R33 Questions..

[Razon]

hey guys, i recently bought myself a 1993 R33 series 1? skyline with fairly high KMs 150,000km and as far as i know its stock as a rock with little extras like a exhaust tip apparantly a R34 intercooler? (all i can see is like 2 intercoolers right next to each other and not a FMIC so i think thats what he means..)

when i looked at the engine i noticed the throttle body sensor? on top of the engine was unplugged but they had rewired it ? does anybody know why they would have done this? and my o2 sensor is unplugged and the loom ends are slightly burned from the turbo/cracked but i think i could still plug them in, should i try this? its also missing the front radiator fan which bolts on the front of your radiator but im not sure if i need this since i have the clutch fan plus the "r34" intercooler? correct me if im wrong please...new suspension etc is a given on that year of a model so im fairly sure that needs doing too...

so basically ive been reading up as much as i can on what to do and that and i understand i need new injectors etc before i go putting in a top of the line turbo but what would you guys recommend me doing first so i can safely go ahead and upgrade these things without my engine blowing up? should i get a rebuild first?

i found a bloke whos selling a rb25det which hes done work to for 2800 and im thinking rather than rebuild a engine should i buy a engine which was already being rebuilt and then finish it off? it comes with all parts just needs the plenums etc bolted on and manifolds....then i will need obviously a new ECU/turbo set up..

would that be the cheaper choice in the long run? buy a worked on engine that hasnt been dropped in a car yet? or rebuild as i go along....

in the end i want a 33 which will be reliable, with a bit of guts behind it so i know it will last given im not a dickhead in it...

if any pics of the engine bay are needed just let me know and obviously im a bit of a noob to cars so yeah give me a break lol

This is the radiator, if you follow the A/C tank to the front of the radiator you'll see 2? is this just a normal intercooler or a upgraded one? (also is this a unusal spot for the A/C tank? ive only seen them around the front on a 33 im pretty sure?)

This is the throttle position sensor? i think...why have they rewired it? rather than plug into the correct loom?

Edited June 10, 2012 by Razon

[mad082]

before you go doing any upgrades i strongly suggest you do some more research as it appears you have little knowledge about cars. for starters, what you are thinking is an intercooler is simply the condenser for the air condition. every car with aircon has one.

as for your tps wiring, i'm not entirely sure what you mean. can't see what you mean from your pic.

for the o2 sensor, if it's the wires on the sensor side of things that are damaged, just buy a new sensor. if it's on the loom side of the plug then simply cut the wires and rejoin them.

if you want to put a bigger turbo on then you will need bigger injectors, ecu (which you will need to run the bigger injectors), afm, fuel pump, a front mount intercooler, and full turbo back exhaust. plus you need to choose a turbo that will suit your needs/wants. if you go too big then it will be crap to drive on a day to day basis. if you go too small then there isn't much point doing the upgrade.

[Razon]

before you go doing any upgrades i strongly suggest you do some more research as it appears you have little knowledge about cars. for starters, what you are thinking is an intercooler is simply the condenser for the air condition. every car with aircon has one.

as for your tps wiring, i'm not entirely sure what you mean. can't see what you mean from your pic.

for the o2 sensor, if it's the wires on the sensor side of things that are damaged, just buy a new sensor. if it's on the loom side of the plug then simply cut the wires and rejoin them.

if you want to put a bigger turbo on then you will need bigger injectors, ecu (which you will need to run the bigger injectors), afm, fuel pump, a front mount intercooler, and full turbo back exhaust. plus you need to choose a turbo that will suit your needs/wants. if you go too big then it will be crap to drive on a day to day basis. if you go too small then there isn't much point doing the upgrade.

hey mad, oh i understand that what i was pointing out was the A/C but if you follow the pipes coming from the condenser you will see that theres 2 radiators close together, is this a normal stock R33 intercooler or a R34/aftermarket one like he claimed when i bought it? it hasnt got a thermofan on the front or anything so its definately been put there... maybe a better picture would help lol..

and yeah ive read about how if i want to upgrade my turbo i need to get bigger injecters etc but my question is, is it worth me doing all this work to a engine which has done 150,000kms or should i buy the rebuilt engine that a bloke has rebuilt himself? its had quite a bit of work done to it, larger cams etc ? i can post his Ad on here if that helps

and thanks for the info on the o2 sensor, i was planning on getting a new one but didnt know how to repair the loom side damage...

EDIT: heres the TPS sensor part which i was talking about, it seems they have rewired it somewhere else? is this normal?

Edited June 10, 2012 by Razon

[mad082]

All i can see in your pic of the radiator is the radiator (black) and the ac condenser (silver) in front if it.

The lack of thermo fan could simply mean that it has been in a minor fender bender, or it was removed for some reason.

The stock 33 and 34 intercoolers are in front of the passengers side front wheel. If you look in there you will see the inner guard has a vent in it and you can see the cooler through it

[Razon]

All i can see in your pic of the radiator is the radiator (black) and the ac condenser (silver) in front if it.

The lack of thermo fan could simply mean that it has been in a minor fender bender, or it was removed for some reason.

The stock 33 and 34 intercoolers are in front of the passengers side front wheel. If you look in there you will see the inner guard has a vent in it and you can see the cooler through it

ahh okay thankyou, guess he must have just put a bigger radiator in there maybe thats what he ment by putting a R34 intercooler in it, and yeah it looks as though at some stage the thermo fan could have came in contact with the radiator, so im not sure if that was threw a crash or if its a common thing...doesnt seem to be any other signs of a crash on the inside of the engine bay..

and yeah i found the side mounted intercooler, i was just confused on my main radiator which he said was a R34's intercooler...

[mad082]

it could still have an r34 intercooler in there, as the r34 intercooler sits in the same place as the r33 one, it's just a touch bigger.

[Razon]

it could still have an r34 intercooler in there, as the r34 intercooler sits in the same place as the r33 one, it's just a touch bigger.

ahh thanks i suppose it is slightly larger than the stock looking one ive seen in peoples engine bays, do you have any idea on the TPS sensor and stuff? why they would have rewired it in the pictures

[RB25 SKYLINE]

why dont u get a nistune ecu and put in a front mount intercooler and get a tune?can easily make 200kw on a stock turbo without wrecking ur motor.

[mad082]

ahh thanks i suppose it is slightly larger than the stock looking one ive seen in peoples engine bays, do you have any idea on the TPS sensor and stuff? why they would have rewired it in the pictures

you won't see a stock intercooler in the engine bay. radiator yes, intercooler no

and i have no idea on the tps wiring. my 33 had a series 2 engine so it had a different tps setup to yours.

[Razon]

ohh i understand what you mean now mad, i guess he must have just been talking about the radiator then....yeahh ive no idea why they have rewired it from the plug sitting on top...hopefully someone else might know

why dont u get a nistune ecu and put in a front mount intercooler and get a tune?can easily make 200kw on a stock turbo without wrecking ur motor.

is this a common mod path? how much are you looking at for a nistune ecu?

im just worried about the age of my engine, is it worth spending money on the car now for FMIC's etc to get 200kw? when the engine could possibly need a rebuild soon? would i be better of buying a rebuilt engine first then modifying that one?

or should i just buy the engine thats been rebuilt by a bloke himself for 2.800? has everything done with a few upgraded extras all it needs is plenum bolting on and then dropping in a car?

[75coupe]

you have heaps of reading ahead of you, all your questions and more are on these forums and have been answered many times over....

as for your engine, keep it drive it, when it breaks replace with another, if someone is selling a built engine for 2800 there something wrong, most of the time the std OEM engine is more reliable than a rebuilt one, nissan built how many thousands of engines and they last way over 100,000Ks without issue, so if you want to go for an engine built by professionals go with a std nissan engine... service every 5000Ks and all is good, use good fluids and filters.

nistune is an option, Ive read its about $1100 tuned if you find the right person to supply and tune.

it all depends on how far your going to go, PowerFC is another choice and there are heaps more, Im going from my PowerFC to something that can take a flex fuel setup, read up on flex fuel to know what that is, just saying the ECU I have isnt what I need so now I have to replace it, so in saying that nistune may not be what you need, its just another option, do some reading work out what you want to do and your budget and go from there....

for starters maybe download an r33 workshop manual so you know where parts are and how to service them...

all mods will come down to how much you can afford and how much you can do yourself...

what do you want to do with your car, street only, occasional track, full time track, drag, drift, what???

this will give you a direction on how and what to modify...

and post some pics of you car!

[Lethal_aussie]

ohh i understand what you mean now mad, i guess he must have just been talking about the radiator then....yeahh ive no idea why they have rewired it from the plug sitting on top...hopefully someone else might know

is this a common mod path? how much are you looking at for a nistune ecu?

im just worried about the age of my engine, is it worth spending money on the car now for FMIC's etc to get 200kw? when the engine could possibly need a rebuild soon? would i be better of buying a rebuilt engine first then modifying that one?

or should i just buy the engine thats been rebuilt by a bloke himself for 2.800? has everything done with a few upgraded extras all it needs is plenum bolting on and then dropping in a car?

I had this fear when buying mine had high k's (though i always thought 300,000 was high lol , it had (184,000ks stock as rock) But its not the age but more the way it has been treated i was lucky to get mine off a old couple which were the original owners since being imported hence it being a (4 door r33 ) found they were less molested in most cases.

But since then ive modded the 1st stage bolt ons being the FMIC,Turbo back exhaust,apexi panel,boost controller etc, Did the major service timing belt, harmonic balancer, basically looked after it with regular service etc and hasn't missed a beat..

I mean i use mine as a daily but like what has been said if ur not planning on using it a track car etc i wouldn't bother going and rebuilding or replacing a working engine, mine is currently at 274,000ks with stock turbo, and besides the mods all ive ever replaced has been the timing belt and balancer and belts ... basic major service ..

If your really worried about the life of the engine just get a compression test

Edited June 12, 2012 by Lethal_aussie

[RB25 SKYLINE]

ohh i understand what you mean now mad, i guess he must have just been talking about the radiator then....yeahh ive no idea why they have rewired it from the plug sitting on top...hopefully someone else might know

is this a common mod path? how much are you looking at for a nistune ecu?

im just worried about the age of my engine, is it worth spending money on the car now for FMIC's etc to get 200kw? when the engine could possibly need a rebuild soon? would i be better of buying a rebuilt engine first then modifying that one?

or should i just buy the engine thats been rebuilt by a bloke himself for 2.800? has everything done with a few upgraded extras all it needs is plenum bolting on and then dropping in a car?

these are common mods for most people but like people have said depends wat u want ur car for?i wouldnt bother with another engine until urs blows,get a compression test done and go from there.nistunes are roughly $1100 and u can make big power with this as ur mods grow.

[Razon]

you have heaps of reading ahead of you, all your questions and more are on these forums and have been answered many times over....

as for your engine, keep it drive it, when it breaks replace with another, if someone is selling a built engine for 2800 there something wrong, most of the time the std OEM engine is more reliable than a rebuilt one, nissan built how many thousands of engines and they last way over 100,000Ks without issue, so if you want to go for an engine built by professionals go with a std nissan engine... service every 5000Ks and all is good, use good fluids and filters.

nistune is an option, Ive read its about $1100 tuned if you find the right person to supply and tune.

it all depends on how far your going to go, PowerFC is another choice and there are heaps more, Im going from my PowerFC to something that can take a flex fuel setup, read up on flex fuel to know what that is, just saying the ECU I have isnt what I need so now I have to replace it, so in saying that nistune may not be what you need, its just another option, do some reading work out what you want to do and your budget and go from there....

for starters maybe download an r33 workshop manual so you know where parts are and how to service them...

all mods will come down to how much you can afford and how much you can do yourself...

what do you want to do with your car, street only, occasional track, full time track, drag, drift, what???

this will give you a direction on how and what to modify...

and post some pics of you car!

Thanks alot mate, ill stick with my engine for a bit while, she seems to run fine and doesnt miss so should be good , i took it to a mechanic a while ago for a inspection and report but he came back and didnt really say a whole lot, just said she ran fine and that only really minor things needed doing like my wheel bearings and suspension/brakes....i was a bit unsure because i was expecting to be told more than just wheel bearings and suspension/brakes...but i guess you never know ?

and i will do!! just got to wait for some light then ill post a few up in this thread, maybe you guys could give me a few opinions on what to do to her exterior

I had this fear when buying mine had high k's (though i always thought 300,000 was high lol , it had (184,000ks stock as rock) But its not the age but more the way it has been treated i was lucky to get mine off a old couple which were the original owners since being imported hence it being a (4 door r33 ) found they were less molested in most cases.

But since then ive modded the 1st stage bolt ons being the FMIC,Turbo back exhaust,apexi panel,boost controller etc, Did the major service timing belt, harmonic balancer, basically looked after it with regular service etc and hasn't missed a beat..

I mean i use mine as a daily but like what has been said if ur not planning on using it a track car etc i wouldn't bother going and rebuilding or replacing a working engine, mine is currently at 274,000ks with stock turbo, and besides the mods all ive ever replaced has been the timing belt and balancer and belts ... basic major service ..

If your really worried about the life of the engine just get a compression test

yeah its worried me alot about the KM's but i guess if you really love the cars you'll pay for them to be rebuilt if needed so thats the risk i took in the end now im just wondering what to do lol, and yeah im going to get started on the FMIC, do you guys recommend any particular brand/type? its a series 1 and i dont have a big fancy bumper which can fit a intercooler so im not sure if this will be a problem?

basically i want the car as a daily driver but a reliable one will probably only ever see a track once or twice in its life..., once ive finished putting a FMIC,exhaust etc on then i want to upgrade the turbo but not to something ridiculous just a bit quicker spooling/more power....

[Razon]

this is how i got her not to long ago, they are the stock alloys for the skylines someones just 'attempted' to paint them black lol...but yeah stock as a rock

also just bought new clear nismo indicators, looks noice

Edited June 12, 2012 by Razon

[75coupe]

dont worry about a FMIC, it will just make the std gsts slightly more laggy...

when you upgrade the turbo, then do a FMIC, but its not essential for a slight boost increase and an exhaust...

spend the money on the wheel bearings..

the suspension, wheel bearings and brakes arnt minor thing, for me they are almost more important than the engine...

a secondhand engine is $1500 plus install, secondhand suspension and wheel bearings arnt worth the hassle, so new ones will cost more than installing a secondhand engine...

then your castor rods will need doin, then rotors & pads, then service time, and a coolant flush, probably suspension bushes will be flogged too... the engine is really the last of your worries tbh... not to make it sound bad but if your using it as a daily you will atleast want it safe, reliable and a pleasure to drive...

[75coupe]

it looks straight atleast, needs new rims though or maybe a respray atleast...

[Razon]

dont worry about a FMIC, it will just make the std gsts slightly more laggy...

when you upgrade the turbo, then do a FMIC, but its not essential for a slight boost increase and an exhaust...

spend the money on the wheel bearings..

the suspension, wheel bearings and brakes arnt minor thing, for me they are almost more important than the engine...

a secondhand engine is $1500 plus install, secondhand suspension and wheel bearings arnt worth the hassle, so new ones will cost more than installing a secondhand engine...

then your castor rods will need doin, then rotors & pads, then service time, and a coolant flush, probably suspension bushes will be flogged too... the engine is really the last of your worries tbh... not to make it sound bad but if your using it as a daily you will atleast want it safe, reliable and a pleasure to drive...

that actually sounds like a good idea, replace all my suspension/steering that needs doing first then worry about upgrading the engine....is there any suggested coilovers and that to go or just go with what a suspension place suggests? would it be cheaper if i buy the parts before i take it in...?

yeah she needs a new paint job definitely, has minor bumps and scratches from previous owner and would look just cleaner if it was fresh paint, think i might stick to the factory white but still undecided...will do the paint after i do suspension/service i reckon....and rims are a must lol dont know what they was thinking painting them the way they did...was looking at some drift tek's but im not sure if i like black rims more than some chrome rims...

Edited June 12, 2012 by Razon

[RB25 SKYLINE]

definatly agree with 75 coupe about doin all ur wheel bearings and other things that uve listed to make it safe.if ur keeping it as a daily id keep the stock turbo till it blows then get a high flow from hyper gear to keep things cheep.i have the same car with a full exhaust, fmic, walbro fuel pump,and after market boost controller,i have a remapped ecu but would recommend a nistune over a remap and my car makes 209kw on 9psi boost with stock turbo.if ue keeping it as a daily then that is enough power to have a bit of fun and with out drawing any unwanted attention in the engine bay.if u want to go the next step u can go the hyper gear high flow turbo,injectors and a z32 afm and u can go from there.u have a good starting platform so look around the forum and do a bit of research before u jump into anything.

[75coupe]

that actually sounds like a good idea, replace all my suspension/steering that needs doing first then worry about upgrading the engine....is there any suggested coilovers and that to go or just go with what a suspension place suggests? would it be cheaper if i buy the parts before i take it in...?

you can do a coilover install yourself its not hard, do some research about which ones to go for first, everyone will have an opinion of whats the best, like I went bilstein and whiteline, others go for tein and some even go for other lesser proven brands...

doing all the bushes and replacing coilovers will probably expend quite a few thousand so see how you go with that, if you do all the coilovers, bushes, toe rod ends and remove hicas (if thats your thing) then go get an alignment, then you'll probably be in the markets for rims and tyres and therefore a few more thousand...

just research first, theres heaps of info on these forums, all the questions you are asking have been answered heaps with all sorts of opinions, just find the solutions that work for you based on decent information... remember buy cheap and you'll get cheap and more problems at the end of the day...

where are you located btw?