turbojoe69

Hey all!!

Short and sweet one here, Anyone thought about making a sticky on how to build a zvh turbo? Seems like theres a few goin on, would be nice to know the details if anyone has the time CheeRS !

Jeffers_RST

this is what i used for most of it, mainly the parts bit. http://www.zvh-build.co.uk/online_re.../build_zvh.htm

turbojoe69

Thanks mate, i have briefly come across that site before... Not paid too much attention to it before now... quite handy really.

Cheers!

Jeffers_RST

yeah i know mate u should be alright with most of it, but if ya get a bit stuck, its good to look back at!
cheers!

Rick

no, cos they are shit.

Jeffers_RST

top marks for effort

DazC

iTrader: (1)

Most people on here either build a CVH or go full Zetec rather than build an engine with the bad half from either engine.

turbojoe69

Thanks for the input

turbojoe69

Alrught pal thanks.. i thought they were quite common and ive read a fair bit about them, clearly need to do some more research

zetec-Sam

iTrader: (2)

How is the bottom end of a zetec engine the 'bad half'

bezo

zvh's arnt that common these days, a zetec or a cvh seems the way to go.

i built a zvh and it goes quite well.

end of the day its up to you what you want to build.

burnhamshaun

iTrader: (2)

Why are they shit I'm running efi zvh and I find it ok

Red16

This is a good web page for ZVH info

http://www.quantums.info/zvh.htm

dave_s2_rst

iTrader: (2)

agreed and budget of course.

I wanted to go full zetec but really cant be asked with the agro (just yet)

turbojoe69

Cheers mate! Appreciated

johnenright150rst

ive got a 2.0 zvh in my fiesta turbo and imo its great, diffrent power delevery than my cvh escort.

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

just buy my running zvh engine
as much as i loved the power i had running 23psi, i just want it a little more controlled on power and get better top end power.
all in all, not a bad experience, very reliable enigne IMO.
so i've started building/collecting parts for a full zetec turbo, for what i've spent on the whole zvh, my area six head would have cost more.

studabear

what spec is your zvh wishy?

zetecherb

CVH FTW imo

chaffe

id say the bottom end of a cvh is shit, the heads and cams last well on ZVHs when they actually get some oil pressure. And if anything is wrong with early zetecs its the head, as they HAVE to run on 5 w30 oil or they "jack" the valves up and missfire when reved hard, this was a design fault with the hydraulic lifters and was cause for a recall. the bottom ends on zetecs are ace, never had any problems that way. so i dont know what you base this info on? a bad experiance prehaps?

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

it's an early 1.8 block with skimmed pistons as they are much stronger than later ones which can't handle the boost as well (mine ran/runs daily at 16psi and peak fast driving of 23psi)
all mods done to it for oil ways, water pump which was new 3k ago, 1.8 sump, oil pump and pickup pipe.
rs turbo payen head gasket with non stretch bolts which can be reused.
ported mfi head, new aftermarket oem cam and followers, vernier pulley for getting timing spot on.
running a 4wd cossie t3 with cossie downpipe modified to suit.
runs efi with an spacer plate for injector cutouts to flow on the mfi head.
630cc siemens deka IV injectors
on megasquirt 2 v3.0
some silicon ht leads
alloy breather pot
with a rare burton power alloy rocker cover.

that's pretty much it, but it is pretty fast, i planted it showing a cossie fan it wasn't as slow as he thought and shit himself when it was spinning wheels scrambling for traction when boost hit home in fourth gear.
sadly that video didn't get saved
but he has built a zvh of his own for his fiesta

chaffe

sounds like a good car mate, i have done a couple of 1800 zetec turbos with std pistons and they have lasted well.

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

goes very well indeed, does have coilovers, mondeo servo, cossie brakes, extra braces to reduce engine movement, external swirl pot with high flow facet red top pump and cosworth 979 fuel pump.
got a few other gadgets that do things like wideband afr and egt gauge along with an electronic boost controller (gizzmo ms2).

just started building a forged blacktop zetec engine with area six head and cams, just need to sell my current engine first.

chaffe

cool, you upgrading to an MTX75 also lol

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

if i could afford it, right now it's the zetec turbo engine, the box will have to wait for now, got shed loads of bits to sell.
namely the zvh already in my xr2 and a seat ibiza gti, they will pay for the bottom end parts

turbojoe69

[quote=xr2wishy;5309763]it's an early 1.8 block with skimmed pistons as they are much stronger than later ones which can't handle the boost as well (mine ran/runs daily at 16psi and peak fast driving of 23psi)
all mods done to it for oil ways, water pump which was new 3k ago, 1.8 sump, oil pump and pickup pipe.
rs turbo payen head gasket with non stretch bolts which can be reused.
ported mfi head, new aftermarket oem cam and followers, vernier pulley for getting timing spot on.
running a 4wd cossie t3 with cossie downpipe modified to suit.
runs efi with an spacer plate for injector cutouts to flow on the mfi head.
630cc siemens deka IV injectors
on megasquirt 2 v3.0
some silicon ht leads
alloy breather pot
with a rare burton power alloy rocker cover.

that's pretty much it, but it is pretty fast, i planted it showing a cossie fan it wasn't as slow as he thought and shit himself when it was spinning wheels scrambling for traction when boost hit home in fourth gear.
sadly that video didn't get saved
but he has built a zvh of his own for his fiesta [/quote

Im in no rush to pickup a lump soon as theres other things that want doing in the mean time... If i was in a position where i had to buy one out right i would go for a ready built unit such as yours Tempting...

chaffe

The mtx conversion is quite cheap if you make all the parts (mounts, gear linkage and driveshafts) i did my first one for £50 (the price of the gearbox)

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

Do it
I'm not asking much for it. PM if you like.

Rogeyboy

iTrader: (2)

Ive got an early 2litre engine in my garage, are the pistons strong enough in that for handling boost pressure, once skimmed?

chaffe

ok upto about 12 psi/200bhp on the 2 litre pistons In my experience

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

2.0 pistons are really thin on the crowns, same with later 1.8 ones too, so very fragile after skimming.
Only the early 1.8 ones take to being skimmed and handling boost, as I've run mine for thee years without any major incident, just compression down a little on one cylinder, easy fix though.

chaffe

agreed, i broke some 2 litre pistons once and replaced with wossner forged ones

Karlos G

iTrader: (4)

DazC is correct a ZVH is using the worst of both engines and on top of that fact you need a well ported big valve CVH head with a very high lift/long duration cam and a large turbo or all your power drops off after 5k too
The Zetec bottom end is shit compared to a CVH as it needs pistons and rods to make anything over 200bhp for a start, the CVH rods are good for 250bhp and the pistons 300bhp!
The CVH head is shit compared to the Zetec except the early ones but who would try and use one of those when there is so many later ones out there?! It flows poorly and restricts the Zetec bottom end, suffers cam failure like nothing on this planet and rocker studs like to launch out of it at high rpm's!

You can make a good one but it costs more than a ZT for the same BHP!

Rogeyboy

iTrader: (2)

So Zetec Turbo is the way to go...

I'll stick with my CVH for now, i'd love a 1.9 CVH one day and then maybe a Zetec Turbo!

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

the cost of doing a zetec turbo to decent power is way more than a zvh.
having built a zvh and now building a proper zetec turbo, i can honestly say the zvh had cost me about a quarter of what i have/will spend on my zetec turbo.
admittidly i only ran a 4wd cossie turbo punting 23psi down the throat of my zvh without major issues (apart from me running it a little lean on only 440cc injectors whilst laptop messed up a mapping session, only caused a littl ering wear on one cylinder).
my goals for a zetec turbo are greater, but as i said it'll cost a load more, head has area six cams, followers and retainers and some porting, that alone would cost just over a grand.
my whole zvh engine cost less than that.

Karlos G

iTrader: (4)

How is that possible Sean?
All the ZT needs are pistons rods and valve springs and it's good for 350bhp, a ZVH needs pistons, rods and a well ported big valve head with a decent cam (around £1000) to be any where near that!
You cannot compare the cost of your ZVH to a proper ZT build can you?! Totally different spec and goals! lol

xr2wishy

iTrader: (2)

they are completely different engines in essence.
what i'm saying is that to get near 300bhp in a zvh is relatively cheap if you use an earlier 1.8 silvertop.
however to get to 300bhp in a zetec requires more cash due to getting the head right, for example £200 worth of valve springs from area six.
not needed in a zvh, suitible turbo spec cams £420 (area six) then the followers on top of that £280 (area six again)
cost of a cam kit for a zvh/cvh turbo is around £250-300, a bloody load cheaper than a zetec.

granted on the ZT i'm fitting steel rods and forged pistons, partly as i want to run more power, but also i'll be using a 2.0 block, which couldn't handle skimmed pistons to achieve a great deal.
ported heads for cvh are all over the place, mine was a steal when i bought it, although i replaced all the valves as i wasn't completely satisfied, a ported zetec head costs a lot more as there aren't many about second hand and cost more to work over from new.

long term though the zetec turbo will be stronger and more accurately spec'ed and need less boost to make good power.
It will have more potential in the end, but there is a cost and i'm paying out for it right now.

p.s. i'n not argueing about how much better the ZT is, just defending the zvh for good bang per bucks, not necesarily the best useability of power though.

Karlos G

iTrader: (4)

Yeah I just dont agree Sean lol
The ZT does not need any headwork for 300bhp only valve springs, no porting and no cams.
The ZVH needs a very good head with big valves and a cam to flow past 5000rpm and you'll never do a realible 300bhp on skimmed pistons IMO.

Both engines will need pistons and rods or you may as well stick with a CVH for 250bhp.

chaffe

i just think its easier to find a really nice original zetec than it is trying to find a cvh in good nick, horses for courses tho, everybody likes different things in life, i like cars with roofs for a start lol.

sas

This is a good post for miss information.

ZVHs are often taken as a budget upgrade, and done badly, hense the rep.

The weak part of the CVH is the bottom end - a poor oil system and has lower power capacity than a standard 2.0 Zetec black top.
The Zetec black top has a very good oil system.

The CVH head is very very strong but poor flow as standard.
The Zetec head is one of the weekest heads, poor thermal capacity, but has good flow in a turbo set up.

Fact a CVH head can flow 400bhp plus with just a cam, solid followers and correct porting using standard valves.