31 replies to this topic

[sumo]

Hello Fellow Evo Owners!


It’s about time that I start a thread for my JDM Evo 3. My name is Gabe, some friends call me sumo  . I live in the Cayman Islands, and I've had this car for a little over 10 years. During that time I've been modifying it here and there, but nothing extensive “yet”. 

Unfortunately things turnt for the worst on June 5th, 2015… YES! THIS YEAR! We had a freak rain storm down here and I drove through what seemed to be a level area of water, but little did I know; I was headed right for a clogged drain. Seconds later, water was on the hood and the car stalled. HYRDO-LOCKED! I pretty much had the car on the road for 3 months after being down for almost a year.

So, this is where my new journey begins. I'm currently sourcing parts to build a 2.2L 4g63 stroker. Nothing will be spared this time. Through my extensive search through various vendors, I landed at http://realstreetperformance.com. I’ve been in talks with Bryan over there, and he’s been pretty helpful in providing and requesting information. Very understandable guy as well.

I know they’re a few kits out there, but either they we too expensive or they didn't have something I specifically wanted. So far I’ve looked at the following:

GSC 2.2L Stroker
English Racing 2.2L Stroker
Nitto 2.2L Stroker
Map 2.2L Stroker
Jackson 2.2L Stroker
Manely 2.2L Stroker
Tomie 2.2L Stroker
Cosworth 2.2L Stroker
Magnus 2.2L Stroker

Without further ado these are the parts I chose to go with:

K1 Technologies 94mm Billet Crank
Manley Turbo Tuff 150mm I-Beam Rods
Custom Wiseco OTS 1400HD 9:0:1 Pistons with Asymmetrical Skirts (1.258 for zero deck)

I know that they’re quite a few options out there when it comes to stoker kits, but are limited when it comes down to the 4g63 block. That being said my options would have been either a 2.2, 2.3 or stay 2.0. Yes I know the 2.3L will give me more low end torque, and YES I know that they can spool hug turbo’s like baby 16g’s. My biggest issue with all of that is… I like to rev. Yes! I like to rev, but I still want that additional torque, and that my friends is how my decision was made. 

As for the mod list for the car, this is what I currently have done to it:

TUNING & POWER
Tephra V7
292HP w/ 251 FT LBS

BLOCK
Manley Turbo Tuff Forged 88mm Crank
Scat 150mm Rods
Mahle 86mm 9:0:1 Pistons
ACL Race Bearings
OEM Balance Shaft Delete

HEAD
Kiggly HLA Regulator
HKS 264 Camshafts 
JUN Cam Gears

INTAKE
S90 76mm Throttle Body
Ported stock Intake Manifold
EGR Block Off
ExtremePSI FIAV Block Off Plate
RTM Racing FIAV Bolts
HKS Stock Replacement Intercooler Piping
Stock 20 Year Old Intercooler
HKS Racing BOV (Single Valve)

TURBO
Stock 16g Evo 3 Turbo
Modified & Ported O2 Housing
Punishment Racing O2 Dump
Tial 38mm Wastegate
Custom Turbo Intake

EXHAUST
Custom 2.5 to 3” V-band Down Pipe
Custom Full 3” V-band Exhaust
Vibrant 3”Dia x 12” Long Resonator 

FUEL
Stock Evo 8 Injectors
Stock Evo 3 Fuel Rail W/ -6AN Inlet/Outlet
Fuelab FPR
Fuelab 818 Inline Fuel Filter
Deatschwerks 300LPH Internal Fuel Pump
Bosch 044 External Fuel Pump w/ Swirl Tank

ELECTRICAL
AEM Oil Pressure Gauge
AEM Wideband Gauge
Odyssey PC680MJ Battery
Red Marine 4 Gauge Wiring For Battery
Black Marine 4 Gauge Wiring For Grounds
Custom Internal/External Fuel Pump Wiring W/ Inline Fuses
Custom ECU Patch For Evo 8 ECU
Evo 8 ECU
Evo 8 MAF
Evo8 Knock Sensor
Greddy Turbo Timer

IGNITION
NGK BPR7ES Spark Plugs
Taylor 8mm Spark Plug Wires

SUSPENSION & CHASSIS
Whiteline Polyurethane (All bushings have been replaced)
Tien Gravel Spec Coilovers
Custom Inner & Outer Tie rod Ends
Whiteline Front & Rear Drop links
Megan Racing Rear Toe Rods
Megan Racing Rear Camber Rods
Ralliart Strut Bars Front & Rear

Drivetrain/Gearbox
Cusco Front 1.5way LSD
Cusco Center 30/70 LSD
Cusco Rear 1.5way LSD
Clutch Masters FX200
Fidanza Aluminum Flywheel

BRAKES
EBC Red Stuff Front Pads
OEM Replacement Rear Pads
Russel Speed Bleeders

WHEELS & TIRES
OEM Evo 3 Wheels
Toyo R888’s

INTERIOR
SPARCO Evo 3
OEM Passenger Recaro

EXTERIOR
Small Weight Reduction (Rust On The Roof)

EDITED Nov 11, 2015


I might have forgot a few things, but that’s pretty much what I can remember.

I hope you all enjoy my thread. Looking forward to any advice, tips...whatever, just shoot! I'm all ears.

Stay tuned for pics and not so crappy videos LOL! 

Edited by sumo, 04 November 2015 - 02:49 PM.

[sumo]

Here's an the last virtual dyno that I got to put down before the incident. Will be using this as a benchmark. 

 

[sumo]

Now some pics of the damage 

 

 

 

Before I got busy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old HKS 264's.

 

 

 

 

Not what anyone would be willing to see.

 

 

 

 

Cyl #4

 

 

 

 

Cyl #3

 

 

 

 

Cyl #2

 

 

 

 

Cyl #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

A tad bit of blow by

 

 

 

 

A total of 8 bent valves <br/>6 Exhaust<br/>2 Intake

 

 

 

 

You can see the gap here...

 

 

 

 

...and here...

 

 

 

 

...and here...

 

 

 

 

...and definitely here.

 

 

 

 

Just a close up of #4, along with all the corrosion that took place.

 

 

 

 

Closed up until next time.

Edited by sumo, 04 November 2015 - 03:07 PM.

[sumo]

Now for the new stuff 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sumo]

After a few days of browsing the net. I emailed Curt Brown to ask a few questions based on his work. The guy responded within minutes of me sending my email. You don't get that much any more these days.

Anyhow... I did do some looking around for different cylinder head packages from different vendors. 

Maperformance
BUILT4G63 
Strictly Import Motorsports 
Graveyard Motorsports 
Jackson Auto Machine 

All good shops, but they either had everything I wanted with something I didn't need or the other way around. 

I've made the choice to go with Curt. He has the best bang for buck package out there. It’s simple, but nothing to underestimate. From what I've seen on forums and a friend of mine down here on the islands, you can’t beat quality parts put together with the personal time and dedication he puts into his work. It's also the best bet in relation to where I'm located.

Edited by sumo, 04 November 2015 - 03:59 PM.

[sumo]

Currently, I'm researching about coilovers and spring rates. The car is in need of some reputable coilovers that can handle daily driving yet perform at the occasional autocross event. The events are scheduled for every 6 weeks next year. So far I've narrowed down the Vendor I'll be going with, which would be Fortune Auto. I recently was told that they no longer build/supply the 510 series for our cars which sucks, so I'm stuck with the only option being their 500 series. 

 

From factory our cars are about 2,777lbs. I've removed the carpet, roof liner, most of the interior plastic panels, back seats and spear tire, so I'd say the car is somewhere around 2690 +/- lbs. The battery on the left rear side in the trunk (Odyssey PC680). The car also has a whiteline 20mm rear sway bar. 

 

With all of that being said, I'm asking for guidance from the gurus in here. I've tried asking this question to a few people and also posted it on EvoM. and still haven't got an answer.

 

Should I go with 8k front and 10k rear OR 10k front and 12k rear. Maybe 9k front and 11k rear to be in the middle (so it doesn't eat street tires). 

 

As mentioned before. The car will be a daily driver for majority of it's use on high performance summer tires (Neova AD08R's), with autocross every 6 weeks. There's also the possibility that I'll be using R compounds on a daily basis. Not 100% sure as yet. So I'm keeping that option in mind. 

 

Here are a few pics at one of our end of year events.

 

 

Current set up. Tein Gravel Spec at their stiffest with a meager 6k front 5k rear, with a good amount of body roll.

 

 

This event was done on 205/50/R15 R888's. When I'm done rebuilding the car, it should be on 17x8's with 235 or 245/45/R17's

 

 

Looking forward to your replies. 

 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Gabe

Edited by sumo, 04 November 2015 - 04:32 PM.

[Benzo4gT]

Looks like you have made the best out of a bad situation Sumo

 

There are some racers on here that will no doubt have the information you need to guide you in the right direction. Looks like a great build

[White Knight]

Gday Gabe and welcome mate?
Most people on the forum would have been asleep when you posted so give it a couple more hours and you will have responses.
Sucks about the water injection bro. However it sounds like it has been a precursor to a great build.
We have gurus coming out of our butt holes on this forum, however I am not one of them, not for engine builds at least anyway.
Love your car Gabe!

[BYBY5L]

Holy shit balls man,
Your on it bro, 94mm crank= awesome, I've decided on the same crank, but I've gone a 2.4 block and long rod for my 5
But after 3 ayc diffs going bang, kinda worked out I need to desperately upgrade the driveline first, what doesn't help is I can't manage to stop dipping in my gearbox/diff savings for other bits, lol,
I'm looking forward to seeing the results in yours though, the 3 is my favourite Evo and imo, is the most fun to drive

[ENGINR]

Strong introductory posts mate, I like it  .

 

Seems like you've done a lot of research and put heaps of thought into what you want out of the car and how you will go about achieving it, should make the end result very satisfying.

 

Looking forward to seeing this progress.

[evo-gsr]

No spoon required in this thread!

[sumo]

Looks like you have made the best out of a bad situation Sumo

 

There are some racers on here that will no doubt have the information you need to guide you in the right direction. Looks like a great build

Trying to Bro...I had two offers thrown at me to buy one of two Evo 7's, but that would require taking out a loan. That's something that I'm just not willing to do, being a newly wed and all. 

 

Gday Gabe and welcome mate?
Most people on the forum would have been asleep when you posted so give it a couple more hours and you will have responses.
Sucks about the water injection bro. However it sounds like it has been a precursor to a great build.
We have gurus coming out of our butt holes on this forum, however I am not one of them, not for engine builds at least anyway.
Love your car Gabe!

The more you know . Owning this car has taught me to have a lot of patience.

 

Holy shit balls man,
Your on it bro, 94mm crank= awesome, I've decided on the same crank, but I've gone a 2.4 block and long rod for my 5
But after 3 ayc diffs going bang, kinda worked out I need to desperately upgrade the driveline first, what doesn't help is I can't manage to stop dipping in my gearbox/diff savings for other bits, lol,
I'm looking forward to seeing the results in yours though, the 3 is my favourite Evo and imo, is the most fun to drive

Not in anyway trying to throw it at you, but that's why I like the Evo 3's. I have a friend on island who's ayc has malfunction, so basically the car is just sitting there collecting dust. 

 

Strong introductory posts mate, I like it  .

 

Seems like you've done a lot of research and put heaps of thought into what you want out of the car and how you will go about achieving it, should make the end result very satisfying.

 

Looking forward to seeing this progress.

Thanks Bro. Me too lol.

 

No spoon required in this thread!

lol... I'm not a that good...yet

[BYBY5L]

Haha, all good man, ya dont come across as arrogant so your not throwing anything at me, and I plan on owning another 1-3 based lancer, also I know ayc is a p.o.s, lol, problem is trying to get a good used rs rear end is ridiculously expensive! I will get one though, can guarantee that!

noticed ya roof/ gutter trims are missing too, an ya probably know already but protons ones apparently fit if ya get stuck finding them

[sumo]

Haha, all good man, ya dont come across as arrogant so your not throwing anything at me, and I plan on owning another 1-3 based lancer, also I know ayc is a p.o.s, lol, problem is trying to get a good used rs rear end is ridiculously expensive! I will get one though, can guarantee that!

noticed ya roof/ gutter trims are missing too, an ya probably know already but protons ones apparently fit if ya get stuck finding them

Thanks for the heads-up. You are correct btw. I'm planning on swapping out the whole roof system. Unfortunately my car was one of the unlucky ones with the rusting roof issue. The trunk/boot lid will possibly need replacing also.

I have a browser folder dedicated to anything roof related lol. Either I have the local dealer bring the parts in, or I chance it myself.

The whole car needs some love, and this is my opportunity to give it some.

[sumo]

So... Back on the topic of coilovers.

I shot an email out to Fortune Auto inquiring on what they would recommend for me.

Keep in mind:

1. All of the bushings have been swapped out to SuperPro polyurethane bushings.

2. I have the 20mm Whiteline rear sway bar with front and rear droplinks.

3. I'm currently on Tein Gravel Spec coilovers, and if I recall the spring rates for them are 6k front and 5k rear. (could be a lot less)

So... With that said the car is like a BOAT through corners. There's body role regardless of the suspension being adjusted to the max.

The gent from fortune auto recommends 7k front and 6k rear. 😕😒😒 based on the info provided. (80% daily and 20% autocross)

Yes I know the newer coilovers will have more advanced shocks than what I currently have, but I'm almost sure an increase in spring rate of 1k is not going to be a big improvement😧

Anyhow...

I've been told by some of the local guys to try out an 8k/10k setup. However, a friend of mine is down here with an Evo 8, and he has on the 8k/10k set up. His car too, is like a boat through corners, and even he is thinking to go stiffer.

I really need some experienced advice guys. Should I go 8k/10k or just bite the bullet and go all in with the 10k/12k?

Edited by sumo, 14 November 2015 - 02:12 AM.

[Ian91]

I have a mate with a jzx90 and he set it up with 16k fronts and 12 or 14 in the rear, was very solid, shit daily though, he put the stock seats back in to take up some of the hardness on the shitty road here in qld lol

[sumo]

Mods, If this is a problem please let me know. Apologies in advance if this is indeed an issue.

 

Below is the same post I made on another Forum. The more answers I get, the more info I attain. 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumopower87 

So... I shot an email out to Fortune Auto inquiring on what they would recommend for me. Unfortunately I didn't get in touch with Terry. 

The gent (won't call any names) from Fortune Auto recommends me 7k front and 6k rear. based on the info provided. (80% daily and 20% autocross)

I mean c'mon! I'm building a track car with daily driving capabilities.

Whenever you're aiming for a competitive build like this, the key is to just not tell the company that it's also a daily driver. I would guess that the vast majority of Fortune Auto's customers are people who wants coilovers just to have them, so they tend to cater more toward street driving.

The other factor here is ride quality: Fortune Auto has some claims about digressive valving and ride quality, but you still can't expect them to drive like a set of Ohlins on the street once you put higher spring rates on them. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumopower87 

Currently/previously on Tein Gravel Spec coilovers the car is like a BOAT through corners. There's body role regardless of the suspension being adjusted to the max.

Adjusting your suspension damping won't change roll at steady state. For that you need to change spring rates.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumopower87 

I've was advised by some of the local guys to try out the 8k/10k setup. However, a friend of mine is down here with an Evo 8, and he's on the 8k/10k set up. Take a wild guess! His car is like a boat through every corner and even he is thinking to go stiffer. 

I just don't want to end up buying a set of coilovers only to have to buy another set of springs in the future.

8K front, 10K rear was popular for a while, but most people end up swapping to 10K front, 8K rear.

It's actually not a bad spring rate combo, depending on your surfaces and tire selection. For competitive autocross you'll want to go higher, around the 10-14K range. Super wide race tires require even more.

But the important thing to keep in mind here is that spring rate is only one component of determining body roll, and there is such a thing as too high of a spring rate for your surface. You don't want to end up with spring rates so high that your suspension isn't compliant enough to maintain grip over uneven surfaces.

Some body roll isn't a bad thing, but if you get to a point where you want to control it more then you need to consider the whole setup: Stiffer roll bars with an eye toward front/rear balance, lower center of gravity with an eye toward roll center, and as wide of a track width as you can get away with.

[sumo]

Well... kind of off topic, in regards to the coilovers. Since l'm still in the process of buying parts for the motor, I'm just dropping in to say I bought a torque plate from MAPerformance.com in Friday.

Will take some pics once it arrives 😎

Edited by sumo, 23 November 2015 - 12:01 AM.

[Adrian]

I have put 10k fronts 8k rears in and gave a really nice firm ride without being to harsh. I did wind in a fair bit of preload and set the dampers on about mid setting. On full hard setting they were pretty good on a track

[sumo]

I have put 10k fronts 8k rears in and gave a really nice firm ride without being to harsh. I did wind in a fair bit of preload and set the dampers on about mid setting. On full hard setting they were pretty good on a track

Good Stuff. Thanks man.