Few questions please

[bene91]

Hi all,

I am (slowly) puttin my Turbo engine together in my summerhouse and I am wanting to prep the engine bay as much as I can. I'm not overly 'good' at mechanics or fabrication etc so I won't be shaving my bay however I want to tidy/hide what I can.

Currently pretty standard under the bonnet, MG ZR 1.8 VVC/160

◇ Moving battery to the boot - I understand most of the theory of doing this, but my concern is my tailgate is only opened via the keyfob, and also my manual key doesnt actually unlock my car. (So what happens if for example the battery dies and I can't manually unlock the car to access the batter in the boot). P.s. I've jumped the car battery from under the engine before when this happened before 😐.
I've had mentioned to me drilling a bolt or something like that into the rear wheel well so it can be accessed to jump the battery if needed?

◇ Upgrading to a Sytec fuel pressure regulator - I need to understand what plumbs in where etc. Fuel rail to regulator? Regulator to filter? How to connect the Sytec gauge to it.. what connectors, idk..

◇ Relocating fuel filter- at same time I'm interested in changing to a braided fuel line setup so not only looks nicer where seen but I'll be able to move the fuel filter out of sight easier. What do I need to make the braided line connect to the filter and regulator, etc?

◇ Relocating the coolant reservoir - again I understand the basics of this, but my main query is does the tank need to be a certain level? Might sound strange but sure I've read somewhere the coolant tank needed to be 'above' something. If not, then I can just relocate the tank out of sight(ish) and move the hoses going to/from it?

◇ Remove the charcoal canister - A lot of people tell me it's easy but noones elaborated yet. I believe part of the canister ideally needs point outside of the car/engine bay?

◇ Relocating the washer jet tank (or at least the filler part) - again, is this just 'move the tank and reroute the hoses' in theory?

Any help on any of these is appreciated. I thought best to ask as many of my questions in 1 hit than a flurry of posts going backwards and forth.

Thanks in advance
Ben

[bene91]

Nothing? Appreciate literally any input on any of the things I'm confused about.

Nb: coolant tank - I've bought another coolant reservoir to look into placement. Due to air/pressure (i believe) this needs to ideally remain same height. I'm looking to move the tank inside the car as i believe i can find a location hidden enough, yet accessible and OK for height.

[HustleRussell]

What you’re doing is pretty ambitious for somebody who’s “not overly good at mechanics or fabrication”. I’m OK at DIY mecahnics but have never attempted anything similar.

Also it’s likely that nobody on here has turbocharged an MG ZR and done all the specific modifications you are doing so it’s going to be tough to give specific advice.

bene91 said:

coolant tank - I'm looking to move the tank inside the car as i believe i can find a location hidden enough, yet accessible and OK for height.

The K-series engine is shall we say a little sensitive to cooling and turbo charging is going to make that more of a challenge. Is drilling holes in the bulkhead and running the hoses into the cabin really neater than leaving it in the engine bay? Is extending and complicating the routes of those lines and making them less accessible a good idea? You definitely don’t want the tank inside the cabin as I guarantee it’s going to make a mess and shower your interior and it’s occupants in scolding hot steam and coolant sooner or later

bene91 said:

Moving battery to the boot

Again this seems like a lot of hassle and for what- so you can have a plastic tank full of electricity and sulphuric acid inside the car? There is little or no benefit, you are adding weight and complexity. If you want to reduce weight or improve weight distribution you can buy a smaller AGM cell battery like an Odyssey or cheaper equivalent which will be half the size and weight of the standard battery and can be mounted in any orientation while providing adequate CCA.

bene91 said:

Upgrading to a Sytec fuel pressure regulator - I need to understand what plumbs in where etc. Fuel rail to regulator? Regulator to filter? How to connect the Sytec gauge to it.. what connectors, idk..

Relocating fuel filter

You’ve got it all there, surely it’s just a case of locating and removing / disabling the standard fuel pressure regulator and researching the right unions required to connect it all up? You want to go

Fuel from tank > Filter > Regulator > fuel rail

bene91 said:

Remove the charcoal canister

I don’t know on this but as far as I know most systems are passive and operate at around atmospheric pressure so you can literally just remove it all and bung a little filter on the end of the crankcase vent or route it into the air box

bene91 said:

Relocating the washer jet tank (or at least the filler part) - again, is this just 'move the tank and reroute the hoses' in theory?

Well yeah I suppose so

I think my main advice would be to get the engine in there with the turbo, exhaust / inlet manifold, get it running and then worry about what it looks like. You need to decide whether you want to end up with a functional car or some kind of show car as the practical way to do it is to leave as much of the engine bay as possible standard. There’s a reason manufacturers locate all these systems in the engine room.

[Classy6]

bene91 said:

Hi all,

I am (slowly) puttin my Turbo engine together in my summerhouse and I am wanting to prep the engine bay as much as I can. I'm not overly 'good' at mechanics or fabrication etc so I won't be shaving my bay however I want to tidy/hide what I can.

Currently pretty standard under the bonnet, MG ZR 1.8 VVC/160

? Moving battery to the boot - I understand most of the theory of doing this, but my concern is my tailgate is only opened via the keyfob, and also my manual key doesnt actually unlock my car. (So what happens if for example the battery dies and I can't manually unlock the car to access the batter in the boot). P.s. I've jumped the car battery from under the engine before when this happened before ??.
I've had mentioned to me drilling a bolt or something like that into the rear wheel well so it can be accessed to jump the battery if needed?

Fix the door lock on the door. If not, if the battery goes flat, you're going to need to break into it. Not difficult on that car particularly but an unnecessary risk. Alternatively if accessible you could jump off alternator/starter terminals underneath. Or as you mentioned, you could also run some spare cable to a jump point somewhere. I'd just fix the lock though, your going to a lot of effort elsewhere that for me just seems a bit 'half ass-ish' to do all that work, but not have a working door lock! Make sure when you run the battery to the boot it is: Secure, fused and has the correct rated cable that is routed neatly across the car, no chaffing/rubbing etc - a reason to fuse just in case.

? Upgrading to a Sytec fuel pressure regulator - I need to understand what plumbs in where etc. Fuel rail to regulator? Regulator to filter? How to connect the Sytec gauge to it.. what connectors, idk..

I don't know what fittings are on the MG or the reg. Speak to the manufacturer about what the correct fittings are, plumb in as directed

? Relocating fuel filter- at same time I'm interested in changing to a braided fuel line setup so not only looks nicer where seen but I'll be able to move the fuel filter out of sight easier. What do I need to make the braided line connect to the filter and regulator, etc?

This all depends again on the type of fittings the filter uses. Will be quite simple if they're just push fittings and jubilee clips for instance, a little more difficult with specific connections. Just make sure when relocating that the filter is secure and in a safe location (away from heat, not low down or exposed)

? Relocating the coolant reservoir - again I understand the basics of this, but my main query is does the tank need to be a certain level? Might sound strange but sure I've read somewhere the coolant tank needed to be 'above' something. If not, then I can just relocate the tank out of sight(ish) and move the hoses going to/from it?

Honestly this will be more hassle than it's worth. Buy a new and clean header tank and have it in it's factory position on show. I wouldn't want it in the car, it gets hot, and if you ever overheat it will piss scolding coolant into the interior of your car. If you absolutely must get rid of it, look at purchasing a radiator with incorporated header tank, like they use on BMW's for example

? Remove the charcoal canister - A lot of people tell me it's easy but noones elaborated yet. I believe part of the canister ideally needs point outside of the car/engine bay?

Depends on the system, not familiar with anything rover. Most will run a small filter/breather or/and recirculate the pipes.

? Relocating the washer jet tank (or at least the filler part) - again, is this just 'move the tank and reroute the hoses' in theory?

Yep, just fit a one way check valve, or the pump will take a while each time to send the washer fluid from the back of the car to the windscreen.

Any help on any of these is appreciated. I thought best to ask as many of my questions in 1 hit than a flurry of posts going backwards and forth.

Thanks in advance
Ben

Stuff like this is custom, part of the parcel of learning and getting involved is lots of trial and error. You will probably end up with lots of bits that you tried but don't work left over and even if it works, it may not be suitable when something fouls/obstructs it. It can be frustrating at times but ultimately worth it in the end. Don't be afraid to have a go!

A pic of my old mk2 20v engine for some inspiration. Start & Finish, started in 2009 and finished it 5 years later

[bene91]

Thanks Russell! Appreciate some honest truths in there too, as somethings WILL be too difficult for me.
I do have a good friend whos been a mechanic/painter/fabricator so help available from him.

& thanks for the inspiration Classy - looks great.

I am not expecting my own to be an award winning engine bay. Its just when I was told I might need to move battery to boot for room for induction/piping, i thought it might be an idea to move other bits away!

Thanks again!

Working on all the fuel line measurements at the moment!