Juanzee

What’s up guys!

Long time reader, first time poster, lolol.

I’m building a turbo D16y8:
- w/4piston head
- Supertech valvespring, retainer kit
- Ferrea Comp turbo valves w/keepers
- Bisi turbo Cam (open to other options)
- CSS block
- 10:1 Traum 75.5mm pistons
- SpeedFactory H beam rods
- D16z6 crank & oil pump
- Skunk2 IM (might switch to edelbrock)
- 1000cc injectors to squeeze at least 550whp.
- Top mount turbo manifold
- 6266 Precision BB turbo (might look into Borg)

My question is, will normal 10mm ARP head studs work or should I do 1/2” & get the head/block matched to fit the 1/2” studs.

DO NOT want to suffer any kind of head lift with the amount of boost/fuel I’m going to be having to throw at it to reach 550whp maybe more.

Appreciate the input fellas!

Txdragon

Ditch the Y8 head and get a Z6 head for these power levels or you're looking at about another wallet full of cash in port work to get ya there. Y8 is good low to mid, Z6 is good for top end. 550 ain't gonna be down low..

Juanzee

Appreciate the response man. The head is going to get fully done up either way, Y8 or Z6. Already expecting to drop about $1100+ on the CNC port & polish work so I might as well keep it full Y8. More concerned with head lift/head gasket issues. Do they make 10mm L19 ARPs?

Txdragon

Not for D-series. **Majority** of head lift issues stem from block threads giving out or head studs not properly torqued to begin with. Standard ARP studs will work just fine for the D. As for the 1100 bucks on the PnP, good on ya, but wouldnt be necessary on a Z6. Your build though, roll with it! Headgasket; JE Proseal is a safe bet but, for myself and many others, the head dowel pins fit a little snug. My instance was too snug but I simply tapped it down gently using a deep socket. No issues so far 1000 miles post startup.

Txdragon

Also wanna add that if you're looking for 550whp and up, you'll want larger injectors than 1000cc.. If you're trying on pump gas, I hope you have 93 octane or better available. Otherwise, you'll need to run E85 or better. Should run 1600cc at least.

Juanzee

Thanks brother man. I’ve built several motors, including my last boosted s2k but never a single jingle. Kind of making it a statement build! Saving the SOHC lolol. Good to know that the standard 10mm ARPs will work. Definitely won’t hurt my pockets. I’ve read up that a lot of head lift issues are also detonation issues during tuning or botched machining of the motor. I feel the CSS will help smooth that issue out some. As per the HG, would a OEM gasket work so I don’t have the dowel pin problem?

Juanzee

Yea, I think you’re right. I might have to up the cc on the injectors. I think 1600cc on e85 would be good. I won’t want to be over 85% duty cycle on them.

Txdragon

I can't say much about the max range the OEM gasket would fail but, I've heard of them being used for respectable numbers. As for the JE issue, that's not on all of them. You may just get the unlucky 1. Lol! It wasnt a big problem honestly, just a minor annoyance. Comparing a gasket like JE to OEM though; I've read about many builds over 6, 7, and 800 whp using JE and doing well but haven't seen very many AT ALL in that range with OEM. 3, 4, 500, sure.. I am also one saving the single jingle. Dax is another. I'm on my second build of a D16Z6 myself. Build revision after jumping the timing belt a couple teeth and cracking 2 pistons from P2V contact. Ran into a few stupid gremlins this time and got those sorted and now can begin street tuning again. So far I've pushed to the max of my 2.5bar map sensor; 21psi from a Garrett GTW3476 and using standard ARP head studs, she's holding beautifully after 1000 miles. My only mechanical issue up to this point is my once decent homemade exhaust keeps breaking welds and I'm tired of repairing it. Lol!
I'm looking forward to seeing another single stick build, for sure.

Juanzee

Damn, thank you for that info! Had a couple people already telling me OEM or nothing. So, they’re kinda setting me up for failure here! Jk jk lol. Definitely going to look into JE hg now. I’m very interested. You did a stock rebuild after jumping teeth or you went aftermarket? I’m guessing you made around 350 on 26psi? Same bro! Just getting the motor sorted out now, then electrical, ignition, then purchasing the shell will be the last step. The one wheeler squealer putting the hurt on people! Lol!

Autoworks

D head lift will primarily come from over aggressive timing in most cases.
I'd suggest an OEM head gasket and regular ARP's. With a 550whp goal I'd also go down slightly on turbo size (unless you are only concerned with peak power) and up on injector size.

Txdragon

My bottom end was built, turbo'd and tuned already but, I used Nippon pistons. Cast pistons that I should have avoided. The timing jump was my fault; I just swapped my stock cam to a comp cam and did not change out my cam oil seal when I did this. It was leaking pretty good and when road testing after cam install, 1 good pull was all it took. Oil coated my T-belt and she jumped. Cracked 2 pistons, oddly enough, didn't even scuff the valves. Lol! Power made at that point was just under 350 and not that much boost, surprising given the turbo. It was a solid tune, and that's what matters.

Mentioned, OEM headgasket is good, lots of folks swear by them, as you've heard. I couldn't vouch one way or another myself. Just happen to see more documented about higher power applications going with JE, Golden Eagle, or Cometic. Another good option but i believe they're going downhill these days. Those are becoming hit or miss lately.

Juanzee

Thanks for your input! What turbo do you recommend? I believe 1600cc w/e85 should be enough for 550whp maybe even 6, no?

Autoworks

Yes 1600s would be the better option with a sufficient pump and regulator to go with it.

I would suggest an efficient 55 to 58mm turbo on the D series if enjoying it doing anything outside of drag racing is a concern. A 6266 will easily make the peak power...but trimming down the turbo and shifting the curve left while still making the peak will be much more "enjoyable" IMO.

Juanzee

I glad I went forged pistons then! My builder kept wanting me to keep it simple & go with the Vitara pistons but I’m glad I went with the Traum forged with upgraded wrist pins. That’s exactly what my fear was, cracking pistons! Although I still feel yours would’ve held up if it weren’t for the T-belt jump on the gear but I thought, dam if I’m already dumping this money on forged rods & CSS block, might as well do forged pistons & avoid having to crack it open again. On the bright side your head was spared! That’s where these motors make the power lolol.

lve always trusted OEM but for most NA set-ups & small boost set-ups. My boosted s2k made 583whp on 15psi on a Cometic but only lasted about 20 HARD pulls before it started to push a little water. Took that sucker out & went OEM but sold the car shorty after so I couldn’t really test it & be an advocate for it unfortunately. Im gonna keep looking at the JE this morning. Gonna really take my time with this build, cross out all little knicks & knacks.

Juanzee

Yea I purchased 1600cc injectors with a 450 Walbro. I purchased another 250 Walbro JUST in case it’s needs that extra help with fuel pressure.

Yea, I definitely want to enjoy it on cruises & at meets, but I always put my money where my mouth is & would be lying if I said I wasn’t going to race it once or twice every other weekend. I was shooting for the 6266 due to I had it on my booster s2k & it yielded great result with very small boost lag, but that was also on a different motor/car. I want the quick spool, which is why I wanted ball bearing but going down in size will also help with the lag so I’m at a bit of cross roads. That’s my concern with the single cam, is falling out of boost mid run & chasing to get back into it.

Autoworks

A 6266 on a F20C and a 6266 on a D16 is really night/day in terms of responsiveness/setup ( I also own an AP1)
You go down and size and keep it ball bearing. That would be a win/win.
As far as drag racing it goes, you'd flat shift it...either way, with a 550whp goal a smaller turbo option that still easily supports the power would be a better suit. That's just my opinion.

Juanzee

Yea that is very true. Everything about the motor is different, I guess I’m just really a fan of precision’s 6266 line lolol. What do you think about Borg turbos? Been hearing/seeing really good outcomes on those but never ran one on any car. I’ll start looking for some smaller bb turbos then cause since I don’t want to go twinscroll, ballbearing is a must! Here’s a pic of my s2k (Ap2)

Autoworks

The 6266 is just one size in the line. If you like that line then the Gen2 5558 or 5862 would be in that same "line offering" with better sizing for your app.
Borg SXE (ie 257) and EFR (62 or 6758) turbos are nice as well. The "drawback" there is typically turbine housing options.
"Twin scroll" and bearing type isn't really a "one or the other" type thing. You can have an open housing setup and ball bearing and be perfectly fine (you could also be open and journal...but comparing the same setup JB to BB the BB will have "better" results in most cases)