Ecotek Valves...... Are they worth it?
Discussion
I am thinking of buying an Ecotek valve as a mate can get them for £25. Are they worth putting on my 1.9 Gti?
I looked at the claimed a year or so ago when I first came across this, Their explanation of how it works does not stand up to scrutiny, and I concluded that they are a placebo. But at least it seems fairly harmless.
They'll only increase your economy if you are running super-rich to start with.
All it does is creates a pressure leak in the inlet manifold, a blown inlet manifold gasket does the self same thing pretty much!
I'm a bit worried about how you fit them though, on the pressure line from the manifold to (ulp!) the brake servo!. If this device popped off, your brake servo feed line would be hanging free, the servo wouldn't be pressurised and you'd have naff-all braking assistance.
If your 1.9 GTi (presuming pug 205) is running crap, get it to a rolling road and have it set up properly - there are a lot of known faults with this car - AFM and throttle body problems are a major problem leading to hunting idles and stalling etc.
I've heard it said time and again and it's the truth - if these devices were so good, they'd be a standard fit on every car sold!
For another laugh, go to www.surbo.co.uk :P we had some fun taking this thing apart on a website I go on, it's basically a chopped up coke can that claims to increase power and so on. Boolax I say!
All it does is creates a pressure leak in the inlet manifold, a blown inlet manifold gasket does the self same thing pretty much!
I'm a bit worried about how you fit them though, on the pressure line from the manifold to (ulp!) the brake servo!. If this device popped off, your brake servo feed line would be hanging free, the servo wouldn't be pressurised and you'd have naff-all braking assistance.
If your 1.9 GTi (presuming pug 205) is running crap, get it to a rolling road and have it set up properly - there are a lot of known faults with this car - AFM and throttle body problems are a major problem leading to hunting idles and stalling etc.
I've heard it said time and again and it's the truth - if these devices were so good, they'd be a standard fit on every car sold!
For another laugh, go to www.surbo.co.uk :P we had some fun taking this thing apart on a website I go on, it's basically a chopped up coke can that claims to increase power and so on. Boolax I say!
CB-Dave said:
For another laugh, go to www.surbo.co.uk :P
"I've got back problems now, my spine is deformed from all this power!"
On a Calibra Turbo
Perhaps he should take his baseball cap off & take the seat off full recline
>> Edited by CraigAlsop on Wednesday 12th February 17:19
CB-Dave said: They'll only increase your economy if you are running super-rich to start with.
If your 1.9 GTi (presuming pug 205) is running crap, get it to a rolling road and have it set up properly - there are a lot of known faults with this car - AFM and throttle body problems are a major problem leading to hunting idles and stalling etc.
My Pug is running well, it doesnt have that bad idle problem but I thought I would fit one anyway. So far so good. Easy to fit and the car is smoother through the gears. Thats all I have noticed though, no power gain. I just hope it helps with the fuel economy - especially now the b*stards have put it up!!!
No bad report though - nothing much to report full stop. I will review it after a week or two.
Car & Car Conversions did a full article on the Ekotec valve a few months back, using a Golf Gti 16V on a rolling road and found NO difference at all across the entire rev range.
The idea behind the device is to bleed air into the plenum chamber from the brake servo pipe, thereby creating 'swirl' which helps the fuel / air mix before it passes into the combustion chamber.
The theory is good enough, but in prcatice, the setup instructions which come with the device apparently tell you to set the Ekotec valve to be closed, when the engine is at idle speed, then as the engine rpm speed increases the valve will open further allowing more air to bleed into the plenum chamber proportionally as the rpm increases.
The argument falls totally apart however when you implement it, as the vacuum required to open the Ekotec valve is strongest at engine idle speed, decreasing as rpm increases.
In a nutshell, if you set the Ekotec valve to be closed at idle speed, then it sure as hell isn't going to open as the revs increase in your engine!
If I were you, I would invest in Shell Optimax instead!
Jas.
The idea behind the device is to bleed air into the plenum chamber from the brake servo pipe, thereby creating 'swirl' which helps the fuel / air mix before it passes into the combustion chamber.
The theory is good enough, but in prcatice, the setup instructions which come with the device apparently tell you to set the Ekotec valve to be closed, when the engine is at idle speed, then as the engine rpm speed increases the valve will open further allowing more air to bleed into the plenum chamber proportionally as the rpm increases.
The argument falls totally apart however when you implement it, as the vacuum required to open the Ekotec valve is strongest at engine idle speed, decreasing as rpm increases.
In a nutshell, if you set the Ekotec valve to be closed at idle speed, then it sure as hell isn't going to open as the revs increase in your engine!
If I were you, I would invest in Shell Optimax instead!
Jas.
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