7AFE rebuild - HP Engine Kits, a lot of questions Options

[Manos]

Good day all,

I live in Athens, Greece and I have a '95 ST (7AFE motor) with just under 190.000 km on the clock. The engine is compltely stock other than a somewhat sporty (read: louder) muffler that was on the car when I got it.
I am considering rebuilding the engine in the very near future.
So I thought while I'm at it it might be a (very) good idea to get some extra hp out of it.
I'd neither want an engine swap nor fit a turbo.

I came accross the products of www.importperformanceparts.net - their "HP Engine Kits".

I think their asking prices are pretty good so I was tempted.
I looked however at the contents of their kits and they included:
Complete Gasket Set
MLS Head Gasket (their Dutch dealer sells copper gasket - is that any better?)
Wiseco Pistons - Your choice: (81, 81.5, 82mm bore and any comp ratio)
Performance Rings
Performance Wrist Pins
TOGA HP Main Bearings
TOGA HP Rod Bearings
Timing Belt
Freeze Plugs
Thrust Washers

From the above most of any hp upgrade would come from the raise in compression ratio. I mean they don't include anything concerning the intake, exhaust or engine management.

They don't advertize hp results, but they claim the customer should expect something like +40hp (MIN) and they advertize the results on their test car (a 1995 Acura LS 1.8, Stock HP 140) which resulted in +38hp with the engine kit alone (source: http://www.importperformanceparts.net/impo...pek-story.html)

Is this possible? I mean can you get some 35% more power just by increasing compression (I mean within driveable limits)? Even if compression is increased to 10.5 or even 11:1 (gasoline in my country has minimum 93 RON), that would be some 10-15% above stock.

And can the stock engine management handle it?

Does anyone here have any experience with these kits? What is the consensus?



In addition with the above and as boys will always be boys... I thought, why not add a header, maybe a cold air intake and ... just ... maybe ... a pair of cams.
It was pretty difficult to find headers for the celica 7AFE, but I did find these:
DNA: http://www.amazon.com/COROLLA-CELICA-STAIN...E/dp/B00CO7A6Z6
and
OBX: http://www.2kracing.com/Product/18421.html

What do you think of them, any good?
(...obviously the DNA is considerably cheaper + wich free shipping to my door... tempting... very tempting...)
And can a Corolla 7AFE header fit and work on a Celica 7AFE engine?

I don't worry too much about the CAI as I did find some (albeit expessive) or I cound improvise along the DIY lines of this forum

If it was difficult to source headers, it was impossible to find any cams. I suppose I could buy a pair of secondhand ones and have them re-profiled here (we have a pretty good cam specialist here) - but really are there no cams out there for the 7AFE? And if I have stock cams reground - to what spec? Any ideas?

Coupled with the HP Engine Kits have mentioned above resulted in some crazy NA hp on Import Performance Parts' test car...


A lot of questions I know...

I'd appreciate your advice.

Thanks in advance
Manos

This post has been edited by Manos: Aug 8, 2014 - 6:40 AM

[Manos]

Thanks for the reply. I will be patient and wait for someone to chime in as you say.

In the meantime, I contacted the Dutch dealers of importperformanceparts.net who, in so many words, all but confirmed that (a) they cannot guarrantee what sort of power increase their kits will deliver and (b) it is indeed only the increase in C/R that will provide that increase.
On the above basis, if I go from 9.5:1 to 10.5:1 I should anticipate some 10% increase or 12 extra HP. Suddenly it doesn't sound like such a brilliant investment...
I'm for importperformanceparts.net themselves to respond and if things don't change significantly (and they shouldn't really...) then I might just go for the cheapest rebuild of the engine (general cleaning and replacement of rings etc consumables) and pretty much just refresh a stock engine.

Before anyone jumps on me, I do know very well that horsees (hp) aren't peanuts, they don't come for free, there is no magic and there are valid means of obtaining extra hp. I would like something like that though:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/130-7th-...-8-seconds.html
The responses on that thread were enthousiastic at best...

M.