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C20XE Tuning Advice needed!!

13K views 40 replies 21 participants last post by  nickp1210  
#1 ·
Apart from th obvious, i.e. filters/exhaust etc, i'm just a novice when it comes down to tuning the engine, as I've read that these engines can produce power gains of up to 200BHP or there abouts!

So,...

I'm looking for you guys to advise me on the best way to achieve a good power gain out of an C20XE whithout spending ridicoulous amounts of money and adding turbos's etc. The main reason being is im getting pissed off with all the Hondas round here and what to give them a bit of a whooping.

I was thinking about adding performance CAMS, then get it re mapped after that, but I would not know where to start to even buy the CAMS or go to get the car superchipped/re mapped.

I'm based in Leicestershire. Sorry if I've waffled on a bit, but I really hav'nt a clue and any help from yous would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
 
#2 ·
unfortunatly you cant get much out of the XE unless you want to spend money, the engine, in standard form is very good, you cant go to wild with the cams as there isnt the clearence for high lift/duration, to do this you need to make the piston pockets deeper, with standard pistons you can go up to around 270 degrees and a max of 10mm lift, and you will also need verniers to get the most from them, the motronic ecu will have a fit if wild cams are fitted as it will mess with the afm.

depending on your budget will depend on what you can get, a good place to start is by fitting a larger bore manifold, give the engine a good service, and go from there.
 
#5 ·
Agreed, the engine's strangled by the standard intakes and manifold, so uprate those. Throttle bodies are expensive (mainly because you need an ecu upgrade and remap), but will see good power right through the range. You could go budget-style on carbs, but there's bigger trade-offs with those and you might need another ecu anyways.

Once you get into internals it all starts to get even more expensive as anything changed too much from standard will impact on other standard parts, or need other parts uprating to get the full benefit. Basically, what Jamie said!

On the other hand you might be able to find some second-hand ready-built engines for not too much cash. Or even a Honda for yourself - I went to see a 200bhp+ early 90s Civic near you not long ago. £1800 :crazy
 
#8 ·
nickp1210 said:
Chavtastic?????? this may sound silly but two years ago a couple of my mates and i kinda "made up" the word started wearing black t-shirts that say chavtasic on them in white thats really freaked me out lol
I've got it copyrighted now Nick lmao :beer:

It's more than a name, it's a brand!
 
#9 ·
if you really wanted to put sum high lift cams in, you could get your pistons pocketed, and a cam kit from sbd motorsport. port the head to match the gaskets. (every little helps)

and a good manifold and system
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the info so far....

So roughly how much would the parts cost?

And what exhaust / manifold system would you recommend?

and theres no point chipping/remapping the car without modifying the engine first?

Thanks again
 
#11 ·
im buying taper tb's, kent 284cams, vernier pulleys, pocketed pistons, arp rod bolts, and sbd's own competition manifold 2.5inch rite through(all from sbd) then cat back from RC developments, ecu for dta, loom, fitting, mapping works out £3500.

sbd's fold is £369.95 i think near that anyway
cam with pulleys, springs lifters etc came to i think £769.95
pocket pistons £128 for a set

but thats for a c16xe, shudnt be much more than that for your motor
 
#12 ·
Pistons around £450-500 from Omega or similar, upwards of £300 for steel rods and bolts, or less than that to have the standard ones shot-peened etc, around £120 for a bottom end balance, upwards of £200 for cams and a bit more for verniers, plus extra for springs, valves, lifters, and any headwork as required (I don't know this as I bought mine second-hand ready done).

It's not cheap, but you can shop around and get bits here and there, and second-hand as need be. You need to know a bit, or know someone who does, to match bits up if not buying from one place in one go.

Manifold around £300, I think, and you can shell out as much on tbs as you've got in your pocket. My head came with 45s, and (another) ecu, and only investigated tbs through a trade contact who then let me down, so no idea on prices there.

Engine modding is a mugs game :D
 
#13 ·
All my friends have honda civic hatchback with b18c type r engines that producing with a exhaust system and a air filter about 200 bhp.
My vectra a with a tuned c20xe engine goes the same with their cas and from 90mph an over my car is faster.
I will suggest you some things that could do, to make very fast your car without carburatters or tb's but unhappilyy you must found someone in your country tha will know to remmap the standard ecu using special software like winols and special device emulator that connects the programm with the ecu chip. And off cource to make the program with gas analyser (wind band sensor) on the dyno.
If you can't find someone to remap the engine come for holidays to Greece:D and I will find on programmer for you. The second best you can do for reprogramming without to spent a fortune is to buy a unichip, but again you must reprogram on a dyno with gas analyser support for best results.
You can do serious mods on a c20xe if someone could know to reprogramm the standard ecu. Think that I am using the c25xe bigger airflow meter with the c20let injectors on a bosch motronic M2.8 for c20x engines! End all work properly because have the correct remmaping for my engine specifications.
So I suggest you the above.
remove all resonators before the standard airbox
keep the standard airbox and fit a free flow filter.
remove the head for porting and polishing and also skim it to raise the cr to 11:1
remove the con rods and pistons.
Cut the valve pockets about 2mm,Use new piston rings, and put arp rod bolts.
FInd a dealer of catcams ans order from catcams this profile. They have the master to do it for you.
Intake : 274 duration, and 10.95 max lift
Exhaust: 267 duration and 10,95 max lift
Use uprated single valve springs from catcams
Use adustable cam verniers to correct the timing as they said the cam specs.
Next u can do is to fit a aluminum flywheel like fidanza.
Also to find a second hand gearbox with ratio 3,72. This is from f20 4wd models.
Buy with closed eyes the sbd type a exhaust manifold
decat the cat or bye a free flow one.
Make a custom exhaust with 2,25 inches of diameter.
With all this if you reprogram good the ecu and your head was ported from a serious builder like swindon racing engines you will have about 185-195 bhp.
IN my engine at this time I have about 210 bhp but I had spend a lot more money, that propably is not worthing with this way because with the money I have spent I could easily go for throttle bodies. But I didn't want throttle bodies because I want to win my friends with a single body throttle setup like are the most hondas.
At this time I am doing a custom intake manifold, because I think tha will help me to produce a lot more power from the restricted standar and lexmaul item. I will post some pictures when it finished.
Hopes I help you.:)
 
#14 ·
With just a good exhaust, air filter and fse boost valve, i was getting 172 bhp. That was more than enough to see off most hondas as they lack the torque of an XE. :D
If you want 200bhp you need throttle bodies and cams for sure, which is £2k +
 
#17 ·
Angel of Death said:
i ha ve a gsi astra its putting about 170 bhp wit filter and ful janspeed system its cool ince and quick but stil noisy its god round here
sorry mate but no way have you that level of power, the rolling road who told you that are simply inaccurate.
 
#23 ·
this is what i have done to my c20xe so far

viper filter £250
bastuck exhaust £600
dbilas throttle bodies £1000
bosch turbo yellow injectors @3bar £26
unknown chip £25 - trying to put in anyone know how to seperate the boards

this should hopefully be putting my engine upto or just over 200bhp
 
#24 ·
there's some crazy idiots in this thread.
 
#25 ·
I got 161 bhp on just a powercap, standard everything else including airbox and GM filter :)
No restrictions though as this is a none cat GTE.

Just wacked a full stainless on and looking to put a manifold and chip on soon. Hopefully should boost me to 175 if I am lucky.