building a drag car need advise

[2GFWDbeast]

I have a 1990 gsx my question is there a thread or site that shows what i can rip out of the car. Obviously all emissions will be gone. What i'm looking for is to just pop the hood and just see the motor. I need power for fuel pump starter and alternator.

I guess to make this question simple What do i not need in the car.

 

[dsmornothing]

I guess to make this question simple What do i not need in the car.

To start I would get rid of Cruise, AC and power steering for starters. Then eliminate all emissions. Not sure If by remove you mean for weight or not.....

 

[2GFWDbeast]

use your head im asking the question beacause i dont know, i never built one before. If i knew i wouldnt be asking. I know the common sense ones. As in for wiring what can i rip out. What senors or relays do i not need. the engine is out and its just a mess full of wires and vacuum lines.

 

[bryanwheat]

use your head im asking the question beacause i dont know, i never built one before. If i knew i wouldnt be asking. I know the common sense ones. As in for wiring what can i rip out. What senors or relays do i not need. the engine is out and its just a mess full of wires and vacuum lines.

These cars are relatively simple. There are like 8 total vacuum lines, and like only 15 plugs on the wiring harness. You keep ALL sensors. You can ditch a few of the control solenoids on the firewall. But all sensors have to be used. They are crucial for the engine to run right. I would worry more about getting the car running in general before trying to get in over your head by "ripping "stuff out. If you can't get running in stock form than you will never be able to build it into a race car.

 

[99BoostedRS]

Pretty much just remove anything that doesn’t stop the car from running.

 

[Alan11]

Op it all depends on what you want for the car.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

Op it all depends on what you want for the car.

i know what i wanna do for everything as in motor turbo roll cage etc..... i just would like to know what all i can eliminate in the engine bay.

For starters heater,ac,power steering, emissions.

 

[Alan11]

ok..Egr block of plate for emissions, wire tuck... On a 1g you can remove the power steering and put a 1.8 steering rack. eliminate A/c. You don't need a heater core but removing that will be a PITA. That's about it i cant think of anything else right now.

 

[Anubis_4_99]

You can remove back seats, headlinder (safety issue for inspection?) sound deadening on the floors, etc. you'll have to pull the dash to do the heater core more then likely.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

your not reading. the OP has a 90 GSX. not a 2G.

can remove back seats, headlinder (safety issue for inspection?) sound deadening on the floors, etc. you'll have to pull the dash to do the heater core more then likely.

i have the heater core pulled already. I kinda wanted to do a sheet metal dash.

 

[crash89]

relocate battery to trunk, make sure your Bov isnt recirculating, if you have a shortest route FMIC, put your coolant overflow tank where your SMIC used to be, i personally say leave the power steering on the 2g. steel braded lines will clean up alot of the oil lines it wont look as nasty... thats all i got at the moment for a cleaner look.

Horrible advise.. Do NOT run the car without the proper mods to dump the BOV atmospherically. IE a blow through GM maf set up or speed density..

 

[CrawlinZX14]

Ok, your in kenosha so im guessing I will be seeing this thing at GLD. If so, u have a lane vs me any day, and time. Next, Pull all the wiring and throw it out. Its over 20 years old. you want a drag car, so go buy a standalone and have AMS tune it in chicago. They have a chassis dyno there to do it. Next, leave your power steering or dont, your choice. Dump the ac components, and basically dump everything but the engine. Wire up your own harness off the AEM standalone and hide your wires. Dont be lazy. Relocate your battery to the trunk, put your AFPR on the firewall with your nitrous solonoids, and wrap all your friggin exhaust to keep the heat where it needs to be. Dump your waste gate under the car or put it into your exhaust, who cares its a drag car. GUT THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OUT. No need for lights, no need for a passenger seat, no need for anything in there but the steering wheel, roll cage and a mounting point for all your gauges.

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

For starters heater,ac,power steering, emissions.

To add to what you already have: Cruise control, ABS (if equipped), the wiring for the A/C (which includes the fuse box by the master cylinder, the A/C sightglass, thermoswitch, and compressor plugs), the BCS and wiring back to the ECU, the solenoid pack and all wiring, washer fluid reservoir, wipers and motor, rear defogger relay, noise condenser, all unused brackets including the intake manifold support bracket. Also upon removing the power steering you can cut the driver's side motor mount in half and remove the brackets off the block.

If you just want to clean the remaining stuff up some, relocate the fuse box, mount the injector resistor pack low, mount the battery in the trunk or get a small battery, and reroute the wiring harness.

Those are just a few things that come to the top of my head. I'm not building a drag car but I'm trying to get my engine bay down to the bare essentials like you mentioned. Here is mine and below is one of my favorite bays which I would love for mine to look more like. It belonged to tsidrift1.

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[2GFWDbeast]

To add to what you already have: Cruise control, ABS (if equipped), the wiring for the A/C (which includes the fuse box by the master cylinder, the A/C sightglass, thermoswitch, and compressor plugs), the BCS and wiring back to the ECU, the solenoid pack and all wiring, washer fluid reservoir, wipers and motor, rear defogger relay, noise condenser, all unused brackets including the intake manifold support bracket. Also upon removing the power steering you can cut the driver's side motor mount in half and remove the brackets off the block.

If you just want to clean the remaining stuff up some, relocate the fuse box, mount the injector resistor pack low, mount the battery in the trunk or get a small battery, and reroute the wiring harness.

Those are just a few things that come to the top of my head. I'm not building a drag car but I'm trying to get my engine bay down to the bare essentials like you mentioned. Here is mine and below is one of my favorite bays which I would love for mine to look more like. It belonged to tsidrift1.

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Holy crap that looks amazing. that what im talking about. I love to have a engine look like that. Thank you for the info.

 

[twicks69]

Please people, back onto topic with good manners.

The guy is new to the scene, please treat him properly.

Give relavent information, or links to said information.

CrawlinZX14 - simmer down.



To the OP:

*Set a realistic budget, taking into account annual expenses for racing and maintenence.
*Set a horsepower goal.
*Set an ET goal.
*Research the safety requirements for that ET goal.
*What type of racing are you intending on doing with the car? Just simple monthly visits to Great Lakes Dragaway for Import Wars? Bracket racing? Heads-up racing? Is this a purpose-built drag car only? What limits are you going to put on reaching your goals?

Your current profile list of modifications are:
Bolt-on Modifications:
T3/T4 Precision sc 44 turbo, tial 35mm waste gate, cast iron ported exhaust manifold, crushed 1g bov, short route fmic, custom made sheet metal intake, fpr, 1250cc fic injectors, 255 walbro pump, 3 inch full exhaust with magnaflow muffler.
*Is your turbo a mitsubishi flanged turbine housing, a T3 housing or a T4 housing? I am assuming a Mitsubishi housing based upon the lack of further details. If this is so, your turbo is a SCM4431E, not a SC44 -- there is a difference and it mainly is the turbine housing in this scenario. The key difference will be its ability to efficiently make power in the upper pressure levels (> than 26psi) efficiently. The PTE bolt-on mitsu housing is pretty limited at that power level. As for the wastegate, the TiAL 35mm was discontinued around 7 years ago and changed out for the 38mm on the same bolt pattern/flange pattern. What springs are currently being run in the wastegate? What is your base boost pressure with the boost controller not hooked up; just running a vacuum line from the wastegate side port to the intake manifold? You mentioned you have a Walbro 255HP fuel pump. Is it rewired? Do you know how to do a rewire? Do a simple search for "fuel pump rewire", or read up on our tech articles forum section or go to VFAQ Site - Visual Frequently Answered Questions. What specific fuel pressure regulator are you running? stock? aeromotive/fuelab/magnafuel/etc.? Could you show a picture and further details of your intake manifold? What fuel are you running on the car? What boost levels and fuel types do you intend on running on the car in the future? The single walbro 255HP will be maxed out before the injectors hit their limits; I would suggest researching the installation of an additional Walbro 255HP in-line fuel pump with a -6AN feed line to the fuel filter and to the rail and rail to the regulator for maximum flow and efficiency. What fuel filter are you currently running? Is is still utilizing the stock banjo bolts? If so, get rid of that; it is a large restriction. Change to a better fuel filter and -6AN ports nd lines.

Engine Management:
eprom with ostrich tuned for E85, palm pilot m505, phantom wideband,auto meter boost gauge, autometer oil pressure gauge
This is a fairly outdated tuning platform, but it still can get you to the low-11's/upper-10's with a darn good tune. Contact MrPeepers on here for tuning advice if necessary. He also does tuning on the side for this platform and is local in Janesville, WI.

Engine Internals:
je srp 9.5:1 pistons .30 over, 1g big rods with arp rod bolts, mls head gasket, arp head studs, 3 angle valve job, titanium valve springs, hks 272 cams
We don't run titanium valve springs in these cars; they are steel springs with titanium retainers; please find out the specifics of the actual valve springs so we can give you their limitations.

Drivetrain Modifications:
stage 3 trans, stage 3 spec clutch, 4 bolt rear end
What center diff is in the transmission? stock 2-spider? upgraded 4-spider? welded? spool?, anything done to the front differential? How is it shifting? Are there bushing upgrades done? Motor mount upgrades done? Driveshaft carrier bearing bushings done? Rear differential bushings done?

Suspension Modifications:
lowering springs, drilled and slotted rotors front and back. 225x55x16 wheels
Have you already upgraded your front lower control arm bushings to polyurethane? What struts are being used? What specific brand/type springs? What wheel/tire combo are you using? Have you weighed the wheel/tire combo? Are you intending on running slicks on the car instead? What type of 60-foot's are you currently running with the car? Any more information on the brake setup?


As for things to remove, you can get a manual rack for the 1G pretty easily, the ABS (if you have it) can be deleted and changed to a non-abs proportioning valve and make new non-abs brake lines, cruise control can be removed and make a new throttle cable or get non-cruise control throttle cable, remove as much weight as you want from the interior. Stereo, HVAC, A/C, foglights, power windows delete or removing door crash bars, power antenna delete, front/rear bumper crash bar delete, gut the dash or fab a new dash and cover with a flat or matte dark color such as gray/charcoal/black so there is not reflection/visibility issues, etc.

There are numerous things you can do to make these cars fast. The most effective way is to get a good tune, take care of any major limitations that would affect safety or engine/drivetrain reliability, then focus on shedding as much weight as possible starting with unsprung/rotating mass (wheels, tires, brake setup), then unsprung mass (suspension components; remove front and rear sway bars, upgrade suspension components and control arms, toe eliminators, camber adjustment for front and rear), then sprung mass (overall vehicle weight stuff such as seats, interior, body panels, glass, etc.). The weight multipliers are essentially 1# of unsprung rotating mass removed = approximately 10# of sprung mass, 1# of unsprung mass = approximately 4# of sprung mass, so the more weight you remove from the wheels/tires/brakes/suspension components, the more effective your weight reduction will be. When removing further sprung mass (body weight), you will likely require a different spring rate over time along with some quality coilovers as the springs will have to do less work with a lighter object.

As well, a quality 4-wheel alignment after addressing all the things above along with knowing how your car squats under launching, will dramtically improve 1/4mi ET's. Contact Piller's Automotive over in Hales Corners on Janesville Road and 112th street or so, as they have a great load-setting 4-wheel alignment machine that can preload your chassis under launch conditions knowing the amount of rear squat and can then do the 4-wheel alignment so you have the best contact patch under heavy acceleration. Also, don't forget about things like ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, e-brake cables w/ sticking rear calipers/pads, wheels and tires when making the rolling resistance as little as possible. Don't forget fresh quality gear oils in the transmission, transfer case and rear differential, including confirming your carrier bearings and u-joints on the driveshaft are in good working condition.

This should be a good start of things to think about, then things to research before making an actual decision of what you are going to do.

Good luck,

 

[gofer]

Off topic posts have been deleted and warnings have been issued. Keep the flaming/retaliation/belittling comments out of our forums or else your time here will be short.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

Holy cow twick69 that is lot of info thank you. I should probably update my info. I actually parted everything out. Im basically just sitting on the shell. I still have the 4 bolt rear end in the car. I just want to start out fresh with everything, and do a nice clean build. I bought this car with a ton of problems, and after sticking endless amounts of money in it i just kinda gave up and decided to part it all out. I just bought a house and just have a baby boy, so i don't have much time right now to do anything to it till the winter time. I know the basics of what i have to do and what i have to buy to achieve the power levels i want. I'm looking for around 800hp. I would like to shoot for 9's. I have around a 20g budget.

 

[twicks69]

Well, you have high goals, and low cash. I would suggest getting the car as light as possible then to make it easier to reach your goals with less horsepower.

Do it as simple as possible. If a 2.0L, check out doing a PTE6262 journal bearing on a 0.82 A/R divided T3 housing with a tube T3 divided manifold. If you want this car to be reliable for drivetrain, I would suggest a built automatic conversion with a restalled torque convertor, a small nitrous shot (50-100HP range), a couple spare stock automatic transfer cases, some light/cheap wheels like Rota Subzero's or Slipstreams with a 24.5" diameter (26" max diameter) slick. Check out 15" M&H slicks on a 15"x7" or 15"x8" wheel. If you are sticking below 150mph, do a 24.5" or 25" slick. Don't forget safety -- you will need a 10-point cage for 9.99's and faster, while you only need an 8-point (really a 6-point per old NHRA rules) chromoly 1-5/8" cage. Refer to the current NHRA rulebook for details.

Make the engine as simple as possible. Cams, valve springs and retainers, MLS head gasket with L19 studs for the head. A simple off-the-shelf combo for the motor for rods/pistons with heavy-duty wrist pins.

The fueling will depend on your fuel type you want to run. From there you can be given details on fuel system recommendations. Sump the stock fuel tank and run an external pump setup with a larger-than-stock return line (-6AN will be fine).

Use DSMLink V3 w/ speed density using an AIT sensor and MAP sensor. It will be the easiest and cheapest way to tune your setup in the hands of a competent tuner and costs very little for the software.

Get all your suspension components sorted out and in good condition. Look into limiting straps for the front strut/spring assembly (chaining the struts), and a dialed in rear suspension tuned for your final chassis weight once you gut the car.

There are quite a few people running the automatics in these cars now and are having excellent results. A 63mm-67mm compressor inducer turbo range will pull easy 9's while not overworking the turbo. Another alternative to the PTE6262 would be a Borg Warner S366 on a 0.91 A/R divided T4 housing.

If you have E85 available and want to run that as your primary fuel, go for a 9.0:1 or higher compression. Be sure to run a quality ignition setup.

Have an efficient air-to-air intercooler setup or simply do a good liquid-to-air intercooler setup if this is only going to be a race car.

Those are simple details and advice I can give for ideas on what direction to go.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

is 20k on the low side for what im looking for? how much are we talking like 30-40 grand

 

[twicks69]

The auto can be done for around $20-25K hitting upper 9's with a smart setup, and a comprehensive package that covers safety along with just going fast.

Take this as a basic budget (don't quote me -- just saying).

$2000 - basic vehicle maintenence (wheel bearings, suspension components, bushings, electrical components, required gauges, general BS, etc.)

$2000 engine build - eagle/ross combo, bearings, rings, upgraded wristpins, new oil pump assembly, BSEK, gaskets, machinework costs.

$1500 head work - deck, clean, stainless valves (1mm over preferable with very mild portwork around backside of valve faces to increase airflow around circumference of valve face), bronze guides, dual valve springs (supertech HD duals ), 1G lifters, Kiggly HLA restrictor, properly sized cams, adj. cam gears.

$400 intake/exhaust/MLS head gasket and ARP L19 head studs

$1000 exhaust setup - tubular manifold, side exit exhaust

$1000-2000 turbo depending on brand and size

$700-1000 fuel system depending on fuel requirements from fuel type and power goals.

$2500 intake manifold, FMIC with piping, BOV, 5-bar MAP sensor, AIT sensor

$500 wideband O2, Autometer Ultralite 2 electric oil pressure gauge w/ MAP sensor, boost gauge, coolant temp gauge/sensor.

$1000-1500 cooling system - mini-radiator or high-efficiency radiator, electric water pump (Davies Craig EWP115 pump and controller is what I run), -16AN lines if open deck block, -12AN lines if hardblocked and water only through head), water neck assembly and pump blockoff plate, AN hoses and fittings. If you are intending on extended use, do a -8AN line setup with an external oil cooler. Also, read up on oil pump porting and pickup assembly modification to prevent pump failure or loss of pressure on the track either on the launch or the top end. Again, I strongly recommend you research the Kiggly HLA restrictor in conjunction with 1G lifters, a modified pickup assembly and a port-matched oil pump assembly with 1990 straight-cut gears deburred and detailed with a BSE kit.

$1300.00 DSMLink V3 w/ speed density and ECU socketing, and dyno-tuning by a professional experienced with DSMLink V3 on AWD dyno.

$700-1500 suspension components - you can go uber cheap and strap the front struts with a soft spring and a medium stiffness rear spring on a soft valving; or do an aftermarket coilover system. Again, spring rates and valving will depend on vehicle weight and corner weighting results. Include a loaded 4-wheel alignment after suspension is dialed in and ride height is obtained.

$1200 wheels and tires - 15" or 16" lightweight wheels and either Hoosier QTP's, M&H slicks or M/T ET STREETS.

$200-3000 - braking - anywhere from pads/rotors/brake lines up to ultralight-weight front/rear brake setups. The sky is the limit when it comes to stopping power. Again, it will depend on your vehicle weight, trap speeds and stopping requirements.

$5000 safety - cagework, window net and bracketry, parachute and bracketry (if applicable), lightweight race seat and bracketry, 5-point 3" harness (RCI Platinum are 4-year cert. belts and are a great price), helmet, neck collar, fire jacket and pants, gloves, shoes, nomex underwear and socks, fire extinguisher or fire supression system (FE-36 supression system), transmission scatter shield, driveshaft loops, ARP wheel studs, battery cutoff, switch panel for ignition/fuel pump/water pump/accessories, etc.

$4000-13,000 drivetrain - depends on setup. If auto, a built trans with the right stuff and a manual shifting valvebody can be done for around $2400 nicely, a restalled or upgraded torque convertor, a few stock auto t-cases, upgraded rear axles, bushings, rear diff cover (frontline fabrication diff cover), etc. If 5-speed, built trans made around your powerband and power levels would likely cost around $2300-4000 for a helical/synchro trans; a dogbox would be around $6-7K, a couple spare T-cases for $50 each or a built $2500 one, DSS axles or stock ones, etc. It adds up. The auto will last longer with less breakage, and will be more consistent. You will pop T-cases if you are doing faster than 1.4-second 60's pretty regularly on a sticky track.

Well, that is a pretty detailed, but basic list and budget in 30 minutes of rambling.

 

[camfast]

Remember to always shop around as there are great deals. Im putting together a combo that "should" easily get me into the 10's without breaking the bank. It did take me a while to source the parts however ive saved TONS of money in the process. The turbo setup along with a great tune and fuel system will dictate the vehicles capabilities.

 

[ILL122]

This is one of the best threads I have read in a while. You might be able to find a shell for sell that already has all of the safety req. done along with suspension and some wiring. The trade off is dealing with a small mess of someone else just ripping stuff out of the car.

 

[Junfan]

I guess I will be the only one to do it. Build a streetable 11 sec car and drive it alot. I see what goes on with Antilag_200 (Warren) and what he does to build, drive and maintain Janet. It is amazing. To do it right you need another 20k in tools, tow vehicle, trailer, etc...

I am just saying I think the idea is cool and I thought maybe someday I would want to be there. Then I realized the cost and commit to being there. You guys that have true drag cars. Hats off to you guys that have awesome fast cars like Kiggly racing, Glassbrook, DSouza, DevineTuned, Gastroker and the like. I bring these guys up specifically because the are basically privateers doing their hobby.