Engineered Performance project Grand Am - GM Performance Tuning

jamz · #1 (**permalink**) 08-22-2006, 08:00 PM

I have worked with Jeff at Engineered Performance for some time. He did the work on GMPT's Grand Am. I have always supported Jeff's shop and a fan of his work. I got an e-mail from him today that I wanted to post in regards to his Engineered Performance project Grand Am.

"After almost two years in moth-balls, I finally completed the Engineered Performance Grand Am turbo project! The car will be used as a weekend bracket racer, street driver (in winter only, no a/c), rice-eater, and product show-case for my EP Limited Slip Differential. I just barely made it to the Pontiac Nationals in Norwalk Ohio three weeks ago after a three-day, non-stop thrash which left me sick as a dog and driving 14hrs alone. I only blew out two trailer tires along the way, not too bad! LOL! I missed Sat racing as a result, but on Sunday I posted a best 13.52 @ 103mph on slicks with NO tuning, NO wide-band a/f monitor, and to top it off, a slipping clutch (the 2-mile break-in didn't help!) I took the car to the dyno last week for some tuning and was pleasantly surprised when my goal of 300whp was surpassed on the first pull on far less boost than I ever imagined I would need to make that much power! It peaked 307whp/289wtq on 16psi. Thats approx 375-380hp at the crank from 2.0 liters! For all you old-school Pontiac nuts, that'd be 1444hp from a 455! LOL!!!!!!!!!! It's amazing what 4-valves can do!

The engine is an all-GM hybrid, using the old 2.0 turbo bottom end (fully race-built of course, with the exception of stock cast rods) and a Daewoo 2.0 DOHC head (yes, same engine family!) It uses a big turbo and injectors, and custom tuning of the factory computer.

The car is a 88 Grand Am SE turbo with 91 Grand Am SE front- and rear-end treatment. It runs a factory Getrag 5-speed with my EP Limited Slip Differential (of course!)

With a little practice and a bigger Fiero-sourced clutch, I expect to shorten the 60' times by 4 or 5 tenths and runs some low-13's/high 12's (more than enough power on tap for that...)

Thanks again for being a friend of EP and me!

Jeff Ianitello
Engineered Performance
1129 Cobb Parkway SE
Marietta, Georgia 30060
770-528-3882
www.engineered.net"

99GrandAmGT · #2 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 12:19 AM

w00t! How much to hook up my 99 Grand am GT? lol
(kinda serious ^.^)

Josh · #3 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 12:42 AM

will you be at Nopi Nationals?

Slammed_am · #4 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 11:31 AM

:DROOL: I'm definately looking forward to hearing more about this project!

pontiacjeff · #5 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 12:09 PM

Thanks for the props! Here's the best part:

pontiacjeff · #6 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99GrandAmGT

w00t! How much to hook up my 99 Grand am GT? lol
(kinda serious ^.^)

You want a turbo? Email me off site for a quote!

pontiacjeff · #7 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 01:48 PM

Here's the complete write-up...

Engine spec sheet:

1988 Factory Pontiac C20GET block bored .020" over, 0-decked true to the mains, and align-honed with ARP main studs; stock, un-cut cast steel GET crank, (9# lighter than the std 2.0 crank); .020-over forged GM GET pistons (8.5:1) with single intake valve "eyebrow" added for use with the Daewoo 4-valve head; factory GET rods that have had the beams polished, shot-peened and re-sized with ARP rod bolts; custom 80psi oil pump; stock oil pan and pick-up tube; GM MLS head gasket from a Z20LET (Euro-"Ecotec" turbo) with TWO Victor "head-saver" head shims, one on either side of the h.g., used to lower compression to 8.0:1; stock, unported T20SED cyl head (right off a wrecked nube with 62K miles on it); 'Woo timing belt drive; custom machined 'Woo cam gears with cam sensor lugs and counterweights removed for lightening and looks; custom remote mounted GET distributor driven off the front of the intake cam; stock 'Woo intake manifold; 42.5# Delphi injectors; 1991 Quad4 HO 56mm throttle body, remote mounted so I could use factory Quad4 Grand Am throttle cable arrangement (and has the side benefit of an adding 60cid plenum volume, nearly double the stock plenum size!); custom 4-tube turbo header made from an SS Auto Chrome Acura header and a custom 'Woo exh flange; T3/T04E Super 60 (not 60-1, that's a bigger turbo), comp side .60 a/r "Super 60"-trim with std 3" inlet and 2" discharge, turbine side .84 a/r (yes, that's right .84 A/R) T3 turbine housing, custom machined GT35 turbine wheel (made by my secret turbo guy! ;) ); TiAL 38mm external wastegate; 2-1/2" downpipe which merges with the 1-5/8" w.g. dump tube 6" form the turbo into a 3" exh with no cat and a Dodge Hemi Ram truck 3" resonator as a muffler.

Tuning: MSD 6AL with built-in Soft Touch rev control and two-step rev limiter used to launch the car; NGK BKR7E plugs gapped at .028"; MSD 8.5mm Supercondutor wires; Aeromotive adj. f.p.r. set to factory specs (stock fpr on fuel rail has been gutted); stock 8deg initial timing; custom ecm tuning on factory LT3 '7749 ecm using GMPCM and Tunercat software; 2-bar MAP sensor (for now, more boost will require 3-bar conversion).

Transmission: Muncie/Getrag 282 5-speed with stock 3.61 final drive (ratios 3.50:, 2.19:, 1.38:, .94:, .75:1) my Engineered Performance Limited-Slip Differential; SPEC Stage 3+ cerametallic clutch (which is NOT holding the power as they said it would); shortened shifter handle; stock GM HD C.V. axles.

Car: 1988 Grand Am SE turbo, 4-door sedan; 1994 Grand Am GT 16x6.5" 5-spoke "turbo" wheels with 205/55/16 Firestone GTA tires; 1991 Grand Am SE front- and rear-end conversion; 1990 honda accord rear spoiler.

The picture in jasons post above was taken just as I started my burnout this past weekend. It ran a best 13.52 @ 103 three weeks ago in Ohio. This Sunday is only ran a 14.16 due to street tires instead of slicks, slipping third and fourth gear and low 6500 rev-limit that I forgot to change after dyno tuning it last week. Here are some shots of the engine:

pontiacjeff · #8 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 02:03 PM

More pics with the new MSD wires and the plug wire cover installed. Much cleaner looking... and with some custom badges! The 16 valve dohc is from a Grand Am Quad4 and the turbo is a spare I had off another turbo Grand Am. The Pontiac arrowhead I had printed up for me.

Josh · #9 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 07:00 PM

Jeff will you be at Nopi in September?

pontiacjeff · #10 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 07:12 PM

I don't plan on it. I will be at WDW with the family that week. Nopi really isn;t my cup of tea, anyway.

jamz · #11 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 08:04 PM

Jeff, be sure to get an album going in the gallery. Click gallery at the top .. great way for all of us to keep track of the progress pics.

jeremy96gase · #12 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 09:10 PM

Sweet car Jeff!
At only 16psi. That's really good. My stock WRX ran at 14.7Psi, and only made (rated) 227hp .

Why does it have two BOV's?

pontiacjeff · #13 (**permalink**) 08-24-2006, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremy96gase

Sweet car Jeff!
At only 16psi. That's really good. My stock WRX ran at 14.7Psi, and only made (rated) 227hp .

Why does it have two BOV's?

One was not enough to keep from farting back thru the turbo. I had one on the car, then demodded a Honda, so I ended up with a second bov. I saw pics of a hi-hp Supra or RX-7 with two and thought it looked cool. Since even at the softest, the one wasn't cutting it (the greddy isn;t very big) I added the second one. You gotta admit, it does look cool as hell!

I really, really, really never thought it would make over 300whp on 16psi. With the not-that-much-smaller 20G (T25 inlet), it made 245whp on 16psi and peaked at 5600rpm. But that was with a log manifold. I'm sure the header is why the peak is 500rpm higher (actually, that run was in 4th gear which is .94 overdrive... in 3rd gear, I'm sure it peaks higher, maybe even as high as 6500-6800). But I couldn't believe the new turbo and header made 60more hp at the wheels! One other thing... the 245whp was with an automatic, so I'm sure I freed up some whp there, too. I figure 25% on an auto and 18% on a manual. SO my previous 245whp would be 275whp corrected for the manual trans. That makes alot more sense now, doesn;t it? I can believe 30whp from a bigger turbo.

Anyway, only the most serious Hondas make over 300whp. I dyno'd a race-built B16 Vtec with a comparable T3/T4 and it made 380 at the wheels on 20psi. With another 4psi, I might see another 30-40whp. I don;t know if I want to go there or not... I have enough fuel (42.5# injectors), but I'm worried about the stock rods. As long as I keep it under 7000, I might be o.k........ I'd love to see 350whp! Could you imagine that? From a 2.0 4cyl, basically a Daewoo?!?!??! LOL!!!!!!!!!

eric99gt · #14 (**permalink**) 08-24-2006, 06:23 PM

nice times and numbers on the dyno. Very sick sleeper

pontiacjeff · #15 (**permalink**) 08-24-2006, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric99gt

nice times and numbers on the dyno. Very sick sleeper

Thanks! Though with those HP numbers, I am not happy with the ET... if I can get a clutch that will hold a 5000rpm launch and WOT powershifts, I know I can run some high 12's. That would eliminate most street mustangs, hondas, mitsus, and Neon SRTs.

I really need to pull the clutch and see if I haven't already burned it up. That'll suck b/c they probably won;'t do anything for me and it was 344 bucks.