Engines

[MarcNS]

I am looking for a little more power over the winter and have my heart set on

a fruity Twink.

I do not want to take the torque over 123 ft lbs to save the Ital diff.

 

What simple conversions from a XF give good bhp but low torque characteristics

 

The CarThe Club Built

Vvvrrrooomm

[Willie.]

It's not the most simple, but it's not overly complicated...slap a Lotus Twincam head on it.

 

One of the best sounding engines you can get.

 

I've some parts collected for doing the conversion myself, but never got round to it.

 

Willie

[Graham Sewell]

or contact VeganTune

 

Cheers,

 

Graham

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Low tech luddite - xflow and proud!

[oilyhands]

I *think* that Vegantune have gone to the great engine builders in the sky..

 

Oily

[rj]

Oily,

 

A search for Vegantune on Google comes up with a page which has been updated this year, so if you're right it'll be fairly recently.

 

 

/regin

[oilyhands]

It may have been Vulcan that I heard had died.. if so.. apologies, if not apologies to Vulcan , if neither apologies to both .. oh dear.. (I'll get my coat).

 

oily

[Graham Sewell]

On a little digging, VeganTune is not the same company of old - and they have sold teh rights to the engine to British Sports Cars Ltd. But I cannot find any references to them in google. So, unfortunately, it does seem that the twink has died.

 

Vulcan's online brochure was updated Spring 2006 - so canot say much. However, the shop was still there in February when I walked past it on the way to visit a friend at Ealing Hospital.

 

Cheers,

 

Graham

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Low tech luddite - xflow and proud!

[MarcNS]

I am willing to consider none twinks but would be looking at 145+ bhp and 123 ft lbs.

Budget would be up to £3k max.

Marc

 

[MusCat]

Difficult to know what to suggest as I don't know what you have to start with but have a look at the Vulcan web-site it is quite interesting - here

 

Their 145bhp unit produces 148bhp/129 ft lbs, which less torque than their 135bhp unit. The extra 10bhp is produced mainly by using a 244 cam, plus a few minor tweeks.

 

If you've got a 1700cc/135bhp unit you should be able to get what you are looking for with a top end rebuild, ie uprated cam, big valves, polished ports, lighten and faced flywheel etc. I would have thought you may have a bit of change left over from £3k (I recently had a bottom end rebuild done for £2.4K)

 

I've got a uprated head still with a 234 cam and lazy valve springs (standard for a 1700 Caterham engine) but with improved gas flow thru' big valves and polished ports it produces about an extra 12bhp.

 

I'd talk to Vulcan or Rob at Ratrace (who did my rebuild).

 

[Graham Sewell]

Assuming that you have a standard SuperSprint Xflow from Caterham, the first change has to be the ignition timing. Either a remapped Aldon diizy (do a search) is worth upto 10bhp as the standard Caterham one is no good for unleaded fuel - not enough advance - or go for a fully mapped 3d system (do another search). Both will make the car more drivable and may release more power at the top end.

 

After that, the head could do with a little work, but remember to get it converted to unleaded with harder exhaust valve seats. Vulcan Maxiflow heads are well made.

 

If you go much further, then forged pistons will be required - and possible more work at the bottom end.

 

Remember that if you want more power without changing max torque, the only way is to increase the red-line to allow higher revs - as torque is merely power/rpm. So if you increase power in any way in the mid-band, then torque will surely follow.

 

Cheers,

 

Graham

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Low tech luddite - xflow and proud!