Citroen CX GTI Turbo Engine Management

[Bilkob]

I’m new on here and realise the above is slightly left field but I’ve owned a fair few and can’t kick the habit..
I’m after some technical advice here
These cars are wonderful whooshy cruisers and although not fast by modern standards do have a surprising turn of wafty torque
I have a nice Series 2 Turbo 1( non intercooled) that I use (or did..!) for charging off to Belgium and France to watch bike racing and repatriate beer and its great, but I’ve always wanted to make an updated/ ultimate one. To that end I’ve acquired a late Turbo 2 (intercooled) car for a full restoration/build. It’s remarkably solid and I know my way around them mechanically and the steering and suspension aren’t as scary as some would believe
So- what I really need advice on is engine management/ECUs......
The standard stuff ,Bosch K-jetronic is now 30 +years old and the weak link to more grunt/better running. These engines are crude but very understressed, 170ish bhp and 215 ft/lbs from a turbo 2.5 4 pot is quite tame
I’d like somewhere in the region of 220 bhp and associated torque increase.
Are there any thoughts on modern stand alone ECUs that could run both ignition and fuel and be adapted to fit this engine/car. I’m fairly good mechanically and have a superb auto electrician so any clues/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Something to do anyway.......

[Bilkob]

Thank you already! I’ll try and contact that S1 owner but I think that car is still on original Bosch stuff....

[Bilkob]

Thank you for the replies, really useful but keep them coming please. Yes, I suspect that the crank sensor will be a hurdle although the car does have one but I’m led to believe that the number of teeth is incorrect.....?
I THINK the std fuel system, pump, rail, injectors is ok for the sort of power I’m after
Amy more ideas on stand alone systems very gratefully received

[Bilkob]

Here’s my current T1

[Bilkob]

So, can anyone recommend a few ECUs as a starting point?

[Bilkob]

So, almost unbelievably I have around a tuning, ecu supplier who owns the exact same car as me and had always wanted to do this!!
Emerald tuning, they already seem knowledgeable and have a diner car to check everything against

[Bilkob]

Quick update on my increasingly rabbit hole like GTI Turbo project
Emerald Tuning (who have been superb to deal with) now have their car up and running on their ECU, completely bypassing all the Bosch/Citroen wiring and boxes. An initial Dino run on std boost has resulted in 200bhp and 250lbs/ft of torque, not too shabby as a starting point.
In the meantime I’ve taken the engine out of mine (what a hoot that was!) in preparation for new clutch, engine bay re-pipe and the fitting of a diesel T2 gearbox for longer gearing.
This is all a bit daunting at times but I’m in too deep now to not keep going........

[Bilkob]

Update.....
I’ve made lots and lots of progress over the summer and autumn but have been at the mercy of the weather and work and all sorts of outside stuff....
Anyway, the bespoke loom and ECU and coil sticks etc turned up today, so I’ll approach the new year with renewed vigour

[Bilkob]

So, a fantastic day today for this project. The bespoke loom, ECU, new injectors, all new sensors, fuel pump and filter, turbo, radiator, clutch, diesel gearbox, turbo and boost plumbing etc, etc....all came together and IT WORKS!!!!!!!
Ignore the messy wiring and layout, I just wanted to get it running. A massive thank you to Karl at Emerald tuning who has been superb all the way through.
A CX GTI Turbo 2 now running on completely new engine management.
No more air flow meter, AEI or fuel computers, old wiring, etc and fully map-able and adjustable boost.
A very good day!!!

Edited by Bilkob on Wednesday 6th January 16:44

[Bilkob]

Well, I’m getting there. I’d not really thought about how hard it would be doing this outside, on a gravel drive, I used to build Group C cars in a beautiful heated workshop...... but I’m determined to see this through.
Will hopefully have the hydraulics up and running by the weekend, then it’ll really feel like progress.
ONWARDS!

[Bilkob]

[Bilkob]

So, lots more progress. The car now starts, runs, drives, brakes, all hydraulics seem to be working, steering self centres, etc.
I’ve had a first installation of the new heat A/C unit, and after plumbing it into the water system and jury rigging a switch inside, I now have a SRTONG blast of interior hot air on a CX. A first!!
Also now have all lights, etc now working.
Next up is to finish engine bay wiring for good, tidy/rationalise central console wiring nest, service front brakes, fit drivers seatbelt then it can’t be far off an MOT!
Then it’s new bespoke stainless exhaust system, then............PAINT!

[Bilkob]

[Bilkob]

That’s the clever bit. They’re not H/T leads. It now runs coil on plug units, Denso, from a GSXR1000.
No distributor or coil pack as such. All run from Emerald’s bespoke ECU. No air flow meter, no Sparks computer(AEI) no fuel computer.
Emerald’s car is now running 1bar boost and churning out 300lbs ft of torque, I’ve fitted a turbo diesel gearbox and uprated clutch, if it’ll drag it’s old arse through the air it SHOULD do 150mph.
The sheer wiring in the two redundant looms is astonishing, I expect the same amount to be removed from the ‘climate control’ wiring and looms inside.....
Mind you, it might blow up too...😂

[Bilkob]

Thank you. I’ll keep posting, and if all goes well, there’s a road trip to Gaillac in August planned to deliver (another project..) Look bike to keep at a friend’s and ride down there.
Please, no one soil this thread with COVID or Brexst garbage.

[Bilkob]

Silicone shrouds over 2 wires to feeds the coil on plug units. Deliberately made to look like the original leads

[Bilkob]

Emerald-Karl- have been utterly superb. Everyone else said I couldn’t do this , Karl understood immediately, it did help that he has one there......
They also get that this will be no hot-rod, but a wafty whooshy continent hoover, but it will have a decent amount of grunt!

[Bilkob]

It was getting the crank trigger signal to ‘work’ Apparently its an odd number of flywheel teeth. This set up still uses a signal from the original crank trigger, rather than have to drill the flywheel for a ‘slug’ or run something off the camshaft...

[Bilkob]

Thanks. I’ll keep posting. I am determined to drive this to the South of France before year’s end

[Bilkob]

More progress. I now have all lights, horn, etc working, so I THINK that’s most of the MOT-able electrics done. I’ll do another brake bleed now that the hydraulic system has settled down, it’ll let me run more new green magic fluid through the system. The engine bay is 90% there now I think, and because the custom heater unit is now so compact and hidden mostly behind the centre console, it looks like I CAN run the spare wheel under the bonnet as per original.