More power from GQ 2.8

[vbowste1]

Hi all
does anyone have any ideas on how to get a little more power and maybe some better economy out of my 2.8 turbo GQ without spending large amounts of money. would a front mount intercooler help much?
Im currently getting 15 litres to the hundred and not much power.

Also it gets hot when i use the air con and i have to turn it of till the temp comes down then i use it for a little and the temp comes up again......any ideas ? can i fit a bigger radiator ?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Bigrig]

Hi all
does anyone have any ideas on how to get a little more power and maybe some better economy out of my 2.8 turbo GQ without spending large amounts of money. would a front mount intercooler help much?
Im currently getting 15 litres to the hundred and not much power.

Also it gets hot when i use the air con and i have to turn it of till the temp comes down then i use it for a little and the temp comes up again......any ideas ? can i fit a bigger radiator ?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hey mate - when was the last time your cooling system was flushed by a specialist (proper high pressure flush of radiator and engine cooling system)? Also, you could fit a cold thermostat which opens around 12 degrees cooler than a standard one. I'd be trying these before lashing out on a new radiator.

What I've learned through my recent turbo inter cooling experience, is they LOVE cooler air - very generally speaking, every two to three degrees off the intake temperature equates to about 1 horsepower increase - mine dropped about 30-40 degrees straight off the bat when intercooler was installed (15-20 horsies). Definitely a plus, won't turn it into a speed machine, but should definitely make a difference.

Good luck with it all round mate.

[Vl-nitron]

hey mate a 3 nich exhaust will free it up a bit and give ya better fuel economy aswell

[YNOT]

A cheap way to increase power on the 2.8 is to block the EGR. As the others have already said intercooling and big exhaust also help. After that you start looling at engine tuning.
With the overheating I would start with a professional radiator flush, check all belts and hoses and check the fan hub operation. Iwould also be replacing the thermostat but with a standard part. If the cooling system is functioning correctly on a near standard engine there should be no need for a colder thermostat.

Tony

[97_gq_lwb]

When i had a 2.8 i played with the fuel pump and boost on the gq it is mechanical and their is basically 3 adjustments to balance on the pump.
First thing would be to fit an egt sensor then.
This will give you a bit of an idea on how it is done http://www.fourwd.org.uk/bosch_ve.html

[Bigrig]

A cheap way to increase power on the 2.8 is to block the EGR. As the others have already said intercooling and big exhaust also help. After that you start looling at engine tuning.
With the overheating I would start with a professional radiator flush, check all belts and hoses and check the fan hub operation. Iwould also be replacing the thermostat but with a standard part. If the cooling system is functioning correctly on a near standard engine there should be no need for a colder thermostat.

Tony

On the colder thermostat part - yep, true if it's running properly you shouldn't need a colder thermostat, however if you have it running properly (like mine) but have heaps in the way of the radiator (like mine), such as spotties, intercooler, air con radiator, oil cooler etc, then air won't be getting in as effectively and efficiently and as such, you may not be cooling properly and think its mechanical/cooling system related when it is simply airflow restriction - like me, most people don't remove the obstacles listed above, and simply fit a colder thermostat ...

How'd I go Tony? Did I pass the test??!! lol

[vbowste1]

Thanks for the info i will try some of these options or i may even buy a Toyota ( just jokes ).
About the radiator, i had a 91 patrol in the 3 ltr petrol and had to replace the radiator in that just because of corrosion and it was a big all metal one, cost me $750 and thats ok i thought. I am not a big fan of these new plastic ones as i dont want to be in the middle of a desert and have it fail from the heat.
And your right about all the things in front of the radiator.
Has anyone fitted a front mount intercooler to a 2.8 GQ before id love some help on how to do it, and what type to buy, as well as how big?
Thanks you all.

[Robo]

Agree with Tony on the thermostat being kept standard. for normal daily driving.
If your not careful lower engine temps can lead to richer mixtures.
Maybe not once engine warms in summer.
As computer and engine control is factory set and you properly cant adjust to suit new thermostat.
If you run cold thermostat in winter, bet enrichment is on the cards,even more so if you get wet, rain or creek crossing.
In winter you properly have interior heater going also adding to cooling the engine.
A rich mixture will cause engine to heat up and shorten engine life.
Not saying this is going to happen 100% for sure, But have seen these affects before especially in winter, Rich exhaust.
doing things like cleaning air-con condenser and radiator externally, for optimum air flow.
use de-mineralised water this raises boiling point of water to well over 100 deg mixed with proper coolant, not to mention less corrosion.
a proper designed catch can attached to water bleed screw can separate cavation/ bubbles from coolant, and slightly add to coolant volume.
A thermostat controlled oil cooler is another idea, also adds to volume.
larger air-con elec fan
Do you really need/use those spotties.
many things can be done to aid cooling.
Cheers

[97_gq_lwb]

I would be checking the fan clutch for the temp issues.
Also some gq's had a thermo on the air condensor that turned on with the aircon and some didn't but if it hasn't it couldn't hurt to fit one.
Personally for the intercooler i would go with a water to air rather then run a front mount with all the extra piping etc unless your upgrading the turbo as well i reckon it will just create more turbo lag and a 2.8 suffers bad enough now.

[Bigrig]

Agree with Tony on the thermostat being kept standard. for normal daily driving.
If your not careful lower engine temps can lead to richer mixtures.
Maybe not once engine warms in summer.
As computer and engine control is factory set and you properly cant adjust to suit new thermostat.
If you run cold thermostat in winter, bet enrichment is on the cards,even more so if you get wet, rain or creek crossing.
In winter you properly have interior heater going also adding to cooling the engine.
A rich mixture will cause engine to heat up and shorten engine life.
Not saying this is going to happen 100% for sure, But have seen these affects before especially in winter, Rich exhaust.
doing things like cleaning air-con condenser and radiator externally, for optimum air flow.
use de-mineralised water this raises boiling point of water to well over 100 deg mixed with proper coolant, not to mention less corrosion.
a proper designed catch can attached to water bleed screw can separate cavation/ bubbles from coolant, and slightly add to coolant volume.
A thermostat controlled oil cooler is another idea, also adds to volume.
larger air-con elec fan
Do you really need/use those spotties.
many things can be done to aid cooling.pertinence
Cheers

Yep, I hear you boss and don't contest most of it - never had a problem with low temp enrichment, and certainly the pros of a cold thermostat outway the "potential" cons (I say potential as only some experience it in very specific circumstances) by a long shot.

That said, that's the beauty of this place - so many ideas, so many opinions, but it's all for the good of making sure all options are on the table when trying to help out.

Top post Robo - all good stuff mate.