I was thinking of non-invasive upgrades

[SSGDirk]

So I was thinking of some non evasive upgrades to increase Hp on my 72 1.9L here are some areas that I thought would help. Let me know what you think:

1. Switch to an Electric Fuel Pump. Where do I get a cover plate for the old pump? And what is the PSI and CFM for the stock pump?

2. Switch to a Electric Water Pump. Any Ideas what will work?

3. Switch to an Electric Fan. What size are the radiators?

4. Install an Oil Cooler. Are there any Oil ports that IO can tie into to do this?

5. Does anyone make a adapter plate to switch from an 2 barrel to a 4 barrel carb? There is a reason I want to do this, but do I need to get a machine shop to make one or is there an place I can get one pre-made?

I'm use to running a Chevy 350 pushing 300-400 Hp. This little enginge crap running 75 HP is messing with my mind. So I have to look at this with a whole new perspective. No tunnel Rams with dual carbs, No Forced air induction systems, I'm used to putting more air and fuel for more HP. Any one else have any ideas to increase the HP. I am getting the heads ported and a valve job done, also gonna replace the Cam with a more aggresive one, but anything else will be appreciated.

[yellaopelgt]

here is a thread that should get the juices flowing!!
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/30577-post5.html
This is basically what I have done..
HTH
Joe
P.S.........forgot to add that porting the intake is probly the BEST way to gain ponies!!!! And...its cheap!

[BQS4]

Answers:
1-yes this has been done by several members, and the carb'ed cars only need about 3-4lbs fuel press MAX! The cover plate is simple to make, use the pump spacer as a template.
2- no one makes an electric water pump, just the two types that are available, see your other thread.
3-Good idea, has been done.
4-this has been done too, but, unless you really know your stuff and how to adapt off at the correct points, the oil coolers are available, it's the spin on adaptors that are a little hard to come by. I have one or two.
5-this has been don, but, a while back. There was a 4bbl intake on Ebay recently, but, unless you have a great machinist, most stick with the weber 32/36, or the 38.

Originally Posted by SSGDirk So I was thinking of some non evasive upgrades to increase Hp on my 72 1.9L here are some areas that I thought would help. Let me know what you think: 1. Switch to an Electric Fuel Pump. Where do I get a cover plate for the old pump? And what is the PSI and CFM for the stock pump? 2. Switch to a Electric Water Pump. Any Ideas what will work? 3. Switch to an Electric Fan. What size are the radiators? 4. Install an Oil Cooler. Are there any Oil ports that IO can tie into to do this? 5. Does anyone make a adapter plate to switch from an 2 barrel to a 4 barrel carb? There is a reason I want to do this, but do I need to get a machine shop to make one or is there an place I can get one pre-made? I'm use to running a Chevy 350 pushing 300-400 Hp. This little enginge crap running 75 HP is messing with my mind. So I have to look at this with a whole new perspective. No tunnel Rams with dual carbs, No Forced air induction systems, I'm used to putting more air and fuel for more HP. Any one else have any ideas to increase the HP. I am getting the heads ported and a valve job done, also gonna replace the Cam with a more aggresive one, but anything else will be appreciated.

[Phoenix]

4 barrel intake

[hrcollinsjr]

Originally Posted by BQS4 Answers: 1-yes this has been done by several members, and the carb'ed cars only need about 3-4lbs fuel press MAX! The cover plate is simple to make, use the pump spacer as a template. 2- no one makes an electric water pump, just the two types that are available, see your other thread. 3-Good idea, has been done. 4-this has been done too, but, unless you really know your stuff and how to adapt off at the correct points, the oil coolers are available, it's the spin on adapters that are a little hard to come by. I have one or two. 5-this has been don, but, a while back. There was a 4bbl intake on Ebay recently, but, unless you have a great machinist, most stick with the weber 32/36, or the 38.

Just want to add to what Gene said:

3-4lbs for the Weber's but if you switch to the 4bbl. as you suggested run a pump you're more familiar with that has adequate pressure for that.

Gene notes that most run the 32/36 or 38 Weber carb, be different run a side draft or two with 3-4lbs of fuel pressure. Way cooler looking than a run of the mill 4bbl. 4bbls. to me are like being disappointed ALMOST every time I look under the hood of an old rod and see a Chevy Small Block no matter what brand the car is.

GT's are more about style, being different and are fun to drive but on curvy roads instead of 1/4 straight stretches.

Harold

[West Coast GT]

I don’t think non-evasive upgrades will satisfy you based on your experience with V8s. Look to swapping for a larger performance Opel engine & 5-speed transmission. After all, it only takes 130 to 150 hp to make these light weight cars go like a bat outta hell. However, to answer some of your questions:

Electric Fuel Pump – “Where do I get a cover plate for the old pump?”
Opel GT Source sells a cover plate for several dollars.

Electric Water Pump – I think you’re into uncharted water with this one. These units are typically only available for the popular Chevy & Ford V8 engines used by rodders. You might be looking at fabricating a plate with diverters and inlet/outlet connections.

Electric Fan:

• Opel GT Source recommends a Ken Lowe 16” pushing 700 cfm for a standard engine & radiator. This will involve relocating the battery.
• One of our members uses a 12” Imperial fan #226112, with an adjustable Imperial thermo-switch #226203.
• For my stock 1.9 GT I’m using a 10”, slim, 755 cfm pusher fan from Summit Racing and 185-175 automatic thermo-switch installed in the lower radiator tank. It seems to be working fine, but of course the shroud doesn’t cover the entire radiator. I wouldn’t recommend this small of a fan for a hot climate or modified engine – but not having to relocate the battery was nice.

Carb – certainly the sexiest carb setup is the duel 2-barrel Weber sidedrafts on short intakes. This requires some sheet metal cutting and possible removal of the heater box. Considering this configuration was the one used by the Conrero Racing team in the 70s, I’d say this was a good recommendation for a heavily modified 1.9 engine. Several of our members have this setup.

[SSGDirk]

There has to be a way to get more horsepower out of these darn engines. I mean a modern 2.2L from Chevy comes with 190 and a 2.4 has 205 a 2.0 245(It's supercharged). From what I was quoted by OGTS a 2.4 only has 125HP.

I know I'm dealing with a small car, and I know its not about HP it's more about style. It's not that I will drive it balls to the wall. It is so I can if I want to.

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by SSGDirk There has to be a way to get more horsepower out of these darn engines. I mean a modern 2.2L from Chevy comes with 190 and a 2.4 has 205 a 2.0 245(It's supercharged).

The key word there is 'modern'. The Opel CIH (Cam-In-Head) engine dates back to the mid 1960's, so it's a bit antiquated. All cast iron, single cam, rocker arms, non-crossflow head, two valves per cylinder, single downdraft carburetor.

The 4-cylinder GM Ecotec (developed by GM/Opel BTW) has the potential for a lot of power, but cost a 'few' billion to develop. Plus the 2.2 Ecotec has 145 hp, the 2.4 has 173 hp, the 2.0 w/supercharger has 205 hp, and the 2.0 w/turbo has 260 hp.

That said, since the Opel GT weighs approximately 900 lbs less than a supercharged Chevy Cobalt, you only need about 143 hp to make your GT just as fast.

You have lots of options to build up your engine if you like. Some people have even done engine swaps, but none are really that straightforward (search the engine swap forum for some info). You are quite limited to what you can do to your engine in terms of non-intrusive mods, as the stock internal specs of a late model GT are rather tame, having been built at the time when car performance was at an all-time low in the US (the onset of emissions controls). Your compression ratio is only rated at 7.6:1, but is in fact closer to an actual 7.13:1 ratio. The engine was rated at 75 hp at the flywheel, but is closer to 62-65 hp at the flywheel, or about 47-50 hpat the rear wheels. If you reworked that engine to make an honest 100 hp at the rear wheels, the performance would be transformed. Nope, it won't go like it has a 300 hp V8 under the hood..... But it will feel twice as fast as stock!

In terms of simplistic bolt-ons, the best bang for the buck is probably an electronic ignition conversion, a ported intake manifold, a Sprint exhaust manifold with a 2" custom exhaust, maybe a mild camshaft, and a single downdraft Weber or 350 cfm Holley 2-bbl. Even a 'tiny' 390 cfm Holley 4-bbl (rated at 551 cfm on a 2-bbl rating) is WAYYY to much for anything other than a very well built engine with high compression. For comparison the stock Solex carburetor is something like 190 cfm.

A stouter shortblock with higher compression would lay the foundation for a lot bigger mods later on, FWIW. Opel also made 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4 litre versions of the same engine, and there are ways to increase your 1.9's displacement with machine work and aftermarket parts as well.

Best of luck,
Bob

[namba209]

It's not about HP, well up to a point, but it's torque that gets you moving. All the HP in the world does nothing, if you can't get it to the ground. I can blow the doors off any "Drifter", with 300+ HP, if they don't use a light throttle coming off the line, and I've got a stock 160 HP V-6 in Willit?, but a flat line torque curve across the RPM band at 165-175 ft.lbs. Here's another rub, the inner drive shaft, inside the torque tube is the weak link in the drivetrain. Our stellar engine guru, RallyBob stated he is in possession of a box of these shafts trashed by stock 1.9L engines. The owners were too aggressive coming off the line, too many times and took out the splines at the end of the shaft, where it goes into the differential. You can get some impressive HP from an Opel engine, but the drivetrain is suspect. You gotta think HP to weight. I've got a 75 monza with a factory installed detuned 5.7L that puts out an advertised 185 HP that gives fits to the modern rice burning hot rods, here again it's the torque that does them in, not HP. Here's one more thing to consider. doing a port job ala Chevy style will ruin the flow to the engine. This has been discussed many times here. The best porting is done via the instructions freely given by RallyBob on this site. He has years of flowing heads to back up what he recommends. Check out the engine performance forum and go from there. This last weekend, at the Coronado Classic Car Speed Fest, I saw Ralph Coates, Roger Wilson prepped, 185 HP 2.5L CIH Stroked, Fuel Injected, Turbo GT. It does move out right smartly, which goes to prove you don't need a monster engine to get the job done. BTW, I've got a Perma-Cool 14" high performance slim style fan in Willit? that moves 3200+ CFM in the puller mode, but loses 20% efficiency in the pusher mode, something to consider when installing a fan.

[wrench459]

Kick the C/R up and that little four banger will come alive.
Get the right cam,head mods ..the ecotek will look like the chevy,ford stickers
You know the one little boy with his wang out.

[blancojp]

Originally Posted by SSGDirk There has to be a way to get more horsepower out of these darn engines. I mean a modern 2.2L from Chevy comes with 190 and a 2.4 has 205 a 2.0 245(It's supercharged). From what I was quoted by OGTS a 2.4 only has 125HP. I know I'm dealing with a small car, and I know its not about HP it's more about style. It's not that I will drive it balls to the wall. It is so I can if I want to.

Dude!
If you feel that way then the choice should be obvious. You either maintain Opel mechanicals or replace to other configurations. The very best value for the bucks is the 2.5L engine from a chevy S-10. You can buy one complete with 5-sp tranny for $650 and you now have 140HP on tap.

I have installed just about any engine you might think off inside the Opel engine bay. The '73 I am building now has a mostly stock 1.9L which should yield about 85HP at the rear wheels. But if I drive it for a few days and I determine after carefull consideration that it sucks, I have a very sweet Z-tec 2.2L engine and Tremec 5-sp transmission that can work its way to the engine bay quick and in a hurry.

The Z-tec 2.2L produces a healthy 180Hp with 220Lbs of torque when properly tuned. And the best part is that comparing block to block, the Z-tec is 40Lbs lighter than a std 1.9L Opel engine.

[DacMan]

Even a 'tiny' 390 cfm Holley 4-bbl (rated at 551 cfm on a 2-bbl rating) is WAYYY to much for anything other than a very well built engine with high compression. For comparison the stock Solex carburetor is something like 190 cfm.
RallyBob

So does that mean that a well built 1.9 can take a 390 cfm Holley 4-bbl. If so would it at all diminish the life of the engine to have such a large carburetor on a 1.9 kadett?
Thanks, DacMan

[RallyBob]

Even a 'tiny' 390 cfm Holley 4-bbl (rated at 551 cfm on a 2-bbl rating) is WAYYY to much for anything other than a very well built engine with high compression. For comparison the stock Solex carburetor is something like 190 cfm. RallyBob

Originally Posted by DacMan So does that mean that a well built 1.9 can take a 390 cfm Holley 4-bbl. If so would it at all diminish the life of the engine to have such a large carburetor on a 1.9 kadett? Thanks, DacMan

A very well built 1.9 can handle the 390 cfm Holley, yes. If you are making 150+ hp it'll work very well without being 'boggy'. But that is literally more than double the power of a stock post-1971 US-spec 1.9. On a lesser engine a smaller carburetor will actually make more power, far more torque, and have far greater economy.