URGENT: What else can I do to the engine??

[qstoria]

ditch it all and get a k20

[bal]

arnt you getting a k20a Gbox with new engine??

[Muzz]

is there a rush to put it all back together? i thought this was your spare engine. can you survive without it for a month while you save up for some high CR pistons you already got $500.

dont blow you money on whatever MIGHT give you more power, do what u should do and get what u need to make all that porting work properly. i agree with what weq said "get the forged pistons, otherwise your engine is basically stock".
Sorry to beat on you man, its not my intention, but i told you a while ago to plan out and research and budget, exactly what u want as the final goal for your engine, and what parts you need/dont need to get it there. you pulled it apart, and now your putting it back together without any performance enhancing changes in the bottom end????

you obviously wernt following my advice when i advised you to stop and plan out exactly the costs involved. seems to me it was only a month or two ago that i advised you
"stop, and plan exactly what you want, and how much itll cost, id hate too see you pull youe engine apart, only to put it all back together unfinished cus u ran out off money". seems like thats exactly whats happend.....

I was initially planning on shotpeening, close hone and cryo treat rods, HPC, Teflon and Nikasil coated pistons but could not find ARP rods so decided that it'll only be as strong as the weakest link so no point in wasting money

Why would you even slightly consider these expensive options without first doing the things that are actually going to alter performance ie. cams&valves, high CR pistons.
Apart from the mention of coated pistons in there, doing all that, your engine would still be "close to stock". seems like your just thinking "hmmm i got this much money, what things can i do" instead of working out what is going to actually get you the best performance for your dollar, and what is actually needed. Its all about combination, dont just throw your money here and there, slow down and start planning!

Your talking about shortening the manifold, is the extra 0-0.5 horsepower worth it when u havnt done the things which will actually make a noticible differance, save your cash for some pistons, cams&gears, springs/valves retainers, if you havnt already put the engine back together.

if you have put it back together, i hope you realise that to get any decent gains in performance from now, youl need to pull the engine back down again and do those pistons.

[Slow96GSR]

^ Yup.