KiwiRS4T

What kind of software are you using? Have a look at this site for some clues: http://www.blazt.biz/index.php

PM Chook for a low cost CD with a full Stagea Manual (in Japanese) and some R33 etc engine manuals in English which will answer most of your mech questions. My interior light comes on when i unlock with my remote and goes off when i start the engine on my S1 so I am sure the S2 will have this feature as well.

Well the R34 GTT ones have it cast in raised letters (min thickness 28mm) so maybe the S2 ones do as well.

Don't know if this helps but I just got a set of R34 GTT front brakes - 4 pot calipers, 310mm rotors and a set of little used pads for NZ$295 delivered. I expect to get between $0 and $30 for my old ones. [Just as an aside i would guess by picking up the box of bits that i have just added back the unsprung weight that I lost by getting light weight rims!]

The Standard ecu cannot be remapped. the closest thing is to get a new daughterboard fitted and get a custom chip for that, but that's quite costly. If you get an R32 ecu and chip that you can get a black box to do the vvt but really you may as well bite the bullet and get a Link c/w boost control and their knock detectors. If you want to tune your own engine you will need minimum some kind of knock detection, a wide band O2 meter and pref an exhaust temp guage. The GCG highflow is effectively a new turbo in that all the components are replaced. It is not cheap however at around AU $2000 which is still less than a new turbo with fitting kit. You can get bush bearing highflows for less - they don't spool up quite as quickly and may not last as long.

That's brillliant. I wonder if it willl work on my Stagea? On my last Stagea I paid an auto electrician $300 to in and out my dash ( I guess wages are lower over here) and got a brand new core (from the radiator suppliers, not Nissan) for under $100. I will file your article away and when (if ) the heater core goes on my new Stagea I will give it a try your way. the aircond should probably be regassed about now anyway. Well done!

Don't get me started on oxygen free wires etc.!! Electrical tests as well as listening panels have shown that if you have wiring of an adequate size no $1000 cable will make your stereo sound better ...although some one who has just spent the $1000 has to say that the treble is clearer and the bass gruntier otherwise they have to admit to being conned. Similarly if there is in fact an earthing problem in your car then the $15 solution followed by chad bob will be just as good as a $250 commercial product!

Dumb question indeed as its just been answered in sketchR32's thread!! as follows: The synchro switch locks on the awd to give 50/50 front/ rear drive when you start off. At higher speeds the computer takes over again and sends most drive to the rear except when the rear starts to lose traction.

You don't have a picture of your cheap cam gear. The one in the photo is correct in that it shows degrees of retard (or advance) correctly on the scale i.e. to retard cam timing you turn the adjustable pulley anticlockwise and the correct reading will line up with the mark. Maybe your cheap pulley is indicating the direction you need to turn the wheel rather than showing the correct scale for adv or ret.

How much do you want to spend and what is your ultimate goal? You can get some immediate extra zip by getting an electronic boost controller and upping the boost to 10 -12 psi. Get a Nistune chip http://www.nistune.com/ to make you computer tunable. (Or if you aim for big horsepower get a Link computer http://www.linkecu.com/ ) Get a high flow panel filter for your stock airbox and a three inch turbo back exhaust. If you have a spare car you could send your turbo to GCG http://gcg.com.au/ to rebuild/highflow it to support 450hp or buy an HKS kit that will drop straight in (but more expensive). The Link and Nistune websites list stockists worldwide. Spend a few hours reading this site. Its all there! PS sorry just noticed you car - nistune may not be available for your car - you may need to install an R32 ecu first (assuming you're not auto).

I am very sceptical that my engine or gearbox suffers from a poor earth. Maybe there is something peculiar to the M35 but I wouldn't have thought so. I would normally say i wouldn't cross the road to get an earthing kit if it was free but I don't have to because i have one in my garage which a previous owner had installed in my last car (although I thought it was to support his mega sub amp). However your post has inspired me to decide to install it anyway. It may not give me an extra 20awkw but at least it definitely won't do any harm and may have a suprise benefit somewhere!

The synchro switch locks on the awd to give 50/50 front/ rear drive when you start off. At higher speeds the computer takes over again and sends most drive to the rear except when the rear starts to lose traction.

Try the oil in the bore and if that's no good strip the block down and if it need more than rings and bearings think about going RB30

Don't know if you can import cars from NZ easily but here is a really nice R34 fronted S2 for a really good price: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=229976420

I've got an RB25 highflow from GCG. Their point of difference is that they can do them in a ball bearing version and all the original oil and water lines are retained so that the unit really does go straight back. They used to make the s1 and s2 Rb25 the same as the neo (GTT or VG) version but I understand that some people have asked for a different exhaust wheel set up to take advantage of the slightly larger housing on the GTT turbo. ( My understanding is that the compressor end is the same but the ex on the GTT is bigger - but I haven't seen them side by side). Mine was rated at 450hp presumably the GTT one can make a bit more. BTW very happy with the response and power.

Its sort of like my shocks - they have a Nismo label and part number but they are Bilsteins.

Have a read of the Nistune website: http://www.nistune.com/ Under "workshops" you will find people who can install it. In your area I have heard good things about Chasers, Dr Drift and Status Tuning which is not to say that the others may not do a good job as well. Ring a couple for prices.

+60 kw with a tune? That's a fantastic result. All s2 owners would benefit from getting the nistune as early as possible so as to gain maximum benefit from each subsequent mod!

Not really looking for more top end - want more in the mid range. I don't believe in subjective improvements (it feels faster etc). I would be looking for measurable improvement e.g. on the road i will be measuring 60 to `120 times in 2nd gear or on the dyno actual kw.

Thanks for the link but three pages of posts didn't tell me anything that i didn't already know - that an adjustable exhaust cam gear on an RB25 DET can give you a few extra KW. What I really wanted to know is if anyone has done the hard yards and tried a number of different settings to see which gives the best result. It is a pain to do because you have to take off the cas and put it back between each run but as has been pointed out before it is the only way to optimise the setting for your car. I will be doing it this weekend and will see if i can pick the best spot with road testing. If not it will have to wait until I get on the dyno in a couple of weeks. I'll report back!

GTT smic will support 200- 220AWKW. Get a boost guage!!!I would spend the money on 1. Split dump 3in front pipe 2. Nistune chip for your ecu 3. electronic boost controller 4. better fuel pump...next stage bigger highflow/turbo... next stage even more boost,bigger injectors fmic. (Actual power at each stage will depend on quality of tune - you need Nistune chip or aftermarket ecu e.g. Vipec).

Colour coded roof rails are an improvement. Have you considered removing them? (ref methamphetamachine's "psymin")

Yes I appreciate that testing is the only way - guess I was looking for a short cut. It runs fine at 4 deg but i will take the time to try other settings.

Lots of people must have a series 2 RB25DET with an adjustable exhaust cam gear. Has anyone done the testing to determine the best setting? That is has anyone done a series of dyno runs where the only variable was the setting of the exhaust cam gear? I have one on my Stagea with basic mods: 3in turbo back exhaust and GCG highflow turbo which will be running 1bar (about 16psi) when i install my Z32afm and 550 injectors. It is currently set at 4 (crank) degrees retarded as per SK's suggestion. Unfortunately he never got around to the dyno testing to find the optimum setting. Surely someone has done it? If you haven't I would still be interested to hear what you have set it to but i really want a setting based on real live testing. Thanks!!!