Need help with Mods

Hey im new here, and im sorry if i am bringing up an old topic but i just got my engine fully rebuilt at 180,000 miles and was wondering if it is possible and reliable to reach 275-300 awhp and with what mods, im on a fairly tight budget but i would like to know what are the best mod set ups to reach that goal reliable; turbo (thinking of gt28rs garret), BOV, exhaust, dp, mp, fuel mangement if needed, injectors ect. and also a rough price estimate, im only 17 so i will need the cheapest but best way to go. thank you in advanced. (oh almost forgot its a 1990 all-trac)

well first off let me say this, if your trying to cut corners because your budget it tight your just going to end up blowing up your car. Personally I wouldnt even bother doing a mod unless its done right. to get that kind of power shouldnt be hard with an upgraded turbo & fuel, how was the engine rebuilt? full race or stock specs? another thing to consider would be some sort of engine management. You could definately hit that kind of hp with the stock turbo, fmic, fuel and computer. Assuming the engine was rebuilt properly. Would probably need to know more about what your after, what type of driving you'll be doing & how much cash you actually have. These cars can get pricey to mod, mostly everything seems to be a custom job.

well i want to do it right i was just wondering about price ive got about $2500-3000 to put into mods i was just wondering what i should do first. also my engine was rebuilt to stoclk specs. i also dont want to cut any corners and blow up my car. so what upgrade should i preform first, should i keep the stock turbo or upgrade it . what fuel management ect...

Here are some things you can do:

Downpipe (either hollow-out your cat for free or buy an Aussie)

Full exhaust, 3-inch

Cone-air filter. You can find these on Ebay with adapters for around 30$

Boost controller. A manual ball-and-spring type is fine. Take the boost to just below whatever the stock fuel-cut will allow. Ebay has them on the cheap.

Blow of Valve. HKS Super Sequential seems the BOV of choice for most Alltrac owners.

Right here you should be at or under $1000 total spent and will have experienced very significant power increases over stock. And if it were me, I would stop at this point and use the rest of the cash to make sure that every single part of my Alltrac works and looks the way it is supposed to....i.e...maintenance.

Following this, things get much more complicated and expensive:

Turbo upgrade - your CT26 can be rebuilt to become very effective for street applications. Steer away from buying another turbo at your budget. You will be opening the door to big expenses (manifold, DP, custom oil and coolant lines, etc)

Fuel-cut defencer - Allows your rebuilt CT26 turbo to run more boost without the fuel cutting out. A nice and efficient BAR of boost should be more than possible if you do everything else below. You can even make one of these yourself if you are mechanically/electronically inclined.

Supra fuel pump - keeps your from running lean under higher boost. Salvage yard time.

larger injectors - 550cc should do well at this level. Some Supras had these in them.

Intercooler upgrade - you will need it if you start running around a BAR of boost.

All the above will probably eat up the last of your money, but you will need to consider engine management to handle this second set of upgrades as your stock computer will freak out and you will have a hell of a time trying to tune everything in.

Good luck!

Todd

You could end up spending that much on a computer & tuning, not to mention all the other crap you would want/need to make the whole thing run right. If I were you I'd stick with the stock turbo for now, do your basic mods: straight intake, cone filter, mbc, fcd, fan on ic or go fmic, catch can, boost guage, blow off valve/bypass valve, egt guage & probe. Then comes one of the bigger costs: exhaust. Those right there will run you close or over 2 g's depending on what you choose for exhaust and if you decide to get a fmic. After that is when all the big ticket items come into play. Injectors, fuel rail, fuel pump, fpr, engine management, upgraded turbo etc etc..... there are so many items your going to need to run higher hp reliably and safely. If this is your first project, start slow, you gotta learn to walk before you run. Be smart about what your doing, weigh all your options and ask questions. I've always believed that the only dumb question is one that was not asked. And just remember if you want to make your car fast you have to find a way to make it stop just as fast, a lot of people overlook braking when they upgrade thier cars. There are just sooooo many different things to weigh when building up a car.

Oh, and add a boost guage in the first group

Autometer will take care of all the stuff you need at this level.

ha we must have posted at the same time

Thanks for all your help and advice... also will an intercooler fan be a more cost effective then a front mount and my turbo is clicking as of right now should i get it rebuilt or buy a used ct26...

Well, as for the turbo your choices are:

1. Buy a used CT26and rebuild it, hope that it matches up as nice to your manifold and DP, and wonder how much of someone else's problem you ended up with.

2. Rebuild the one you already have. You know the turbo and manifold match up well with no leaks, and you know how much work it needs (vane condition, etc) so there is less risk.

I have found that when people sell a used turbo, they are selling it because it needs a rebuild. "Zero shaft play" is not in the vocabulary of a used turbo. Choice is pretty easy if you ask me.

The only reason I would upgrade is if you have a single entry and want to go dual entry. But that would also mean a new manif and DP.

As for the intercooler:

It depends on what model Alltrac you have. The st165 WTA IC can support up to around 250hp (more depending on the weather outside) with some heatshielding, cold-airbox, and a heat-exchange fan. I am not sure about the st185 topmount as I do not have one.

Sticking a fan on either of the stock IC's will really only help you out at low speeds though as no fan will simulate 60mph of wind over the vanes.

A FMIC will be required to break out of the 250hp range however, but will only be most effective at speed (unless it gets a fan too).

I say spend ome of that money on a Jack Russell racing school performance driving class first and learn to exploit what you have, then a full exhaust/air filter combo. Once you start turning up the boost (you will gain a few pounds of boost with just the exhaust) slowly raise the boost a pound or two at a time and get it on the dyno to see if their are any issues happening. You will be pleasantly suprised at how much faster it will be with just the boost raised and an exhaust. An intercooler upgrade or water injection would be good too.
Beyond the simple stuff a standalone/rail/injectors/fuel pump upgrade are next followed by the bigger turbo.