Cheap lil N/A setup...

F23Coupe

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...

Then add in a headgasket, new timing belt, etc. Should give you around 11.1 or higher compression with all OEM parts.

Ok, say you get 11:1 CR (really ghetto style but I guess cheap), will the stock ignition be adequate to advance enough to prevent detonation? I know people say stock ignition is good enough up to a mild turbo setup (same for fuel) but I always wonder what that means in terms of compression ratios.
 

BlkCurrantKord

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How is it ghetto? It's the only effective way to properly increase the compression ratio significantly. Using a 1 layer headgasket and milling your head past .040 and decking the block is ghetto.

Since we can't advance or retard our ignition system, I'd have to say that if the stock setup is working for guys pushing out 250whp and up on turbo setups than it should plenty good enough for something such as this.
 

F23Coupe

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It's ghetto because of the parts from the Ebay auctions you listed. If you read the auction descriptions, you'll know what I mean.

Some of them are generic or no-name parts that you have very little to know whether they'll hold up as good as OEM parts. There's a price you pay when you buy generic Pep Boys-grade engine parts like in these auctions: reliability and lesser tolerance manufacturing. Especially the pistons you listed.

They're unbelievably cheap, but do you want to raise compression on sub-OEM quality parts? That's where it's ghetto. If you modify, especially to get higher compression, you might as well go with OEM or better quality, not a refurbed piston set like the one you listed.

If you buy these parts and you get a great quality set and be as durable or more than OEM equivalents, hats off to you because you saved hundreds of dollars. But if they fail and you end up spending money on labor to replace them, they'll cost you more in the long run.
 

BlkCurrantKord

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I would hardly consider ACL or ARP, "ghetto". Just b/c the makers of the pistons/rods arent some name brand that doesnt mean they arent quality. There are, believe it or not, companies out there that manufacture factory parts w/ no name brand. They're so cheap b/c they're cast like the stock pieces instead of forged like JE, SRP, Wiseco, etc. If you don't trust the stuff I listed, fine, no one said you had to use it. But don't go calling it ghetto based solely off the description when you've never actually held the part in your hand to examine its quality. In fact, if anyone questions their quality, e-mail the seller of the item.

Wanna go cheaper? Reuse your stock rods, get em shot peened, find someone selling their stock K20 pistons and get some new rings for them. The point wasn't to list the exact parts they should use to do this, it was to outline what they would need. In this case, rods, pistons/rings, bearings, rod bolts, head bolts.
 

skabone

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very intresting stuff. I can't wait to see some dyno numbers from this project. 170whp would be pretty sweet for the kind of money you guys are talking.:cool:
 

Sonnick

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very intresting stuff. I can't wait to see some dyno numbers from this project. 170whp would be pretty sweet for the kind of money you guys are talking.:cool:
With all of the above listed plus an aggressive cam, you are looking at a good deal more than 170whp..I would say along the lines of 180-190whp, which should be good for high 14s.
 

turboputz

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Bisi cam= 220whp!

Are you just saying that because you think we're getting caried away with out any proof of numbers? Full port and polish and port match on everything, 11:1 comp, bisi cam, carefully chosen support mods and tuning perhaps even with aid of a wide-band and there's no reason you can't get that. But when you're talking about almost 100 more hp you are going to have to look at changing those fuel injectors.

If I ever lose my mind enough to start tearing into the bottom end, it will be built for increased displacement as well as high compression. I like the idea of shotpeening the original rods as long as they are free of cracks, to save a little money on the build and start with OEM quality. Then bore the block and attach some aftermarket K20 slugs 87-88mm and make the F23 a true 2.3+L torque horse. Only thing I would need to look into there is the deshrouding of the combuston chamber to match the bore. But when I start to think about it I doubt really going that far because I know want to be driving something AWD and factory turbo by the time I'm 30. Seems like a reachable goal if I can get the car to where I'm happy enough and then just drive it to until it dies.
 
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