Rating of Mods for performance

[mjposner]

1. K & N Filter in oem box Power: ___ Value: _____

2. Chip Power: ___ Value: _____
(state which one)

3. Cold Air Intake Power: ___ Value: _____
(state which one)

4. Headers Power: ___ Value: _____
(State which One)

5. Other: ____________ Power: ___ Value: _____

[TimeMachinE30]

Motor Swap. LSx, M30, S/M5x, Train Engine.

[mjposner]

TimeMachinE30 - Grade A for effort, F for completion of assigned task.

[Chrisbike]

TimeMachinE30 - Grade A for effort, F for completion of assigned task.

That's actually the best bang for buck to actually make some power. Headers won't do anything unless they are longtubes with supporting mods. K&N is a waste of money, plus you want a oil-less filter. Cold air intake may help intake temps slightly but your not going to see much of a power gain. Really just do a chip and then refresh the suspension/ shifter. There's like one million threads on cost effective mods.

[digger]

depends if you are talking bone stock or modified...

there isn't a single answer as the engine is an interrelated system where each part is partly dependent on the other, it is not a cumulative bunch of individual parts.

One thing for sure is if you arent getting a custom tune when you have mods you are leaving gains on the table

[TobyB]

5. NOx. winner.

6. Turbo. Also win.

The stock intake is just about as cold as you can get it, if it's fully intact.
The aftermarket stuff tends to lead to hotter intake temps. Yes, I stuck a thermometer in there.
You might get less restrictive, but...

t

[mjposner]

So Stock means no mods....

[ELVA164]

Sometimes I get sad about how little bolt-on modification the M20 accepts. Then I realize it saves me a lot of time and money and I go back to enjoying it daily with the power it has.

[NYCDelphin]

Sometimes I get sad about how little bolt-on modification the M20 accepts. Then I realize it saves me a lot of time and money and I go back to enjoying it daily with the power it has.

:)
agreed...

[Sail Boat]

Not to sound like a turd, but I've accepted that the best modification for any car is the driver. It is simply amazing how much difference skill makes.

I once drove a spec Miata around the VIR full course in 2:58 after 10 laps. I was ecstatic, as I was told this is a good time. My semi pro friend then took a few laps and put down a 2:30... That's 28 seconds. Twenty Eight!!!

He told me that once a driver reaches a certain skill level, power levels hardly determine enjoyment. His weekend car is a 250whp Porsche 964.

[Das Delfin]

do some research and you'll find the best bang for your buck is a chip. Mark D or that other guy I can't think of.

These cars don't accept bolt ons like old american muslce cars.. if you want more hp from a new set of headers you have to port the intake manifold, port the head etc. If you want more hp it's cheaper to throw in a 24v 2.8l from a late model e36

[zaq123]

as far as performance goes: best bang for the buck on these old cars would be to refresh the head/camshaft. Lots of M20s out there with worn rockers and cams.

[digger]

ive seen stock m20b25 with bolt ons on different cars e.g.

- intake and tune only +30bhp

- headers and x-pipe only + 14bhp

not small numbers on a 170hp engine

[cscracker]

Electric fan conversion deletes about a 10hp loss. Citation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXdLgaFXZzs

In their test, the thermal clutch fan (cold, least amount of loss) ate 14hp at 5500RPM. The amount of fan loss is a function of air displaced (fan size and RPM) and efficiency of the fan, not the base engine's power. An electric fan, on the other hand, eats about 1hp through the alternator, and has the benefit of running based on cooling system temperature (set up right), not engine RPM. Granted the e30's fan is a little different, which is why I conservatively estimate 10hp instead of 15hp, but this also assumes the fan clutch is actually working properly - if it isn't, you're losing even more (along the lines of a hard mounted fan).

[mjposner]

Thoughts on this kit:

https://www.millerperformancecars.com/store/show-by-car/e30/m20-cold-air-intake-maf-kit-psik-detail