Whenever you are looking to build a monster of a car, you have to start with the heart.  The heart is the center of any project build and in our case our heart is a 2.2 liter balance of performance and reliability.  More specifically, a GSC Power-Division 2.2L XR-1.7 4G63T short block.  Thanks to Westboro Mitsubishi, we were able to obtain a brand new 4G63 MIVEC motor to hand over to the master mind behind GSC’s XR-1.7 motor package, Greg Caloudas, to begin over evolution of 8 to 8.5.

GSC’s motor package isn’t a basic bolt on power upgrade.  This is a complete package offered to serious owner’s looking to get the most out of the 4G63 without compromises.  Specific features include:

• New Mitsubishi OEM 4G63 Short Block and piston squirters.
• Power-Division 4340 Billet Crankshaft (31 pounds, 94mm Stroke) knife edged and balanced
• Power-Division Custom Forged I-Beam Connecting Rods for 1.7 Rod Ratio
• CP Pistons 85.5mm Bore, 9310 Wrist Pins, (10.0:1, 9.5:1, 8.5:1 Compression).  We went with 9:5:1.
• Clevite Tri Metal Main Rod and Thrust Bearings
• Power-Division Race Balance Shaft kit
• Power-Division Race Main Stud Kit

A nice drool list for a bottom end, which means we couldn’t skimp out on the head.  Starting off with a stock Evolution 9 MIVEC head, we added GSC’s S2 cams and a complete valve train upgrade from Supertech.  A conservative head for a great motor build.

With the motor sorted out, it was time to match a new turbo kit with the performance capability of the XR-1.7.  Cue in Boost Logic’s SC 61 turbo kit.  Boost Logic is new to the Evolution world, but have a big reputation for making gobs of power in the Supra market.  Their SC 61 turbo kit shows right away the proof in the power making pudding, especially with features that compare to what the more expensive kits have for less money.  Features include:

• Ceramic Heat Coated SS304 Tubular Manifold w/ true merge collector(1/2″ Thick flanges)
• Tial 44mm Wastegate
• SS304 Dump Tube
• PTE SC50 T04E DBB Turbo w/ vband outlet
• Boost Logic Water Line Kit(assembled with Aeroquip pushlock fittings)
• 3″ SS304 Vband Downpipe
• 3″ SS304 Vband Midpipe w/ flex joint(Bolts to stock catalytic converter)
• 3″ Aluminum Intake Pipe 3″ K&N Filter
• 2.5″ Mandrel Bent Aluminum Intercooler Pipe
• 3 Ply Silicone Hoses and SS Hose Clamps
• Boost Logic Oil Feed and Return Kit(Assembled with high quality SS line and AN fittings)
• All nuts and bolts needed for installation
• 10″ High Flow Fan

Installation of the entire setup was complex and will require professional help.  With our lack of wrenching skills we opted to go with pros to get everything installed correctly.  Atlantic Motorsports was the shop we went with to get the final installation done.  Being a MIVEC conversion, we had to grab a spare Evolution 9 main harness (engine harness) in order to get it all plugged up with our AEM EMS (we had to purchase a new unit to control MIVEC).  The conversion isn’t rocket science but does require a large portion of time to make sure all the details are taken care of.

With the basic installation out of the way, the proper motor break-in procedure needed to be performed: 2 heat cycles, then an oil change, then a low boost break-in, 200 miles of driving, and finally another oil change.  Atlantic Motorsports then put their focus on tuning the beast.  With a few clicks on the laptop and a ton of dyno pulls, the car was ready for action.  Final Power Output: 498 whp & 399.3 ft-lb @ 23psi.

Street Test
Of course street testing is fairly limited when testing peak performance.  Our intentions for this test was to bring out any reliability issues, lower rpm performance issues, or anything else worth mentioning that impact everyday use.  After our 3 days of street testing, a couple of items did come up:

• Noticeable turbo lag with larger turbo vs. stock. Full boost came on closer to 4,000 rpm.  The motor definitely helped reduce turbo lag, but when you are using a larger turbo, lag is a common issue that is difficult to combat.  A smaller turbo will definitely cure this issue, which Boost Logic can provide within their SC 50 kit.
• Maintaining speed limit and traction under boost.  The power is tremendous enough to break loose the tires, which requires a bit of driving skill to keep under control.
• With the S2 cams, idle is a little rough but tolerable.  More time spent on the tune could smooth things out more.

With this amount of power at our control, the thought of being able to over take anything on the road was empowering.

Track Test
Our favorite place to test.  On track, we were able to start pushing the envelope of power to see how fast this new package was.  With a set of Nitto NT-01’s mounted and at full temp, we loosened the leash and hammered down the throttle.  At full throttle the car pushed our stomachs towards the back of our brains as we reached our 8,000 rpm limit.  Going through each gear, the once mild manor Evolution 8 was no more.  Full attention was needed to keep the car inline with counter steer and throttle input.   This beast was serious and we needed to respect it.  Entry and apex of each turn proved to be easy compared to the exit.  As soon as throttle was introduced into the party, the dam breaking surge of power would be too much for the level of grip and our abilities as drivers.   On long straight-aways the immense power propelled the Evo into supercar like state of top speed uncovering issues within our aero package (we had none!).   Realizing the insanity of the situation, the most logical step would have been to dial back boost and possibly switch to a smaller turbo size.  With each lap clicking by, the once logical idea slowly slipped further out of memoryville.

Our track day ended with grin’s on our faces, bbq’d front abs sensors, blown rear shocks, and an appreciation for having a chance to drive such a car on track.

Conclusion
Did we have to do this modification?  No.  Was it worth it?  Yes!  The XR-1.7 engine package is a phenomenal modification through and through.  We have logged in over 5,000 miles of abuse without fail.  With more time spent on the tune and possibly a smaller turbo, the car could be more useable for street and track use.  Until then we will continue to suffer with the epic amount of power and god like command of the street and of course, the track.

Related Links

• GSC Power-Division
  
• Boost Logic
• Westboro Mitsubishi
• Supertech
• Atlantic Motorsports
• EvolutionM
• AEM

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One phrase can best describe the feeling of driving our Evo with these new cams, “holy mid range power!!” After the first pull, that look of shock was running down my face. I couldn’t believe that a set of cams made that much of a difference. But before we get into this review any further, I do feel a brief history about our older setup (before the S1 cams) will give everyone an understanding of what I’m comparing the S1 cams to.

Old Setup
Our Project Evo was running a set of HKS 272 intake and 272 exhaust cams with a set of Vishnu Cam Gears. This setup was matched with a Stock Valve Train, 10.5 hotside stock turbo, ported O2 housing, DC Sports Turbo Manifold, Vishnu Turbo Back Exhaust, XS Engineering Hard Pipe Intercooler Kit, Injen Intake w/ MAF, manual boost controller, and stock ECU. The car was tuned for 22psi (peak) on 93 octane and an additional map for 24-25psi on 100 octane. With this setup it felt like I needed to push the car towards the upper rpm band to get the most power out of it. It was a really nice setup and perfectly fine for driving at weekend track events. Driving the car on the street did get a little annoying because it needed to be pushed towards the upper rpm level to get it to move.

New Setup
The following is our new setup: GSC S1 cams, Stock Cam Gears, Stock Valve Train, 10.5 hotside Stock Turbo, Ported O2 Housing, DC Sports Manifold, AMS Turbo Back Exhaust, AMS Front Mount Intercooler, AMS Intake w/ MAF, AMS Hard Pipe Intercooler Kit, AquaMist Water Injection Kit, manual boost controller, and stock ECU. AMS tuned the car and was able to provide us with two maps. The first map was for 21psi on 93 octane and the second map was for the water injection kit (27psi with 93 octane and Water Injection).

Now that we have a basis for what was on the car before and what is on the car now, the review can continue….

To be fair, the comparison was done WITHOUT WATER INJECTION. Since it wasn’t on the car before, there’s really no need to use it as a basis for this review. The decision was made to go with the 93 octane map with 21 pounds of boost and compare that to our older setup (93 octane with 22 pounds of boost). We put the car through a series of tests:

• Drove the car around the streets (city driving mostly)
• Put the car on the highway (all highway driving)
• Ran the car through a weekend at the track

It was absolutely necessary to make sure the car was able to perform in each of these areas. $30,000 is a lot to spend on a car that sits in the garage only, so if this new setup was the right compromise for street and track use then we wanted to know for sure.

About The Cams
First let’s get down to the specs:

**It’s important to note that both manufactures don’t require you to upgrade your valve trains in order to run either sets of cams.

As you can see looking at the initial specs HKS has a more aggressive Intake cam lift compared to GSC; however, the S1 cams have a more aggressive Exhaust lift. Also with the shorter cam duration, we now can see where the S1 is coming up with all this mid range power.

Dyno Graph

Driving Impressions
Street
The street test was important for this review. We wanted to see what the differences were between the two setups when it came to idle conditions, cruising, etc. Right off the bat there is noticeable difference between both setups when the car is sitting at idle. The 272 HKS package had a more lopey idle versus the more subdued S1 package. To tell you the truth I do miss that “muscle car” feeling with the previous package but once I sat behind the wheel the sorrow was soon forgotten. Something as simple as driving the car around the city really showed the cams were different. Boost seemed to come on sooner and a little stronger then before. With the HKS setup I would start seeing some boost (around 4psi or so) right before I switched through to the next gear; however, with the S1’s boost came on earlier and held longer before the shift (closer to 8psi).

Highway impressions also showed signs of improvement. This was more apparent when entering the freeway in 3rd gear. As soon as there was a clearing on the exit, BOOM, full boost! To say the very least it freaked me out. Didn’t expect boost to come on that quick! Cruising on the highway felt the same as it did before. Only when overtaking another car did the rush of power come back. After that, it was like an addiction. I needed that rush again, time for the track.

Track
Finally track weekend, time to really see what this new setup can do. The track used for this test was Summit Point Raceway (main track). My lap times before on this track were nothing special. Usually I would come in around 1.29 as the best for the weekend (full interior and ac, etc,). This time I wasn’t expecting that much improvement considering the weather was a little colder then the last time. Boy was I wrong. Getting some practice sessions done early in the morning, I really had some trouble fine tuning the boost to stay at or under 22psi on the 93 octane map (manual boost controller). Not wanting to risk an overboost situation I decided to just turn down the boost some more. With a little trial and error the boost stayed down to 19psi (consistently) with a slight overboost at 20 – 21psi. As the weather got warmer the boost stayed at 20psi peak. Once the car was finally setup, it was time to have some fun.

After the first two warm laps, I finally started to get on the gas. Turn 1 was approaching; I turned in, got on the gas, and….. “holy midrange power!!” (sorry had to say it again.). This thing was using its claws to pull itself out of every turn. I was in disbelief. Normally I would be in a lower gear going through some of the turns at Summit, put with all the mid range power, I decided to leave it in a higher gear. Turns were approached at 3700 rpm (roughly) and boost would come before the apex which allowed me to step on the gas more. The end result was a faster overall speed coming out of each turn. The other benefit was the amount times I didn’t have to shift, which shaved more time. In the end my best lap time came in at 1.26. Definitely much better then the last time. Call it better driving, but I would like to think that the new setup allowed me to reduce the amount of things that cost me more time before. The other thing to remember is the car was running less boost then it did before. This new package just seemed like it perfectly matched our setup and allowed me to get more useable power out of it.

Conclusion
In the quest for more horsepower, the one thing to remember is bigger numbers on paper, don’t necessarily equal the most horsepower or the fastest car. The one thing we learned with this review is if you match parts with the setup you currently have, a balance of power and drivability will occur. The S1’s for us was a perfect piece to our setup because it seemed to match with the stock turbo and all the other mods we had on the car. It ultimately gave us more useable horsepower/torque and more ammo to make that Z06 owner at the track feel less adequate.

Video:

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