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The K06 Upgrade for Astra H VXR is an often overlooked conversion in favour of either a Garrett or Borg Warner EFR turbo, where the thinking is ‘the bigger the better’.

In a real world scenario, this is often not always the case, especially for fast road and trackday use where you want to retain driveability throughout the rev range, rather than wait for a huge hit  of power right at the top end.

Here is a graph showing the comparison between a Stage 2 Astra H VXR (ECU Remap and full exhaust system) compared to a K06 conversion:

Astra H VXR K06 Conversion

In short the power gains of the K06 over the Stage 2 K04 are substantial, to say the least:

+20bhp @ 4,500 rpm
+30bhp @ 5,000 rpm
+50bhp @ 5,500 rpm
+70bhp @ 6,000 rpm
+90bhp @ 6,500 rpm

with much more mid range and top end torque as well, and still producing excellent power of 330bhp at 7,000 rpm and by 7,500 rpm still producing 320bhp, long after the Stage 2 car has faded by the wayside.

Notice also the power is still available from the mid range at 3,000 rpm, where a bigger ‘Garrett’ type turbo may not be fully on song until 4,000-4,500 rpm making the car less ‘on-road’ friendly for mid range road and trackday use.

So what exactly is involved?:

The full Stage 4 K06 conversion consists of a K06 turbocharger, a Courtenay Piper full stainless steel 76mm exhaust system, a Courtenay VXRacing full height front mounted intercooler, a Courtenay Klasen High Flow Inlet Manifold, steel rods, uprated arp rod bolts, new gaskets, exhaust valve spring shims, oil and filter, head bolts and a bespoke Courtenay ECU remap carried out and set up on the rolling road.

New pistons are not required due to the high quality nature of the factory fitted OE (Original Equipment) forged pistons, which are good for up to 500bhpm so they take this power easily in their stride.

The steel rods are fitted for strength, durability and safety. They also mean the engine can be revved much further, taking full advantage of the inlet manifold. Not fitting the rods simply means we have to turn the power down for safety!

The fully reworked K04 Turbocharger to K06 spec includes an uprated bearing pack and seals and billet K06 compressor wheel, meaning the turbo can produce and sustain more boost helped along with an uprated stronger actuator.

Our high flow Courtenay Klasen Inlet Manifold is designed to not only retain mid range power and torque (unlike some manifolds which sacrifice mid range power and torque for top end gains) but it also removes the restriction of the factory OE manifold at the top end. The improved flow means huge gains.

The full height intercooler keeps inlet air temperatures under control, and is available powder coated in stealth black, whilst the full 76mm exhaust system gives the required flow to obtain the maximum gains – a 70mm system will restrict power to 315-320bhp, due to its inability to flow at the top end as well as the 76mm system.

Finally the bespoke mapping and datalogging with map optimisation is carried out on the rolling road, making for a very useable, driveable fast road and trackday conversion not only retaining mid range power and torque but also increasing it.

…… and how it will kill your turbo.

All too often we hear of turbo failure of the K04 turbocharger, as used on the Z20LEx engines in Astra G and H, Zafira A and B, VX220 and all too frequently we hear the turbochargers being blamed as poor quality or ‘rubbish’ units, which is not the case.

In nearly all cases of turbo failure, the source of the problem is not down to the unit itself but usually due to oil contamination and/or incorrect fitting procedure. It is also important to carry out eliminating the initial cause of failure, if it was a failure caused by something other than old age/wear and tear. Additionally allowing oil to get dirty during use and poor or infrequent oil changes using poor quality oil will also contaminate the turbo causing failure.

The picture gallery below contains images from of a ‘failed turbo’ that was under 10,000 miles old which was dis-assembled and inspected and a report produced. The cause of the bearing failure in the turbo is down to contaminated dirty oil….. you cannot blame the turbo itself for the failure.

Here is the report, basically detailing how dirty oil has ‘scrapped’ the turbo:

Turbo Inspection Report

The good news is the wastegate assembly and actuator are still in good condition!

Some pictures of the damaged components:

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Oil Contamination Fact Sheet:

Oil Contamination Fact Sheet

Gearbox Breather Tank for Astra H VXR/M32 Gearbox, also suitable for 1.9 CDTi Astra H, and equivalent Zafira models.

This breather tank kit is designed specifically for track day/race use but can also be fitted to road cars. It allows for the gearbox to breathe when the oil gets hot and also allows an additional  half litre of oil to be used in the gearbox, which helps to prolong the time it takes for the gearbox oil temperature to increase to temperatures where the oil can go out of grade.

Here is a brief fitting guide (on Astra H VXR): Read more

Astra G/H 2.0 Petrol Turbo, Astra H 1.9 CDTi, Zafira A/B 2.0 Petrol Turbo and Zafira B 1.9 CDTi have a gearbox side mount that is rubber and prone to failure.

Courtenay Sport approached Powerflex to devise a solution to not only improve the original factory mount, but also give it some additional support and to help reinforce it. In some cases where the original factory mount is not too badly damaged or split, the polyurethane insert can be used to ‘save’ the failing factory mount and prevent further deterioration.

Two specifications of material are available for this mount: Yellow for road use (Shore Hardness 70) and Black (Shore Hardness 95) more aimed at trackday/competition use as it is much stiffer.

OE Factory Engine Mount and Yellow Poly Insert

OE Factory Engine Mount and Black Poly Insert

We recently fitted a yellow mount insert to an Astra H VXR which had covered just over 46,000 miles and the factory mount was already showing signs of weakening due to splitting which if left would ultimately deteriorate fully and  fail completely.

Once fitted there was no noticeable increase in NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) into the vehicle. The vehicle used also had an uprated front engine mount insert fitted. Additionally it was noted that the gearchange had improved and became smoother due to the reduction in gearbox movement at gearchange, due to the uprated gearbox mount insert.

On vehicles with a full set of uprated engine mounts, some minor change in NVH may be experienced by fitting this additional mount.

Here is a brief fitting guide: Read more

The factory/OE rear brake hose on these cars is a single piece with a rubber brake hose at each end and a solid metal joiner pipe which cannot be reused due to the way the rubber hoses are fitted into the metal pipe.

Our braided rear brake hose kit comes complete with 4 braided hoses (2 for each side) and 2 copper joiner hoses (again one for each side). Unlike some other supplied brake hose kits we do supply the copper joiner pipes with male unions pre-fitted, to make fitting braided rear brake hoses a much more straightforward job.

Additionally the brackets that are used on the factory rear brake hoses can be re-used with our rear brake lines, as this is often queried by people.  We’ve uploaded a few fitting images to show you how its done.
Read more

Further Development of this car has seen us change the turbo to a Garret GTx3076R along with a custom made 100mm diameter inlet pipe.

Target BHP was something on the right side of 500 BHP. With 99 octane UK pump fuel we saw 525 BHP but this was on the limit of our UK fuel quality; Stephan in Germany had seen well over 550 BHP with this turbo on 102 ocatane pump fuel available to them.

At this point we thought it might be fun to add some methanol to bring the octane value up; a stainless tank was fabricated and installed with an Aquamist pump in the spare wheel well, to sit alongside the already installed swirl pot and Pierburg pump.  The spare wheel well has had a number of vents installed and a laser cut acrylic panel made and installed to protect the contents and seal the wheel well off from the car’s interior. With further mapping mostly based around a much more efficient timing curve we saw the power rise to a peak of 568 BHP and finally settled with a comfortable figure of 559 BHP.

Final testing on the road proved very interesting and memorable for Mark R when he found some additional work was needed to stop the meth from puddling in the inlet manifold, which occurred on part throttle when the throttle was being feathered due to wheel spin! Fortunately the functionality and adjustability of the Aquamist ECU made this quite straight forward to achieve.

Engine Spec features numerous Courtenay core products as follows:

Ported Cylinder head
Forged Pistons
Steel Rods
Klasen Cams
Klasen Inlet Manifold
V Band Cast Manifold
Tial External Wastegate
Custom 3” front pipe mated to a Piper 3” exhaust System
GTx3076R Turbo with Tial Exhaust Housing & 100mm inlet
Courtenay Intercooler
Courtenay Water Radiator
Lightened Flywheel
Paddle Clutch plate
Reworked Sach’s Uprated Clutch Cover

To name but a few items…

Hopefully this should keep the ever power hungry Wayne T content for a while. A thoroughly enjoyable conversion to do cheers Wayne…

Spare Wheel Well with Swirl Pot, Pierburg High Pressure Pump, Aquamist Pump and Methanol Tank

Laser Cut Acrylic Spare Wheel Well Cover

The gearbox side engine mount (left had side mount) on Astra G/Zafira A 2.0 Turbo models is prone to failure caused by splitting, especially given the age of some of the rubber mounts. This polyurethane insert compliments our other uprated engine mounts and polyurethane inserts, and simply sleeves over the exiting factory OE side engine mount.

Inserts are an effective way of reducing engine movement, aiding power delivery and reducing damage to exhaust downpipes and other hoses and improving handling with less engine movement to unsettle a car during braking and cornering.

Additionally for fast road and trackday use the ability to strengthen this factory mount will reduce its movement.

The gearbox insert fits Astra G 2.0 petrol turbo engines (Z20LET)and Zafira A 2.0 Petrol Turbo (Z20LET) with the F23 gearbox

This mount is available in Yellow Material with a shore hardness of 70 for fast road use and light track use and in the new Black Material with a shore hardness of 95 (recommended only for race and dedicated trackday use)

Priced at £27.00 £24.00 (Yellow – Shown Below)
and £30.00 £27.00 (Black Series)

Poly Gearbox/Side Engine Mount Insert

Powerflex Black Series Logo

Powerflex Black Series range has been developed for ultimate performance, motorsport, track and race applications offering the most precise and accurate alignment for a wide range of chassis.

Designed for the Track – Ready to Race – Engineered to be the best.

Powerflex Black Series bushes are manufactured using a 95 Shore A compound to provide maximum control of chassis geometry.

This compound can be up to 80% more resistant to load than standard rubber and 25% stiffer than our purple performance material.

If your requirements are purely for the ultimate in handling and chassis performance then Powerflex Black Series are unique, offering the most precise and accurate alignment for your chassis.

Performance – Developed for ultimate performance using the toughest materials.

Precision – Engineered for the most accurate control of chassis geometry.

Practical – Manufactured to be easily fitted without the need for special tools.

All popular purple bushes are available in the new material including wishbone bushes and engine mounts

Astra H/Zafira B Front Wishbone Bushes – £98.40

Astra H/Zafira B Gearbox Side Mount Insert – £30.00

Astra H/Zafira B Front Engine Mount Insert – £30.00

Astra G/Zafira A Front Wishbone Bushes – £98.40

We identified a weakness in the gearbox mount (left had side mount) on Astra H VXR and CDTi models, whereby these are prone to failure caused by splitting. Additionally for fast road and trackday use the ability to strengthen this factory mount will reduce its movement.

With Powerflex we have now produced an insert which compliments other uprated engine mounts and polyurethane inserts.

Inserts are an effective way of reducing engine movement, aiding power delivery and reducing damage to exhaust downpipes and other hoses and improving handling with less engine movement to unsettle a car during braking and cornering.

The gearbox insert fits Astra H 2.0 petrol turbo engines (Z20LEL, Z20LER), Astra H VXR (Z20LEH), Astra H 1.9 CDTi Models (Z19DTx) and Zafira B 2.0 Petrol Turbo (Z20LER), VXR (Z20LEH) and 1.9 CDTi (Z19DTx).

This mount is available in Yellow Material with a shore hardness of 70 for fast road use and light track use and in the new Black Material with a shore hardness of 95 (recommended only for race and dedicated trackday use)

Priced at £27.00 £24.00 (Yellow – Shown Below)
and £30.00 £27.00 (Black Series)

Poly Gearbox/Side Engine Mount Insert

Designed to Perform

The D2 Racing big brake kits are designed to cope with the heat generated by extreme braking on the road or track. Where as the standard braking system will quickly overheat and no longer perform the D2 Racing brake kits will dissipate this heat so keeping the braking system within its operating parameters allowing you, the driver, to brake for much longer and much harder.

The D2 Racing brake kit includes:

Pair of Lightweight Strong Aluminium Calipers
Pair of Race Specification Drilled Discs
Pair of Lightweight Aluminium Bells
Pair of Steel Brackets
Pair of Braided Brake Lines
Set of Fast Road Brake Pads
Full Fitting Kit
Fitting Guide
1L DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid

The calipers are finished in painted red as the standard colour; Black,  Purple and Yellow painted finishes are available at no extra cost.

On the 330mm and 356mm kits 6 pot calipers are used with 32mm discs.

6 Pot 330mm D2 Kit from £1049.00
6 Pot 356mm D2 Kit from £1149.00

Kits are available to order from Courtenay Sport to fit many popular Vauxhall models, including Astra H, Zafria B, Corsa D, Astra G, Zafira A.
Note: May require wheel spacers to fit under certain wheels.

356mm Caliper

D2 356mm Drilled Disc

D2 6 Pot Dust Seals

356mm D2 Brake Kit

356mm Caliper

356mm D2 Brake Kit

Courtenay Sport Stage 1 ECU Remap

Exclusive Courtenay Sport Stage 1 Software Upgrade. Software customising whilst on our rolling road optimising fuelling, full boost and ignition maps, Full Power and Torque Graph Print Outs.

Our Stage 1 upgrade gives much better low end response combined with a smother and flatter torque curve, whilst at the top end we have managed to increase and sustain the power for longer. Alongside this you will also benefit from improved cruise fuel economy. We saw a peak power figure of 342.65 lb ft torque with power rising to 300.07 bhp. Our development car still has quite low miles so we would expect to see a few more bhp as the engine loosens further.

Like all our ECU upgrades the software is installed on your car whilst on our rolling road optimising fuelling, boost and Ignition maps. This enables us to see and rectify any underlying faults or problems and to ensure that the calibration is 100% accurate and safe for your car before handing it back over to you, along with the full power and torque print outs.

£565.00 including full map optimisation, datalogging and Rolling Road Set Up.

Courtenay Sport Stage 1 Remap Graph Astra J VXR

Courtenay Sport High Flow Panel Filters are now available for the Astra J VXR.

A high flow re-useable foam panel filter for improved air flow.

£34.95 + P&P Available Online Now

Courtenay Sport High Flow Panel Filter

The first pictures of our New Stainless Steel Sports Exhaust System for the Astra J VXR have been released and can be seen below.

The exhaust system comprises of a full turbo back 76mm system, including sports cat. It has been trial fitted to the test vehicle and checked on our rolling road. The vehicle is now undergoing ‘real world’ on-road testing and once our final evaluation has been carried out, we will be able to release the system for sale, which we hope to be in the next few weeks.

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Courtenay Sport, as part of our development and testing, have run the new Astra GTC VXR on our Dynojet Rolling Road. This car is standard, and has been run as a benchmark. Mapping details will be released soon, along with full details of the 76mm performance exhaust system and intercooler.

Standard Astra GTC VXR Power Run on our Rolling Road

Courtenay Sport are pleased to announce that the new Astra J VXR exhaust development is under way as we type.

Following the success of the Piper 3” Astra H VXR system we have once again teamed up with Piper exhausts for this development.

The system will be a full 3” with single or twin silencer options, both tuned to give a sporty sound. More details and pictures to follow soon.

The impressive New Astra GTC VXR paid a visit to our North Walsham premises the other day. This is the latest model in the Vauxhall/Opel range that will feature in our tuning arsenal. Plenty of options are already in the pipeline.

Watch this space for more details.

Astra GTC VXR @ Courtenay Sport

Fuel Badge

Front Brembo Brakes Astra GTC VXR

Rear Brembo Brakes Astra GTC VXR

Courtenay Sport mapped Garrett Conversion. The brief was to achieve 500bhp from the mapping and the customer had prepared the car with a Garrett GTx3076 turbo, tubular manifold, 76mm exhaust, 90mm air flow meter, 680cc injectors, High Flow Inlet Inlet Manifold, Courtenay Klasen cams, Forge Race Intercooler, Mocal Oil Cooler, Sachs Uprated Clutch and Uprated Cera Metallic Paddle Disc and Lightweight Flywheel.

Corsa VXR Nurburgring Tail Trims

Working closely with Piper Exhausts, a 76mm stainless steel tailbox has been developed for the Corsa VXR Nürburgring. Added to the existing 76mm system for Corsa VXR, a full 76mm system is now available for this car, to help release maximum performance.

As with the current system, the first main cat is removed and options include twin or single silencer systems with or without a motorsport cat.

Cars fitted with a full system will require an ecu remap to ensure optimum safe running and to overcome any issues with the emissions, as the VXR Nürburgring is a Euro 5 compliant model from the factory and removing the large factory fitted pre cat and just using a high flow motorsport cat will require an ecu recalibration to give correct fuelling and emissions.

Piper offer a range of tail trims, however the options shown here, 4″ (100mm) Slash Cut, is probably one of the best.

Pricing is as follows:
Full 76mm System with Motorsport Cat* Twin Silencers £1385.00
Full 76mm System with Motorsport Cat* Single Silencer £1240.00
Deduct £255.00 for a completely decatted* system

Cat Back System Twin Silencers £750.00
Cat Back System Single Silencer £610.00

*Note: A motorsport cat will pass current UK MOT emissions. In some countries motorsport cats may not be road legal. Please comply with the relevant laws of your country. Removing both cats may not be road legal and will lead to an MOT emissions failure.

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Last month’s Total Vauxhall saw a fantastic 8 page feature on Wayne’s 479bhp Courtenay modified Astra VXR. The spec and cover are a few posts down on our blog.

For those of you who missed it, here is the article in full. For those who didn’t relive it again!!

Just click on the image below to open up a pdf file of the original article (you will need a pdf reader installed to view).

Corsa VXR Nürburgring

After the announcement by Milltek Sport of a 70mm twin outlet cat back exhaust system for the Corsa VXR Nürburgring, Courtenay Sport are pleased to confirm that a full 70mm (2.75 inch) stainless steel system is now available.

The system removes the existing Euro V compliant first catalyst (pre-cat) replacing it with straight through pipework, the second cat in the factory system is replaced with a high flow motorsport cat*, and the cat back system comprises of  a stainless steel performance exhaust system with a twin-box rear silencer design with twin outlets.

The system has been developed with three different Tailpipe tip options:

90mm Polished, 100mm Polished and 100mm Titanium

Regardless of which tailpipe option you choose, the system offers perfectly balanced sound quality.

The Corsa VXR Nürburgring exhaust is manufactured from the finest quality 14-16 gauge 2.75-inch T304 stainless steel and features TIG-welded joints, C.N.C. mandrel bending and offers a significant weight saving over the OEM exhaust.

This system will release additional power  and torque over a standard system but will require an ecu remap to ensure optimum performance and no issues with management light illumination due to the motorsport catalyst, and removal of the first catalyst. Additionally the second lambda sensor wiring will need extending to fit. The system will also be ideally suited for customers wishing to further tune their vehicles to over 300bhp.

This full system is available at £1950.00 inc VAT and UK Mainland Shipping.

The cat back system is £925.00 inc VAT and UK Mainland Shipping.

Pricing is for either the 90mm or 100mm polished tail trim option.
For Dual Titanium 100mm tail trim please add £125.00

Please contact us for more details or to order.

*Note: A motorsport cat will pass current UK MOT emissions. In some countries motorsport cats may not be road legal. Please comply with the relevant laws of your country.

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