Hi Sau

[Rick33GTS-T]

Hi everyone looking forward to learning more about my 33

[Ben C34]

Hi. Good plan.

[Rick33GTS-T]

Hello again just thought I'd share my story, don't know if anyone will read this but not too fussed. Anyway live in SA bought my 33gtst 3 years ago for 4500, used to own a vr Calais what pos it was. Bought my 33gtst with 175000 on the clock std. At first I just drove it around enjoying the handling, went a lot better than the v6 vr, in short I just loved it. It's probably one of the most boring looking 33 out there, stock rims, no bodykits, fading paint on the roof etc. but to honest I don't gaf. After about a year or so developed a misfire at high rpm, not really knowing a lot about turbo charged cars, thought I'd stick to the basics fuel, spark, timing. Sorted it out with a new set of plugs and split fire coil packs and set timing with a gun using the wire from no1 coilpacks. Kept driving it until it hit 200000, then took it off the road to upgrade a few things, slowly but surely I started to buy a few things listed below

K&n filter, plasma man air box, 600x300x76 fmic, different pipe work, gfb boost bleed valve, external pump& surge tank.

Put all these things in turned the boost up to 11 psi on my aftermarket guage and away I went....... What a fkn muppet.

Few weeks later after hissing my way around the hills started to hear a exhaust leak when cold, then all the time. That was about the time a mate of mine informed me about this Internet forum he said you can research to find how to fix things, upgrades etc

So took it off the road again did a lot of reading on sau and other forums downloaded a engine and service manual. Basically I should have researched before I started throwing mods at it like I said a fkn muppet.

So now with a bit of knowledge, it was time to find and fix exhaust leak wasn't hard to find in the end, turned out I had 5 snapped exhaust manifold studs. So I took the head of replaced them as well as every required gasket, replaced every hose, joiner , hose clamp,drive belts and a gates racing timing belt. Put it all back together using the manual. Once completed I turned the boost down to 8 psi. I have a lot more torque now. My enginebay look a lot cleaner with new hoses, bkts, clean parts.

Next thing I did was install a new 3inch turbo back exhaust, then bought a rb20det ecu with a nistune from Garage 7, also got some 660cc injectors and fpr , hoping to install these at the tuner and get dyno soon

So there's my story so far did miss a few things,

what I've learnt

-Do the exhaust and ecu mods first ( basically I did everything backwards)

-Listen to the advice the experienced guys tell you

-Be a bit humble sometimes you will learn more

-Skylines shit all over Vr Calais

[Ben C34]

Much more interesting post!

Good in you for realizing the error of your ways and sorting out the car.

Any future plans? You really should get some.more boost into it!

[Rick33GTS-T]

Yeah I'm a bit undecided on what kind of turbo to put on it?, I think I will get the nistuned ecu in it and tuned first, as far as I know the std turbo can do 12 psi reasonably safely, however it is 22 years old. When I had every thing apart I checked the play in the shaft it was 0.2mm in and out and I think only 10 thou up and down can't exactly remember. Couldn't find an specs on this. Checked dry obviously.

As for plans/next steps Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Anfanee]

hypergear turbo.

[Ben C34]

Don't tune with standard turbo.

That's dumb.

As above.

Hypergear.

Make power.

Smile..

[Hadouken]

Tl;dr for big post?

[Rick33GTS-T]

Ok that makes sense, will check hypergear out, not buying anymore eBay shit, anything else I should do?what about exhaust manifold? Also my inter cooler pipe work is 2 and a half inch is that sufficient? Once again appreciate input

[Ben C34]

Yep. Just turbo. Manifold and piping OK.