what to do?

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

ok I want to get more (a fair bit more) power in my 19 so ive been looking at ways of accomplishing this as a medium-long term project. As you know i have a spare 19 valver to use as a testbed.

the option which is the most attractive to me at the moment is getting a clio 172 engine and fitting that. This is also the most expensive.

The other options are doing a throttle bodies conversion or supercharger conversion on my 1.8 engine. Either of these would be much cheaper than the clio engine, and much more likely to go very wrong. My engine/box has done 103,000 miles though so however you look at it, its getting on a bit, and im not about to rebuild it. Not sure its worth going to all the hassle on an engine that is 'in its twilight years'

Whichever i choose, i would want different engine management, and for that i have been investigating Megasquirt,

http://www.megasquirt.info/

which does everything i would need, plus a lot more. Chet showed me another alternative from Fastchip which makes the stock ECU remappable,

http://www.fastchip.nl/show.php?lang=en&action=R-tuner

which would make a TB conversion a doddle, but I like the DIY hardcore-ness of Megasquirt Smile

So... one step at a time. Firstly i think i will get a megasquirt kit and go about running the standard 1.8 in my spare 19 on that so I know what im doing.

If i knew how to make this a poll, i would but i dont so i wont. What does everyone else reckon?

Chris, dont say "get another car". Wink

Forum Moderator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 1356

Megasquirt is ok, you can use a bosch coil pack (found on pretty much all fords) to control ignition as well

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

yeah thats megasquirt'n'EDIS, a variation on Megasquirt'n'spark.

id proably leave the stock ECU doing the ignition anyway, at least to begin with.

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

i like the sound of working on the 1.8....tbs or supercharger or whatever...with that mappable ECU etc..just cos it would be much more achieved....you would have got more power out of your own skill rather than just dropping a more powerful lump in which anyone can do really...

ive glanced at megasquirt before but not in detail..gunna read up on it a bit more..is it something to benefit the valver in any state...as i have no chip at the mo.

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 8:39 am

Go on NOS it

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

rebuild it.

if I rebuilt and engine and left it standard but done properly, ok I'd sort the head i bet I could get more power and a better curve than one with TB's etc on a buggered engine.

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

the fastchip sounds a lot easier than the megasquirt....esp cos you just plug it into the diagnostic post that exists on the car already....

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

well if we want to get technical then the best thing you can do is junk the renault loom, ECU, cooling system and injection set up.

revise the whole lot and do it properly.

fast chip is easier but mega squirt you can say I did that

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

u can buy the whole megasquirt kit for 140 dollars....which is about 75 quid...not bad for a custom mappable kit.

havent read enough yet to know if it takes over the job of the std ECU or does it work along side it? and is it a case of just plicing into alll the sensors/injs etc...?

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

if using megasquirt, id obviously make my own loom and relay board etc, so bye bye renault loom.

cooling system is a bit trickier. could machine another fuel rail like the formula student one. That would look pretty trick.

still leaning toward the F4R...

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

cooling system is a joke, badly designed, I will be sorting mine out properly at some point, laguna bits look like a better bet.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Jonnyboy wrote:

u can buy the whole megasquirt kit for 140 dollars....which is about 75 quid...not bad for a custom mappable kit.

havent read enough yet to know if it takes over the job of the std ECU or does it work along side it? and is it a case of just plicing into alll the sensors/injs etc...?

normally MS is for fuelling only, but you can run the additional bits to do the spark as well. If you do that then yes, the stock ECU becomes totally redundant.

So you just wire in all the required sensors and bits and away you go.