Could Someone Explain My Ignition System C20Xe

[Guest A.B]

I'm only getting the one lead replaced priced at £23. The set have only been on there for 380 miles as its been off the road so it would be a shame to throw the set . Or could I get the coil pack lead which is actually a little too long re fitted with the spark plug part on one end?

[Snapperpaul]

Don't obsess over spark leads any good lead will work just fine

£121 for a set of leads

Your having a Giraffe

 

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Don't obsess over spark leads any good lead will work just fine

£121 for a set of leads

Your having a Giraffe

 

That's what I have been trying to say.

[richardm6994]

I used formula power for the ignition leads on my V8.......all custom lengths as I'm runing twin coil pack, 10mm dia and superb quality......plus they fitted what ever ends I wanted......I think it was £95 for the 8 leads

[steve in stockport]

I just bought a couple of second hand sets from eBay for about a fiver and used whatever fitted best.

Motronic ECU is the standard vauxhall item, not a great deal you can do with that other than chipping it. Rolling road wise you should see about 150bhp at the crank as it'll be set for emissions not power. To be honest if it's running right with all the sensors etc working it's probably going to be a waste of money putting it on the rollers. Get a programmable ecu such as megasquirt,emerald, omex etc then have it done.

[Guest chris brown]

There are lots on eBay and as others have said don't go overboard as with a standard system you certainly won't notice any difference with different leads be thay 8mm or 10mm

Edited November 27, 2014 by chris brown

[Guest A.B]

The engine was taken from a Tarmac rally car. its running twin weber 45's, Head has been ported, polished & re worked by cylinder head developments along with the fast road cams. valves are standard, springs & cups are not. Bottom end has sbd big & bolts, sbd head g and bolts. It's also running an sbd 4-2-1 manifold & exhaust

 

It was rolled at 207bhp in 2011, its done 2k since the swap. Ecu is the only thing thats changed between the rally car & now. I need to pop open the motronic ecu to see what's inside.

Is it a big job to switch the ecu over?

[Bob Tucker]

not big, but certainly not cheap.

it probably wont have 207 BHP with the Motronic.

so it will be worth looking at an aftermarket unit.

QED market one DTA

http://qedmotorsport.co.uk/qed-shop/vauxhall-xe-c20xe/engine-management

No doubt SBD offer something similar.

Or megajolt, although that wont work with Vauxhall's 60-2 crank sensor

(At least it didnt when I looked 3 years ago)

so you need to graft on a 36-1 trigger wheel

[steve in stockport]

Fast road cams on a red top are about another 16bhp, fancy nuts and bolts don't give you any more power they just mean you can give it more grief before it self destructs. With the 45's and the manifold you may be around the 190/195 area but you need a different ecu to take it further.

[Guest A.B]

There's a lot of talk about chipped motronic. I'm planning on taking it to be setup up professionally as it pops and bangs currently due to the carbs needing setting up. Has anyone got any clue what this costs be it just a quick set up so it runs ok or properly set up on a rolling road. I gather the latter will cost a few hundred.

£/bhp / practicality could I ask your advice is it worth spending on an ecu for that extra bhp is it even needed?

If I don't do the ecu in your experience am In a few months down the line wish I payed out for an ECU that way saving on the price of a double set up?

Thanks for all the advice so far really appreciate it

[Bob Tucker]

Back to basics......

Any ignition system that generates a decent spark at the right point can provide max HP.

Mapped systems will also provide the capability of setting the right point at lower revs.

It will not provide any extra HP, but should make the car sweeter at poodling speeds.

Your engine will start to pull from 4 to 4.5 K. At that point all the ignition curve will have passed.

The ignition point will be fixed at around 37 degrees of advance between 3.5 to 8k

 

Carbs....45s are about right, but they need to have the right chokes installed.

I'd say 38mm would be the best compromise for road use,

40s will make it intractable but give a few extra HP at max revs

 

Fast road cams need to be dialed in using vernier cams. You dont mention them.

 

Chipping is at its best with turbo engines and fuel injection....you dont have them....save the money.

 

If its popping & banging, the carbs probably need setting up..

 

The only way to set up an engine at your spec is on a rolling road....charges run at about £100 per hour.

Its anybodys guess how long yours will take. Expect at least 2 hours.

 

As a guide my redtop has been fully ported (opened out) & polished with larger inlet valves.

It has a 288 degree cam with solid lifters, forged rods, forged pistons, 45 Dellortos with 38mm chokes.

Unconventially I specified a lower compression ratio than you would normally expect, ie 10.5 instead of 11.5

because I prefer torque to HP.

My engine pulls cleanly from 1500 rpm (30mph in 5th), revs safely to 8k, and hit 210 bhp at 7300 after being

setup on a rolling road.

 

All of that comes using a standard dizzy from a 1985 1.6 Cavalier, with ECU from the same car & and bog standard electronic coil.

The advance curve is completely wrong, but only up to 3.5k....I rarely go that low.

I wouldnt expect to gain anything from a fancy (anything up to £1000) ecu.

 

Hope that gives you food for thought.

Bob

[Guest A.B]

That's superb! Great explanation, thanks now I'll have some clue when I drop it of to be set up and have a basic understanding.

 

The reason I haven't mentioned verniers is because there's nothing mentioned withing my files. I've ran the numbers on the cams so I know they're Kent fast road cams.

 

As for the verniers I'm not too sure about, aren't they usually a coated finish alloy?

 

Hard to take a photo but mine looks like;

 

[Guest A.B]

I'm pretty sure they're standard

[Guest A.B]

The engine came with two sets of cams. A set of re-ground cams and the Kent fast road cams along with quite a few other bits such as heads ect. I take it even re ground cams would need to be dialed in?

[Bob Tucker]

Even standard cams can be improved with vernier cams.

Especially if the head or block have been skimmed or even resurfaced.

If your head has been properly modified, it has almost certainly been refaced.

 

It would definitely have had vernier pulleys in the rally car. A pair will cost around £130

http://www.txautospo...p-gsi-40-p.asp.

 

A while back one of my verniers slipped back by 4 degrees. The engine was completely gutless below 6k,

but then came in with a bang. They make a big difference.

 

Stick with the kent cams for now.....they will have a set advance point to work to.

What cams do you have fitted..?

http://www.kentcams.com/product-manufacturer-models-parts/model/17/vehicletype/1/manufacturer/Vauxhall/m/Astra/?offset=0

Reground cams can be good (mine are) provided the cam grinder gives a spec sheet to go with them.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Bob Tucker