It runs good, but...

[Fabrizio]

Hello, I'm from Roma, Italia.
I have two K11: the first (1.0 litre) was bought new in 1998 (Euro2) but, thanks to our new mayor of the city of Rome, I can't drive it, even if it's a LPG fuelled car. He's a genius.
So, a couple of weeks ago, I bought a 1.0 litre 2002 K11 (this time Euro4, so I can drive), it's nice, runs good but...
But it seems to be seated respect to my other older Micra. The old one seems to be a blender, no holes in power erogation, quick and always ready.
Are there significant mechanical/electronic differences between these two models?
Is there something to do to make it "alive"?
I apologize for my english. I'm also too lazy to use Google translate...!
Many thanks in advance.
Fabrizio

 

[villanueva_00]

The engine it´s the same, only difference i think the newer one should be the coilpack version and not the dizzy one. Maybe a little more weight on the newer model but not too much to make a difference. Probably a good maintanance should put both micras on the same level performance wise. You can check oxygen sensor, MAF and spark plugs.

 

[Fabrizio]

Hello and thanks for a so quick answer.
It has four coils on valve cover (is it called coilpack?)
But the engine behavior is noticeably different. I'm going to suppose there will be something more different in terms of hardware/software: there are 2 classes of difference in the environmental rating between these two models (euro 2 vs euro 4) and Nissan had to do something "strange" to reach the higer rank (double Lambda? "sleepy" ECU? Don't know...).
Thanks also for the hint about the checks to do. I already dismantled and cleaned a device located between the throttle air intake and the throttle butterfly (may be MAF?), but nothing changed. I saw also another device located in the rear part of throttle body, very close to the firewall: what is it?

 

[villanueva_00]

I don´t know much about the coilpack version engines. As you say due to regulations its possible that it has a bit less power due to different maps but i doubt it as it has far more modern electronics for control and pretty much all the maps run closed loop with 14.7 AFR aim ratios (Ignition timing maps could be more restricted but don´t know on this engine).
Probably what you cleaned was the MAF (Its located transversely to the throttle body) and i assume what you see on the rear part of the throttle body must be the IACV for idle control.

 

[Fabrizio]

Great analysis; probably there will be a different map.
If I well understood, the ratio 14.7 is fixed. In this case the engine behavior may be explaned: an immediate reaction and readiness of the engine is usually given by the "violation" of the 14.7 value, infact engines with carburators are reactive because during accelerations the fuel-air mixture is reacher of petrol than 14.7 .
Since the car, moreover, takes a lot of time to return on idle revs after the gas pedal release, I'll try to clean also this IACV.
Many thanks for your tips!

 

[Fabrizio]

Hello again; since I would like to have a bit o pepper on my engine, on an italian forum (forum not so reactive...) I've read that it seems possible to install on CG10 engine (the mine, am I right?) the CGA3DE engine's camshaft. The valve lift should be bigger but the questions are:

1. if they are interchrgble, is it a "plug and play" operation?

2. are there differences in timing between the 1.0 and 1.3 engines?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[villanueva_00]

I think ineed you can use 1.4 cams on a 1.0 pretty much PNP.
You get more duration (222º vs 196º) and lift(7,94 vs 5,59 mm) from the 1.4 ones gaining some more torque and hp all along the rpm range.
*Not fully sure on the cam specs given but most certainly good*

 

[Fabrizio]

Hello,
thanks also for the technical data. I'll try to find these camshafts: I thought it was easy but no... Here, in my country, these class of cars survive 24 or 48 hours, just long enough to clean oils and liquids and then... blast furnace... You have just the time to make a phone call to the junkyard and the car is already become hundred cans for tomato sauce. What about in UK?

 

[.Maarten]

1. Yes but the cga3de (coilpack engine) cams will not fit in a dizzy engine. The other way around works fine so dizzy cams in a coilpack work.
2. Yes.

 

[Fabrizio]

Hello and thanks for the reply; what "dizzy" engine means? Is it the engine without 4 single coils?
Meanwhile, I've read the tell of a user of this forum who puts 1.3 camshafts on 1.0 (first both shafts, then exhaust only and - if I'm not wrong - intake only) but he didn't seem satisfied. Here's the topic: https://micra.org.uk/threads/cg10-finetuning-advice-cams-headers-injectors-ecu.73941/ (now I realize you were there....).
At this point I'm starting to think that (probably) instead of changing mechanical hardware I'll have to change the way to live my sleepy K11.... To be or not to be?

Or has anyone here have had a different experience with bunnies and hats?

 

[.Maarten]

The dizzy engines are the distributor engines. With the spark plug wires instead of the 4 seperate coils.
It kinda depends on what you expect. Swapping cams wont make it as fast as a 1.4. Swapping in a 1.4 does.

 

[Fabrizio]

Swapping cams wont make it as fast as a 1.4. Swapping in a 1.4 does.

Of course.

Since I would keep "stealth" an eventual swap , I've read that it's possible to keep the the block and change the crankshaft. What about throttle body? I suppose the new should be bigger; moreover is is mandatory to change the ECU?

 

[fookmyoldboots]

If you have a spare £420 you can get the ecu tuned (coil pack versions only)
link

 

[Fabrizio]

If you have a spare £420 you can get the ecu tuned (coil pack versions only)
link

Interesting, I got some info here in my country and prices seems to be more or less on the same wavelenght (but probably here they are a little bit cheaper).
Anyway, today I made a question to the air: does the engine, as is, work as it should?
It should be interesting first to test its full funcionality.
Any suggestion on a SW that has embedded factory values to compare to actual values via OBD?

 

[Fabrizio]

As appetizer of this search for lost HPs, awaiting for SW for OBD, today I opened the engine hood and I gave a look.
The great discover was an hand-made inscription on throttle body that says "K11".
Excellent.
Such kind of autograph means that the throttle body came from a junkyard.... Great.
Now, I've seen different types of grids on throttle body intake: mine is sort of a flange made of a plastic square large mesh grille; other flanges on other cars are instead a sort of canvas made of thin metal wires.
Does anybody know the proper and original flange for my june 2002 engine CG10?