix! Over winter she will have ITB's on but I need speed now, was thinking a 285 cam, will that run on standard injection and ecu? Will It need a skim? Will the valves be suitable??

 

Any advice welcome,

Cheers in advance.

[welshpug 1,622]

quick fix, gti6 engine.

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Class restrictions won't allow it!

[welshpug 1,622]

there ain't no quick fix unless you build a good replacement engine double quick!

 

 

a 285 cam will not run on standard injection, been there done that, drove crap!

 

 

however something around a 272 will work reasonably well on standard injection, mappable would be far preferable and a wise move if further mods are going to be undertaken.

 

 

 

a relatively cheap engine to build would be a newman PH4 cam, which is 300 degrees, 1.6 pistons if its a 1.9 engine.

 

or if its a 1.6 then 405 SRI or BX GTI flat top pistons.

 

double valve springs to cope with the revs, standard valves, mild tidyup of the head.

 

 

on throttle bodies that'll get you around 145-150 from a 1.6, or 170-180 from a 1.9 with a properly fat torque curve.

 

that kind of level is relatively cheap and straightforward, after that youre starting to need a pro cylinderhead, lighter forged pistons and rods, matched exhaust manifold and a custom inlet manifold.

[GilesW 41]

Run it as it is for the rest of the season whilst becoming a better driver, then do your engine over winter and come back as a better package - man & machine.

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Some good info there, it's a 1.9 so was very embarrassed by the fiestas, I know one was putting out 147bhp but I was all over it in the corners, I was planning on building a spare engine and swapping them over winter, I'm looking for around 160bhp from the 1900 engine, would you recommend building it yourself or buying one already done? There is a one month break half way through the season, which would be the deadline to change the engine I guess.

 

Cheers for the info

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Run it as it is for the rest of the season whilst becoming a better driver, then do your engine over winter and come back as a better package - man & machine.

That's what I was hoping to do for the first year, but the straight line speed is realy letting me down, no matter what ground I make in the bends, I lose it all on the straight, and brands Indy is a short straight compared to some, It's just a bit down heartening.

[welshpug 1,622]

you'll get 170 easily with 1.6 pistons and PH4 cam but you will need bodies and an ecu.

 

 

I would build it myself, but you'll still need a machinist's assistance for the rod swapping as they are an interference fit, and to check the tolerances on the crank and liners, but assembling from thereon is pretty straightforward if you know how to use a torque wrench and follow the haynes manual.

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Ok should manage then, just out of interest what would that engine run like on standard injection if at all?

[rallyeash 155]

Seems to be a little backwards to go to that effort then compromise on making the most of it by not using proper injection system/ecu/mapping.

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Totally agree, just was interested to see if I could hold the ITB's off till winter and just run it on standard injection, only so I don't have to find a lump sum of cash, rather spread the cost

[hexhamstu 9]

Get the itbs and ecu now, leave the cam and pistons till later?

 

Mines std 8v on itbs and "made" 128 at the wheels. (Results not guaranteed.)

[dcc 855]

Was it your car which died on track? Car 32 from memory? (Was there watching truck racing!)

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

No she didn't die, finished both races just, very slow on the straights , I will know more after the rolling road next week, there is another 205 that races in the class up from me on henvey throttle bodies and it's and 7 seconds faster per lap!!!

[jack-da-stripper 5]

to get 170-180 wont he need atleast mild head work ? great new for both of us if not tho

[welshpug 1,622]

Not really, dcc'c head only had a mild diy tidyup, nothing special, no doubt you could improve on it if you knew what you were doing.

[Henry 1.9GTi 36]

7 seconds around the indy circuit? I don't think thats down to an extra 30bhp or so

 

congrats on first race though, takes a bit to get there and finish!

Edited April 24, 2014 by Henry 1.9GTi

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Surely there's something wrong performance wise if things like Saxos and Zetec-Ss are overtaking. There isn't a huge difference but my 1.9 is quicker than the Zetec-S with a 1.7 Puma engine in it. See what you get standard on the rolling road and if it's down then start getting it tuned back to standard...then start thinking about more.

[Henry 1.9GTi 36]

if you can pull the rev limiter in 4th on a standard 1.9 box ~ 100mph down the pit straight then id say its reasonably healthy for a 1.9gti

Edited April 24, 2014 by Henry 1.9GTi

[jack-da-stripper 5]

What gearbox and final drive are you running ? maybe lowering the final drive a touch will help you through the gears abit quicker untill you get your engine sorted ?

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Well this is thing, I couldn't hit 100 on the pit straight, and through the corners she was great just watched them pull away on the straight, in unsure of any specs engine and gearbox wise, the car had full history up until 2004, when it had the engine changed from a 1.6 to a 1.9 so could possibly be running the 1.6 box, it's been looked after, leads plugs and filter wise, but the guy I bought it off wasn't a 205 man and had only owned it for 6 months as a track car, stab in the dark but she's H287 AMF would love to find the guy who did most of the work, the cam pulley is the same which I assumed would mean a standard cam, but not nessisarily. Was on a very tight shhedual to make the first race otherwise I would have done a bit more digging under the rocker cover

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

Just to add to that, I have hit 110mph at Bedford autodrome straight, it wasn't on the limit but must have been close, kept that as a personal limit as it was the first time I'd had the car out so didn't want to blow the engine, I can't tell you what she was revving at as the dial wasn't working. And for those that know the Indy circuit my average speed was 69mph iirc.

[welshpug 1,622]

What are the regs?

 

The tu engine responds well to mild tuning which is probably why you found them pulling away.

[dartman 4 1 Cars]

The regs arnt to tight, unlimited internal mods, no turbos etc. I used to run a 106 gti engine on carbs which went well but that was on the short circuits so never got up to any huge speed to compare, although it was very quick off the line, I was beating saxos 106's and fiestas on the track days, even mr2's and a m3 although the m3 let me pass him on the straight as was getting anoyed with me zipping around his mirrors through the bends, I guess I underestimated the jump from track car to race car...

[welshpug 1,622]

is the cylinderhead free like it is on hillclimb regs where you have to retain a block from that model?