1998 GSX Street/strip Build up

[Devin LeBlanc]

Hey Guys, Thought I'd introduce my self and get a build thread going. Im 21 years old and work in the performance automotive field out here in vegas. I was lucky enough to get a job doing what I do and I love every day of it. About a month ago I picked up a 1998 GSX with 130k on it all stock. I got it for a decent price and had plans for it before I even bought it. My goals with this car is about 500whp with quick spool and nice street drivability and a 125 mph trap speed goal in the 1/4. I have started to gather some parts and start the build process. I plan on bringing the car to Texas for TX2k13 just to have some fun and hang out with the great crowd the texas meet brings. I have background in building 4g63's for evo's from basic upgraded bolt on cars to fully built 700+HP 4g63's. I have also had a lot of tuning experience with ECU flash and tephramod v7 ect tuning evo's and STI's alike.

I am excited to put this car together and make it a fun car to drive around and run at the track. Here is a current parts list I have waiting to be put on the car. I have mostly everything other than little odd's and ends.


Brian Crower Single Spring/Titanium Retainers
Crower 280 cams
AEM Cam Gears
2006 Evo 9 Lifters/Rocker arms
ARP Head Studs
Cometic Head Gasket
ACL Race Bearings (Main/Rod/Thrust)
OEM Mitsu Piston Rings
2006 Evo 9 OEM Pistons
2006 Evo 9 OEM Rods
ARP Rod Bolts
2006 Evo 9 OEM Crankshaft
OEM mitsu Oil Pump
GMB Water Pump
OEM Mitsu Timing Belt
OEM Mitsu B/S Belt
NSK Timing Idlers
OEM Timing belt tensioner
New OEM Oil pan
RC Engineering 1200CC Injectors
Deatschwerks 300lph Intank Pump
XTD Extreme PP 6 puck unsprung disc
XTD Chromoly flywheel
GT3582R .63 T3 (Trying to keep the spool quick)
Tial 38mm MVS Wastegate
Hallman Manual boost controller
Ebay T3 Manifold, modifed for tial Vband
Omni 4 Bar Map sensor/GM AIT sensor
Evo 8 ECU on Speed Density via Tephramod v7
3.5" core Bar/Plate Intercooler

Here are a few pics of the car as it sits, I am planning to start tearing into it next week sometime to get the block and head apart to start the machine work on it.

Hope to be updating soon!

Thanks,
Devin LeBlanc

 

[turbolover10]

Good buy, welcome to tuners and good luck with your build!

 

[sypherzero]

Welcome to the forum! Very nice looking 2g, its getting really hard finding one that is still stock. Can't wait to see how the build goes!

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Thanks, Will be pulling the motor and trans out this week if everything goes as planned. Im just waiting for a few small things to get here before I start working on it so I can tackle everything at once.

I might end up running ceddy mod for now with the stock ECU on speed density but I still plan on going evo ecu so I can run tephramod v7 and use the force pass smog monitor function. Only thing ceddymod is really missing.

-Devin LeBlanc

 

[codym]

I'll be watchin this, I have some similar goals. Nice lookin car man, and keep us updated !

 

[Tha Fella Dylan]

I watch 1320 Video's YouTube channel all the time on their coverage of the 2k events. Always looked for 2gs but never seen one. Keep us updated man!

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Finally starting to get all the parts delivered, All Im waiting on is the ARP rod bolts and valve seals. Then I have to get a few random gaskets from mitsubishi and it will be full throttle ahead to get it finished and testing!

 

[dsmlover94]

what kind of exhaust manifold is that?

 

[Dyesuperman]

Car looks pretty clean, very good start. To trap 125 in the quarter I don't think you will need to be at 500whp, but that just means if you do it 500whp you will be faster than your goal haha.

Good luck with the build

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Well got the valve seals but guess the rod bolts are out of stock so ARP is drop shipping them. Didn't get the motor out like I had planned to but ended up being busier than I expected this week at the shop. Really need to get crackin' on this thing to get it done by texas!

 

[leepen]

Good lookin car

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Rod bolts showed up and I got the evo 9 block up on the stand I just got to pull it apart to get the crank, pistons and rods out and cleaned up. Ordered the tial 50mmQ BOV as well so that should be here early next week. Cleaned up my garage so plan on pulling the motor, trans and t case out over the weekend. 4 weeks before we leave for texas!

 

[BCDSMatt]

Please youtube a few videos of your car and PM me when you post em! Its going to be a beast!!

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Well Block and Head are at the machine shop getting surfaced. I will have them back tomorrow and start assembly. My transmission case is cracked from the previous owner installing the balance shaft 180 off and causing vibration. It also cracked the runners of the intake manifold and a few random hard mounted parts. I already got a new manifold and am going to be taking the trans to work and having my boss weld it up.

Will Update with pics once I get the motor back

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Got some good updates! Got the cyl head and Block back from the machine shop today. Starting with the head I lapped all the valves, cleaned the oil galleys/lifter bores and put the head together. Bled the evo 9 lifters down and installed them along with the evo 9 rocker arms. Put the cams in as well. Cylinder head is all done ready to go!

I then machined up a sleeve on the lathe to go over the rod bolts so I could press the new ARP bolts into the evo 9 rods without damaging anything. Got all the rod bolts installed and cleaned the pistons/rods very throughly. Tomorrow I will clean all the oil galley's and start blueprinting all the clearances and get to assembling the block and rotating assembly as well as bolting the head down.

I decided to scrap the ebay manifold so will be building one. I started off by brushing some schedule 10 1 1/2 stainless bends to get them ready for cutting/welding. I ordered a CNC'd head flange and already have the turbo flange cut. Tomorrow we'll cut and weld the collector up and weld it to the turbo flange. I should have the head flange by mid week. And hopefully by then the motor is in the car ready to run.

Got a few more little parts in to finish things up. Nice CNC'd turbo drain flanges with A/N fittings, a OEM knock sensor, and a flex fuel badge for shits and giggles.

Pictures!

Cylinder head parts!

Valves, seals, and springs/retainers installed

Evo 9 Lifters bled and installed as well as the rocker arms

Complete cylinder head

Pressing the ARP rod bolts in after removing the stock ones

Evo 9 Pistons and rods with the new ARP bolts installed

Pistons cleaned up like brand new

Stainless elbows ready to be cut/welded

Random parts

Thanks,
Devin

Today finished the block. Starting with cleaning the oil galleys, cylinder walls and main journals then painting the block. Cleaning all the oil passages of the crank came next as well as mic'ing the main and rod journals. I installed the main bearings into the block and torqued down the girdle, Set my dial bore gauge up and starting measuring the clearances. Once all was checked with that I cleaned the journals and bearings one last time and installed the crank and torqued the mains down. Checked the thrust play with the dial indicator then moved on to the rod bearing clearances. Mic'd the rod journals and set my bore gauge up to start measuring the rods, Once all was done I measured the piston skirt and checked the piston to wall clearances again with the bore gauge.

Now that the clearances were good I started gaping the rings to what I wanted them at. All that was left was to put the rings on the pistons and clean the rod bearings, rod journals and cylinder walls one last time and drop it all in. After the rotating assembly was done I installed the ARP studs into the block.

Pictures as always!

Getting tools cleaned and ready to start the blueprinting process

Block cleaned and painted

Checking the thrust clearance after checking the main's and installing the crank

Rings getting gapped

Pistons, rods, rings, bearings laid out getting a final cleaning before install

Installing pistons after checking the rod clearances and ring end gap

Complete block/rotating assembly

Thanks,
Devin

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Well today I started off by knocking out the balance shaft bearings and installing them 180 deg rotated to block off the oil feed ports for the rear balance shaft. After that was done I cleaned the block and head surfaces and installed the cometic head gasket and torqued down the head.

Since I was doing a balance shaft delete I decided to turn down the stock shaft like AMS does to support the oil pump gears rather than have a stub shaft. Got that all done and installed it along with the front cover/oil pump.

Tomorrow ill finish cleaning some external engine parts and continue bolting them on! Also going to build the collector for the manifold and get that all welded up. Will continue with the manifold on wednesday when the head flange shows up!

Pics-

Cometic head gasket

Starting the long process of machining the front balance shaft

Done with the front shaft

Installed in the oil pump

Where I ended tonight

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Pulled the trans apart and got the case pieces hot tanked. Welded up the crack on the bellhousing and welded the center diff. Checked over everything and re shimmed the gear stacks. Got the trans all back together.

Picked up a Hyundai valve cover and shaved the lettering off, pulled the baffles out then bead blasted the inside and outside. Will be coating it black.

Finished up bolting on the oil pick up and windage trey as well as the rear main seal and oil pan, Also bolted on the turbo drain fitting and cleaned up and installed the cam angle sensor.

New OEM front cover and starter plate should be here today at the dealer then ill start putting the motor in the car!

Trans case welded up

Welding diff

Trans going back together

Shaved valve cover and sand blasted

Oil pan installed

Thanks

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Been super busy, But the car's been tuned and done for a week or so now. Made 524WHP 430TQ at 26psi. Don't know if I maxed the single pump out or the wiring but I need to do a 12 ga wire back to the pump with a relay as it was starting to lean out up top. Hers a few pics and videos. Didn't end up making it to texas sadly due to some other reasons. Next year for sure!

Working on the fuel and timing maps

Idle Video, Target idle is 1000rpm

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msx3B99n89U]1998 Eclipse GSX Idle - YouTube[/ame]

Quick pull with the boost turned down to 22lbs

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWHJIPc94WA]Quick pull in the Eclipse GSX - YouTube[/ame]

Another 2-3 pull at the same boost

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNF_GRfPjTU]Quick 2-3pull 35R GSX - YouTube[/ame]

Thanks

 

[952g63t]

Looking good man. Question about how you mounted your front mount. I have yet to bolt mine up and was debating on how to go about it. Did you just drill and bolt through or tap and tread a bolt?

ty.

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

There is already threaded nuts welded to the back side of the radiator support, I just centered and leveled it then drilled holes and used a through bolt to thread it into the radiator support.

 

[Stmguy42]

you do fantastic work..

 

[chrisgarza]

Clean build my friend. Looks and sounds GREAT.

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Thanks guys, Ill have some pics up a little later today, I got the front bumper all cut for the front mount and installed along with the hood. I am doing the fuel pump wiring today and hopefully going to retune it later as well. Ill update with the results!

Thanks,
Devin

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Video from last night. Microphone kinda cuts out due to wind noise and external gates/loud exhaust.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_shqD9ilDbM]05 Evo Vs 98 GSX - YouTube[/ame]


Setup list for Evo

Wiseco 9.0:1 .20 Over
Manley H Beam Rods ARP 2000 bolts
GSC S2 Cams
GSC Behive Valve Springs
ARP Head Studs
Cometic Head Gasket
Shep Street/strip trans
ACT Extreme PP W/ 6 Puck Sprung
Sparktech Coil on Plug
PTE 1200CC Injectors
Aeromotive Steath 340lph Pump
E85
Garret GT35R DBB Mitsubishi housing @ 28lbs
Ported stock exhaust manifold

Built and Tuned by Devin LeBlanc with Tephramod V7 Speed Density

Setup on 98 GSX

Evo 9 Pistons and Rods
ARP Rod Bolts
ARP Head Studs
Cometic Head Gasket
Crower 280/280 Cams
Brian Crower Valve springs/Ti Retainers
Std size Stainless valves
GT35R T3.63 Housing @ 29lbs
RC Engineering 1200CC Injectors
Deatchwerks 300lph Fuel Pump
Ebay T3 Manifold

Built and Tuned By Devin LeBlanc on Stock ECU with Ceddymod Speed Density

 

[omidg89]

nice run, at laggy turbo!