Engine build advice...

[conbirdable]

Well after giving it some thought (and realistically looking at the check book) I have decided to do an engine build on my 96 firebird to run a moderate dose of nitrous as opposed to a turbo setup. As it stands right now, my mod list is looking like this...GT 2 cam, CAI, port/polished heads and intake, RK headers and full exhaust..but I am planning on keeping the stock pistons/rods/crank. I have read up on window switches...can someone give me a little more insight on this? Is there anything else you guys can recommend that I have done engine wise before I get my nitrous kit. Also, with the above mentioned mods what system would you recommend I get (wet or dry) Thanks for your help

[97rs4life]

Re: Engine build advice...

wet or dry depends on personal preference. I started out with a wet kit on my car, now I run two stages where my first stage is dry and second is wet.

Read the stickies for the pros/cons of each for that. It is a long debate that really has no real answer as they both offer advantages and disadvantages over each other.

Do you have a manual or auto trans?

What tuning are you going to use? I would recommend getting hptuners

As for cam, I would go with the abbott NA cam personally and then get some of their stage 3 heads and intakes. There setup runs 13s NA with correct tuning. Very stout setup, then add nitrous and have some fun :)

Of course with the top end rebuild get some new lifters and such as well while your in there. Check into removing the balance shaft too and getting a double roller timing chain instead. Stronger setup then to work with the springs and heads that you would get

[conbirdable]

Re: Engine build advice...

wet or dry depends on personal preference. I started out with a wet kit on my car, now I run two stages where my first stage is dry and second is wet.

Read the stickies for the pros/cons of each for that. It is a long debate that really has no real answer as they both offer advantages and disadvantages over each other.

Do you have a manual or auto trans?

What tuning are you going to use? I would recommend getting hptuners

As for cam, I would go with the abbott NA cam personally and then get some of their stage 3 heads and intakes. There setup runs 13s NA with correct tuning. Very stout setup, then add nitrous and have some fun :)

Of course with the top end rebuild get some new lifters and such as well while your in there. Check into removing the balance shaft too and getting a double roller timing chain instead. Stronger setup then to work with the springs and heads that you would get

I have the A4 tranny. The other thing I failed to mention was that this is my daily driver so I don't want to get too wild with the engine build...thats kinda why I decided on the gt-2 cam (supposedly a pretty nice street/strip cam) I only plan on spraying at "opertune" moments...probably not looking for more than a 50-75 hp shot and seldom using it at all. And after a little more research, I think I am going to wind up going with the dynotune dry kit. That seems to have pretty much everything I am looking for at a decent price. As far as HP tuners goes, that seems like a pretty hefty investment for a peice of equipment that I am totally in the dark on how to use...so I think I may just go the mail order pcm route or if I am lucky enough to find a dyno shop out here I can get it done right. But now that you mention it, I think im gonna get that double timing chain. And like you said, since I am gonna have the top half pulled down, I might as well do the lifters and rockers. What do yo guys recommend as far as lifters/rockers go with the setup I have listed?

[97rs4life]

Re: Engine build advice...

if you are going with a cam, don't do rockers. Not going to go well together unless you stick to the stock ratio.

HPTuners is going to be needed to tune for a cam/heads/intakes and also nitrous. If you were NA I would say you would be ok with a mail order tune, but with nitrous you are going to want to be able to monitor everything and tune it yourself as every car reacts differently.

Or if you can find a shop to dynotune it locally for you that would be another great route. That will usually cost 300 bucks though and hptuners is 500 to buy it yourself

[ssms5411]

Re: Engine build advice...

I did the VS cam and 9:5.1 forged pistons, lightweight pushrods, left the stock rockers and a few other mods, also since your a A4 a transgo shift kit and corvette servo would be nice. For me the wet shot has worked the best so far. Hptuners is a must, also a wideband, keeps you from blowing up things. Also if you don't have a posi, that would be a great investment, I'm going from 3.42's to 3.73's. Well see how that turns out. Good luck

[conbirdable]

Re: Engine build advice...

I did the VS cam and 9:5.1 forged pistons, lightweight pushrods, left the stock rockers and a few other mods, also since your a A4 a transgo shift kit and corvette servo would be nice. For me the wet shot has worked the best so far. Hptuners is a must, also a wideband, keeps you from blowing up things. Also if you don't have a posi, that would be a great investment, I'm going from 3.42's to 3.73's. Well see how that turns out. Good luck

You are a mindreader...I was just about to ask what you A4 guys were doing modification wise...I know that even with a stock motor that seems like a sluggish tranny. I was under the misconception that to run the nitrous I might be looking at about a 3-4 hundred dollar investment (looking at the dynotune system). Its now looking like closer to 1500 bucks once it is all said and done (not counting the engine build which I am in the process of) Its looking like I am now gonna just finish the engine build and then over the next few months start stockpiling parts to add the nitrous. I guess nothing worth doing is cheap or easy.

[benavidez19]

Re: Engine build advice...

I was reading through this and someone mention getting a wideband. What is it? Im in the middle of a engine rebuild for nitrous and wondered what it was.

[97rs4life]

Re: Engine build advice...

I was reading through this and someone mention getting a wideband. What is it? Im in the middle of a engine rebuild for nitrous and wondered what it was.

reads your a/f ratio and tells ya if you are running lean or rich. Then if you have hptuners you can add or subtract fuel to hit the sweet spot for the engine and not blow it up

[benavidez19]

Re: Engine build advice...

I see so when Im done with the rebuit I can just go to texas speed and they will do all that. I think that what they did to my cousins car they stuck something in this exhsaust for his turbo.

[97rs4life]

Re: Engine build advice...

yes at a dyno they will place the sensor into the tailpipe to get a reading