Ground-up rebuild of an MA70 with fresh internals, ARP head studs, ECUMaster standalone, and a DriftMotion 6262 billet single. Target 450–500+ WHP on E85.
Picked up end of Feb 2025 — engine out, interior fully stripped by prior owner. Street build, targa top, factory LSD.
Engine in bay, plumbing complete, harness next. About halfway from "long-block" to "key turn".
Bolted-in versus still on the bench. Up-next item flagged in orange.
Where the build's ceilings sit relative to the 450–500 WHP target. The turbo is the last thing to worry about.
Slips above ~350-400hp under hard pulls. Upgrade to ACT/Exedy/SouthBend if it gives up.
Borderline at 500hp. Mitigate: conservative boost, dialed tune, zero detonation. ARP 203-6004 future.
On E85: 90% DC at 500hp — no margin. Swap to 1000cc before going E85 at target boost.
450–500 WHP. Happy above 450, 500 ideal. Set boost + tune to land inside this band.
Turbo good for 650+. Not the limiter — bottom end and clutch are. Plenty of headroom.
Known weak points and hard constraints baked into this build. Read these before turning a wrench.
Bottom end rebuilt without upgrading rod bolts. Reliable to ~400-450hp, borderline at 500. Mitigation: conservative boost, dialed tune, zero detonation. ARP 203-6004 stays on the future-upgrade list.
Undersized for E85 at target power. 500hp hits ~90% duty — no margin. Plan: run pump gas for break-in, swap to 1000cc before switching to E85.
Pre-charged relief spring boosts pressure. Good for turbo bearings, but turbo oil feed needs a 0.040–0.060" restrictor or seals will weep. Verify DM kit fitting has one.
New OEM clutch installed. Spec'd around stock torque — may slip above ~350-400hp under hard pulls. Monitor at target power; upgrade to ACT / Exedy / South Bend if it starts giving up.
Factory drain is small and poorly routed. Upgrade to -10AN smooth downhill to pan. Restricted drain = oil backs into turbo = "burning oil" symptom that isn't really burning oil.
LSU 4.2 needs ≥10° upward tilt or condensation kills it. Verify DM downpipe bung angle when kit arrives — weld a new bung if wrong, plug original.
The big-ticket parts — what's chosen, what's bought, what's still pending.
GTX-style 11-blade billet 62/62, .70 A/R journal bearing, T4 divided manifold, Turbosmart 45mm Hypergate WG, 3" stainless DP, dump tube, 4" intake + filter, oil lines, gaskets. Ceramic-coated hot housing.
Standalone. Sequential injection (6cyl), wasted-spark ignition, boost control, data logging, flex fuel input, built-in LSU 4.2 controller — no external WBO module needed.
Full 3" inlet/outlet, mandrel-bent piping kit bundled. Replaces stock SMIC (heat-soaks at 15+psi). Couplers + clamps + BOV sourced separately.
420 L/h @ 3 bar, 390 L/h @ 5 bar. Headroom for 600hp E85. Kit includes hose/filter/connector. Wire 10AWG direct to relay. 8AN feed line recommended.
Wires direct to EMU Black/Grey via on-board controller. Plan: reuse DriftMotion DP bung if angle ≥10° upward + M18×1.5 — else weld new bung.
Solid step from factory 440cc but undersized for E85 at target power. Run pump gas for break-in; swap to 1000cc (e.g. ID1050x) before E85 boost.
Recommended sequence to get her running, then progressively chase the power target.
Picked up end of February 2025 — engine out, interior fully removed. Rebuild started immediately.
New rings · new crank bearings · new head gasket · ARP head studs · oil pump pressure relief pre-charged.
Block dropped in · timing belt set · water pump, PS pump, alternator, starter, OEM clutch all installed.
Oil lines, coolant hoses (durits), sensors all in. EGR + charcoal canister deleted. Cooling bleed-ready.
DriftMotion 6262 Billet kit on hand · T4 manifold · 45mm Hypergate · 3" downpipe · pre-oil turbo before first crank.
Injectors, distributor, knock, TPS, IAT, CLT, O2, ISC. EGR delete confirmed. Cut factory O2 plug, run fresh 6-cond cable to EMU.
Walbro 450 in-tank · 8AN feed · 10AWG power · E85-rated FPR & lines · flex fuel sensor before fuel rail.
Prime oil, fill coolant, verify timing marks, check valve clearances (intake 0.15-0.25, exhaust 0.20-0.30mm), fire extinguisher ready.
Headlights, dash, seats, targa seal inspection. A/C compressor sourced & R-134a conversion.
Base map, boost control, injector dead times, wideband closed-loop, dyno session. Land in 450-500 WHP window.
