Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Plus 4 GDI Aero Racing Manifold & Exhaust Upgrade

Not a chance Max!!!

Going down Thursday afternoon in November........three days of the great unwashed brushing past, then driving home Sunday night....in the dark and probably wet.......
Exhibitors deserve a huge medal.

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.

Comprehensive report Dave...quite a transformation it seems..the cost is soon forgotten when results like this are forthcoming.

As you say..should have been like this from the Factory !!

Good to read Mr DaveW findings with the Aero racing manifold etc and ECU re-programme. Seems to have transformed the character of the engine and improved it by a large margin. If I had a GDi plus 4 I think i'd be saving the pennies. Well worth doing and no doubt adds much to the enjoyment of the car. Maybe it should be like this from factory given the cars cost but modifying / making it better , is all part of the fun and sense of achievement.

Aero racing do a very similar manifold/cat package for the Sigma 4/4 as well, which from personal experience is also well worth the expense. This can-be combined with a ECU re-map for even more satisfying results. With the 4/4 Sigma its not a back to factory job however as Wolf performance and some dealers can undertake the process via a lap-top. I know how good this is in a 4/4 and can only imagine how good DaveWs car must be now - effectively a tuned 2.0 litre 4/4. I bet its fantastic...……..

Sounds good Dave.. for those with the 110th Plus 4 with 'half an Aero' exhaust like mine i would recommend the software upgrade before going further with a manifold change.

After doing so mine sounds similar to Dave's outcome but its difficult to make a true comparison so i'd be interested in others experience. It may be that the silencer plus flash is enough.

Glad its worked out for you Dave. 10 miles more mpg will soon recover costs

How much is the ECU flash ?
Does it void the warranty?

£234 at the factory.

You would need to ask about warranty but they sell new cars with the Clubsport ECU spec, so logically it's fine......

I feel a day of back to back testing is on the cards..

The yellow 'un vs the Chiltern Green 'un..

Kev could be the flag starter jumping off the straw bale in inappropriate attire..

Or race for the Pinks..

Whaddya say, chaps..?

Does the flash have to be done at the factory? Living in Switzerland it's a bit of a schlep....
I'll chat with the dealer here and report back...

We would have to have a weigh in for the pilots ala boxing bouts.

As Dave reports that he is short of stature and slim of hip he may well have an unfair advantage in any shoot - out and may well have to attract a handicap !!!