August 2011
It's been a while so time for a little update...
Over the last few weeks I have noticed that the Trophy hasn't quite been running as well or smoothly. Sure, it is still much better than it used to be pre-ITB's but something isn't quite "there" at the moment. On top of that the idle has become a little lumpy and, under partial throttle, the drive has also become considerably more lumpy. After asking around it would seem likely that there could well be a faulty sensor and/or the ITB's are in need of balancing...
Even so, I decided to take it along to a rolling road day that was held recently at Circuit Motors, Castle Combe. I was invited by Russ / BSE Motorsport and thought I might as well pop along. I wasn't expecting great results and - to be honest - I was disappointed later in the day when I got my results. More details on that later.
As things currently stand I am still running the filter that came with the ITB's. I have been asking around and looking for solutions from various places but correspondence has got nowhere and/or places don't currently have anything available that can help?! To be honest it's a bit frustrating as I'm still not happy running this filter and the following photos show why. This is the build-up of disintegrating foam after only 4-5 weeks of use.
Just a couple of other quick photos... You can see the slight oil seepage I'm experiencing from the rocker cover but this hasn't become anymore serious and is just annoying more than anything. I'll look to get this fixed and sealed properly soon.
The good news is that there looks to be a new two-piece filter solution on the way soon so fingers crossed that arrives sooner rather than later. This is being developed and supplied by K-Tec, from whom I'll also soon be acquiring the GEN Tuner Light software and connector cable for their GEN90 ECU.
So... what of the dyno day? What was I expecting? Having had my Trophy remapped by Matt at TDF I was looking for somewhere around about the same figure I'd got on TDF's dyno (although I appreciate dyno's can and do differ significantly). Even taking into account a potential considerable difference in dyno calibration I couldn't help but feel disappointed with the eventual results. The images below show the story of the dyno day.
As can be seen in the image above, the Trophy only managed to pull just shy of 190bhp and a rather poor 154 lbft of torque. Whilst the bhp was a litte disappointing the torque figure was extremely disappointing! Driving the car suggests that the actual torque level is somewhat higher but obviously I can't say for sure!
The image above shows the results of the 4 power runs. By the time the 3rd and 4th runs were being done the engine temperature was extremely high; seemingly the ITB kit I'm running pumps out some serious heat! Whilst the lines aren't too bad the power does seem to peak a little early before dropping off (whereas I'd have expected it to keep pulling) and the torque does appear low.
Looking further into the results...
The above images simply show (again) the power at the fly and the wheel, as well as the torque.
The afr is interesting. The dyno operator stated that it was difficult to get a good reading what with the dual exit exhaust but it does appear to be running a little lean in places. As it doesn't seem too bad in terms of real world driving and performance I am not going to worry about getting a remap until I get my next planned round of mod's sorted out.
Later in the afternoon, Russ kindly offered his time and the use of his garage facilities so that I could check over some 'issues' that I believe I'm having with the car. Especially useful seeing as my MOT was all but upon me.
The first thing I wanted to get checked out was an oil leak; it was making a bit of a mess in the engine bay and on the underside of the car yet it wasn't obvious where it was coming from. It wasn't the leak that I'd seen from the rocker cover.
After a while Russ found the problem... the oil breather pipe wasn't actually connected! As a result oil was simply seeping down through the engine bay and spraying up and along the underside of the car. Messy.
Next up was that old familiar friend... the CV boots. Yet again the CV boot clip had failed so it was promptly repacked with grease and re-clipped. Hopefully this will last a little longer as it's the 4th time it's been done. They really are a poor design (or so it would seem).
The other major issue I've been having recently is with the handling. Or rather with the crashy suspension. I suspected it was due to the fact that the Sachs needed refurbing. Even so the driveshafts, etc. were checked just in case. Fortunately everything else seemed to be in order, although I did notice this (above) where a bush appears to be popping out the driveshaft? Is this normal or does anyone recognise it as a problem that needs fixing?
The other thing that was found was the perished lower gearbox mount; which can be seen clearly in the photo above. This will be fixed soon along with a few other things.
So where am I planning on going from here? Well, clearly there are a few things that need addressing. Firstly, the oil breather issue is a nuisance but thankfully Russ came up with a solution that works perfectly well for now. The Samco pipe has been 'fused' with a slightly smaller diameter piping section that better fits. The oil breather itself has also been relocated to a different part of the engine bay such that there is no longer an unpleasant smell in the cabin when using the heaters, etc.
Secondly, the Sachs dampers. I threw my keys to Russ so that he could take the Trophy out for a spin; thought it would be a good idea to get his opinion on how he thinks it's driving performance-wise (bearing in mind my disappointing dyno result earlier in the day) and also the crashy suspension. He returned later with a grin and confirmed that there wasn't too much wrong with the performance... as a rather annoyed M3 driver found out.
However, he did agree that it was very likely the dampers were in need of a refurb.
Finally, future modifications. I have decided to go down the uprated cam route and plan to save up and get some Schricks installed as soon as funds allow. I also still intend to get the aircon removed, too.
A few questions in case anyone might be able to help...
Where is the best place to get the Sachs refurbed and can someone give me an indication on price (including getting them unpinned?)
Aircon removal. Are there any reputable specialists that do this as I don't have the time, tools or facilities to buy an aircon delete kit and risk doing it myself!
Schricks... recommendations for places to look for purchasing them new?
As always, thanks for reading. Oh, and the car passed its MOT today... although it took a while to get through the emissions test!!!
