3.0 sohc build

[Wiscoballer]

Well, I figure its time to start my thread. I won't have much progress to show until I get back home from school, but I got a bit of work done over easter.

Starting point:


Large rust hole below gas cap, few small ones on the roof, factory "racing stripes"

Grill painted black, planning the same for all the interior trim.

Motor Modifications planned:

ported intake
ported 52mm throttle body (Here)
new exhaust
T3 Turbo, 60 Trim
2.25" downpipe
diamante cams
new headers (flanges on the way)
MegaSquirt
Bigger injectors
plenum spacers (material on the way)

Interior Modifications
Replace broken trim (arrived)
Plastic trim painted black
Race Seats (Sparco hopefully)
5 Point harnesses

Suspension
R/T suspension, looking at:
KYB Adjustable Struts
Koni Shocks
Strut Bar
Sway Bar

Exterior mods:
fmic
rework front bumper for intake/fmic
paint
trim delete
functional hood scoop (debating this, or turbo through hood)
Replace fog lights (on the way)

My WTB thread for this build:
http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/sh...392#post908392

[c2xejk]

Well, I figure its time to start my thread. I won't have much progress to show until I get back home from school, but I got a bit of work done over easter.

Welcome!

Starting point:


Large rust hole below gas cap, few small ones on the roof, factory "racing stripes"

Grill painted black, planning the same for all the interior trim.

Motor Modifications planned:

ported intake
ported 52mm throttle body
new exhaust
mitsu turbo
2.25" downpipe
fmic
diamante cams
new pistons
full rebuild
new headers
MegaSquirt
Bigger injectors (on the way, believe 37 lb/hr?)

Which 'mitsu' turbo? You are likely going to want a fairly sizable turbo like a T3/T4 hybrid with a 60-trim...

The down-pipe you want for a turbo would be 2.5" or 3" (or larger if you are going really radical.)

I would skip the diamante cams and go with a regrind. You could probably run a race regrind if you have a valve job done and have the machinest set the valve tip height higher than stock. Let me know if you want some help with this.

Interior Modifications
Plastic trim painted black
Race Seats (Sparco hopefully)
5 Point harnesses

Back when I was planning on running normally-aspirated I was toying with light weight racing seats. In my research I found that it is 'highly recommended' that you have a roll-bar before you go with racing seats and/or 5-point harness. Basically in a rollover, the stock seats and belts give you room to slump/move when the roof collapses. Without that room, very bad things can happen...

Suspension
Koni struts(r/t)
1" lowering springs
monroe gas shocks

Unless you have the Koni struts and springs (or are planning on modifying struts for another vehicle,) you might want to look at going with a coil-over setup. Wide range of parts to tune the suspension with and more adjustability for the ride height...

Exterior mods:
rework front bumper for intake/fmic
paint
trim delete
functional hood scoop (debating this, or turbo through hood)

[Wiscoballer]

Welcome!

Which 'mitsu' turbo? You are likely going to want a fairly sizable turbo like a T3/T4 hybrid with a 60-trim...
one off of a 2.5 L I4

The down-pipe you want for a turbo would be 2.5" or 3" (or larger if you are going really radical.)

I don't plan on going very radical. I want to be running around 250 HP, so I am fine with a smaller downpipe

I would skip the diamante cams and go with a regrind. You could probably run a race regrind if you have a valve job done and have the machinest set the valve tip height higher than stock. Let me know if you want some help with this.

Might want help, but looking to keep it cheap. I have access to mills/lathes at school, and plan on using them as much as possible.



Back when I was planning on running normally-aspirated I was toying with light weight racing seats. In my research I found that it is 'highly recommended' that you have a roll-bar before you go with racing seats and/or 5-point harness. Basically in a rollover, the stock seats and belts give you room to slump/move when the roof collapses. Without that room, very bad things can happen...

Good to know. I wanted racing seats more for looks, but I was thinking of putting together a bolt together roll cage for the interior.


Unless you have the Koni struts and springs (or are planning on modifying struts for another vehicle,) you might want to look at going with a coil-over setup. Wide range of parts to tune the suspension with and more adjustability for the ride height...

Also good to know. I plan on trying to keep this cheap, and was hoping to find someone parting a R/T that had recently replaced suspension parts.

Thanks!

[c2xejk]

The mitsu turbo off a Chrysler 2.5L I-4 is definitely WAY too SMALL! I ran a garret from a 2.2L which is a bigger turbo and that was really too small. right now there appear to be several good cheap turbos that will work way better.

For the downpipe, I really wouldn't go smaller than a 2.5"

If you put a roll-bar in, make sure you follow the NHRA guidelines in case you ever take it to the track.

There are a lot of ebay coil-over kits that will work ok.

Ed Kelly
www.kmperformance.com

[Ondonti]

You can always go with a seat that is more race inspired but not a death trap in a cageless car.
Bigger turbo, bigger exhaust.
What year car is that? I got the side skirts and front bumper off an older AA body years ago but I lost the side skirts at someone elses house. I don't know what trimlevel that is and have not seen one since.

[Wiscoballer]

It is a 1990 Spirit ES. I will look into turbos, but I find the Mitsu's for $40. i was thinking 2 small ones=1 big one? Like, run one off each header, instead of just one off the crosspipe. still thinking, havent bought too much yet, just the TB, fuel injectors, and a trim piece (broke off taking my backpack out last year)

Just polished up the throttle body.

[MC#4]

Always good to see another 3.0 build. Keep this thread updated and don't hesitate to ask questions.

[Wiscoballer]

I am sure I will ask quite a few, as I have almost no experience with turbos...

[Sundance 6g72]

i would go wish kyb gas adjust rear shocks personally. the konis up front is nice though!

dont get those cams unless you find them for a cheep price. they help but the money is better spent on other things usually.

i think those injectors are a good choice too. The exhaust needs to be bigger though.

[Wiscoballer]

Planning on a bigger exhaust, but not going for the cat delete like you did. Trying to find stuff used but not abused, so kinda in the "show me what you got" stage. I understand the cams are overrated, but I was thinking that they would be helpful with the turbo, as the intake would be extended.

[Sundance 6g72]

they are deff helpful but its hard to justify lets say.. $50 for them. I got mine for $20 so it was no big deal.

it just depends i guess. The difference in duration is very little and i think the lift is the same as stock. just a fun mod really. I used dsm headbolts as my main crank cap bolts but it was totally unnecessary.. just something fun.

feel free to smooth out the throttle body. see that lip in the bore of the TB (looking at the pic). This is a fun mod too and wont really do much but it cant hurt.

i have a ported upper plenum i could sell ya for a few bucks. it still needs some more porting doen to it but most of the work is done already. if you have the time, you could port yours or grab a second one from a local junkyard.


my issue with the stock cat staying in place is that its small and wont flow well. a turbo on a 3.0 will make it feel great no matter what but it wont be as fast as it could be. I would recommend a magnaflow high flow 3inch cat but some say they dont actually work as well as a regular restrictive car.


something cool would be a cutout right before the cat. run like a 3inch downpipe into the stock exhaust and have the cutout right where the 3inch ends. you can be loud and fast when you want, and then legal when you want. just some thoughts.

[Wiscoballer]

Might take that plenium off you. Gonna put it under the mill and smooth it all out. I plan on having a daily driver that can hit a few tracks, but mainly be driven as a point a to point b car. I am going to most likely pull the TB apart, and stick it in the lathe, and bore it out a bit.

[Ondonti]

I would get the megasquirt running before you step from the boltons to turbo setup. 50 dollars is not bad for cams since junkyard prices are not the same for everyone. There are a lot of things you will do for 50 dollars that sure don't help much so its not like the cams are a ripoff. 3" catco cat works fine and if you have stock ignition timing will pass emissions. I removed mine and am saving it for whenever I might want to use it.

[Wiscoballer]

I don't have emissions testing, as WI doesn't require it. I am simply hoping to keep it as stock as possible, hence the "Budget Build" atmosphere. I am concerned about my fuel injectors, as the ones I was supposed to be recieving have been replaced by hershey's chocolate bars...

[Sundance 6g72]

first off, file a claim with paypal (i hope you did it threw paypal)

you can run 3800 supercharged injectors from a poniac (they are high impedence) youl want to do some research on what year had certain sizes.

[Wiscoballer]

No, I worked a deal with Username, where he would ship them, and I would send back cookies. I sent a picture of what I recieved to him, but he has not responded. Gotta wait this one out...

Edit: He said that is not what he shipped. I will need to investigate this further.

[c2xejk]

It is a 1990 Spirit ES. I will look into turbos, but I find the Mitsu's for $40. i was thinking 2 small ones=1 big one?

True, but the complexity level rises pretty quickly... One large turbo is physically only slightly larger than a small turbo. Then you have a myriad of pipes and hoses that you have to buy/fabricate/run. (intake piping, exhaust piping, oil supply and return lines, etc.) I can see the cost of the extras quickly out pacing the cost of one properly sized turbo from somewhere like CXRacing... Then there is the issue of finding space for the extra turbo and its supporting parts...

For reference the turbo below is ~$240

http://www.cxracing.com/mm5/merchant...gory_Code=T3T4

[Wiscoballer]

if it is only slightly larger, then why would it make a huge difference? sorry if it is a stupid question. I am not going for an all out build, I simply want to add a bit of horsepower to my car.

[TainterRacing]

Physical size of the turbo don’t tell the story to well. It matters what the wheel sizes are and the Mitsubishi ones are going to be too small unless you were to run td06.

[Wiscoballer]

think the 3800 SC injectors are good? I know Sundance said they are, and I have a bead on a set for cheap (less than $50), but if people have a better idea, im open to it.