SC Power Plenum Spacer install
Discussion
Hi All!
Another new owner here, well I say new owner but this is my second Chimaera, I owned a 4ltr a few years back and have been yearning for another ever since I sold it. This time I've gone for a 5ltr and it's certainly a different animal from the 4 - it has a stealth cam, ACT induction kit and ACT carbon fiber trumpets amongst other things, and it certainly pulls well.
Whilst the performance is more than adequate, it's a bit shunty between 1k and 2k revs and that end I've ordered an SC Power Plenum spacer just to see if it helps. I'm not a mechanic but I like to give some things a go (managed to fix the heater fan last week), how hard can it be? lol
Anyone got any tips on plenum removal? Also whilst it's off is there anything else that is worth doing
cheers
Another new owner here, well I say new owner but this is my second Chimaera, I owned a 4ltr a few years back and have been yearning for another ever since I sold it. This time I've gone for a 5ltr and it's certainly a different animal from the 4 - it has a stealth cam, ACT induction kit and ACT carbon fiber trumpets amongst other things, and it certainly pulls well.
Whilst the performance is more than adequate, it's a bit shunty between 1k and 2k revs and that end I've ordered an SC Power Plenum spacer just to see if it helps. I'm not a mechanic but I like to give some things a go (managed to fix the heater fan last week), how hard can it be? lol
Anyone got any tips on plenum removal? Also whilst it's off is there anything else that is worth doing
cheers
Edited by Paolo500 on Thursday 15th September 20:16
Paolo500 said:
macdeb said:
Don't bother with plenum spacer. I tried one, took it off and threw in bin. Waste of time and effort.
Noted, but I have read positive comments, all from 500 owners who have mentioned that this helps with shunting. Worst case I’ve lost £75 - worth a punt in my opinion. I agree with Mac. Shunting is far more involved than simply adding a spacer bar to increase plenum volume which is only really going to show itself at high revs anyway.
Air speed is what you want at low revs and for that a spacer does absolutely nothing.
I once asked a famous guru about the spacer and he said a waste of time for a cure to shunting.
It’s also important to note, some owners can’t close the bonnet after install as the plenum sits to high.
I can’t see it doing any harm but a trip to a mapper might be better money spent. That’s assuming everything else is in fine order.
Air speed is what you want at low revs and for that a spacer does absolutely nothing.
I once asked a famous guru about the spacer and he said a waste of time for a cure to shunting.
It’s also important to note, some owners can’t close the bonnet after install as the plenum sits to high.
I can’t see it doing any harm but a trip to a mapper might be better money spent. That’s assuming everything else is in fine order.
If your TVR is shunting you’re better off getting it remapped… I made some off the shelf maps for the 14CUX to try and alleviate it which are simply a case of plugging a chip in, but a standalone ECU is the way to make it worlds better.
If you’re near the North East and want to try one, give me a shout
If you’re near the North East and want to try one, give me a shout
If your running the original 14CUX ECU then I would recommend Joolz from Kits and Classics. He will be able to iron out your shunting issue on his rolling road and ensure your map is 100% before printing and replacing a new chip. Not many operators are able to do this for the 14CUX. Mark Adams is another you can also use.
I wouldn’t recommend using a second hand or best guess chip if you value your engine.
I wouldn’t recommend using a second hand or best guess chip if you value your engine.
NicBowman said:
Hi, conversations I have had with acclaimed re-mappers suggest making noticeable improvements to cars with catalysts is not guaranteed. Again appreciate to know what happens.
Nic
Absolutely, the advice from Joolz was that it’s very much a ‘suck it and see’ process with some engines responding well to a remap with regards to shunting and some engines not so well. My thoughts are that it certainly won’t make it any worse so nothing to lose apart from the money lol. Nic
I fitted one to my Griff and I think it made a small difference but not significant. Also had a problem with bonnet clearance. Let’s face it, the TVR V8s have higher lift cams so running below 2k rpm will never be super smooth. A mild can and a turbo or supercharger might get close to super smooth.
Hi, oddly I suspect most of us spend 99% of our time under 3000rpm, with just the occasional rip. But the nature of a high lift cam and free(ish) airflow will inherently compromise smoothness at low running speeds. Perhaps a milder cam might be optimum for most of us?
My year 2000 car is on its original cam at 42k miles, and runs very nicely, maybe the slow cam wear is actually helping!
Nic
My year 2000 car is on its original cam at 42k miles, and runs very nicely, maybe the slow cam wear is actually helping!
Nic
Edited by NicBowman on Monday 19th September 18:49
ITVRI said:
If your running the original 14CUX ECU then I would recommend Joolz from Kits and Classics. He will be able to iron out your shunting issue on his rolling road and ensure your map is 100% before printing and replacing a new chip. Not many operators are able to do this for the 14CUX. Mark Adams is another you can also use.
I wouldn’t recommend using a second hand or best guess chip if you value your engine.
Shunting can be greatly reduced by making the engine run richer than 14.7:1 AFR below 2500 rpm but the lambda feedback will always try and pull it back whatever remapping you do. You can try and frig' it by making massive changes to the map load points where shunting occurs to basically try and swamp the lambda feedback or boosting fuel pressure with a rising rate fuel pressure regulator but it's not really a good fix. A cheap fix is to switch to a non catalyst fuel map ( green map) with a change of tune resistor but you do need a suitable chip with a TVR green tune. These are now available FOC from Steve Spints 14cux web pages and just need blowing into an Eprom.I wouldn’t recommend using a second hand or best guess chip if you value your engine.
Once you run a green map you can set the sub 2400 rpm mixture with the screw on the side of the AFM to get the best running.
Of course the big drawback is the car is no longer emission compliant come MOT so the tune resistor needs to be switchable so you can go back to the origional map when needed.
http://www.remap-14cux.uk/
Edited by blitzracing on Tuesday 20th September 11:08
ITVRI said:
If your running the original 14CUX ECU then I would recommend Joolz from Kits and Classics. He will be able to iron out your shunting issue on his rolling road and ensure your map is 100% before printing and replacing a new chip. Not many operators are able to do this for the 14CUX. Mark Adams is another you can also use.
I wouldn’t recommend using a second hand or best guess chip if you value your engine.
I can too if you're willing to pay the price I wouldn’t recommend using a second hand or best guess chip if you value your engine.
Usually my 'off the shelf' chips datalog within reasonable margin when a wideband is shoved up the exhaust - seldom have there been cases where I've had to correct a fuel map or resort to the dyno. Heavily modified engines change that (but then I also make the argument that to get the best out of them then a standalone with 3D ignition like MS2 should be fitted..!)
Though that said, I got involved with developing on a Morgan Plus 8 a couple of years ago because the 14CUX map the owner got off the shelf was dismal, and that was from a reputable tuner supposedly (Not Joolz, he does excellent work). Make sure there's a good return policy or you can go up and test it on a gas analyser of some sort would be my advice.
Edited by geordiepingu on Tuesday 20th September 15:46
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