Ka Klub of GB | 1.3 Van Aaken Turbo

VaD Turbo Conversion on 1.3 Endura E

Ian Burtenshaw

Background
December 2002 ended with my engine springing a huge coolant leak and literally conking out. I resigned myself to a huge bill to repair it and was pleasantly surprised when the garage told me that the Endura was a sturdy piece of metal and was totally fine. They replaced the torn hose, poured new coolant in and off I drove. They added that had it been a Rover, it would have been the end.

Up to that point I had been dabbling with various modifications based around ICE and been gradually thinking of something to add to the fun the Ka gave me in terms of driving, mainly something extra to pull me through B-road corners. I had saved up the money required to do something, it was just a case of working out what.

Conversion
After some advice from Nodjlee, research through magazines / web sites and a call to my insurance company I decided on the VaD turbo route. I went for this as I did not wish to change the actual engine and I had always liked the idea of a turbo ever since I was kid and had a ride in a Saab 99 Turbo. It was also one of the least invasive ways to gain additional power, with a high degree of flexibility as the low-pressure turbo kicks in at approximately 1600rpm and feeds power up to the rev limit.

The work was carried out by Van Aaken, who said it would take 1 week; in fact it took 2 weeks. This caused a little grief as I had borrowed a car to tide me over for work and for the last 4 days getting to work was problematic, so I took extra holiday instead. You need to run the turbo in for 1000 miles where you should keep the revs below 4000rpm. I aimed for 3000rpm when she was warming up. You also need to warm the turbo up and down. Be gentle for the first few miles and tick her over for a couple of minutes at the end of the journey to protect the turbo.

The cost was £1912, for the turbo, the dump valve, fitting and VAT. The VaD unit includes:

The Garret T15 turbo (running at circa 5psi according to VaD) and all required pipework; a Van Aaken SmartChip that is added to the ECU; power boost valve; induction kit if you do not have one; dump valve; modified exhaust manifold that moves the cat to make room for the turbo and in my case an additional gasket in the exhaust as the bore of my central section pipe was too wide to help build back pressure. The rev limiter is also raised slightly.

My Ka has had 2 rolling roads since the conversion was done and the results give a spread of data. The turbo delivers 78bhp (increase from 59bhp) with 90lbs torque. I have had a torque figure of 81lbs and this reflected a leaking pipe that is the only mechanical problem the conversion has suffered from.

It is worth noting that the turbo was part of a series of modifications that I undertook to improve the driving / handling experience. The VaD unit is combined with a wider track, rear track spacer kit. Ford Racing Suspension, Sport Ka anti-roll bar and strut brace. It's a package of modifications designed to offer a really fun driving experience. If you do any sort of major engine modification it is worth upgrading other components to get the maximum out of the Ka. The only major driving component I have not yet modified are the brakes, as I just can't wear them out, they've done almost 3 years! As soon as they do wear out they will be up-rated, just in case. I recommend you fit a rev counter in when the work is done, it's useful to help you change gears at maximum torque and also to help with running the turbo in.

Ownership
I love the extra grunt and how it is so relevant for my preferred driving on twisty back roads and fast A and B roads. I really like the noises the engine makes; it gives the Ka so much character. The whistle as the turbo winds up, coupled with a low rumble from the induction kit and the ptsschh as the dump valve expels all add to my driving experience. The Ka does take a noticeable hit in hot weather (25C plus), with first gear acceleration the most sluggish. The induction kit is also positioned low down in the engine bay and draws in more hot air than would be preferred. The engine bay gets pretty hot, even in winter, yet never hot enough to trouble the coolant system. The engine also idles with a little more bounce in the revs and now and again the engine seems uncertain whether it would prefer to be in 3rd gear or 4th gear and you get a little surge. Really it's the Ka saying "come on, put your foot down, wind me up that's what 3rd gear is for! "

My fuel economy has dipped by about 3mpg on average and 5mpg to 6mpg when pushed really hard. However if the Ka is driven gently, mpg can be held at pre-conversion levels and I have still achieved 40mpg on a tank since having a conversion done (gentle, defensive driving - mind you.)

My insurance increased by £40 when the conversion was done, this low increase is a reflection of the low-pressure(power) nature of the turbo, my age (29), my no-claims record (5 years+) and my insurance company (HIC). Some people seem a bit down on HIC as you have to wait on the phone a bit to speak to them, yet they do provide very keenly priced insurance cover. My insurance for the Ka, with protected no-claims, ICE cover, business cover and unlimited mileage is just over £310, so I am in a good position to not be stung by large insurance bills.

My service costs have not increased and outside the slightly thirstier fuel consumption, my running costs are no higher than prior to the conversion. The only turbo related problem I have had is a split boost hose, this cost £58 to put right, although with a bit of mechanical skill I reckon it could be a self-repair. I however wanted the reassurance of VaD fixing it and checking the rest of the system for leaks.

Linked with the conversion work, the moving about of the catalytic converter had left my exhaust hanging down lower under the car than before. When a few weeks later the car was lowered this caused the exhaust to bottom out on every speed bump I came to. It was easy to sort out, yet it was the kind of finishing detail that I would have liked to have seen sorted prior to the Ka leaving VaD. It would have been nice for VaD to work to tuck the exhaust more tightly to its original channel as part of the job. A small point, yet something I still recall 18 months later.

If I could do something different….? Well my thought process on decisions is to choose with no regret. Yet if the Puma conversion had been around and proven when I was making my decision I would have likely given that very serious consideration. However the cutting required of the support in the engine bay is a negative in terms of structure and the overall cost with additional parts would likely be closer to £4000. I would also go for a narrower bore exhaust section from the back box to the cat to help with the back-pressure, although this is something that can be modified as an evolving step.

Conclusion

Something I urge anyone to consider strongly is to focus on the financials. It is easy to get caught up in the immediacy of the modifications and for the real cost to be lost. £1912 is a significant chunk of money and with total honesty and given the time again I'd also make my decision, then sit on the phone call to VaD for a month to see how I feel with a longer reflection period. I'd probably still make the same call, yet for many people paying over £1000 a year in insurance, with petrol at 80p a litre and then incremental costs of other modifications required to allow the Ka to fulfil it's driving potential the money side needs serious consideration.

Any money you spend on modifications is essentially sunk costs and you will never recoup that outlay. By the time you come to sell your modified vehicle it will be worth little more than a standard, similar mileage Ka and attractive to a much smaller customer base. So if you are going to modify and especially on the engine, as it is much more difficult to reverse back to standard; do it because you really wish to, because you're going to hold onto the Ka for a good few years and do it out of savings, not credit.

Have fun! Choose with no regret!

Footnote
This article was written a few years ago and it is now 2009. The Ka is still going strong, the engine running well and the turbo is still happy. I think I may have one of the longest running VaD turbo's in the UK and certainly one of, if not the most reliable. I did need a new sump sometime ago and a new oil return drilling in - however this was not an issue with the Turbo, but with Ford's old friend ... rust.