Ideas Pls To Increase “umph” To Standard 2.0 Efi..

[Guest stalwart]

Hi all

Am enjoying the car immensely (bit cold at the moment though!!) and get out in it at every opportunity. It is in standard 2.0 EFi form with no mods (as Ant built). Without being too drastic, I am thinking about boosting the power a bit.

 

I’ve trawled through the archive for ideas of what others have done (but couldn’t find any posts that discuss people having done this – but what do you search under?). I want to keep the injection head for now and not go down the route of changing to carbs at this stage (issue of cost). Also don’t want to start changing cams either. What do people suggest / thoughts on re-mapping the ECU? Is it worthwhile on the standard EFi lump? I have seen these cheap and crap so-called piggy-back “chips” for a few quid on E Bay – but they’re just rubbish resistors worth 10p @ Maplins that just fool the ECU of a different air temp input so it adds more fuel - so want to steer well clear of them! But, what about “proper” mapping / chipping of the ECU? Has anyone had any experience of this mod, and if so, what was the overall result in power increase vs. fuel economy loss – and an idea of cost of fitting, mapping and perhaps a rolling road set up (although is this necessary with an re-chip / remap?). I remember on a thread somewhere a member had a chap come round to his house for the morning in a “mobile” van to rechip or remap and setup……

 

I had K&N’s set up once on my MGB Roadster which required richer needles and a rolling road setup – but we could not stop the engine “plinking” all the time and I ended up replacing the original needles and air filters to make it run properly again – so am hesitant to jump in straight away with the Hood with major alterations to a car that runs great at the moment – I just want a bit more umph!

 

Any info / your thoughts gratefully received – and links / contacts of companies near Derby that might do this sort of work would be great!

 

cheers

Stuart

[Swan Jnr]

not sure if these will be abl to help or not, theyre in derby

 

http://www.topbossperformance.co.uk

 

paul

[Guest timswait]

The Ford EEC IV system (as in our Pinto) isn't very easy to re program, Ford don't intend you to fiddle with it. However, I did find some websites of Mustang owners in America managing it. To my mind if you want to re map the system it would probably be best to make a Mega squirt system (there's quite a few threads on here of people doing this), that way you have all the flexibilty you could wish for, it replaces the Ford EEC system entirely.

Having said all that, if all you do is to re map the computer then don't expect very much additional power, re-programming the computer is more use for maximising other modifications which have been done to the engine.

P.S Thought about NOS, a fairly small charge and you can gain a few extra bhp without too much risk?

[Guest Ant]

I did think about this at one point, so it's perhaps worth passing on my conclusions.

 

The fundamental thing is that a petrol engine runs at a stiochiometric AFR, and the ECU (or carbs or whatever) simply maintain that AFR. Changing the ECU maps will only change the fuel quantity, not the air - that's mechanical and limited by the air filter, the throttle, and head / cam / valves. Do the air first, and the ECU will go to its maximum fuelling at an earlier point in the map simply to balance the AFR - it'll do that as it is, without modification. That's how come you can put a mild performance cam in (FR32 I think) without changing the ECU. If that's not enough then consider a harder cam and a reprogrammable ECU, but reprogrammable ECU's aren't cheap. Swapping the cam for an FR32 (?) isn't too expensive, nor is it difficult to fit. Your valve stem seals need replacing anyhow (I never got around to it), so why not fit one at the same time?

 

Anything which plays with the fuel maps without modifying the air won't make much difference. Take the spare off the back, drive with an empty tank, and throw the tool kit out and you'll get the same effect.

 

At the end of the day you're not going to get much more out of a pinto without bigger mods - high lift cams, carbs, and possibly a supercharger or turbo. But if you're considering that lot, then I'd fit a zetec. It puts you back onto a manufacturers setup, with extra horses already included.

 

Ant

[Guest stalwart]

Your valve stem seals need replacing anyhow (I never got around to it)

oh, good - that's good to know, then!!!

anything else I need to do.......??

[Guest stalwart]

stiochiometric AFR

Ant

i'm sure you make up words to make us all look thick! How do I know that's a real word or not!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest stalwart]

I did find this thread here that talks about fitting a Kent FR34 cam as a straight replacement into an EFi - but causes possible problems with idling.........is this a real problem with this cam, or can it be remedied?

[Guest Ant]

Your valve stem seals need replacing

 

"Need" is perhaps too strong a word - which is why I didn't do them. There's some in that gasket kit pack which I gave you. On cold start a bit of smoke comes out of the exhaust. If the seals were in the cylinder head instead of in the plastic bag then the smoke should go. It's not a problem as it is though, let alone a need. Another 20k and it'll be more of a "need" :-)

 

I did find this thread here that talks about fitting a Kent FR34 cam

 

That's probably the one I'm thinking of. All high lift cams affect the idling. If you want a smooth engine just like a normal car then don't fit any mods.

 

i'm sure you make up words to make us all look thick!     How do I know that's a real word or not!!!!!!!!!!  

 

You know the lambda reading you get at an MOT emissions test? That's measuring your air to fuel ratio (or air to fuel balance, if you prefer). If the AFR is 14.5 (ish) then lambda is 1, and the fuel and air are in the correct proportions. If you run richer than that (AFR less than 14.5, or lambda less than 1) then you get a bit extra power, but a lot of wasted fuel. Run leaner (AFR higher than 14.5 or lambda > 1) and you get poor combustion and lots of NOx. A "Stiochiometric ratio" is the perfect balance - and for petrol it's about 14.5 kg of air to one kg of fuel. 14.5 may be the Diesel value though - I can't remember the numbers.

 

More info than that and you need an A level chemistry text book :-)

 

Ant

[Guest Fred2b]

Stuart

I also have a 2B running 2.0 EFI and have been down this same route to boost the power output because I was once left standing at the lights by a Chav ( whatever that is ?)

Replies about cams were not favourable with the EFI because the ECU cannot cope with the profiling or something like that.

My next thought was nitrous oxide and I think if you have £500 bucks spare ( I don't ) then this is what I would do. You then have extra power occasionally when it's needed but most of the time it's just purring normally. The bottle only lasts about 20 seconds though before needing a refill, and it's not cheap or easy to get hold of and fitting space is limited.

The next thought was a new ported head with big valves, this is also about £400.

The bottom line for me is put up with the old technology 8 valve engine untill I can find a vauxhall redtop 16 valve or turbo something going cheap.

I will be interested to hear what you eventually do, keep us informed

Peter

[Bob Tucker]

Fred,

The 16v XE route is a good one, but it aint cheap.....

The conversion parts add a hefty whack to the starting price of the engine itself.

 

 

Twin Dellortos (EBAY) 335

CX20E engine (EBAY) 305

SBD Sump & gaskets 280

Bellhousing (Rally Design) 170

Complete rear LSD axle 150

LSD (EBAY) 102 Will be re-sold

Manta Sump (EBAY) 100 Will be re-sold

Clutch & fittings SCMF 97

Inlet Manifold BAINES RACING 85

Upper gasket set (SMF) 72

ARP rod bolts (Rally Design) 65

Ignition (Abbey Car Breakers) 44

DHLA Linkage (Rally Design) 42

Big end shells (Dartford Rebore) 29

Cam belt (Rally Design) 26

Coil Module & loom (OnlyOpels) 25

1/2 BSP tap 25

Various bolts (caphead) LANGS 15

Head Bolts (Dartford Rebore) 15

Various studs, O rings Gaskets, oil 12

Dellorto fitting kit (EBAY) 12

Sump gasket (SMF) 8 Will be re-sold

Clutch release arm, & bearing 0

 

PAID OUT SO FAR 2014

 

TO BE SOLD….

engine 400

Webers & inlet manifold 150

Manta sump 80

LSD 60

Chrome cam cover 40

4:1 exhaust 40

3.62 Diff (x2) 20

 

Anticipated Total Cost 1224

 

Good luck whatever route!! Bob.

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

Stuart i went the same way ive got a 2ltr pinto ..i bought 3 Ltr Turbo V6 nissan Megga power can go up to 540bhp But ive only had the car 7months and dont want to stop driving it long enough to fit the new engine enjoyment of driving is beeting the lust for more power.

Mick

[Guest Stevieshood]

Try the FR34k cam. Its got almost the same timing/duration as the standard cam so it works ok within the bounds of the standard air flow meter and ecu. It just raises the torque across the rev range (up to the limiter) by increasing valve lift. Unfortunately, I found I had to machine deeper pockets on the inlet valves because it was on the limit of coil bind at max lift. Worth doing though - I'm thinking of turning the fuel pressure up with an adjustable regulator to make it run a bit richer, but the airflow meter should have sorted most of that out.

 

Apart from that, its not really worth doing anything more because the 8V head is rubbish. You can either go the Warrior route and get 200bhp out the box with injection, or do what I'm doing, and save up for a Duratec conversion. The engine weighs ~50kg less and can put out 220bhp with a set of cams and throttle bodies for £2200.

 

That would make a fast chariot

[Guest lee37vernon]

only yesterday got my hood back on road , was running efi with cam , however the wrong one (piper bp270 i think it was ).

she now has the full des hamill treatment as per his book on the head , using std size valves , the same cam ( now correct due to the carbs ) , twin 40 webers and a lightened flywheel .

it is 900 % better !!

the whole deal has cost me about 20 quid to do head , 30 for inductive dizzy and coil , 35 to lighten the flywheel, about 20 for gaskets, 5 for scrapyard fuel pump , carbs were 200 with manifold (sold filters on e bay for 63 ) replacement soft filters cost 27 so total for carbs was 164 .

 

set up correctly (dave andrews site gives good advice on the carbs )and with unworn carbs this is sweet as a nut , previous had problems with 40's on a crossflow but had worn spindles so guessing that was it ...

 

or try 38 dgas if want it cheaper .

[Guest Robin Allison]

It you want to go the Turbo route its easy. I have a standard 2.0EFi fitted with a 2wd Cosworth T3 turbo and intercooler.

Mods to the EFi system are:

Fitting a pressure switch which closes when the engine is on boost at about 2 to 3 psi. The switch is then wired to the Octaine plug connector spare wires. 2 out of the three are not normaly used. This will retard the ignition by 8 degrees when on boost.

Next remove the black plastic cover off the back of the airflow meter and turn the wheel in side 3 to 4 clicks to the left. This will slacken the spring tension on the flapper and fool the ecu into thinking more air is going in and it will add more fuel.

 

I have ran this set up at 7 to 8 psi boost for 6 months and done 2000mile last year with no problems, no pinking. And at a rolling road day at managed 162bhp at the wheel. For a 140,000mile engine its not bad going.

 

The best part about it all is the dump valve

[steve in stockport]

have been messing about with another members efi car that wouldn't idle and once we cured it he swapped his ford injectors for some from an 8 valve injection cavalier.

he thinks that has given about an extra 10-15bhp and to quote him 'it goes like a b*st*rd and pulls like a train' - could be something to do with the flow rates

 

Steve