Mk1 1.8 revs?

[percy]

Hi
We've just bought a '94 mk1 (UK) 1.8 for a bit of weekend fun. What should the engine be comfortably revving to? It seems to be a bit short of breath under hard acceleration. I know the car hasn't had a lot of use over the last year or so and was wondering whether to change plugs/leads or whether it was a quirk of the MX5. It's had no mods at all. Other than that, the engine is very smooth and there are no rattles etc.

Any help appreciated
Ta

[Pete Franklin]

6.5k is really where the top end of power is but the power band is really only from 4k up. cleaning or changing the leads is well worth while along with cleaning the injectors.

you really need to work the engine in these cars, tring to keep it between 4-7000 rpm, dont expect much torque below that. when you adjust to driving within those limits you'll find its quite a spirited engine but its never going to all that fast.

[percy]

Thanks for that. I'm not expecting it to drive like my Caterham - but hoped for a bit more 'oomph'. I'll give it a bit of TLC then.

[princeperch]

the flip side is if you are on a motorway/DC try and keep it below 4k (about 80) - it improves the economy no end...

[redgriff500]

They happily bounce off the limiter at an indicated 7000+

Give it a service but I've found that it you buy them off a 'tootler' you have to keep thrashing them to get them to free up again.

[Pete Franklin]

yep deffinately give it the old supercar tune up. deffinately makes it more free revving

[Gizmo!]

My 1.8 revs cleanly all the way to 7000rpm. There's no real 'shove in the back' like you'd get with a turbo or VTEC, but above 4000rpm is where the fun is (sounds better too).

[snotrag]

Italian tune up.

Make sure its serviced and oil is good, warmed up, cooling system in good order etc.

Then thrash the bks off it.

My car runs noticeably worse on a friday afternoon after 10x commutes.

And noticeably better on Sunday lunchtime after I've been trying for 3 hours to keep up with some Westfields/TVRs/911's on a hoon.

Flat as f*** under 3000rpm. although that does make it a very easy car to drive round town.

[JJCW]

snotrag said:

Italian tune up.

Make sure its serviced and oil is good, warmed up, cooling system in good order etc.

Then thrash the bks off it.

My car runs noticeably worse on a friday afternoon after 10x commutes.

And noticeably better on Sunday lunchtime after I've been trying for 3 hours to keep up with some Westfields/TVRs/911's on a hoon.

Flat as f*** under 3000rpm. although that does make it a very easy car to drive round town.

Best way to checkout the cooling system?

[percy]

I'll try the Italian tune-up once the leaky water pump is replaced.
I'm getting used to the way it drives now. I'm sure I'll be back with more Q's in time.

[Gizmo!]

JJCW said:

snotrag said:

Italian tune up.

Make sure its serviced and oil is good, warmed up, cooling system in good order etc.

Then thrash the bks off it.

My car runs noticeably worse on a friday afternoon after 10x commutes.

And noticeably better on Sunday lunchtime after I've been trying for 3 hours to keep up with some Westfields/TVRs/911's on a hoon.

Flat as f*** under 3000rpm. although that does make it a very easy car to drive round town.

Best way to checkout the cooling system?

Do what I did a few weekends ago. M4 traffic jam, 1 hr 50 to cover junction 3-5. It never even *thought* about overheating (or my temp gauge sticks at halfway).

[JJCW]

Gizmo! said:

JJCW said:

snotrag said:

Italian tune up.

Make sure its serviced and oil is good, warmed up, cooling system in good order etc.

Then thrash the bks off it.

My car runs noticeably worse on a friday afternoon after 10x commutes.

And noticeably better on Sunday lunchtime after I've been trying for 3 hours to keep up with some Westfields/TVRs/911's on a hoon.

Flat as f*** under 3000rpm. although that does make it a very easy car to drive round town.

Best way to checkout the cooling system?

Do what I did a few weekends ago. M4 traffic jam, 1 hr 50 to cover junction 3-5. It never even *thought* about overheating (or my temp gauge sticks at halfway).

I was sort of hoping for a solution that didn't end up with me chucking my cooling system out if it wasn't ok :P

[snotrag]

It's nor exactly a powerhouse for sure. It took me some time to adjust coming from a torquier car with a 6 speed box.


Re waterpump - I guess your getting a full timing belt job done - make sure the ignition timing is set properly and re-checked again after a while, seemed to make mine run a tonne better. Dead easy to do with a timing strobe.

[percy]

snotrag said:

It's nor exactly a powerhouse for sure. It took me some time to adjust coming from a torquier car with a 6 speed box.


Re waterpump - I guess your getting a full timing belt job done - make sure the ignition timing is set properly and re-checked again after a while, seemed to make mine run a tonne better. Dead easy to do with a timing strobe.

Yep - getting the whole lot done while it's in the workshop.
I have to say that we're pleased with the purchase. My wife loves driving it, so there's no more fighting over the Caterham