motor build or swap?

Can anyone help a kid out?

Hey wuts goin on guys…I just recently bought my 91 ls 3 months ago…and would like to start biulding it up performance wise…I’m tired of bein tha slowest guy out of my friends…a gsr da,98 tt supra,91 tt 300z,03 stage 2 roush mustang, etc…I juss dnt where n how to start…so far all I’ve done is an intake, 2 1/2 inch piping from the cat to flowmster muffler,and adj coils all around…sum people said to go ls/vtec…sum said gsr…my cousn said b20…iono…how should I start…I am a newb we it comes to imports…but I can wrench…any suggestions?

Bolt ons will not give you much at all.
IMO, best bang forr your buck is some boost. However that is a whole other can of worms.

Without ALOT of tuning, you may continue to be the slowest, if that’s the stable of cars your going against. It’s gonna take a good amount of time & money to get there.

That being said, if you go all motor YOU will probably want a swap such as a
B20 or Type R. w/ all the fixins’. (big cams, upgraded valvetrain, big port & polish, higher comp. pistons, forged rods, engine management, etc.)

If you go turbo, YOU will probably want a high spoolin’ turbo w/ front intercooler, big injectors, turbo cams & pistons, etc. You can keep your LS motor, but will want to rebuild it to handle all that boost.

So you see, to whomp on those kinds of cars that already boast 200+ whp, its gonna take some stuff. You can still have a fast DA that will beat on most other rides if you go w/ a mild build.

The real key is that w/ all motor you can get parts as they become available, w/ a turbo you need to do it all @ once. It’s either save a bunch for a while, or build as you go.

Hope this helps.


:getsome::manual:

Corniest quote ever: “Get yours today! JDM is IN!”

Thanks for all the tips guys…I appreciate it…so budget wise or and power wise…tha difference between buiding an ls/vtec and building a b20…and spikey ill fix the location thing 1nce I get to a computer.it won’t let me on my sidekick…I was thinking also to keep saving for a k swap…suggestions?

lets make this simple what are your power goals?

Well in terms of power goals…I wanna hit 250+ to tha wheels…I figure it would be the only way to hang wit my friends

250+ WHP = you are pretty much going boost. A 250 WHP all motor setup would need huge cams, super high compression, 2.0 L displacement, Port and polish, etc. That is WAY more than $1500. IMO, go with a homemade turbo setup. www.homemadeturbo.com will get you started. Probably can get it done under $1000. Just get either a t3 super 60 .60/.63 off a manual thunderbird, or like a t3/t4 50 trim. A log manifold will do you, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 charge piping, a small front mount intercooler, upgraded clutch, 2 1/2" downpipe back exhaust, 38mm wastegate, a blow off valve, oil lines, couplers and clamps, and all of the other little things. Then get your ECU chipped and tune it on turbo edit. I would get ARP headstuds and a new HONDA headgasket to be safe, and maybe a manual boost controller so you can up the boost a little if needed. Remember that the teg is only 2400-2700 Lbs. and the other cars listed are much heavier, so you have that advantage. I honestly dont think that all motor on your budget would be the way to

way to hang wit my friends
. Do some searching on turbo setups and read the turbo guide. Turbo tegs can be pretty quick, and should be comparable or better performance and gas mileage wise do to the power to weight ratio and the efficiency of the Honda 4 banger. HTH!

Jeff

Hmmm…turbo huh?..never thought bout boostin it…would it still b a reliable car or problem city?

theres tons of guys pushing 300whp + on bone stock buttom ends. with no issues. If you keep it at 250-270whp your fine

THE TUNE IS KEY IF YOU WANT IT TO LAST.

Hmm…ok…think I might end up boosting then…so the main question in my head…start building from the motor I hav now…ls/vtec…or b20…or type r

The LS motor is great for turbo, just get it rebuilt (rings, bearings, seals, pumps,belts) first to hold up realiably under boost. Goin’ fast is great but you want to be able to do it time & time again.

As stated before, if you go ahead & get turbo cams & pistons, you’ll have an awesome setup to compliment the snail. But of course, you’ll have to install those cams & pistons when the turbo goes on. They won’t work very well on N/A. So you may want to have it all done @ once.

Good luck.
PS- Get an HKS RFL (Real Fuckin’ Loud) Blow off valve; cause they scare people. They’re also adjustable to “tame the beast”


:getsome::manual:

Corniest quote ever: “Get yours today! JDM is IN!”

Its not an HKS actually, it is a Turbo XS RFL. I have it, and it is awesome! Perfect sound! I would throw on some ARP headstuds and a new head gasket, leaving the rest of the engine alone. that is if everything is good with the engine now, like no burning oil, big leaks, etc. Also, just do a compression check, and if it comes out good you are good to go. No need to go overkill when you’re on a budget. Put the money saved into a better turbo system. Like it was said above, many have stock Ls’s with over 300 WHP, a local has 400 WHP all stock engine.

Ooh ok…so if I decide to build and boost my ls motor I can make good numbers?..I mostly still won’t touch my boys supra…but hopefully hang wit errbody else…and hopefully won’t b the slowest car anymore…thinking k swap in the future tho…would it be worth the money?

First of all, you REALLY NEED TO SEARCH!!! When you say things like

Ooh ok…so if I decide to build and boost my ls motor I can make good numbers?..I mostly still won’t touch my boys supra…but hopefully hang wit errbody else…and hopefully won’t b the slowest car anymore…thinking k swap in the future tho…would it be worth the money?
,and I know that it has been covered a bazillion times before, it makes me want to just skip over this thread. Anyways, IMO, K is overrated. At least for now, at the prices they are pulling. Don’t get me wrong, they are an AWESOME motor with an awesome design, just very expensive, and a B can built up stronger than a stock K for way cheaper. I think there is a chance of ‘hanging’ with the supra if it is still on stock turbos and under or right around 400WHP. Remember the weight difference, you might not make nearly as much power, but you could have a better Power to Weight ratio. A 250-300 WHP teg could probably take the supra if the drivers are equal, until the top end because our cars dont accellerate as well as them at high MPH because they are RWD and have six gears. Boost your shit and dont look back. Just dont expect a ebay kit to do the job. GO TO THE WEBSITE I GAVE YOU EARLIER!! homemadeturbo.com is all that you really need, in conjunction with G2IC. I dont think you even need to rebuild your motor, especially on a budget of $1500. that is unless the motor is beat and has low compression/leakdown numbers.

Jeff

Koo…thanks guys…I appreciate all the help…and jeff…hopefully ill be able to hang wit the supra…