Limit on b230fk internals?
 

Does anyone know what sort of boost the internals can handle on a ‘97 b230fk?

I have finally done a turbo swap on it and whilst the old owner of the parts is telling me that the parts are set up to run at 1.8 bar, someone else is telling me that if I run the car at anything close to 1.8 bar the thing will blow up.

1.8 bar is 26psi, there is no way on earth I'd be putting that through a 25 year old redblock without atleast H beam rods and converting it from head bolts to studs.

turbo
 

The stock turbo won't make 1.8 bar. 1.8 bar through a big turbo like an hx40 is different to a 19T turbo.
Completely stock b230fk will take 190bhp for short periods.

I've been running about 200hp daily for over a year in my 940, a standard late redblock is good for about 300hp if that is achieved through good tuning and increased flow, camshaft etc and not just whacking a load of boost through it.

He has said he has done a turbo swap already so it's obviously not on a 13c.

I would recommend you get H beam rods in there at the minimum before even thinking of running that much boost, was it you I sold the A cam to? I personally would look at a better flowing/larger bore exhaust, camshaft (love the IPD turbo cam in mine) and porting/polishing of the head and a light skim. There is no point in pushing more boost through the engine if the engine isn't optimised for getting it out the other end.

The new turbo is a 15g hybrid by Owen Developments

It’s got a full 3 inch exhaust system

The cam is the same IPD turbo cam that you’ve got

97 is a late engine so 13mm rods and oil sprays.

The rods are safe at 300BHP and 350BHP is very possible. For anything over 300BHP I would want to go for H beam rods

Pistons are good to about 500BHP but with reduced compression they will handle more

Cranks tend to start letting go in the 600BHP region

You can have a small turbo pushing 25-30psi on stock internals and they will take that. Do that with a bigger turbo and things are going to fail

With that said the tune still needs to be right and the more power you are making the more important that is.


Another very important thing is the more power you want to make from the engine the more important have a good bore and rings are. Starting with a worn engine is going to give a lot of blow by