Most Bang for the Buck Options

[subsolo_21]

Im trying to decide what would be the best way to increase my car's performance. Right now Im mainly leaning towards NOS and the 4A-GZE engine. I was wondering which of these would I get the most performance out of for the $ I'd pay for it. I also wanted to know if I would have to make any modifications on my car to install the engine. I have a 94 st w/ an auto tranny. Thanx.

[Pandeo]

NOS.

Costless for HP, less trouble to install and reparing...

[Coomer]

Either way, you're going to need to modify the car. The 4A-GZE swap into an AT200 is very difficult, and I've never seen one that runs. One person claims to have had it, though lacks the information about the swap, photos of it, and his multiple stories just don't make sense.

With nitrous oxide, you get quick horsepower for your money, though it's rough on your engine. I think a couple people here on 6G Celicas have blown their engines due to nitrous oxide.

Personally, I'd never install nitrous oxide in my car, because I'd rather have something that gives me more power all of the time and is better for the car, even if I spend five times the amount of money for the same horsepower.

[Andason]

NOOSSSSSSS is your best bet

[subsolo_21]

Thanks for the advice guys, but I think I'll stick w/ what Coomer says. He seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders. I was leaning more toward the engine swap than NOS, but a lot of my friends were pushing for me to get NOS. I may try to go for a diff. engine. 3sgte perhaps....??

[lagos]

nos is one of those things that has major hidden cost. yes it is the best bang for the buck, but there is about a 95% chance that youll blow your motor.

[FallenHero]

Nooo, just run a small shot and don't get greedy. I'd never run over a 50 shot. I personally would only run about 35.

[snadman]

The Zex kit is actually the safest kit around. Wit their new Ejector filter, their is no modification neseccary to your current air intake, just put on the new ejector cone filter. The kit also only allows the ejection of nitrous oxide when at WOT, which is where most people make the mistake of not doing this and blow their engines. They hit the nitrous before they're in the final drive gear and towards the top...they then over-rev too quickly and way too much without having adequate time to shift into that final drive gear. If you just do the 55 shot of Zex, and use it correctly...your engine should be fine.

This post has been edited by snadman: Dec 13, 2003 - 2:37 AM

[lagos]

everyone always says "a 50 shot is fine" and then they blow their motor.

think about it this way, your car is tuned to deliver a certain amount of fuel and air. with nitrus you are giving it way more air then the ecu/fuel injectors ever expected to have to deal with. so, the car ends up running lean and your motor blows.

on a dyno a 5sfe puts out about 100hp to the wheels. so, what you are basicly saying is that you can force 50% more hp into your engine and it will deal with it no problem.

there are ways of making a nitrous safer, buy those kits a lot more expensive then your tipical $600 kit. on top of that, you have to pay to refill the bottle.

This post has been edited by lagos: Dec 13, 2003 - 12:24 PM

[saleeka]

lets not forget about that you then aren't street-legal once you have nos in your car...

[Andason]

[LatinKraze]

[Pandeo]

...right, NOASSS can blow your motor.
But, thisd a big but, is less rought on your motor than a turbo, because you use the NOS when you need it;with a turbo, this always running, so, if you have hight compressure on it, you should blow identicly than a NOS kit...

TRy a 100hp more with a NOS is equal than put a turbo to give 100hp on a ST Model...

BOUM!

[Andason]

[snadman]

I wouldn't go as far as that. But trust me, if you do the nitrous route...you could do the 75 shot of Zex...600 bucks...then, if you're actually worried about running lean you can upgrade to the 7mge injectors. The 5sfe normally runs pretty rich as many people with the SAFC have reported. I'm not sure about the 7afe, but I'm guessing it's about the same. So if you retard your timing a bit on these engines and run the 55 shot...you should be fine....make sure to hit it at WOT.

[Coomer]

[Andason]

[Toyolica]

Even with a turbo or s/c you can still mess up your engine. If you go past the recommended settings for how your motor is built. Actually driving your car hard all the time can do it too. Nitrous isn't the culprit. It's how its used.

[FallenHero]

Also, lets not forget that most dry-shot nitrous kits clamp your fuel return line to push more fuel into the cylinders. Thus, you don't run lean.

You could always get a Venom kit, They come with o2 sensors and it cuts off it you go lean.

[snadman]

Yehp, or just get a AFR guage and a wideband O2 sensor and you can cut it off manually. Whatever floats your boat I guess. And the comment that what blows your engine is how you drive your car is completely true...I've been saying it since the first post I did in this thread though. "People blow their engines because of when they hit the nitrous." But reiteration always helps...I just hope this kid does the right thing and spends the money wherver he wants to. Do your own research kid, don't let other peoples' non-fact supported opinions stray you either way. Just do some research, talk to performance shops that are well-known, etc. Get the answers on your own and not by word of mouth from car enthusiasts like most of us here are. We are not technicians, all we can do as enthusiasts is offer advice...we can't give answers.

[97sccelica]

[subsolo_21]

Thats some good, sound advice snadman. I can see that there are pros and cons either way i go. Thanks for all of your suggestions...except Andason. I might have actually believed him until he said he used a 200 shot. lol.

[Andason]

[lagos]

if it was so safe for the 5s then it would be on the list of "tipical things to get for the 5sfe". everyone here would be running, intake, exhaust, zex kit. so, if you guys think its so safe then go out and buy it. i wouldnt mess with it tho. not unless i was planning to blow up my 5s.

[FallenHero]

well, the price makes most people look the other way. I don't have five bills to drop into a go-fast button.

[97sccelica]

[FallenHero]

Plus, if some ass revs at you on the inter-state highway, are you really going to reach back and unscrew the nitrous bottle?

Psssshhhhhhhhhh

I vote for a turbo any day. More expensive and you can still get nitrous if you want

[97sccelica]

[Kwanza]

Know what you want and what to do before you do it...

Nitrious is definately the biggest bang for the buck. If you tune your shiat correctly, you won't blow up your engine. Refer to my first sentence again. I've squeezed as high as a 75 shot (zex dry kit w/ 75 shot jets) on a stock block 7afe managing tracked times between low 15's and high 14's... The thing with nitrious is, it's basically for straight line racing only. It's fairly cost effective if you like your excitement in small doses... I don't...

Aside from that, unless you're willin to pay a few grand for a turbo kit, or maybe even a swap, then the most you should be expecting is a few ponies per mod, and each mod can be anywhere from 30 bucks a pop (intake) to a few hundred bucks a pop (SAFC, Header, etc...)...

[OOBE]

Nitrous oxide ain't cheap...you'll eventually spend the same amount of money that a turbo system costs just by refilling the bottle...because squeezing the button is addictive...anyway, without proper setup and monitoring, the engine won't last enough to be able to reach the price of a turbo system; never mind. And once you run out of the laughing gas, your car is back to SLOW, hehe.

[OOBE]

It's like Popeye without his spinach...he's a wussy, hahaha.

[subsolo_21]

So should i turbo my current 7a-fe or just swap to the 3sgte?

This post has been edited by subsolo_21: Dec 16, 2003 - 12:00 AM

[97sccelica]

[FallenHero]

My advice? Keep reading and make up your mind later. It has taken me more than a year on here to have a General Idea of what I am going to do engine wise.

[HyperDeathKill]

[subsolo_21]

Nitrous may not be used constantly like FI would, and if used properly it is easier on the engine, but if you turbo the car and tune it properly and run @ low levels of boost your engine wiil be fine and you get a constant supply. With nitrous you end up buying bottle after bottle, unless your extremely conservative with it and wheres the fun in that?in the long run a turbo will save you $. Each way has its pros and cons, but if used responsibly both are great ways to gain hp. You just have to be careful with it and dont push your car too hard. Its up to each person which they do to their car if they do anything at all. The main thing is that whichever u do u do it right.

[Komlofske]

What they are saying is right, take your time man, you have it. That's the great thing about this sight, most directions have been taken and spoken of so that you as a 6gc owner can make up you own mind. Good luck man and keep bringing the questions.

[macavely]

is you put nitrous in your system you'll do just fine with a 20 30 40 50 60 or 70 shot... as long as you don't go crazy using it... and it's installed the right way... and also the price is not bad either 700 bucks for a system for extra power when you need it... and no problems with insurance or inspections.. cause all you have to do is take the bottle out of the car..

[Andason]

this topic is hillarious.

NOOSSSSS

[integra_killer]

Stay away from NO2!! or "nos." Even if at first everything is fine, you can seriously damage internals and get some bad metal on metal contact which could seize your engine.. I suggest that you get a new exhaust manifold or headers, combines with a turbocharger, and maybe new injectors with a new fuel rail and fuel cell.. Those combined should give you more than adaquate performance, they jsut cost more, but will end up paying for themselves in the long run.. If you are considering things like a 100hp jump than I STRONGLY RECCOMEND you upgrade your BREAKS!! otherwise you'll end up like Paris hilton, wrapped around a pole!

[Supersprynt]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Nitrous is like heroin, sall good til you car is dead in the gutter.

[NEVERSTOP]

[Uppitycracker]

Does nitrous bug anyone else here? its like fake hp, reminds me of a video game, press the red button for momentary boost, instead of crafting a performence engine that is fast all the time, stupid kids....