Having recently spent a fortune (circa £6,000) getting my S-Type 2.5 V6 sport in A1 mechanical and aesthetic shape, it is now running beautifully, but I am wondering if there are any simple, cost effective ways of improving performance, making it breath and drink more efficiently? Is there any advantage for example of fitting a different air filter, remapping the ECU etc, etc....?
I am reluctant to spend much more that I have already, so major engine modifications are not on my list!
I don't want to race anyone, I just make the standard car drive as well as it can.
I am not good with spanners, so either things that are really simple to do myself, or would not be expensive to have done.
Thank you in advance for any help.
Les.
Any simple enhancing mods for 2.5 V6 sport?
Moderators:GJS-typeR, Montana5
Re: Any simple enhancing mods for 2.5 V6 sport?
Buy a 3 ltr manual car!
Brian
Brian
MY2000 3ltr S type manual standard car with leather seats, cruise control and mistral blue metallic paint.
1961 3.8 MkII manual, Indigo blue, nolonger runs on LPG, everything else uprated
1961 3.8 MkII manual, Indigo blue, nolonger runs on LPG, everything else uprated
Re: Any simple enhancing mods for 2.5 V6 sport?
Martec wrote:Buy a 3 ltr manual car!
Brian
Thank you for your input. But I don't like the chrome on the 3ltr and I don't want a manual.
This was specifically the body style and engine I wanted after making a considered decision.
Last edited by Ladams on Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Any simple enhancing mods for 2.5 V6 sport?
Yup Martec, You can't beat that.
Les,
Just look after what you have and enjoy the drive. Jaguar did quite well when they put it together so leave well alone.
Try studying the S type board I'm sure you will find plenty to keep you interested and occupied
Les,
Just look after what you have and enjoy the drive. Jaguar did quite well when they put it together so leave well alone.
Try studying the S type board I'm sure you will find plenty to keep you interested and occupied
Re: Any simple enhancing mods for 2.5 V6 sport?
oldtimer wrote:Yup Martec, You can't beat that.
Les,
Just look after what you have and enjoy the drive. Jaguar did quite well when they put it together so leave well alone.
Try studying the S type board I'm sure you will find plenty to keep you interested and occupied
Thank you oldtimer, I think that is good advice. I was just asking in case there was something to make it even better
Re: Any simple enhancing mods for 2.5 V6 sport?
Any engine however small, can always be made to produce more torque and or power. Obviously the amount of tuning gain proportionally favours a larger engine. There `aint no substitute for cubic centimetres!
Fitting a free flow air filter is always the first thing done when tuning mods are being considered. The K&N range or those sold by Adamesh...Green Filters, will help where large volumes of air are required drawn into an engine. The filter box on the V6, either 2.5 or 3.0 litre is in any case already well sized for the job. At one time I had had a K&N 33-2266 filter fitted to my V6 S-type. Frankly it made little difference to economy or improved performance in that instance. On a 2.5 V6, you are also unlikely to see much improvement in either respect.
That 33-2266 came into its own on the V8 4 litre where some small improvement was seen across the power-band with a standard engine also fitted with an identical air filter box to the one found on V6 models. That car later had a performance ECU re-flash which worked well with the K&N. On one occasion, I reverted to the standard paper filter and the car became a tad slower off the mark. Refitting the K&N restored the improvement again.
All my Jaguars have received performance ecu re-flashes over the years. The work was initially carried out by Paramount Performance at Slough who later became Viezu. They advertise in our magazine. When my V6 3.0 litre auto was re-flashed, it became a little more lively particularly at low speeds. That was useful but the car was still no ball of fire and never would be. An increase of 25hp showed on the rolling road. I would expect a V6 2.5 unit to produce a little less horse power than the 3.0 unit. ECU uprate companies will generally tell you that most engines will make 10% more power and 15% more torque. Torque is what is needed for acceleration. Power is what you need to hold high speeds.
Going to a naturally aspirated 4.0 litre S-type V8, tuning gains become more quantifiable. The standard engine has rather longer legs when compared to the V6. It just does things with less frenzy and has a useful overtaking capacity which has to be worked for on a V6. Re-flashing the ECU adds 35 more horse power and a very slobbery V8 power delivery. With a K&N filter fitted and perhaps also a big bore exhaust, you gain the best of all worlds.
What you can do to an S-type R by re-flashing and adding other performance parts is worthy of a book on its own.
A manual gearbox does as Martec says, helps to unlock some of the performance lost in the automatic gearbox. A conversion from auto to manual even using parts from a donor car is unlikely to be cheap. Probably £1500 if you are paying to have the work done.
A K&N filter will cost around £36. I question though whether you will get £36 worth of gain. An ecu re-flash from Viezu is probably going to cost you around £540. Again I question whether it is worth applying to a 2.5 unless you intend to keep the car for a while and get the best from a fairly large investment on a fairly elderly car. Provided your engine is in A1 order, then there is absolutely no reason why you should not have a re-flash carried out. The improvement will not be mind-blowing but the car will certainly feel a little more spirited.
You could add fast catalytic converters, performance exhausts, gas flowed heads, nitrous oxide, a big throttle body and high compression pistons. That would set you back at least £4k. It all depends on what you want to do and how deep your pocket is.
Mike K
Fitting a free flow air filter is always the first thing done when tuning mods are being considered. The K&N range or those sold by Adamesh...Green Filters, will help where large volumes of air are required drawn into an engine. The filter box on the V6, either 2.5 or 3.0 litre is in any case already well sized for the job. At one time I had had a K&N 33-2266 filter fitted to my V6 S-type. Frankly it made little difference to economy or improved performance in that instance. On a 2.5 V6, you are also unlikely to see much improvement in either respect.
That 33-2266 came into its own on the V8 4 litre where some small improvement was seen across the power-band with a standard engine also fitted with an identical air filter box to the one found on V6 models. That car later had a performance ECU re-flash which worked well with the K&N. On one occasion, I reverted to the standard paper filter and the car became a tad slower off the mark. Refitting the K&N restored the improvement again.
All my Jaguars have received performance ecu re-flashes over the years. The work was initially carried out by Paramount Performance at Slough who later became Viezu. They advertise in our magazine. When my V6 3.0 litre auto was re-flashed, it became a little more lively particularly at low speeds. That was useful but the car was still no ball of fire and never would be. An increase of 25hp showed on the rolling road. I would expect a V6 2.5 unit to produce a little less horse power than the 3.0 unit. ECU uprate companies will generally tell you that most engines will make 10% more power and 15% more torque. Torque is what is needed for acceleration. Power is what you need to hold high speeds.
Going to a naturally aspirated 4.0 litre S-type V8, tuning gains become more quantifiable. The standard engine has rather longer legs when compared to the V6. It just does things with less frenzy and has a useful overtaking capacity which has to be worked for on a V6. Re-flashing the ECU adds 35 more horse power and a very slobbery V8 power delivery. With a K&N filter fitted and perhaps also a big bore exhaust, you gain the best of all worlds.
What you can do to an S-type R by re-flashing and adding other performance parts is worthy of a book on its own.
A manual gearbox does as Martec says, helps to unlock some of the performance lost in the automatic gearbox. A conversion from auto to manual even using parts from a donor car is unlikely to be cheap. Probably £1500 if you are paying to have the work done.
A K&N filter will cost around £36. I question though whether you will get £36 worth of gain. An ecu re-flash from Viezu is probably going to cost you around £540. Again I question whether it is worth applying to a 2.5 unless you intend to keep the car for a while and get the best from a fairly large investment on a fairly elderly car. Provided your engine is in A1 order, then there is absolutely no reason why you should not have a re-flash carried out. The improvement will not be mind-blowing but the car will certainly feel a little more spirited.
You could add fast catalytic converters, performance exhausts, gas flowed heads, nitrous oxide, a big throttle body and high compression pistons. That would set you back at least £4k. It all depends on what you want to do and how deep your pocket is.
Mike K
X350 Co-ordinator
2004 XJR
2004 XJR
Re: Any simple enhancing mods for 2.5 V6 sport?
Once again Mike you have been concise and very helpful. Even I managed to follow that lol
I think I am guilty of falling in love with my Jag and just want it to be the best it can be. However, as I am not a boy racer and I don't want to enter any competitive races, I think for now I will fit a K&N filter. I am not expecting any noticeable difference from what you say, but I don't know which type or how old the current one is, so £36 is a minimal outlay to at least ensure the car can breath properly.
All understood regarding the ECU. I also own a BMW Z3 2.8i straight six roadster with manual transmission, my "summer car" and it is in mint condition.
I had the ECU tweaked on this and I certainly made it more lively ! But this is a much lighter car so the extra grunt was noticeable.
I think circa £500 for a likely small improvement to the Jag is not a good investment ... if I want to go for a spirited drive, I have the below go-cart
Thank you once again for taking the trouble to give such a comprehensive and helpful reply.
Les,
I think I am guilty of falling in love with my Jag and just want it to be the best it can be. However, as I am not a boy racer and I don't want to enter any competitive races, I think for now I will fit a K&N filter. I am not expecting any noticeable difference from what you say, but I don't know which type or how old the current one is, so £36 is a minimal outlay to at least ensure the car can breath properly.
All understood regarding the ECU. I also own a BMW Z3 2.8i straight six roadster with manual transmission, my "summer car" and it is in mint condition.
I had the ECU tweaked on this and I certainly made it more lively ! But this is a much lighter car so the extra grunt was noticeable.
I think circa £500 for a likely small improvement to the Jag is not a good investment ... if I want to go for a spirited drive, I have the below go-cart
Thank you once again for taking the trouble to give such a comprehensive and helpful reply.
Les,
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