Rebuild engine or put mods on??

[GSXerr]

I'm planning on putting some money down on a bunch of parts (new turbo, exhaust mani, fmic, all fuel upgrades), and one of my friends has brought up to me that I should probably put all the money into the engine's internals first..Low 12's are my goal though. Do I need to do anything to the internals, or will I blow the motor up? I have 105,000 miles on my Eclipse.

 

[red eclipse gsx]

Ooh hard choice. Since you have high mileage, I would do a compression check before anything on stock motor. Personally I would buy a new turbo and fuel etc...you will have much more fun up front then just spending it all on engine internals. In the long run though, to hit low 12s you will be needing at least a built head depending on the turbo or just a really good tune. Your best bet is to do a compression test for safety, then spend half your money on bolt-ons and the other half on your engine.

 

[Dream On]

I don't think you would need a built motor for low 12's as long as your current one is in decent shape, and doesn't walk...

 

[sumenlo]

Just be on the safe side and rebuild it. That way you can do what you want to the motor while it's all in pieces. Not to mention you'll get much more life out of it. If you put your money into mods, you'll eventually wind up blowing the motor because of the mileage. 105k is a lot of miles for a DSM. Especially a 2g.

 

[GSXerr]

Just be on the safe side and rebuild it. That way you can do what you want to the motor while it's all in pieces. Not to mention you'll get much more life out of it. If you put your money into mods, you'll eventually wind up blowing the motor because of the mileage. 105k is a lot of miles for a DSM. Especially a 2g.

I have a daily driver..this is going to be pretty much my weekend car, and i'll probably never drive it out of town. so by the end of 2008, I'll be suprised if I've even put 5,000 miles on it.

 

[Shemy99]

I have a 99 Eclipse GS-T and the car is totally stock but it has 160K so far and the engine is running excellent. I want to do some bolt ons, but a freind of mine that has an Evo told me its better if you rebuild your engine? Since I changed all the belts and timming belt and oil seals and replaced all the Clutch system (master / slave and Damper) recently, I dont want to spend any money in doing a an engine rebuild. Can I just add the bolt ons at that mileage and still be ok driving between 12 and 15 psi? or is it not a good Idea? The car really runs strong and I am the second owner, the first owner was a lady that owned it and drove it from Kentucky to Virginia.

Thanks!

 

[oldman420]

Do a hg with some arp headstuds (250$). Then blow the rest of your wad and some bolt-ons. Don't forget about tuning though, you have a 95 so dsmlink might be cheap for you. Check to see if you have an eprom. Then your looking good from there man.

 

[silverbullett]

Tech Guide: 1G 4G63t Upgrades: Stage 1 Power - DSMtuners

This should help. I'm following the guide with great results. Make sure all of your maintenance is done before you start modding though, just for the safety of your DSM. Do a compression test, tune-up, timing belt if needed, new fluids. Just make sure your ride is in tip-top shape before anything. After that's done, have fun. My first mods were K&N FIPK, 3" cat-back exhaust, Autometer Boost/Vac Gauge and an MBC. Hope this helps bro.

 

[joshs1074]

i think if you are planning on staying under 400 hp and you have a good management system to keep knock under control you should be fine.

 

[asd_gst]

rebuild!!! i say rebuild it now get it built then worry about the bolt ons

 

[gsxeclipse97]

Im kind of on the fence about it it really just depends on how bad everything inside the motor is. And if your going to rebuild it than, get everthing like pistons and rods since you are planning to make a good amount of power.

 

[asd_gst]

i mean i would rebuilt it if your going to down the road why not get it out of the way and rebuilt it now, it will never hurt to do to extra work

 

[gsxeclipse97]

thats true but he would really only need to rebuild if he was planning to make some serious power. Saying goes if its not broke, dont fix it.

but for sure remove the balance shafts.

 

[Shemy99]

Thanks guys for your feedback.
Iam going to try to get a compression test done first and I will go from there.

Will keep you posted!

 

[DJYoshaBYD]

you need some pretty serious power to hit 12's.. Especially sub 12.5's.. A stock 4g63t can take up to 400 hp, but it has to be in good enough condition to do so.. Just spend your money on bolt ons.. Intake, Exhaust, fuel pump, etc.. Then, when your motor craps out, rebuild it back to stock, with maybe a mildly built head and a stock bottom (I would totally get aftermarket pistons, at least).. but the rods and crank will take some major power.. Just make sure you tune it right.. But, you need to hit 13's first... .. Get there, and THEN worry about 12's

 

[slow4g6392tsi]

I would definitely go for a rebuild, possibly a rebuilt 6 bolt but that is just me. I have 130k on my stock motor and now that I finally got a 16G and am almost done getting all the supporting mods my engine is all worn out. I had amazing compression (175 across) when I started to mod my car and less than a year later it is 160 155 150 147. It also recently started using oil and it is not the turbo this time. I am definitely wishing I had the engine built first.

 

[Shemy99]

^Yea, I am seeing the same issue with my car with oil being consumed but not much; it just hit 160K today, and it is running strong and still has some power from its factory turbo. I am planning on getting a small 16G Turbo or Evo3 16G turbo, Greddy Exhaust (Complete), Fuel Pump, and Greddy BOV. I might do a rebuild depending on the cost and time that it will take to do.

 

[blownturbotsi]

I would say, just like the others, do a compression and leakdown test first. If everything is good, go for a good MLS (Mitsu, Cometic, etc) HG and some studs. Replace all of the seals in the head and get it resurfaced. New timing components, water pump and oil pump just to be safe. Then go to town! Don't forget about suspension and the other small things and you should be able to lighten the hell out of it since it's a weekend car. No a/c or heater needed.

 

[FP3065TSI]

I would do a compression test and if everything is in good running condition. Depending on your budget and time. I would go with a hg, fuel upgrade, and a decent turbo, and a tuning device..

 

[lowandsleekDSM]

Im with everyone that is saying just rebuild it now and me personally im VERY glad im doing it now...takes a lot of stress and worry off my mind about the health of my motor. Im rebuilding the motor on my 2g gst right now and its not as bad as i thought it would be (having a DD helps also) just jump into it...replace what needs to be replaced and have yourself that peice of mine that you have a nice fresh engine to work with and you know it will run very strong and you can do all the small things like deleting your EGR valve and all that small stuff too so it makes the installation of the motor that much more easier the second time around. just my .02 though

 

[GSX4BangR]

Yeah I agree with the rest of em when they say rebuild it, it does take alotta stress out in the future. Im rebuilding mines now and the block is at the machine shop getting work done to it.

 

[Shemy99]

I think you all are right...I am going to see how much it will cost to rebuild the engine and base my decision on that...
Just out of curiosity, how long will / could the car last with the stock turbo and engine? Everything in this car is totally stock except the K&N Filter and it still has amazing pull.
BTW, it has a 160,100 now and occasionally I hit it up to 6K rpm (No redlining though) back and forth to work (60 miles per day)...beat them Ricers

 

[knochgoon24]

I'm in the same boat as you. I'll have a bit of money this summer, but I don't know if a rebuild is in order. The motor has over 100k on it. I'm pulling it this summer and giving it a once over. If it's good and in spec, I'll reuse it, otherwise, replacement.

 

[quicksilver2102]

I would say comp test and then go from there. If you get good numbers then start some basic modding, and just don't turn to boost up too aggressive.

 

[englishtom1596]

id definately suggest rebuilding the motor and having a solid base to build on. then if you decide to run some serious PSI you wont have to worry about blowing something and having to pick up the pieces.