FelRace

Looks very nice also from Finnish poin of view :yes: Great job, I think I know what it is, to love and hate that stack of scrap and still to see it as a becoming beauty of a gravel roads... I was wondering this Darren´s worry about roof vent: maybe it is not the major problem when the whole engine is out of the homologation? If you have in UK some class for this kind of "outlaws" is it really so that roof vent is anyway not allowed?

Nice job, looking forwad to get more photos. Maybe one day I could also add photos of my own rally Felicia, i did some abut two years ago but quite a lot has happened since that

As obvious, things started to become clear when I called Gripper. John there found out drawings of my diff and compared them to example Felicia driveshaft he has. Case was clear, side gears of my diff are for Fabia. He was sorry and promised to send new side gears in two weeks. I'm not satisfied for that long delivery time in this case when this is totally their fault. When there was probles already in the first delivery I really hope that they will now do better. However, I have to start taken engine and gearbox out of the car again and then splitting the transmission, when they are just aggregated. John promised to compensate my extra work by sending some extra spare parts but I´m afraid it won't still offer me very good hourly rate.

It´s very difficult to measure what is the bore in the diff when it is now in the gearbox. It would be necessary to tell Gripper what they have done and to find out if some other cars driveshaft solution would be possible. However of course I should get what I have ordered, making some tricks to make this work is not anyway my job when I have paid for the right stuff :no:

I raise up an old thread again, but that's because many of my long-term plans has now realized and of course not without problems :(. Here comes a little story and then The Question. So I finally ordered Gripper LSD and got it two weeks ago. There were some problems when they weren't delivering it when promised but after some angry phone calls I got it one week late. One of my experienced (related to transmissions) friend fit the LSD in the gearbox and he also, for a test, fit one driveshaft in its place and it fitted OK, although was quite tight. But it should be. Yesterday we put engine and box together and lift the package in the car. When my mechanics start to fit driveshafts, I started to fit all the wires, pipes, manifolds, alternator and so on. As a first, there was problem that another CV inner joint fit (tight as said) but another didn't. We realised that bore in the side bearing was too tight for the joint. Ok, we machined the joint a bit and it went in. It felt that it was also in the teehts of the LSD and were just wondering why that lock pin is not working and joint comes out just by pulling. There has been problem with some other diff solutions that the inner end of the joint reaches the diff and the lock pin won't go deep enough. Still, evn aftre shortening the inner en it didn't work. My friend then noticed that something else is wrong too. When trying to spin the engine with gear on, joints were stable. After measuring I realised that teeth bore in te LSD is a way too big, it doesn't even touch the teeth of the joint. Maximum outer dia of joint's teeth bore is about 24,3 mm and minimum dia of the diff's bore is about 24,5-25 mm. I can tell you guys that it was a bit black moment when almost everything else was ready for the starting the brand new engine with upgraded transmission... What now? Of course I´m today going to call Gripper and asking what the hell this means?! What idea they have about the measurements of Skoda driveshafts? Still, I should find the solution that doesn't mean tearing down the whole package again. This leads me to The Question: when searching inner CV joints from the web, there are plenty of sources for the joint befor 3/1998 (oe. ref 6U0 407331). Models after that: no any parts available. Could it be possible that this joint for tha latest years of Felicia is with bigger teeth bore? Do you other guys having experience of this kind of problems or have you got bolt-on applications from Gripper?

That´s just what I thought. As told, I have one ecu that should be remapped, but I haven´t try it yet and actually haven´t had either possibility to open it to see if chip is already changed. If so, then this should be easier issue. -> GentleGiant: Thanks but as Darren told, I´m operating from Finland so this your sons car is maybe not helping me. Hope that someone else will save the heart of this little rocket :yes:

Here you can find some photo and here also comparison to stock MPI. I bought manifold from one of my friend in Czech. It is homologated part and I´m waiting lot from it . I have understood that when there is aim to remap some original ecus in the civil cars, the main chip will be removed and another one, programmable part will be sweated instead. By this any ecu is reprogrammable. I still have to ask more advices, from Czech also.

I'm raising up this old thread when finally that conversion for my rally car is taking place. So new engine is built and it got some more modifications than I was first planning... Block is naturally stock, but flywheel and connecting rods are lightened and new light T-pistons took place. Cam is original Skoda Motorsport model with only "medium" lift but long opening times for valves. Head is slightly skimmed and ported, followed by new 4-1 steel exhaust. Top of the head -and I´m proud of it - there exists Skoda Motorsport manufactured Kit Car -inlet manifold with big VDO throttle body. It is controlled by original Simos 2P ecu as remapped. Gearbox has have GrA. ratios already since last summer, but now it has also new Gripper LSD. Engine will be mounted on Saturday, let´s see how it works. One more question I still have related to that ecu. It really is remapped, but of course it is now with different engine and maybe not working perfectly. Have someone experience about that remapping, is it possible via OBD2-channel or is there need to open the box and touch the actual chip? I offered the tuning job for one guy in Finland and he was really suspicious about that ecu model. Oh, I forgot to tell. Reason for intensive car improving is that I´m going to take part of Neste Oil Rally Finland WRC competition in July. You can find our webpages from www.matkallamaalilavalle.fi . I´m really sorry to have them only in Finnish but you can always see some fascinating photos

So, once again. In 1.3 there is top hose on the right (gearbox side) when looking under the bonnet: From this direction bottom hose is on the left side as water pump is. I have now understood that in 1.6 the top hose is also on the right side (gearbox side) but so is bottom hose as well. But what about the hose from expansion tank? If I finally have understood right, that means that when swapping there will be need to lead bottom hose from the right side to the left. 16V, what was the actual purpose to swap end, why not just using longer hose/pipe? The idea is to improve cooling of rally Fel and use two fans. Iwould have one diesel rad available and seems that it would be suitable. I have no facelift model (1995) but I think that wider cell will fit anyway. If fitting holes are not just in place, that is not the problem. Anyway none of original part or installation is suitable, everything has to be modified some way to believe that it is better and makes car faster

You mean on the left when opening the bonnet and looking from the front of the car? So the water pump is then on the right?

Radiator of 1.6 is wider than 1.3, but is it same in 1.6 and 1.9D -> can be swapped to to 1.3? The height of the radiator is same in every model, am I right?

E-mailed once without getting reply, maybe I have to call. However, Finnish reseller for Gripper diffs told me that they won´t sell me straight when he has the import contract. Have to find out, there seems anyway to be a huge difference between Grippers list price and price in Finland...

One thing related to this Gripper thing: are the British able to buy diffs straight from Gripper, without reseller (with the price given in the Grippes catalogue + VAT)?

Thanks a lot guys. Many guys driving trophy cars in Finland says that when there is in general lack of power (>150 hp) the LSD just takes too much power without big differences to driving. Well, after one season on gravel and snow and now again on snow I have noticed that something is missing...just traction and also steering, especially on ice that car just doesn´t turn but understeering very badly. LSD really need different style of driving, but that´s not a problem, other things are. However, I really need more power but that is coming when new engine will be built in April. I sent already e-mail to Gripper to ask if Skoda LSD´s are available. In Czech there is differentials available, bnut brand new really are expensive, e.g. ~1300 euros made by Mr. Sixta. Used gearbox with LSD are also all the time available and in it´s best you´ll get short-ratio box with LSD by 800 euros + transport. However, it´s always question about what is the condition of used differential and what it costs to maintain it. Hope that Gripper could give me good option for this.

Hello, I have heard that LSD from Opel's "little gearbox", i.e. F13, F15, F17 would fit more or less straight to the Fav/Fel gearbox. Have anyone any confirmation for this? Especially for the rally guys, what LSD´s you have used in your cars, only Skoda's own?

Yep, and fitting bigger master cylinder is really not same as using pedal box, that my previous phrase would have been worth of smiley . BUT, if using pedal box and original wheel calibers, how big should bore of m.cylinders be? In grA. homologation there are 15,9, 17,8, 19,1, 20,6 and 22,2 mm cylinders listed for PB. When original front calibers are with 54 mm pistons and rear ones 19 mm, how should bore of m-cylinders be counted? Is it only question about adjusting the stroke with PB system or should the bore for front and rear be different?

I know Audis even less than Skodas, but I think there is also FWD Audi 100 produced in years mentioned and it is at least here in Finland it could be even more common than Quattro. The question: is there diffrence in that cylinder between FWD and 4WD Audi, can you confirm, Tom? Thanks anyway for the tip, maybe not buying pedal box yet...

I´m quite sure that Fabia crank is legal in class A5 Felicia, but your points related to fiiting work in practice makes me wonder if that is meaningful operation. Let´s see, thanks for your many advices anyway. One more measaurement question related to this, is Felicia original clutch disc 180 mm dia? If not, what is it and does 1800 mm keramic paddle disc fit with original assembly?

I should have better clarify my plans earlier . This modification is aimed to build Felicia 1400 KitCar for GrA in rally. Fabia block is not allowed but long-stroke crank is. Mr DJ, you mentioned that this is common modification and Engitec has made these. Do you know more about this project?

Yes, project is to fit Fabia crank into Felicia block. It will need some machining inside the block to make bearings fit but it is possible. Well, have to ask James about this, especially that flywheel issue is still a bit unclear.

Some quite clear questions: -is there same flywheel, clutch plate and clutch axle bore in Felicia and 8 valve Fabia? -if not, will Felicia flywheel fit in Fabia crank? -is Felicia original clutch 180 mm dia and how it is in Fabia? I have one little project in my mind and I´d need Fabia "downstears": crank, pistons, cylinder tubes and rods. So, if someone have these for sale, I´m really interested!

Thanks Tom. I already removed the chaircoal canister and plugged all the pipes (not removed pipe from tank to canister yet) I was only wondering that isn´t there any other air replacement channel to fuel tank than pipe from canister? Haynes says that tank is sealed but how can that pipe to canister act as only replacement air channel when there is suction to manifold when solenoid valve is open and otherwise it is closed -> air can´t flow to tank either..? Related to breather hose, I was removing only smaller hose from rocker cover to manifold (operates breathing when idling I think). The bigger one will be led to catch can so breath will not be totally removed. I think that you, Tom, explained me the function of the hose from chaircoal canister to manifold. I know that very well but still there is one hose, aboub 6mm between air filter housing an inlet manifold and in manifold that hose has connector near to the connecion of hose coming from canister. In filter housing this hose is connected in same terminal with hose to "hot/cold air switch" in air inlet channel. Well, that hose is now removed, let´s see what that makes. Thanks for the advice to try another injector, I haven´t tried to modify fuel pressure regulator yet but if that doesn´t work, I can try to fing injector for example from 1.6 Vento havin Mono-Motronic system. Still about the pressures, when saying after regulator I ment the pressure to injector, not to return pipe that really is unpressurized. If those pressures (0.8-1.2 and 2.5 bar) are pressures for pump, how are pressures to injector in different systems, how much the regulator cuts the pressure?

I found some answers by myself and then more questions came into my mind... 2) Thanks Ken, that´s what I has already planned to do, having already catch can to use. Anyway I´d like to know the function of that another one little hose comin in to the manifold very near to tube from charcoal canister. From Haynes it can be somehow guessed that it has something to do with that charcoal filter function, so if canister will be removed maybe this hose can also be disabled. 3) Haynes gives those pressure after regulator, for SPI it is 0,8-1,2 bar and for MPI 2,5 bar. Still I dont know if there is markable difference between pressures from the pump to regulator. Reason why I´m interested is that I should raise fuel pressure to injector a bit and when in SPI the regulator is integrated to injector, it can´t be changed. And not tuned either, says Haynes. I was wondering if regulator would be feeded with higher pressure, it could let some more pressure also through. Still I´m not sure, any ideas?

Here comes some questions related to improving my Fel 1.3i SPI in rally use. If you have idea at least to some question, please tell me. 1) There is always need to simplify all systems and remove all extra accessories (extra weight and fault risks...). I´m removing carbon filter filtering gases from fuel tank but could it cause some problems if just remove it and plug pipes? This has nothing to do with replacement air feeding to the tank, right? 2) There is several hoses coming into intake manifold. One comes from oil filler cap in valve cover, I think this operates ventilation when idling. This can be plugged, I´m pretty sure. Another one leads from air filter housing to manifold next to hose coming from carbon filter. What this one does and what if I remove/plug it, does it affect to anything? 3) In thread "SPI -> MPI conversion" James told something about fuel pumps capacity (more or less 60 l/h) but what are the pressures, how is pressure before and after regulator?

Thanks a lot James for your long and informative answer. It took long time from me to answer but better late and so on. Well, now I have one whole ´97 Felicia with MPI engine as "donor car" and in I will take engine from that to my rally-Felly. Before that there will be project to build gearbox with GrA. ratios to make car easier to drive and then new engine will take place after summer season. Yes, we have to run with homologated specifications and that makes building car a bit more challenging. However, there is lot of parts available and many experienced gouy hawin knowhow abouit building rally Skodas so I am not alone with my problems . James, can I send you some private message when I need advices to car building, I think you could help me in many matters? Actually I have at the moment again some questions. There is in the Felicia a chaircoal tank as a part of the emission control system. I really care environment, but still that part is only extra weight in rally use. Is it possible just take it off and plug pipes to tank and manifold? Or shoud that pipe from tank be open to give some breath to tank? Another thing that came into my mind when I followed hose from chaircoal tank to manifold. What is little hose between air cleaner housing to manifold, in manifold it is located near to that hose from chaircoal tank?