Redtop Conversion Questions

[marty GT]

done bit of digging round on this conversion so got the basic gist of things.just got a few questions but more like asking bit of advice really guys

1.whats best manifold to use(i mean for fitment as well as performance)?

2.i've seen mentioned that certain VW heater boxes can be used,can anyone shed anymore light on this matter plz?

3.advice/comments on fuel tank options=i'm fitting a dizzy type redtop into a 1.8 carb'd manta b so i'm thinking GT/E tank but if i cant source one what other options do i have?

[xecoupe]

done bit of digging round on this conversion so got the basic gist of things.just got a few questions but more like asking bit of advice really guys

1.whats best manifold to use(i mean for fitment as well as performance)?

2.i've seen mentioned that certain VW heater boxes can be used,can anyone shed anymore light on this matter plz?

3.advice/comments on fuel tank options=i'm fitting a dizzy type redtop into a 1.8 carb'd manta b so i'm thinking GT/E tank but if i cant source one what other options do i have?

Hello mate i am going through the same as you, mine is nearly complete. if you have a coil pack you wont need to bother with changing the heater because you can mount it somewhere behind the engine. but if you need to lose the heater to gain space you can use a VW polo 1987 heater( please correct me if i am wrong guys). i am sticking with the fuel injection for now to see how it goes. but would love to spend some money to get a little bit more out of it.

[marty GT]

Hello mate i am going through the same as you, mine is nearly complete. if you have a coil pack you wont need to bother with changing the heater because you can mount it somewhere behind the engine. but if you need to lose the heater to gain space you can use a VW polo 1987 heater( please correct me if i am wrong guys). i am sticking with the fuel injection for now to see how it goes. but would love to spend some money to get a little bit more out of it.

yeah i read somewhere about the polo heater,i'll be sticking with fuel injection because i already have an engine from my old cav.i'm working on the "if it aint broke,dont fix it" theory so leaving the engine alone.i will need to look at heater mods as the engine is dizzy type but it'll be worth the hassle as it made very good power in the cav so i know its strong. you got a manifold yet bud? i've not looked around yet,thought i'd get some feedback from here first

[stradacab]

Seriously, lose the dizzy, go megajolt and coil-pack. Keeps the bay standard and the ingnition is mappable which means you can tune for best performance.

There is only one manifold from Ashley, it comes down the "wrong" side for any standard system so you you will have to get one custom made. Again you can choose your "hot" vs noise ratio for best performance.

[marty GT]

Seriously, lose the dizzy, go megajolt and coil-pack. Keeps the bay standard and the ingnition is mappable which means you can tune for best performance.

There is only one manifold from Ashley, it comes down the "wrong" side for any standard system so you you will have to get one custom made. Again you can choose your "hot" vs noise ratio for best performance.

you got any more info/pics/prices on the megajolt method bud? where's best place to source the manifold from too?

[mantadoc]

Mlocke666 has this link in his signature

http://www.opelmanta16v.4mg.com/

[manta88]

Try this link below this is how i did it with the Megajolt.

http://www.autosportlabs.org/viewtopic.php?t=2760

[marty GT]

Mlocke666 has this link in his signature

http://www.opelmanta16v.4mg.com/

cheers bud,yeah i found this link last week.very good read with decent pics too.

Try this link below this is how i did it with the Megajolt.

http://www.autosport...opic.php?t=2760

looks nice that lot mate but what kind of price does all that cost,dont really want to go down the carb/throttle body route firstly to keep costs down and also i'm going to try to make the conversion look as oem as i can too.

[mantadoc]

Gonna be controvertial here and say, it depends how far you are going to tune whether a mega jolt is going to help you.

Basically if you go for a megajolt but haven't got the finances to run to regular rolling road sessions the fact that it's adjustable doesn't really help. You could download maps people have uploaded for similar spec cars but they won't be tailored. Kinda like having a tailor made suit made using a mate as the dummy, it's never going to be quite what you need.

That said if going for carbs it makes perfect sense, while if going for throttle bodies it might be better to have a system that controls both, so maybe mega squirt, VEMS or something else trick.

The problem with being human is people will put higher octane fuel in their cars and swear they are faster where, in reality unless you were using the wrong fuel to start or had it re-timed to the higher octane fuel they'll be going slower. Smiling more, insisting it's going faster but going slower.

In summary.......... if you are wanting to keep it cheap at this time and not touch the induction have a look around for the bits you need for dizzyless injection by finding some on a forum from someone who is going straight to fancy induction.

Or cut the heater box as you were. The white JNE coverted car in Fast Car and the Berlinetta prototype way back when both had recessed cut in heater boxes. Probably flipped to a Kadett / Chevette heater valve and losing the flap (guessing).

Not a fan of the Polo heater as blowing air out of the engine bay into the car seems a bad idea. Unless you boxed the whole heater in it would be a hard thing to overcome.

[marty GT]

Gonna be controvertial here and say, it depends how far you are going to tune whether a mega jolt is going to help you.

Basically if you go for a megajolt but haven't got the finances to run to regular rolling road sessions the fact that it's adjustable doesn't really help. You could download maps people have uploaded for similar spec cars but they won't be tailored. Kinda like having a tailor made suit made using a mate as the dummy, it's never going to be quite what you need.

ya thinking right along the same lines as me there mate and i get what ya saying.thing is i've already got an engine which came from my old cav track car.it ran perfectly well in standard form so i dont wanna start mucking about with carbs or throttle bodies really.i'm looking at converting engine to oem coilpack set up now and sort the problem that way just need to sort out the tank issue now.

watch this space........................

[mantadoc]

Cutting the heater box is cheap and easy and doesn't disturb your engine..........and you know everything you have works.

I just can't help but use whatever I have lying around lol

I really want to do one with four old mini 1 1/4 SUs for the low techness of it

[marty GT]

Cutting the heater box is cheap and easy and doesn't disturb your engine..........and you know everything you have works.

I just can't help but use whatever I have lying around lol

I really want to do one with four old mini 1 1/4 SUs for the low techness of it

that sounds like an interesting project,yeah i dont really want to hack the car up too much to get engine in so i'd sooner alter the engine to make it fit really.

but not spend loads to do it either

[rutts]

easiest way is like above cut a hole for dizzy to fit into buy a black plastic box from maplin to sikaflex in hole and all fits nicely. or also as above buy all coil pack stuff off ebay including exhaust cam. after market ecus are ok but can be expensive to buy build a loom and set up correctly. lots of 16v parts in our north west area stores dept

[Robbie]

Like many if you don't want to go to a lot of expense and have already an 1800 engine in the car, why not just blank of the dissy at the rear and use the 1800 dissy front mounted on the XE. you have all the bits you need, You only need to make up a bracket or 2.

Injection tanks are handy enough to get for coupes , hard for hatches. You will most likely need the fuel pump setup from the rear of a injection car including the floor bracket to mount the Injection pump setup. Use harder rubber engine mounts the 1800 ones will give to much rock on the engine, and use a pot type fly wheel with calibra turbo clutch plate, the 1800 clutch plate will only last a few hundred miles lol.

Edited May 10, 2010 by Robbie

[Mantaray80]

Injection tanks are handy enough to get for coupes , hard for hatches. You will most likely need the fuel pump setup from the rear of a injection car including the floor bracket to mount the Injection pump setup. Use harder rubber engine mounts the 1800 ones will give to much rock on the engine, and use a pot type fly wheel with calibra turbo clutch plate, the 1800 clutch plate will only last a few hundred miles lol.

I've been looking into getting the bits for my V6 conversion. I too already have the engine in my Calibra, but lack the gearbox, fuel tank, flywheel etc....

Having read your reply I'm quite surprised. I always found that hatch tanks were more common....haven't seen a GTE coupe tank for sale in ages....and I need one...

As for the flywheel, every other source I've been pointed to states the early flat flywheel is the one to go for. Why do you say go for the pot type?

I've been ummming and ahhing over which bits to get, so any light you could shed.....

[mantasrme]

You can use a tank from a different car rather than having to find an injection hatch tank.

Someone (think it was Kev Abbot ) fitted a calibra or Omega fuel tank to his manta hatch.

Only had to mod the boot floor slightly for the filler neck, and it straps in like normal.

I think they also have an in-tank injection pump in them so no external pump mounts to fab.

Plus its a plastic tank so won't ever rot

Will more than likely be trying that myself later in the year on a mates hatch thats going 16v.

[marty GT]

You can use a tank from a different car rather than having to find an injection hatch tank.

Someone (think it was Kev Abbot ) fitted a calibra or Omega fuel tank to his manta hatch.

Only had to mod the boot floor slightly for the filler neck, and it straps in like normal.

I think they also have an in-tank injection pump in them so no external pump mounts to fab.

Plus its a plastic tank so won't ever rot

Will more than likely be trying that myself later in the year on a mates hatch thats going 16v.

now that sounds like a good idea,i happen to know of a manta owner with an omega donar sat on his drive ..........................(waits for afore mentioned owner to post a comment)

[Robbie]

I've been looking into getting the bits for my V6 conversion. I too already have the engine in my Calibra, but lack the gearbox, fuel tank, flywheel etc....

Having read your reply I'm quite surprised. I always found that hatch tanks were more common....haven't seen a GTE coupe tank for sale in ages....and I need one...

As for the flywheel, every other source I've been pointed to states the early flat flywheel is the one to go for. Why do you say go for the pot type?

I've been ummming and ahhing over which bits to get, so any light you could shed.....

With the pot type you use the calibra turbo clutch plate, will last a lot longer and designed to withstand the power. Price wise does not really cost any more and its a great job. Gearbox wise Chris think i mentioned it before I have a box here, if you want it just get it lifted and its yours.

Hatch injection tanks rot like mad and are getting hard to get. I always found injection coupe tanks way easier to get as they never rust.

[upk]

Marty.............you can have first dips on the tank

and as i said make life easy and mount the dizzy on the front, just need to tap n plug the oil gallery in the cam before blanking off.

ps get that membership in ( if not done already) you get access to a lot more info already on the site.

Edited May 10, 2010 by upk

[orm09]

I got an exhaust manifold from peter lloyd rallying.Its made for putting an xe into escort mk11 but fits perfect in the manta and its cheaper than the ashley one(about

£160 inc postage I think)

[marty GT]

Marty.............you can have first dips on the tank

and as i said make life easy and mount the dizzy on the front, just need to tap n plug the oil gallery in the cam before blanking off.

ps get that membership in ( if not done already) you get access to a lot more info already on the site.

cheers for dibs on the tank kev,gotta be worth a try i think.is it a plastic tank on them? i've already got a few bits n bobs sorted RE=changing to oem coilpack.i know i could use my 1.8 front mounted dizzy but personally i think it looks a bit untidy on a redtop,want to try make the conversion nice and neat and as factory looking as poss.

I got an exhaust manifold from peter lloyd rallying.Its made for putting an xe into escort mk11 but fits perfect in the manta and its cheaper than the ashley one(about

£160 inc postage I think)

that sounds good mate,have you actually fitted the manifold yet then? did it all fit in ok?

[orm09]

Yeah it fitted well. I modded the gearbox crossmember a bit though because the manifold ran a bit close to it(about 5mm).It might have been ok but I did'nt want to risk it knocking on it.Also if your running injection you will have to fit a lamda boss unless you have the early non lamda set up.

[marty GT]

Yeah it fitted well. I modded the gearbox crossmember a bit though because the manifold ran a bit close to it(about 5mm).It might have been ok but I did'nt want to risk it knocking on it.Also if your running injection you will have to fit a lamda boss unless you have the early non lamda set up.

yeah i can easily mod the box crossmember thats no problem.lamda thing will need doing too but not a prob really,just wanted to make sure the manifold fits without rubbing on the car itself thats all.think i'll be getting one of them manifolds then cheers matey