I have a 1975 1.8 (California car with catalytic converter)
It came out of the factory with 72,5 HP (from owner's manual)

The converter has been removed and the original muffler has been replaced with a Bursh.
As far as I know the rest of the engine is stock and still has the L Jet injection.

Your guess ?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmcFB1p7HFw

Well, you got no downhill advantage...80hp?

My guess is 90.5 ????? Dave

40 ?

Good eyes, but those figures on the screen are not HP but KW

55hp.

1,8 = boat anchor

what ever it is! its not enough....

is it ever enough?

65hp..?

12!!

What you see on the screen is power at the wheel.
At about 4800 rpm the guy shifts to neutral.
The curve goes backward under zero to record the power absorbed from the gearbox so power at the flywheel can be calculated.

I can't read the meter, it's in French.

Great looking car, BTW! Looks just like mine, LOL!

So, what was the verdict?

The suspense is KILLING ME!

40 kW is approximately 53.6 hp, then if you assume 15 % loss in drive train, which might be reasonable, you get about 61.64 hp.


Is that the answer?

Can't wait ?

Here is the answer !!!

79 HP at about 4500 rpm. From 4500 torque begins to decrease and power stays at level.

(BTW SPOKE, your guess was the closest)

Gain of combined "no Catalyst converter" + "Bursh Muffler" is 6,5 HP ...
Could be a few more with a new engine and better tuning. No miracles with thoses "sport" mufflers.

This is the muffler I have on the car.

Click to view attachment
Picture from Pelican Parts Website

I bought this 914 as it is now. I didn't made any changes. The engine is supposed to have low compression pistons (did not mesure it). It also stil has those 1975 very restrictive heat exchangers.
2.0 SS heat exchanger could be an improvement for an extra 3 or 4 HP but that is a lot of money for this poor result.

...

NICE! 79hp is a good figure for a stock 1.8!

Congrats!

Eric

Actually, percentage wise, 3-4HP is pretty good!

Well it sounds like a lot more! At least 150 horses running wild.

What's more important - what does your 'butt dyno' tell you?

That's not a bad figure at all I think.

Click to view attachment

6.5 hp is ~ 12% gain - That's good.

Having a late model car updated to earlier HEs, it's a worthwhile effort. Pretty much anything else you can do to get more HP requires cracking the case.

I know of a 1.8L 914 that makes ~180HP, normally aspirated ...


But 80HP is plenty to get in trouble on a stock 914.
Andy

I want to know the blueprint?? It's all in the Heads right??

I have a 1.8 that would like to make that kind of HP without a Turbo. Come on and share some secrets.....
Never dyno'ed the motor in the car but had a lot of peep after the upgrades (in sig) that I was collecting for the 2056.

I also think 79 is very good # for the age of motor/injection system.

An old buddy whom I've lost track of took his L-jet 1.8 CA `75 914 & pulled what you did & added SSI 2L HE's & Banana Muffler, disconnected some of the other smog equipt. & retuned it to max. performance (not emissions limits), & was more like 88-90+ HP - IIRC (his guess-timate - although back in those days (70's) he didn't bother to dyno it). I don't doubt his estimate, because the 70-71 old un-smogged 1.7 turned out about 86 HP IIRC, so a de-smogged & larger diameter exhaust on a bigger 1.8 should be capable of 90-92 HP IMHO.

His downfall was smog test time, so he sold it out of state!

As long as you've pulled everything else smog-wise off it already Johannes - & since you probably don't have to meet smog tests over there - you might as well go the next step & just pick up a deal on some decent used SS 2L HEs on here, 914club, TheSamba, eBay, etc. I've been seeing some selling for around $400-600 (I got a set for $450 for my 73 2L). Then just hook the Bursch up to the 2L SS HE's & see what you get.

If you do have smog checks over there, then save the HE's, converter, stock muffler, etc. to reattach & re-tune for your tests, then convert back afterwords, in between testing periods.

IMHO - the bigger jump would be to convert it to more HP with the Euro-spec Carb'ed & higher compression 1.8 (don't know if the L-jet could work on the higher compr. & still pump the same HP as with carbs), but that expense is best left until it needs a motor overhaul anyway, & then the incremental expense if far less, & the wait time allows you to collect parts at bargain prices for that eventual upbuild. Ditto if your choice is to upbuild it as a bored+stroked 1900+!

If this is a new 914 for you - congrats on the acquisition.

You could

Is the "uncorrected" the HP at the tires and the "corrected" is the HP at the flywheel? If so, that shows that there is about a 30% loss in the transaxle in 5th gear at high RPMs.

Nick

That's what was mesured ... I friend of mine with a 1911cc 914 got even worse results on the transmission side. This seems to be caused by very bad alignement on the rear axle.

Not that easy. I have to change all the heating setup. I don't have the stock muffler an the Bursch won't fit to the SS heat exchangers because it only fits on 75/76 setup.


I won't do that. event if once I change pistons and cylinders I may go for 1911cc with more compression but I will keep the Ljet.

..Reminds me of an old car I had 1.8 w 2.0 heads......
smoking & toking 2.0's really got me High!!!!
that match was'nt common back then(94')
the 1.8 is a very reliable motor.
BTW that's what I guessed(80hp) (peace out)

Thats a good number. 93 octane fuel? what brand dyno? If you posted the mileage I didn't see it. To me that seems a little optimistic on a older motor and stock fi in a 75 1.8 but it will be a good starting point to go back to after changes.

In France we can only have 95 or 98 octane fuel.
I dont know the brand of the Dyno
I didn't post the mileage. The odo shows 20.000 it can be 120.000 or more likely 220.000
The engine has been rebuilt in 1993 and has made 30.000 miles since that.
As the engine has been rebuilt in California (Proshop San Rafael) I suppose that it still has low compression Pistons.
Looks like this car spent most of the time in the SF aera. Was sold in Palo Alto in 75 and refurbished in San Rafael in 93 before it was shipped back to Germany.

The same day a Porsche 914 with a 1911 kit and carbs was mesured at 89 HP (stock heads and cam)