Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Two litre Duratec Engines

My son has decided to build a new Caterham and has just placed his order.It is fitted with a two litre Duratec enine rated at 175 BHP . My new Plus Four has a two litre Duratec rated at 145 BHP.The idea of having another 30 BHP is appealing ...how can I do it ?
Regards
Gerry

Look at getting the engine ECU "chipped"

http://www.superchips.co.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&task=searchcat&Itemid=134

Performance exhaust

http://www.librands.co.uk/index.html

Freeflow air filter

http://www.itgairfilters.com/

should put you somewhere near 30 exrta ponys

The 2 Litre Duratec has to be the 4 Cylinder engine to tune as far as Morgans go.. upto 350bhp in a very light package.

Check out http://www.burtonpower.com/technical_1/duratec_he.aspx

It would be worth you getting their catalogue.. if for no other reason than to look through at what it takes to tune the Duratec.

Gerry,
It has been discussed before, there are a few TM users interested in tuning the duratec but I have not talked to a plus-4 owner who has done it yet. I am on the fence, upgrade to a roadster or tune the plus-4. A tuned plus-4 could be more fun and cheaper. As I understand it; in order to get more out the duratec you need to improve the induction system. In order to match the injection with the improved airflow and get a propper set-up you will need a programmably engine management unit. This has put me off for now, at least until the warantee has run out. I guess you can fit a sport exhaust and a chip but I don't think you will get a noticable increase in power, maybe more noise and fuel consumption. If you are serious you could talk to Chas Windridge at Mogsport. He has done a few thottle body & EMU conversions (180 bhp) and gets good reports. Be prepared to pay serious money for serious HP. If you do go for the chip option please let us know what the results are. I think you would have to put it on the dyno before and after to be sure about the gains. Long story hope it helps.

For myself, had performance been that important I'd have simply gone straight to a Roadster in the first place.

Yes, if there was a quick 'n easy way to stuff a few more horses under the bonnet I'd consider it, post warranty (six months to go now). But I'd think twice before doing anything that would badly disturb the current balance of performance / MPG / insurance costs - especially if it would take oodles of dosh to do.

Yes, but how do the chaps from caterham do it?

My own experience with the M16 engine suggests that the advice is sound. Briefly, we found another 40bhp by having a bespoke Omex ems, polished manifold and straught through exhaust plus an itg filter. It removed the flat spot at4000 rpm and now pulls like a train. I have now run it for five years and I sometimes think its perfect: there's more to be gained but I guess somthing to be lost too. Cost was 2500 gbp. Meabh.

I have the same ideas about the 1.8 zetec, but it amazes me how little information and experience there is within the Morgan community compared to the Westfield/Caterham etc owners where such tuning is the norm. Perhaps Morganeers are inherently more conservative. Personally I think the trads need a little more than 115 or 145 bhp - but not the 230+ from the v6 which is excessive IMO (let alone 3.9 or 4.6 v8 motors!)

I will probably have a local motorsport engineer deal with my zetec, as then I can get support locally. It won't be cheap - throttle bodies, inlet/exhaust manifolds, and custom ECU will be about £3k.

Nigel

Very simple... when your son is out, swap the engines