Hi all, I currently have a completely standard mk3 16v, only problem is it's just not quick enough I recently had it on the rolling road at Stealth and it's producing 170bhp and 145lb/f of torque, which I'm told is quite good for a standard mk3. Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is - Whats's the best way to improve the performance at lower revs (i.e. get more torque)?
trade it up for a vr6? gotta be the easiest, and cheapest way of gettin more torque...you won't regret it.
i used to have a mk3 16v and the first thing i noticed when i got the vr6 was the massive difference in low down torque. bit extreme trading up the whole car tho cos 170bhp is good for a valver.
Yeh, 170bhp is verging on VR6 territory so me thinks it would be wise to keep it No idea to the answer to your question though
If you want lots of bottom end, fit quad throttle bodies with the stock head and cams (I have this tempoarily at the moment on my ABF) and it's a bottom end torque monster! Then, if you decide you want more power, do the head and cam bit and it's yours. My torque curve is dead flat from 1,500 RPM - I personally find it a bit boring, but if you want more bottom end, it's the best way of doing it...
but you'll never get near the same amount of torque as a vr6, and torque is what matters in the real world.
yeah 170bhp in an abf means feck all compared to 170bhp in a vr6. the vr6 engine would still be quicker with the same amount of bhp.
i always think that 'bhp is for bragging down the pub, but torque is what wins the races on the street'
exactly, hence a type R is pretty useful on the road even if peak torque is much the same as any other 2.0L normally aspirated petrol.
My old VR6 had 226bhp and 220lbs of torque. It felt good but there's no escaping how lazy the VR6 delivers it's power in a gradual build of power. The in gear times low down were actually slower than my 2 litre 16V probably down to power to weight ratio. I 've tried a 2.1 16v and that's great low down and in the mid range but it won't rev very high (safely) A 16V was developed for Msport primarily in the early years when the Dolomite sprint was made. Depends on your requirements but I'd personally not bother in going OTT in trying to develop the valver into a torque monster.....a pointless expensive task IMO. The 1.8T is a good canditate for good torque characteristics. Ianb
Increasing the displacment is the best way it increase your torque. Get it bored and / or stroked and you should be laughing.
Ianb - Thanks for the comments, most helpful Prof - I'll go out and buy that Audi TT engine (just as soon as I can remember where I planted that money tree) So basically the answer is: it is possible but it's gonna cost...
That's right. I agree with everyone saying the VR6 has more torque - obviously it has 800cc more capacity! It doesn't help that the Mk3 is so fat - that's why I got the Ibiza instead - same engine, brakes etc, but quite a bit lighter and you certainly notice the weight difference. If the lack of torque concerns you that much - sell it, as you'll never get a lot of torque from the motor in NA form. Go get a Mk2 VR6 - best of both worlds then! Or, as prof says, drop the ABF into a Mk1/2! I'm going down the ABF mk1 route - it's the only way the car will even be remotely quick against the 500BHP Aussie V8's
