1.8 16v engine tuning.

[pauluk49]

hi folks. been thinking for ages now about doing something to my engine (apart from smashing it). been reading that you can get bigger cams and throttle bodies. atm all ive done is the basics. what can be done to my engine.

[northpole]

an engine code would help... apart from that did yo look at Vauxhal/Opel/Saab tuners before asking this question here? 9 out of 10 times you can get a general idea of what is available for your engine just by looking at their offerings... but you need to know the engine code as from what i understand there are 2 types of 1.8 16v used in the vectra... the 16v and the 16v VVT.. i figure you understand that there will be different options for both engines.

[Daywalker]

It will probably be a big outlay for a small gain. My advice would be if you want more power and dont want a diesel then your options are limited to the 2.0t or 2.8t which are both very tuneable. HTH

[pauluk49]

hi mine is the non vvt engine. i think the code is z18xe (not totally sure). i have looked at a lot of websites but tbh ive no idea where to start. i want to stay with a petrol engine as never been keen on diesels. much prefer to sort my own car as already invested a lot of time in it.

[LastOne]

You can add a turbo; add a supercharger; add a nitrous oxide kit. Will it be financially worthwhile? Nah, you could buy a 306 BHP BMW 335i for the same money and then spend £500 to remap it to 400 BHP.

What I wouldn't waste time doing though is asking a Saab tuner for advice about it though, because they'd just say "You do know this is a GM engine used in 400 times more Vauxhalls and Opel's than in Saabs, don't you?". Some people, when you ask for advice, have a habit of convincing you to look in the back of your wardrobe to find the secret doorway to Narnia...

[pauluk49]

see this is what i mean. when i have more money i will upgrade to a newer car. i wish i did have a turbo or bmw m6 but unfortunately not. lol. infact i wish i had a subaru impreza. but ive a 1.8 16v vauxhall vectra. which sadly has had too much time and money thrown at it. i just wanted to see if anything at all was possible engine wise.

[LastOne]

Big engines are easy to tune, but the 1.8 is quite small. Turbo engines, big or small, are also easy to tune, but yours isn't turbo charged. That's the problem you'll encounter.

[northpole]

you'll be looking at old skool tuning mate so basically fast/wilder cams, bigger air intake, bigger exhaust diameter, colder plugs and a few more things all in all you might end up with 30 bhp at the price of another way more powerful car... I suggest you save up for the more powerful car... and if the vectra c wasn't this hard to do an engine swap than that would have been an option... so save your money get a more powerful car and be done with the wish of having more power (actually that wish never stops, regardless of how powerful the engine actually is)

[troutybrown]

There was a chap on here Simon i think his name was that had a Z18xe pushing near 170.

[troutybrown]

Simon1
that will be me then just sold my vectra c after 10 years of ownership
was running 170hp
but I did it over many years and looking back now would cost a lot to do and with vectra's so cheap and turbos out its the better option
i had dbilas inlet
qed cams. Stage 3 head. Ports to match
adj sprockets
solid shimmed lifters
biigger inj
adj fpr
custom manifold and 200cpi cat biigger out let on the flange and custom bigger down pipe
matched to irmscher Y and quad outlets
custom mapping
now got a yr old insignia Biturbo
still miss the vectra though but see it as its only round the corner or at my place of work being neglected