GrahamC
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| posted on 11/10/04 at 06:32 PM |
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Vauxhall Red Top Confusion
Can anyone point me to a good source of info on the Vauxhall Red Top? I'm a little confused about the variants available...I've just come
across an SFI version and am wandering if it's worth considering.
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andrew-theasby
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| posted on 11/10/04 at 07:47 PM |
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The 20xe with the coscast head is the one to have from astra gte etc. The ecotec is the later version which is slightly less powerful and i think the
engine number for these is c20xe but im sure ned,northy,ben copeland or some of the other vauxhall users will soon correct if thats wrong. Bear in
mind the age of the engine for sva emmisions. Yukspeed is a good place to get the bits for rwd conversion near York, and QED do all the tuning bits.
Hope this helps
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bazwaz
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| posted on 11/10/04 at 08:16 PM |
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The Migweb site is full of information on Vauxhalls.
http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/
Barry.
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Stu16v
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| posted on 12/10/04 at 06:52 PM |
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The 'redtop' Vauxhall engine is easily identified-regardless of the colour of the top.
Look for a 'L' shaped spark plug cover.
The Ecotec variant had a straight plug cover.
The 'SFI' version, sounds highly likely to be a redtop engine. I guess that SFI is written on a large plastic case on top of the inlet
manifold? It stands for Sequential Fuel Injection-they all had that sir... 
Sometimes this big box is junked in favour of the air intake inlet used on the turbo variant, which gives a bit more room when trying to shoehorn
these engines into Corsa's, Mini's etc... 
The engine number *should* be found on a machined surface at the front of the engine-on the flange which allows the gearbox to bolt up to it. If it
starts with 20XE, it is an early engine, later ones have C20XE, which denotes that the engine was designated to run with a Cat. Dont make any
difference to the important bits though. The Coscast cylinder head is found on early engines, and interestingly, the very last to roll off the
production line too-and is the slightly more desirable head-in terms of reliability at least.
HTH Stu.
Dont just build it.....make it!
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GrahamC
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| posted on 12/10/04 at 07:12 PM |
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Thanks all. I did finally fathom what SFI meant, but it was a little difficult to track down....anyway, what is the concensus on dropping the Red Top
lump as a whole into a 7-type chassis? I guess there might be some height issues - but surely nothing a power-bulge wouldn't solve???
I'm sure I can't be the only one that thinks 150bhp is fine in a nice'n'lite chassis.
As ever I'm on a budget (who isn't) and if it was feasible to dump the lump as a whole then it'd sound like a cost effective route
to me.
Any words of wisdom anyone????
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GrahamC
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| posted on 12/10/04 at 07:12 PM |
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Thanks all. I did finally fathom what SFI meant, but it was a little difficult to track down....anyway, what is the concensus on dropping the Red Top
lump as a whole into a 7-type chassis? I guess there might be some height issues - but surely nothing a power-bulge wouldn't solve???
I'm sure I can't be the only one that thinks 150bhp is fine in a nice'n'lite chassis.
As ever I'm on a budget (who isn't) and if it was feasible to dump the lump as a whole then it'd sound like a cost effective route
to me.
Any words of wisdom anyone????
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BMF
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| posted on 12/10/04 at 07:52 PM |
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You get rid of the Fuel Injection system (Too big) and distributor, replace with some carbs and a cavalier distributor and you should get 175 BHP +
Costs for you;
Engine - £100-600
Bellhousing - £160
Sump - £160
Weber 45's - £200-400
Inlet manifold - £105
Distributor from a 8v Carb Cavalier
ARP Big end bolts (Essential!) £60
Clutch Plate - ARP Heavy Duty £100
Clutch Fork - £20
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Stu16v
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| posted on 12/10/04 at 09:27 PM |
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Mmm. Depending on what (sized) car you are building, you might just be able to squeeze the standard injection system in.
A gentleman on the WSCC site has managed to shoehorn it all in a Westfield-and some Caterhams were produced with a slightly modified version too.
However, the Westfield was LHD, so the inlet manifold wasnt fighting for room with the steering shaft (have a look, the standard ones are huge). Dont
know how the Caterham got around it, possibly by careful positioning of the steering shaft...
There is another niggly problem too. The injection wiring loom is designed to fit the ECU in the drivers side footwell in the donor car. This means
that when it is transposed into a north/south arrangement, the ECU is at the front of the engine. And believe me, they aint very waterproof... 
I tryed *fairly* hard to utilise the standard injection system in my car-but eventually succumbed to twin 45's-and I am sooo glad I did
 
BMF's guide is pretty much spot on. Keep your eyes peeled for S/H stuff for sale on the various kit-car forums. Yukspeed are about the cheapest
place I found for most of the conversion parts required. I would also strongly advise the fitting of ARP big-end bolts, think of it as an insurance
policy, the only real weakness of the motor in standard form.
HTH Stu.
[Edited on 12/10/04 by Stu16v]
Dont just build it.....make it!
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NS Dev
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 06:54 PM |
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All advive pretty much spot on, and costs too!
I am fitting this engine into a Stuart taylor seven and it's a touch high to go under the std bonnet (the stuart taylor is very close to
Caterham dimensions i.e. not much monnet height!)
It will just go but then I only have a sump which is 75mm high so no go!
I am going to need a bulge of about 30mm at the front of the bonnet, and a 95mm deep sump (the depth of the usual off the shelf ones!) as this is the
"depth" of the bellhousing where it goes around the flywheel anyway.
I am making a sump from a 2.0 cavalier 8v steel sump and tig welding various additions to it!
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Northy
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 08:53 PM |
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Fit it, its a brilliant engine!
I'm using the 2.0SEH (8 Valve) from a Cav SRI 130, and thats bloddy quick! Estimated power 140 bhp.
Why not fit bike carbs to it if you do? Dave Bogg at East Lutton is you man. I think there's gonna be an article in Retro mag about it. He
fitted them to a mates Pinto, and he says its made a huge difference. I think it would work out cheaper than a good set of 45's aswell. I found
out about them too late
Where abouts are you from? Any where near Harrogate (I see your building the MNR). If so Boggys not far away.
Cheers
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing! 
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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bazwaz
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 09:04 PM |
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Don't forget that if you are going to use the type 9 Ford gearbox you will need a spigot bearing for the crank. (£6.00)
Barry.
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Northy
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 09:06 PM |
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Barry,
Do you know the part number, in case I ever have to replace mine
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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bazwaz
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 09:10 PM |
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Graham,
I've just got one from yukspeed. There was'nt a part number, i just asked for a spigot bearing for a Vauxhall to ford gearbox
. Sbd and Qed also do them.
Barry.
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Northy
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 09:14 PM |
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Yeah, got mine from Yuk aswell. Its a standard part though, so it'll be cheaper at the local motor factors if we knew the part number
Cheers anyway,
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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bazwaz
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 09:23 PM |
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I don't know if this helps but i've just looked on the packet it came in and it says
FAI Auto parts. NR002
HM09E
Barry.
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Northy
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| posted on 15/10/04 at 09:25 PM |
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Should do, cheers
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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NS Dev
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| posted on 16/10/04 at 01:15 AM |
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It's an off the shelf Vauxhall part as you say. Same as fitted to rwd vauxhalls and opel mantas etc.
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GrahamC
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| posted on 16/10/04 at 08:02 AM |
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Thanks for all the info. I've learnt a fair bit over this past week or so. For any other guys like myself who are in need of a "Red Top
(For Dummies) Installation Guide" check this place out:
http://www.westfield-world.com/Xeinstall.html
From my perspective I'm pretty certain I'll be dropping a Red Top with motorbike carbs (probably courtesy of MNR) into my chassis.
Next job is to find a decent XE and save up some more spondoolies!
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