172 dyno power restore project

[michael flanagan]

I have recently purchased a 137,000 mile clio 172 as a weekend toy for £800. I owned one of these 5 years ago and have wanted to buy another one ever since I sold it. My new clio is in need of an oil service and has a large cone filter which is very dirty however it still pulls very well and is great fun to drive. All belts are fine as they have been changed just over a year ago. Before I carry out a major service on this car (oil, filter, fuel filter, platinum spark plugs, uprated leads, cold air induction kit behind headlight, cat back exhaust system) I have decided to give it a power run to see exactly how much a good service and a few subtle mods will increase/restore power by. Here is the results before the service. (Go easy on the old girl she has done a few miles and as I say is in desperate need of a service) I am booked in for next Wednesday after I have serviced and fitted all new parts to see if the figures change at all and if so by how much.

 

[BaileyWolves]

Hi mate decent little purchase it’s way down on power tho would deffo loose that filter and invest in a decent one or replace to a standard air box ? Who set the timing up on the car when belts were done ? This can make a big difference the service won’t see much difference I don’t think but good luck looking forward to seeing the updates ?

 

[michael flanagan]

Hi mate not sure who done the belts as it was an eBay purchase and I havnt had a chance to look thorough all the paperwork. Iv been reading that healthy low mileage 172’s are usually running around 165bhp so was thinking it wasn’t too bad the fact the car is 17 years old with 137,000 miles and only 20bhp less? I can’t find any posts of anyone doing a power run on a car needing a service before and after so I’m quite looking forward to it myself

 

[michael flanagan]

Few bits have turned up this afternoon

 

[michael flanagan]

Just waiting for 2 90 degrees elbows to finish off the new induction setup. Iv ordered everything in black from the silicone hoses to the jubilee clips

 

[R3k1355]

Is that 143 at the wheels or the calculated crank figure?

Any monkey can throw a new belt on, but unless they've got the proper locking tools and know what they're doing it's pretty easy to get the timing fucked up.
Can easily lose 20hp with bad timing.

 

[Smiffyboy1990]

Timing will be out is my guess.

 

[michael flanagan]

I’m not going to get too hung up on if the timing is out until I have replaced the exhaust, that horrendous air filter sucking in all that hot air and a major service. If it’s still in the 140 region then I will look into the timing. This is a little experiment for me to try and get the car back to its original BHP as much as possible. It drives great and pulls very well through all the gears so I have every faith I will get to at least 160bhp eventually ?

 

[welshname]

If the timing is badly done i.e the timing is out, there are other issues to consider, like valves saying hello to Mr Piston. I'd also be wary as to whether genuine parts were used etc etc.

 

[Coops Mk1]

Timing out for sure

 

[robzracing]

Interesting little project. Worth doing a compression test too. If that’s down no amount of timing will help really.
Good luck with it


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[Coops Mk1]

Can't really test compression without knowing timing is good as bad timing leads to poor compression, hence low power

 

[scullyg40]

Timing this, timing that. Let me just say, I am very interested in the results, and I will be following this.

 

[michael flanagan]

Come on people we don’t know it’s the timing, have faith! The oil and filter are filthy, the exhaust is blowing terribly. I’m fitting a brand new cat back exhaust system, brand new cold air induction kit behind the headlight to replace that huge air filter which is almost certainly suffocating the engine. NGK platinum spark plugs, uprated HT leads, the best oil I could get, oil filter, fuel filter. If after all this the car is still pushing out something in the 140’s I will accept defeat and get the timing looked at. The 2nd run is booked in for 12:00 next Wednesday so fingers crossed. Either way it will be very interesting I’m sure ??

 

[michael flanagan]

Timing this, timing that. Let me just say, I am very interested in the results, and I will be following this.

Thanks mate I agree we shoulent mention timing until next wednesdays results. A badly serviced car with poor parts fitted can definitely hold power back. I’m just hoping it’s holding back 15BHP worth of power ?

 

[Louis]

Come on people we don’t know it’s the timing, have faith! The oil and filter are filthy, the exhaust is blowing terribly. I’m fitting a brand new cat back exhaust system, brand new cold air induction kit behind the headlight to replace that huge air filter which is almost certainly suffocating the engine. NGK platinum spark plugs, uprated HT leads, the best oil I could get, oil filter, fuel filter. If after all this the car is still pushing out something in the 140’s I will accept defeat and get the timing looked at. The 2nd run is booked in for 12:00 next Wednesday so fingers crossed. Either way it will be very interesting I’m sure ??

No need to get uprated HT leads imho. Decent set of genuine leads see you right

 

[michael flanagan]

No need to get uprated HT leads imho. Decent set of genuine leads see you right

I got all carried away ordering stuff and couldnt stop once I started ?

 

[Louis]

I got all carried away ordering stuff and couldnt stop once I started ?

You go magnecor?

 

[RIC172]

I also think the timing must be out, or could be a blocked cat, blocked fuel filter or faulty fuel pump?

For comparison my Clio 172 with 100k miles made 179bhp using a dynodynamics rolling road, only mods were an exhaust and air filter.

The service etc won’t make much difference, there’s something else going on here

 

[michael flanagan]

You go magnecor?

I went for Matt Lewis Racing (MLR) who ever he is? I read a few reviews and didn’t hear any complaints. They were only £40 and I’m sure they will make no difference at all, but as I’m doing the plugs I thought I’d stick a new set on just for the sake of it

 

[michael flanagan]

I also think the timing must be out, or could be a blocked cat, blocked fuel filter or faulty fuel pump?

For comparison my Clio 172 with 100k miles made 179bhp using a dynodynamics rolling road, only mods were an exhaust and air filter.

The service etc won’t make much difference, there’s something else going on here

Were going to have to wait till next Wednesday.... That’s why I decided to do this experiment, I’m not going to stop until the bhp is as close to 170 as it can be. Even if it cost me a fortune in power runs at least it will answer a lot of questions that are constantly asked on forums

 

[BaileyWolves]

I did the belts dephaser and pump ect on mine as soon as I got the car along with loads of other stuff small fortune spent then with ktec exhaust and filter it was mapped at efi by Chris and made a healthy 188bhp my cats now being replaced for a ktec sports cat which will help slightly tomoz but the guy who did timing is a genius I do beleive it has a major difference , I will be watching with anticipation hope u manage to get sorted easily and cheaply mate ?

 

[michael flanagan]

Th

I did the belts dephaser and pump ect on mine as soon as I got the car along with loads of other stuff small fortune spent then with ktec exhaust and filter it was mapped at efi by Chris and made a healthy 188bhp my cats now being replaced for a ktec sports cat which will help slightly tomoz but the guy who did timing is a genius I do beleive it has a major difference , I will be watching with anticipation hope u manage to get sorted easily and cheaply mate ?

Thanks mate ?

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

To be fair if its down on power i would HOPE its due to timing. Timing is easy to resolve and can be done in an afternoon. All other options would result in needing an engine rebuild.

Dont let the internet discourage you! we may sound all doom and gloom but there is a lot of good advice to be had from this site. Fingers crossed you come across some either way enjoy the clio i bought mine for £800 and it needed loooooaaaads doing to it but i enjoyed every minute of it.

 

[michael flanagan]

To be fair if its down on power i would HOPE its due to timing. Timing is easy to resolve and can be done in an afternoon. All other options would result in needing an engine rebuild.

Dont let the internet discourage you! we may sound all doom and gloom but there is a lot of good advice to be had from this site. Fingers crossed you come across some either way enjoy the clio i bought mine for £800 and it needed loooooaaaads doing to it but i enjoyed every minute of it.

 

[Martin_172]

needing a service wont cause It to be down on power anymore than a few bhp, even with a mega clogged air filter you would be lucky to lose more than 5hp, my experience with blowing exhausts and manifold gaskets etc is that it generally wont make a difference either.

if that was my car my first port of call would be timing as that's a fairly normal figure for a car with timing out.

 

[michael flanagan]

To be fair if its down on power i would HOPE its due to timing. Timing is easy to resolve and can be done in an afternoon. All other options would result in needing an engine rebuild.

Dont let the internet discourage you! we may sound all doom and gloom but there is a lot of good advice to be had from this site. Fingers crossed you come across some either way enjoy the clio i bought mine for £800 and it needed loooooaaaads doing to it but i enjoyed every minute of it.

Haha thanks mate, I think people think the car runs like a piece of sh*t ? it pulls like a train and is lovely and smooth considering it’s well over due a service. I have every faith next Wednesday will surprise myself and a few other people ??

 

[michael flanagan]

needing a service wont cause It to be down on power anymore than a few bhp, even with a mega clogged air filter you would be lucky to lose more than 5hp, my experience with blowing exhausts and manifold gaskets etc is that it generally wont make a difference either.

if that was my car my first port of call would be timing as that's a fairly normal figure for a car with timing out.

We’ll have to wait and see

 

[michael flanagan]

Thanks for all the timing comments guys, but I need to do all the bits iv mentioned ready for the next power run on Wednesday. After I see the results of that I will then get the car booked in for the timing to be altered. I will then do another power run and go from there. This is a little experiment I want to do remember, this is not my daily driver. It is one of many cars I own and hasn’t cost me anything really. Just a bit of fun to see how you can restore a tired car as close to original power as possible

 

[BaileyWolves]

Will be watching this will be interesting mate if you make 30bhp of a service I am gonna hang myself when I have put 3k into my cup to get 190bhp ???? well it has virtually had every thing but still .... keep us updated pal

 

[michael flanagan]

Will be watching this will be interesting mate if you make 30bhp of a service I am gonna hang myself when I have put 3k into my cup to get 190bhp ???? well it has virtually had every thing but still .... keep us updated pal

I 100% will not get 30bhp from a service lol. I’d be happy with perhaps 5bhp? I’m more interested to see if the exhaust or filter will do anything. All people seem to ask is ‘how much power will a cat back exhaust and a ktec filter give my car’ well as of next Wednesday we should find out

 

[michael flanagan]

I am going to go for a wild guess and say the car will be 149.6 next week, the timing is surely out ever so slightly but at least we can see how a good service and exhaust and filter can change the figures of a car. We can then see how adjusting the timing of a 172 can change the figures aswell and I will get that booked in somewhere for the following weekend. Then back to the rolling road. Anyone else who has timing worries can then use me as a guinea pig and get the problem sorted out on their own car aswell. Who else wants to guess the figure? Closest gets £20 sent to them via PayPal and I promise I will ?

 

[michael flanagan]

It’s currently 143.4bhp and is desperate for a service plus the catback and filter, so I’m not being too ambitious hoping for a 6.2bhp Increase surely?? ?

 

[Louis]

You plugged the car in at all? Any codes?

Be interesting to graph the lambda and see what that's doing. Aren't coolant sensors known to reduce BHP too as it's not properly coming off the cold map?

 

[Pistachio]

I guess 147.8bhp

 

[michael flanagan]

You plugged the car in at all? Any codes?

Be interesting to graph the lambda and see what that's doing. Aren't coolant sensors known to reduce BHP too as it's not properly coming off the cold map?

Iv literally only had the car a cou

I guess 147.8bhp

id be happy with that ?

 

[michael flanagan]

You plugged the car in at all? Any codes?

Be interesting to graph the lambda and see what that's doing. Aren't coolant sensors known to reduce BHP too as it's not properly coming off the cold map?

Iv literally only has the car a couple of days. I’ll get her plugged in over the weekend good shout ?

 

[Martin_172]

144.6bhp

 

[BaileyWolves]

149 bhp depending on what exhaust and filter your using mate ?

 

[R3k1355]

Come on people we don’t know it’s the timing, have faith!

When it's that down on power, 95% of the time it's the timing.

Mind you there were always a small percentage of engines that rolled higher figures than everyone else, despite have no describable differences.
So don't be satisfied with just 160bhp.

Aren't coolant sensors known to reduce BHP too as it's not properly coming off the cold map?

Yes a touch, usually adds more fuel and pulls some ignition timing.