You can advance timing some (from 10 stock to 12-15*) but also may have to run higher octane fuel. Adding an intake doesn't do much with these engines until you open it up to breath at higher rpms. The cheaper mods for the 5sfe are header and exhaust but they are also not the ones that give you the most power.
Cams and intake manifold are the big ones but they are more expensive then most are willing to spend.
Chips are a joke and a waste of money.
A good intake, header and freer flowing exhaust may net you 10-15 hp. A noticeable gain, but nothing major.
HP is not cheap, as stated by mrturrari.
If you have stock cams and stock intake manifold then the stock intake is about as good as it will get. Adding an aftermarket intake will just add noise because the stock MR2 intake is already properly sized and gets air from a cold source. Some people do like the sound of them though.
mrturrari is correct. With 5sfe, unless you're running higherlift/longer duration cams, an intake manifold will net you nothing.
The combination of a freer flowing filter, header and exhaust will net you 10-15 HP-Tops.
The 5sfe's head is an "economy" head. Just getting to 200 HP will be expensive.
Aftermarket cams also require a modified valve train. Stiffer springs and stronger retainers to hold them.At the least.
And Adjustable cam gears to degree them.
Then you're looking a larger capacity injectors and some type of engine management to control duty,etc. Higher capacity fuel pump and FPR.
Like I said before, horsepower is not cheap.
I'm just thinking of all the extra stuff that would be needed to go with it. ECU, harness, transmission, axles and exhaust. Where as a low mile JDM 3sgte or 3sge could be bought with most of those parts under $1500. Rebuilding the head gets expensive if anything out of the ordinary is done. I'd be willing to say I could buy a 3sgte and have the whole thing rebuilt in stock form for under $1000 by shopping around. I bought a 98 5SFE bottom end for $360 shipped. I could have easily bought oversized 3sgte pistons ($120), kept a stock stroke and had the machine work done for $150 or less. That's why I say it's a good chunk. Not trying to knock the ATS guys cause anytime anything is put into a simple kit the price goes way up.`
I'm just thinking of all the extra stuff that would be needed to go with it. ECU, harness, transmission, axles and exhaust. Where as a low mile JDM 3sgte or 3sge could be bought with most of those parts under $1500. Rebuilding the head gets expensive if anything out of the ordinary is done. I'd be willing to say I could buy a 3sgte and have the whole thing rebuilt in stock form for under $1000 by shopping around. I bought a 98 5SFE bottom end for $360 shipped. I could have easily bought oversized 3sgte pistons ($120), kept a stock stroke and had the machine work done for $150 or less. That's why I say it's a good chunk. Not trying to knock the ATS guys cause anytime anything is put into a simple kit the price goes way up.`
Oh I agree. I think the ATS rebuilt would be good for someone already with an MR2 .Especially since it comes with the 3sgte head.
Where to get one? and what needs changing if you modify the intake manifold?
Like they said you would also need to do the cams and other engine mods to make it work. Intake manifolds for the 5sfe are all custom built and not cheap.
If you want cheap and bolt-on then just get a header and exhaust. If you want easy power for a little more then you will want to swap.
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