Engine rebuild options...

[dynodan]

So the 182 engine currently has bad compression on no2 & no4.
The current engine has a set of Catcams 428s fitted along with a tune by a monkey.

Do I swap a stock 172/182 engine in, installing the cams and a new belt etc.
OR
build a replacement engine using a 197 head, pistons & rods - selling the 428s to help fund the extra expense of the 197 bits?

The 197 internal'd engine appeals due to the VVT which will make for a better daily driving car, but the 172/182 option appeals as the initial outlay would be less... decisions decisions...

I'll be moving to aftermarket engine management that can handle the DBW and VVT.

Advice from those who've been there and done it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bloke]

what's the compression out of curiosity?

am sure 197 crank is lighter than 172/182 as well.

 

[dynodan]

It's all in here: http://www.cliosport.net/threads/little-blue-clio-182-ab.800567/#post-11252861
But:
Cyl 1 = 175PSi
Cyl 2 = 112PSi
Cyl 3 = 170PSi
Cyl 4 = 122PSi

Not good..

 

[bloke]

bit of a bummer. cracked ring lands possibly?

you sure it's cammed/mapped? the step at 5,000rpm looks like the normal open/closed loop on standard map?

197 guts and head should be decent with cams. what inlet you planning on with it?
i''ve got a 197 bottom end to use in my phase 1. crank, rods and pistons with the phase 1 head, c&b cams and sm inlet.

 

[dynodan]

bit of a bummer. cracked ring lands possibly?

you sure it's cammed/mapped? the step at 5,000rpm looks like the normal open/closed loop on standard map?

Most probably cracked ring lands, the lean mixture is pretty horrible to see from my point of view - cringeworthy tbh...
It has a receipt for the cams in the history file and even with compression like it has it still pulls away from a friends stock 182FF so I'm pretty confident on the cams are in there - usually a car leaves closed loop fuelling the moment it leaves 14.4-14.7:1, I'm not entirely sure how the Clio's fuelling works, but I'd imagine it's on open loop from 3200rpm.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Most probably cracked ring lands, the lean mixture is pretty horrible to see from my point of view - cringeworthy tbh...
It has a receipt for the cams in the history file and even with compression like it has it still pulls away from a friends stock 182FF so I'm pretty confident on the cams are in there - usually a car leaves closed loop fuelling the moment it leaves 14.4-14.7:1, I'm not entirely sure how the Clio's fuelling works, but I'd imagine it's on open loop from 3200rpm.

open loop at 5000rpm.

 

[bloke]

it's from touch under 5,000rpm. can't remember exact figure but not much under that. hence people saying about the kick they can feel at 5,000rpm. easy to check the cams, just look though the oil filler cap.

 

[dynodan]

easy to check the cams, just look though the oil filler cap.

I've not seen inside any other 182 oil caps so not sure what I'm looking for - sadly my eyesight isn't good enough to tell the lift & duration :tonguewink:
Does the OEM camshaft have a part number cast into it like the Jap stuff usually does?

 

[masekwm]

Yeah, you can sometimes see the catcams marking through the oil cap

 

[bloke]

standard cams have a ring around them, cat cams are smooth looking (easiest way to explain it) am sure i've got couple of pics somewhere, will see if i can find them...

 

[Dan@SJM]

Most obvious thing is that the cat cams are billet and the stock are lobes pressed onto the shaft.

 

[dynodan]

I've just had a peak and it's clear that where the lobe joins the shaft isn't a straight 90degree edge that the OEM cams would have (I guess with pushed on lobes).
There's a radius down from the lobe to the main shaft, which is nice

 

[TimR26]

I don't see point in going to the expense of rebuilding with 197 parts and an aftermarket ECU.

As it's faster than your friends 182 I would keep driving it until the engine blows up. Then swap it for a stock 182 engine.

 

[STEVE.M]

Most obvious thing is that the cat cams are billet and the stock are lobes pressed onto the shaft.

 

[dynodan]

I don't see point in going to the expense of rebuilding with 197 parts and an aftermarket ECU.

As it's faster than your friends 182 I would keep driving it until the engine blows up. Then swap it for a stock 182 engine.

I'm going to convert to standalone as part of a project for work, so the real question for me is about engine internal choice.

I think I'm going to get hold of a stock 182 engine, fit ARPs, swap the cams over and install new belts, dephaser etc and spend a long day in the workshop changing engines over.

I'd usually run it until it goes pop, but I need a reliable car over the winter months and the cost of the above work is worth the reliability to me.