I am just trying to get a list together of the most basic/worth while upgrades availble for a 96 SOHC. I have been on www.modernperformance.com and now that just about everything and anything is available for this motor but I what I would really like is opinions on what are the best mods to start with.

 

If you have any excuse whatsoever the #2 cam is a neat little boost. I personally feel that for a daily driver a good cam and a power pulley goes a long way. Since I have the more open intake tract from 95 it wasn't as big an issue (I use a K&N filter and am cutting a small ram air port aimed directly at the snorkel) but for your 96 an Iceman for $200 is a good investment too. Swap to a little more open muffler--like a DOHC stock muffler.

If your car is in good shape these all help and add up to something you'll notice seat of the pants on the top end. If you don't care if you're using premium pump an engine controller is also a good $200 to $300 for performance gain. Remember that each of these items do little on their own (at best 5-10 horsepower for the more extreme--like the engine controller) but as a complete "system" you start to flow a LOT better. IE: don't expect anything exciting from the muffler, and don't be tempted to put in a 3 inch pipe all the way back--you'll loose torque and be dissatisfied in general driving.

Now, if you're a little more adventerous (and perhaps your engine tranny needs a little help:

When we rebuilt we stayed pretty close to stock to keep mileage high (shaved head a little and deck a little and combined with #2 cam basically kept stock compression range and I can run on pump regular perfectly). You should DEFINITELY consider swapping to a manual transmission if you/your friend are okay with driving a stick. Otherwise a good tranny kit will go a long ways from turning that slush box into something a little sportier. You could put on the headers (mopar's is even smog legal in CA) but then more noise and start loosing a little on the low end. I found the stock exhaust manifold pretty decent and we just whittled away a little from the two outside ports on the manifold where there was a little step in the flow. With this I've recently bested a Ford SVT three times over--not by much, but I did beat him. Your auto will have a little tougher time doing so, and the cam in the 96-99 SOHC were ever so slightly milder than my 95 original. (Oh ya--I also converted to a manual steering rack and that helpd a bit too.

Good luck. If you get to that point I have some pictures somewhere of the engine rebuild--be happy to show you.

 

Also, a larger throttle body and an underdrive crank pulley are two other good mods.

 

Thanks for the info! Noise isn't much of an issue so a full cat back is on the list. Right now the plans are to work with the transmission that it has. If or when it dumps then a 5spd conversion might be an option. I am suprised that swapping cams makes much of a difference. On my altima you don't gain much with the cams unless you are turbo or N2O fed, besides the fact that they cost almost $600 (almost twice the price of a set for the DOHC motors [sm=smiley22.gif]). Never been into neons much but the more and more I get in to this project I am starting to relize that its going to make a damn nice car, without investing a ton of cash.

 

The over size TB is good if you don't have smog tests that will nix it. What a lot of people do--like me--with a stick car is change their 49MM TB for a Automatic 52 MM TB. You've already got that, so for a smogish car you're good already.

Regarding Cams--again--no single piece is going to give a big kick in the butt like a turbo or NOS, but the #2 combined with opening up the air in and out will be noticeable. Remember, a gain of 13 horsepower (which is pretty close to what Crane claims for their #2 cam) is a 10% gain. That's pretty noticeable on a 2400lbs car. But again (again) you notice most of these changes on the higher RPM. **Don't go too wild opening up your exhaust or you'll start missing that lower end torque the 2.0 SOHC is nice for.

You hit the nail on the head. Without spending a lot of cash you can really juice her up. A Tranny from a junkyard, Tachometer Gauge pod, manual rack and pinion, etc., etc., are all nice upgrades and don't cost a fortune. The only time you're talking serious money is either a turbo kit or to stroke the 2.0. . . which I don't personally think it's worth the 1500 in parts or the 2600 in assembled block unless you're going to go racing regularly. I keep asking, but haven't had anyone report yet on a 2.2 stroker block.

good luck.

 

On those UDP's how hard are they to install/what tools would I need to do one?

 

Depends on how you describe "hard". Some people think they're harder then !#@$% to change out. That's because they're stuck on there pretty good. Get a good pulley puller (from autozone I found the best piece was a ten dollar gear puller and had to buy the right size/thread metric bolts.) once you've got that it t'aint so bad, but it helps to have an impact wrench---makes getting it off without turning the engine over a LOT easier.

The UDP's aren't particularly a kick in the pants gain either, but keep adding bits like that as you have the $$ and I'm sure you'll be pleased.

 

The best way to remove the crank pulley is to use a slide hammer. That way you aren't putting any stress on the crank bolt. You can remove it, and just hammer the pulley off. If you don't want to buy one, most rental places have them. Just make sure you get the one for a pulley.

 

The biggest problem with the SOHC is the crap cam profile. Your first mod should be the cam, without it all other mods will be virtually unnoticable and useless. And while it's accessable, you should put on an adjustable lightweight cam sprocket. Then get rid of that crappy plastic intake manifold and replace it with the Indy intake manifold. You will also want a larger throttle body and CAI to go with it. Now that it's getting the air in you now need to improve upon getting it out. Get a good, preferable long tube, header, high flow cat and a good aftermarket cat-back exhaust. You can also get an MSD ignition coil and wires for it as well.

 

roadrunner on those cams what one would you suggest? I don't need a perfect idle but I'm also not going to drag strips to race or anything.

p.s. the motor is a 98 SOHC