I would not boost the auto personally, you always here about tranny issues on a stock motor, let alone one with a power adder. The motor can take it just fine with a GOOD tune.



It feels "weak" to you because it's a 130hp 1.8L with a auto trans



The sputtering after fill up is probably the purge valve sticking open.



If you look in the DIY section there's a step by step swap for the auto->manual conversion.



Or just keep bugging stocker with questions :biggrin:

I honestly think the majority of the auto issues are people dumping the wrong fluid in it. Almost every post where someone showed an auto die it didn't have SP III in it, if they were willing to mention the fluid anyway. I can't find it on a search but there was a really powerful tib running an auto and he seemed to have less trouble out of the trans than the 5 speed guys running boost. A good cooler and the right fluid; it should be able to handle low boost without much trouble assuming its not already damaged.

Yeah, IF. Good luck knowing transmission oil use history, unless you have maintenance records from a Hyundai dealership.



Use Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 synthetic oil in the engine and just trust it. Use an OEM filter from the dealer, because it is a good part. Do NOT use the cheapest FRAM filter, because the head needs more oil than a cheap filter will let through.



It took me a weekend to do the transaxle conversion, but I don't recall if it was a 3-day weekend. I also only had a few hours of help from a couple other guys. If you have a helper willing to put in two longass days, and you both know what you are doing with a set of tools, AND you have ALL the parts and the right tools, you could probably get it done in a 2-day thrashing session. Some of the preparatory stuff you can do beforehand, to preserve your time window for the serious work. Make sure your pressure plate and clutch parts are in good shape. Make the holes for shift cables beforehand and seal with duct tape until you get ready to install shift cables. Remove the plastic intake resonators. Little stuff like that. Study as much as you can and lay out a careful plan of attack before you do the actual work and you might could get it done in a regular weekend.



If you do the conversion, Do yourself a favor and use Redline synthetic gear oil.



As for adding power: An air intake pipe (up to the MAFs), header pipes and exhaust, and you're pretty close to as much power as you can reasonably get without forced induction on this engine. Note that a 2.0L block should bolt right in place of your 1.8, and you can reuse the head from the 1.8 (it already has the slightly-better intake camshaft). These engines respond well to turbocharging and seem fairly reliable up to ~250-300HP without changing any internal parts.

On rebuild #4 I made sure they used Hyundai fluid and it still went boom around the 1st hard corner. Just tossing that out there.





Pretty much what everyone has already said, but I'll toss a few extras out.



If this car has ever seen a northern winter, in fact just for good measure, inspect the suspension. My lower control arms were rusted pretty badly and its never seen real snow or salt. Any OEM parts needed rockauto.com will have them a fraction of dealer price and the support is awesome. Only had one screw up ever and they overnighted the missing bit. Any exposed metal bits that you replace under the car (control arms, tie rods, subframe, etc) make sure you coat with rust inhibitor. This protects it ensuring longevity for a nice reliable ride for years to come. Also invest in good struts or coils, you'll love yourself for it.



DO THE 5 SPEED SWAP. PERIOD

a little bias here, but the auto is crap.



As for http://oi61.tinypic.com/dpcku8.jpg, get yourself a donor motor. I found a beta2 from an elantra a few years ago for $300. Sadly the prices have gone up, but I can still find some of the less popular Kia betas for fairly cheap. This way you have a motor to build while still dding the car. It alleviates a lot of stress I find. Total extra expense for me was the motor and a $25 craigslist engine stand.