vvc inlet manifold

[mattshields75]

hi there guys, finally my head is being rebuilt, is it possible to put the 160vvc inlet manifold/fuel injectors onto the 143bhpvvc engine and 52mm or 56mm throttle body, and if it is possible, is it actually worth doing in terms of extra performance? thanks matt

[Martin C]

Hi Matt,
I presume you are having the head rebuilt as standard i.e. 143bhp?

I'm no expert but this is what I've picked up over the years.

Yes you can fit the 160VVC manifold to your engine with the injectors, it will bolt staight on to any K series from 1.4 to 1.8. The main advantage to this manifold is it being a cast item as opposed to plastic.

I take it that you are running 48mm throttle body, is it plastic or metal? With your state of tune I would fit a 52mm throttle body, the 56mm I believe does not give a significant advantage with these lower states of tune, but will gulp petrol. Well worth changing if you have a plastic bodied one, they distort and cause problems over time. You will not see any big difference bhp with these mods, thare is a lot of C*** talked about power gains. But with a good cold air induction feed you should feel a better throttle response and pick up.

If fitting a larger throttle body there is one thing you need to do before starting the engine. Once it is all connected up, turn on the ignition but do not start the engine. Now press the throttle pedal all the down as far as it will go and let it back up again to fully off, repeat this a minimum of 8 times. This is so the ECU learns the wider throttle opening from the throttle position senser. Once this is done you can start up, if you don't do this it will take the ECU longer to learn the fact you have a bigger TB fitted and might lead to some sluggish operation.

Good luck

[mattshields75]

thanks thats a big help, i am rebuilding to standard for now yes, ill do 5+ track days before taking the engine power up significantly. i have a 52mm tb sitting in the garage so will get the new inlet and bolt it all on, thanks for the tip on the ecu, wud not of known this at all!will also be putting a 4 branch exhaust manifold on which i presume will improve power. not sure about options on ecu upgrades tho. matt

[Martin C]

Hi Matt,

A four branch manifold will also help things, so like in trying to improve the breathing, improving the exhuast side of things helps spent gases get away more easily.

Again don't expect huge power gains, but better responses and hopefully a more distinct exhaust noise.

Just be carefull on the exhaust noise front though, many circuits are in the region of 90-95 decibels for noise tests. Some F exhausts I've heard are rather lod and have a rasp on the overrun that seems pretty loud.

[gotenks1321]

From what I can remember, the 143 VVC injectors can actually flow more fuel than the 160. Probably won't make much difference to you at the moment but depends how far you want to go in the future.