2G 2g GSX Build Compatibility / Flaws

[Jovie]

Hello, I am currently rebuilding my Eclipse GSX to add some power. My goal is to make it a reliable daily that is capable of making around 450 hp and driving at highway speeds for up to 10 hours at a time.

I have made a Google spreadsheet with the parts I have selected, and believe it will all be compatible with these parameters. I have supporting mods, such as cooling handled, and have most components listed on my profile that are currently installed in the car.

Any suggestions on places to either save money, raise reliability, or meet my goal, along with some explanation as to why my selection is not good and another selection would work better, would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to ask me any questions about the build, and I will do my best to answer promptly.

For now, please ignore the timing section as I have yet to crack into this and will likely be replacing the whole timing section of the engine with OEM parts, although I would like to inspect components first. I have done my research on these components and believe this should be compatible with a stock block ( I will be getting normal machine work done ), although I would like the opinion of others who are more knowledgeable.

Thank you all for the help in advance.

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[Jovie]

To clarify I am hoping to run pump gas for now and potentially change to E85 in the future if I decide to spend more money.

 

[jdxnc]

No need for an aftermarket crank if yours is good

Eagle rods are a good solid choice, I'd top them off with a set of Wiseco 8.5:1 pistons, they come with everything needed, no need to buy pins/wire locks yada yada

I'd just to ACL Trimetal bearings for everything

I'd do Kiggly steel street springs in the head, prefer Kiggly products over BC.

Top those off with a set of GSC S2, much better cam for the street.

I like the AEM cam gears, oem cam bolt is fine.

Don't do head bolts, just go right to studs.

That would more or less match my last block that I put 8 years on and went into the 9's while driving from Quebec to the Shootout in Ohio for a 13h drive each way 6 times and close to 50k miles. Don't need much more proof than that.

 

[Jovie]

No need for an aftermarket crank if yours is good

Eagle rods are a good solid choice, I'd top them off with a set of Wiseco 8.5:1 pistons, they come with everything needed, no need to buy pins/wire locks yada yada

I'd just to ACL Trimetal bearings for everything

I'd do Kiggly steel street springs in the head, prefer Kiggly products over BC.

Top those off with a set of GSC S2, much better cam for the street.

I like the AEM cam gears, oem cam bolt is fine.

Don't do head bolts, just go right to studs.

That would more or less match my last block that I put 8 years on and went into the 9's while driving from Quebec to the Shootout in Ohio for a 13h drive each way 6 times and close to 50k miles. Don't need much more proof than that.

Thank you very much for the help, I didn't realise the stock crank was good for that much power, I'll definitely be either going with the OEM one in my engine now and just getting it machined and trued, I know parts should not be mismatched between engines but considering the fact that I am planning to get the block and crank machined to match I should be able to buy a used one off facebook if my current one is un restorable, correct?

I will also be changing over to the ACL bearings as you suggested, theirs a really good deal at the moment on extreme psi, would you suggest getting the additional oil clearance? I know many people have differing opinions on it, but the consensus seems to be that it doesn't matter much, so I will probably just go with whatever spec the machine shop suggests and hold off on ordering those for now.

The Kiggly springs did catch my eye while I was shopping for springs. I only went with the BC because I saw many other people do, and I saw that they were very similar at around half the price of the Kiggly's. I think I'm going to stick with those for now because of this, and could always upgrade in the future. I'm not planning to push it past the 7500 rpm range very often or for any extended time, so I don't think it should make too much of a difference in the long run.

Regarding the cams, I do like the GSC S2, they seem pretty good for all-around driving in general, but was wondering what the real applicable difference is with street driving these compared to the BC I'm still up in the air about this, I do like the more aggressive chops from the BC but if their is a significant difference in the drivability aspect I will 100% change that, I think ill have to do a bit more research on both and try to get a better comparison.

I honestly didn't put much thought into the cam gears. I know I want a good set of nice-looking ones to match the refreshed engine and have a bit more variability in timing, so I'll likely end up going with the AEM Tru Times. I am wondering if it matters very much. I do still have my OEM cam gears with no damage and only some very light normal wear. Would it be dumb to just reuse these for now and upgrade later on?

The pistons will definitely be upgraded now that I know the crank will be needed, which opens up a bit of my budget. I'll likely look for a used set and purchase new piston rings and accessories if I find any good deals; if not, then I'll just tough it out and spend the money on the Wiseco's.

I currently have a set of the headbolts installed, which is why I was going to go with a new pair of these as I've never had any issues with my head lifting or anything like that, but considering that the headstuds don't seem to be a big price difference on these engines, I'll definitely have to purchase the studs instead.


My sheet has been updated to reflect these choices.

Thank you for your help, along with the reassurance that this goal is possible!

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

Your plans are to drive 10 hours at a time? Reason for it? Just driving or endurance type events?


I would opt for a LR 156m? Rod setup and stroker pistons for the rods. Will reduce wear and in a LR setup your reliability and piston / rod stress will be less. H beams are fine as less weight.

When you do the main stud mit you will need to hone that with them as they will distort the girdle so keeping it straight and round is key, another cost but worth it

 

[Jovie]

Your plans are to drive 10 hours at a time? Reason for it? Just driving or endurance type events?


I would opt for a LR 156m? Rod setup and stroker pistons for the rods. Will reduce wear and in a LR setup your reliability and piston / rod stress will be less. H beams are fine as less weight.

When you do the main stud mit you will need to hone that with them as they will distort the girdle so keeping it straight and round is key, another cost but worth it

The reason for driving 10+ hours at a time is mostly lifestyle. I make a 5 - 6 hour drive every month or so and, on occasion, make a 10+ hour drive. These drives are mostly at highway speeds with cruise control enabled. I usually sit at around 80 mph, depending on the place I'm at.

Edit - If I had to guess, I would say I will put around 8,000 - 12,000 miles on it a year

I'm not super attracted to the idea of a long rod setup, I think I'd rather keep the compression ratios stock, and instead turn up the boost and fuel to hit my horsepower goals. I don't plan to be making it into a drag build or pushing it above 450, I'd like to get the tune dialed in and essentially have the motor running well for a few years at least, a bit aggressive but probably not much faster than a 10 or so second 1/4 mile.

I'll be sure to find a machine shop that knows what they're doing with 4G63s. I live in the Chicago area, so we have plenty of Evo and DSM shops around that I imagine will know what they are doing and will be able to sort of tell me what parts they will need to machine for my block. I'll make sure to speak to a few shops to get different recommendations and pricing.

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

The reason for driving 10+ hours at a time is mostly lifestyle. I make a 5 - 6 hour drive every month or so and, on occasion, make a 10+ hour drive. These drives are mostly at highway speeds with cruise control enabled. I usually sit at around 80 mph, depending on the place I'm at.

Edit - If I had to guess, I would say I will put around 8,000 - 12,000 miles on it a year

I'm not super attracted to the idea of a long rod setup, I think I'd rather keep the compression ratios stock, and instead turn up the boost and fuel to hit my horsepower goals. I don't plan to be making it into a drag build or pushing it above 450, I'd like to get the tune dialed in and essentially have the motor running well for a few years at least, a bit aggressive but probably not much faster than a 10 or so second 1/4 mile.

I'll be sure to find a machine shop that knows what they're doing with 4G63s. I live in the Chicago area, so we have plenty of Evo and DSM shops around that I imagine will know what they are doing and will be able to sort of tell me what parts they will need to machine for my block. I'll make sure to speak to a few shops to get different recommendations and pricing.

long cruise but i guess it makes you chillout and enjoy the car and sights you come across which is awesome you can do that and like to just drive as its a dying reason nowadays

the comp ratio will stay the same as stock. or can do as you don't have to up or lower the compression, stroker pistons are used on the LR setup because they need it for the pin placement but its all adjustable in the piston. LR just offers more reliable ratio for the rod angle and for your sustained drives would help with wear over time. its not going to add any power nor take it away its just a pure reliability part of the build. everything else tune wise will stay the same and power so don't fear its wildly different as its really not. This is also not a drag setup either, but stock can be said to be drag to. its not specific to any type of build but I'm coming in from a better than stock setup and for endurance type drives its a good ideal path to look into.

if your plans are only 450 then just find some stock evo 9 rods, pistons and cranks. its super cheaper vs the other parts listed and those can hold 550-600 safely. the good evo 9 rods have ARP bolts in them (FQ) versions and 9 pistons are a lot stronger to. this will cut your prices down a heck of a lot if your goals are only 450 for cruising.

 

[jdxnc]

Thank you very much for the help, I didn't realise the stock crank was good for that much power, I'll definitely be either going with the OEM one in my engine now and just getting it machined and trued, I know parts should not be mismatched between engines but considering the fact that I am planning to get the block and crank machined to match I should be able to buy a used one off facebook if my current one is un restorable, correct?

You can mix and match all the parts you want so long as they measure out correctly. The stock crank is well known to handle 1000hp. I've never run anything but used oem cranks. Have it measured and polished, that's all you need. You don't want to have it machined.

I will also be changing over to the ACL bearings as you suggested, theirs a really good deal at the moment on extreme psi, would you suggest getting the additional oil clearance? I know many people have differing opinions on it, but the consensus seems to be that it doesn't matter much, so I will probably just go with whatever spec the machine shop suggests and hold off on ordering those for now.

This power level doesn't need extra oil clearance.

The Kiggly springs did catch my eye while I was shopping for springs. I only went with the BC because I saw many other people do, and I saw that they were very similar at around half the price of the Kiggly's. I think I'm going to stick with those for now because of this, and could always upgrade in the future. I'm not planning to push it past the 7500 rpm range very often or for any extended time, so I don't think it should make too much of a difference in the long run.

RPM isn't the only factor on springs, cam ramp, duration and boost level all factor in. Kiggly is one of the TOP supporting companies for our platform through R&D, quality and customer service. Every single one of their products is proven. I'd rather support them than BC.

Regarding the cams, I do like the GSC S2, they seem pretty good for all-around driving in general, but was wondering what the real applicable difference is with street driving these compared to the BC I'm still up in the air about this, I do like the more aggressive chops from the BC but if their is a significant difference in the drivability aspect I will 100% change that, I think ill have to do a bit more research on both and try to get a better comparison.

There have been back to back cam comparison tests, Kelford makes the most gains up top, GSC makes almost the same with less low end loss and BC is at the bottom of the list almost always needing a fair amount degreeing to see benefit. BC are popular for making a choppy lope.

I honestly didn't put much thought into the cam gears. I know I want a good set of nice-looking ones to match the refreshed engine and have a bit more variability in timing, so I'll likely end up going with the AEM Tru Times. I am wondering if it matters very much. I do still have my OEM cam gears with no damage and only some very light normal wear. Would it be dumb to just reuse these for now and upgrade later on?

I ran my GSC S2's on oem gears for years with no issue. GSC has the best cam for being installed straight up on oem gears without degreeing.

The pistons will definitely be upgraded now that I know the crank will be needed, which opens up a bit of my budget. I'll likely look for a used set and purchase new piston rings and accessories if I find any good deals; if not, then I'll just tough it out and spend the money on the Wiseco's.

$700 for a brand new set of Wiseco, if you buy a used set, you need inspect them, hope they measure out and buy a new set of rings for about $125 at a minimum. Unless they are practically given to you don't bother.

I currently have a set of the headbolts installed, which is why I was going to go with a new pair of these as I've never had any issues with my head lifting or anything like that, but considering that the headstuds don't seem to be a big price difference on these engines, I'll definitely have to purchase the studs instead.

Head bolts are one time use, go with head studs and you can reuse them dozens of times as long as they aren't over torqued. Buy once, cry once.

My sheet has been updated to reflect these choices.

Thank you for your help, along with the reassurance that this goal is possible!

No problem, here to help.

There's also no need for a long rod setup at this power level. Save your money.

 

[jdxnc]

Your plans are to drive 10 hours at a time? Reason for it? Just driving or endurance type events?

Wait till you get to North America, it ain't the UK . 10 hour drives are not uncommon.

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

Wait till you get to North America, it ain't the UK . 10 hour drives are not uncommon.

I have done a long drive from NY to Rochester and then Rochester to NC before. that was enough for me Im not a long haul guy and never have been but you lot do this like its nothing!

 

[jdxnc]

I have done a long drive from NY to Rochester and then Rochester to NC before. that was enough for me Im not a long haul guy and never have been but you lot do this like its nothing!

Last year's "vacation" was 2400km of driving .

 

[Jovie]

Thank you guys very much for the help, I think I will end up going with a setup closer to what @jdxnc suggested, it seems a bit more straightforward to me, and I like the idea that an almost identical build seems to work perfectly for what I want. Ill be looking into those GSC S2 cams a bit more aswell, I know a lot of people suggest them and run them for similar builds, so it's a possibility that I end up switching to those instead of the BC, but theirs something about that chop of the BC's that I just love

I appreciate you fellas for all your help!