4722 replies to this topic

[Nev]

The new airbox is made and fitted now. As you can see it just fits behind the drivers seat and passes air through the bulkhead in a 4" diameter flexi pipe to the turbo in an ultra short run.

As far as I'm aware this is the first VXT to be configured like this. Inlet temps will be as low as possible and I've finally reclaimed my boot back which I wanted.
....................................
Theres a good reason why no one has configured a vxt like this before!
Your choice Nev! Go for it! Must be easier ways of removing dust from your dash !

 

Yea, it's not ideal if you want a tranquil drive, but I really wanted to reclaim my boot back and also wanted to retain 2 large paper filters for obvious reasons. Due to space limitations it was the only remaining place I could find in the car.

 

With ear plugs in though, the noises are great fun and it all adds to the "event". I've never wanted Nipper to be a bland car, I'd far rather it was a total contrast to the refinement and cloud wafting ability of most modern cars. Modern OEM cars are amazing: safe, quiet, comfortable, practical etc etc, Nipper is deliberately different, my car, my choice.

 

If there is one thing this mod has revealed, is how a combustion engine is simply an air pump. The immense sucking sounds even at low RPM make it totally apparent how good air flow is the #1 efficiency target in tuning.

Edited by Nev, 28 August 2019 - 06:38 AM.

[mbes2]

Do you have to drive with the windows down all the time ?

Where is the air flow coming from ?

Roof vent ?

[Nev]

I think having the windows cracked open a bit is important, but thankfully our little cars have so many holes and gaps in them the air can get into the cabin pretty easily I think. One thing I've noticed is that the cabin is now a low pressure zone at speed, previously I used to find my soft top was convex in shape (worryingly so!), now it is sucked down (ie concave) at the back, but still convex at the front. I suppose that's an indication of some pressure changes.

 

When I took Josh out for a passenger ride, he said he thought he could feel the pressure drop in the cabin when I booted it, but I've not noticed it to be honest. According to my calcs, @8000 RPM the engine can drain all of the air out of the cabin in about 5 seconds.

 

My hard top now has a pipe leading from the scoop pointing air down at the filters, so in winter I can wind the windows up. Obviously during summer, spring & autumn when driving with the soft top (or topless) getting air into the cabin isn't a real world issue TBH. I usually have the windows open a bit as it helps cool the cabin down; remember my hot bulkhead is like having a house radiator in the car, it is way warmed than a normal VX, so consequently I have the windows open more I suppose.

 

Edited by Nev, 28 August 2019 - 07:45 AM.

[chris_uk]

that's all great Nev, but i still would love to see how effective this is to drop the intake temps.. 

[Rosssco]

that's all great Nev, but i still would love to see how effective this is to drop the intake temps..

 
It's fine - now sucking in warmed up cabin air rather than cooler external air

 

[sford]

I suppose if you fart in the cabin it's not going to hang around long, might even help with power.

[smiley]

If the passenger sweats a lot, it's free water injection.

[sford]

If the passenger sweats a lot, it's free water injection.

 

Methane and water injection! 

[Nev]

I suppose if you fart in the cabin it's not going to hang around long, might even help with power.

 

Eat a can of beans and come for a passenger ride and find out! I have a feeling you were there that day I took MrSimba out weren't you?

 

Edited by Nev, 29 August 2019 - 07:29 PM.

[sford]

Yeah that was me, many generations of nipper ago! 

[Duncan VXR]

I suppose if you fart in the cabin it's not going to hang around long, might even help with power.

Eat a can of beans and come for a passenger ride and find out! I have a feeling you were there that day I took MrSimba out weren't you?

Nice to see MrSimba name pop up, was a very good friend and he sure liked his pax rides of crazy conversions :)

[Nev]

I've barely been using my run-about diesel car in the last 3 months or so, as I've just been driving Nipper. Anyway, I had reason to go out in the diesel car the other day and I tried to "nip into a gap" in the traffic and nearly caused an accident due to lack to oompf. Thankfully the driver of the car at the rear of the gap braked in time and I felt duly stupid and humbled!

 

On the plus side, I took an old friend out in Nipper into some B-roads in Wales (who'd been in the car before many years ago when it was 300 HP and relatively unmodified). When we got back home I asked him what he thought was the most prominent thing; after consideration he said "the g-forces in the corners". I wasn't expecting that, but it was nice to know.

Edited by Nev, 06 September 2019 - 05:52 AM.

[Nev]

Now that the summer holidays are over and traffic is reduced, I decided to blow the cobwebs off yesterday and drove all the way up the Dragon's back. Almost all of it is twisty single carriageway, using lots of the magnificent A470 and plenty of other minor road detours over the moors, hills and lakes. Weather was fab and felt alert enough to do 430 miles. Some pics:
 




















 

Edited by Nev, 09 September 2019 - 07:44 AM.

[Nev]

Just negotiated a juicy job, so back to work for me soon.

 

Might have a last splurge up in Scotland, though the weather up there looks a little shaky at the moment. Not sure if I should take Nipper or the Focus, all that motorway driving in Nipper would not be pleasant at all.

[Nev]

(Yet) another pic from last weekend . Empty roads and premium tarmac... boot-tastic!

I can understand those in the congested SE paying for it, but out here it's free...
 

Edited by Nev, 11 September 2019 - 08:51 PM.

[VXT Tim]

We go on the A470 for about 10 mins on our way over, it doesn’t resemble that. Looks fantastic.

[Nev]

We go on the A470 for about 10 mins on our way over, it doesn’t resemble that. Looks fantastic.

TIMBO, who woke you up out of your slumber?!!

TBF, only one of those pics is the A470, when I'm on it I rarely stop for pics as it's non stop roller coaster twisty turny fun.

Most of those pics above are some minor B-roads that offshoot. They are all great though IMO, do you still have your 2nd house out there? PM me your address, and I can rudely awaken you one morning!!

Edited by Nev, 11 September 2019 - 10:55 PM.

[Nev]

Got up to Scotland in the end as the weather forecast was looking so good, though I took my old Ford Focus as I wanted to stop off to view 3 cars on the way with a view to trading it in for a newer model; which I did. Bought myself a 4 year old "econetic" model Focus TDCI as it suits my needs of load lugging and motorway/touring economy.

Had some epic weather up there, it touched 25 degrees C on 2 of the days. Drove 1600 miles in the new Focus and got 76 MPG out of it (much of it driving in grandpa mode staring at the screnery). As I was coming home it developed a bit of an idle/power hesitancy. However after spending 15 minutes in the engine bay, I took the MAF out, squirted it with brake cleaner and it's all running fine now.
 
Some pics:
 

Edited by Nev, 27 September 2019 - 07:28 PM.

[Nev]

Decided to convert my Focus TDCi from Euro 6 to Euro 0 today...! 

 

After fiddling with my MAF the other day, I had noted a pool of oil in the short bellows/pipe that leads from the MAF to the turbo. This is because the crank breather (very stupidly) mates with the bellows/pipe (just 4 inches from the MAF), which explains why the sensor wire on the MAF contaminates so much. Anyway, I've now made the crank breather vent to atmosphere (via a jury rigged catch tank).

 

Long term this is a good mod, hopefully I'll never need to clean/buy a new MAF now and should get marginally better economy and power. I expect a lot of modern cars might benefit from this mod, to stop them re-breathing oxygen-less and oily air from the crank-case, particularly at high revs/power when the blow by will be higher. VX220 turbo owners could easily do this mod if they wanted...

 

Edited by Nev, 01 October 2019 - 04:50 PM.

[smiley]

Indeed crank case breather to inlet and egr are known culprits for creating crap in engine and causing issues.