Ok, so I recently had my 2000 2.0L Dodge Neon Highline looked at because it was making a strange noise... It turns out that I need a new clutch kit because my throwout bearing is bad and the clutch itself... I also need a new power steering pump and shifter cables and bushings... with all these parts stock will come to about $700 and i have $900 to work with... maybe even $1000... 1)what performance parts can i get and where would i find good ones? I was thinking of getting a dummy for the power steering seeing as i'd rather not have it... 2)does my neon NEED a pilot bearing... cause everywhere i look i can't get a straight answer and it's frustrating me.. as far as question 1 goes I was thinking of a stage 1 or 2 clutch and short shifter... I have a cold-air intake and an exhaust... I may also shave the head 3)what is the max i can shave(e.g.-94 toyota tercel can have up to 0.080 shaved) and get a new coil pack wires and plugs, but that's not part of the $1000... thank you for all your help answering my three questions...

 

If you are changing everything else, may as well change the pilot bearing while everything comes out.

If you don't want P/S, just remove the pump and loop the lines back to the rack. That costs $0 and works pretty well as I understand it.

Shifter bushings: http://www.boogerracing.com/
Shift cable should be able to be found at a local parts store.

What do you need a stage 2 clutch for? Even a stage 1 for that matter. If you don't want to spend more money than you need to, get an OEM replacement. Make sure the flywheel is resurfaced or replaced too.

No idea how much the head can have shaved. Never heard of anyone doing that to a Neon.

 

Well I figured that my clutch will last a while and since I intend on some upgrades to my engine in the future I figured why not dish out an additional $200 now and have the upgraded clutch and flywheel(hopefully i can find a good kit that comes with one) that could better suit the upgrades instead of getting OEM and then spending $400 on a new one when that one will prob still be good... plus I do believe that an upgraded clutch would help extend the life of both my engine and transmission(more so the latter).

Maybe it's the area I live in, but my mechanic(who is a family friend and I trust) says that he could only get the shifter cables from a dealership(in actuality only the bushings need replaced but he said that you can't buy the bushings on their own)... which lead to me wondering about a short shifter(I much prefer the feel of a short shifter to stock so I would just be spoiling myself)...

and if I did remove the pump and loop the lines back, what would I do with the slack in the belt?

Thanks again. Please be patient with me when it comes to this stuff I'm new to somewhat major modification in the engine bay.

 

You know why the stages are there, yes, and what the ratings are for each stage? That's more of what I was getting at. They don't necessarily last longer unless you need that type of clutch. They are made out of stronger materials. That's all I am making sure before I'd say go get it.

You can buy those Booger bushings. People get those as replacements all the time, and they really love them! They are much better than the OEM ones (again, this is what I read about them all the time). This is from the 2gn site FAQs:
Here's about a STS as well. Maddog is the unit most often used because you can basically customize the shifter to order. Again, from the 2gn FAQs:
Shorter belt.

 

as for clutches, dont waste your money on an upgraded clutch. this will not increase the lide of anything other than the clutch disc itself. wont help your trans or engine in ANY way.
and when you buy a clutch specify a LuK (brand name) the dynapak(bn) and other aftermarket kits wont last as long as a LuK
If your not considering Nitrous or a turbo in the future the stock LuK clutch WILL hold whatever N/A mods you do to this engine.
the stages dont relate to longevity they relate to material and HOLDING force
NO theres no pilot bearing in your aplication the clutch kit will come with an alignment tool.

a month without PS and you'll wish you hadnt removed it there are better ways to build your biceps ya know? plus without lubrication the rack will not be long for this world, then ull have no steering(power or armstrong)
if you really insist on removiing the pump, you'll never take up that slack in the current belt. You will need to measure and look at a bunch of belts to find a smaller one that will work.

if the shifter cables are too expensive from dealer try a wrecker. or if it is just bushings like you said bring your destructo tools and smash em out of a donor car.
whole cables you could get for under 50bucks
then with the $$ you saved buy your short shifter, and a pretty new **** to boot!

as for the head if it aint broke dont fix it. IMO money wasted here. you could shave it if it was warped, my engine builder would not take off more than .20, and thats just to resurface not to try and up the CR. sheesh reg unleaded gas is expensive enough, up the CR to much and super is your new fuel of choice to avoid knocks.

All that you said is wrong with your car should cost you around 500 or less(new clutch/release bearing, used shifter cables, shifter & ****)

that means you'll have 500 left of your buget to keep.
buy someone a nice christmas present

 

Ok thanks, as far as the shorter belt goes, how exactly would i know which belt would be the right fit? because I'm not sure what differences there are in size and I'm concerned that if i get one that's even millimeters too big or too small that it may not be a noticable difference right away but could have some negative long term affects.

I have a/c, alt, etc. any suggestions? if not would it just be safer to spend some cash and get the dummy unit while keeping the same size belt?(i'd like to remove it all together for SOME weight reduction[i know it's not much weight but small things add up]) once again thank you for your time and patience.

 

I knew what the stages were about and that's why I wanted them. I would like a stronger clutch because unfortunately where i live requires riding the clutch a lil and that wears it down fast. I've had a car without PS before and I liked it better that way, yes in some cases it was a pain but it was never too much for me to handle(especially when the car is moving).

Thank you for the information about shaving the head, I was on the fence about it till now.. My friend did it to his car and I noticed how he burns through gas quicker and the lifters are tapping(plus he uses regular octane fuel[cheap stuff at that]). I generally go for the mid-grade and sometimes sacrifice for the low-grade, so you've made up my mind about that. Haha I've already done my xmas shopping and the $1500 is my gift from everyone because they hate how my car sounds right now and know how important it is to me.

 

That would explain why I never found one when I looked at a couple of kits.

You loop the lines on the rack. Should be the pressurized I believe. AFAIK, you leave the fluid in (nothing says to drain the fluid), it just doesn't go anywhere. That being said, I wouldn't remove it. You aren't going to gain that much, and you won't have P/S. Just grab a pump.

Booger Bushings are only $22, and work better than factory bushings.

Agreed.

 

Ok thanks for all your help.. I really appreciate it... If I have any other questions I'll start another thread.. Thanks again...

 

It's your thread. Keep going!