Post 536417 by vaderboyo on 2012-09-12 13:51:32
In the beginning..... I've started collecting parts both body panels and engine bits for the AWD in preparation for improving what is currently a great handling car. The plan with the car was always to have an A road monster, plenty of grip and torque, not so bothered about top end as long as it could overtake quickly when needed. My biggest aim is mid-range torque for pulling out of bends etc. etc. ....just an effective A to B car really. My aim/plan is to get 265 bhp from the engine as efficiently as possible and for sensible money, so I thought I'd do some before and after comparisons before I start any work, and share my knowledge as I go along so that I could assess what you gain (or loose) for the money you spend. Hopefully it will help some other AWD fans who like me, are not engineers and who learn as they go along. I've also been doing a lot of research on line re the 2.4t engine. Thanks to members it’s clear that Volvo did test the T15/16 turbo with the 2.4 engine but reported problems with cracked liners etc. My take on this is that technology has now moved on and that with careful mapping for realistic torque gains, the 2.4 can be tuned to 2.3 levels. I’m of the opinion it’s the torque and not the total bhp that was causing problems....would be interested on members views re this.....so a T15 turbo will be on the cards for the future to improve performance higher up the rev range (within tolerances) Out in the field (or the road lol So, went out this morning, torque primed on my HTC and I did the usual testing stuff. The aim is to see real world comparisons for each replacement part or tune-up that I give her, and to see what performance improvements I get. I just want to make it clear from the start my AWD is by no means a T5 of a V70R performance wise....but I fell for this particular car and the investments made since purchase dictate that I will be keeping hold of her. As she currently stands she's got a knackered 02 Sensor ( I did replace it earlier this week but it failed!!! so the old ones back on until the new sensor arrives) and showing the following codes - P1171, P1071, P0134. She's also getting a stage '0' service next week...so good time to compare. The engine is completely stock, the only modification to the car has been the AWD R suspension which has made her one mean machine on the twisty bits. Tyre are Michelin p6000 all round, they were slightly under recommended PSI today. One final thing before I start.....ALL TESTING WILL BE DONE IN THE WET.....I love AWD cars for their all-round grip, both off the mark in a straight line and on the twisty bits. So for those of you who live in hose pipe banned areas enjoy my antics! So first testing today with what I think is a pretty good base engine which needs some TLC. §§§§ing it down and quite windy, road surface very wet. I will take screen shots on torque from now on (just worked it out lol) but have started to save all the log files on excel so that I can study them in more detail. 12/09/2012 - Best figures 0-60 = 8.6 (turbo boost 8.87psi max) - no wheel spin 40 - 60 = 2.86s 60 - 80 = 6.49s 1/8m time = 12.3s 1/4 time = 18.6s Interestingly, when I planted my foot down and didn't let up, the gear change was slow and resulted in a worst 0-60 time of 10.66! So knowing when to lift (around 50mph) and plant the foot again gains you 2.6s!!!! So this has got me thinking, the R and other models have a sport AUTO option, thinking now if this is just a switchgear and ECU upgrade so that I can get quicker gear changes from 2nd gear onwards. I don’t want it booting early on or I will knacker the box lol So there's my benchmark, let’s see what happens after stage '0'. Comments & views welcomed :B_thumb: