The Usual R33 Gtst Mods

[Dre678]

Hi guys,

After reading every single post and Dyno on the RB25 dyno page and reading up on the 'stage 1' mods for a R33 GTSt, I've done the following to my car (in addition to what the last owner did).

-Blitz SE FMIC

-New AFM (stock)

-Apexi Pod filter

-JJR stainless bellmouth front pipe

- Blitz SBC Spec-S Boost Controller

-3" high flow cat

-3" Fujitsubo catback

-Yellowjacket coilpacks

-NGK platinum plugs gapped to 0.8mm

And after noticing the car struggle when I ran around 10PSI, I had Andrew from Hyperdrive check the car out.

The result from the dyno was a truely pathetic 171 RWHP - less than what the car should make completely stock!!!

The car is a 1996 S2 R33 with 145 000km's on the clock, the timing belt was done just prior to 100 000km's.

He was at a loss to fully explain was was happening

He did mention the 'fuel-cut' ECU that impedes anything more than the stock 7PSI. The attached dyno graph shows what is happening. The yellow line is at stock boost and the blue line shows what happened when he turned the boost up to 10PSI.

The gradient of the blue line suggest that it would hit around 240HP if the fuel made it there.

Whilst I have read some people encountering a similar fuel cut problem (seems common on Stagea's?) most seem to encounter the fuel cut with a stock turbo running at 12+ PSI.

Whilst he was certain an aftermarket ECU and tune would solve the problem, this car represents a daily for me and I didn't think the ECU was necessary for 10 PSI. His immediate suggestion was a fuel cut defender.

With a supply and installation cost of around $400 it kind of represent the final straw for me

If this doesn't cure the lack of power, then was on earth could it be?

20120124113644d.pdf

[R31Nismoid]

You'd added mods, and added boost...

Without doing a ECU/Tune?

That's the problem, and it's always the problem. The car is CLEARLY going into Rich/Retard mode due to the mods and boost.

10psi, 12psi - there is no set "number" when it kicks in. Every car/setup is different.

Get a ECU/Tune and it will fix the problem. Tuner is spot on with advice given.

[defari]

+1 Nismoid is spot on.. change the ecu get it tuned.. plenty of options available..

[Mick_o]

Buy my nistune for ya 33 get her tuned up for 12psi max say hello to around 270 ponies on the road

[SargeRX8]

Its interesting to see you still made jack all power on standard boost. You should see about 140 - 160rwkw with standard boost and those mods, yet you are getting about 120rwkw... There really is no "fuel cut" in the standard ECU until you hit the limiter. What the ECU does is richen up the mix(VERY rich) to compensate for the excessive amount of air going into the engine. It also yanks out timing(as described above, with rich and retard).

Your next step is a tuneable ECU. Stay the f**k away from any of those fuel cut devices and the shit to fool the ECU into reading lower air. Do it once, do it properly. You've got good foundation there for a nice 180+rwkw. On the other hand, I wouldn't push that stock turbo too far.

This is what I would do in your case:

Get an ECU and when making this choice, think of tomorrow, not today. Don't worry about your wallet or nothing will happen. What I mean by my last remark is if you KNOW that later on you might want to run E85, or some sort of ethanol fuel, or maybe you want to go with a highmount turbo or what not, you might want to get something like a Link G4, adaptronic, haltech etc. If you decide all you want is raw power, none of this fancy MAP sensor or ethanol stuff, you can get your self either a Nistune ECU, or what I suggest, a Power FC with Z32 AFM. The Power FC will give you the full benefits of a fully tuneable ECU(its still one of the best) but its just lacking the newer features. People like the Nistune because it "looks" like a stock ECU. I think that is unnecessary in modded, even slightly modded car. You also might have to dick around to get your VCT to work. The power FC cost about 1k, maybe even less(depending on current demand and availability). Splash on about $400 - $600 for a tune and for that under $2k you have your self a car which more than likely will be running how you want it to.

That is the first step.

The second step is to look at your car where its at. You've got alot of supporting mods. The next thing I would do is bigger injectors and a high flowed turbo. If you go with Nismo injectors, they are a direct drop into your fuel rail. A high flow will come out and fit right back in with no mods. With that you should be at the 240 - 260rwkw mark which I would say is where you would be loving the car to bits.

After that, you are going to need to look at suspension. That car has average mileage on it for these cars, if you are still on stock springs and shocks, its going to be sloppy and when you get some serious rear power, you will be squatting and bouncing all over the road.

The other thing which EVERYONE overlooks is clutch. If you have the standard clutch(or oem replacement) you will toast it anything above 180rwkw. They won't hold much.

For about 4k you will have 260rwkw. 1k for the ecu, 200 for z32, 1000 for tune, 800 for highflow, 400 clutch, 600 on some second hand coilovers. If you raise your budget to about 5k you can get your self some new brake rotors and pads and have money left over.

None of this is cheap, but it is fun.

[KiwiRS4T]

Save up for a Nistune chip fitted in a Z32 ecu to retain the vct.

Money spent on a new afm, splitfire coils and platinum plugs (coppers are better value) will not make your car go faster - they will only restore lost power if those components were faulty.

Your other mods would have created more flow at the same boost level or even more flow by turning up the boost which would be a good thing if you were able to tune for it. An SAFC would be a stop gap measure but better to save for a Nistune chip or other aftermarket ecu.

[Mick_o]

Yep just like the 1 im selling! lol

Save up for a Nistune chip fitted in a Z32 ecu to retain the vct.

Money spent on a new afm, splitfire coils and platinum plugs (coppers are better value) will not make your car go faster - they will only restore lost power if those components were faulty.

Your other mods would have created more flow at the same boost level or even more flow by turning up the boost which would be a good thing if you were able to tune for it. An SAFC would be a stop gap measure but better to save for a Nistune chip or other aftermarket ecu.

[89CAL]

I only managed 138rwkw with usual mods + 8psi. They simply dont make the power without a tune.

with my stock turbo i was making 195rwkw by adding power FC + front facing plenum and 12psi at the last stage before I upgraded to my current turbo

Your dyno printout shows where its dropping power because the ECU will be pulling timing out and adding fuel to stop what it thinks will damage the engine

Do you have a printout with the AFR's?

FYI, my original setup on 8psi the AFR's were around 10:1 under full load which is way to rich. My car simply wouldnt handle 10psi when I tried that, would just cut the engine at about 4500rpm, wasnt coilpacks or plugs, was just the ECU going into overprotection mode

[GTScotT]

Get Mick-o's ECU and get your turbo highflowed before you tune it.

You dont want to pay for a tune twice once your stock turbo decides to shit itself.

[BLITZ-26]

my R33 runs fine but even a splash over 9 psi and thats it power drops off everywhere...... every car is different some just dont like more boost some are ok with it

[AngryRB]

My stock ecu on my series 2 had no problem with 11psi , and made 195kw with a highflow 2871core, r33 housing

dont know why mine would be different to your computer wise..

[Birds]

They are different, it's weird and random with the ECUs in R33s. My series 1.5 hits anything above 7/8psi and it's straight into R&R. On 7psi she made 170rwkw...very healthy for an unopened engine. Other people have whacked on boost tees and run 12psi...I turned mine up and it was fail

Solution: fork out for an ECU and tune, your car will also run infinitely better than I would even if the standard ECU responded positively to the 10psi.

[R31Nismoid]

My stock ecu on my series 2 had no problem with 11psi , and made 195kw with a highflow 2871core, r33 housing

dont know why mine would be different to your computer wise..

It's no different to any two motors won't be the same. There are always slight differences if you pulled them down, no two will be identical.

The mods, age of the motor, condition of the turbo, ambient air temp, condition of air filter & FMIC. AFM performance etc etc etc.

There are soooooo many factors that could trigger protection mode on what is realitically, quite a sensitive ECU.

A simple reading of the replies of people with similar issues this far in this very thread should be enough to prove this

[Torques]

My GTST made 310HP at the crank at around 12PSI.

(Despite R&R)

That with the R34SMIC, standard airbox/exhaust.

When I upped the boost more, the power went down and eventually the turbo died at 14PSI and WOT.

All in all (and looking back) the best setting was 11-12PSI.

R&R is not such a big issue, more severe is fuel cut which will make your car act like a mad horse.

Fuel cut happens from a certain engine-load upwards, the ECU goes into panic-mode and shuts the engine down.

(This can be violent)

Many people confuse R&R with fuel cut!

Edited January 25, 2012 by Torques

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Leave it at stock boost, advance the CAS if you really need some power before you can get an aftermarket ECU in. No point dialling in more boost if it's just retarding timing.