[Bspourt1]

can you install just a new performance cylinder head while keeping the stock shortblock and have it run fine? Or would be it better to ugrade the short block first?

 

[orangeZXT]

no u can run a FR head or ported stock head on a stock block u would need a retune after the install to get the most out of the head but it will work just fine

 

[zx3mike09]

a quick question on the FRPP aluminum head... what kind of gains would it yield with the crower stage 1 cams? i would like to do a pwsc but it is discontinued so im planning on going the NA route reguarless of the money. the NA route is better in the long run because a super/turbocharger would shorten the life of the stock zetec im sure. anyone doing the NA thing let me know what gains ur getting and what parts........ thanks

 

[cjmartinyzx3]

a turbo wont shorten the life of the engine if its tuned right,

but the FRPP head and the crower stg1 cams are maybe going to net 10hp~

 

[HitIt]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+1. If you are like me then youll blow your head in no time. lol.

 

[mattellermets]

Blow your head? Did you follow a proper breakin procedure?

 

[G-forces]

a turbo wont shorten the life of the engine if its tuned right

It depends on what you mean by "life of the engine". Sure it won't break the crank, or ruin the block or the head itself or any of the parts that are not directly involved with combustion, but regardless of how perfect the tune is, you will wear out the wear-parts much faster... rings, bearings/wrist pins, valves.

It's always a good idea to upgrade those parts and balance the moving parts when you increase power significantly, especially when you boost, unless you like tearing down a motor and throwing parts at it frequently... some don't mind that, but you really can't make that assumption.

 

[guitarseth]

It depends on what you mean by "life of the engine". Sure it won't break the crank, or ruin the block or the head itself or any of the parts that are not directly involved with combustion, but regardless of how perfect the tune is, you will wear out the wear-parts much faster... rings, bearings/wrist pins, valves.

I don't know if that's necessarily true. A high revving NA engine has to put pretty much the same wear on the rings and bearings as some boost would.

Oh, and zx3mike09, don't let anyone fool you for a second into thinking that NA is less expensive. Its way cheaper to bolt on a S/C kit from JR or FS and run their tune.

 

[G-forces]

I don't know if that's necessarily true. A high revving NA engine has to put pretty much the same wear on the rings and bearings as some boost would.

It's not so much about friction as much as just force. In the same engine revs will have almost the same effects regardless of how they happen, including engine braking, as long as each is operating with the same engine geometry and tolerances = stock.

But during acceleration the forces applied (torque/hp potential) is very different between an NA and boosted engine. Those forces are greater in a boosted engine, even if the power curves follow parallel paths, boost always generates higher pressures in the combustion chamber, thus more torque/hp. Those pressures are much higher than those in the most aggressive NA engine, and ring erosion and collapse of the oil film in the rod bearings is much more possible and likely, even exhaust valve surface erosion. This means that you must improve the tolerances/hardware, use heavier oil, have a higher capacity oil pump, and better cooling for a boosted engine to last as long as an aggressively tuned NA without those things. But if you've maxed those things in a NA engine (like yours) it will last measurably longer than the same maxed boosted engine will before needing some sort of re-build.