Ive had "yet another" rethink with my car & am now contemplating going for a X flow head running throttle bodies..or fitting a 2L 16v with decent tuning applied.. I know my 8v bottom end is sound, hence thinking of the x-flow & t/bs as an alternative to an engine swap.. As i know the history/spec of the car I can see no point in selling it, for what I consider Peanuts, to buy a Valver & repeat the whole tuning process...it'll just be a swift 5 door!! I just want to splash out & it be done performance wise & good for the track. Anyone have ideas on ballpark prices for each option. I will get a LSD as a matter of course too... I know its gonna be expensive either way... [:^(]
Had you thought about a 20VT on budget management? Could slot in a std KO3 unit and get 200BHP with torque to match fairly easily. Might actually not work out that much more expensive than a tuned 16v. Also the turbo will be more driveable. Joe
Sounds like a nice idea You will also need to get the new head flowed and what about the cams? Suppose your head is worth a fair bit of money to offset the costs a bit.
20vt. You have great power already from your 8v so the 16v tuning thatll cost you thousands is best spent on a 20vt with masses of future tuning potential. You can improve on the 20vt without affecting drivability too much. Id do that or stick with what you have and go for the throttle bodies and head like you said. If your gunna start all over go for the 20vt id say. mike
I like the x-flow idea.. Must admit that 20vT doesnt interest me as I like an engine to make plenty of noise such as a T/Bd 16v like Matts.. Im not sure what spec Id go for..Probably stick with hyd lifters & a Schrick 288 cam & maybe raise the rev limit to 7000 or so.. As its an 8v bottom end im not sure how strong/able it is to sustain 7000+ revs so the head/cam spec will need to suit that..
Chris, has your 8v got any piston oil squirters like the 16v's have? If not could anything like that be fitted? Also, how about getting the crank out and lightening, balancing and knifedging it all?
The 2l bottom ends have oil squirters....... if he has one of the rare ones that don't they can be retrofitted.......
When I spoke to TSR about x flow head and TBs a couple of years ago they said they set the limiter to 7200 rpm. Apparantly my bottom end would be fine (Brands Hatch).
Just put some arp rod bolts on, they're not that expensive just to put your mind at rest! yours will have the oil squirters, only use the 288 deg cam chris?? go on you know the 304 will sound awesome! mind you, if you already have the 288 and staying gping to stay hydraulic you will save quite alot of money, thats where alot of money was spent on my head!
Im just thinking of some kind of compromise between road & track use.... Dont want the expense of messing with the bottom end hence I thought hyd x-flow head, 288 Schrick & T/Bs limited to 7K revs would be enough without compromsing reliability..should be plenty powerful & super torquey... The car will also need an LSD (possibly with a 'box rebuild), power clutch & coilovers.. Gonna have to speak to the bank manager (mrs ) VERY nicely!!
Chris go back to plan A you go buy yourself a 16v and I'll have you 8v engine off you Sorry thats not a very constructive answer
12:1 compression ratio! The 8v's can be made to handle silly compression! Use a 304 degree cam and bodies & your car will be rapid! Only problem is the weight of your car. Use a high final drive to give you shorter gears and you will be flying! In gear acceleration out of bends would be phenominal!!!!! The problem now is the amount of you will have to spen to beat your 2.0l 16v counterparts. There is a naturally aspirated 8v mk1 in the states that does low 12sec 1/4's but its seriously light.
vw_singh, what final drive do you reckon on then? i am actualy building this engine at the moment, but was going to go for a std rebuilt 8v box with quaife atb?
So I do... Im not that interested in whether its quick over a 1/4m or how it compares to everyone else...I just want a road friendly usable track day car, ideally whilst keeping 8 valves & being a bit different... I appreciate buying a 3dr valver & going 2L would have been a better (& cheaper) choice, but it has been good fun evolving my own car into what it already is... The last Combe day made me realise it just needs one more big effort to make it complete in my eyes.. At minimum the head & cam might go begging off my car Clare...ideal on a 2L ..unless you have little money & no sense like me!!
