Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post queries regarding your Mk3 Cavalier's fuel system (including ECUs) and exhaust here
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Solondon1
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:59 pm
Location: Croydon

Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by Solondon1 »

Yo guys I'm new on here, another cavvy lover amongst yous. Please forgive e me I don't know another lot just basic knowledge. on my 2th can now upgraded from 1.8 8v got more oomph and got a 2.0 Eco tec 16v but seems like head gasket is gone, water pump sounds like its about Togo ( could be waterpump putting water in the engine) but this don't bother me I can't sort that but the proble. Is doing my head is wont rev pass flicking 4500 rpm so annoying only using this limited rev already quicker than my old 90 bhp cav and want it full potential so wtf is this problem??? Lol sensor or soming? Some one told me could be the belt slipped on water pumped on safe mode...got tha head of and skimmed so want have good idea what's the problem before put it together! Sorry for my English I suck cheers guys
colin1
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Posts: 310
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:31 pm
Location: Oakdale, S Wales

Re: Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by colin1 »

Solondon1 wrote:Yo guys I'm new on here, another cavvy lover amongst yous. Please forgive e me I don't know another lot just basic knowledge. on my 2th can now upgraded from 1.8 8v got more oomph and got a 2.0 Eco tec 16v but seems like head gasket is gone, water pump sounds like its about Togo ( could be waterpump putting water in the engine) but this don't bother me I can't sort that but the proble. Is doing my head is wont rev pass flicking 4500 rpm so annoying only using this limited rev already quicker than my old 90 bhp cav and want it full potential so wtf is this problem??? Lol sensor or soming? Some one told me could be the belt slipped on water pumped on safe mode...got tha head of and skimmed so want have good idea what's the problem before put it together! Sorry for my English I suck cheers guys
Hi Solondon, welcome aboard
Eco etc makes a change from ecotech I suppose :)

Well it sounds like you're on the way to solving the headgasket issue, a new timing belt kit incorporating water pump and thermostat while you're in there is considered sound practice.

If the engine starts to buck quite violently @4,500rpm it usually indicates that the cam sensor needs replacing. If you don't know how to do this yet I would take it to a private garage that you trust and tell them you want the 4-pole cam sensor fitted (in place of the factory-fitted 3-pole). It could well be that this has already been done but there's no harm in mentioning it. You haven't mentioned an engine management light (the orange dashboard light, like an engine block with a steak of lightning inside); you would see that if you tried to cross the 4,500rpm threshold.

Have you seen this orange light for any reason, once the engine is running?

Usually, first port of call for any diagnostics issue is to get the codes read off, unfortunately you aren't going to have a good idea what the problem is until you put the engine back together.

'Some one told me could be the belt slipped on water pumped on safe mode' - I'm not really sure what your friend means by that.
93K C20XE Cavalier SRi Hatchback Spectral Blue Metallic
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Solondon1
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:59 pm
Location: Croydon

Re: Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by Solondon1 »

Cheers for your reply pal, no eml comes up can't member entirely but sure didn't come up when I'm bouncing of what basically sounds like when ur on the rev limter but only at 4500 rpm, ok il make sure of the cam sensor be sorted it... I figure how to change just take it out and put back how it was taken out plus have Haynes manual, now once my engine running how it should I'm baffled what I should to get some more power! I read a lot of reviews and all that I'm thinking what's best get manifold made for me and decat and sod of the centre box gain as much power as possible but I read some said doing that mess up the torque and that... Or keep manifold and just buy sportex decat as that be only 70 pound instead of spending 400 on long life making me a manifold and that... And back box want to keep standard one so can keep it bit of a sleeper what u reckon pal and people views this??? Thanks
colin1
Registered user
Posts: 310
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:31 pm
Location: Oakdale, S Wales

Re: Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by colin1 »

Solondon1 wrote:Cheers for your reply pal, no eml comes up can't member entirely but sure didn't come up when I'm bouncing of what basically sounds like when ur on the rev limter but only at 4500 rpm, ok il make sure of the cam sensor be sorted it... I figure how to change just take it out and put back how it was taken out plus have Haynes manual, now once my engine running how it should I'm baffled what I should to get some more power! I read a lot of reviews and all that I'm thinking what's best get manifold made for me and decat and sod of the centre box gain as much power as possible but I read some said doing that mess up the torque and that... Or keep manifold and just buy sportex decat as that be only 70 pound instead of spending 400 on long life making me a manifold and that... And back box want to keep standard one so can keep it bit of a sleeper what u reckon pal and people views this??? Thanks
I don't know what your budget is
the first thing I think of with getting more out of the ecotec is the factory-fit exhaust manifold. This is heavy and very restrictive, Lexmaul make an excellent 4-2-1 manifold replacement and I would (and did) go with LongLife, they are quality exhausts and they're guaranteed for the life of the car.
Second thing would be that big, lard-arsed flywheel, there are a couple of outfits out there doing lightened flywheels for the ecotec.
Third would be a new set of cams but you're not going to see the best of these if you don't go with a more aggressive ECU as well.

You will need to consider brakes and suspension in parallel with any engine mods
93K C20XE Cavalier SRi Hatchback Spectral Blue Metallic
94M X20XEV Cavalier SRi Hatchback Flame Red

96N C14NZ Corsa B 4-dr Flame Red'ish
Solondon1
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:59 pm
Location: Croydon

Re: Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by Solondon1 »

Thanks pal quote from long life for manifold was like 550 pounds and not willing to spend that much money just for a manifold but 400 for that other manifold, what if get like a Sri manifold and get flange welded on to that from ecotec manifold is that worth it cos will get long life do it same time as the decat, http://www.lmfvauxhall.co.uk/Freidrich- ... 20XEV.html if not might grab this also the Ecu geeza saying can't remap Ecu on the cavalier he said maybe a chip? This means nothing to me
colin1
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Posts: 310
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:31 pm
Location: Oakdale, S Wales

Re: Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by colin1 »

Solondon1 wrote:Thanks pal quote from long life for manifold was like 550 pounds and not willing to spend that much money just for a manifold but 400 for that other manifold, what if get like a Sri manifold and get flange welded on to that from ecotec manifold is that worth it cos will get long life do it same time as the decat, http://www.lmfvauxhall.co.uk/Freidrich- ... 20XEV.html if not might grab this also the Ecu geeza saying can't remap Ecu on the cavalier he said maybe a chip? This means nothing to me
LongLife do exhausts, as I understand it, they don't officially do manifolds. That might have changed, it's been a while since I had mine done.

Re-using the ecotec flange on a redtop system possibly not as easy as it sounds. My ecotec SRi and redtop SRi both have Lexmaul manifolds, the redtop has a greater pipe diameter and the head is wider; this could cause problems with the downpipes not sitting flush in the new flange. You also have a mismatch between ecotec combustion chamber and redtop pipe diameter - with the greater pipe diameter of the redtop system, the ecotec could, theoretically, end up actually losing power. The flange on the factory-fitted manifold will also be devilishly difficult to separate from the downpipe element - I don't know if you've looked at it but it's an awkward lump of pig-iron. Lexmaul manifolds retailed for about £300 last time I bought one and they're worth having, very noticeable on the ecotec. Stick a sports cat and LongLife freeflow system in the back of it and off you go..

ECU geeza is right, which is why I suggested a more aggressive (ie a different) ECU. This is the device that will bring all your engine mods together, worth the outlay and singing off the same song sheet.

As I said though, no idea what your budget is.
93K C20XE Cavalier SRi Hatchback Spectral Blue Metallic
94M X20XEV Cavalier SRi Hatchback Flame Red

96N C14NZ Corsa B 4-dr Flame Red'ish
Solondon1
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:59 pm
Location: Croydon

Re: Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by Solondon1 »

Okay fudge it I made my mind up lol but another question aha im going to keep the standard manifold but I know noticed the exhaust ports is bit smaller than the manifold ports sort of thing and is also smaller than the gasket! So should I just use my gasket draw on the exhaust ports as a template and just use my dremal to just match the ports and leave it as that and sod the sports cat! Lol don't care about noise just want gain as much power for less money just get decat .. What u reckon good idea?
colin1
Registered user
Posts: 310
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:31 pm
Location: Oakdale, S Wales

Re: Vauxhall eco etc realistic tips

Post by colin1 »

Solondon1 wrote:Okay effing it I made my mind up lol but another question aha im going to keep the standard manifold but I know noticed the exhaust ports is bit smaller than the manifold ports sort of thing and is also smaller than the gasket! So should I just use my gasket draw on the exhaust ports as a template and just use my dremal to just match the ports and leave it as that and sod the sports cat! Lol don't care about noise just want gain as much power for less money just get decat .. What u reckon good idea?
It's entirely up to you, I wouldn't personally keep the stock manifold as it's such an obscene bottleneck for power, the Lexmaul item is an easy solution and provides a very noticeable freeing-up of power. If you don't want to go the sports cat route that's also up to you; the existing cat-back system should be adequate (which is what, by the way? Stock or aftermarket?)

I'm not really sure what you are planning to do with your dremel but if you were implying tackling the exhaust ports, well, with a dremel...
...give yourself PLENTY of time to complete the job along with no guarantee of an end-product that doesn't completely screw up the porting. You won't even be able to guarantee uniformity across any or all of the exhaust port apertures, not by eye and not with a dremel. If it's advice you're after, I'd leave that avenue unexplored.

If de-cat's for you then again, it's your call. I can't and won't recommend that to anyone on a public forum (or anywhere else) - it's illegal.
93K C20XE Cavalier SRi Hatchback Spectral Blue Metallic
94M X20XEV Cavalier SRi Hatchback Flame Red

96N C14NZ Corsa B 4-dr Flame Red'ish
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