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What is the difference between a SEH and a SER engine?

2K views 33 replies 13 participants last post by  tomstickland 
#1 ·
Are there any real differences?
 
#3 ·
nope, same engine in different cars.
the letters are different cos they needed different manifolds & zorsts, so it needs to show up on a different screen on the vauxhall thingy.
no doubt the ecu eprom is slightly different as well, but not much it should run either engine
 
#13 ·
Mine's an SER. Sorry to dissapoint, I do sometimes call it an SEH though. That's because people seem to know what they are. Hmmm, think I'll check my car out in the member's section, I might have called it an SEH in there.

Anyway, a long time ago I asked Vauxhall what the difference was. The only thing they could think of was the ECU.
 
#17 ·
Years ago I had this same discussion on the Cavweb and Club Calibra boards. No one could translate the R and the H. I don't think that they mean "normal power" and "elevated power". They're the same engine anyway.

Cav SRi 130 (SEH) and Astra GTE 8v (SER)
128 lb-ft and 128-130BHP

There were two sorts of GTE 2.0 8v engine mind. Because the torque values in my Astra handbook show max torque at 3000rpm and max power of 125BHP. Whereas I have a 20SER which makes max torque nearer the top end and is 128-130BHP as standard. That looks like a cam difference to me.

What's the code for the earlier GTE 8v engine?
 
#20 ·
tomstickland said:
Years ago I had this same discussion on the Cavweb and Club Calibra boards. No one could translate the R and the H. I don't think that they mean "normal power" and "elevated power". They're the same engine anyway.
True about the same engine but I still think its a hi-torque and low torque variety and thats what those letters mean :rolleyes:

Different cams etc ??

For your interest Tom - Decoding GM Engine Numbers
 
#21 ·
Elevated power / Food
I remember a big discussion about what the R and H meant and nonone could really decide. I don't have a huge amount of faith in that link, they've been off translating the words from the French.

Come at it another way. What's the book data for the Cav 2.0 Sri with the 20SEH engine. I bet you it's 132lb-ft and 128BHP.

Guess what my Astra handbook says? 132lb-ft and 128BHP.

Now my earlier Astra handbook shows the other GTE engine, the 125BHP 2.0 engine that makes peak torque down in the 2500rpm area. I have no idea what engine code that one was.

According to vauxhall the 20SEH and 20SER differ in the ECU area.
 
#26 ·
Makis22 said:
My Cav Mk2 SRI 130 had the 20SEH engine and was
quoted with 133lb and 130 HP. Also the torque was quoted to pick at 4600 rpm. I am tempted to believe that the engine is the same as the one on an Astra GTE 8V and only the exhaust is more restricted on the ASTRA.
I now believe that the Astra GTE 8V engine is not the same as the Cav MK2 SRI130. The SRI130 is the 20SEH high compression (10:1) while the GTE is the 20SER low compression (9.2:1) which is the same as the normal engine I have know on my Mk3 2.0Li. The good news for me is that the standard Mk3 Cav 2.0 engine has only 115bhp while the Astra has 128 (or so). The extra power in the Astra must be obtained through a management chip. Can anybody confirm this theory.
 
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