LAST EDITED ON 28-Apr-01 AT 00:02 AM (PST)

Quoting 'dsmopar':
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" cams, pulley, intake, exhaust, plugs and plug wires. I barely felt a difference. The 420a's are a peice of sh it engines n/t. "
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End Quote

My Take:

For all the people out there with the riceboy-honda mentality that think that "Spark Plug Wires", "Intake" & "Exhaust" is considered under the SERIOUS HP MODS, please think again.

First an Exhaust all alone on a NA 420A DSM will do just about nothing. You need to help it at least by getting an intake.

The best Spark Plugs, and Spark plug wires in the world will not add more than 1hp if at all.... All you essentially do, is ensure a cleaner spark.

A good open Element air filter will give you a good improvement/$, and actucally shows some HP improvement from 3-8?
The reason for this is that the 420A engine was quite "noisy" acording to Chrysler Engineers, so they quieted it down by giving it a more restrictive air box. And, yes, you can hear an engine "roar" through the intake....

If you want to make some "serious" hp while NA then here are a few things you can do, apart from those mentioned above:

Intake:
Get a manderel bent intake pipe
Port the Throttle Body
Port the Intake manifold
OPTION B: you can skip all of the above and go with quad-throttle bodies, but that costs about $3500+ and is not streetable!

Head Work:
Port the Head (flow all the ports equally)
Gasket Match to manifolds
Install Better valves (not sure if bigger valves would help though)
Get a 3/5 anngle Valve job
Get the Better Valve Springs (Mopar Racing, CNNP...)
Get Titanium Retainers for the springs
Get New design Lifters and Rocker Arms (these don't add hp, but they ensure that you can rev the car up to higher rpm safely, and repeatedly)
Remove casting flash and deburr (remove excess pieces of metal that may affect oil flow, or air flow in the head. This service is usually included with porting though)
Plus a bunch of other little tricks that most engine shops offer...

Exhaust:
Get a header. 4->1 for high speed power, and a 4->2->1 for low end torque (personally, I prefer the idea of 4-2-1)
Get a 3" cat-back manderel bent exhaust to a turbo muffler (i.e. high flow)
A high flow exhaust with a 4-2-1 header is pretty much ideal IMO.

Fuel:
Get an AFC, and tune that sucker well! The stock fuel pump should do, as long as you haven't changed compression of pistons yet...
Also get gauges to help you monitor your mods.. you'll need an EGT gauge and a 02 Sensor voltage gauge.

Ignition:
NOW is when Spark plugs and wires help... Help burn all that extra air better!
An ignition controller may be useful here, but most people say that our cars have good computer-controlled timing stock...

You get the idea...

BTW just in case you are curious, ALL of the mods that I have listed abouve will add up to about $3K... which is quite a bit, and the price of a Turbo kit, however the difference with modifying here, is that you can do it step by step.

See what I'm getting at? Its the COMBINATION of mods that add power....

So what Else?
Well I was just getting started! Now if you are dead set on being freakishly fast, you will consider lightened flwheels, ligtened crank, cams, Higher compression pistons (11:1 ?)

Also don't forget that just about ALL the mods described above can only HELP when (and if) you ever decide to go Turbo!

********DISCLAIMER***********
All the above is my opinion (do whatever you want with the info, it's your responsibility), and yes I may have forgotten some mods, but that just goes to show how MUCH stuff you can do!
********DISCLAIMER***********

Peace!

Guy
RS_Guy



I might actually be *driving* my car soon!
Its only been 6 LONG months...

Damn the waiting..... It Sucks!

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