I Need Engine & Power Upgrading Advice for Road Racing

I have a 2003 Evo 8 that I use 50% for track - and 50% for street use.
I run road racing circuits such as Pocono, Watkins Glen and VIR.

I want to build up the car for more power and durability, WITHOUT going to a larger Turbo and using the stock turbo. Obviously, cost is a factor.
Can this be done?

Here's what I have modded on the car now:
Injen Intake
Turbo Back Exhaust, (Invidia Downpipe, Perrin 3” Evo cat, and Borla exhaust)
Walbro Fuel Pump (stock injectors)
HKS 272 cams
Tune, @ 22-23psi boost
All else on the motor is stock

The car has been dyno’d at 310whp.

What else can I do that is “cost-effective” to get more power?
How much power would I get?

 

SS o2 housing, IX turbo, port turbine housing, port exhaust manifold, port intake manifold, port TB, big FMIC, ditch the cat, Aquamist HFS-1 alky injection....how does that all sound? You'll be closer to 400whp (Dynojet) with all of that.

 

While you're at it, get a front engine mount, ebay short shifter, underhood bushings, and rear diff bushings, all things that make these cars great for not much cash. Everything I've mentioned I've got on my car (except the rear diff bushings, gotta get those yet) and they all kick ***. Want me to just copy/paste my whole mod list in here?

 

/\ some good advice

 

Absolutely, please copy and paste the list. Seems you did upgrade your turbo, right? Do you have an approximate idea of what all that will cost?
Thank you!!!

 

Do everything he said, and then go FP Red, 1800 and you wont regret it

 

I have ridden in and drove this car.. and those mods are def worth it! After driving it I instantly wanted the short shifter!

 

I did, swapping in an IX turbo is cheap as hell, I ended up getting mine with a intake manifold and TB, and exhaust manifold for about $550 off of a guy parting out his wrecked car. I send off the IM/TB/Exh mani all to buschur for porting, ported the turbine housing myself (minimal porting required on the 10.5 hotside) and then installed it all. I already had the 10.5 hotside (I have an 05) and SS 02 housing installed so I just did a cartridge swap. Then I sold my stock VIII turbo for a couple hundo bucks to offset the price, ended up all being really cheap.

To be fair, you *did* ask how to make more power w/o a turbo upgrade. The quickest and dirtiest will be to do alky injection. You'll pick up ~40whp. All the other stuff is worth doing though, because it's cheap. The main deterrent from doing a turbo upgrade is the cost, right? That's why the IX turbo is nice: it yields decent gains (esp for 03-04 guys w/ 9.8 hotside) and it's not too big of a deal to install, especially if you're gonna do a ported exhaust manifold and SS o2 housing anyways

Here's my mod list, all good stuff for adding power here and there, or making the car more fun

Buschur Racing 3" TBE w/ bullet testpipe
Buschur Racing Intake kit
BR Deluxe FMIC kit (3.5" core)
BR Upper IC Pipe
OEM IX BOV
HKS 280 cams
ARP headstuds
BR Ported/Coated Exhaust Mani
Ported Turbine Housing
OEM Evo IX turbo
BR SS O2 Housing
BR Ported Intake Manifold w/ EGR delete
BR 65MM TB
Walbro 255HP fuel pump
4x Kracka Vent setup w/ ebay catch-can
Buschur dipstick retention spring
Aquamist HFS-1 Alky Injection Kit
FIC 1050cc injectors
GM BCS
Evo X MAP sensor
Innovative LC-1
Tephra v5 ROM w/EGT Elim & Direct boost mods


Buschur under-hood Shifter Bushings
BLOX front motor mount
eBay short shifter (same as Fidanza)
Progress 25mm Rear Sway Bar
Eibach Pro-Kit springs
BR Mini Battery Kit
Rota P45F 18x8.5 wheels in hyper silver
Bridgestone Potenza RE750 245/40R18 tires
Ferodo DS2500's, TechnaFit SS lines, Motul 600
Southbend OFE Clutch
Fidanza 9.5 Lb Flywheel

 

Nice.... I can see I have some work to do.

 

Scheides what have you ran for 1/4 times?

Also how much boost do you run?

 

I'll tell you guys a secret, the MHI compressor maps for the EVO8 and EVO9 turbos show the EVO8 having a flow advantage. Very slight, but there. I know I will get flamed for that, but just pointing out what I know to be true. I think there is plenty of evidence to support this actually, some of the quickest and fastest stock turbo records are on EVO8 turbos with 10.5 housings.


Replace the stock FMIC prior to considering turbo upgrade also, good gains from the Garrett IC cores.

 

E85!

 

meth kit

 

I'm pretty sure no one is gonna flame you for information like that Robert. Considering some of the cool toys you have to test turbo's and compressor's and such.

With that being said why is almost everyone, including you, making all the upgrades for the IX turbo and not much for the VIII turbo? Is the IX housing a better setup for upgrades?

BTW thanks for taking my call yesterday and answering my questions. I look forward to doing business with you.

Josh

 

500 shot of nitrous and be on your way buddy.