UK v's JAP engines

[mrloaf]

just a quick question folks,

took my sis's uk 1990 celica for a spin the other day and it defo felt quicker at 80+

as its got the same 2.0 16v n.a engine as my mr2 it got me thinking...

if my sisters car was factory mapped to run 95octane and aways run on normal unleaded and the replacement JAP engine in my UK mr2 was factory mapped to run 98+ and i only run it on super unleaded 97octane, would that account for the power difference i noticed?

(celica is standard apart from 17's with 130k+ on the clock my mr2 is standard apart from 17's 50K on the engine and a full mongoose ss exhaust)

perhaps the informed collective can shed some light??

cheers!

[revturbo]

from what ive been told they should be the same.

ive taken parts from celica scrap cars and theyve fitted straight on the mr2 engine, maybe the cams are set different? or it could be mapped slightly different?


richard

[Lauren]

Would think its most likely the difference in feel of comparing a RWD car to a FWD one.

The negligible difference in power would not be noticeable tbh and could be as much to do with manufacturing tolerances as anything else.

[FreeFall]

...and the replacement JAP engine in my UK mr2 was factory mapped to run 98+ and i only run it on super unleaded 97octane, would that account for the power difference i noticed?

When the JDM engine was fitted, was the ECU changed? If not, then surely this wouldn't make a difference, as the map would be for UK fuel.

[mrloaf]

not too sure about that, is the only difference in these engines the ECU?, e.g if the JDM ECU was installed along with the replacement engine and was mapped for the high octane fuel, if this was replaced with a UK spec ECU would the engine still perform as good if not better?

(from reading specs posted by other members my car seems to be running as it should, 0-60 in 7.5 seconds and regularly 33-35mpg on long journeys)

[JohnnyC]

Gearing?

The Celica will be lighter too.

Although... comparing the 1994-1999 Celica to a rev3+ MR2, both with same engine, the Celica being 100kg lighter, and yet the Celica is 0.2 seconds slower to 60

[FreeFall]

As has already been said, I doubt the difference would be noticeable anyway. I don't know the differences between the UK and JDM engines - I was just thinking that the engine is just various lumps of metal, it's the ECU that governs fuel/timing etc.

[matt_mr2t]

I'd be suprised if the Jap NA had a different map to any of the others tbh. It has a knock sensor doesn't it?
That should be enough to cope with differences in fuel.

[mrloaf]

probably so, though the previous owner stated he used normal unleaded for a while and the performance dropped, the only reason i'm asking is cause on a recent trip to R.O.I 95 octane was a bargin 79.9pl while 97 octane still remained 102.9 or there abouts

if the difference was with the ECU only i'd try to source a UK one to help take the edge of the 450 miles per week i travel

(and travel to the glorious free state with a load of jerry cans each month!)