# automatic's



## 2nrguy (Feb 18, 2005)

anyone have any info about forcefeeding a 99SEL SR20DE automatic as far as what to do with the drivetrain. i prety much knowwhat im going to go with for all the engine stuff, i just need to know what the auto tranny is able to hold.

i was trying to look at a couple of articles in NPM but i got a bunch of script instead of the articles.

any help would be much appreciated..


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

http://www.brazosport.edu/~lshadoff/turbo/


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

http://importperformancetransmission.com/ <--IPT
These are good guys as well as Level Ten.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

I don't talk about the stock trans on my web site. It lasted 18 months with almost exclusively street/highway driving at 5.5# of boost (~185WHP). At that point the clutch packs were so fried that when boost came on, the engine immediately went to the rev limit and the trans shifted. 

I drove to Level 10 in New Jersey, and they disassembled my trans and rebuilt it. The clutch plates and band were blackened, crazed, and brittle. They replaced the clutch packs with new ones made with a high performance friction material. The plates were thinner than stock, so each clutch pack has several more plates. They replaced the stock pump with a high pressure pump to put more clamping force on the clutch packs. They modified the valve body to make the shifts crisper. They sent me to get a dyno run so they could match a torque converter to my engine. It is ~3200rpm stall. The owner told me that the trans should easily hold 300WHP. 

In 2000 it cost me $3200 for parts and labor. It's more now. However, if you're brave enough to do it yourself, it would be much cheaper. 

It has been trouble free for 4 1/2 years now running 6.5# of boost on the street and 9# at the drag strip. 

Lew


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## 2nrguy (Feb 18, 2005)

lshadoff said:


> I don't talk about the stock trans on my web site. It lasted 18 months with almost exclusively street/highway driving at 5.5# of boost (~185WHP). At that point the clutch packs were so fried that when boost came on, the engine immediately went to the rev limit and the trans shifted.
> 
> I drove to Level 10 in New Jersey, and they disassembled my trans and rebuilt it. The clutch plates and band were blackened, crazed, and brittle. They replaced the clutch packs with new ones made with a high performance friction material. The plates were thinner than stock, so each clutch pack has several more plates. They replaced the stock pump with a high pressure pump to put more clamping force on the clutch packs. They modified the valve body to make the shifts crisper. They sent me to get a dyno run so they could match a torque converter to my engine. It is ~3200rpm stall. The owner told me that the trans should easily hold 300WHP.
> 
> ...


did you have to do anything with the axles yet, what kind of HP are you looking at with that kind of boost.


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

2nrguy said:


> did you have to do anything with the axles yet, what kind of HP are you looking at with that kind of boost.


I purchased the car new. It has the original axles and original motor mounts.

I haven't had the car on a dyno since the trans was rebuilt. If my car is typical, it should be making about 200WHP at 6.5# of boost and about 225WHP at 9# of boost.

Lew


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## 2nrguy (Feb 18, 2005)

ive heard that these engines can handle about 400HP before you have to start getting into the bottom end, im looking at getting a turbo set up for about 300-330HP and trying to weigh the pros/cons of going with a auto trans or just bite the bullet and do a manual swap.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

sounds like you've got a lot of research ahead of you


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

2nrguy said:


> ive heard that these engines can handle about 400HP before you have to start getting into the bottom end, im looking at getting a turbo set up for about 300-330HP and trying to weigh the pros/cons of going with a auto trans or just bite the bullet and do a manual swap.


On the drag, a built auto will be faster, and overall easier on your car. Autos are much less likely to tear the mounts. Doing a manual swap will be a lot of back ache and will require much skill if you do it yourself. Your car will be out of action for a long time. A well built auto is much better than a manual...and it is a world and a half better in applications using nitrous oxide (the built autos are designed to have N2O used with them and almost all of the serious drag cars are automatics). If you get someone else to do an auto to manny swap, expect a *big* figure...and then you need to upgrade parts in the manual itself (clutch, flywheel, SS cable, SS, etc)

As far as turbocharging, the SR20 is a prime turbocharging candidate but I hope anyone knows, you cant slap on a snail and go (well maybe for a few miles you could). I have just recently started learning about turbocharged cars (even though I dont plan to own one soon) and all I can say is that it is a highly complex area. If you plan to do this yourself, take a few months at least to get an idea of what you want to do, how the parts work and how to correctly install them.

You could do quite a rewarding project, but said bluntly, doing it right will not be cheap, and doing it cheap will not be right. At the minimun between a transmission build and motor built, I think the bare minimun would be around $6,000. If you want to go for a more unusual turbo setup that would yield higher power (and probably need more custom work), this price could easily rise. If you are willing to invest, I would go for it. If you plan to turbo, I reccomend building the tranny first. If you think it is too much money, I would go with bolt ons as many exist for the SR20DE.


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## 2nrguy (Feb 18, 2005)

I was planning on getting the tranny done first, i always try and make it so that anything i do to any cars that i have is function over form (i.e. if it dont work whats it doing there). once it works right then i can dress it up.

Are there any shops in the midwest that anyone knows about to have the tranny work done, if not then i'll just have the trans shipped to me.

Chimmike:
sounds like you've got a lot of research ahead of you  

well yes i do but i also want to get it done right and hopefully within a year it'll be where i want it


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

a year is a good time frame. Gives you plenty of time to get parts, get extra work done, etc. Good luck!


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