Am I In Need Of A Tune?

[Ry_R34GTT]

Hey so i have just finished all the basic mods on my r34 gtt. Full 3 inch turbo back exhaust with high flow cat, Blitz FMIC and High flow panel filter. I was reading up on fitting a manual boost controller to set it at 10 psi which is apparently the safe limit but came across alot of people suggesting with these mods a tune is a must or i could be causing damage to my engine. Still new to all this and i do apologize if this has been covered previously but i was getting confused with all the different info out there. Also found out there is no good tuners in Newcastle apparently? but there are people who can do road tunes. Are there any positives or negatives between the two?

Edited December 22, 2015 by Ry_R34GTT

[SkudR33]

I'd definitely stay away from a road tune - it's too dangerous and it's obviously illegal. Any road tuner who uses virtual tuning and does not actually go through the rev range is a wankstick. Safest and most efficient option is to find a dyno operator!

[Ry_R34GTT]

So that rules out a road tune lol but more importantly am i currently in need of a tune? or can i get away with throwing a boost controller setting and 10 psi and being happy with it?

[djr81]

It isn't a huge tack (If you can find a dyno) to get it run up and the afr's checked. It is good insurance at the minimum.

[AngryRB]

How would you tune it if there's no aftermarket computer?

[Kinkstaah]

Also when you think about it, a tune is required if you do anything that is going to affect air or fuel into the engine.

So yeah, adding boost, changing intercooler, and changing exhaust all do these things, some to a bigger extent than others.

And yes as above you can only tune the car if there is a way to actually edit the computer to account for the changes.

This requires an aftermarket computer/ECU or a Piggyback or Chip to make the stock computer programmable easily (i.e Nistune).

If there's no tuners nearby, it's absolutely worth getting all the mods done at once where there is a tuner available to tune them after they're on the car.

[Ry_R34GTT]

Ok so i just rang Croyden Racing Developments in Sydney and he suggested a Nistune for $1450. Which includes the Nistune, installation and tuning. Is that a reasonable price? and am i running the risk of damage by waiting to get the Nistune?

[milanr34]

Ok so i just rang Croyden Racing Developments in Sydney and he suggested a Nistune for $1450. Which includes the Nistune, installation and tuning. Is that a reasonable price? and am i running the risk of damage by waiting to get the Nistune?

There is plenty to read on here, modding guides etc etc.

To give you a TL;DR version:

- You changed stock parts

- You want more power

- but you are running stock ECU which is tuned for stock parts

Get the nistune, get it tuned and enjoy the car.

I've had something similar on my gtt before and was running it for about 3 weeks before I got a tune.

[Ry_R34GTT]

Thanks for all the info, guess il get it tuned after the Christmas break when tuners are actually open haha

[KiwiRS4T]

Wind it up to 10psi and you'll be fine.

You'll get a marginal improvement from a tune but its a big expense and only really necessary when you change critical components such as AFM, injectors, or a bigger turbo.

Then Nistune is best bang for buck.

[GTofuS-T]

Wind it up to 10psi and you'll be fine.

You'll get a marginal improvement from a tune but its a big expense and only really necessary when you change critical components such as AFM, injectors, or a bigger turbo.

Then Nistune is best bang for buck.

This.

Your stock ECU *should* protect your engine from harm by going into R&R if it reaches it's limits, 10psi shouldn't see this... might see some not so good condition parts start to fail though, coilpacks, spark gap to high, gaskets, turbo life, etc..

EDIT: you will be running rich so fuel economy will go down, flames might increase

[Ry_R34GTT]

Thanks Bob/Mathew, exactly the info i was after didn't want to get it tuned right away if i didn't have to but was worried i was going to cause damage.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Ry_R34GTT

[Ry_R34GTT]

If those parts start to fail they were probably not far off it anyway so im all good with that. was more concerned with running lean than anything,

[GTSBoy]

From experience with being exactly where you are right now (same engine, roughly similar mods).......you may be able to run 11-12 psi before the ECU actually cuts (boost cut, although it's not a boost cut it's really a high airflow cut). And if it does cut you will hate it because it feels horrible, so you won't want to do it again and will back off the boost a little.

But the big issue is not so much R&R in the classic sense of the R33's ECU R&R - it is the simple fact that the top right corner of the fuel map is stupidly rich and the top right corner of the timing map is stupidly retarded - and running 10 psi you will definitely be working up in that area of the map, and using heaps of fuel and making much less power from that fuel than you could be.

Getting a Nistune and getting it tuned is a good use of $1450. You can realistically end up using less fuel in your normal driving and have it pay itself back over time anyway, so it's not as though it's a sunk cost. It's almost an investment.

[tridentt150v]

Getting a Nistune and getting it tuned is a good use of $1450. You can realistically end up using less fuel in your normal driving and have it pay itself back over time anyway, so it's not as though it's a sunk cost. It's almost an investment.

Your married aren't you!!!!

[Ry_R34GTT]

Another question thats rather off topic but seeings as we are here lol

I went and bought my boost tee and when i was fitting it i noticed a small brass restrictor in the hose going to the waste gate. If i was to remove this wouldn't i get more boost and not even have to use the boost controller? or am i being retarded?

Edit

I think i relaise im being retarded cos then i would have no way off controlling how much is being bled off. should i remove the restrictor before fitting the boost tee?

Edited December 23, 2015 by Ry_R34GTT

[KiwiRS4T]

Another question thats rather off topic but seeings as we are here lol

I went and bought my boost tee and when i was fitting it i noticed a small brass restrictor in the hose going to the waste gate. If i was to remove this wouldn't i get more boost and not even have to use the boost controller? or am i being retarded?

Edit

I think i relaise im being retarded cos then i would have no way off controlling how much is being bled off. should i remove the restrictor before fitting the boost tee?

Here is the answer to that courtesy of SK (this is for an R33 - I presume R34 is similar):

This is the 10 minute no cost boost to 0.5 bar rerouting of the vacuum hoses [thanks to SK]. Disconnect the two vacuum hoses from the solenoid. Then connect the boost feed (from the cross over pipe on the left of the picture) to the standard T piece. Connect one side of the T piece directly to the wastegate actuator (on the right of the picture). The remaining connection on the T piece goes back into the inlet via the BOV return pipe (on the standard fitting). Make sure to put the standard brass restrictor in that vacuum hose to bypass the desired amount back into the turbo inlet. The standard bypass hole of 1.25 mm bypasses enough air flow for 0.5 bar. (See photo)

PS: If you want more boost you can drill out the bypass, 1.5 mm = more boost (around 0.7 bar) 1.75mm = a bit more (around 1.0 bar).

OK, this is the picture of the vacuum hoses. The boost pressure comes out of the intercooler return pipe (that's the big black one on the left) via the standard fitting. It travels down the vacuum hose to the standard T piece.

The right hand side of the T piece goes to the wastegate actuator via another short piece of vacuum hose. It has 2 standard spring clamps on it. So that "some" of the boost pressure goes to the wastegate actuator.

The left hand side of the T piece is connected to another (longer) piece of vacuum hose that goes to the standard fitting on the BOV return pipe. You can't see that fitting in the picture as it is hidden by the (big black) turbo to intercooler pipe. I squeezed the standard restrictor into that vacuum hose, it is tight fit, so be patient and use some lubricant (RP7 in my case).

The restrictor limits the amount of boost pressure that is bled off, so that the "some" pressure that goes to the wastegate actuator is actually less than the boost pressure. This means you get more boost before the wastegate opens at its usual 4-5 psi. How much more depends on the size of the hole in the restrictor, the bigger the hole the more it bypasses and the higher the boost.

The standard hole is ~1.25 mm and gave ~0.5 bar on my Stagea, which has standard everything else (no exhaust, no FMIC, std filter, etc). If you have mods, you may not get the same boost pressure, so you may have to adjust the size of the hole in the restrictor, it is brass so you can easily solder it up and redrill the hole smaller if necessary.

[Ry_R34GTT]

I did read that but struggled to make sense of it somewhat as i cant see the pictures? im a noob haha

So basically without even fitting the boost tee i can get the 10 psi im after just by re routing the hoses and drilling out that small brass restrictor?

[KiwiRS4T]

I did read that but struggled to make sense of it somewhat as i cant see the pictures? im a noob haha

So basically without even fitting the boost tee i can get the 10 psi im after just by re routing the hoses and drilling out that small brass restrictor?

Pic there now. Should not necessarily have to drill out restrictor. Read it a few times and it will become clearer. 10 minutes for SK might be an hour for you but it's not rocket science.

BTW have you got a boost gauge? If not, be sure to get one.

[Ca180]

If you have trouble just with boost the controller spiking as some bleed ts do when torque n boost comes in. You can bypass solenoid run direct manifold pressure and use an rb20 wastegate 10 pound all day.