OK, All tips & Tricks To Build A 2.6 Turbo

[Conquest351]

Ok,

There are always different parts that you can use from different vehicles or certain gaskets you need to use to port the head, special things you need to do to help the engine out, little tricks to do this or that, if you want real power you gotta do this...

 

What are the tricks you know and what part numbers, vehicles, techniques, or anything like that do you use to make your 2.6T a bad a**?

 

 

I smell a FAQ  LOL

 

Lataz,

 

Brian

[chiplee]

it kinda seems like this could be as simple as looking at the mods lists people have who've had success with the 2.6.  Success being anything over say 250whp.  I guess I'll just post my mods because that's basically all I can think of.

 

JE forged pistons

Total seal rings

Krankvents

Shot peened and polished rods

ARP head stud kit

Balance shafts eliminated

Mechanical valve adjuster rockers

New stock valves

Heavy duty valve springs

Schneider 292 Cam

Balanced rotating assembly

Clevite 77 rod bearings, ITM mains

11lbs. Aluminum Flywheel (fidanza)

Pro-grip Clutch

Bosch 125 psi fuel Pump

K&N cone filter

20g-1a w/ ported TD05 exhaust housing and ported wastegate

3" turbo inlet pipe

2.25" intercooler pipes turbo to I/C

Stock Intercooler w/ 2.25 inlet and outlet

2.5" intercooler pipes I/C to TB

Silicone couplers w/T-bolt clamps

HKS racing BOV

65mm Throttle body

Magna MPI intake 720cc injectors

Marnal Head, mild port&polish

TEP Metal shim head gasket

Mildly ported exhaust manifold

3" Mandrel bent exhaust

Pro Flow muffler

 

Electrical:

 

Hawk EC21 engine management

Saab 900 ignitor,

MSD Blaster III

8.5mm Magnacore Wires

BCFPR

Greddy Profec B, excellent controller

Autometer A/F meter &  Boost guage pillar mounted

Apexi auto timer

 

first time to the dyno that all yielded 270whp and 320wtq.  I haven't made it back to the dyno since tuning out some problems but it feels alot better.  We'll see.

[Lizzord30]

here is a quick list, for a cheaper set up sorta

FP 18g heavily ported

Stock exhaust manifold, heavily ported

magna intake

hawk c12

2.5in ic pipes (mandrel bent pipes cut too fit with straight radiator hose connection them together)

2.5in exhaust 3in glass pack muff

clearwater head, heavily ported

hd Schneider springs

plug wires

bs elim

tq strap

shortened shifter

master fuel pump

3/8 fuel lines

Cheap cone air filter

3in turbo boot

Felpro 88-89 head gasket

650cc inj

1G bypass (not with stock pipe)

Fuso IC

ARP head bolts

Schneider 284H cam

Spec stage 2 clutch

Lightened fly wheel

[Conquest351]

What I was more looking for was stuff like the best head gasket and part numbers for it.  Like the Fel Pro head gasket part number.  Also things like this intake gasket is what you need to port your head with, these plugs are the best to run if you are upping the boost, a mass air unit from a 1st gen Eclipse is what you need to look for as an easy upgrade.  You know, things like that.  Also things like, opening the oil return passages in the block to such & such will help oil return to the pan, but it you open them to so & so then you'll hit a water passage.  You know little easy tricks and stuff like that.  If noone knows about these then I guess I'll find everything out on the motor I'm gonna build.  If anyone has any tricks to freeing up some horsepower, let me know.  That's really all I'm looking for.

 

Laters,

 

Brian

[Lizzord30]

some of the crank pulles on the na 2.6's have a bolt on pully for the ac and with it removed the pully weights about 3.5lb's a under drive alum one is about 3lb's. Every one i talk too likes the tep metal head gasket, and for valve cover gaskets go with a victor renze much better then felpro, can reuse alot more As far as the other gaskets go i would go with felpro, make sure you use a decent amount of rtv on the timming cover too colant passage and the water pump too timming cover. I have heard some ppl use crank or rod berings (dont remeber) that have a slot for oil on both halfs (use 2  of the one side). I really like my accel v plugs put them at about .032 or .034 gap and their happy too what ever boost i give them for porting on the exhaust side of the head try too more or less flaten the bottom out and work on polishing and making the port nice, and intake side i would try too make it flow good and dont polish much Make sure you dont hit the jet valve jacket. Also gasket match the intake and exhaust. On exhaust manifold make sure you remove the coaler a good deal and port the turbo too match (and match the gasket also) i would use 2 gasktes for the turbo too exhaust manifold with the ring removed and cut a small line inbetewn the cyl. ON exhaust manifold i would reuse the stock exhaust manifold gasket and use a felpro. As you said 1g mass i asoom you are going with tbi, i would make sure you flaten the buterfly on the tb (grind it pretty flat) and smooth the transition from upper tb housing too TB. I would also remove the separator, but make sure you dont ground the top part too far too go into the inj seat area. Also i would go with 2 1/4in hard pipes and cut the stock ic pipe that goes over and replace with the 2 1/4in, Also use the stock down pipe and weld a pipe after the housing and port that out pretty good if you can i would run down pipe with a high flow muff under the car and dump (glass pack, or a stright throught desined muff).

[heefner]

I'm running NGK BPR7ES11 plugs gapped at around 32.  And as Luke said port the hell out of everything to help it breath better.

[artinist]

i have 2 ?'s

 

do we need to repalce the timing chain when rebuilding? what other timing related parts do I need to get, besides the balance shaft elination kit?

 

do we really need stainless steel valves? i never heard of any burning up but I was thinking of getting stainless at least on the exhaust side. what do you think, should i just go with stockers?

[chiplee]

personally I think the stock valves are better.  I replaced my when one got bent but I replaced them with the '83 style valves from Marnal.  I would strongly encourage you to replace the timing chain yes.  If you get the adjustable cam gear I put up in the GP forum it comes with the crank and cam gear and a new chain.  Then you'd just need guides and a tensioner if you wanted it all new.

[Boosted_One]

i have 2 ?'s

 

do we need to repalce the timing chain when rebuilding? what other timing related parts do I need to get, besides the balance shaft elination kit?

 

do we really need stainless steel valves? i never heard of any burning up but I was thinking of getting stainless at least on the exhaust side. what do you think, should i just go with stockers?

 

I've heard the Stelite exhaust valves can take more than SS.

 

I agree with Chip, my Marnal valves have taken everything my last motor has went thru.

 

Put the $$ towards a good cam or something

[turboTSI]

my .02  

 

Forged pistons

total seal rings

copper or metal shim head gasket

large turbo (T3 OR T3/T4)

Caravan or magna intake

non jet head

284 or larger cam

HD springs

lightened stock or fidanza flywheel

low compression HIGH psi

no exhaust (well like 2.5" strait out no cats or mufflers   3" to much lag)

LARGE FMIC

15-18psi +

1g mas (unless u do magna)

B.S removed

HD 4 or 6 puk clutch

HV fuelpump

2.5" IC hard pipes

NGK BPR7ES plugs

Accell or any 8mm wires

GREAT COOLING SYSTEM

lighten as much as u can get rid of all excess weight

 

 

 

turboTSI

[Ryan_V]

Thanks guys, any machine werk type tips that could free up hp.

[turboTSI]

PORTING!!!

 

 

turboTSI

[FastEddie]

Machine Shop Work: DONT GOTO THE CHEAPEST GUY IN TOWN.  You'll reget it latter........

 

-Edward

[Conquest351]

Well, my guy is the cheapest for us cuz he's hooking it up.  He he he  Machine shop is taken care of.

[importwarrior]

get a good header!!!!!!

 

shawn silva,

chad

they both make great products!

[Mark_T]

I would suggest this for a basic short  block so the bottom end stays together.

A complete washing of the block and crank rods and all small parts

drill out the oil passage ways 10 t0 20 % over size

Tap all hole with threds

smooth rods

Smooth crank

have crank ck for true throughs  ( make sure each through is the same)

Have the rods resized  and make sure each rod is the same distance center to center, have the rods shot peened .

aftere . boring the block  install the crank rods and pistons and ck deck height of pistons if any are higher then another take the highest down to the lowest or better yet have an agree with the piston manufacture to replace any pistyon that is not the same pin height .

After making sure all the pistons are the same height take it apart and clean all oil holes and all small places for crap to hide with a good solvant  then a strong soap and water solution.   blow dry with air and paint with a good block paint inside .

Put the engine together with care and atten to detail have some one ck all touquing spec's and double ck all bearings .  

When done seal block and start on head.

Have fun

mark T

[artinist]

has anyone done that Nitrite hardening process to the crank? is it necessary? TEP made it should like a requirement when I talked to them.

[Richie_Rich]

Our cranks have a surface hardening already.

The only time you would want to redo this is if you had the crank ground.

 

My engine had over 140,xxx miles on it and the crank only needed a light polishing.

 

My oil clearances are toward the high side of spec.

 

The best advice I can give about doing a performance rebuild, is to check and measure everything.  Don't trust anyone that didn't actually do the measuring.

Don't believe everything you read either.  A lot is based on unchecked "facts".

 

There are so many different ways to go with our engines, it's best to decide what you want to do and ask questions here for the varying opinions.

 

Rich

[Lidoidol]

On every motor I have every built I have coated the entire inside of the block with Glyptal surface coating. It aids in oil drainback thus keeping more oil in the pan, and less up in the block where it creates windage

[Mr._Pop-ups]

my .02  

 

 

no exhaust (well like 2.5" strait out no cats or mufflers   3" to much lag)

 

I dont understand why you guys think a 3" exhaust = lag? The faster you can get the exhaust gasses out of the turbo the better. When i put a 3" on my Talon with the stock 14b turbo, i GAINED 2 psi and the boost came on about 500 rpm LESS. To test spool, be in 4th or 5th gear at about 2000rpm, then floor it and watch at what RPM you hit full boost. If youre talking about off idle response, it might seem like its laggy because the boost start building sooner, but you dont feel the full effect till higher up. Like with a larger turbo, you think youre not making the power, because it comes on in a more linear fashion, not like WHAM and wow.

[Mr._Pop-ups]

has anyone done that Nitrite hardening process to the crank? is it necessary? TEP made it should like a requirement when I talked to them.

 

Stock the crank is Nitrite hardened. If you grind the crank any, it loses it. Goodluck on finding someone let alone a cheap someone to do it for you.

[johnfjamerson]

I dont understand why you guys think a 3" exhaust = lag? The faster you can get the exhaust gasses out of the turbo the better. When i put a 3" on my Talon with the stock 14b turbo, i GAINED 2 psi and the boost came on about 500 rpm LESS. To test spool, be in 4th or 5th gear at about 2000rpm, then floor it and watch at what RPM you hit full boost. If youre talking about off idle response, it might seem like its laggy because the boost start building sooner, but you dont feel the full effect till higher up. Like with a larger turbo, you think youre not making the power, because it comes on in a more linear fashion, not like WHAM and wow.

 

 

ok, no no no.

while im saying this, keep these key points in mind.

velocity = speed, as used here, speed of the exhaust gas.

diamiter = size, pipe size, drr.

flow = absolute maximum it will flow.

 

when you take a three inch pipe, and compare it to a 2.5" pipe, we can all se how much more it will flow, what you dont see, is how much less velocity that jump makes. velocity is what makes your turbo spool faster. ---your all gonna disagree with this point--- when you take a stock turbo and head, and port the livin crap out of it, you get more lag. sure you get more flow on the top, and thats why we do it. I had no lag what so ever on my 87. untill i ported the head. sure i got more power, and higher boost, but more lag. it took several 100's more revs to get the same boost. Y? because the same physical amount of exahust gas comeing out was spread over a larger diameter port. it moved SLOWER. the slower moving gas means slower spinning turbo. the same will go with the exhaust. the more velocity you can get with the same amount of air, the faster everything will work. Its a proven fact, on both na cars AND turbo cars. sure you get more flow out of a larger diamiter pipe. but for 90% of us, that jump just doesent help that much. Its cool though, to say "i got a 3-inch mandrel exhaust from the turbo back." -thats what i say. I got a 3" exhaust. But do i need it to flow that same amount of air? no. Im still running a 12a.

Think about how much air our engines use. at 15psi at 6000 rpm we use about 500cfm. (and thats exadurated) you think a two and a half inch pipe cant flow that?

-besides, more velocity at the lower end revs means more tourqe, and thats just the way every single internal combustion engine on the planet works.

 

Dont think you (Mr. pop-zits) can just mosey your way on in here and tell me whats what. Show me your ASE certifications (and yes I, DO have 11 of them) and then ill shut up.

[chiplee]

ok, no no no.

while im saying this, keep these key points in mind.

velocity = speed, as used here, speed of the exhaust gas.

diamiter = size, pipe size, drr.

flow = absolute maximum it will flow.

 

when you take a three inch pipe, and compare it to a 2.5" pipe, we can all se how much more it will flow, what you dont see, is how much less velocity that jump makes. velocity is what makes your turbo spool faster. ---your all gonna disagree with this point--- when you take a stock turbo and head, and port the livin crap out of it, you get more lag. sure you get more flow on the top, and thats why we do it. I had no lag what so ever on my 87. untill i ported the head. sure i got more power, and higher boost, but more lag. it took several 100's more revs to get the same boost. Y? because the same physical amount of exahust gas comeing out was spread over a larger diameter port. it moved SLOWER. the slower moving gas means slower spinning turbo. the same will go with the exhaust. the more velocity you can get with the same amount of air, the faster everything will work. Its a proven fact, on both na cars AND turbo cars. sure you get more flow out of a larger diamiter pipe. but for 90% of us, that jump just doesent help that much. Its cool though, to say "i got a 3-inch mandrel exhaust from the turbo back." -thats what i say. I got a 3" exhaust. But do i need it to flow that same amount of air? no. Im still running a 12a.

Think about how much air our engines use. at 15psi at 6000 rpm we use about 500cfm. (and thats exadurated) you think a two and a half inch pipe cant flow that?

-besides, more velocity at the lower end revs means more tourqe, and thats just the way every single internal combustion engine on the planet works.

 

Dont think you (Mr. pop-zits) can just mosey your way on in here and tell me whats what. Show me your ASE certifications (and yes I, DO have 11 of them) and then ill shut up.

 

Everything you're saying about velocity sounds perfectly logical.  But I was always under the impression that after the turbo you just wanted to get any restriction out of the way as fast as possible.  Your point about velocity, in my understanding, would only apply to porting, or enlargement of any kind, in the actual exhaust housing of the turbo because it's the velocity air at that point that actually relates to spool up.  Now if you had a tiny exhaust on a huge turbo I guess the restriction of the exhaust would supply back pressure to help spool the turbo but that would be a bass ackwards way of fixing spool.  For that reason, I tend to believe that keeping a smaller exhaust to help spool is also somewhat backwards.  I'm not 100% sure my thinking is correct here so I just wanted to try to stimulate more conversation about the subject.  Please continue to make your point if your think I'm way off.  

[Boosted_One]

What's being said is true but we leave out a big point.

 

Our 2.6ls are very restrictive. Comparative to a 4g63 our head flows quite a bit less. To even get close to a 4V 4g63 head for example A LOT of port work is needed.

 

So what I am getting at is we have a large window to open up the motor before we will see serious side effects, especially on a 3" exhaust system IMHO.

 

If you throw a high flow convertor and 3" exhaust you can offset a slight increase in lag with the 3". Having some back pressure there kinda shows where johnfjamerson was going with the "theory" I think.

 

 

 

 

[Richie_Rich]

All I go on is what works.

 

You can talk all about the theory of everything, but what works, works.

 

I used to have a 440 Charger.  When I rebuilt the engine and started getting into performance, everyone told me a 600 or 650 Holley is all you need, so that's what I put on.  After a while of disappointing performance, I got a hold of a 750 with a milled choke tower.  Theorhetically too big, but it worked way better.  Then I got a 1150 dominator.  That worked better still.

 

I guess if you are worried about drivability, then you may not want to go with a 3" exhaust.   If you want to go fast, using a 3" exhaust will help you go faster.

 

This is a performance thread, not a stock one.  There are always trade-offs for performance.