7A-FE Rebuild., Questions on rebuilding a 7A-FE. Options

[DeviousST]

I own a completly stock 94' Celica ST, with a ticking piston (at least that is the toyota master tech's opinion), that is engine threatening. Being the glutton for punishment that I am I have decided to rebuild and improve upon my base AT200 platform. I have all the aftermarket parts figured out, where to do the build, and the equipment to do the build, so here is my problem: How do I build a 7A-FE that will be reliable with about 7 pounds of boost. Do I just buy stock toyota pistons, connecting rods, and rings? (I want to stick with the original crank) And what about the heads. Will stronger valve springs with an otherwise stock valve train make my engine more resistant to boost and rpm? Internal Engine help would be greatly appreciated.

[Kwanza26]

I own a completly stock 94' Celica ST, with a ticking piston (at least that is the toyota master tech's opinion), that is engine threatening. Being the glutton for punishment that I am I have decided to rebuild and improve upon my base AT200 platform. I have all the aftermarket parts figured out, where to do the build, and the equipment to do the build, so here is my problem: How do I build a 7A-FE that will be reliable with about 7 pounds of boost. Do I just buy stock toyota pistons, connecting rods, and rings? (I want to stick with the original crank) And what about the heads. Will stronger valve springs with an otherwise stock valve train make my engine more resistant to boost and rpm? Internal Engine help would be greatly appreciated.

You need to do your research on what boost does to which parts... Boost = heat... the parts most associated with failure due to heat are the rods and pistons and associated bearings. If you're gonna do a true rebuild for boost... don't bother with OEM pistons... however... low-comp pistons, which generate less heat during compression, are pretty much mandatory for a boost build. The stock rods will probably be fine with around 7-10 pounds of boost, but an upgrade is always nice since the 7A rods are kinda dinky. You don't need to worry about the crank... at all.

As for the head... the head is unaffected by boost in terms of durability. Valve spring upgrades are done if you plan on revving the engine high... so they're not needed in this case. Beyond that... you worry about your tune and your fuelling, which is as important to reliability and durability as is the mechanical.