Xe's

[bmxdave]

What are they like? Anyone run a standard one in a mk1 / mk2 cortina?

 

Is 140-150 bhp a reasonable figure to expect of a standard one from a calibra 16v?

 

And what sort of power can you get from a manifold and motorbike bodies or 45's?

 

What sort of revs are you looking at as standard?

[Guest MK1gaz]

Good engine , just needs uprated rod bolts and that's about it . Standard engine on 45's makes 150 - 165ish bhp (depending on whos dyno it's on) and they can rev at 7500-8000 after doing the rod bolts

[razersedge]

i know some one who had a standard engine with 48's solex and got 184 bhp just make sure you get the the cosco engine (coswoth designed aparently) not the other one mine is 222bhp with out a 3d system but with the 3d it did have 252bhp but the torque is lower on the xe than a pinto ie mine only has 155lb's of toque at the mo but they rev well and the exaust note is great 3" straight though with a token box on it even the boy racers with there stereo turned up hear you the best person to speak to is kj220 or cosseymax or ring up spd

[johnny_h]

Rustypup has a MK2 tina with a standard Cosworth KBA fitted. It's on 40's and it runs 15's with a full boot of camping gear and welly boots.

[bmxdave]

The engine is from a 16v calibra. Dont know the year though.

 

Will i still be finding power at 7500rpm though? Where does the power die off on these things as standard?

[razersedge]

mine redlines at 8500 rpm but mine has got some stupid cams in it but it has got a steel bottom end and it flys from 4000 to 8500 it spins up from 3rd to 4th if you get it right which is scary but fun the amount of times ive been sideways on the moter way this is a vid of mine doing its rolling road 4th gear with a 3.54 diff 135+ mph it topped out the rollers with 900rpm to go (125mph)

 

 

this is it doing the rolling road with a 4.1 (130+mph) these were only done on a phone so excuse the picture & sound quality

 

[Mk 1 Mark]

The engine is from a 16v calibra. Dont know the year though.

 

Will i still be finding power at 7500rpm though? Where does the power die off on these things as standard?

 

Standard engine set of rod bolts and 45`s SBD ex manifold 170 bhp out the box....

If you fit a 3D Managment you can add more ignition where it needs it and stop it from pinking,When its being set up MBE is the easiest and best for Xe applications

Xe engine out of either a astra GTE or !6v calibra all the same except you really want one with a Cocast head, Which is non porous,

And a standard engine will start to tale off at around 5800

But in a mk1 or 2 escort you can get it rev with a lightened and balanced Flywheel but will lose Torque...

I think for a standard engine they are the nuts and loads of fun...

But parts are @ holding there price even second hands bits..To convert from FWD to Rear wheel drive

[Mk 1 Mark]

Had a play on the rollers as well to get it ready for Brands hatch on the 12

will be getting the cam timing adj this week as well

Sorry abut the quailty crap mobile!!!

But you can hear it Think there are a few more vids on there

 

 

[Tuffty]

Coming from a Vauxhall background, i've owned and driven many Xe's

To be honest I wouldn't worry too much about finding one with a coscast head, it's a bit of a myth about the performance gains they have over a GM head, you may find that the finish on the porting is slightly better on a coscast head, but if your going for power, you'd most likely have this done anyway.

As for the porus issue, it is true that a coscast head is less likely to crack and go porus, BUT it is normally the case that if a GM head is going to break, it will do within the first 20 - 30k miles so unless you somehow find a crazy low mileage car, I wouldn't worry too much.

Most of the problem with heads on older engines is due to people over-tightening the head bolts, where the bolt runs very close to the oil gallery, and then cracks it.

The engine you really want if your running std injection. is from an early Astra mk2 GTE, which should have the coscast head and also runs a lighter flywheel and different engine map due to the lack of CAT, these oftern see over 150bhp on std trim.

Or if you fancy being different, you could go for the cavalier / calibra turbo lump, virtually identical to the XE, and has 205bhp std and very little turbo lag.

[bmxdave]

Cheers guys. Nice vids too.

 

The cossie head isnt too big an issue for me tbh. The engines been in the car about 6 years now, and if its gonna go, it wouldve gone by now.

 

Its staying standard for now, but in the near future im planning on bodies, headwork and new headers. Unless i change my mind and go carbs. Ive heard the cams are good enough to about 200bhp and the bottom end (apart from bolts) should hold up pretty well.

 

Id love the turbo engine. But im sure theyre not easy to come by, and get expensive. Its effectively Vauxhalls equivilant to the YB. Maybe in the future if funds allow. I hear of over 400bhp on them.

[Mk 1 Mark]

Im my honest opinion if you fancy going turbo Go Ford YB......

But each to there own and an Xe turbo`d oldskoolford would be different

XE barking at 8000+ RPM on carbs or throttle bodies...

[bmxdave]

Yeah, but i cant really afford a yb or xet so i doubt ill be going down that route anytime soon.

 

I actually prefer an NA engine. Id much prefer to spend the money id use to buy a yb or xet on tuning the xe to the same power, unless i was going for a mental 400 odd bhp turbo.

 

Id much prefer to supercharge it anyway Love the whine.

[Tuffty]

But each to there own and an Xe turbo`d oldskoolford would be different

 

 

 

 

Ahem............

 

[bmxdave]

The engine is actually An Ecotec. It has the black spark plug cover. Has anyone got any experience with them as opposed to the Redtop?

 

I hear theyre cheaper to modify for better gains.

 

If its 136bhp out of the box will i still see about 180bhp with bodies and a manifold and a remap or should i open the head up a bit?

 

Is it a lazy or revvy engine?

[Tom]

I've heard the ecotec was a pants engine compared to the redtop mate

[huxmk1estate]

I've heard the ecotec was a pants engine compared to the redtop mate

 

yep^^^^^

[oliwally]

I hate vauxhalls tbh BUT the black top 2L is pants while the ecotec 1.6 is just as good as the red top.

[carmad]

are you sure its a eco scrap?

 

 

the latest of the late red tops have an eco tec cover (only ran for a few months)

 

they just have a different air flow meter ill try get some pics of 1 later

[bmxdave]

Ill post a picture to show you.

 

Its from a calibra but i dont know what year. I know they came in three stages. The first being a redtop with a coscast head and about 156bhp. Second the none coscast with cats, rated about 150bhp and then the ecotec rated at 136bhp.

 

Im not arsed about the coscast head but if its an ecotec i know someone who can sort me a redtop i can just swap the parts onto or build it up first.

 

 

Which is it?

 

It looks to me like an ecotec as it doesnt have the L shape plug cover.

[Mk 1 Mark]

Ecotec.....The Rocker cover bolts are different as well as loads of other things,Gap between the Vernier ect

Ecotec bud

 

XE Below

 

 

[bmxdave]

Is it worth the effort?

 

Or should i swap it for a red top if its a good price?

[Mk 1 Mark]

For a standard engine on standard injection not really worth it...

unless you have the Xe running gear then its just a matter of your time to do it..

If it was me and i had the parts, i would as there is for more scope to tune it later down the line

[bmxdave]

So for now its pretty useless, but i wanted bodies anyway.

 

If i used the usual method of bodies and an exhaust manifold would it be comparable in the power stakes to a redtop?

 

If it costs me a few more quid to drop the red top in if it makes a big enough difference i really dont mind. Either way its getting bodies.

[aled]

Love my red-top, although it's now not a red-top....or is it ?

 

From this:

 

To this:

 

[carmad]

thats defo an eco tec bmx dave

 

tho dont worry the bottom end is identical to a red top all ya need is a bust red top with a good head inlet manifold wiring loom ect and swap them over

 

later eco tecs are 2 peice sumps and they are slightly different