I hope you can
help me, i am looking at increasing my capacity from 1.8 to 2.0 whilst having a Jabba IHI conversion done. I want to know your thoughts on this? Do i keep the capacity the same but uprate internals ie rods valves etc and also have the head flowed or do i go for the full blown 2.0 conversion with new crank and pistons. What sort of power gains willl i expect and is it worth paying the extra money.
I am tempted to ask if you are having a diff fitted as well as all the engine work - you will certainly need it!
I kept my engine at standard capacity because it was relatively new, nicely run in, and for road use, with the IHI, the setup is quite adequate for my needs - you can see how my car performs by checking the link by the signature below.
The extra capacity will give you the ability to use a turbo unit with the potential to produce more power than the IHI, if you really feel you need it - there are a number of new ideas in the pipeline.
I,as everyone knows by now - am an unashamed fan of the IHI, for road use.
I am so pleased with my car the way it is - for me its the best `modded` car i`ve ever had, simply because it is such a balanced `all round` effort - very much lke the standard car `on steroids`
Many times in the past i`ve had `super hot` jobs which were great for a spin round the local bypass, and that was it - but 25000+ miles a year! - you could forget it! - I just got bored with them because they were too unreliable/ rough/ thirsty/ noisy/uncomfortable - all in all just not for me.
I`ve no aspirations to be a racing driver - I know my limitations - the Leon is my `shopping car`, and anyway, 99.9% of my mileage is on the road, in normal traffic situations where factors such as top gear performance and fuel consumption are major considerations - and, after the experience of 35000 miles `fun miles` I can say that for me the IHI fits the bill perfectly.
I quite accept that i`m now on the lower rungs of the BT power stakes, however I don`t think my car could ever be regarded as `slow` by any means - on the very rare occasions it is possible to use its full top end performance `safely` - and I use that word in the broadest possible sense - I always find it acquits itself very well in the company of far more prestigious oposition.
Of course as I`ve said before, `more is often less` as far as FWD power goes, and i`m honest enough to say that there have been times when i`ve been left looking like a right `wally` - understeering, torquesteering and wheelspining my way along the road in the lower gears in a vain attempt to keep pace with a well driven hot hatch with half the bhp of the LCR
Outright power is never the
problem with the 1.8T - traction is always the Achillies heel with the FWD LCR - it`s easy to squander your `100 bhp advantage` with an ill considered `twitch of a right foot`
I intend keping the car, so I will no doubt have to rebore it at some future date, but that will be only as a consequence of maintenance, not as a search for more power.
Arch `petrolhead` that I am - I have not however forsaken the quest to experience even greater levels of BHP, but it`s FWD/Turbo no more - my next automotive project looks like having 150 bhp more than my LCR has now - but it`s RWD/normally aspirated.
I`m just off to see my Bank Manager - begging bowl in hand