Rebuilding for Turbo

[Zuriki]

Alright so Im planning to rebuild my engine this summer for my 95 240sx SE with 155,XXX and automatic transmission. Im really a novice when it comes to a lot of car stuff but i have a some of experience since Ive helped my dad build a 1970 Chevelle SS from ground up(I was young and did what i was told so not much knowledge gained haha). he has agreed to help me if i need any help so i shouldn't have many problems putting it all together

My goal is to be in the 350-400 rwhp range. Ive been reading as much as i can lately since Im finally getting serious(u can see Ive been a member for a long time with very few posts haha).

But heres the part list Ive acquired for the engine rebuild.AMS Ka24de rebuild basic kit Arias 8.8:1 Pistons AMS/TUrbo240 sportsman series connecting rods Clevite Bearings Fel-Pro Full engine gasket setCometic Head GasketARP head and main studswalbro fuel pumpbrian crower camshaftsbrian crower valve and spring setnismo 740 cc side feed injectorsngk plugs and wires

Thats what i plan to do initially along with taking it to the machine shop. im not sure what various terms means such as porting/polishing so lil help with the machine shop part would be great

After that i plan to do a typical T3/T04 build. this includes:Turbo manifoldBOVT3/T04 .50 trim .63 turboexternal wastegateFMIC3" downpipe3" exhaust systemhigh flow catwideband O2z32 mafnew oil lineboost gaugeromECU or some other system

So the questions i have are1) am i missing any components on the build part? i feel like im missing a few things but not sure what2) will i be able to drive this set up after the intial build but before the turbo half so i can save up more money for the turbo half?

Thanks alot for any help and sorry if this was long and typical, im kind of new (in the sense of working on the cars + im only 19 haha) so maybe lil slack if i make noob mistakes

[eazye2000]

Ugh, that's a lot of stuff you covered. I'll go back over the list when I don't have a monster headache..

But yes, you can drive the car after you build it, without having it boosted. Just get the ECU tuned for what you want to do. You can get ahold of Jason at EMance, and he can tune everything you have for running N/A. Then let him know when you get boosted, and he can send you the new chips to pop in the board and you'll be ready to go!

That's all I have for now.

[480sx]

Nice, this is what i like to see. You have a list of excellent parts, you'v done your research and chosen wisely. I can tell you your gona love that turbo, its a blast on the street. However, i have to tell you that if your only planing to run 300-400 hp, you should get a fel-pro headgasket. Trust me, you hear wayyy more people with blown cometics below 500 hp. In fact, no one really blows fel-pros unless they get a nasty case of detonation. Seriously, do yourself a favor and go with the fel pro.

Your going to need an adjustable FPR. I would go with aeromotive, or fuel labs universal 1:1 fpr.

Yes, you will be able to drive that car around N/A. It will be loud as crap if your running a 3 inch exhaust already. You want to break the car in N/A anyway. How do you plan to break it in?

With a setup like yours, skys the limit IF tuned correctly. Tuning is where you have your big choices. You could go with a tuned ECU, Enthalpy is the big name with a hell of a track record. His tunes are 500 bucks though.. People have had success with E-Mance tunes recently too, for 150ish. CalumRT(DIY rom tune) is pretty hot too now, people are loving that. However standalones are the best option, if your going to spend all that cash on your setup you really should get a stand alone and let a pro tune it. Things like overboost protection that are built in most stand alones save engines, and you money. For stand alones, the big two right now IMO for the KA are AEM EMS, or, Megasquirt 2. There are pro's and cons of both units, you will need to do your own research to figure out whats best for you. After that if you have any questions ask us.

[eazye2000]

Oh yeah. Fuel Pressure Regulator. I personally have an Aeromotive 1000-6 I believe..?

Sorry to post such low/little amounts of information. I like to keep the traffic going in here. It's almost as slow on here now, as it is over on the 'other' KA-t forum.

[Zuriki]

Thanks for the help, i didnt know about the cometic head gasket below 500 hp and i will def take that into account. and def will look into a fpr.

I wont put the 3" exhaust until i put the turbo on, u can see the list is kind of broken into 2, each half of the build haha

Im not sure how i plan to break it in yet, i guess we will see when the time comes haha

[Rhapsody]

Im not sure how i plan to break it in yet, i guess we will see when the time comes haha

If your going to be puttin in anything new, like rings, bearings, rods, pistons, etc you should follow the normal break in period unless otherwise specified by the company like cower pistons/rods. Normal break in is 500 miles no boost, no hard driving, don't go above 3000 rpm's really.

[DeXteR]

Thanks for the help, i didnt know about the cometic head gasket below 500 hp and i will def take that into account. and def will look into a fpr.

I wont put the 3" exhaust until i put the turbo on, u can see the list is kind of broken into 2, each half of the build haha

Im not sure how i plan to break it in yet, i guess we will see when the time comes haha

I'm going to recommend that you do some research before swearing off the MLS headgasket. If you do some digging, you'll find that the majority of people who have MLS gasket failures do so because they did not have the block/head interfaces machined to spec before installing the MLS gasket. Flet gaskets will seal a lot of imperfections and machining is not necessary unless you're way out of spec. The MLS is not forgiving and requires high-tolerances. If you don't want to fork over the cash to do it right, go felt.

Also, I've noticed that a lot of the AMS kits come with an oversized thrust bearings. If you haven't ordered all ready, make sure they send you the proper size.

For machine work, If you don't want things to cost you an arm and a leg, just get the basic rebuild machining - hone the cylinders, deck the block, deck the head, clean everything. However, since you're going to boost the motor, I'm going to recommend you go the extra mile. If you're using ARP main studs, you should consider having your mains align honed. Now, I'm not sure if there's any issues with just tossing aftermarket main studs in the KA, but my other 4-cylinder experience says it's a good idea to get the hone. Also, with aftermarket rods/pistons, you should your rotating assembly balanced. These things will ensure more efficient and reliable performance.

If your going to be puttin in anything new, like rings, bearings, rods, pistons, etc you should follow the normal break in period unless otherwise specified by the company like cower pistons/rods. Normal break in is 500 miles no boost, no hard driving, don't go above 3000 rpm's really.

This is a hotly debated topic. I've heard that you should drive it like you stole it. I've heard you should baby it. Do more homework, subscribe to a school of thought.

One final thing - you should consider upgrading that transmission. The s13 slushbox is not renowned for being a high-performance unit. Since I'm 5-speed, I have no knowledge regarding the auto transmission nor do I care to know. I'd assume it's going to need some beefing up to handle 400hp. Again, do some more digging.

Good luck.

[Zuriki]

im not swearing it off i just said i would considered it, i have alot more research to do i know that before i even order any parts, i want to be 100% about everything before i go spending all my money haha

havent ordered the kit yet will make sure to ask for the proper size

I prob will go the extra mile, dont want any problems in the long run that i could have prevented for a small cost upfront

I plan on doing a 5speed swap but the problem im running into is finding a 5speed tran, living in ohio has plenty of disadvantages including locating a transmission.

[Rhapsody]

You should look into salvage yards. you can find a lot of parts there for really cheap. Also i have a s14 transmission for sale if you want to look into that. e-mail me at [email protected] for further information.