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... back to engines... well, with the P4 at the back end stages, bi-turbo gone, top-end and turbo upgrade package went out last week, JonV's getting ecu mapping post turbo revamp drawing to a close.... it's time for some more fun!
Hence, two new engine packages in development:
1. 3ltr even-fire bottom end, later stronger 24V rod and fastener, 24V n/a piston machined to a flat top, and shorted pin with aluminium spacers giving a much reduced reciprocating mass. So a tweaked OE bottom-end that I have enough spares, so no cry if it breaks. The block is of the oil squirter variety, and this chosen mainly to keep the OE pistons within their thermal limits on long full power runs. Liners and pistons all machined, deck honed, and a piston ring set has been made up to ensure good ring seal with sufficient thermal capacity to be pushed into forced induction duty. This will be topped off with modified 3ltr heads and a roller cam setup. So it should be yum yum... and then possibly bang, but you've got to have an oil pan failure every so often to know you are alive!
2. 2.5ltr approx, forged H-beam rods, forged pistons, cross-bolt block, and lots of goodies. This will be topped off with modified 2.5ltr heads (flow results already published), and again this will be going roller cam set up. This one has a one-off, machined from billet EN8 light flywheel, and a specialist single organic plate Sachs Racing clutch. This should be very grippy yet forgiving enough for occasional road duty. This will make a very rigid and light rotating assembly on the 63mm stroke crank (noting the difference in weight mentioned before), and the very light forged top end should make this unit very interesting for short circuit, rapid transient engine response demand... remember the restriction on the engine is the inlet valve, all else being taken care, then this setup has the same flow capacity for cylinder filing as the above unit, but with smaller lung demand, she won't be the usual asthmatic PRV!
The 3ltr is getting a twin AP Racing clutch basket and a modified OE flywheel, as there is no expectation of road manners...
Cranks off being machined and balanced to their respective assemblies, the rest of the bottom end assemblies have already been completed.
Interesting note, the 2.5ltr even-fire OE crank is Nitride treated from the factory! Hence, it is much more wear resistant than any of the other OE PRV cranks, so be aware the 3ltr even-fire crank is not, and is left in its soft surface finish state… Again proof of the production cost cutting options implemented by the PSA organisation, and the general nature of the intended applications of these engines being driver behind the production process decisions. The same is true of the 24V engines, so I guess this is also true of the bi-turbo and A610 variety i.e they carry a soft surface finish crank! Pity… Anyone able to better comment? However, the interesting point about this is the detail the Renault engineers had put into our 2.5ltr turbo unit, as I have said many times before. The harder you look, the more you have to respect what they achieved given the limitations imposed, and the fact this was a consortium engine with compromise abound. The 2.5ltr crank is a nice piece… 3ltr even-fire full up forced induction &/or sustained high rpm race use you really want to go to steel…
