Ben D

Thanks Brazen. Who did you get the HKS exhaust through - its 3 inch cat back bolt on in stainless isn't it ? for $750 thats looking good value for $. They list them on their site as 48090 yen, at todays exchange rate thats $580 AUD, so $750 sounds ballpark landed. But who can you get them through ? I had a quick look for a stagea exhaust thread but no success, shouldn't bolt on exhaust bits be listed in the parts list in the sticky threads ? They are pretty popular items.

Thanks guys, From what I am hearing, it looks like you can fit an R33 GTS-T downpipe to cat, then also the entire cat back system, all bolt up. Please correct me if I misunderstood. SK I agree that the cat is a good place to spend a bit extra to improve flow, but for $165 for the dump I must weigh up the cost/benefit of the split dump. Although undoubtedly superior, the apparent lack of bolt on's in a split dump for say, under $300 would tend, for me anyway, to favour the cheaper 3" dump with a streamlined entry and forgo a 14-15% horsepower gain for instead a 10-12% gain. (example only, I have no idea what the performance gain will be ). Those last few hp always cost the most. Also, once the cheaper dump wears out/rusts away its time to upgrade the turbo..... GT30 for me. he he. Then we can start to really exchange some $ for hp.. hey mmmgtir, re: those pics of those split dump pipes look good, but $875 AUD to fit R33 GTS-T ?

Hey, has anyone had experience with trying to use bolt on R33 exhaust systems on their stageas ? I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing the downpipes sold as bolt ons for R33 GTS-T will fit (turbo to cat). Then I'm interested to know whether we can go to a 3" cat and have that bolt onto the stock cat back exhaust. I guess its then too much to ask that anything from an R33 GTS-T will fit from the cat back, but feedback would be appreciated.. I've been looking at the 3" down pipes for R33 by RZone performance ? http://www.rzoneperformance.com.au/ Their mild steel unit front and dump pipe for R33 is a bolt on and only $165, stainless $285. I like their 3" cats too for $165. Will these fit the stagea and has anyone had experience with RZone ?

Hey Sydney kid, that Jaycar thread you've done with the details on how you tuned the DIY boost controller and air flow meter intercept is the best thread I have read on the web. Well done mate. I have those bits on order now as from reading that you should be able to pull approx 15% fuel out of these things across the entire rev and load zones, which should translate into an immediate 15% improvement in fuel economy. I won't bother with a dyno, I'll road test and data log with a WBO2 wide band lambda plumbed into the downpipe once I get a 3" bolt on job. I'll post a separate thread asking about that R Zone performance piece, at it would be easy to buy one and add another O2 sensor boss to accomodate the wide band before installing it and voila, we're away. Now my calcs , 15% improvement on 500 km/tank on the highway = 10.6 L/100 km, around 580 km/tank - hey I can live with that. he he bought the boost controller too, will tell the wife that's part of the fuel controller.................. Will keep you informed. Ben D

Thanks guys. She's now sold on the idea . Thanks sydneykid I'll look up the jaycar equipment and Jay95R33, can you let me know what colour wire I should be looking for re: the lockup converter ? I have been interested in having a switch on the dash which manually locks up the converter when I'm on the highway, if I can locate the wire, I can always put a switch on it and test to see what it does. My guess is it would energise a solenoid in the gearbox. Hey, has anyone had experience with the 3" downpipes sold by RZone performance ? http://www.rzoneperformance.com.au/ Their mild steel unit front and dump pipe for R33 is a bolt on and only $165, stainless $285. I like their 3" cats too for $165. Will these fit the stagea ?

Good thread. I've been at this question for a while, as the one thing I like more than performance is cheaper performance. My stagea is stock except for a bleed set at 8 psi and a K&N panel filter. I have established that besides the weight of the car the auto is the main thing holding fuel economy back. To get decent mileage you need to lock up the torque converter in 4th gear (ie: use the overdrive). It will not do this until fully warmed up and seldom does it around town, contributing to the abysmally poor fuel economy you get under these conditions (hot weather, a/c on -18-20 l/100 km is not uncommon). On the highway you can drive for miles without the converter locked up unless you do the following: establish the cruise speed - say 100 - 110 km/h, then throttle back until you get 12-14 inches of vacuum , then gently press on the accelerator until your boost gauge reads 5-8 inches of vaccum, and then you should feel the converter lock up, after which if you modulate the throttle smoothly, you can drive it like a manual unless you go into boost, whereby the converter drops back off the lock up and your fuel economy suffers again. I have obtained 500 km out of 60 L, which is 12L/100 km on the stock set up driving it in this manner, and well justified the purchase of the boost gauge to my wife in doing so. However I noted that in very hot weather (towing a small tinny near gladstone), the auto goes away badly, indicating to me that a trans cooler is a must. Upon fitting one (I used one out of an EVO 4 ($30 NZD !) and tucked it where the stock intercooler lives, but on the drivers side, keeping the stock trans cooler in its original position for a double whammy effect), fuel economy improved all over, and now the weather is cooling again, economy is better still (slightly leaner air/fuel ratio and cool trans fluid). I really want to do a 3" turbo back exhaust and intercooler now because anything that improves system efficiency must improve economy off boost. Has anyone got "before and after figures" for fuel economy after these mods ? Obviously a fuel computer would be the next best thing too... I need the data to sell these things to my wife... Thanks fellahs Ben

internal or external wastegate ?

Do you know the brand of the cam gear and is it in good condition ? Can you send a pic to [email protected] ? Thanks Ben

I'm looking to get into a Pro RWD import car and to raise cash I'm looking for offers from $20K AUD for my 9 second S12 Nissan gazelle as a turn key deal. Specs as follows: Engine: FJ20 DET, nitrided polished crank, carillo rods, crower pistons, ported head mild cams, vernier cam wheels, external oil pump, custom oil pump drive/front pulley, 7 litre sump, Link Plus ECU, turbosmart e-boost, quartermaster twin plate clutch, custom 1 piece steel flywheel, quite large intercooler, XF falcon throttle body, 8 injector inlet manifold, twin bosch fuel pumps, 40 L fuel cell, RB25 DET gearbox, 3.5 inch heavy duty tailshaft, R200 LSD, 300 ZX turbo half shafts and stub axles, Supra turbo 16 x 9 inch wheels with MT 26 x 11.5 x 16 ET street tyres (rear), weld front runner wheels with front runner tyres, stock brakes (all the same as 300 zx single turbo), stock suspension with heavy duty springs front and rear and externally adjustable shocks on the rear, 6 point mild steel roll cage, genuine RSX 240 km/h speedo, two porsche lightweight racing seats (7 kg each) with 5 point harnesses. Custom carbon fibre bonnet and spare RSX steel bonnet, spare 12 inch diameter 300 ZX vented rear discs and rear trailing arms (if you want to go hillclimbing or circuit racing). Car has current andra tech which expires in July 2006. Weight (1070kg wet less driver). Best ET 9.63 sec, best MPH 147, best 60 ft 1.42 sec, approx 630 rwhp (470 rwkw), still room to go faster. Comes with custom single axle trailer. The car is still in Brisbane. Both car and trailer not road registered in Australia yet, but car is driveable and should pass modification certificates and safety certificates (just put the headlights back in !). Easily re registerable for New Zealand (currently on restoration file). Offers over 20 K AUD will be considered. contact me on [email protected] or +61 7 3855 9480 if you're interested. No time wasters please. A video of one of its passes is available at http://www.digsfish.com/drags/bend_9_63.wmv

Sydneykid, Thanks for the wiring info - much appreciated - I was in NZ today and just happened to see a stagea with a towbar on it, slid under and lo and behold, they had just wired the plug from the right hand side tail light assembly. The kiwi tow bar was labelled 750 kg unbraked , 1500 kg braked, but they had welded the RHS of it to the OEM tow point - not very neat. In contrast, Huish fabricated an entirely new bracket for the RHS of the car, and the bracket on the LHS was fabricated such that the OEM muffler stays in the OEM position, or perhaps 10 mm lower because it now bolts through a 10 mm plate. If the kiwi bar was rated at 1500 kg, the huish one will be easily as strong if not stronger, but because it was a custom job he did not bother to stamp a rating on it, preferring to simply state it will be strong enough for my application. I tend to agree. Tongue was a shaped flat plate with a pair of underbolts threaded into tapped holes in the square box section which runs between the chassis pick up points. will try to take pics but have never had much success posting them in these threads... BenDR30, very cool set of cars, for myself it is datsun 1600/FJ20ET, S12 Gazelle RSX, and now the stagea RS4 - uncanny, PS, S12 RSX = 465+RWKW@28psi, FJ20s rule

My towbar was done by Alan Huish at Huish Fabrications, George St Southport (07 5532 2922) on the Gold Coast. Apparently they can do most one-off import applications and I must say they did a very good job - used all the pick up points available on the right hand side of the car and fabricated two very strong pick ups under the muffler on the left hand side, and made the tow bar tongue bolt on/off so you can remove it and can't even see the car has a tow bar from behind. Total cost $350 , done in 6 hours. A very strong towbar, designed so I can pull my 1100 kg gazelle with a braked car trailer (approx 1500 kg all up). Now if someone could give me the colour codes for those lights - can I get them from the fusebox at the front of the car or is there a chance that the wires change colour by the time they get to the back ?

Hey guys, Does anyone know the colour codes for the wires you need to splice into to run the 7 pin socket which complements the towbar ? Theres a whole heap of wires down there under the rear wagon bit, and I don't feel particularly fond of cutting them all up to find out which ones are the indicators, brakes, tail lights, reverse etc. If anyone has a 7 pin plug professionally wired and working properly, could they just have a quick look see to see where they've hooked the wires to and let us know ? Thanks Ben

Hey, fellow stagea heads, has anyone put a boost gauge on a bone stock stagea (I just acquired a 1997 RS 4 auto). I was looking at trying to improve the fuel economy (around 12.5 L/100 km at the moment with lots of highway driving, even worse around town) and also was interested in how much boost they run stock. I found the thing idles at only 16-17 inches of vacuum and runs 5 psi boost until 6000rpm, then rises to 6.5 psi to the limiter. Is this normal, or should it run more boost and/or pull more vacuum at idle (without aircon on). Should I also try another boost gauge to double check ??? My theory is that the intercooler is so small it strangles the engine, with pressure drop through the induction tract reducing vacuum at idle, and the stock exhaust is also undoubtedly strangling the motor - so some work to do soon to free everything up and improve fuel economy (thats what I tell my wife, but we all know the added power will be a welcome bonus.....) Also, I noticed that the alternator is charging at around 12.8 volts at idle, rising to around 13.8 at above 3000 rpm - I think this is a bit lazy - anyone put a multimeter on their battery to check this sort of thing ? Would be interested to compare notes with anyone else re: the above data.

Hello all, Excuse my ignorance if this has been covered elsewhere, but I was wondering what the stock valve sizes were for RB25 DET and RB26 DET engines. I'm after head diameter, valve stem diameter, and valve length overall , both inlet and exhaust. The information would be much appreciated.