So.…..the verdict is here.
I filled up at Malvern just before the ECU flash. From there I did 130 motorway miles home.....at around 70, obviously
Over the last couple of days I've done an engine oil and filter change and a gearbox oil change. I couldn't remember which oil went in the gearbox, so I had to look it up on my How To!!!
Although I try to have all the consumables on the shelf, I ran low on axle oil, so that's on the way from Morris Lubricants.
Nothing to report about the service, other than the gearbox level plug drops oil onto the crossmember skid plate. The drain plug was quite grimy with grey deposits which I think come from the baulk rings.
So I did three cold starts in the garage up to full temp during the service.
Today I did a further 44 miles on my test track and did several full bore acceleration runs to get the feel.
On the way home I brimmed the tank at 174.1 miles. It took 21.45 Litres, which is 36.898mpg, a huge increase from my usual 31/32. On a more restrained route, I now think that 40 is within reach.
So taking it one step at a time:
Throttle response: Before was hair trigger, non-linear and needing concentration for a smooth departure. Now.....linear and progressive. No comparison to how it was before. Much more like my cable operated Roadster.
Performance: Over 3,000rpm is the sweet spot. Third gear is the sweet gear. From that point it howls and pushes you back in the seat, accelerating relentlessly. It wouldn't lose much to my S1 Roadster, especially since it's a lot lighter in terms of engine, wing width, and wheels/tyres.
Torque: Available much lower down the rev range. Very obvious in how I can run in a higher gear at low speed without changing down.
Noise: Maybe slightly more poppy on the over run, but doesn't drone, which is the main thing.
Tailpipe: Was black and sooty. Now is a much lighter grey.
So obviously I'm delighted by this transformation. The improved fuel economy must be related to being in a higher gear, and only needing the lightest touch of the accelerator to maintain progress. The whole feeling is transformed from a breathless poor revving engine into something which revs freely and pulls hard. It's not a cheap modification, and is how the Plus 4 should have been from the start. I would have been over the moon if this Morgan had felt like this from Day 1. It's astonishing.
