R33 Stock To 270rwkw Tuning Guide

[Jumz]

Hi guys i am buying my first skyline on monday, a 96 SII 33 GTS-T. I have been looking for guides on what to do to safely build a 220ish kw ride.

i found this guide on how to do it but im unsure if its worth following and how much each thing costs...

could people give me a bit of feedback on its method?

also, can anyone give a ballpark figure of what each stage would cost? inc labour.

Original guide here

http://nissanskyline.6te.net/tuning_GTS25T2.htm

Engine Tuning Stage 1

Exhaust (around 160rwkw)

The RB25DET is a sweet sounding engine but very quiet in standard form and as with most factory turbo cars the exhaust causes a huge restriction. A good free flowing exhaust will have the RB sounding great, turbo lag will be reduced, and power gained throughout the rev range. The new exhaust should start from the turbo with a dump pipe either a 3" open bell mouth or better still a split dump to separate the gases from the turbine and wastegate. From here a high quality 3" high flow cat should be used, then 3" all the way to the back of the car with high flow mufflers.

Average Cost: ???

Intake (160 to 170rwkw)

Now we have the exhaust side of the engine breathing the next step is to get more air into the engine. Either use a high performance air filter, or replace the air box with a POD style air filter. If you choose to go the POD filter route I recommend you fabricate some type of shield to keep hot air from the engine bay away from your intake. A cold air intake to the filter from the front of your Skyline will also give you a performance advantage. 5-10 rwkw is achievable with this mod.

Average Cost: ???

Intercooler Upgrade (165 to 180rwkw)

The standard R33 intercooler is tiny and before a boost increase I recommend installing a better cooler if you don’t you risk detonation on warm days. The R34 GTT intercooler is a good cheap upgrade for the R33 and bolts onto the same position as the stock item with minimal modification. The GTT intercooler is rated up to about 200rwkw if you plan on going further than this power figure a GTR or aftermarket front mount will be required. Be aware that with these systems new pipe work will be required and you may notice a small decrease in throttle response. You may notice a small increase in power with this mod without increasing boost as airflow will increase and the air will be denser. But it’s the ability to run more boost that makes this mod a good one. If you don’t plan on increasing your power level to over 200rwkw I recommend the GTT intercooler as its cheep and you will notice no difference in throttle response.

Average Cost: ???

Boost increase (175 to 185rwkw)

In standard form the R33 runs a two stage boost control system 5psi to 4500 rpm then 7psi to red line 7000 rpm. As mentioned before the turbo’s exhaust wheel is ceramic and they tend to fail if to much heat is generated. The amount of boost you can run with the stock turbo is debatable but I don’t recommend running more than 10 psi. You have a few options when choosing to increase the boost either a manual boost controller, electronic boost controller, or a new wastegate actuator.

A manual controller is very basic in its operation it bleeds off air causing the wastegate actuator to open later. The amount of boost run depends on the amount of air bled form the system. It is critical to install an after market boost gauge before carrying out this modification as the stock gauge is not accurate enough and is measured in mmg not psi or bar. Manual boost controllers are cheep and easy to install but they do have there disadvantages some can cause boost spikes and boost creep I have also found boost tends to tail off high in the rev range.

Electronic boost controllers on the other hand use stepper motors and monitor boost about every 10th of a second because of this boost spikes and boost creep are kept to a minimum, and the desired boost level is held to redline. Electronic boost controllers are expensive and for this level of modification a manual controller will probably be good enough.

A 3rd option is to install a different wastgate actuator and the good news is the R32 GTST item is exactly the same as the R33 except the spring inside is set for 10psi. R32 actuators can be hard to find but I think it’s the best option for this level of modification as boost spikes and boost creep are eliminated.

No mater which system you choose the 2 stage boost control system should be disconnected. After this mod is carried out many people notice flat spots throughout the rev range this is due to the ECU seeing an increase in airflow and as a safety precaution it richens the air fuel mixtures. Many people find re-gaping the spark plugs from 1.1mm to 0.8mm fixes this problem but if it does not you need to consider the next upgrade.

Average Cost: ???

Iv been scouring the web to try and find something similar to this and i cant seem to!!

i know that each person has their own different way of building their car, but for some1 such as myself with little mechanical background its hard to know what will give returns without spending big money on things that i dont need.

basicly i dont want parts which will support over 300rwkw+++ i just want parts to run a safe 200rwkw without blowing my budget.

Hopefully i see some of you guys around in my new ride

Jimmee

[ToMMaH]

i just want parts to run a safe 200rwkw without blowing my budget

Do all that as mentioned above and just run 14psi. You'll pretty much have it.

[Jumz]

yeah.. i figured. can anyone label each step?

eg.

step 1 exhaust $700 + 200 labour = 900 roughly

there has to be guys out there with most of this done, so how much did it cost them?

[Astro Bear]

Im curious about this as well mate. Lets hope some friendly people can give us some rough price estimates per stage.

[RaBBiT001]

Hey i bought my Skyline about 6 months ago and have pretty much done everything that you have stated above:

Some prices i won't be able to give you as my car already had a exhaust. Just jap sell the whole exhaust, not sure who else, i have magna flow exhaust.

I take it when you buy the car you will be doing a fluid change which most people will recommend while doing this i would suggest changing the spark plugs and checking your coil packs, you need a spark plugs gapped to 0.8mm (i use BCPR7ES) you can get copper ones (have to change very 10,000km) or iridium ones (100,000km). If you need new coil packs i would recomend spitfire ones and they will set you back around $500, the spark plugs, copper ones are around $4.00 or less each the iridium are about $60.00 (guess as i went copper) By doing this first you know that the missing problem most people have will not happen and you will have a good spark.

The Intake i did not change to a POD filter as of yet as i dont need to but this is fairly cheap say around $80.00 at a over estimate.

Intercooler i would highly recomend a Greddy Item as these fit so much better than any other items they are a bit more but are worth it in the labour you will save as you will not have to modify the kit, Greddy kits at full price are around $640.00 but you should be able to pick one up on this forum for cheaper, Ebay sells them for $620.00 last time i checked, depending on your mechanics labour cost and experiance i would say it could take them up to 6 hours. Eg 6 hours at $70, you would be looking at $420.00 so a total of $1060.00 ( i didn't go the Greddy kit as i thought it was overpriced compared to other kits on the market but i wish i had got it after it cost me just as much as it would have to install a Greedy kit after the modifications we had to make) For a Cheaper option Just Jap Kits are around $400.00 something dollars but some people say these kits need some slight modification.

Boost Increase is where you will get the most out of your mods, i got a electronic boost controller it was a Blitz DSBC Type R as it was highly recomend and was $440.00 my mechanic normally says it would take around 4 hours (estimated) to install. eg 4 hours by $70.00= $280.00. So all up you are looking at around $720.00. I got one of the more expensive boost controllers on the market, you would be able to get other ones for cheaper thay will do what you need. Depends what you are after.

So all up if you only have to change the sparkplugs as i would recomend you would be looking at a rough price of = $1884.00

or

with new coils = $2384.00

Which isn't to bad considering most of the prices i have given are a tad over what you might pay , (these are estimations).

But i am also interested to see what other people might be paying it will also be much cheaper if you carry out some of the work yourself, if you are able.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck and Welcome to the Skyline world

[ToMMaH]

Boost Increase is where you will get the most out of your mods, i got a electronic boost controller it was a Blitz DSBC Type R as it was highly recomend and was $440.00 my mechanic normally says it would take around 4 hours (estimated) to install. eg 4 hours by $70.00= $280.00. So all up you are looking at around $720.00. I got one of the more expensive boost controllers on the market, you would be able to get other ones for cheaper thay will do what you need. Depends what you are after.

f*k that. $99 and get yourself a brand new Turbosmart Boost Tee. Easy DIY job too.

[RaBBiT001]

f*k that. $99 and get yourself a brand new Turbosmart Boost Tee. Easy DIY job too.

It was the right choice for me as i can increase boost up to 35psi with it, and i will be going futher than 200rwkw, if it is just for 200rwkw then yes he could use that but with the Boost Tee's he may find boost will not hold all the way through to red line

[ToMMaH]

Lol yeah. It just seems like this guy wants to do the 200kw as cheap as possible

[RaBBiT001]

I mean if he doesn't want to spend any money at all really just:

Sparkplugs (when you get service)

just jap exhaust (DIY)

r34 sidemount (DIY)

manual turbo smart boost tee (DIY)

leave the air box just install high quality filter (DIY)

That is the cheapest way to mod to only get close to 200kw

[Lazy-Bastard]

Engine Tuning Stage 1

Exhaust (around 160rwkw)

The RB25DET is a sweet sounding engine but very quiet in standard form and as with most factory turbo cars the exhaust causes a huge restriction. A good free flowing exhaust will have the RB sounding great, turbo lag will be reduced, and power gained throughout the rev range. The new exhaust should start from the turbo with a dump pipe either a 3" open bell mouth or better still a split dump to separate the gases from the turbine and wastegate. From here a high quality 3" high flow cat should be used, then 3" all the way to the back of the car with high flow mufflers.

Average Cost: ???

Intake (160 to 170rwkw)

Now we have the exhaust side of the engine breathing the next step is to get more air into the engine. Either use a high performance air filter, or replace the air box with a POD style air filter. If you choose to go the POD filter route I recommend you fabricate some type of shield to keep hot air from the engine bay away from your intake. A cold air intake to the filter from the front of your Skyline will also give you a performance advantage. 5-10 rwkw is achievable with this mod.

Average Cost: ???

Intercooler Upgrade (165 to 180rwkw)

The standard R33 intercooler is tiny and before a boost increase I recommend installing a better cooler if you don’t you risk detonation on warm days. The R34 GTT intercooler is a good cheap upgrade for the R33 and bolts onto the same position as the stock item with minimal modification. The GTT intercooler is rated up to about 200rwkw if you plan on going further than this power figure a GTR or aftermarket front mount will be required. Be aware that with these systems new pipe work will be required and you may notice a small decrease in throttle response. You may notice a small increase in power with this mod without increasing boost as airflow will increase and the air will be denser. But it’s the ability to run more boost that makes this mod a good one. If you don’t plan on increasing your power level to over 200rwkw I recommend the GTT intercooler as its cheep and you will notice no difference in throttle response.

Average Cost: ???

Boost increase (175 to 185rwkw)

In standard form the R33 runs a two stage boost control system 5psi to 4500 rpm then 7psi to red line 7000 rpm. As mentioned before the turbo’s exhaust wheel is ceramic and they tend to fail if to much heat is generated. The amount of boost you can run with the stock turbo is debatable but I don’t recommend running more than 10 psi. You have a few options when choosing to increase the boost either a manual boost controller, electronic boost controller, or a new wastegate actuator.

A manual controller is very basic in its operation it bleeds off air causing the wastegate actuator to open later. The amount of boost run depends on the amount of air bled form the system. It is critical to install an after market boost gauge before carrying out this modification as the stock gauge is not accurate enough and is measured in mmg not psi or bar. Manual boost controllers are cheep and easy to install but they do have there disadvantages some can cause boost spikes and boost creep I have also found boost tends to tail off high in the rev range.

Electronic boost controllers on the other hand use stepper motors and monitor boost about every 10th of a second because of this boost spikes and boost creep are kept to a minimum, and the desired boost level is held to redline. Electronic boost controllers are expensive and for this level of modification a manual controller will probably be good enough.

A 3rd option is to install a different wastgate actuator and the good news is the R32 GTST item is exactly the same as the R33 except the spring inside is set for 10psi. R32 actuators can be hard to find but I think it’s the best option for this level of modification as boost spikes and boost creep are eliminated.

No mater which system you choose the 2 stage boost control system should be disconnected. After this mod is carried out many people notice flat spots throughout the rev range this is due to the ECU seeing an increase in airflow and as a safety precaution it richens the air fuel mixtures. Many people find re-gaping the spark plugs from 1.1mm to 0.8mm fixes this problem but if it does not you need to consider the next upgrade.

Average Cost: ???

Iv been scouring the web to try and find something similar to this and i cant seem to!!

i know that each person has their own different way of building their car, but for some1 such as myself with little mechanical background its hard to know what will give returns without spending big money on things that i dont need.

basicly i dont want parts which will support over 300rwkw+++ i just want parts to run a safe 200rwkw without blowing my budget.

Hopefully i see some of you guys around in my new ride

Jimmee

Exhaust - $200 - secondhand 3" catback

Intake - K&N panel in factory box - ~$100, alternatively if you want a pod filter get an apexi power intake for around $80, but you will need to fabricate a partition and CAI

Intercooler upgrade - $200+ - That price would be for a secondhand R34 sidemount cooler. If you want a front mount then a generic kit can be had for around $400 - 500

Boost Increase - Get a $30 turbotech bleed valve and be done with it. There is no point spending $400+ for an EBC with the power you are chasing.

Realistically there are a few other things you need to make 200rwkw. Firstly ,as a safeguard, I would replace the tired old factory fuel pump with either a Walboro or a Bosch 040, both can be had for around $200

You WILL need some sort of engine management, but for your target power level an apexi SAFC should be fine, cost around $300 secondhand

[FineLine]

Listen to Lazy bastard. He did pretty much the above with injectors and had a 265 rwkw ride that was as responsive as and very reliable.

[impact_blue]

Listen to Lazy bastard. He did pretty much the above with injectors and had a 265 rwkw ride that was as responsive as and very reliable.

dont forget the high flowed turbo he had as well

[Lazy-Bastard]

dont forget the high flowed turbo he had as well

He only wants 200rwkw though, even though the thread title says 270. The stock turbo will do 200 with the listed mods at about 12 - 13psi

[impact_blue]

He only wants 200rwkw though, even though the thread title says 270. The stock turbo will do 200 with the listed mods at about 12 - 13psi

agreed, just didnt want anyone to see what Noel wrote then go around thinking they would make 265rwkw on the stock turbo if they did the above and then added injectors...some people really are that silly!

[Lazy-Bastard]

agreed, just didnt want anyone to see what Noel wrote then go around thinking they would make 265rwkw on the stock turbo if they did the above and then added injectors...some people really are that silly!

where's the fun in that?

[Nissan-r33]

I have about 11psi cooler upgrade exhaust dump back and a power fc runnin base map and im makin 187kw @wheel that untuned soo i should be able too push 200kw @wheels once i get it tuned. That is pretty much the limit you will get from std turbo and std injectors, oh wait i think u can get a little more out of the injectors but you have too run them at a high duty cycle which will shorten there life span.

[norightarm]

I'm currently running Pod filter, 3" exhaust, large front mounted intercooler, manual bleed valve for boost pressure 12psi and after market ecu Wolf V500. Still using the standard turbo but had to replace fuel pump as it was leaning out, I'm making exactly 200RWKW though Auto trans.

[85URK]

all mods are brand and quality dependant. and every workshop has different pricing aswell, (if u cant do it yourself) so best way to find out costing for your exercise here is to do the ring around, and do some searching on the net. u will find alot of online sites, and also talk to the sponsers on this site see what they can do for you., as for labour, ring up a few work shops ask what there hourly rate would be. pretty simple stuff.

Edited June 3, 2008 by 85URK

[long33]

wel heres my 2cents

$1200 for my 3" turbo back zaust w/ highflow cat (ashmore exhaust)

pod filter was $50 (supercheap)

cooler was $200 (autobarn)

piping for cooler $280 (plus spare cooler cos i had to buy whole kit) (repco)

duel stage boost controller $130 (turbosmart) (autobarn)

thats pretty much all ive done to mine and still drives nice and quick tho ive never dyno'd her.

[Silver_R34_GT-T]

so jimmy,. where are u going to post pics of that new white baby of yours so we can ooer at it you gotta come over and show me since u only 3 streets away lol