16 replies to this topic

[cheese-lobber]

I realise this forum is for VX220s, however this will be of interest to you turbo owners:

I have just got my Astra Coupe turbo back from Courtenay having let them fit an Astra VXR turbo unit to it.

My turbo is a KKK like that being used on the Astra H VXR and it spools up very quickly and gives higher boost at high revs. Howver it's boost is slightly lower at 5K than that given buy a hybrid Z-Let KKK (1.5 PSI) but it then rises back to 20 PSI at 6K!

The graphs are similar but at points the VXR unit is higher and then lower, but as stated it's quicker to boost and holds incredible boost at high revs.

On the road the car is very willing and eager to get on with it and is a pleasure to drive. It's so much better than it was before (CS2 & standard tb) and the price is fantasitic.

The only difference to the VXR turbo is an uprated actuator, otherwise it's as per it's development for the Astra H.

I shall post some graphs later, but here are the highest figures:

BHP = 278.8 @ 6215 RPM
Lb Ft = 281.1 @ 2887 RPM (a max of 290 was achived in a different run)

Here are the car's engine specs:

CS 4 map
Miltek exhaust system
100 cell sports cat
Precat pipe
VXR Astra turbo (uprated actuator)
Vectra intake pipe
Courtenay panel filter
Courtenay 9 ltr SMIC
Aquamist water injection (system S1) - jet fitted prior to the I/C

The water injection and SMIC are keeping the air temp below 40 deg C at all times, now there's a good result.


Graph time:
BHP

Torque


For further info about VX220 conversions speak to Jon or Mark W @ Courtenay.

Edited by cheese-lobber, 17 September 2005 - 07:58 AM.

[Jim_Cross]

That's a whole lot of torque for a FWD car

[The Knobs]

now thats the sort of power and torque that is meant for the VX.

[RWinstanley]

Is this using the standard bottom end (Zelet) or the VXR (Pulsar)?

[cheese-lobber]

Is this using the standard bottom end (Zelet) or the VXR (Pulsar)?

It's a standard Z-LET engine, but with a VXR turbo unit and Miltek exhaust system, sports cat and pre cat pipe.

[garyk220]

Looks like a nice map, especially with the power still climbing beyond 6000rpm My Stage 2 power peaks at 5450rpm running a standard turbo and beyond that the torque curve resembles a cliff face Biggest issue with the ZLET in the VX is intake temperatures. I often see the temp rising to 55 degrees on the road, even after very short bursts of acceleration, and have seen one peak of 80 degrees under very extreme conditions. Like the sound of the water injection system. Have you tried observing temps with it switched off for comparison?

[paulf-cam]

Is this using the standard bottom end (Zelet) or the VXR (Pulsar)?

What the Pulsar? Rebadged ZLET derivative?

What changed (apart from the turbo)?

Ta, Paul.

[cheeky_chops]

Have you tried observing temps with it switched off for comparison?

bit of info from Steve on the zlet site - steve has bigger IC and stage 3 map too

"First off, ambient temperature of 22 degree C, 40-120 mph run starting with an intake temperature and WI off. Start temperature of 25.7 degrees, at 120 mph the intake temp was at 51.1 degrees.

No power runs yet with the WI on, but a quite astounding discovery when the car has been stopped and run down correctly and left for 20 minutes. On returning to the car, when the intake temperature was about 23-24 degrees (normal temperature in traffic at an ambient temperature of 21-22 degrees). Intake temperature on start up has been as high as 58 degrees, taking a good while to reduce back to about 24 degrees when driving around town traffic.

This, to me, indicates serious heat soak in the engine bay intake pipework when the car is parked. Most likely, from previous checks by Ram, the crossover pipe from AMM to turbo is absorbing lots of heat.

Now the good bit Wink water injection. When applying boost around the 30-40 mph mark (ie town traffic) after heat soaking, the temperature will remain at 40 degrees, dropping slowly and then shooting back up when on boost, with water injection OFF. Switch on the magic WI and when the car is on boost (the WI is activated with boost pressure, to ensure it is needed) the temperature actually DROPS instead of climbing, showing how much more effective water injection is for slewing heat from the intake charge Very Happy"

[GerryM]

Have you tried observing temps with it switched off for comparison?

bit of info from Steve on the zlet site - steve has bigger IC and stage 3 map too

"First off, ambient temperature of 22 degree C, 40-120 mph run starting with an intake temperature and WI off. Start temperature of 25.7 degrees, at 120 mph the intake temp was at 51.1 degrees.

No power runs yet with the WI on, but a quite astounding discovery when the car has been stopped and run down correctly and left for 20 minutes. On returning to the car, when the intake temperature was about 23-24 degrees (normal temperature in traffic at an ambient temperature of 21-22 degrees). Intake temperature on start up has been as high as 58 degrees, taking a good while to reduce back to about 24 degrees when driving around town traffic.

This, to me, indicates serious heat soak in the engine bay intake pipework when the car is parked. Most likely, from previous checks by Ram, the crossover pipe from AMM to turbo is absorbing lots of heat.

Now the good bit Wink water injection. When applying boost around the 30-40 mph mark (ie town traffic) after heat soaking, the temperature will remain at 40 degrees, dropping slowly and then shooting back up when on boost, with water injection OFF. Switch on the magic WI and when the car is on boost (the WI is activated with boost pressure, to ensure it is needed) the temperature actually DROPS instead of climbing, showing how much more effective water injection is for slewing heat from the intake charge Very Happy"

Wow, now I KNOW I know fook all about cars.


That wasn't even English!

[garyk220]

Thanks CC Look forward to seeing the temps on a 40-120 run with the WI on. The without WI temps, 25 rising to 51 degrees, look very similar to mine. PS Do you know if anyone on the ZLET forum has found out where the intake temp sensor is located? I assume it is in the throttle body somewhere, but not managed to find anything on TIS to confirm this.

[RWinstanley]

Is this using the standard bottom end (Zelet) or the VXR (Pulsar)?

What the Pulsar? Rebadged ZLET derivative?

What changed (apart from the turbo)?

Ta, Paul.

Pulsar is the upgraded version of the zlet to put in the Astra VXR.

It has a larger hybrid turbo, revised map (obviously) and, much to the anoyance of GM, piston cooling oil jets. As the standard bottom end wouldn't pass the GM durability target due to the in-cylinder temperatures.

There were probably a couple of other minor changes but GM really wanted 240bhp with just a Turbo change and re-callibration. I not sure of these as it was a development not design project and only involved in looking at wether the existing oil pump could supply enough oil for the jets.

Rob

[paulf-cam]

Pulsar is the upgraded version of the zlet to put in the Astra VXR.

It has a larger hybrid turbo, revised map (obviously) and, much to the anoyance of GM, piston cooling oil jets. As the standard bottom end wouldn't pass the GM durability target due to the in-cylinder temperatures.

There were probably a couple of other minor changes but GM really wanted 240bhp with just a Turbo change and re-callibration. I not sure of these as it was a development not design project and only involved in looking at wether the existing oil pump could supply enough oil for the jets.

Rob

Interesting!

I wonder how long before we see ppl swapping this engine into the VXT... Could be pushed that little bit further than the ZLET. Especially with a charge cooler...

[geoff200]

Are all turbo powered engines like these based on a cast iron block? Are there any lighter alloy ones used or are these too weak for turbos?

[paulf-cam]

Are all turbo powered engines like these based on a cast iron block? Are there any lighter alloy ones used or are these too weak for turbos?

No, SAAB (GM) has a version of the engine used in the VX 2.2 which is turbo charged. Its been strengthened to cope with boost and is all alloy.

Ta, Paul.

[RWinstanley]

Interesting!

I wonder how long before we see ppl swapping this engine into the VXT... Could be pushed that little bit further than the ZLET. Especially with a charge cooler...

About as long as it takes some chav to write off a Astra VXR

[cheese-lobber]

Thanks CC Look forward to seeing the temps on a 40-120 run with the WI on. The without WI temps, 25 rising to 51 degrees, look very similar to mine.

PS Do you know if anyone on the ZLET forum has found out where the intake temp sensor is located? I assume it is in the throttle body somewhere, but not managed to find anything on TIS to confirm this.

The air temp semsor is in the same unit as the boost sensor, which is located in the outlet pipe of the I/C in the Astra G.

My water inj jet is located before the I/C and helps reduce heat sink, but only at 10psi when it's activated!

So far my highest intake temp is 40 deg C, this is at least 10-15 lower then previous temps (with a standard turbo and CS2 map - 15 psi)

[cheeky_chops]

So far my highest intake temp is 40 deg C

...you should see approx 3% power increase for ever 10c lower in a VXT with an ave. temp of about 65-70c - means 20 bhp extra!!!