Unsure where to go from here
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: Sagamihara, Japan
Unsure where to go from here
Hello there,
Second time Evo owner, still fumbling around in the dark at times. I currently have the following items (combination original owner and myself) in the car:
Greddy FMIC (unknown model)
Greddy boost controller
Blitz Turbo Timer
HKS intake
Blitz Nur Spec exhaust
Link ECU
Ogura twin-disc 559d clutch
Upgraded fuel pump (forgetting the volume as I type this)
I am meeting my mechanic to get a quote and lead time on work for the following items:
HKS 280 cams (found a beautiful comparison on these forums between these and Kelford 272s, and living in Japan I get a discount on JDM parts), with any other necessities (lifters, springs)
New timing belt
New crank (hoping I can source the Fluidampr)
Injectors
fuel lines
and obviously a retune after installation.
my goal is between 400-500 with a build that will take occasional spirited driving on US highways and last through the year 2030.
In the coming summer I am looking to slap in a Greddy GT35, but here is my conundrum I am hoping one of you can provide some sage advice on:
Reading a number of forums posts here the pistons and rods don’t survive long around the 400hp, in such case, what cams and pistons do you suggest I get for 400-500hp applications (understanding that is wide range) for longevity and should I get those cams and pistons before the turbo goes in?
Trying to provide enough information as possible, I do not want to go with e85, an I would rather not have the block ported due to down time it could take. Is there anything I could be missing as well, such as “if you are going install X” or “if you want to get to Y HP” make sure you get these parts to ensure life of the build?
I admit my ignorance and am open to suggestions and advice to keep this beautiful car running.
Second time Evo owner, still fumbling around in the dark at times. I currently have the following items (combination original owner and myself) in the car:
Greddy FMIC (unknown model)
Greddy boost controller
Blitz Turbo Timer
HKS intake
Blitz Nur Spec exhaust
Link ECU
Ogura twin-disc 559d clutch
Upgraded fuel pump (forgetting the volume as I type this)
I am meeting my mechanic to get a quote and lead time on work for the following items:
HKS 280 cams (found a beautiful comparison on these forums between these and Kelford 272s, and living in Japan I get a discount on JDM parts), with any other necessities (lifters, springs)
New timing belt
New crank (hoping I can source the Fluidampr)
Injectors
fuel lines
and obviously a retune after installation.
my goal is between 400-500 with a build that will take occasional spirited driving on US highways and last through the year 2030.
In the coming summer I am looking to slap in a Greddy GT35, but here is my conundrum I am hoping one of you can provide some sage advice on:
Reading a number of forums posts here the pistons and rods don’t survive long around the 400hp, in such case, what cams and pistons do you suggest I get for 400-500hp applications (understanding that is wide range) for longevity and should I get those cams and pistons before the turbo goes in?
Trying to provide enough information as possible, I do not want to go with e85, an I would rather not have the block ported due to down time it could take. Is there anything I could be missing as well, such as “if you are going install X” or “if you want to get to Y HP” make sure you get these parts to ensure life of the build?
I admit my ignorance and am open to suggestions and advice to keep this beautiful car running.
What is block porting?
I recommend enlarging the PCV ports on the valve cover and the hoses/catch can. Get it done before the tune. I went for full VTA, I dont want any oil in my intake tract
Have you considered ordering the short block then DIY/local shop install? Upgrade to 2.2l even. once you have talks/take suggestions from an evo engine builder you'll have a pretty good idea which direction youre going. evo folks have different ideas based on their experience. keep balance shaft, remove balance shaft or some other contraption... I dont even know what I have now lol. OE crank or find a balanced aftermarket crank. some like the fluid dampr, some like the ATI super damper, i have both lol. anyway msg me I can give you my local contact if youre open to shipping stuff to Houston
BTW personally I do not want to ever leave my car in any shop. there's always some bonus damage. every firkin time
I recommend enlarging the PCV ports on the valve cover and the hoses/catch can. Get it done before the tune. I went for full VTA, I dont want any oil in my intake tract
Have you considered ordering the short block then DIY/local shop install? Upgrade to 2.2l even. once you have talks/take suggestions from an evo engine builder you'll have a pretty good idea which direction youre going. evo folks have different ideas based on their experience. keep balance shaft, remove balance shaft or some other contraption... I dont even know what I have now lol. OE crank or find a balanced aftermarket crank. some like the fluid dampr, some like the ATI super damper, i have both lol. anyway msg me I can give you my local contact if youre open to shipping stuff to Houston
BTW personally I do not want to ever leave my car in any shop. there's always some bonus damage. every firkin time
Last edited by ViciousLSD; Nov 21, 2025 at 09:03 AM.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: Sagamihara, Japan
Hello Vicious, thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I am rather constraint with options out here in Japan, where I live until mid-2027. The local dealerships have turned us (US military service members) away a number of times for any viewable modifications, so we have to rely on local tuning shops to outsource parts and such. Apologies, bad verbiage on my end instead of block porting I should have written boring, but still shows my ignorance as I guess it would be easier/better to merely change the short block. I live in Japan at the moment which kind of negates shipping a short block from the US, and while that it is awesome to live here in Japan, I am under a number of constraints; specifically the language barrier, and time. I only have about 18 months remaining in country to get as much done with locally sourced parts, and how much time I can have the car in a shop without upsetting the family dynamic of having two cars for various activities usually centered around two kids enrolled in sports every season. Regarding the language barrier, what I have seen more than once where when fellow US military service members find a local shop that specializes in tuning/modding that is English friendly or entertaining of the back and forth game of Google Translate, word gets arounds like wildfire and their workload explodes exponentially, which means more time without a car because the shop is backed up. I believe I want to keep the balance shaft for a smoother ride as this is also my daily driver, I am still slow to get used to the new twin-disc clutch's rattle, plus Japan is riddled with stop and go traffic and I don't want to feel like I'm reinterring earth's orbit between stop lights (probably an over-exaggeration) ha ha ha. My over-arching concern with continued modding is that I do not want to miss something that if I do X to the car I should also do Y to the car to ensure the life of the car. Kind of like in the sense that I should strengthen X component before I install Y other component, or if I do X to the car I need to make sure that Y other component(s) are also done to prevent being dead on the road.
ok. I assumed youre from NC and your car is here in the US 
have you tried checking youtube for evo groups in japan? or contacting someone at the local track events? when i was in kanazawa I only saw old school Nissan and Toyota boutique tuner shops which is quite "high-brow" for me. My brother-in-laws there have subie rally car and other replicas but I dont know anyone with evos, but maybe they can help me if i was living there. i cant say I want to live there, even my japanese wife dont want to stay too long. mainly because of better food options, and freedom/personal space here in the US lol
anyway like I said. at 450hp i think you would need a pcv system that can handle the volume or else you would break turbo and other seals. I went thru this phase. other than that and having ideal oil pressures x rpm i think you'd be fine
in the US we have strengthened output shafts, strengthened ring & pinion. there's also the ACT monoloc and aftermarket hydraulic lifters. also small racingbrake upgrades to the brembos... this is all preventative measures i guess. btw my ACT twin clutch isn't noisy at all
have you tried checking youtube for evo groups in japan? or contacting someone at the local track events? when i was in kanazawa I only saw old school Nissan and Toyota boutique tuner shops which is quite "high-brow" for me. My brother-in-laws there have subie rally car and other replicas but I dont know anyone with evos, but maybe they can help me if i was living there. i cant say I want to live there, even my japanese wife dont want to stay too long. mainly because of better food options, and freedom/personal space here in the US lolanyway like I said. at 450hp i think you would need a pcv system that can handle the volume or else you would break turbo and other seals. I went thru this phase. other than that and having ideal oil pressures x rpm i think you'd be fine
in the US we have strengthened output shafts, strengthened ring & pinion. there's also the ACT monoloc and aftermarket hydraulic lifters. also small racingbrake upgrades to the brembos... this is all preventative measures i guess. btw my ACT twin clutch isn't noisy at all
Hello there,
Second time Evo owner, still fumbling around in the dark at times. I currently have the following items (combination original owner and myself) in the car:
Greddy FMIC (unknown model)
Greddy boost controller
Blitz Turbo Timer
HKS intake
Blitz Nur Spec exhaust
Link ECU
Ogura twin-disc 559d clutch
Upgraded fuel pump (forgetting the volume as I type this)
I am meeting my mechanic to get a quote and lead time on work for the following items:
HKS 280 cams (found a beautiful comparison on these forums between these and Kelford 272s, and living in Japan I get a discount on JDM parts), with any other necessities (lifters, springs)
New timing belt
New crank (hoping I can source the Fluidampr)
Injectors
fuel lines
and obviously a retune after installation.
my goal is between 400-500 with a build that will take occasional spirited driving on US highways and last through the year 2030.
In the coming summer I am looking to slap in a Greddy GT35, but here is my conundrum I am hoping one of you can provide some sage advice on:
Reading a number of forums posts here the pistons and rods don’t survive long around the 400hp, in such case, what cams and pistons do you suggest I get for 400-500hp applications (understanding that is wide range) for longevity and should I get those cams and pistons before the turbo goes in?
Trying to provide enough information as possible, I do not want to go with e85, an I would rather not have the block ported due to down time it could take. Is there anything I could be missing as well, such as “if you are going install X” or “if you want to get to Y HP” make sure you get these parts to ensure life of the build?
I admit my ignorance and am open to suggestions and advice to keep this beautiful car running.
Second time Evo owner, still fumbling around in the dark at times. I currently have the following items (combination original owner and myself) in the car:
Greddy FMIC (unknown model)
Greddy boost controller
Blitz Turbo Timer
HKS intake
Blitz Nur Spec exhaust
Link ECU
Ogura twin-disc 559d clutch
Upgraded fuel pump (forgetting the volume as I type this)
I am meeting my mechanic to get a quote and lead time on work for the following items:
HKS 280 cams (found a beautiful comparison on these forums between these and Kelford 272s, and living in Japan I get a discount on JDM parts), with any other necessities (lifters, springs)
New timing belt
New crank (hoping I can source the Fluidampr)
Injectors
fuel lines
and obviously a retune after installation.
my goal is between 400-500 with a build that will take occasional spirited driving on US highways and last through the year 2030.
In the coming summer I am looking to slap in a Greddy GT35, but here is my conundrum I am hoping one of you can provide some sage advice on:
Reading a number of forums posts here the pistons and rods don’t survive long around the 400hp, in such case, what cams and pistons do you suggest I get for 400-500hp applications (understanding that is wide range) for longevity and should I get those cams and pistons before the turbo goes in?
Trying to provide enough information as possible, I do not want to go with e85, an I would rather not have the block ported due to down time it could take. Is there anything I could be missing as well, such as “if you are going install X” or “if you want to get to Y HP” make sure you get these parts to ensure life of the build?
I admit my ignorance and am open to suggestions and advice to keep this beautiful car running.
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 80
Likes: 13
From: Yokosuka, Japan
Maybe this is me showing my ignorance a little bit but why are you replacing your crank? Is that a new thing?
Very true though realistically if a shop here is not backlogged with work you should be slightly suspicious. Where are you taking your car right now? IMO you have to be really careful as many of the folks here who cater to Americans do so because they're a notch or two below real specialists and they know we don't have many other options.
Don't want to be a jerk but do you know what power level you're at right now? 400-500 hp is pretty big overkill here, there's definitely a reason there's not many folks on the road at that power level. You will need to replace the stock turbo at that power level and between that and the cams you will be taking a noticeable hit to drive quality.
With the earlier generations it's really the pistons and rods that are weaker but I don't think it really needs to be a consideration. IMO the pistons/rods in the 4-6 are less likely to cause issues than the 6 speed is in the later gens.
Regarding the language barrier, what I have seen more than once where when fellow US military service members find a local shop that specializes in tuning/modding that is English friendly or entertaining of the back and forth game of Google Translate, word gets arounds like wildfire and their workload explodes exponentially, which means more time without a car because the shop is backed up.
I believe I want to keep the balance shaft for a smoother ride as this is also my daily driver, I am still slow to get used to the new twin-disc clutch's rattle, plus Japan is riddled with stop and go traffic and I don't want to feel like I'm reinterring earth's orbit between stop lights (probably an over-exaggeration) ha ha ha.
What Evo do you have? Getting to 400 hp is doable just by switching out the turbo and running cams. You could get the current gen stock frame garrett turbo/HKS turbo and HKS cams and get past 400hp. Evo 8/9 can handle 500 hp without rebuilding the block. Evo 4-7 will be fine at certain power levels. Evo 4-6 being more on the fragile side.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: Sagamihara, Japan
Maybe this is me showing my ignorance a little bit but why are you replacing your crank? Is that a new thing?
The idea behind replacing the crank came from another tuner guy in my organization but it seemed wishy-washy the way he explained it. I may differ this but my mechanic has not lead me astray yet and I take his advice more so than some of the other tuner guys in my office who have only done just intake, exhaust, and second-hand wings they got from Upgarage.
Very true though realistically if a shop here is not backlogged with work you should be slightly suspicious. Where are you taking your car right now? IMO you have to be really careful as many of the folks here who cater to Americans do so because they're a notch or two below real specialists and they know we don't have many other options.
My Evo goes pretty much point A to point B during weekdays between home and work and the posted speed limit doesn’t 40kph (25mph’ish). On weekends if going from one military base to another (depending on which base) I can hit the highway where the speed limit fluctuates based on traffic or road hazards. I feel comfortable with my mechanic shop as he does more than simple bolt on stuff and his shop has created some monsters.
Don't want to be a jerk but do you know what power level you're at right now? 400-500 hp is pretty big overkill here, there's definitely a reason there's not many folks on the road at that power level. You will need to replace the stock turbo at that power level and between that and the cams you will be taking a noticeable hit to drive quality.
Honestly I do not know what I am at now but once the car goes back in for cams, timing belt, fuel injectors, and retune I will ask if he can get it dyno’ed. When I had him replace the ECU, upgrade the fuel pump, boost controller, and a complete retune I was surprised there was not an accompanying dyno sheet. I just chalked it up to a more western thing, that a large sum of us want to know what X amount of work done garnered Y amount of HP. I do want to know however, so I can see how close I am to the proverbial 400hp threshold, mostly out of concern for the internals. I agree 350+ is pretty overkill here in Japan for the most part, especially with narrow roads, 40kph speed limits for most of my travels around Kanagawa, and the dreaded traffic. I am thinking more about building something fun for when I come home to NC in summer 2027.
With the earlier generations it's really the pistons and rods that are weaker but I don't think it really needs to be a consideration. IMO the pistons/rods in the 4-6 are less likely to cause issues than the 6 speed is in the later gens.
The idea behind replacing the crank came from another tuner guy in my organization but it seemed wishy-washy the way he explained it. I may differ this but my mechanic has not lead me astray yet and I take his advice more so than some of the other tuner guys in my office who have only done just intake, exhaust, and second-hand wings they got from Upgarage.
Very true though realistically if a shop here is not backlogged with work you should be slightly suspicious. Where are you taking your car right now? IMO you have to be really careful as many of the folks here who cater to Americans do so because they're a notch or two below real specialists and they know we don't have many other options.
My Evo goes pretty much point A to point B during weekdays between home and work and the posted speed limit doesn’t 40kph (25mph’ish). On weekends if going from one military base to another (depending on which base) I can hit the highway where the speed limit fluctuates based on traffic or road hazards. I feel comfortable with my mechanic shop as he does more than simple bolt on stuff and his shop has created some monsters.
Don't want to be a jerk but do you know what power level you're at right now? 400-500 hp is pretty big overkill here, there's definitely a reason there's not many folks on the road at that power level. You will need to replace the stock turbo at that power level and between that and the cams you will be taking a noticeable hit to drive quality.
Honestly I do not know what I am at now but once the car goes back in for cams, timing belt, fuel injectors, and retune I will ask if he can get it dyno’ed. When I had him replace the ECU, upgrade the fuel pump, boost controller, and a complete retune I was surprised there was not an accompanying dyno sheet. I just chalked it up to a more western thing, that a large sum of us want to know what X amount of work done garnered Y amount of HP. I do want to know however, so I can see how close I am to the proverbial 400hp threshold, mostly out of concern for the internals. I agree 350+ is pretty overkill here in Japan for the most part, especially with narrow roads, 40kph speed limits for most of my travels around Kanagawa, and the dreaded traffic. I am thinking more about building something fun for when I come home to NC in summer 2027.
With the earlier generations it's really the pistons and rods that are weaker but I don't think it really needs to be a consideration. IMO the pistons/rods in the 4-6 are less likely to cause issues than the 6 speed is in the later gens.
Thank you, sincerely, I really appreciate the replies to this. I work a standard 50’ish hour work week and being a (insert name of sport here) dad to two kids eats up my time sorely, which leaves little time to tinker on my own. Being able to dialogue with English speaking folks who have a better knowledge on these beautiful machines is a blessing in and of itself.
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