Hi guys,

well recently i purchased a black EB XR8 5spd for $800. With near new exedy heavy duty clutch, full exhaust system ( genie extractors with twin 2.25 exhaust to diff ). It does need a hell of alot of work, but she's got potential.

Now to do with power. She made 191 rwhp on a mainline dyno with just the above mods. With a 70mm maf and some playing with the timing a 196 was achieved.

She's run a 14.7 1/4, which i think isn't too bad at all for the old boat anchor.

Now i really want to break 250rwhp before i go down the forced induction route. Atm, i'm thinking explorer manifold, 24lb injectors, 70mm maf, 70mm t/b, better leads and spark plugs, underdrive pulleys.

What do you guys think? is it achievable without forced induction or cracking open the engine?

Nice buy for $800.
I'm not sure the #24lb inj are needed as the standard #19lb injectors are capable of providing enough flow for approx 180 - 190 rwkw. But to get that high you would need better heads and something like a 65mm tb with explorer intake would be a decent gain. Underdrive pulleys on their own could net you another 10rwkw.

cheers for the reply, i realise it's a tall order to break the 250rwhp, But i'm going to try without cracking open the motor bar the intake manifold.

Perhaps a good chip and tune will gain some good results also, i've been looking into twEECer and afew other chips. The haltech interceptor looks like a good option, but for $1100 i could have a full aftermarket for afew hundred more.

I think 250rwhp is achievable, i'll just have to pull every trick in the book to get it

As always gt40's are cheap and plentiful and I would go down this route if you can do the work on heads yourself. However, if paying another to do headwork and a rebuild is needed it will quickly add up and you may find yourself within a couple of hundred of new alloy heads.

I would try and get a 200kw AU cam or if you intend on keeping stock cam I would also get 1.7rr. I remember someone posting an article on here a while ago about a 302w from a mustang that cracked 400hp with a stock cam; from memory it had bottom end rebuilt (but to stock specs from memory), alloy heads, 1.7rr, stock cam and a tune.

Without opening the engine this is unlikely. 220 is probably more realistic.
I'd use a 65mm t-body not a 70 and port match it with a nice taper right back into the intake throat, definitely get the 3 piece Underdrives. Convert to thermofans and get a multispark ignition like a crane Hi-6. Port match the headers too genies are pretty horrible. 19's will be just ok for all this.

Skidder, this is all without opening the engine....

Thanks XR9UTE, i'll see what i can get out of it before she becomes boosted.

I forgot to mention she's running 3.9 diff gears with lokka. Which i assume would make a small difference to out right hp? i will try to hunt down some parts, and get the b**ch back on the dyno asap.