by orlin03 » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:18 pm
This is where the fun is at: searching for parts, finding what's out there, and coming up with a budget. Use the search engine and see what's out there! A few tips that work with any engine: use the best rod bolts you can afford, use the best rings you can afford, and find a good machinist to refresh your heads. Always use new head bolts. Take the block to the machinist right away (or measure everything yourself) to see if you need to turn down the crank for oversized bearings or replace/overbore the pistons. Check the deck and the head surface for trueness, as they could need a shaving (and usually do). The factory clearances are ok, so if they are met, your fine; if not, you're going to be replacing things anyway, so nows the time to consider upgrades if you're so inclined.
Chose a ring with a coating, such as plasma-moly, for better protection, longer life, and more performance; they withstand heat better and can run tighter tolerances, which can keep more combustion pressure in the chamber for more power. If you're going to replace pistons, Forged pistons, like those from Wiseco, are good for boost, and are very durable, but not necassary; if you get them, you can usually chose your compression ratio, and they will tell you what should work, but it will be up to you to check all final clearances. Remember that whatever had to be removed from the decks must be calculated into compression ratios now. Let us know what all you need to replace, and what you will be keeping!
The best place to spend a few extra bucks is on the heads... I mentioned in another post yesterday about the new March issue of import tuner's article on head work; I always swear by a well modified head! Get a five angle valve job, and simply clean up the castings yourself with a dremel, and you will see gains; gasket match the intake ports (instal the gasket, draw it on the head, and remove material), and port the passages, and you will see a huge difference- just don't go nuts. Mild is the way to go, as you can expect payoffs throughout the rpm range with mild alterations. Then, of course, there are cams to consider- again, a slight difference can be the most rewarding. Also, again, tell the cam supplier what type of piston/compression you will be running; if you're going big on compression, you will need different valve timing to avoid contact.
BTW, how did you fry the rings?
