Critique My Set Up

[GT-R32]

Hi all

I'm looking for some guidance/advice/comments/recommendations and general commentary on weaknesses in my set up given my goals. I've had the shop who tunes my car recommend pods and injectors for more. I'm looking for response too, so will do some further things and a cam belt service at the same time.

Currently making 307rwkW on 20psi (has done 293awkW too). I am aiming for more responsive 330+wkW.

General:

Ghetto JDM catch can

Internally stock RB26

ARC radiator, Nismo thermostat

GReddy oil cooler

APEXi Power FC

HKS EVC-S

Intake/Fuel/Spark:

R32 GTR airbox (K&N filter)

Z32 AFMs

Stock intercooler

HKS hard piping kit

Bosch pump of some description

Stock injectors

Stock coils

NGK copper plugs

Turbos & Exhaust:

-5s

N1 manifolds (from TangoMatt's beast)

R33 GTR dump pipes

HKS front pipe (older style)

Catco 3" cat

HKS cat back (3.5")

Considered mods:

Cam gears

Injectors

Metal catalytic converter

APEXi pods

Spitfire coils

Fresh plugs

Tune

Let me know what you think I should be doing this round of changes or where I'm going wrong!

Cheers

Matt

[Deano 1]

Injectors are deff gunna be needed, your stock ones will b at 100%, that's quite a low Kw number for that much boost. That one I can't answer, they mite have gone really mild with the timing and just made the 300 with adding boost. Hard to say

[GT-R32]

It might be under 20psi, perhaps 18 or 19psi. I understand it is low for these turbos and wondered if there was a restriction there at all?

[Willis]

You worried at all about your bottom end? Do you drive your car hard / track days often?

[R31Nismoid]

IMO if you want response, you have the wrong turbos for a start.

-5s are 380-400rwkw of turbo on around 20-22psi.

Also only making 300rwkw on 20psi with -5s, something is wrong as that figure is rather low.

300-330rwkw are -9/GT-SS territory on around 20psi

So you have two choices. Stick with the turbo's you have, and you simply wont be getting any more response

Or swap em.

Pod's are a waste of time, the stock airbox is fine for 380rwkw without a drama.

Injectors you certainly need, and a 4" CAT at least

[Deano 1]

With the factory cams there's a good chance you could get a slight gain on response if u get some cam gears and advance the inlet timing. It has been done.

[MrStabby]

Since you're down on power over what you should be seeing you should address that before you look at any more "modding". I'd do this;

1. Change injectors because they're at their limit now, if you manage you fix whatever issue you have they'll be past maxed out

2. get compression checked, if that's ok then

3. 4in 200 or 100 cell cat and another dyno run. If power is still down drop the cat back to see if the 3.5in HKS is a problem

If that gets you north of 360kw then you can look at mods. If not, continue troubleshooting. Then cam gears. Splitfires only if there's a problem with the stockers.

But yeah, for me stock motor means -7s or -9s, if you're going for -5s then you want a built motor.

[Brezza]

Leave the stock airbox, i made 350rwkw with one.

My GTR has pretty much the same mods as you appart from bigger injectors.

Next thing to do is injectors and retune.

Do you have the z32's on the std airbox or are they still std AFM's?

With that boost you should be much higher than 300rwkw

Get Injectors and retune, should give good results.

Also new coilpacks if you want to replace them before you have issues, i went yellow jackets and they work fine! about half the price too!

[GT-R32]

I just checked and I'm running 18psi. I was clearly confused with the 20psi figure as it spiked to that on one run early in the rev range (stuck in my head). It's just on 18psi... Which is still low power.

Why did I expect people to come in and say all this about my turbo choice? I think regular readers have probably heard it enough. People get tired of post-rationalising their turbo choice. I bought the -5s already, there's no point criticising me for that. I did so with good reason.

I don't often smash or track the car and I have intentions of building a motor in the GTR when it's ready, so I'm not too fussed about bottom end (I'm doing my big block Dodge Challenger now, but whatever). I had HKS2530s in this car prior. It currently makes 160rwkw at 3000rpm, 200+rwkw at 4500rpm, 260rwkw at 5000rpm and 307kW at 5500rpm which it holds very flat to 7000+rpm. This is good power from 3000rpm I'm not complaining about it, am I? I just use the gears .

I just want to maximise what I have now and have some commentary on my proposed path. I appreciate the advice regarding the cat and possible restrictions in the exhaust. Thanks everyone.

[Brezza]

Also you're not going to get good response on -5's compared with other smaller turbos.

IMO they're not a laggy setup, but definitely not super responsive.

i did however notice a difference after the rebuild, the response picked up a fair bit probably because the old motor was too tired?

[Brezza]

I just checked and I'm running 18psi. I was clearly confused with the 20psi figure as it spiked to that on one run early in the rev range (stuck in my head). It's just on 18psi... Which is still low power.

Why did I expect people to come in and say all this about my turbo choice? I think regular readers have probably heard it enough. People get tired of post-rationalising their turbo choice. I bought the -5s already, there's no point criticising me for that. I did so with good reason.

I don't often smash or track the car and I have intentions of building a motor in the GTR when it's ready, so I'm not too fussed about bottom end (I'm doing my big block Dodge Challenger now, but whatever). I had HKS2530s in this car prior. It currently makes 160rwkw at 3000rpm, 200+rwkw at 4500rpm, 260rwkw at 5000rpm and 307kW at 5500rpm which it holds very flat to 7000+rpm. This is good power from 3000rpm I'm not complaining about it, am I? I just use the gears .

I just want to maximise what I have now and have some commentary on my proposed path. I appreciate the advice regarding the cat and possible restrictions in the exhaust. Thanks everyone.

Just do injectors and retune

This will give you enough fuel to actually pump a decent amount of boost through the turbo's to get them to run really nice!

i find they really come alive with 20+ psi through them.

You would be running the std injectors at their max at that level.

you've got some good hardware there.

it just needs more fuel supplied

[Harey]

I just checked and I'm running 18psi. I was clearly confused with the 20psi figure as it spiked to that on one run early in the rev range (stuck in my head). It's just on 18psi... Which is still low power.

Why did I expect people to come in and say all this about my turbo choice? I think regular readers have probably heard it enough. People get tired of post-rationalising their turbo choice. I bought the -5s already, there's no point criticising me for that. I did so with good reason.

I don't often smash or track the car and I have intentions of building a motor in the GTR when it's ready, so I'm not too fussed about bottom end (I'm doing my big block Dodge Challenger now, but whatever). I had HKS2530s in this car prior. It currently makes 160rwkw at 3000rpm, 200+rwkw at 4500rpm, 260rwkw at 5000rpm and 307kW at 5500rpm which it holds very flat to 7000+rpm. This is good power from 3000rpm I'm not complaining about it, am I? I just use the gears .

I just want to maximise what I have now and have some commentary on my proposed path. I appreciate the advice regarding the cat and possible restrictions in the exhaust. Thanks everyone.

I suppose it was just the way I read the opening post too. The emphasis sounded like it was on response. The major thing that affects the response is the turbos so its just the logical answer. For that amount of power (330rwkw) you can use a smaller turbo and stil achieve that power. Changing turbos is expensive but if you go spending 1000's on other ways to improve response you are really doing things backwards.

As other people have said, get some injectors, a 3.5 or 4" metal cat and retune.

[GT-R32]

Thanks Michael, I appreciate the response. What you say seems to make sense as the 20psi spike gave a lot more mid range, but it wasn't the highest power run (301kW). Power is a table top right now, probably tuned that way with timing due to injectors. Or it could be an exhaust restriction.

[GT-R32]

Thanks Jeff. It appears I was on the right track. I was just under the impression that cam gears would aid response, but I am by no means complaining about it as it is currently. It had a cam belt service in 2005, apparently, but I can't be sure about that and doing this was a form of insurance I guess.

[Brezza]

Thanks Michael, I appreciate the response. What you say seems to make sense as the 20psi spike gave a lot more mid range, but it wasn't the highest power run (301kW). Power is a table top right now, probably tuned that way with timing due to injectors. Or it could be an exhaust restriction.

I highly doubt it would be an exhaust restriction.

If power is a table top then its the injectors.

I remember before i did my AFM's i was running 18psi and it was around 310rwkw, and the top part of the curve was a table top.

but after i got the Nismo's pumped another 3psi and the top end fattened up heaps, midrange was same but all the power was gained it the topend just because of the extra boost and the AFM's for not being maxxed out like the std ones.

i have a 3in exhaust and make 350rwkw.

i still have the same 3in exhaust and am getting the car tuned on e85 and aiming for 380-390rwkw

[GT-R32]

Great information Michael, thanks for that. Your car will be animal on E85! Good luck with it.

[Deano 1]

im with you GT-R32 everyone always burns -5s if the word "response" is in the thread. Im about to upgrade to -5s on my 26, ive got old school Nismo steel wheels on my car now, it makes 311kw and they are maxxed, it makes more boost on a cold night lol but if its warm im lucky to make the 18.5psi its tuned for, even in 4th gear with a full pull. comparing my dyno sheets to the cars with -5s, my car will be the same if not less laggyer with the -5s bolted up. The power line will just keep climbing instead of flating out : D

[GT-R32]

I went that 'response' path in my post as everyone (used to?) harp on about response being boosted markedly by cam gears. If I wasn't thinking about a cam belt service I probably wouldn't have done another round of mods... I wasn't complaining and was left open for the standard criticism with the -5s, LOL. I don't find the -5s laggy at all (they pull well from 3k RPM), especially considering the top end they can end up with. Horses for courses.

I think I saw the ad when your car was for sale Dean. Pretty special R32 GTR you have mate! Keep us updated when you fit -5s, they will go very well and I'm sure you'll find they have good average power.

[Deano 1]

I think I saw the ad when your car was for sale Dean. Pretty special R32 GTR you have mate! Keep us updated when you fit -5s, they will go very well and I'm sure you'll find they have good average power.

Cheers Bud she sure is shiney haha

[DVS JEZ]

Deano's car is the nicest 32GTR i have driven, everything feels brand new

Matt have you checked your cat or tried a run on the dyno with a decat pipe? would be good to see the difference, i have seen a silvia lose 45rwkw with a supposed highflow cat.

have you ran it down the 1/4 mile?