Hotshot 2nd gen turbo kit [Part II]

[Lyn Labahn]

Some one should be innovative and do the last one! Come on cheap asses!
Anyway, here is some most valuable information that I have learned through
research and the problems the myself and others have had. Anyone should take
this into account.

1. Don't discount the little things, and things that you won't expect! They
will add up. Have you thought about: gauges, turbo timer, clutch, tranny
stuff, tune up, FSM, new rubber, BRAKES!!!!!!!, suspension, radiator,
coatings, shipping, time delays, tools, labor, dyno time, beater to drive
why your car is down (It will be for much longer that you expect!),  that
little widget thingamajig bolt that you must have to attach your oil
pressure gauge that no hardware store seems to have, etc etc etc.
Add up what you think it will cost to do you project, then multiply by 1.5,
or even 2! If it is going to be tough to afford to do the turbo, just don't
do it! Not only is it a trivial expense (Personal Opinion, don't forget you
need food, and it wouldn't hurt to take your girlfriend to dinner once and
awhile), you might have to ditch the project if it becomes to expensive.

2.  Don't be cheap! You are either going to end up blowing your engine, or
spending more money in the end. Don't skimp on engine management,
intercooler, cooling, or fuel especially. You can wait to find deals, but
don't plan on getting your project done soon then, cause it could take years
just to get the parts. I find, that all the time that it takes to save
nickles and dimes on parts, is much better spent working a part time job, or
overtime. Not only will you have the money to buy parts new, get them to you
right away, but also, you may end up with some extra cash in the end!

3. Don't plan on buying the same part twice. EG, 370cc injectors now, then
buy 50lbs later, or 2.5 inch downpipe now, 3inch later. Not only is it a
pain in the ass the do the same mod twice, it will cost you a lot of money.
Sometimes it will be a bitch to sell your used parts. If you can't afford
what you need now, just wait and save for what you need!

4. Don't listen to your friend's, brother's, uncle who said this and that,
and that MAF sucks, you don't need a bigger exhuast yadda yadda. The people
you can really trust for solid advice, are this list, JWT, SR20 Development,
and Andreas Miko in Florida. There are others that I am forgetting, but you
can't go wrong with these guys.

5. Don't get discouraged by set backs, every project has its ups and downs!

6. The following mods may make your car unstreetable depending on your
tolerance: Improperly muffled 3 inch exhausts, puck style clutches, divorced
wastegates, very large turbos, 72lb/hr injectors.  Not to mention, just
having a car that can easily break loose the tires in the first 3 gears can
be a handful if you aren't an experience driver.

If you are feeling adventurous, or want extra security with your turbo
setup, here are some mods that no one that I know of has really experimented
with, are gravy, or can be used at any stage:

Nissan Motorsports  or Koyo Radiator- Never hurts for more cooling,
especially with a turbo!

Air to Water Intercooler- No one has one of these on their street setup that
I know of!

FMAX or Protech Equal length manifold- I haven't seen much on either of
these, there might be some good gains

3.5 inch exhaust- It would be loud, I am not sure if 3 inchs is even being
stressed at 400HP, but it might be worth a look

Programmable Engine Management- A few have tried, some people use Apexi
Power FC, I know some dude in Hawaii used an Autronic engine management. I
think it would be tough to be JWT, but hey, if you got the bucks, and the
tuning experience, prove the list wrong!

Cams- We know there can be some big gains here if you are using a turbo, it
would be cool to see what C2 or C3 cams can do if you use gears. JUN, Toda,
and Tomei also make cams if you want to try something exotic.

Water Injection- Never hurts to have it at any stage of your turbo,
especially if you plan on boosting a lot with pump gas

Oil Squirters- JWT can install these if you send your block in. They provide
some extra cooling and safety for your engine.

O2 induction intake manifold- No one has dynoed one of these on a big turbo
motor, the experts are predicting good gains!

Non Turbonetics, or HKS turbo- Mitsubishi, Greddy etc. there are others out
there, maybe they suck, maybe they don't!

Cryo/Shotpeen Tranny gears and weld case- If you are making over 300HP,
don't be surprised if you tranny breaks! I am not sure if that Quiafe gear
deal got off the ground, but that promised to bring some stronger gears to
the table.

EGT gauge- Will let you know if you are about the melt down your motor if
you are boosting high!

MSD Digital 6 ignition- Everyone who gets this seems to be very happy with
it, might be worth the extra cash if you need an upgraded igniton

Polyurethane Engine Mounts and Bushings- The motor mounts are mandatory for
big power, the other bushing are great to have. They are cheap security.

Slicks for racing- Good luck putting down over 300HP on street tires

Clutchnet clutches- They make an excellent combo that works great from high
horsepower turbos, without the on/off nature of puck designs!

Roll Cage- Seriously, if you care is starting to get crazy fast, please
don't skimp on this.

I might think of some more later. My fingers hurt. I think there are a lot
of typos but I don't feel like reading this whole thing over again. E-mail
me if you have questions.

Lyn Labahn- Home from UW-Madison, lots of time on his hands

96 200SX SE-R with Turbo coming soon