how to achieve more power out of the 3sgte engine ?

**st185-gt4** · 09-01-2014, 02:02 AM

hey guys i got a st185 1990 gt4 ... just wondering what mods would i need to hit the 200-250kw atw level and how much would i be spending ...

My car is stock apart from having a downpipe with 3 inch catback exhaust, a highflow walbro fuel pump and a blitz e-boost (currently running on 12psi).

The car had a front mount intercooler but was advised from my mechanic to put it back to top mount since it would be more responsive and since im only running 12psi it wouldnt make much of a difference. The car was also running on 16psi for awhile in which i really enjoyed driving until i invested on the e-boost and after having it installed mechanic advised engine's 'pinging' and it would be ideal to put it back down to 12psi since it wasnt safe.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks =]

**OnAll-FOUR** · 09-01-2014, 10:20 AM

Hello and welcome, there a quite a few gt4 guys in the GT4 discussion thread, drop in and say high.

Have a read http://www.mrcontrols.com/primers/power.htm and http://www.koracing.net/viewarticle.php?article=10

Just for reference with a tune and 16 psi on a ct26 turbo you will be around 150atw and that seems pretty common. If you want more you will be talking some $.

**st185-gt4** · 10-01-2014, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by OnAll-FOUR

Hello and welcome, there a quite a few gt4 guys in the GT4 discussion thread, drop in and say high.

Have a read http://www.mrcontrols.com/primers/power.htm and http://www.koracing.net/viewarticle.php?article=10

Just for reference with a tune and 16 psi on a ct26 turbo you will be around 150atw and that seems pretty common. If you want more you will be talking some $.

hi mate. yeah i have been onto that mrcontrols.com site and i been trying to follow the mod step by step but i still feel like my car needs more power and more pull .. and for some reason car is pinging when i have it set on 16psi ? i do have a EMS stinger ecu i been wanting to install into the car but i dont feel like its ready for a tune yet until i upgrade the fuel injectors, bigger turbo etc or maybe invest on a wolf 3d plug and play ecu ? theyre a bit pricey though .

considering i got a 3" full exhaust with an e-boost and upgraded fuel pump .. what would you consider be my next mod ? sorry i'm a bit of a noob when it comes to this sort of stuff lol .

btw nice ride .. looks clean as. probably the cleanest gt4 i've seen anyway =]

**TRDcelica90** · 11-01-2014, 02:19 PM

Firstly I would put your front mount on because to get that power you will be boosting at least 16psi.. Get a tune a Garrett turbo and front mount on and you will be very close

**jonathan yee** · 11-01-2014, 04:40 PM

Yeh, def put the front mount back on.

Theres a big diff between 200 and 250 kw. I personally wouldnt want to push 250kw on a stock old gen2.

The gen2 ecu wont be giving very accurate fuelling and ign at 16psi.

Bare minimum would and cheapest option is fit gen3 540cc injs and turbo then tuned. I don't think you'll get 200awkw tho.

I'd definitely start budgeting for a rebuild on the gen2.

**Cuts** · 12-01-2014, 10:42 AM

power on a gen2 you need: aftermarket ecu, better turbo and manifold (something like a gt28 bb), front mount, 3" exhaust, bigger injectors, better fuel pump. and hope for low 200's at the wheels, after that your cams are holding you back.

After that has become not enough power a rebuild is needed: forged pistons, set of decent cams, general refresh (pumps, bearings, belts etc) should see mid to late 200's depending on what turbo and manifolds were chosen.

To go further you need to think about aftermarket plenum (inlet manifold) bigger throttle body, maybe bigger injectors and pump depending on what you chose before. Maybe adjustable cam gears.

Some point along the way you clutch is going to give up, see NPC performance clutches for the good shit.

Plenty of people on here have made good power with gtfours and their build threads are on here so you can see what others have done to reach their goals.

**st185-gt4** · 14-01-2014, 09:04 PM

thanks for all the reply guys =]

i'm assuming if i was to make that power then i would definitely need to replace the standard factory ecu into something aftermarket with a tune ? i just spoke to my mechanic today and he told me i'm gonna go nowhere with the car unless i replace the factory ecu since its very limited and it wont be enough to support the way i want the car to run, can you guys confirm this ? he said the reason why the car would be pinging when it was running on 16psi is cos its running lean and i cant do much about it til i replace the ecu.

i have a EMS stinger sitting around and was thinking of putting this on the car but he advised me to go on a apexi or a wolf 3d v550 plug and play ecu. I was thinking to save myself some money i shall just use the EMS stinger since in the end of the day its gonna do practically the same job, anyone have thoughts on running a EMS stinger for a GT4 ?

i also asked him about putting my front mount intercooler back on and he said personally he doesnt really think it makes that much of a difference since im only running 12psi. He says its only really gonna matter if you were to run big boost, somehow i dont agree cos looking at the size of the factory top mount its so small and i think it would make a difference regardless how much boost youre running ?

i'm quite happy with the car .. i just think its lacking a bit on boost and pull, i would be happy to have her run on at least 16psi but safe. again sorry for sounding a bit of a noob .. im quite new at this lol .

also .. whats an ideal turbo to install onto the car ? would a kunigawa highflow ct26 turbo be worthwhile, maybe a ct20b or would i need to go along the lines of a garrett turbo etc ?

**Cuts** · 15-01-2014, 09:35 AM

Your choice of ECU should also be part decided by what your tuner is comfortable with, running an orange ecu when your tuner is best with apples is pointless.
Definitely get a front mount, the stock top mount intercoolers are barely adequate for a standard car.
As for the turbo, Don't waste your time with a kunigwa anything, either go a ct20b or spend up and get a garrett somethingsomething.

**RONA** · 15-01-2014, 09:47 AM

EMS Stinger is an old ecu I wouldn't waste time using one.

List of Basic things you'll need:
1. Put Front mount back on, will probably need to mod the piping with the new turbo.
2. Injectors can use 540cc from the Gen 3
3. Bigger turbo and potentially manifold though you can just use an adaptor to put something like a GT/GTX28r on the stock one
4. New Dump pipe into the existing 3 inch system.
5. Think about pulling the head and putting on a decent head gasket.
6. Decent ECU and someone who knows how to tune it.
7. $$$$ Ready for when the motor pops

You are realistically looking at spending $10k, what else needs to be done to the car suspension, brakes, clutch wise to bring it up to scratch. What I'm getting at is do you really want to spend this much on the car or is it time to start looking around for something already making that kind of power.