Cars of the Lada Priora 1.8 class were equipped with power units produced by Super Auto CJSC. For VAZ vehicles, the VAZ 21128 marking was established. The engine has high technical characteristics, but with this there are a number of disadvantages.
Specifications
The 128 engine became the prototype of the VAZ 21124 engine. The power unit has been produced since 2003 to the present day. The power unit has increased technical characteristics, improved design, and increased power.
Main technical characteristics of the motor:
All engines are equipped with a 5-speed gearbox. The cooling system is liquid type with forced circulation. Engine power can be increased to 123 hp without loss of service life. In case of complete modification, the engine may gain 400 hp, but the service life will be reduced by 2-2.5 times.
Service
Maintenance typical for cars produced by AvtoVAZ. The main maintenance operations are changing the oil and oil filter. To change the lubricant, 3.2 liters of engine oil is required.
In turn, 3.5 liters of lubricant fits into the engine. It is recommended to fill in semi-synthetic motor oils marked 5W-30, 5W-40, 10W-40, 15W40.
The maintenance map looks like this:
TO-1: Oil change, oil filter replacement. Carry out after the first 1000-1500 km. This stage is also called the break-in stage, since the engine elements are grinding in.
TO-2: The second maintenance is carried out after 10,000 km. So, the engine oil and filter are changed again, as well as the air filter element. At this stage, the pressure on the engine is also measured and the valves are adjusted.
TO-3: At this stage, which is performed after 20,000 km, the standard procedure for changing the oil, replacing the fuel filter, as well as diagnosing all engine systems is carried out.
TO-4: The fourth maintenance is perhaps the simplest. After 30,000 km, only the oil and oil filter element are changed.
TO-5: The fifth maintenance is like a second wind for the engine. A lot of things are changing this time. So, let's look at which elements need to be replaced in the fifth maintenance:
- Change of oil.
- Replacing the oil filter.
- Replacing the air filter.
- Replacing the fuel filter element.
- The timing belt and roller are replaced.
- Alternator belt if necessary.
- Water pump.
- Valve cover gasket.
- Other items that need to be replaced.
- Valve adjustment, which adjusts the gas distribution mechanism.
Subsequent maintenance is carried out according to the 2-5 maintenance map for the corresponding mileage.
Conclusion
The new engine 21128 for the Lada Priora showed itself to be an unfinished, but powerful and simple power unit. High technical characteristics and simplicity of design make it easy to repair and tune the engine. 2 years later, after modernization, it was decided to make a new engine with the marking - 21179, which was introduced in 2016.
On November 18, 2014, sales of a new version of the popular Russian car “Priora” started. The car, which is planned to be assembled in small quantities, has a more powerful engine with a displacement of 1.8 liters and will be available in all three body styles, but in only one configuration.
Externally, Priora 1.8 is no different from its brothers in the line, so it will not be possible to recognize the new product by any design solutions in the general flow.
Lada Priora 1.8 will be produced in sedan, hatchback and station wagon bodies. The same applies to the interior, which is completely identical to modifications with a 1.6-liter engine. You can get acquainted with the interior of the Priora in the corresponding reviews that we published earlier.
Specifications. Under the hood of the Lada Priora 1.8 there will be an engine, most of the components of which are supplied by imported, mainly European manufacturers. The engine received 4 in-line cylinders with a total displacement of, of course, 1.8 liters, while the increase in volume was achieved not through boring the block, but through the use of a “long-stroke” connecting rod and piston group in the production engine, which significantly reduces production costs . In addition, the engine is equipped with a 16-valve DOHC timing system and a distributed fuel injection system with Siemens injectors.
From an environmental point of view, the engine fits within the Euro-4 standard, but the main thing, of course, is its power.
The maximum output of the 1.8-liter engine of the Lada Priora is 123 hp, while during further tuning (for example, replacing the intake manifold) its growth is allowed up to 135 hp. As for the torque, the new product produces 145 Nm, characteristic of a “civilian” engine, already at 2400 rpm, and develops a peak 165 Nm at 3500 – 4000 rpm.
As a gearbox, the 1.8-liter engine will receive a reinforced 5-speed manual transmission with cable drive, a LUK clutch and a main gear ratio of 3.7. The predicted fuel consumption in the combined cycle is stated by the manufacturer at 7.2 liters per 100 km. The acceleration dynamics of the Lada Priora with a 1.8-liter engine are much more pleasing - from 0 to 100 km/h the new product can accelerate in 10.0 seconds, which is 1.5 seconds faster than the “civilian” version with a 1.6-liter engine.
Naturally, this one is built on exactly the same platform as the version with a 1.6-liter engine. The front suspension of the “new product” is independent with MacPherson struts, and the rear suspension is a dependent design. The front wheels received ventilated disc brakes, while the rear wheels are equipped with simple drum mechanisms. The rack and pinion steering mechanism is complemented by an electromechanical amplifier.
Equipment and prices. Lada Priora 1.8 is available only in two trim levels: “Normal” (including: driver’s airbag, on-board computer, electric windows for front doors, heated and electric side mirrors, air conditioning and audio preparation) or “Lux” (added: ABS, airbag for passenger, foglights, daytime running lights, electric rear doors, alloy 14″ wheels, parking sensors, rain and light sensors, multimedia system, cruise control and other pleasant little things). In the spring of 2015, the Lada Priora 1.8 “Norma” is offered at a price of 482,700 rubles for the sedan version, 490,700 rubles for the hatchback and 494,300 rubles for the station wagon. The “Lux” equipment option, regardless of the body, is 57,300 rubles more expensive.
When a large automaker entrusts a small company with the small-scale production of modifications that are not very popular, but necessary for the consumer, this is a common phenomenon for the global automobile industry. In the second half of the nineties, the management of AvtoVAZ OJSC also decided to “grow” several such “structural formations” that would work under the auspices of the auto giant. The result of this decision was, in particular, the emergence of the Super-Auto company, registered on January 24, 1997.
What is the advantage of such companies? AvtoVAZ is a huge bureaucratic colossus. By outsourcing the production of custom modifications, the auto giant gets rid of the costs of testing and certification, and in return receives the widest possible range of designs, many of which are unprofitable for the largest plant to produce due to small volumes.
At the same time, “Super-Auto” is not just a workshop for assembling piece modifications, but rather an “external” development bureau. At different times, the company's engineers worked on the creation and construction of prototypes of the Nadezhda minivan, the five-door Niva, the three-door Lada-112 and the long-wheelbase Lada-110 (the latter became the company's calling card).
But the most famous products were the 1.8-liter “tens” and 16-valve “tags”. And if the latter were equipped with a VAZ engine, the company developed and produced the 1.8 engine itself. By 2009, according to Samarastat, Super-Auto CJSC had become one of the largest companies in the Samara region, and in the most successful year for the company, 280 employees produced almost 15 thousand cars - the main volume was powerful Samaras.
Beginning of the End
When AvtoVAZ stopped producing the Samara 2 family, the superautovites decided to produce 1.8-liter Priora, moreover, with a fundamentally new aspirated engine (130 hp, 170 Nm), which is described in the material “Lada Priora. Now - with a good engine." Prototype engines successfully passed life-saving bench and run tests, and preparation for their production took place according to the quality standards of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
The small-scale production of Lada Priora 1.8 started at Super-Auto at the end of 2014. And for a while everything went well... But when the Russian economy was rocked by the crisis, sales of Prior - including version 1.8 - fell sharply. As a result, the company simply did not have time to “recoup” the costs of preparing the production and certification of cars.
Super-Auto also spent its own funds on the development and testing of a 1.8-liter engine (93 hp, 150 Nm), which was created on the basis of the Nivov eight-valve 21214. As soon as the main initiator of the project, Alen, left AvtoVAZ Dibuan, the management of the auto giant immediately abandoned the production of a more powerful version of the SUV - the topic was frozen.
The situation might not have been so difficult if the company had continued producing pickup trucks and special vehicles on the Lada 4x4 platform. But the bodies for these vehicles were manufactured at the production facility, and after the welding equipment was moved to the main site, welding of the necessary hardware has not yet been resumed. As a result, Super-Auto CJSC went bankrupt. The country has one less, albeit small, but completely domestic production...
What's next?
Theoretically, the “phoenix” can be reborn from the ashes... Firstly, “Super-Auto” can supply the aforementioned 93-horsepower engines for the Chevrolet Niva. Secondly, AvtoVAZ plans to produce Vestas and Larguses powered by methane, which will clearly be piece goods, and therefore their assembly on a “large” conveyor belt is unprofitable. Thirdly, the 1.8-liter Kalina and Granta are ready, which the Lada brand simply did not give the go-ahead for, so as not to interfere with its own Sport line.
But does the auto giant itself need such a company? Former President Bo Andersson believed that even the smallest modifications should be produced on the main assembly line - albeit without profit, but the capacity is occupied. On this wave, the transfer of production of VIS pickup trucks began, Lada Sport received a similar order, Super-Auto went bankrupt...
The final layout is as follows. The backbone of “Super-Auto” did not have time to disintegrate. Production capacity has also been preserved. But the “external” OKB can be revived after clinical death - of course, under a new name - only by having a serious and, moreover, partially prepaid order. And all hopes are for the new VAZ management, as well as for GM-AvtoVAZ, which needs to do its best to support the demand for the existing Shniva with a weak 80-horsepower engine.
Alexey Kovanov, Alexander Kostyanov
“We made this conclusion when testing the Lada Priora, equipped with a simple robotic gearbox. And we continue to be surprised. How did engineers from Togliatti manage to create such a harmonious “robot”?! For such an inharmonious machine, which remains a guest from the past. Therefore, having received an invitation to test the 1.8-liter Priora, we did not expect any surprises: neither from the car nor from the engine.
And that's why. While AvtoVAZ is only developing a 1.8-liter engine, power units of a similar volume are produced by Super-Auto. It has been producing for a long time, and we thought that the “super-Avto” engine 21128 is a bored version of the 1500 cc VAZ “four”, which has earned a bad reputation due to its low reliability, originally from the nineties.
But here's the first surprise: the index is old, but the engine is new! More precisely, a pair of motors. Until recently, Togliatti offered an aspirated engine with a power of 123 hp. (165 Nm), created from a 98-horsepower 1.6-liter sixteen-valve VAZ-21126. Now a more advanced 130-horsepower (170 Nm) version has debuted, based on the flagship 106-horsepower VAZ-21127 engine - it is distinguished by variable intake manifold geometry.
We'll immediately upset fans of sawed springs, red mudguards and Sparco stickers: the Lada Priora did not make a supercar. But unexpectedly it came out... Hyundai Solaris - in terms of characteristics, the car from Togliatti resembles the 1.6-liter (123 hp) version of the “Korean”: acceleration to 100 km/h - 9.9 seconds, top speed - almost 190 km /h. What about the rest?
Getting started in a 1.8-liter car after the standard Priora is easy and pleasant - you no longer need to be careful with the clutch and accelerator pedals. Let's try to start from the second? You can do it with a third! The engine doesn’t lack torque at low speeds, and after 2500 rpm you feel a confident pick-up that lasts until the tachometer needle crosses the “5500” mark. Only the reactions are a bit harsh - the wheels immediately grind the asphalt, as soon as you press the right pedal a little less carefully.
The quick acceleration, accompanied by bassy exhaust notes, is not hampered even by “stretched” gears: according to the speedometer in the second, the car gains 100 km/h, in the third - 140 km/h. But we don’t recommend getting carried away with high speeds. The suspension and steering (as well as brakes) are standard here, and therefore the handling is the usual “Prior” one. That is, none.
Or a little better than “none”. At the end of its conveyor life, Priora finally received a “short” steering rack! Instead of the completely unacceptable four turns between the extreme positions of the steering wheel, here there are only 3.2. When cornering, you can now feel the force building up, and the clearly defined neutral position helps keep the car on the track. In addition, the terrible gearbox drive has disappeared - the cable mechanism has radically improved selectivity.
However, you rarely turn to the standard gearbox lever on a 1.8-liter car. After the first, it is optimal to immediately engage the third, and then the fifth, which is suitable for driving at speeds of 60 km/h. And it’s as if it’s rolling “automatically”, since in top gear the Priora 1.8 - unlike the standard version - unexpectedly does not lose its ability to accelerate.
Therefore, the presence of an additional 178 “cubes” is primarily noticeable on the track. I saw the beginning of a settlement, slowed down to 60 km/h, and when the village ended, I accelerated. And there is no movement of the gearbox lever or clutch pedal, everything happens in the fifth stage. An additional bonus is approximately 10% lower fuel consumption since the engine runs at lower speeds.
In the city, a similar bonus will be available if you drive at a measured pace, without getting carried away by senseless traffic light races, which other road users suddenly begin to provoke. “The 1.8 nameplate on the Priora? I’ll overtake and cut you off!” thinks the owner of the Hyundai Solaris. “Does the Priora accelerate faster than me? I’ll push harder and blink at the distant lights!” says the Renault Logan driver.
Frankly speaking, it won’t be difficult to “punish” any of the budget foreign cars by spectacularly rushing into the distance in a 130-horsepower Priora. But why? “Solaris” here is only dynamics, and ergonomics, comfort and controllability are “prior” ones. That’s why the tested modification cannot be called “hot”: it is simply a version of a completely “cold” car that is more convenient for everyday use. Which, by the way, its creators unconditionally agree with.
TECHNIQUE
In the late nineties, the Super-auto company made its first 1.8-liter engine. That 98-horsepower unit, unfortunately, was created according to the canons of “garage tuning”: bore the cylinders and, by reducing the diameter of the connecting rod journal, achieve an increase in the piston stroke. There were problems with reliability - it happened that even crankshafts broke due to insufficient rigidity.
The new engine was developed differently. Engineers from Tolyatti, working under the banner of the Italian company Mecaprom, proposed a fundamentally different way to increase the working volume - due to a new crankshaft and, accordingly, a piston stroke increased to 84 mm (against the standard 75.6 mm). Along the way, new camshafts appeared, thanks to which the strokes of the intake and exhaust valves increased to 8.3 mm (standard figure - 7.6 mm), and, of course, a new control program.
The approach to production is also by no means a garage approach. The connecting rods and crankshaft (the latter turned out to be even stiffer than the standard one) are supplied by Mecaprom, and the pistons, which received heat-resistant inserts under the first compression ring (the serial parts do not have these), are supplied by Federal Mogul. Plus, the company has a quality system certified by Renault-Nissan.
The process of creating 1800 cc Priors is as follows. “Super-auto” receives fully complete “Ladas”, from which the 1.6 engines are removed and sent for modification - to the other end of the huge building where the engine workshop is organized. The mechanic's task is to replace the crankshaft, connecting rod and piston group, camshafts and reassemble the unit. After this, put the motor on a test bench and “twist” it at different speeds.
The already assembled car is sent for testing. Moreover, during a 35-kilometer journey, the driver looks not only at the operation of the engine, but also evaluates the car as a “potential buyer”: whether there are any squeaks, noises and other unacceptable phenomena. Detected deficiencies are eliminated. And only then Lada Priora receives the “1.8” nameplate and its own VIN number.
These “Priors” are sold by official dealers of the Lada brand, and therefore there is a full warranty (3 years or 100 thousand kilometers). If a breakdown occurs, Super-Auto will be responsible for the engine, and AvtoVAZ will be responsible for the remaining components of the car. By the way, you can neither order a modification of a purchased car nor purchase a kit for tuning a standard engine - this is the position of the Super-Auto management, although there are plenty of people willing to do so.
By the way, Super-Auto will not remain the exclusive supplier of 1.8 engines for long: AvtoVAZ itself is busy quickly fine-tuning its own 1.8-liter engine with a capacity of 122 hp. Unit 21176 was created for the VAZ-2116 project, but it was only possible to bring it to mass production now, when Bo Andersson demanded that a powerful version of the future Vesta and X-RAY be prepared.
And “Prior” itself doesn’t have much time left. Officially, the model should be produced before the end of 2017, and therefore the promised front end “from Steve Mattin” is in question: so far the plant does not see the point in spending half a million dollars on the necessary equipment. However, if the appearance of Vesta completely collapses the demand for the old lady, then it would be more expedient to send her into early retirement... In the meantime, AvtoVAZ plans to sell 40-45 thousand Priors annually, of which 5-6 thousand are 1.8 cars.
Why not try a powerful engine on more modern models of the Tolyatti auto giant? “Super-auto” has prepared a 1.8-liter “Grant”, but AvtoVAZ is afraid that such a modification will compete with the Sport version, and therefore they do not want to supply “modifiers” with cars for modification. It's a pity - the car turned out to be really cool.
Engine Super Auto 21128 1.8 16 valves
Engine VAZ 21128 characteristics
Manufacturer - JSC "Super-Auto"
Years of production – (2003 – today)
Cylinder block material – cast iron
Power supply system - injector
Type – in-line
Number of cylinders – 4
Valves per cylinder – 4
Piston stroke – 84 mm
Cylinder diameter – 82.5 mm (82 mm since 2014)
Compression ratio – 10,5
Engine capacity 128 – 1796 cm3 (1774 cm3 since 2014)
Engine power 21128 – 98 hp. /5200 rpm (123 hp/5500 rpm)
Torque – 162 Nm/3200 rpm (165 Nm/4000 rpm)
Fuel – AI95
Fuel consumption - city 9.8l. | track 5.4 l. | mixed 7.5 l/100 km
Engine oil consumption 21128 – about 300 g/1000 km
VAZ 21128 engine weight - 117 kg
Geometric dimensions of the engine (LxWxH), mm —
Engine oil for VAZ 21128:
5W-30
5W-40
10W-40
15W40
How much oil is in engine 21128: 3.5 l.
When replacing, fill in about 3.2 liters.
Engine life 21128:
1. According to the plant – 200 thousand km
2. In practice – low
TUNING
Potential – 400+ hp
Without loss of resource - up to 120 hp.
The engine was installed on:
Lada Priora 1.8
VAZ 21124-28
Lada 112 Coupe 1.8
VAZ 21104-28
Malfunctions and repairs of the Super Auto 21128 engine
The first version of the 128 engine was created on the basis of the VAZ 21124 ten engine, but with cylinders bored out by 0.5 mm, a crankshaft with a stroke of 84 mm, a connecting rod of 129 mm, with lightweight pistons of our own design, which are close in weight to Priorov’s ones, the pistons have counterbores , therefore, if the timing belt breaks, the VAZ 21128 engine does not bend the valve. The cylinder head remained from the 124 engine, with slightly modified combustion chambers.
Engine VAZ 21128 1.8 l. injection in-line 4-cylinder with overhead camshafts, timing belt driven. It was not possible to find official data on the service life of motor 21128, but in practice it is not extremely high, this can be explained simply: the height of the block remained the same and in order to increase the piston stroke with a long-stroke crankshaft, it was necessary to use short connecting rods, due to this serious stresses appeared in the piston due to the increased angle of inclination of the connecting rod during rotation and the piston now presses with great force on the side walls of the cylinders, as a result of which there is a high load on the connecting rod itself, on the walls, on the piston and rings. What we have: more wear and the problem of oil burning, very strong burning... from 0.7-1 liters. and up to 3+ l. per 1000 km. Major repairs often occur before reaching 100 thousand km; reviews of the 21128 engine are among the most negative. To all these shortcomings, it is worth adding the classic shortcomings inherent in all 124 and 126 engines (they have been written about) and the result will be a Super Auto 1.8 engine, do you need this? Decide for yourself.
In 2014, the 1.8-liter engine was modernized: the well-proven engine 21126 was taken as a basis, and a new crankshaft with a stroke of 84 mm, produced by Mecaprom, was installed inside. Unlike the first version of the 128, the new one did not bore the cylinders, leaving them 82 mm. The pistons and connecting rods have been lightened, the first ones are made by Federal Mogul, the connecting rods are made by Mecaprom. The camshafts are the same as on the 1.6 liter engine, but the lift of the intake and exhaust valves has been increased from 7.6 mm to 8.3 mm. A different program was written for the new hardware, and the engine began to comply with the Euro-4 environmental standard.
How it affected: power increased to 123 hp. at 5600 rpm, some torque appeared. But, given the previous geometry, the previous approach to increasing the working volume, you should not expect much reliability.
If problems don’t frighten you, then there is always the opportunity to convert your 124 or 126 engine into a 128 by installing a motorcycle kit from STI: piston 82.5, connecting rod 129, elbow 84, order and enjoy :)
In 2016, the successor to this engine was introduced, which was called.
Engine tuning VAZ 21128 1.8
Engine tuning 128 for the city
For the city, it would be correct to install a receiver, a 54 mm damper, a zero filter, a 4-2-1 spider on such an engine and get the legal +\- 120 hp. You should forget about the top shafts, the motor has a low torque and doesn’t like revs, so you won’t be able to spin it up, and at the same time you won’t be able to inflate it with a compressor, the crankshaft is too weak. Therefore, in order to tune the Priora 1.8 engine, you need to change the bottom, remove the 84 elbow and install 80 mm. You can bore the cylinders up to 84 mm, this configuration will spin better. One way or another, we will come to the usual tuning of the VAZ 21126 engine, and you can read about it here.
