''Enjoying'' the 180
 

Ive heard this term used a lot, but I am unsure as to how safe ''enjoying'' a ZS can be.

Is their a way to use and get the most out of a 180 engine but not ruining it?

I ''enjoyed'' my old VVC ZS conversion, and ended up ruining the engine and HGF even though oil was topped up on a regular basis.

So can someone provide safe guidelines to use when ''enjoying'' their motor,

Max Revs....

Max Speed...

gear changes....


I hope this helps as i'd be interested to what people think.

Thanks

I use mine a lot for a roads and motorways and regularly take it to the redline throughout journeys.
I try to avoid hitting the limiter but tbh it's there to stop the engine getting to where it could be damaged so don't worry if I do unless I'm over taking haha

So you take it into the red? which gears? or does that matter?

Exiting a roundabout onto a dual carriageway in 2nd gear. get it up to 6k RPM, change into third it should stay over 4k RPM which is when it's at it's most enjoyable.

Problem is it gets you to 70mph very quickly, and then it's just boring until your next safe opportunity to speed up quickly from a low speed.

being honest, i havent had it over 3k revs in any gear since Ive had it due to wanting to wear it in nicely after the engine change.

lol

Well not fourth and fifth lol! Up into triple figures that way. Up over 130 I'd imagine in fifth going off an estimate.
First is over in a matter of seconds anyway but second and third get it a lot lol.
Fast motorway speeds don't trouble the engine either.

Your other engine should be pretty much ready to go if it's came from another car.

Ruining your vvc could have happened at any point.
Could have been water pump failure or img that caused the HGF not the enjoying it.
The headgaskets don't just "go" really. Probably coolant loss causing over heating leading to HGF.

I enjoy my k1.4 also. Regular checks keeps my mind at ease.
I've changed its IMG four times (probably warped inlet manifold)
But it had HGF once. The culprit being the IMG the first time.

Thanks for this!

just worried about overheating to be honest so dont want to push it too hard.

Planning on removing Air Con unit this weekend to let more air hit the engine to avoid any kind of overheating if possible (Air Con has a leak)

Oil is over Max and Coolant level is spot on so all seems good.

Payday tomorrow so I will blow the cobwebs off it for a good 20minutes down the local A road me thinks!

After a claybar and Wax session of course ;)

I have had my one and only 180 for over 9 nines and done around 80k miles in it. Those miles have been a mixture of pleasure, commuting and track days. It has never let me down and even on the occasional commute it gets 'used' on the country lanes. My engine has been remapped so the AFR at high revs is optimised. On track it gets used as a race car should, I never back off and it gets the beans with no ill effects, I have total confidence in it. On the road I hardly get near the limiter, same for the track as well, as peak power is below the limit for me. 6k should be sufficient tbh. You will know when the time comes, depends if you like the noise. :yes:

oil over max is not good!!!

there are numerous race car ZS's in the MGCC, engine mods are quite limited (piper cams) but the units are reliable.
The sump seems pretty good out the box and oil surge and starvation is not a problem, a road/track car will only likely do 1g in the corners whereas some of the really well setup race cars are likely closer to lateral 1.5g.

Bouncing it off the limiter when the power is dropping past 6600rpm seems a little pointless unless there is not enough time to upshift and then downshift before a corner.

Fuel starvation is a massive problem and a well sorted chassis may be starving fuel with half a tank, the engine runs very lean during this time, so be careful.

All in all, a typical fast road/track day car engine will last a long time as long as your using a really good and not over or under filling it!

Red line at 4,500 and gets there quick.

Is a Derv but does put a smile on my face.

234 ft/lbs torque helps.

Oil and filter change at regular periods and a eye on the coolant.