Emissions testing

[Guest]

Hello,

I am building a Zetec-on-carbs based car and am currently sourcing an engine. I have been looking through all the previous postings on engines & emissions and have come to the conclusion that I will have to get a pre-1995 engine for me to be able to pass the emissions test.

However, after talking to various people (Dunnell, friends, etc.), I have heard that it is possible for an engine on carbs to pass the new, stricter emissions tests if setup correctly.

If true, this means I could get a (nearly) new engine and still use carbs, which would be very nice since I could get a low mileage engine    

Would it be worth risking buying a newer engine or should I just go for the older one & then upgrade later?

Thoughts please.....

- Dan.

(I am trying to keep this as cheap as possible so throttle bodies/extensive rolling road sessions aren't really an option! )

[Westfieldman]

No

You will need a rolling road session anyway.

Put a newer engine in later.

Paul.

[Guest]

You will need a rolling road session anyway.

I'm sure both Dunnell & Westfield said that they supplied pre-mapped ECUs & that I would not need a rolling road session....fantasy land?  

[Nick M]

fantasy land?  

I fear so...

They might be able to supply pre-mapped ECUs to run a fuel injected engine, but doubt they'd have a suitable one for purely ignition mapping on an engine on carbs, not least because every engine might have a different carb set up (different combinations of chokes, jets, etc.) which in turn might need different ignition characteristics.

As has been said above, get a pre-95 engine and then swap it - it's a pain but then so is trying to get a marginal engine through the SVA.  By the time you've paid out for a couple of rolling road sessions and SVA retests you'd probably have spent more than you'd pay for two engines !  And you can always sell the pre 95 engine to another owner who's going to do the same thing.

[JonnyBoy]

i paid a webcon carb service agent to overhaul and fit the right jets, tubes, etc for my 1800 zetec app....fine i thought 200 quid (carbs were £20 from a mates racing dad) no probs.

fitted my webcon alpha 'premapped' ecu...like you, i assumed that everything would be ok........was it f**k!

ran like a dog and needed 'by eye/ear' tuning for sva, then a rr afterwards!

IMO you need a RR session as webbers are infinitely adjustable so there is alomost no way that they will be supplied perfectly set-up.

I'll swap you my pre 95 1800 (~150bhp) for a newer 2L    

[Kevin Wood]

I think it'd be far less risk to get a pre-95 engine and chance its condition than to get a new engine and hope it'll get through the SVA.

You'd be very lucky to get it running clean enough on carbs to fool the inspector into thinking it was cat equipped.

Either get a pre-95 engine and change to a new one later (you might even get away with doing this before you register the car so you can get a new plate..?) or get a pre-95 engine and give it a quick freshen up. Chances are you'll find little to do unless it's done huge mileage and for the sort of miles you'll do in a Westie it'll be as good as new for most purposes.

Kevin

[Guest]

Thanks all,

I was 99% set on getting the pre-95 engine anyway.

Pity about the rolling road, though I was kinda suspicious as to how a pre-set map could work with every engine given the tolerances in the head, carbs etc. etc....

- Dan.

[Kevin Wood]

Oh, I think you'll get something pretty driveable "out of the box" if you get the carbs and ignition from someone who knows the engine well and is familiar with the spec.

A rolling road is the only answer to cure the odd inevitable flat spot and to get the last few horsepower though.

After all, production cars with Weber carbs didn't get an individual rolling road session in the main (apart from the red Italian ones, that is). There are a few more variables in a kit car admittedly.

Kevin

[Carl]

Dan,

2 points of interest.

I purchased carbs and ECU from Dunnell, and they have performed perfectly with no rolling road set up.

Runs smoothly, pulls from tick over, electric throttle response, etc.

My std qtr times shows power is about what it should be.

The recent Northants rolling road shoot out showed 163bhp.

My engine is was bought scrap with 90,000 miles, 1992. All I did was change the oil. Don't worry about and old engine.

Carl