NA-T on stock headgasket?

s383mmber1

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Ok guys, i have a 87NA as most of you know, and i want turbo! I have been reasearching alot about NA-T and full swaps. I had a compresion test done and the number came back perfect. If i go NA-T i would keep the stock head gasket and bottom end. I want about 250-300 rwhp, without changing the head gasket. Smart idea? Terrible idea? Am i going to blow it up? Or should i save up and do a complete engine swap?

Thanks a whole lot guys!
 

supra90turbo

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Its all in the tune.
Since you're looking for modest power goals, you *should* be fine. For how long, though... it's questionable.
I'd replace those headbolts with ARP's. Remove one, and replace with an ARP, one by one.
Sooner or later you will be needing a MHG.
 

92turbo4life

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will no lie here..... but i am doin the 1.2 metal hg;) depends on the booost william:) honestly id do metal.... depends on how yoou drive though..

my vote metal hg fo sho
 

daledoe

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How meny miles are on the headgasket now??? You mite blow it up if you beat on it!!!! If you plan on getting high HP numbers at some point I'd put a 7MGTE in it. But thats just my opinion!!!
 

1TuffSupra

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daledoe said:
How meny miles are on the headgasket now??? You mite blow it up if you beat on it!!!! If you plan on getting high HP numbers at some point I'd put a 7MGTE in it. But thats just my opinion!!!

why? a turbo GE vs a GTE with all the same mods, guess which one will make more power dude, not the GTE. The compression ratio is higher which is a plus. But hell even the stock vw turbo motors have a compression ratio of 9.5:1. I know a guy who turboed his NA eclipse and when he rebuilt it he actually increased the compression ratio to 10.5:1 so yes there are risks, but with proper tuning the benifits from a job well done are well worth it.

Put a mhg in it now or you'll be kicking yourself in the butt later. Its less work if you do it now before you add all the turbo components on it. Bottom line these cars are notorious for blowing the stock gaskets, some have done well with a stock gasket, but most of them atleast retorqued it or used a new stocker with ARPs.
 
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s383mmber1

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Ive got 135XxX miles on her. I plan on running a stock CT26 for now. Ill do as you guys suggest and throw in a head gasket.

Next question!

COMETIC OR METAL?
 

shaeff

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cometic is metal ;) it's just more forgiving than any other MLS (multi layer steel) gasket. :) i'm running a cometic, and i would do it again, and again, and again.

-shaeff
 

IJ.

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I come from a land down under
Running a Cometic here and love it!

Toney makes a good point the only issue I see with high static comp and boost is it puts you closer to the detonation threshold and all it takes is a dud load of gas or a bad tune, blocked filter and so on to tip you into the rebuild cycle!
 

shaeff

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probably because he's one of the following:

-joking
-post whore
-uneducated about this particular gasket
-an HKS buying feind
-someone who soaks up rumors and believes them to be true
-post whore
-uneducated
-joking



-shaeff
 

s383mmber1

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shaeff said:
probably because he's one of the following:

-joking
-post whore
-uneducated about this particular gasket
-an HKS buying feind
-someone who soaks up rumors and believes them to be true
-post whore
-uneducated
-joking



-shaeff

As much as im good friends with Adam, hes not joking, i beilive he bought the MHG thinking it would hold more power than the cometic. Or simply didn't know what the cometic is!

Isn't the metal head gasket almost worse than the cometic for low horsepower goals?

William
 

shaeff

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neither is really better than the other. the cometic is much more forgiving in terms of RA values. it'll hold just as much power as the HKS gasket will. aside from the aforementioned, it's all in the tune, really.

-shaeff
 

s383mmber1

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shaeff said:
neither is really better than the other. the cometic is much more forgiving in terms of RA values. it'll hold just as much power as the HKS gasket will. aside from the aforementioned, it's all in the tune, really.

-shaeff

So, Shaeff, whats your opinion? NA-T? Or complete swap?
 

GotToyota?

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s383mmber1 said:
So, Shaeff, whats your opinion? NA-T? Or complete swap?
Just depends on what YOU want to do, nothing these people say can change YOUR mind. I say do what YOU want. But if you want to hear my opinion: I say drop in a GTE if you can find a good one locally, then if not, go NA-T, but properly build it before doing so.

-Matt