[Adjacent]

Over the time I have been here, I've seen countless posts of people asking about what performance parts to get, engine conversions, rebuilds, N/A or F/I and what oil to use. My car is quicker and is more nimble, from when i first bought it and the only engine modification I have done was a K&N panel filter. Now this thread is for those that aren't as 'guided' to see that getting to A to B in record time, doesn't always mean putting more killerwasps into your engine bay.

I ENCOURAGE OTHER TWINCAMMERS TOO CONTRIBUTE IDEAS OF A REALISTIC NATURE! PLEASE NO BULLSHIT, THIS IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATING AND HOPEFULLY GETTING MORE PEOPLE INTO A BETTER SENCE OF MIND ABOUT CAR MODIFICATION.

PLEASE ALSO ONLY FACTUAL INFORMATION, NO 'MAH CUZIN RACED A WRX AND IT WAS 20V AND WE WON AND THEN WE GOT MAD PROPS'


Now ill start it off.

SUSPENSION... Before even looking at getting more power out of your car, look at what keep the car on the road. I use in my car a spring/shock combo, recomended from many notable members from this forum. Best thing i had ever done! Now my car is putting more power to the ground, and its handling has drastically improved.

KYB Excel G STRUTS and Lovell Low Springs, is what i use and was strongly recomended. It was all supplied and fitted for $900. Also, when getting the suspension fitted, going 'low' isn't always best. Yes the principal of having the car lower to the ground improves the cars centre of gravity, but too low will not allow the cars spring to react and provide its purpose. Make sure when you do get this modification done, it is at the recomended height.. These companys spend $$$$$$$$ only getting the best out of its product 'YOU DO NOT KNOW BETTER'.

TYRES... Probably the most underated performance part money can buy. I can certainly guarantee you, your money is better spent getting a good quality set of tyres, than spending it on a stupid defectable air intake or a set of extractors. You want to go faster, well get the best tyres you can afford. Its the only part of the car that actually touches the road so it only makes sense to get some nice sticky rubber.

RIMS... My car came with a set of lightweight 17" wheels, cracked and destroyed. Then it was fitted with a set of XHP 17" Weighsaton wheels. Worst $400 i ever spent. Tyre scrubbing, aquaplaning and hauling arse. I then got myself a set of SX stockies, straight away just by removing the massive amount of weight the 17's were, i could feel the accelerating faster and handling better quite noticably. Then I came into the opportunity of getting some Watanabes 14".. Super fun happy light weight JDM rims (3.5kg each) and it was even better than the stock rims for acceleration and handling.
My advice is to stick to the 2" law, you'll get the best results out of your car by doing so.

Please feel free to contribute, but as said please keep the rubbish out and keep it for new members to learn from or to share ideas. Thanks guys.

[TERRA Operative]

16" is the maximum size rim you want to go for if you want any semblance of handling and ride quality. The Corolla race teams stuck with 15" back in the day for a reason.....

Forget pod filters stuck on the end of stock intake pipes, without the proper custom airboxes and ducts, you'll only go backwards by sucking hot air from the engine bay. Install a good panel filter (as stated above) and duct the stock airbox to the front bar. (There are guides on these forums on how to do it).

As part of the suspension upgrade, increasing the size of the rear swaybar is a worthwhile modification. Fitting a front swaybar (if not already fitted) is also a good idea. Don't go too big on the front though, you'll affect the dynamics in a bad way.

If you're looking at the Later model Levin/Truenos (AE101, AE111), don't buy one with super strut suspension unless you've got DEEEEP pockets... :/

Use decent brake fluid (Sin or Motul) and replace it once a year. A decent set of pads is an excellent idea. $50 for a set of pads from Super Cheap is not a good set of pads....

This post has been edited by TERRA Operative: 16 August 2009 - 09:12 AM

[Mark K]

Weight reduction.

The idea here is basically that if the engine has a lot of weight to haul around, the car will be slower.
Think of the last time you drove around with a car load of people.... the car would have been a lot more sluggish to drive that what it usually would. This is because the engine had to work harder to move all that extra weight. Using this logic, if you were to remove un-needed weight from your car, it would have the opposite effect. A high output engine is pointless if it has to move a considerably amount of weight.
If the idea is budget performance, there's nothing cheaper than removing things from your car that you don't necessarily need. Most of which you can do at home. Just be sure that what you remove wont affect the integrity of the vehicle, or make it un-roadworthy.

Some examples of ways you can reduce the overall mass that your engine has to haul around:

Removing sound deadening
Though time consuming and you have to strip the inside of your car out... check FAQ section for how to do this.

ICE components
Speakers may not seem heavy, but when you have upwards of 4-6 mid range drivers, amps, subs and enclosures, the weight can really pile on. (For example, my 10" sub and amp alone weighed 20kg).

Heavy wheels
Having heavy wheels on your car means the engine has to work harder just to rotate them, (and that's just to get the car moving in the first place). Go for something no larger than 16" and light weight.

A/C compressor, condenser and piping
Only if you don't mind having the windows down in summer, this will also reduce parasitic drag on the engine itself so its a win win here. If the system still has gas in it, get it professionally emptied. It's illegal to release AC gas into the atmosphere and it could be dangerous for you to try it yourself.

Light weight interior
Driver and passenger seats for example. Aftermarket bucket seats are usually made from strong, light weight materials and although they can be costly if you go for a high end brand, you can get some fairly cheap ones of decent quality (OBX or Corbeu for example). This mod may require new or modified seat rails.

[Casey-G]

15x7" chasers wrapped in some grippy 195/50 rubber - best upgrade Ive done so far.

Never play with idle speeds/vacuum lines/ignition timing ect.. without first replacing plugs (not your 4 prong variety either) and letting the car warm up.


Cable ties aren't the answer to everything.


Putting your car on a diet a.k.a weight reductions, make a big difference if you can shed 50kilos.


Aftermarket fuel regulator/and or a higher capacity i.e pump bosch 044 variant


High octane fuels (98ron)/with some mild ignition timing advance can see some extra go.


If your running a boosted setup, invest in some adjustable timing gears well worth the money.Also recommended for a N.A setup


If you have the cash and prefer not to crack open a motor, a budget performance upgrade could in fact be a programmable engine management system, although may only be budget in certain circumstances.





edit* Mark you think like me, weight reduction for the win

This post has been edited by Casey-G: 16 August 2009 - 11:12 AM

[TERRA Operative]

Also, as a rule of thumb, reducing unsprung mass (rims, tyres, anything between the road and springs) is equal to removing 4 times that of sprung mass.

Ie, if your new wheels are 10kg lighter overall than your old wheels, that's equal to 40kg of weight reduction from the rest of the car...

[trdee]

If you have a 4A-GZE, the quickest and easiest upgrade you can do for more power is to change the standard crank pulley for something like a 164 or 175mm pulley. Be aware that once you do this, you may need to get a smaller tensioner or it will foul on the crank pulley (NEVO kits came with tensioners to suit). You will also be overdriving your waterpump by doing this.

If you don't want to overdrive your waterpump, you can alternatively buy a smaller supercharger pulley. You will want a clutched pulley (solid is bad mmk). Nonstoptuning and pulleybros sells upgraded pulley kits, however they are fairly expensive. your best bet is to wait around for a NEVO or similar to pop up in the classifieds.

[TERRA Operative]

I found the best bang for buck mod on my 4AGZE was the swap to a 3SG(T)E throttle body. 50mm to 55mm diameter.

More air in = more power.

With that, ABV mod, CAI, and the exhaust cam retarded by 3 degrees, I'm pushing 11psi on stock pulleys.

[trdee]

link to 3SG throttle body installation? is it the same dia. between the 3SGTE and 3SGE? I'm on ozcelica so i could probably get one fairly easily

This post has been edited by trdee: 16 August 2009 - 03:41 PM

[legend]

alot of people spend up on go fast bits exhaust ,extractors ,pod filters and put these on a old motor
most 4age 's have had a hard life and have done 180,000 km's and up spend your money on a good rebuild and the gains will be greater and the aftermarket goodies u buy later on will make substancial gains as well and the engine will continue to perform for years after

great thread adjacent

This post has been edited by legend: 16 August 2009 - 04:53 PM

[lolgti]

Rebuild. (Not really budget unless you do alot yourself)

Bigport Cams (If you got the 100kw Smallport)

Genie Extractors.

2inch Mandrel exhaust system with V8 Cat + 1x Straight through Res and a Straight through Rear Muffler (Not a cannon).

Strip and carry less weight.

[eviltwin]

i personally rebuilt my bigport before i did anything to it and it was the best thing i ever did

[xjustinx]

lolgti, on Aug 16 2009, 05:15 PM, said:

Rebuild. (Not really budget unless you do alot yourself)

Bigport Cams (If you got the 100kw Smallport)

Genie Extractors.

2inch Mandrel exhaust system with V8 Cat + 1x Straight through Res and a Straight through Rear Muffler (Not a cannon).

Strip and carry less weight.

You KIND OF f#####g TOTALLY went aganist the thread all together.

Quote

Straight through Rear Muffler (Not a cannon).

Also, do not throw personal prefs into a thread, ok?

Come "cannons" can be quite tasteful and decent, also providing good flow.

as above

1. Tyres

IMPORTANT!

Good tyres to try out (for our budgets are car levels)

Bridgestone Potenza adrenalin RE001
Bridgestone Potenza RE01R
Yokohoma C drive
Yokohoma S drive
Kuhmo Ecsta SPT
Pirelli P6000

2. brakes!

JUST AS IMPORTANT AS TYRES! What good is it going fast when you can't stop to hit the apex!?

Bendix ultimate
Ferodo ds2500 or w/e it is
EBC green/red stuff
Lucas pads (not sure on the model, they make a good pad though)
ENDLESS if you can afford it

Caliper and disk upgrades such as SX to GTI or GTI or Twinpots can be great too!

Also braided lines to reduce brake line ballooning and also decent fluids.

This post has been edited by xjustinx: 16 August 2009 - 05:29 PM

[TERRA Operative]

trdee, on Aug 16 2009, 03:40 PM, said:

link to 3SG throttle body installation? is it the same dia. between the 3SGTE and 3SGE? I'm on ozcelica so i could probably get one fairly easily

Here you go.

http://www.jdmlevin....odyInstall.html


My website www,jdmlevin.com has a heap of info on it that could be useful.






Also, I can vouch for Endless pads. I got Endless SSS pads in my Superstrut Levin and they are an awesome pad. At $500 for the set of four, they weren't cheap though.....

For tyres, Toyo Proxes 4 are very good. I don't know about cost, but they go very well on a mates Mazda 323 which sees the drag strip. They are nicely progressive as you loose traction, leading to a very predictable tyre.

This post has been edited by TERRA Operative: 16 August 2009 - 05:46 PM

[trdee]

your website is now bookmarked. cheers

[Seasalt]

Exhaust; one thing not yet covered in the same background detail as other modifications.

A decrease in back pressure can give an increase in performance. The engine consumes less energy in removing spent gases. That decrease in back pressure does not necessarily mean more noise, but for some, the "right sound" is the actual objective. There are free-flowing mufflers and resonators that are not noisy. Loud cars attract police attention. If you want to be noisy, you take that risk.
The usual way to achieve backpressure reduction for a 4AGE is a cat back system of larger diameter with a free flowing muffler (and resonator/s?). After a certain point, bigger is not necessarily better for performance, but may be for sound, looks, or for a turbo. Remember that big exhaust = less body and ground clearance.
Add a bigger cat as well if u want to go all the way.
The stock manifold is well designed so there is little improvement from aftermarket extractor and header systems. No budget power there.

This post has been edited by Seasalt: 16 August 2009 - 09:12 PM

[TERRA Operative]

So long as you're using factory extractors. The cast manifold is poo. When I went to factory (blacktop) headers, the difference was quite noticeable.

[KRaZi 101]

any tips for 20v owners out there?....

i've heard from chaps in NZ that if u throw a blacktop head on a silvertop ull make some more power?

Also for TYRES
TOYO proxies 4 are nice reasonably cheap tyres for those of you with bigger rims as i have found out

RIMS
Do NOT go 17" Chromes.. lol

[Jarryd]

Also dont underestimate a GOOD service, it can freshen up an engine, stuff like

Coolant flush,
Oil change with a good semi/fully synthetic oil,
Oil filter
Fresh spark plugs(as mentioned before NOT 4 prong type, keep hearing bad news about them)
Timing belt and timing adjustment
Fresh/cleaned air filter,
Fresh fuel filter,
Replace brake pads,
Degrease engine bay,
Clean throttle body etc..

The list can go on, depending how much time you want to take, but these measures will give rewards and is a must for any aging engine anyway..

Cheers
Jarryd

[TERRA Operative]

Decent synthetics are apparently good for an extra 5kW at the wheels, due to their lower coefficient of friction etc. I've seen dyno comparisons, but can't find them now.

[lolgti]

xjustinx, on Aug 16 2009, 05:28 PM, said:

You KIND OF f#####g TOTALLY went aganist the thread all together.

They are all cheap upgrades (bar the rebuild).

[rthy]

the bigport cams in a smallport head gave 2.5kw after dyno

7age was like 20-30 more Nm, no replacement for displacement...

[Blue_stivo]

building a 7AGE is hardly a cheap exercise though.

I'll echo what most others have said... tyres, tyres, tyres, tyres.

Best bang for buck mod going around.

[rthy]

its not that expensive if u do all the work...

[dorifto]

I'll vouch mostly for what's already been said.

Some things I can add:
Rear sway bar Probaly the best bang for your buck mod you could do to your car in terms of handling and how it behaves when it comes to cornering.
fluids Since Corolla's are hitting close to two decades old, it becomes a wise move to change fluids. Most of which are quite affordable and can increase your car's longevity and performance. Also change the filters too while your at it.

I'll update my build thread in a few weeks when I go for a dyno run with what has mostly been mentioned in this thread:
rebuilt engine
basic performance upgrades/fluids
ect

[Casey-G]

any noticeable gains from running a bottle of occy booster and injector cleaner through you 4ag every now n then?

[Privatealpha]

My car started to spit flames after i put some injector cleaner through...
Does make the car run slightly rich.

[Casey-G]

Privatealpha, on Sep 4 2009, 12:37 PM, said:

My car started to spit flames after i put some injector cleaner through...
Does make the car run slightly rich.

what brand was it?

[TERRA Operative]

I want some of that stuff.

[moses08]

Nulon pro strength octance boost made my 4ag struggle to iddle so i had advanced the timming a fair bit, prity much the car wouldnt take off from the line, as the clutch enganged the revs would just dump almost into a stall even when u put the foot to the floor, lol but once it hit 3k, yeh runs abit rich too but wen tvis kicks in mixtures are alot better and you notice it i recon.

[Casey-G]

moses08, on Sep 11 2009, 11:23 AM, said:

Nulon pro strength octance boost made my 4ag struggle to iddle so i had advanced the timming a fair bit, prity much the car wouldnt take off from the line, as the clutch enganged the revs would just dump almost into a stall even when u put the foot to the floor, lol but once it hit 3k, yeh runs abit rich too but wen tvis kicks in mixtures are alot better and you notice it i recon.

Need more compression mate, haha.

I once read about a bog stock supra, the guy that owned it raised the compression up real high and ran like 120RON made some insane power from just doing that apparently. like another 120 ponies at the wheels on top of what it had from the factory.