Chip tuning Niva (Niva) in Moscow.

Some owners of this car are not satisfied with its characteristics, so they are interested in how to increase the power of the Chevrolet Niva engine.
This issue is especially relevant for owners of cars from the initial period of their production. At this time, the power unit from the previous model was installed, which was slightly modernized. But still, after that it did not become a more powerful motor and does not develop high speeds. However, if you look closely at the design of the engine, you can see the reserves hidden in it. Let's try to figure it out together how to increase the power of a Chevrolet Niva engine. Fans of this car and its tuning were able to develop and test several ways to modernize the power unit. They have some features, difficulties of installation and use, as well as the effects they produce.

A few words about the standard engine

The modernized engine received the index 2123, it was changed only because of the engine compartment, but everything remained from the old engine and is easily interchangeable with 21214. Its production began in 1994, the block is made of cast iron. The head has two valves per cylinder, the pistons were installed with a diameter of 82 mm, and their stroke remained the same and equal to 80 mm. The increased diameter of the piston made it possible to increase, albeit slightly, its power; it became equal to 81 hp, with a compression ratio of approximately 9.4.

When operating at a speed of approximately 3,000 per minute, the maximum possible torque of 125 NxM is obtained. The fuel recommended by the plant is AI 93 gasoline, but its appetite is somewhat voracious, ranging from 10 to 12 liters per 100 km. mileage Its mass is 117 kg. The design provides for an overhead camshaft and a timing chain drive.

In the new Niva, they changed the method of installing the unit in the engine compartment, as well as the location and fastening of attachments. As an advantage, we can note the installation of hydraulic compensators for valves and a chain tensioner. Disadvantages include noise and slight vibration of the engine. Manufacturers claim its resource is approximately 80,000 km. mileage, but practically it is much higher and can reach up to 200 thousand.

Malfunctions

FAULTS	CAUSES AND REPAIRS
The appearance of a characteristic knock at the bottom of the engine.	This indicates problems with the main bearings. The car must be towed by a tow truck to a service center and the appropriate repairs must be carried out.
The appearance of a pronounced knocking sound with a metallic sound.	The reason for this is problems with the bearing rods and piston pins. It should be said that operating a car with such problems may subsequently lead to the need for expensive major repairs.
Engine troubles at low speeds.	There may be several reasons for engine tripping: first of all, it is the use of low-quality gasoline. It is also possible that carbon deposits may appear in the combustion chamber. In rare cases, problems are observed in the operation of the injection system. Repair in this case is carried out only after a comprehensive diagnosis.
Loud knocking sound when the engine is not warmed up.	This may indicate the beginning of camshaft wear. This problem is typical for power units whose mileage exceeds 100,000 kilometers. It is necessary to carry out appropriate diagnostics and then replace the camshaft.

Also interesting: Various options for tuning the Niva 21213 and 21214 engine

What else can be done to improve?

Experts do not recommend chipping a naturally aspirated engine. You can further increase engine power if you try to increase the piston stroke. This can be achieved by installing another crankshaft with a stroke of 84 mm, suitable for the VAZ 2130

.
The piston has a diameter of 82 mm, but the piston pin must be offset by 2 mm. After this, the working volume will become 1.8 liters. In the future, if you bore the block to 84 mm. with the same crankshaft, the volume will become 1.9 liters. But that’s not all, in the future you can increase the filling capacity of the working cylinders. This is achieved by boring and installing valves with an increased diameter of their plates. This operation is quite complex and requires special equipment. It is also advisable to use lightweight connecting rods and then you can have about 100 horses at the output.

Reviews from “traditional craftsmen”

Do-it-yourselfers who have experience doing Chevrolet Niva chip tuning with their own hands often say that such work did not make sense. They claim that the engine is capable of adapting to existing conditions, “self-learning.” Indeed, this is typical of the Bosch ECU models 7.9.0 and M 7.9.

7, as well as M 7.9.7. But if the “January” block of model 7.2 is installed in the engine, it is quite advisable to perform a flashing, changing all the factory settings. Then the engine power indicators can increase up to 10%. It is advisable to entrust such work to a specialist. The final quality directly depends on this. This way you can avoid negative consequences.

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Tips for improving the “native” engine

In addition to the above changes, you can try using lightweight valves and guide bushings for them. This will reduce the resistance to the suction flow of the working mixture into the cylinders, improving filling capacity increases the power performance of the engine. It can be recommended to lighten the mass of the flywheel (see the article “Pros and cons of a lightweight flywheel”). It has areas where excess metal can be removed. Reducing its inertial mass saves power to overcome the moment of inertia of the engine.

You can also improve the performance of the engine by installing a tuning camshaft and a split gear in the timing drive. The installation of a so-called zero-resistance air filter will help improve the filling of the working cylinders with the air-fuel mixture. To improve the removal of exhaust gases, direct-flow exhaust systems are used. There are tuning engines with Solex carburetors, which have increased flow sections of the diffusers of the primary and secondary chambers. It is also advisable to replace the ignition system with a more modern, electronic contactless one.

Cleaning the crankcase ventilation system of a Chevrolet Niva

Over time, tarry deposits from crankcase gases accumulate in the engine crankcase ventilation system, making it difficult to remove these gases into the engine cylinders for combustion. Because of this, the gas pressure inside the engine increases and oil leaks through the seals appear. To avoid this, periodically clean and flush the system. Clean the crankcase ventilation system before each oil change.

You will need: a screwdriver, a 13mm wrench, kerosene for washing, clean rags, a container for washing parts. 1. Loosen the clamps securing the main hose to the breather cover and the additional hose to the air pipe and remove the hoses from the fittings of the cover and pipe.

3. Unscrew the breather cap nut and remove the breather cap along with the additional hose and oil level indicator (dipstick). Remove the pointer from the cover guide tube. 5. Wipe the internal cavity of the oil separator with a rag moistened with kerosene, preventing kerosene from entering the engine crankcase.

NOTE The oil separator mounting nut is difficult to access without a special tubular wrench. If there is no such key, clean the oil separator without removing it from the engine. If a large amount of kerosene gets into the engine crankcase when cleaning the oil separator, replace the oil in the crankcase.

6. Rinse the system hoses and breather cap with kerosene. 7. Inspect the breather cover gasket. Replace a torn or heavily compressed gasket.

8. Reassemble the system in the reverse order of disassembly.

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What do they do with the injectors?

They can also be somewhat modernized, and the first thing they may recommend to you is to reprogram the electronic control unit (see “Pros and cons of chip tuning”). Next, they resort to installing a compressor in the engine power supply system. Use model PK-23-1

, it develops a pressure of about 0.5 bar.
Bosch 107
Volga injectors for it .

You can also boost the engine with a turbine (again, see the article “Which is better, a turbine or a compressor”), but this is the most financially expensive method. We hope that our story provides an answer to the question of how to increase the power of a Chevrolet Niva engine, but whether it’s worth doing is up to you to decide. Often, the result of increasing engine power can be a decrease in its service life.

What is engine chip tuning?

When considering the chip tuning process, it should be noted that it can only be carried out on cars that already come with an on-board computer.
Older Nivas came without such a control unit, which means it is impossible to perform the type of tuning in question. Chip tuning means changing the program that controls the operation of the engine. For this:

There is a plug for connection. As a rule, it is decorated so that it is not constantly in sight.
A suitable cable is selected to connect a regular computer to an on-board computer.
Both devices are synchronized using special software.
Adjustments are made to parameters that may affect power or fuel consumption.

Important stages at the time of carrying out such work are diagnosing the engine before tuning and upon its completion. Not in all cases it is possible to change its operation by adjusting the program code, which we will discuss in more detail later.

The prevalence of this type of tuning can be explained by the fact that by changing the program code, almost all parameters of the engine can be adjusted. An example is the list of improvements below:

Increase power by about 10-20%. In most cases, this is precisely why such work is carried out. By correctly adjusting the operation of the installed engine, its potential can be revealed. It is worth considering that when the power indicator increases, there is always a greater load on the engine. That is why the master takes into account the state in which he is. You should not reduce wear resistance and reliability by maximizing the power rating.
Increase the dynamic characteristics of the car. In some cases, not only low-speed traction is important, but also acceleration dynamics. It is for such cases that chip tuning is carried out, which allows you to adjust the operation of the engine in various modes.
Change idle characteristics. If the car does not idle or consumes a lot of fuel, then you can adjust the operation in this mode.
Increase torque and improve engine smoothness. Due to this, the car becomes more amenable to acceleration. Torque and power are slightly related.
Directly reduce fuel consumption. For some, it is much more important to make the car more economical. An example is using Niva for work. This type of tuning allows you to reduce fuel consumption and at the same time maintain stable engine operation in various modes.
Reduce acceleration time in higher gears.

Sidebar: Important: It is not possible to increase all parameters at the same time, since they are interconnected. For example, while increasing power, you cannot simultaneously reduce fuel consumption. Therefore, you should decide in advance which parameters are important.

Also interesting: Niva 2121 - Photos, characteristics, history of creation

Ways to increase engine power on a Chevrolet Niva

Among all the possible options for increasing power in a car, three are ideal specifically for the Chevrolet Niva:

Replacement and installation of new engine parts, which are analogous in their functionality, but with a different geometry. In other words, replacing “stock” spare parts with tuning ones.
Turbine assembly and installation.
Car chip tuning.

All of the above methods, not only together, but also individually, can add power to the engine, but also increase all its characteristics.