Gbs Single Throttle Body Plenum For Zetec

[Guest RPD1970]

Hello everyone,

 

So I'm about to order my new engine, and I was pretty sure that I was going to go with a standard TB/ECU setup (Jenvey / Emerald or Omex). Excuse my ignorance, but where does the Single Throttle Body Plenum sit in this equation? I'm guessing it's a replacement for the Jenvey type TB, but what are the advantages / disadvantages (seems much cheaper, so there must be a downside!).

 

Maybe someone could humour me and let me know how an engine setup would go with the Single Plenum vs the TB route.

 

Apologies if this is blindingly obvious, but I'm confused!

 

Thanks

 

Russell

[Guest smartfazer]

Hi Russell,

 

If you are talking about the one that GBS are now producing. I spoke with Richard at Detling about this, and he suggests it is a good stepping stone towards full Jenveys.

 

Richard said that whilst they hadn't "rolling roaded" them yet they did not produce as much BHP as Jenveys but seemed to produce good torque.

 

May have a look at these when I get nearer that point in the build.

 

Steve

[Guest davidm]

The plenum solves the problem of the Zetec inlet manifold fouling on the steering shaft.

 

It's for those of us who (for whatever reason) prefer to stick to the standard Zetec setup, rather than go the (expensive!) aftermarket ECU & throttle bodies route.

 

Essentially

 

Remove Zetec plastic inlet manifold & existing throttle body from engine

Bolt plenum to engine

Bolt existing throttle body to end of plenum

Bolt new air filter to throttle body

Connect up

Job done!

 

You can use an aftermarket ECU with this, but IMO it's best to get the standard Ford ECU that matches that particular engine. For those going for a used engine, just make sure you get the ECU & the bits that go with it as well. Saves a fortune! Shouldn't need rolling road sessions either!

 

If you're not into motorsport or screwing every last ounce of power out of the engine, it's an ideal solution. 130+ hp in a car that weighs only 500kg? How much do you want to frighten yourself anyway?

 

HTH (e&oe!)

[Guest Alan_builder]

Hello everyone,

 

So I'm about to order my new engine, and I was pretty sure that I was going to go with a standard TB/ECU setup (Jenvey / Emerald or Omex). Excuse my ignorance, but where does the Single Throttle Body Plenum sit in this equation? I'm guessing it's a replacement for the Jenvey type TB, but what are the advantages / disadvantages (seems much cheaper, so there must be a downside!).

 

Maybe someone could humour me and let me know how an engine setup would go with the Single Plenum vs the TB route.

 

Apologies if this is blindingly obvious, but I'm confused!

 

Thanks

 

Russell

Hi Russell,

 

 

The quick answer to your question is 25BHP. single Zetec throttlebody 155BHP 4 throttlebodies 180Bhp

 

Adding a bit of filling. see my cars web page below Zetec section.

 

Build your own ECU, Megasquirt sub £190. so not expensive. Bike throttlebodiess £80 manifold £130 or fabricate your own as I did, again see my web

 

 

[Guest gixerboy600]

Hi Russell,

 

I have ordered one for the following reason,

 

I am nearly finished the car, £1K is alot of money right now and would delay the car by around three months, I can live with circa 160BHP until next summer and will upgrade to AT Power TB's over the winter. I still plan to set up with Emerald ECU as GBS have set up a few maps for the Plenum Chamber already.

 

Yes yopu sacrifice a bit of power but as said peviously you gain torque.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Guest Alan_builder]

Hi Russell,

 

I have ordered one for the following reason,

 

I am nearly finished the car, £1K is alot of money right now and would delay the car by around three months, I can live with circa 160BHP until next summer and will upgrade to AT Power TB's over the winter. I still plan to set up with Emerald ECU as GBS have set up a few maps for the Plenum Chamber already.

 

Yes yopu sacrifice a bit of power but as said peviously you gain torque.

 

Cheers

 

John

Hi John,

 

What you have not posted is the cost of the GBS plenum nor the Omex / Emerald ECU. I believe the Jenveys are £1K. I paid £60 for my bike throttle bodies and put in a budget of £80. I believe the Omex / Emerald ECUs are £500 and going by recent postings one needs to go to the manufactures (best) for final mapping I paid £170 for Megasquirt. Megasquirt has base maps available for download, If you have access to a wide band lambda sensor you can finalise your map and then refit the narrow band sensor or none as you please. The only down side to Megasquirt is you have the work to do while the upside is the cost is minimum.

 

 

Surely your decision if based on cost is obvious. £1,300 less and 25 bhp more?

 

Time scale may say another route.

 

How much of the money spent on the GBS plenum system is recoverable?

 

Wide band lambda I think cost £60

 

 

 

Alan

[fry61]

Old git + XR3i conversion of 1800 CVH = cheap = fast enough to get me in trouble.

[Guest RPD1970]

Hi Russell,

 

I have ordered one for the following reason,

 

I am nearly finished the car, £1K is alot of money right now and would delay the car by around three months, I can live with circa 160BHP until next summer and will upgrade to AT Power TB's over the winter. I still plan to set up with Emerald ECU as GBS have set up a few maps for the Plenum Chamber already.

 

Yes yopu sacrifice a bit of power but as said peviously you gain torque.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

 

Hi John

 

I was also considering this on cost grounds, but I want to be clear that I've got everything correct.

 

I was looking at this as an option: http://www.mtechautomotive.co.uk/throttle-bodies/ £1495+VAT (£1795) for what looks like everything (ECU / TB / Wiring etc.) I know that GBS do the AT TBs at £930 (inc VAT), so with injectors and ECU I'm guessing it's a similar price to the M-Tech?

 

If I go down the GBS Single plenum route, what do I need?

 

GBS Plenum = £235

ECU = £??

Injectors = £??

Loom = £??

Sensors = £??

Anything else??

 

I'd be really happy to save £1000+ for the sake of a few horses, but if the saving was going to be closer to £500, it might be better to bite the bullet and go for the TB solution now.

 

Any thoughts gratefully received!

 

Russell

[Guest davidm]

Lots of good useful info above. It all depends what's most important to you.

 

As regards the bike carbs/Megasquirt option, there's no doubt this is a very cheap & powerful option. But do remember it is very much a DIY solution that needs a great deal of knowledge & engineering skills, I'm sure Alan has this, but personally, I don't.

 

I prefer the simple just-bolt-it-all-together-and-it'll-run-itself solution. Whilst the Ford ECU is to a certain extent self-learning, other routes could well involve a number of rolling road sessions to get them right & through emissions. And believe me, RR sessions are not cheap! I've heard stories of the inexperienced spending thousands!

 

Alan also asks how much of the GBS plenum cost is recoverable? I would say most of it! I'd have it for a start if I hadn't already got one! Stick it on fleabay and they'll snap your hand off.

[Guest Alan_builder]

Lots of good useful info above. It all depends what's most important to you.

 

 

 

Thank you

 

As regards the bike carbs/Megasquirt option, there's no doubt this is a very cheap & powerful option. But do remember it is very much a DIY solution that needs a great deal of knowledge & engineering skills, I'm sure Alan has this, but personally, I don't.

 

 

Just to clarify the point I don't do bike carbs, nasty horrid things in my opinion, bikers always seem to be tuning them.

 

 

I have throttlebodies as seen at My throttlebodies the header plate is off the Escort 1.8 Zetec engine and you can see I have just welded 4 crushed tubes onto it, then had it powder coated. I have not shown the items yet as the web page is under construction.

 

I prefer the simple just-bolt-it-all-together-and-it'll-run-itself solution. Whilst the Ford ECU is to a certain extent self-learning, other routes could well involve a number of rolling road sessions to get them right & through emissions. And believe me, RR sessions are not cheap! I've heard stories of the inexperienced spending thousands!

 

 

I do agree bolt and go is good. I believe the Ford ECU is the least intelligent of the ECUs as far as self learning goes. I agree that one needs to avoid rolling roads because of the cost. With my Megasquirt ECU and wide band lambda sensor I will need to drive around for some time with the laptop connected collecting the data to readjust my ECU maps provided on line. While I see a rolling road session I don't see more than 1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alan also asks how much of the GBS plenum cost is recoverable? I would say most of it! I'd have it for a start if I hadn't already got one! Stick it on fleabay and they'll snap your hand off.

 

Thats good.

 

 

So the price of £1,800 is for Jeney complete, wow, expensive or not!

 

As a point of interest any one not rate the AT throttle bodies over the Jenvey? Any one not think they will give more power also?

 

Russell.

 

Your grey Zetec injector should flow to give you about 160 BHP, and as the other single plenum solutiond give 150 to 155 BHP they should be ok.

 

Your existing Lambda sensor will do as well.

 

It did sound above that the Ford ECU might be used, but that wont fuel for 155BHP, it was set up for economy, one may be able to chip it but that will cost quite a packet.

 

As I said at the top 25BHP is what you are talking about. That is as much as you get from changing Cams. The Zetec less cat should give about 145 Bhp

 

Hope that helps a little more,

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest gixerboy600]

Hi John

 

I was also considering this on cost grounds, but I want to be clear that I've got everything correct.

 

I was looking at this as an option: http://www.mtechautomotive.co.uk/throttle-bodies/ £1495+VAT (£1795) for what looks like everything (ECU / TB / Wiring etc.) I know that GBS do the AT TBs at £930 (inc VAT), so with injectors and ECU I'm guessing it's a similar price to the M-Tech?

 

If I go down the GBS Single plenum route, what do I need?

 

GBS Plenum = £235

ECU = £??

Injectors = £??

Loom = £??

Sensors = £??

Anything else??

 

I'd be really happy to save £1000+ for the sake of a few horses, but if the saving was going to be closer to £500, it might be better to bite the bullet and go for the TB solution now.

 

Any thoughts gratefully received!

 

Russell

 

 

Hi Russell,

 

ECU is down to personal choice, for me Emerald £580

Loom, £60 from Emerald

Sensors (no too sure about)

injectors and butterfly valve are used from your inlet manifold off the Zetec engine, you will need to keep it and GBS will exchange the bits for modified ones.

 

The plenum replaces the TB's nothing else, with the TB's you would still need the injectors and ecu etc.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Guest RPD1970]

Hi John,

 

Thanks mate, sounds like the way to go to get going!

 

I'll give GBS a call and order some bits up!

 

By the way, I've finished with your brake pipe tool, it'll be back in the post as soon as I can get to the Post Office - Thanks v much for that!!

 

 

Cheers

Russell

[Guest AdrianH]

Does it allow fit-ment of the idle control valve or do you have to sort of wedge the throttle plate open a bit?

 

Adrian

[Guest Chutney]

If your a real tight arse- keep the zetec inlet and make it fit. Like I did. The only money I shall be spending on my inlet end will involve a supercharger.

[steve in stockport]

We've just come back from Sweden, where there was a 1.8 black top zetec in a 2B running all the standard inlet and ECU, all the owner had done was to cut the manifold close to the mounting flange, turn the plenum etc over and reweld it together.

 

The car was RHD and it all cleared the steering ok, good, cheap, reasonably easy solution. He's been running it like that for a few years without any problems