Dale FZ1

Again, I don't know that the spikes you are seeing are necessarily a problem from either a tuning or reliability issue. Oil sampling might tell if you are getting excessive fuel contamination in the sump, but then you have to go to some lengths to identify if it's a low-load or high-load related problem, maybe engine condition more than radically out of kilter fuelling. Too many variables. Try playing with your decel fuel cut settings and see what that does, but I've found it needs a little lead-time before the taps are shut off otherwise it becomes a bit jerky and not as clean to pick up especially in on/off throttle. It's going to be interesting to hear your views on the GT30 upgrade but it's not going to be a magic cure-all that gives extra torque at 2-2500rpm and light throttle. Interestingly I did achieve improved light load fuel consumption going from the GT2871 high flow up to the GT3076, but the engine did not perform the same at those low rpm. The Vipec/Link gives great flexibility for tuning, but really what you want for driveability is to achieve optimum fuelling in your main table, "enough" accel enrichment to feed the beast, and a good whack of timing to capitalise on the anti-knock capabilities of your alcohol fuel. With 90s spec technology and not running an engine mechanically optimised (ie high CR) to alcohol fuel I think your consumption figures aren't ridiculous. Lithium did post up a suggestion to run at a 40-50% E-content which I think is the way to achieve your goals of fewer l/100km. Clearly there are practicality barriers to doing that with your daily driver but I think his suggestion is valid.

Are you chasing economy improvements? That seems to have been the thrust of recent posts. Not sure that the momentary richness on throttle lift is an economy issue. You've got a certain air mass going into the engine, ECU calculates injector pulsewidth and delivers while you suddenly strangle the engine. I'm thinking there is a lag time (fraction of a second) where the AFR reading will momentarily spike, then the ECU corrects. I can't see why you would retard ignition in attempting to make the AFR show less rich. The question I have is whether that strategy makes any difference (positive or negative) to how the engine feels? More, or less "happy"? I have chased tunes through concentrating only on the AFR, and then made changes according to feel. I found some capacity for improvement that way. Rider: I am talking about idle quality and engine behaviour on gearchange with accel enrich, tuning on pump 98 only.

Consumption is such a subjective area, dependent on car, driving technique, and conditions. I haven't driven in Sydney very much but it seemed fairly hectic last time I was there. 16l/100km is nothing to write home about but it's far from the worst either. I wonder what your Evo delivers in similar conditions Adrian? Tuning for WI is a different science and dependent on system design and configuration. Constant/fixed pressure setups with pulsed solenoid delivery similar to fuel injection is top-line and offers the best outcome, but there might be packaging and installation issues to overcome. Using 91 ULP and conventional pressure pump delivery has its biggest drawback in those situations you've alluded to in this thread and the ethanol tuning thread - ie. transient roll-on loading in the 1800-2500rpm range, just prior to boost, and up to say 5psi. It's possible to see these conditions on plenty of suburban road networks, and hold the engine there in a higher gear when you've got undulating country. Around that point you want/need extra knock resistance, and the ability to run decent ignition advance so the engine pulls acceptably well. I could see the need for a 10 litre WI tank to feed the system. Perhaps Guilt Toy's idea of E10 as the fuel would help. Conventional WI setups seem to do their best and are used most frequently by introducing the water at higher loads eg 10+ psi, and from that point onwards I think the actual engine performance differential between it and E85 is not going to be that great. Distance between fuel fills for a similar power output when driven in a spirited fashion should favour the ULP + WI setup. Downsides for living with WI would have to be a regimented service/cleaning of the nozzle/s. Setup considerations would have to include visual failsafes (flow warning light/chime) and tuning fallbacks built into the tune. I couldn't imagine wanting to do an E85 setup on a Skyline at 400hp without the flex fuel sensor and 1000cc injectors which would probably mean a different fuel rail to hold them into a R33 spec engine. The elephant in the room for me is still engine oil contamination, dependent on engine, power output, and patterns of usage.

I think you'll always get that momentary rich reading on throttle-lift. The system will react to the load change but it won't/shouldn't take more than a fraction of a second. On the 2200rpm point you might find that reviewing your data stream will identify need for a small change in an adjoining cell. Also you might see that the accel enrichment settings are having some impact.

Adrian each system will have advantages/drawbacks IMO. Eg. relative simplicity vs duplication of a fluid storage/delivery system, availability, decreased fuel range from a given tank size, WI nozzle service (declogging). And I'm sure there's more. Something I haven't seen any discussion on relates to engine oil contamination and implications for the engine internals. Eg. I have seen a WTAC engine on E85 with lots of rusty bits evident, about a couple of weeks post-event. Nobody mentions stuff like that, and neither have I seen it discussed about WI/WMI equipped engines. Ideas for discussion.

Full agreement here too. I never really understood the desire to reinvent the wheel with the 24 concept. Neo 25 could be freshened and made really strong with fastener upgrades for not a big spend. If ITB was a must-have then it's only a matter of having a bit of machining and fabrication nous. Hotside upgrades are a well worn path for RB25. For a 200kW target run a stock unopened Neo with a HG turbo. Very cost effective.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/164666-project-24/ Read away on this thread, the latest update is only a couple of weeks old. It didn't take that much searching

Should be 17mm (5/8" in the old money)

The sweet spot will vary between setups, in terms of nozzle sizing. It's about getting the ratio of air:fuel:water right, so sizing is largely governed by the turbo's characteristics Josh's setup running 10psi was naturally going to need less water than at 14psi, and things would be different again with the HG turbo. Not hard to see that Mafia's old setup with the GT3076 would also have different requirements. From memory he used something like a 375cc nozzle and trialed a 250cc also. Obviously too much water will drown the spark as you have found. Be interesting to see what would have resulted if your air/fuel ratio was leaned off a touch, instead of backing the water off. Good atomisation and no dribbles is also pretty important to achieve. Great result for you Josh, and you have tabled the results that quantifies how much improvement is obtainable from WI.

Well that's got to throw a wet blanket over a long trip from home. Sort of looks like it was browsing the scenery rather than munching into it... At least Fatz had the good sense to apply alcohol to the wound. Maybe Neil can give us an update in his event thread?

I'm sure you'll find the R33 everything you hope it will be. The key issue is to be out there competing, regularly. I'm not a big fan of rotaries, but the chassis Mazda chose to install it into is a pretty handy piece of work. Looking forward to the build thread to keep us updated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTfaw71iWhE This should get you warmed up Neil

You need to experience a BDA Escort, or one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwBxMRG399Q Not quite a garden variety Gemini though...

Give it a run Neil. First must finish...

Event dates 1-3 November. Going to try for a weekend off, Neil. Be good to see you run - what category are you running in?

From the OP. Good the RX7 may be, but he doesn't want one.

Good write up and well done. You've done it, as opposed to "gunna doo".

And they're in the AWD class where the Evo brigade spend big $$, where the OP doesn't want to be.

German-built Datsun. OP has made it clear that he wants to screw some power out of it at some point. Going to need a boosted S50 or better still an M50 donk for that, = $$$ Worth consideration though.

Try here: http://www.topstage.com/

It's not brain science either. GTScotT is offering some sound, experience based advice. He's also considering the driving outcome and financial aspect of things. However if you are chasing a 500rwhp setup you won't likely get there with a GT30 setup. Go the GT35 and be mindful of people's comments to this point.

Given your intended aims, is there any point in having a car that remains registered and compliance with your State laws? Just a thought.

Geoff I agree that on a range of fronts the ECR33 has the makings of a decent club car. Just not the best/fastest by a long shot. Matter of fact it is what I run, so go for it. Roy's comments are valid. Cooling is something that I've found many people seem to gloss over or ignored when I posted direct questions and sent PMs to various people asking for input. Yep you can keep them cool but it's all down to airflow and making sure that the air is going through your coolers and exiting them (not stalling). Poor ducting and leakage cause as many problems in a modded R33 as any other car. As I learned a bit I have managed to get mine to run without overheating with 310rwkW, but not always was that the case. Engine undertrays, ducts, guides etc that the factory engineers devised were put there for a purpose. Once you start installing oil coolers, PS cooler, and FMIC you have to get on top of what the airflow is doing (or likely to do). Gearbox cooler would not be something I'd expect to need on one of these things as a club car. If you were cranking 350rwkW and running a 3 hour endure that might be different. But those events are few and far between up this way. I don't know of anyone running a ECR33 that has gone to the expense of a Holinger or Modena gearbox, but you could expect the results of speed/consistency/reliability to be as expected with a 15k spend in that area. My comments earlier were more to flag the fact they do have a decently strong box but it will protest if you push it hard without thinking too hard. Check the build thread by sxxricho, he's running at the WTAC comp this weekend. One of the most pressing/important issues that Roy sort of addressed was that of tyres. Yes the ECR has larger wheel arches than the R32. But they are smaller than the BCNR33 in the rear, and noticeably smaller than a 350Z. One of these chassis in 2wd needs as much rubber on the road as possible. As I indicated, they can work the rubber reasonably hard due to the vehicle mass, and weight distribution. They can definitely be made into a good thing, just depends on your budget and aspirations IMO.

On thread gents. This view has some pretty serious merit. Geoff I understand your sentiment but probably hard to expect a Legnum to level peg with an Evo. Issues of vehicle mass and weight bias would come into play. Warps makes a damn good point that there are gravel cars out there more than adequately set up and available at a reasonable ask. The bonus is you then don't have a one-trick pony and can enter a wider range of events. While you've mentioned running the V35, have you given consideration to a race-only 370Z? More recent engineering has a better chassis than the R33, and the engine makes decent power with far better weight placement over the front end.

They can be a good thing with time/effort and sensible modification. But you'll end up changing quite a few things. 1. They are not a light car, and the bias is fairly heavily towards the front end. Big/long inline 6 engine with more than 3 cylinders ahead of the front axle line. That means they have to work to change direction, and also the front tyres can take a beating. So not what I would call a nimble car either, due to the fundamentals of the design. 2. The engine is a strong basic design and can make the power if that's what you want. Loads of discussion and threads in the Forced Induction section about how to make the numbers. 3. The gearbox has a strong gearset but selectors and synchros don't respond well to hamfisted or overly rushed changes. 4. The diff is strong but the viscous LSD is shit. Cusco or Kaaz centres can fix that. 5. The brakes are quite adequate but not brilliant. Pads/fluids/braided lines help. Many people upgrade to bigger/better rotors and calipers in the longer term. 6. You can have a lot of fun in an R33 but they won't generally be the fastest thing out there, if that's what you want. 7. Have a closer look at MX5, Evo, or RX7. Fundamentally better designs from standpoint of vehicle weight, weight distribution, traction. It's all been done before with them, so there are no real secrets. There are also lots of turn-key options out there so you can get out there and competing.