MG ZR: Cams & Maps

[jammapic]

Not worth mapping unless you drop some cams or throttle bodies on it.

[lolsteve]

Throttle bodies would be amazing, but I'll think I'll start with having the right single body on first
In regards to cams I would like to hold onto the vvc system, it's interesting and apparently still good for 180bhp whilst keeping driveability. Although if I ever reach 180 i'll be amazed, getting it back to the standard 160 is my main goal for now since a standard ZR 0-60 is 7.4 sec against the Gti6 8.5 *parkers*.
Couple that with some stripage and suspension work and then we'll have something worthy to go against the more lightly tuned gti6's

[306Dan]

If your down on power, might be worth doing a compression test guage the health of you motor before diving into mapping, bodies etc

[lolsteve]

Anyone got a compression tester spare? Might be worth doing though after all I think I remember headgaskets being some kind of problem or something

[Scott]

I think I remember headgaskets being some kind of problem or something

Can't say I've heard it

[jammapic]

I do Steve if you are oop north?

JP

[procta]

Couple that with some stripage and suspension work and then we'll have something worthy to go against the more lightly tuned gti6's

id bin the shell, go metro with a class c spec as its miles lighter

[lolsteve]

I think I remember headgaskets being some kind of problem or something

Can't say I've heard it

Maybe I dreamt it

I do Steve if you are oop north?

JP

Aye, me old mucka I be up north like
You going to the rolling road session? Although I could pop over to Manchester sometime tis only down the road now

Couple that with some stripage and suspension work and then we'll have something worthy to go against the more lightly tuned gti6's

id bin the shell, go metro with a class c spec as its miles lighter

The shell stays! when you c spec you mean like this
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ro...?logcode=p

[Poodle]

I think he must mean cat c, what with metros belonging in the scrappers. :p

Yeah tbf theres probably not much to be gained from mapping without doing some proper mods first, 160 from a 1.8na is fairly respectable for an oem motor. I dont think anyone's mentioned a turbo yet, should sooo do that!

[lolsteve]

I think he must mean cat c, what with metros belonging in the scrappers. :p

Yeah tbf theres probably not much to be gained from mapping without doing some proper mods first, 160 from a 1.8na is fairly respectable for an oem motor. I dont think anyone's mentioned a turbo yet, should sooo do that!

Well apparently z&f tuning, which is run by guys who designed it all can get either +8bhp or 10% across the rev range and turn up the limiter to 7450rpm. But that's in the region of £240, not exactly unreasonable for a remap but a lot for me at this point in time

There is a premade turbo k series lump about in some bigger rovers, but the lack of a proper driveway/funds this year really does dampen a lot of plans. it's slanted to the point where I wouldn't want to jack the car up in case it rolls back

[Piggy]

thats quite a lot of money for relatively low gains though. That difference could be made by just regular servicing and decent engine oil vs no servicing.

[Midnightclub]

But you wouldn't GAIN anything from a service, only what you've already lost.. so not quite, but £240 for 8hp is a lot

[Piggy]

oh yeah thats true, but I wonder how many people drive round thinking they have X amount of BHP which the car had new, when they dont because of needing tlc

[lolsteve]

Phase 1 upgrade +8bhp, crisper throttle response £219

Phase 2 , limiter now 7450rpm, +10% across rev range £239

http://www.zandf-tuning.co.uk/#!faq/albumphotos3=1

[Piggy]

+10% would be +16bhp surely, across the range? Thats not so bad.

[Poodle]

Total cost would be £460 though.... Sod buying a petrol, this is bullshit lol.

[Piggy]

And I bet thats a premade map too.

so it wont be ideal for each engine as each engine will need its own specific tuning/map changes for a good reliable smooth power flow

[cully]

+10% would be +16bhp surely, across the range? Thats not so bad.

NOT if MG overestemated the original power

[lolsteve]

Okay a bit of a bombshell of an update:
A big thanks to Jammapic goes out today for helping get some more insight into this car with a compression test and taking me out in his gti +hdi, both of which sound amazing and pull like no mans business. Just a shame the roads were wet so the power couldn't be put down fully
Plugging the car into a reader showed the map sensor being a bit off with readings which could explain the blip when you press the throttle
The compression test showed that although the cylinders were within tolerances of each other 3/4 ran at 250psi and the other 240....a standard engine should be 160psi.
There also appears to be no repair gasket so James is thinking that the head has been skimmed and no gasket to make up for the loss of material has been put on resulting in the pressure bumping up making the ecu retard the timings so as not to knock orrrr the exhaust camshaft is timed badly and holding in the exhaust gases for too long. Either way something is afoot.
Removing spark plugs as well showed a lot of oil in some of the holes covering the plugs, possibly a rocker gasket which have been like that for a while since there's bathroom sealant around the area it should be.

In terms of future power mods, I want to stay n/a maybe with throttle bodies or something But for now it looks like it's going to be a bit of work getting it right again

[procta]

I think I remember headgaskets being some kind of problem or something

Can't say I've heard it

Maybe I dreamt it

I do Steve if you are oop north?

JP

Aye, me old mucka I be up north like
You going to the rolling road session? Although I could pop over to Manchester sometime tis only down the road now

Couple that with some stripage and suspension work and then we'll have something worthy to go against the more lightly tuned gti6's

id bin the shell, go metro with a class c spec as its miles lighter

The shell stays! when you c spec you mean like this
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ro...?logcode=p

you wish I ment carb spec, in fact that's a good shell for mine!

I think he must mean cat c, what with metros belonging in the scrappers. :p

oi poodles respect the up coming classic
anyway you two I was meaning this sort of class c
check out some of the specs cars for sale
http://www.mgmetrocup.co.uk/forsale.html

---

Okay a bit of a bombshell of an update:
A big thanks to Jammapic goes out today for helping get some more insight into this car with a compression test and taking me out in his gti +hdi, both of which sound amazing and pull like no mans business. Just a shame the roads were wet so the power couldn't be put down fully
Plugging the car into a reader showed the map sensor being a bit off with readings which could explain the blip when you press the throttle
The compression test showed that although the cylinders were within tolerances of each other 3/4 ran at 250psi and the other 240....a standard engine should be 160psi.
There also appears to be no repair gasket so James is thinking that the head has been skimmed and no gasket to make up for the loss of material has been put on resulting in the pressure bumping up making the ecu retard the timings so as not to knock orrrr the exhaust camshaft is timed badly and holding in the exhaust gases for too long. Either way something is afoot.
Removing spark plugs as well showed a lot of oil in some of the holes covering the plugs, possibly a rocker gasket which have been like that for a while since there's bathroom sealant around the area it should be.

In terms of future power mods, I want to stay n/a maybe with throttle bodies or something But for now it looks like it's going to be a bit of work getting it right again

throttle boddies on a k series engine, will cost a fare bit mind, the idea has tickled me for sometime. but I would have to rebuild a vvc block for the power.

[Niall]

Sounds f*cked

[Poodle]

Blatantly needs a turbo engine in there then, cost just as much as fixing the current one. :p Do it at mine this christmas, you know you want to haha!

[Niall]

Blatantly needs a turbo engine in there then, cost just as much as fixing the current one. :p Do it at mine this christmas, you know you want to haha!

I second this and providing i can sleep in Poodles bed, ill come down and help! And yes i realise its outside the m25.....

[devils_fuel]

Okay a bit of a bombshell of an update:
A big thanks to Jammapic goes out today for helping get some more insight into this car with a compression test and taking me out in his gti +hdi, both of which sound amazing and pull like no mans business. Just a shame the roads were wet so the power couldn't be put down fully
Plugging the car into a reader showed the map sensor being a bit off with readings which could explain the blip when you press the throttle
The compression test showed that although the cylinders were within tolerances of each other 3/4 ran at 250psi and the other 240....a standard engine should be 160psi.
There also appears to be no repair gasket so James is thinking that the head has been skimmed and no gasket to make up for the loss of material has been put on resulting in the pressure bumping up making the ecu retard the timings so as not to knock orrrr the exhaust camshaft is timed badly and holding in the exhaust gases for too long. Either way something is afoot.
Removing spark plugs as well showed a lot of oil in some of the holes covering the plugs, possibly a rocker gasket which have been like that for a while since there's bathroom sealant around the area it should be.

In terms of future power mods, I want to stay n/a maybe with throttle bodies or something But for now it looks like it's going to be a bit of work getting it right again

Something's more than afoot Steve, really sorry about the bad news! As it's a rover I'd get the head off ASAP and get it sorted before things break and cost mega bucks .
Once it's running bang on again any mods will make a difference

[lolsteve]

throttle boddies on a k series engine, will cost a fare bit mind, the idea has tickled me for sometime. but I would have to rebuild a vvc block for the power.

It won't be happening anytime soon, not unless I find some throttle bodies on the floor

Sounds f*cked

Was fked the day it rolled out the showroom
#selfburntocoverthepain

Blatantly needs a turbo engine in there then, cost just as much as fixing the current one. :p Do it at mine this christmas, you know you want to haha!

a Christmas turbo conversion..oh santa I have been a good boy this year have I not? Although bodies does sound chronic

Something's more than afoot Steve, really sorry about the bad news! As it's a rover I'd get the head off ASAP and get it sorted before things break and cost mega bucks .
Once it's running bang on again any mods will make a difference

Thanks man, It's going to go to RStuning soon see if they can give me more of a definite answer with whats causing the massive compression problems. I suppose the upside to all this is that the headgasket is still in one piece

[devils_fuel]

Well the bonus will be that you know the HG's been replaced Steve

[Piggy]

big shame pal. seems very high just for a skim though.

the oil in plug wells is common for Kseries...rocker gasket sets just dont do it

[Poodle]

I second this and providing i can sleep in Poodles bed, ill come down and help! And yes i realise its outside the m25.....

Hell yes!

[procta]

thats quite a lot of money for relatively low gains though. That difference could be made by just regular servicing and decent engine oil vs no servicing.

But you wouldn't GAIN anything from a service, only what you've already lost.. so not quite, but £240 for 8hp is a lot

that's why I wont do anything to my metros engine, no point in spending money so for such little gain, even then some k series tuners cannot say that the engine will have more power either, to me the engine is highly strung to start with anyway standard.
look after them and they are a strong engine.
I wouldn't go to the extent of dropping another lump in it ie turboing it.
its getting the parts now for all that.

[lolsteve]

Very highly strung, but I'll be dammed if I won't try and get more out of it
Been looking into reprofiled vvc cams, apparently there's a company in kent doing it
http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.ph...823&page=3
Wouldn't be cheap but holds onto the vvc mech, however it won't be done until the current engine is running right

Would like to fix this block first, because if I do decide to swap out the lump I can then get a pretty penny for the vvc block