how to build a reliable engine

hi guys
i am going to start my engine build in the next couple off weeks and i wanted to get yours views on this ..
i wanna build my engine has reliable as possible it is going to be my daily driver and looking to run around 350-400 ..

Standard engines will run upto 400hp safely!
It's not really down to the quality of the build. Or should I say the spec of the parts...
The fueling is the key once it's built and running boost! If it's spot on you shouldn't have any problems!
Its when the tuning fails you when the engine goes bang!

Really stu, that is a bad statement to make.

sorry stu but have to disagree with some of the points there, mainly that you can run 400 horses reliably on a stock engine.

rob tried it a few years back and it never quite made 400 think it was about 380bhp but it blew up eventually.
trouble is the material that the cast stock pistons are made of causes too many heat probs so the more power you run the narrower the margin is for reliability, that is the main floor along with failing stock head gaskets at the boost level needed to achieve that power.
however if the crank is good and bottom end is built properly then that should be fine so main failiures come down to stock rod bolts, head gasket and pistons.

i do however agree with the mapping side of things as ive found to my cost many times in the past, the more power you run the less room for error there is as it will quickly destroy a forged engine either through det or borewash.

also another big killer is failiure of some of the ancilliary parts such as sensors, ignition system and injectors, if these are not functioning correctly then the ecu is not recieving correct info to constantly adjust itself hense lean and rich running all of which can render your engine to a short life.

anyways back to lennys question
when your ready to build it len pop down or give me a bell and il tell you exactly what you need and dont need for a good reliable build.
your not an idiot when it comes to throwing the spanners about so im 100% confident that youll have no problems at all.
the amount it costs is entirely dependant upon the state of the parts you have fitted already.....mainly your crank as that is the main key to a good solid engine build.
we have around 30 cranks in stock and only 2 of those are any good the rest are cracked on the journals so thats an indication that you need to check and double check everything

cheers bob ill pop down sometime this week

wont be about tomorrow lenny as ive got to deliver a car but will be there friday

I was going on what I have heard others claim over the years!
So I guess all the big boys who claimed this were bullshitting everyone!

And yes Danny really, as I say it's been proclaimed for years so from the info I and others were fed, I was correct in what I said.
Now Bob has filled me in with the right info I stand corrected

And the fueling is the key, you can have the best parts in the world and if the mapping is even slightly out the engine will be fucked! Or should I say if in detected it could be fucked?!

Have a read and you will see one reason why I said 400hp on standard internals

http://www.nissangtir.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12632

Stu I was on about your statement that " it's not really the quality of the build that matters"

Yes it bloody is mate, Nissan did a good job, you are correct on the cooling and fuelling part. Did you lads know that the oil squirters in the block are there because the piston crowns are oil cooled internally on standard piston's.

Mark turbo is one I can think off who was running 400+ for a long time on standard pistons, det is what melts the ring lands too, the sr lump is a shit for det on the inlet valve side of the block that is just down to head and piston design.

http://www.nissangtir.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=890

When I said quality of the build I meant wether you used hks, wosner, nismo etc
I was trying to say its not the quality of make that matters as standard will do if the fueling is spot on...
I didn't mean the quality of the build up itself of you know what I'm trying to say.

I think I did try and explain myself better in the first post I made?

Oh and yes I did know about the reasons for the oil squirters mate. Shaun told me a while back.
That's another reason of failure at higher bhp as fuel starvation can be a problem. Right?

Not really stu, the first post did'nt come across that well to me man,

I do agree with you that a good standard engine will run. 400bhp and it can do it for as long as a forged lump, bit like standard rods we have now tested them to 500lbft of torque......mazwork are only getting 535lbft out of the jamaican drag car...... And my engine is still going, shame that the twin plate clutch can,t handle it anymore

Yep fuel starvation, or the good old gtir fuel surge when cornering......one of the best ways to fuck the engine!

Still trying to explain my self lol

I know the quality is everything! Forged will always be better! And if the engine is rebuild badly it's going to be a massive fail!
That's not what I was talking about when I said quality.
I was trying to say you can use standard just aswell as forged for 400hp

Gotcha, that's better way of saying it stu.

I think I wont bother saying anything in the future lol I put things down to short and don't explain myself to well lol

dont be sad stu we still love you just the same

ok back to the question
in all fairness it makes little difference whether it can handle it or not!
at the end of th day it costs very little to stick a set of std forged pistons in which are obviously miles better than stock so why wouldnt you just do it, unless of course you cant afford them in which case just stick with the standard items

If you cant afford pistons I guess you can't afford £400hp lol
Let's face it, 400hp doesn't come cheap!

I don't proclaim to know everything, but if I hear guys I respect say something I believe it and over time I start quoting it, as do most people.
What I was saying was right, I just didn't explain what I meant properly lol

I know you all love me I love you guys to lol

Its right i do the same i know what i mean but writing it down it reads wrong. Using my phone i dont spell check etc. I know everyone has there own opinion but i think there should be a couple sticky's with a parts list of a solid forge build at a reasonable price then a higher spec build for example inc con rods and the like then a clutch one for example

New standard clutch circa 220bhp ....ftlb torqe
Exedy ....
Helix orangic ... I know you could have three of the same all which held more or less but there must be a common threashold. From the sticky people could always start new posts asking personal opinions on pedel feel /harshness

johnny gtir wrote:Its right i do the same i know what i mean but writing it down it reads wrong. Using my phone i dont spell check etc. I know everyone has there own opinion but i think there should be a couple sticky's with a parts list of a solid forge build at a reasonable price then a higher spec build for example inc con rods and the like then a clutch one for example

New standard clutch circa 220bhp ....ftlb torqe
Exedy ....
Helix orangic ... I know you could have three of the same all which held more or less but there must be a common threashold. From the sticky people could always start new posts asking personal opinions on pedel feel /harshness

sounds like a good idea Johnny definitely agree a sticky on this would be useful

Yes i mean we all know you need a block head good crank etc i thinking along the lines of
Fast road engine
Cp pistons
1.3 mm coosworth head gasket
Etc etc

Middle of the range build
As above
Plus hks 264 cams

Same build using 2mm head gasket etc what people who build alot have prroved works well as i say no disscusion just fact and if someone wants to add there opinion start a new thread and only if it is relavant and proved the sticky could be updated.alot of people i speak to have 1.2 hks or 2mm headgasket and dont know what its been done fIor or realise how it can make a massive difference.again on other sites search what clutch and there is alot of trawling through disscussion to find a answer or someone tries something new and gets abuse of someone because it is to cheap to be true.He is probably right but unless its common and several people have had the same and its failed how dose he know By all means i learn new things all the time and not claiming to know it all far from

I think thats quite a good idea johnny more so much as guidelines rather than a how to

its very difficult to put up a spec on builds as every build will differ slightly dependant on what the engines being built for as circuit use, fast road use, sprint / hillclimb use, drag car use. also the power and likely boost plus turbo the engines going to be running all really require different spec builds

the state of the head and block will also determine h/g thickness to be used

i could do a sticky (if ive not already done so) under engine build section with one aiming at fast road use (which most of you are interested in i guess) and one mainly for track use, but it is difficult as there are so many factors to take into consideration

look under engine builds and theres a sticky there!
if someone wants me to do one which is a bit more involved then i will but that should do for most roadcars with some track use thrown in

ok so my first question by no means am i been a twat it might seem it lol i totally understand there are hundreds of things to consider evey build is different but it says 1.2 mm head gasket and build may run in excess of 400 bhp i thought the boost needed to reach circa 400 ment automtically say 2mm head gasket no ?