1.8 power

[p.mole1]

I'm about to fit a DVA modified VVC solid cam head and so far I've realised I need a different rear cam cover, a different Jenvey throttle linkage, looks like the spark plug leads won't fit. I hope that's it!

I'm looking for a new larger radiator as I have an copper rad and it seems like it's on the limit on track days it seem quite thin. Can anyone recommend a manufacturer. 

[p.mole1]

Just incase anyone is contemplating fitting a Piper camshaft kit to a VVC, it is a lot more complicated than I envisioned, there is quite a bit of fettling and some machining  required. I decided to let Dave Andrews do it and I'm glad I did!

[Bricol]

Don't recall it being that bad?  Bit of tickling of the head around the cam lobes with a burr, one hole tapped and plugged that used to supply oil to the VVC mech, and fit blanking kit.  30 mins work?

You need the gear of course, and a willingness to apply it to expensive car bits :-)

 

 

[SM25T]

VVC head an inch taller than standard head so longer plug caps would be required.

[K7 VCT]

Radtec always have good reviews.

[p.mole1]

My particular head needed quite a bit removed as the camshaft lobe spacing seemed too tight.

[p.mole1]

I'll give Radtec a try, do they do discount for the 7 club? I'm hoping being able to control water temperature will enable me to do without an oil cooler. Even though I run an 82 degree stat the water starts to creep up to the high 90's and the oil gets up toward 120. 

I don't think it helps running a wet sump and it is a bit of a balancing act with oil levels

[rj]

I'm doing trackdays with the standard alloy radiator with not issues at all except from heat build up when returning to the pit due to lack of circulation. An external booster pump has cured this.
 

[SLR No.77]

You don't need any additional rear cam covers, there's one available for the exhaust cam but it'll be fine without it.

Regarding plug leads, Magnecor can do you a custom set with the VVC (longer) plug ends and distributor fitment at the other end .... that is assuming you still have a dizzy fitted. Unfortunately there isn't a standard VVC set that were used with a distributor.

[nutty7]

I have recently purchased a Radtec radiator very pleased with the product and they did discount for being a club member.

[p.mole1]

Thanks I will contact Radtec after Christmas. I still have the dizzy and I have Magnecor leads on my standard head, when I checked this afternoon it looks like they may actually be long enough? if I'm lucky.

[SLR No.77]

It's not the length of the leads just the length of the push fit heads that might be an issue.

[Mechanical Moz]

EU2 VVC leads might fit. They are HT leads that connect the plugs to a coil pack underneath the inlet manifold so the cable length will be longer than necessary but the ends should be correct.

[p.mole1]

I have fitted the new head, well plonked it on and will bolt it down tomorrow, pleased to find out my Magnecor leads fit, they seemed quite long on the standard head. I seem to use a bit of oil on track days however my bores are fine with no polishing or scuffs. I am using second hand VVC 160 pistons and Westwood liners and was worried about the issues Revilla had but my bores look fine with all the cross hatching in place.

I wonder if it is caused by the high oil temperatures and the fact I am using 5/40 oil, the breather goes into the air box and it is bone dry,no oil vapour, so very little blow by. I have put an order in for a Radtec radiator with a 86 degree fan switch and an 11" fan so hopefully this will keep thing a bit cooler.

Next job is to get the injectors checked and change the fuel filter, I'll be over the moon if I manage 100 bhp per litre however I'm doubtful if this is possible whilst keeping the engine revs below 7800 rpm 

[7 wonders of the world]

Try Alicool for the radiator   

[p.mole1]

Head torqued down and I spent age with the cam timing as I only have one dial gauge and a TDC finder so it's a laborious process. I used the  DVA K series page for the cam timing but his page quotes 2.8mm inlet and 2.4mm exhaust lift at TDC for Piper's 285 hydraulic cams, it may be a bit out of date.

I have just been on Piper's site and they quote 2.23mm inlet and 1.98mm exhaust these figures are .5mm less. I am inclined to go and re-time the cams to Piper's specs as it's a new head and the tappets have no oil in them so I am paranoid about valve to piston clearance.

In theory this shouldn't really be problem as these relatively mild cams but the followers are dry, should I retard the inlet and advance the exhaust start the engine and run it till the tappets are primed then re-time the cams ?

[oilyhands]

If the followers are empty there is an increases the valve/piston clearance so dont worry about clearances. I would use 2.5mm/2.2mm settings on the cams.

Oily

[p.mole1]

Hi Oily thanks

[p.mole1]

Camshaft timing now done and I was about to get the injectors cleaned and checked, but now I'm confused.

It looks like my injectors will not be big enough? assuming my engine has a BSFC of 0.42 which is quite high ( 0.45 to 0.50 is the recommended range for N/a engines ) It would require an Injector of 236cc/min to deliver enough fuel to produce 180 Bhp at 90% duty which is the recommended maximum at 3 bar.

I think the standard cream injectors are 216cc/min @ 3 bar and I don't wan't to increase the fuel pressure as I am using the standard Rover plastic fuel rail.

A bog standard supercharged Mini Cooper S produces about 180bhp and uses a a 340cc/min injector which is much larger and anything more than 230 bhp is causing lean running problems.

Using the calculations based on a BSFC of 0.45 a Rover VVC would produce a power output of 155bhp at a duty cycle of 85% @ 3 bar which does not allow much leeway. What injectors are people running on 1.8's with throttle bodies VVC heads and 285 camshafts?.

Just for a comparison I was running a a 1.4 SS with a 4-2-1 exhaust DTA throttle bodies and the standard injectors were at over 98% and it produced 127bhp at 7600 rpm and I was warned that I was sailing close too the wind!  

I do not want to spend money getting my injectors cleaned if they are going to be too small?

[p.mole1]

I think the standard cream injectors are 218cc/min but strangely at a rated 2.5 bar ? if you increase the pressure to the more commonly used 3 bar the rating increases to 239cc/min and checking my current map it would seem the injectors are running at around 70% duty cycle at their maximum . The current spec of the engine is the same as a R300 and is putting out just over 150bhp. It would look like the standard cream injectors should handle the increase but it could be close and I don't to run over 90%. I did have the later blue injectors in my engine but they had to come out as they were running out of capacity. 

I am using Piper 285 camshafts and a VVC head that has had it's ports and chambers cleaned up so there will be a substantial increase in airflow. I am expecting about a 10-15% increase in power.

Does anyone know what capacity injectors are fitted to the K Series R400 ?  

[SLR No.77]

My ported SLR with roller barrels is running with cream (straw?) injectors and is fine. You'll be okay.

Stu.

[oilyhands]

They are 218 at 3 bar, in my experience they are good for just over 200BHP, they are the stock ones fitted to VHPD engines which are rated at 190BHP. It is OK to increase the fuel pressure on the stock rail, I have run them up to 6 bar on testing rigs to check discharges and routinely increase to 4 bar and have had no issues. You can increase the fuel pressure by squeezing the regulator in a vice using two suitably sized sockets.

The C20XE injectors (0280 150 744) are approximately 10% higher in capacity and are easy to find.

Oily

[p.mole1]

Thanks, I have a few spare regulators, looks like my standard injectors should be fine. I am going to get them tested and cleaned if necessary. I was worried about about turning up at the rolling road and finding my injectors are too small! 

[p.mole1]

I have just fitted my Jenvey DTH 42mm bodies and they match the ports perfectly apart from the port roof. There is a quite a large step,the port is larger than the throttle body. I was thinking of matching the bodies to the port it looks like it would not leave much area for inlet gasket, so it may cause sealing problems.

It seems that the 42mm DTH bodies are not quite the right shape for the VVC port and maybe the 45mm DTH would have a bigger contact area around the inlet gasket. I don't suppose it matters too much? as long as the step isn't in the other direction.

[Paul Mason]

Phil, recently had my 1.8k, VHPD with Piper 1144 (I think), 42mm DTH jenveys, cream injectors and newly fitted sausage filter on the road and got 219. Was beginning to run out of fuel so limiter set at 7.6 and I may do something about it at some stage. The chap mapping it believed it likely to be the standard fuel pump being the limiting factor and probably (though a degree of speculation from him and utter guess work from me) not the injectors. Have been advised re upgraded fuel pump which I may get round to but for now I'll fettle away on other things getting ready for the warmer weather