Big Brother Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 DVA/anyone, What is the (reliable!) tuning potential of a 1.4 K series engine? AFAIK they put out 105bhp in standard form. Just wondered what can be acheived before its time to stick in a 1.6/1.8 lump Question asked purely out of interest.......honest 😬 (real Sevens/iron blocks and all that) Steve Se7en-Up! Less is more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Mine is a 96 1.4kss, which IIRC was for a race series (certainly mine is ex race) with a Minister built 1.4, dry sump, hot cam, fancy ECU, 128bhp. It had popped a head gasket when I bought it (it's a K series then) but since then has proven to be reliable and economical. 128bhp comes at 7200, so it's a screamer. below 2000 rpm you might as well get out and push. It only really gets exciting on the right side of 4000 rpm. This is a factory built beast. There could be more if you try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morls Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 There's a Dan in a Brown/purple Fury who has something near 150bhp (on Emerald's dyno) from a 1400K Mark My Caterham Silver Jubilee No. 7 is here with Mavis, under 'Mark's Cars'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 batteredoldsupersport, Interesting, I too have a 1.4K SS ('95), factory built road car with wet sump and as far as I know Minister have been nowhere near it but it too pushes out 128bhp - 135bhp in cold air(I'm guessing here). This was the standard Supersport option with hotter cam and appropriate ECU. Totally agree about the need to get over 4,000. Mine reallly starts to sing at 4,500 rpm. I was surprised to find it has a rear ARB, does your's? I am not sure this was a standard Supersport fitment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence_Z Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 My Minister prepared 1400K puts out 139 BHP on the Emerald rollers, and is sitting in a corner just now Lawrence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordy Posted March 9, 2003 Share Posted March 9, 2003 I enquired about this a while back. Basically 150bhp is feasible, but for the same money you could swap and tune a 1.8K and get alot more, which is why you don't find many highly tuned 1.4's around. The supersport conversion is good though, especially when coupled to a 6 speed box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted March 9, 2003 Share Posted March 9, 2003 Coo, maybe mine puts out better than 128bhp. It is definitely a Minister, I had to take their tamper seals off to do the head gasket ☹️ I just assumed the 1.4SS was the one built by Minister, and the manual quotes it as 128bhp. I haven't measured it on rollers, but I can confirm it is plenty fast enough for me. Nifty, mine does have a rear ARB, it's an adjustable one with 4 positions for the linkage. Is this like yours? Other than that it is a De Dion and the front suspension is post-trunnion. I don't know what year trunnions were abandoned, I have seen a live axle Xflow from my year with trunnia (!) fitted. Mine is from the Caterham race series of the time, whatever spec that was. Somebody must remember. It was a series involving identical specifications to ensure close racing and (allegedly) lower costs. Hence the Minister seals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Payne Posted March 9, 2003 Share Posted March 9, 2003 My 1400K, a 1992, had tamper seals on the head & rocker box but it wasn't a supersport, just the 105 bhp(?) version. Adding the supersport cams/ECU did make the engine much more willing to rev. Ditto ARB and also a LSD. Regards Allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted March 9, 2003 Share Posted March 9, 2003 My 1400 SS made 133 bhp on RR. I reckon it'd be fun to tune one ala DVA style. Cheaper road tax too! O/T sort of........... Have just been reading about a V/X Corsa race prep 1400 making 159 BHP at flywheel. Hhhmmm. Hot hatch anyone? Clamshell Club Founder Member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted March 9, 2003 Leadership Team Share Posted March 9, 2003 Standard 1400 is 105 bhp Supersport is 128 bhp Minister built engines were for the race cars (class C - sealed engines) all fitted with vhpd type solid lifters, and as far as I'm aware, an oil cooler mounted just forward of the sump. No additional power, but reduced oil problems. Cheapest mod to gain more power is to ensure butterfly opens to the full 90♪deg at full throttle - a metal stop prevents this happening and needs modifying with a hacksaw. Also, keeping the input air sheilded from the radiator - a simple ali plate will do - helps keep the induction temperature down and the power up. Best advice if you want more still is rip out the 1400 lump and drop in an 1800. See my posting elsewhere on the costings. It didn't even change my insurance premium! Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan J Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Steve, My Fury has an early 1.4 (Low port head and fixed liners), it has a Warrior Head & Cams with verniers, twin 40DCOE's, GEMS ecu and a BGH g/box. Last year on Emeralds RR at the Se7ens day it showed 151bhp @ 7,300 rpm and 112ftlbs @ 6,500 rpm. It comes on cam at around 3k and redlines at 7,900. . However hit 4,500 and Woo Hoo! I often have to remind myself that there are other gears in the box other than 2nd and 3rd! I've done 8,500 miles in 12 months without a single glitch (only now have i 'aquired' an Apollo - Cheers Hoopy). Dan Fury K series Warrior 1400 151bhp 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Hi I have a 1400SS engine 14k miles no known faults look in for sale section Rgds Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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