Is the "Performance Chip" for the Rover V8 a Myth?

[biggin]

Being a bit naive, for a while now I have kept my hopes up that an ECU upgrade (or chip) is available for the 4.0L V8, that actually does something other than rip you off.
Am I deluding myself?
Cheers,
biggin

P.S. I think I already know the answer to this question.:(

[nathand]

i looked into it a little while ago from reputable mobs but the increase doesnt seem worth the 1000 they want for it

[BigJon]

i looked into it a little while ago from reputable mobs but the increase doesnt seem worth the 1000 they want for it

Which reputable mobs?

[Banjo_pluker]

I have an RRC with a D2 4l bottom end with a dp chip (I think that is what it says it is)

It was on the car when I bought it. The preveous owner is a mechanic and his words were he was not as happy with it mainly due to the fact that he cannot adjust it.

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

I have an RRC with a D2 4l bottom end with a dp chip (I think that is what it says it is)

It was on the car when I bought it. The preveous owner is a mechanic and his words were he was not as happy with it mainly due to the fact that he cannot adjust it.

Makes no difference what the bottom end is, what injection is it running??




Sent from my mobile stone using smoke signals!!

[Banjo_pluker]

Its running the 3.9 injection I believe, but I am not 100% sure. It has a different looking MAF to my 1988 model but it is still lucus?

How do I tell?

[Lucus]

Does it have a distributor? If not its the later injection (good!) if it does a chip is a waste of money as your running a fuel only injection system. While you can make some (minimal) gains by tweaking the Air Fuel Ratios, unless you able too alter the ign timing(which your not using only a chip) your not going too gain much!

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

Not so grasshopper!!

There are a number of chip options for a 14CUX system. The best one is probably the Tornado.
Have a look at the RPI website www.v8engines.com

Search www.rangerovers.net

Google is your friend with
"tornado systems"
"Mark Adams tornado"
"14cux chip"

Cheers

Andrew


Sent from my mobile stone using smoke signals!!

[Pedro_The_Swift]

rather than a chip,,
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/56931-4-6ltr-wolf-ver4-ecu-coil-packs.html

[Blknight.aus]

there are a bucket load of chips for all variants of the 3.9.

but most of them dont make much difference unless you also do some mechanical tweakery as well (reset timing as a minimum) to take advantage of the extra fuel they dump in.

IMHO most of the chips that are available for the stock mechanically distributed 3.9 that work do so because they are remapping to suit the individual engines idiosyncrasies. When you start modding the engine then chipping is definately an advantage.

[Lucus]

Not so grasshopper!!

There are a number of chip options for a 14CUX system. The best one is probably the Tornado.
Have a look at the RPI website www.v8engines.com

Search www.rangerovers.net

Google is your friend with
"tornado systems"
"Mark Adams tornado"
"14cux chip"

Cheers

Andrew


Sent from my mobile stone using smoke signals!!

No question there are chips out there
but unless the engine has accompanying ign and intake/exhaust mods the gains will be minimal at best.

[Banjo_pluker]

Is it possible to turn a distributer to an electric system?

[justinc]

In my opinion, our low comp (8.13:1) engines are NEVER going to be efficient. Period.

With hi compression ( 9.35:1) pistons, and a tornado chip with a new EFI cam and lifters, port matching and a free flowing exhaust will be about the best you can achieve. This is relevant to 3.5, 3.9, 4.6 etc etc fitted with 14CUX .

JC

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

In my opinion, our low comp (8.13:1) engines are NEVER going to be efficient. Period.

With hi compression ( 9.35:1) pistons, and a tornado chip with a new EFI cam and lifters, port matching and a free flowing exhaust will be about the best you can achieve. This is relevant to 3.5, 3.9, 4.6 etc etc fitted with 14CUX .

JC

RPI got 500HP out of a 5.2L stroker 4.6 block, not too shabby if I say so myself!


Sent from my mobile tellingbone using rock carvings.

[PhilipA]

All the above is why a piggyback chip is a good solution for a V8 with 14CUX.

The piggybacks available such as Unichip and Haltech have an ignition mapping section which takes over the vacuum advance and could takeover the centrifugal advance if any seller/dyno was keen enough.

The problem of course is how much dyno time is acceptable for you to pay for. However if you use someone experienced in tuning the V8 you get some of the benefit of their experience tuning other V8s.

The Australian 14CUX low comp is termed"rest of the World" and was tuned to run on AFAIK 89 octane or less and there are big gains to be made with advance.

Mine now has 50% more "Tractive effort" with a Thor, head mods, exhaust etc, but even only with the chip there was a 15-20% improvement below and above 3000RPM where there was only 5%. AND it is REALLY noticable eg mine would not climb the hill north from the harbour bridge at constant speed without kicking down. After the piggyback it flew up.

So to me a piggyback ECU is well worth it and achieves in practice most of the gains of a new chip with the exception that the upper limit on injector duty cannot be changed so if you fit a big capacity motor you need a Powerchip or similar.
Regards Philip A

[PhilipA]

I note the original poster was referring to a D2.
These all have Motronic which is a completely different proposition.
AFAIK Motronic stays at 14.7:1 the whole time for emission compliance, even at WOT.
The Motronic has an extensive timing map tailored to the market it is for ( or the fuel available), however the Australian cars are again "rest of World" so there could be gains to be had from more advance. There seems to be very few Motronic tuners in Australia and Mark Adams in the UK seems to be the most respected for Rover V8.

I hear there are not great gains to be had like on a 14CUX but there are some and 8% is the sort of figure I recall, but I may be wrong. This is using a chip or flash tune.

Trouble is that for Motronic on say a BMW M3 which I have seen chipped, all the gains are at 5500RPM up.
Regards Philip A

[BigJon]

you need a Powerchip .

Regards Philip A

I would not recommend one of those, based on a lot of forum talk (many different forums) about how bad the chips and the company CEO are.

Google is your friend.

[PhilipA]

Doh
I am sure that was a joke wherever you found it. I didn't feel like looking up teh Rpi site.
Regards Philip

AAh, what I meant to say was TORNADO chip or similar,. There is another Mark Adams chip that Rpi also sells called Optimax.

[Traco]

Anyone have any experience with this offering

Welcome to Syntek (http://www.syntek.com.au/index.html)

"These are not simply an add-in chip but a complete retune of the fuel maps and ignition timing (where applicable) for maximum efficiency using modern fuels and real world conditions."

Seems they do 3.9 and TD5 but not sure about D2.

[cockie55]

Syntek are from Briizzy and have been offering 3.5/3.9 L or 13/14CUX V8 chips for about 2 years now. Their prices are on par with Mark Adams/Tornado. They also do a complete ECU board swap out that will also do away with mechanical advance as Traco mentions. Interestingly their ECU board can take MAP inputs instead of MAF. I have not heard of any feedback.

[TerryO]

I to like Biggin would like to find out the real answer about how good chipping and or FMD's are when fitted to a D2 4.0L engine not a D1 3.9.

I can vouch for the unichip on a 3.9 which my D1 has along with headers as was installed by Coopers by the previous owner, this combination makes my good old manual D1 with 33's blow the doors off of my standard tyred auto D2 in excelleration.

So is there a proven chip that improves the power and running of a 4.0L engine?

Cheers,
Terry

[cockie55]

................So is there a proven chip that improves the power and running of a 4.0L engine?

Cheers,
Terry

Answer is no as the D2/4 L Motronic setup unlike its RV8 ECU predecessors the 14CUX (and to a lessor extent GEMS) leaves little gain to be made in fueling and or timing. That is why no one has seriously bothered investing in making Motronic fueling and or timing chips.

[TerryO]

Bugger I must say I didn't really want to hear that!

cheers,
Terry

[biggin]

Bugger I must say I didn't really want to hear that!

cheers,
Terry

X2

Thanks for all the feedback.
Obviously not worth the dollars.:(
Cheers,
biggin

[Lucus]

Anyone have any experience with this offering

Welcome to Syntek (http://www.syntek.com.au/index.html)

"These are not simply an add-in chip but a complete retune of the fuel maps and ignition timing (where applicable) for maximum efficiency using modern fuels and real world conditions."

Seems they do 3.9 and TD5 but not sure about D2.


We are going too trial on the Syntek map conversion units on my Dad's 89 RRC in interim until we install the Wolf ecu.

Getting rid for the MAF and back fire protection valve that are currently fitted should go a long way too help the poor o'l 3.5 breath a bit better!