Cheapest way to get more power from an NA engine?

[Cuzzo]

One of those BIG CPU fans on your inlet. Instant +10% KW. (Jks btw)

Just get it running smoothly and reliable thats what NA have over "most" FI setups. IMO

[Starfire]

The flywheel is not there to absorb shocks to the driveline - the springing on the clutch does that. It helps the car maintain a smooth idle and makes it easier to hill start. A lightened flywheel is worth it in a performance car but it's generally a bad idea to machine down a stock cast item as they dont tend to be the strongest thing in the world. The Toda item will be of very high quality in both materials and workmanship and at that price is a bargain.

If you really want an easy, cheap way of getting more power out of your 5M then I would reccomend a 25-50hp wet shot of laughing gas.

The problem with upgrading an NA engine is that most modifications require other modifications to make them work to their full potential. There is no real magic bullet that will suddenly find you 30hp unless there is a particularly badly designed part from the factory (the exhaust manifold on the proton satria gti springs to mind). The trick is to find the bottleneck in your current configuration and fix that.

Cheers,
Terry

[RObErT_RaTh]

Thanks for all your help guys I'll see if I can improve what I've got without taking off the head at this stage. And after my clutch debacle and having the gearbox pulled twice a new flywheel won't be going in just yet.

And as much fun as laughing gas sounds, I'm just looking for natural power. I'd go turbo long before putting in some nos.

Seems like I'll try and focus on new intake and CAI, and index those spark plugs. Now is indexing where I find out which way it is to best point the spark so that I get the best possible ignition? Anyone know which way to index the plugs on an MA61?

[1jzracing]

Gees' guys... let it go!!!!!

the flywheel is going to make 5/8ths of F*#% All at the end of the day so is fiddeling with the timing and mixtures your talking about gains of only a few kw's

if you want it to go faster you need to inprove the VE (volumetric efficiency) at any given rpm... ie make it better at a highter rpm

most NA engines benifit from a larger tb and or plenim and the BIGEST thing you can do is get a BIG cam done and drop the gearing this will move the power further up the rpm range. this could give you potentially big gains like 30kw - 50kw if you have all the other breathing mods done like intake and exhaust. i say potentially as there are many many variables!

plus theres nothing like the intoxicating sound of a na engine cammed off its brain ideling

[Vios-GT_07]

i dont see the point in larger tb , injectors.... unless you have the other mods to warrant those 2 mods. may as well piss into the wind unless you have the need for higher fuel and air. injectors are always bigger than needed so smallish upgrades wont need an upgrade.

hm.. always thought if you get more fuel and air in, u'll get a bigger bang so the pistons goes with more force..hence more ponies? but yeh u need cams (did i mention that already) and head work done.. without seeing what the size of the throttle body is i can't say but yeah the scientific approach would be to measure volumetric efficiency and injector size and seeing if there's any room for improvement.. hmm.. what would warrant higher air / fuel mixtures then, if not for the need of more power?

then again, it's a 5M-E.. try everything and it won't hurt, worst come to worse u can blow it up ang get another one

[JetspeedCamry]

...most NA engines benifit from a larger tb and or plenim and the BIGEST thing you can do is get a BIG cam done and drop the gearing this will move the power further up the rpm range. this could give you potentially big gains like 30kw - 50kw if you have all the other breathing mods done like intake and exhaust. i say potentially as there are many many variables!

However, this may make the car un-streetable, or a pain to drive. Having massive cams, lots of flow and moving the whole band upwards is great for a track car, but on a daily driver, we also have to consider low speed drivability.
Here's a funny idea...how about reduction in camshaft duration? Will this yield a torque increase (sacrifising top end?) ? Or simply make the engine run ineffiecently?

[RObErT_RaTh]

Gees' guys... let it go!!!!!

the flywheel is going to make 5/8ths of F*#% All at the end of the day so is fiddeling with the timing and mixtures your talking about gains of only a few kw's

A few (10-15) kw is all I need to be happy with it. I'm not looking for massive power because a) I know I won't get it with a 5ME and b) There's no point doing heaps of work on it since I'm planning to get a different engine in about a year.

[EldarO]

One of those BIG CPU fans on your inlet. Instant +10% KW. (Jks btw)

Just get it running smoothly and reliable thats what NA have over "most" FI setups. IMO

undahstatement of teh year!

dude, dont bother even trying to get anything out of a 5ME, they're a boat anchor in every sens of the word, your best off spending you money on a new engine, and getting it quicker.

at worst, i suggest spending your money on mods you can carry over to your new engine, as stated before, exhaust, CAI etc.

Eldar.O.

[RObErT_RaTh]

dude, dont bother even trying to get anything out of a 5ME, they're a boat anchor in every sens of the word, your best off spending you money on a new engine, and getting it quicker.

I'm not looking for big power or majorly better ET's or anything like that, I just want to make it marginally better without the hassle of a whole engine conversion at the moment. I just want to make the most out of what I have and I know the engine isn't worth spending lots on hence the carryover mods rather than specific 5ME mods.

[Killswitch]

Cam it and shave the head. Doesn't have to be a massive unstreetable cam, just something more... lively. If you really must keep the engine that is...
Grinds don't cost too much, and even if you're not that game to tackle the cam change yourself you must have a mate or some connection that can do it for SFA.

Good luck.

[Draven]

you've got the right idea dude - carryover mods are the only ones worth doing.
a 3" cat-back will make it sound good (ricey), and will be useful come engine conversion time. Other than that, there's not a lot you'll really keep with an engine conversion unfortunately

[RObErT_RaTh]

you've got the right idea dude - carryover mods are the only ones worth doing.
a 3" cat-back will make it sound good (ricey

Ricey isn't what I'm after However a 3" straight through would sound better to me My current engine doesn't require a cat. Is it easy enough to add one later down the track with a new engine?

[Draven]

of course... just start your 3" exhaust approximately where the cat will go, that way you can flange/weld it in at a later date.

of course, most gains for n/a are to be made with extractors, but really, really, really not worth it for 5m

[BlackSupra]

Best performance mod for the 5me is to remove it and drop it in the harbour.

Save your cash for a conversion or be doomed to an expensive and slow 5me.

Just ask those people who spent thousands to rebuild their 5me because they weren't planning a motor conversion!

[RObErT_RaTh]

of course... just start your 3" exhaust approximately where the cat will go, that way you can flange/weld it in at a later date.

of course, most gains for n/a are to be made with extractors, but really, really, really not worth it for 5m

Cheers Draven And mine came with extractors fitted when I bought it

Save your cash for a conversion or be doomed to an expensive and slow 5me.
Just ask those people who spent thousands to rebuild their 5me because they weren't planning a motor conversion!

Forgive if I sound like I'm getting upset but I'm tired of reading this. For the hundredth time I have planned a conversion for later down the track and money is being saved away. I just want to enjoy the car a bit more now you see.