Whats first

[J_valentin]

I'm looking to start rebuilding my engine but I don't know where to start. Some people tell me to let my engine breathe better(exhaust and intake) and others tell me to rebuild the engines guts first, so which is it? The innards or its air flow?

[drummingpariah]

First? If you're planning to do both, do them both at once.

[jordan_myers]

I agree with drumming, if your going to do both, then do them at once. If you need the car to drive then of course the breathing since they basically bolt ons. If your pulling the engine the I would rebuild the engine first starting with the the lower block internal (pistons, rods, rings, etc.). You should have decided what your goal hp is then you can determine what internals to use. I helped a friend rebuild my B18a and we used all oem lower block internals since the have been proven to hold up to 300hp and I am only planning on 250 to 300hp (I have close to 200 whp now) and I am doing an all engine build. After you finish your lower block then I would work my way up to the head and valve train (p&p, cams, valve springs, valves, cam gears, timing chain). Then lastly I would work on my fuel delivery and air intake/exhaust (injectors, intake manifold, cai, header, exhaust). After your engine is finished I would then move on to the tranny, as this is just as important in my opinion. This is just my opinion and what I have personally done, everyone is different and have different expectations, so the first thing you should do is sit down and determine your build, set up your plans, setup your budget, and read, read, read. I'm not sure about your experience but its is always key to gain as much knowledge as possible before diving into a project.

[J_valentin]

Ok thanks guys, im still deciding if i want to pull the engine since im a high school kid that can only have a part time job and at best make 3 grand this summer, and i doubt that will cover a full engine, tranny, rebuild, plus im puting in a system, so i need to figure out the most bang for my buck. But im still learning alot, so thanks for the input.

Oh also i was thinking A&E or K&N for my intake, and maybe B&P (i think that is a brand...my friend got it and it sounded really nice) Or do you all know sometihng better?

[jordan_myers]

As far as cai go, one from ebay will be just fine. There's no need to waste money on a name brand in this department (this doesn't hold true for just about anything else), but cold air intakes are all the same, they are just piping that delete the stock air box to allow the engine better breathing. AEM, K&N, Skunk2 are just names, there is no difference between them and the ones on ebay for 20 bucks...Just make sure you purchase a full cold air intake and not a short ram unless this is what your looking for. Also given your budget and predicament I would buy the cold air intake, header, test pipe or flex pipe (I'm not a fan of high-flow cats) and exhaust as an engine should be able to breath and exhale good. If you decide from there that you want more power, I would move on to a new intake manifold, cam(s), and a port and polish. This shouldn't run you too much and the port and polish can be done at a shop lickity split as to not put you out of a vehicle for longer than a few days (depending on the line ahead of you). Also I would look into tires (a good set, as car is only as good as the tires it has [these are what connect to the road and keep you there]), and a strut bar would be a good investment ($20 on ebay).

[J_valentin]

Well i have drag tires and low profile falcon wheelz so im set there, and im looking into the intake right now(found one for 45 but im going to keep looking)

Also i found a distributer cap on ebay for 95$ and it is just a straight bolt on and it says that it gives about 8-12 horsepower so i think that is a pretty good deal.

Any other advice or tips are welcome, god knows i need it lol

[ezeedee]

Originally Posted by J_valentin

Well i have drag tires and low profile falcon wheelz so im set there, and im looking into the intake right now(found one for 45 but im going to keep looking)

Also i found a distributer cap on ebay for 95$ and it is just a straight bolt on and it says that it gives about 8-12 horsepower so i think that is a pretty good deal.

Any other advice or tips are welcome, god knows i need it lol

a distributer cap is not gonna give you more hp, save the 95 bucks.

[jordan_myers]

Originally Posted by ezeedee

a distributer cap is not gonna give you more hp, save the 95 bucks.

Def. you can buy a perfectly fine oem replacement for 15 to 20 and throw in an other 5-8 for a button.

[simms_12]

ahh just make ur own intake