182 runs way smoother and easier cold starts after changing the cambelt and déphaser pulley

Hi,
I just changed the cambelt auxbelt kit and dephaser pulley on the clio and noticed it now runs way smoother and starts way better when cold. I run 100% e85 and sometimes before it would be somewhat difficult to start but kind of randomly sometimes it would start perfect in 10°C weather and sometimes it would struggle to go after sitting under the hot summer sun.
And it would always run quite rough at idle sounding a bit like a bridgeported rx8. No misfire tho

And now that everything is changed idle is so smooth and coldstarts are easy even when cold.

My mechanic tells me the timing was pretty much spot on although the rest of the auxillary pulleys and tensioners were absolutely knackered there shouldnt be any reason for it to run so much better now would it?
Might just the dephaser pulley be the culprit before (it never sounded like a diesel when hot)

I guess I just wondered if any of you experienced something similar or if you found might have ben the initial problem.

Thanks for reading!

I’d bet the timing was actually out and now it’s ok. It’s too much of a coincidence.

charltjr said:

I’d bet the timing was actually out and now it’s ok. It’s too much of a coincidence.

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idk, it made 184hp on the dyno i guess if it was out it would have made much less?

freddyyy said:

idk, it made 184hp on the dyno i guess if it was out it would have made much less?

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Is that standard? If so, it sounds like that dyno is very generous.

Most are somewhere in the low to upper 160s from the factory and on different dynos. Mine hit 199bhp after an engine rebuild with 197 pistons, new cams, uprated valves and a remap.

Darren S said:

Is that standard? If so, it sounds like that dyno is very generous.

Most are somewhere in the low to upper 160s from the factory and on different dynos. Mine hit 199bhp after an engine rebuild with 197 pistons, new cams, uprated valves and a remap.

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nope bigger injectors e85 tune exhaust and intake

E85 tune? Didn't realise you could get E85 in the UK?

Darren S said:

Is that standard? If so, it sounds like that dyno is very generous.

Most are somewhere in the low to upper 160s from the factory and on different dynos. Mine hit 199bhp after an engine rebuild with 197 pistons, new cams, uprated valves and a remap.

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Mine made 180 at EFI

Simon_16v said:

E85 tune? Didn't realise you could get E85 in the UK?

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the car is not in the uk anymore 😅

JamesBryan said:

Mine made 180 at EFI

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It's interesting that they appear to be all over the place - especially in standard tune.

Like at RS Tuning when we had a rolling road day, years ago. I think my car was only about 3-4 years old at the time and made 166 on the rollers. One ex-member on here had had loads of work done to his and he didn't break 190. Some were woefully out - iirc one 172 was in the low 140s.

Of course, it could be the complete opposite for their dyno. Rather than being generous, it's pretty draconian.

Darren S said:

It's interesting that they appear to be all over the place - especially in standard tune.

Like at RS Tuning when we had a rolling road day, years ago. I think my car was only about 3-4 years old at the time and made 166 on the rollers. One ex-member on here had had loads of work done to his and he didn't break 190. Some were woefully out - iirc one 172 was in the low 140s.

Of course, it could be the complete opposite for their dyno. Rather than being generous, it's pretty draconian.

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140 might have been at wheels

Darren S said:

It's interesting that they appear to be all over the place - especially in standard tune.

Like at RS Tuning when we had a rolling road day, years ago. I think my car was only about 3-4 years old at the time and made 166 on the rollers. One ex-member on here had had loads of work done to his and he didn't break 190. Some were woefully out - iirc one 172 was in the low 140s.

Of course, it could be the complete opposite for their dyno. Rather than being generous, it's pretty draconian.

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It's possible that the RST dyno is quite strict.

Most 182's i've seen at EFI dyno days have been 170+.

Low 140's would be a sign of the timing being out.

JamesBryan said:

Mine made 180 at EFI

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171.9 my old Cup made at EFI.

Matt Cup said:

171.9 my old Cup made at EFI.

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Good for a 172, they usually run low to mid 160's

JamesBryan said:

Good for a 172, they usually run low to mid 160's

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Yep was pretty impressed tbh. Only modifications it had was BTB 182 cat mod and Grp n exhaust.