engine rebuild ?'s

[97t4mitsu]

I'm new to DSM's and i had a question or two. I bought my car a week ago, it's a 1997 gs 5 spd w/127'000 miles. It's got a T4 turbo, front mount intercooler, BOV, wastegate, high flow/pressure fuel system, full exhuast, and a fuel mapper....and....I blew the engine in two days. So, i pulled the engine and took a look at it, and i spun the rod bearing on the #1 cylinder. I believe this was due to too much boost on the stock motor (7 psi) with that many miles.

I'm taking it into a machine shop tomorrow to see what they can do and what costs will be. So far, i'm planning on an 8.5 compression, forged internals, and possibly stroking the block. I'm adding on a lightweight flywheel, centerforce clutch, cam gears, and an af/x UDP.

My question is, is there anything else you guys would recommend or add? I'm planning on doing a lot more to this car, and i hope to run some good times, 12's or 11's if possible, while still keeping it streetable. And while i've got the motor and tranny out, i want to do this right the first time and put all the parts i could ON, while the motor/tranny is already out. Sorry about the long thread, but i would appreciate as much help on this as i could get, and i know i can get it here, thanks guys.

 

[bullettdsm]

As for the engine choices you are making, I'm going to leave that to the turbo guys. I have done only research for information"s sake on turboing 420a's, so my background is limited. It does appear that you might want some cams and fuel/timing management. MSnS seems to be the choice of many (but again I'll leave that to the turbo guys).

As for 11's (or 12's for that matter), you're going to need some tranny work. Start with taller gearing from the neon:

http://www.2gnt.com/nuke/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=142

The power of a well done turbo car will spin through the stock gearing very quickly.

Then you will want a LSD. I am in the process of having this done to mine:

http://www.2gnt.com/nuke/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=67

I will give you the job of searching on 2gnt.com to come up with a supplier.

That is just a start for you. There is suspension, wheels, tires, motor mounts, weight redux, etc. that needs to be done to get you close. That's a pretty tall order to get into the 11's on a FWD DSM. I'm not so sure that your turbo set-up will even be powerful enough (but again, let the turbo guys chime in with that).

I'm not naysayin' ya, just trying to give you a bit of reality check on those numbers.

Good luck to you and let me know if you want me to expound on anything.

MB

 

[Blitzeclips]

I HIGHLY reccommend getting it stroked to 2.2. Thats what I did, and I'm very glad I did so because at this point, I want every last bit of HP I can get. Pulling the motor again for an extra .2L just wasn't an option..

You should look into some other things to improve the amount of air you induct. My recommendations (see profile) would include:

1mm oversized valves. This may require you to bore the seats, but I'm not 100% sure because a buddy of mine did most of my headwork.

Crane 0014 Turbo Grind Cams. This will give you better response in accel. when you are building boost. These mate for and with any 420a turbo application.

Have the head ported and polished also. The more air, the better.

Have the intake manifold ported and polished as well. Either N/A or turboed, this has been proven to be an efficient way to increase HP for the 420a. You can do this yourself with a Dremel tool, and the Flex Shaft you purchase for it. Try to smooth out the runners/bumps by the injector ports. Knife edging would benefit you most.


Any little thing you can do to increase HP should be done now, before you assemble the motor, turbo, tranny, etc... That way, it doesn't have to be done again, and you know you'll have THAT much more power than the other OEM spec guy. Regardless, good luck!

 

[dr1665]

Just be sure, when you're shopping for pistons and rods, that you buy them for the 420A and not the 4G63. As far as I know, most low comp forged pistons for this motor are either 8.8:1 or 8.6:1. 8.5:1 sounds an awful lot like a 4G63 compression ratio, although you can get custom pistons in any trim you want these days.

To get into the 11-12 second ET range, you're going to need a lot of fuel for a big turbo. We're talking thick-ass injectors. "T4' really doesn't mean shit to most people - you gotta clue us in with some spcs: manufacturer, A/R (should be on the sides), etc..

So you know, this is going to get really expensive really quick, if you just *have* to run 12s. In addition to the rebuild, you're going to need a heavy duty clutch, some stage 5 axles (from Driveshaft Shop or Raxles), and a shitton of fuel, so expect to be buying some 720cc injectors or larger. Oh yeah, and you don't run a 12 second quarter in a boosted 2GNT running huge ass injectors like that with just an SFMU or even the laughable SAFC. You're going to have to go MSnS to be able to control your fuel/ignition.

I have a friend with a 400whp boosted 420A. I know how much he's spent on the car. It's not my place to share the information, but I can say it's more than I paid for my car and I bought it brand new, ten years ago.

I don't say this to discourage you, but to clue you in to this isn't all about the fast and the furious. You can't just pick some shit out of a Nopi catalog, bolt it to your car, and run 12s with Toretto and his cronies. Making the kind of power needed to propel these heavy turds into those times (if you just have to have a drag car) is going to take time, money, and a lot of research. Good luck to you.

 

[97t4mitsu]

I do understand that this is pricey to do, and it's going to take time, but i'm just taking it one step at a time, i've saved up all my money for something like this, i'm only 17! I know i have bigger injectors, they're green if that tells you anything, haha, but i'm not sure how big...but they look big...if that makes any sense. i will get back to you on the turbo, got to look at it a bit. i apppreciate the help guys, thanks!

 

[dr1665]

i've saved up all my money for something like this, i'm only 17!

Have you managed to save at least $800 a year since you were born? Because that's likely what it will cost you. Especially if you're buying name brand parts and having someone else do the work.

I just don't want to see another really excited person end up broke and broken hearted when they set unrealistic goals for themselves.

 

[97t4mitsu]

no, i'm talking just the engine...not the whole project

 

[Talon ESI-T]

Green injectors.......Ford Motorsport 42Lb most likely. They are small compared to your goals.


Good luck do your research.

Terry

 

[Blitzeclips]

Don't get scared off by comments of money amounts and work.

I did almost the same exact thing as you are. I bought my car when I was 16 to drive to school and what not. After saving for about 2 years, I finally put some power in it with the motor swap last summer. Now I'm 19, and I've finally managed to boost the car and make some NICE power. Granted, I'm no 400whp beast, but with the motor, it CAN happen...

I 've paid less then $10,000 for my modifications, and thats including the car. It's all about research and shopping. Don't pay retail for everything, and try to save $100 here and there, because it all adds up.

It may seem like ALOT of money right now, and 400whp eclipse isn't something a 17 year old should be out playing with either. But be patient, research, and save enough. It's not $30-$40,000 here...

 

[cs82685]

Green injectors.......Ford Motorsport 42Lb most likely. They are small compared to your goals.


Good luck do your research.

Terry

^^^Was just about to say this before I saw your post, I second them most likely being ford 42#'ers

I see Driggs mentioned the MSnS, but it is not your only option. You can also get the Hahn Portfueler, more money, but it seems to be easier to get going for most people, I'd say your decision depends on your level of expertise, your budget and a few other things. You don't have to build the PF yourself either. Of course if you wanna build it yourself, you can do some research on 8-injector setups that people have custom made and possibly figure it out on your own. If you're all about putting something together yourself I'd probably go with the MSnS if you want something that's basically done for you I'd go with the PF.

Some day when I need the extra fuel, I'll probably just go with the PF even if it is a lot of money.