So summer is coming, and that means my cash flow increases a LOT. I'm also selling several stock parts on my B15 board.

Now, that being said, I'm pretty sure (but not 100%) that I'm going to have two options for my summer modding season.

I could A. clean up the exterior a bit- wheels (17X7) with pretty good performance tires, black-housing headlights off a Spec V, a fresh grille, tint, and a lip spoiler I recently found, and probably slotted rotors, SS lines, and Hawk pads to top it off.

OR

B. boost- T25 kits pop up on SR20forum every day in good condition with most, if not all, the parts... I'm going to need new tires either way, and while the rims I want are cheap (amazingly so, $408+ shipping for the set), I'm not sure I could make enough off the stock wheels to balance out the cost enough to get both wheels and the expensive stuff- turbo. Maybe I could, but that's beside the point. I've finally found some good tires that would fit my car (and it's ghey tire size- 195/55/16, I'll be upping to a 205/55/16), and they're pretty cheap, so I can handle that part...

So, to boil that down, boost now and have an extra set of tires on my old rims (I'm sure I could find a use for them) next summer when my cash flow goes up again and I get wheels or get wheels and the other stuff now, boost later... I want power bad, I'm tired of getting run down coming out of my neighborhood (blind curve).

There's several good deals on sr20forum right now, and these things don't sell that quickly. Now, I'm assuming that I can boost for roughly $1500 (remember, GT25), or is that really off base? I'd have the cash midsummer, probably around my birthday, actually, which would be sweet, so the car could be down for awhile without interfering with school (work is 1mile away, not a big deal).

Wow, that was a really random sounding post.

Might as well boost now and do cosmetics later. My personal opinion

Always my preferred method, but I'm concerned of coming to the end of my cash supply and having a bunch of parts, but missing something key like an ECU...

See, the problem lies in the fact that it IS a B15 and it DOES still have to pass emissions tests. So the ECU has to be OBDII-compliant. I know SRs have no trouble passing emissions turbo or not as long as you're not too heavy on the power (and in my power range, emissions are no sweat), but since it is OBDII, there's the issue of a Japanese ECU in an American car... or however it works... I honestly don't know what to do about ECU... I've seen it discussed on other forums and never really figured out what works.

If you run a simple T25 setup, stock MAF, 370cc injectors. Just turbo the existing motor, tune the extra fuel with a S AFC II, leave the OEM computer in the car. S AFC II can adust for +/- 50% and 370cc injectors are only 30% bigger. You are probably going to throw a code for the EGR, but shouldn't affect performance, only the stupid MIL light.

I just saw some SR20VE 333cc injectors forsale, those might not be a bad deal either. Good for at least 230whp. Which is going to be close to the effiency of the T25 anyways.

I'm curious to what Corey is going to do with this problem also, since he is going to turbo his spec.

A couple things- stock SR MAF can handle boost? Sounds good to me.

I didn't think the ECU could compensate for that much extra air, after re-reading I see where the SAFC takes care of that... but there comes the problem- EGR code - I could simply clear that, correct? Would an emissions monkey see it later on?

Oh, and my brother is trying to dissuade me (as I expected) calling out reliability issues, what can I expect if I can take care of the code-throwing? Any noticeable reliability change? I wouldn't think 10ish psi would be an issue... I've run through sr20forum.com and such and not seen much since boosted B15s aren't all that common.

edit: There's another turboed Spec somewhere around here, I'll ask him what he did, if anything...And I hate to ask, but I'm going to, what's missing from this list of parts I'd need...

Manifold (Avenir fits, GTi-R and Bluebird too?)turbo w/ actuatoroil/coolant feed lines (connections- nevermind, figured it out- oil pressure sender and throttle body)j pipewastegatedownpipeintercooler (small FMIC sound good?) w/ pipes and air filterinjectors (will these work with stock fuel rail?)

SAFC to compensate for everythingboost gauge

That's such a noobish thing to do... but I've never seen a good list of what's needed, so... Also, this shouldn't require more than patience and handtools, right? Man I feel dumb...

Modified by nametakennow at 11:57 PM 4/4/2005
Modified by nametakennow at 12:34 AM 4/5/2005

You could always setup the EGR to for looks only. If someone didn't know what they were looking at, they probably wouldn't even notice it missing to begin with. The car would be very reliable on 10-12psi with a T25. Gas mileagle would still be in the upper 20's. As long as the motor is in good shape and its tuned properly, you won't have any problems. Stock sr maf can handle about 250hp and a bored stock maf can handle close to 300hp.

EGR for looks... I'm not quite catching on... it's a slow night in the cranium.

edit: Got some of that parts list found... I'd assume this stuff would be necessary for reliability reasons... http://www.sr20forum.com/showthread.php?t=89944
Modified by nametakennow at 12:35 AM 4/5/2005

I think I got it...

Alright, the problem with the exhaust system throwing a code would come with the lack of a sensor in the exhaust mani, right? I've seen a few for sale with a bung in them for that sensor. We have a good exhaust shop a half hour away or so, so if I had one without a bung, would it be possible to have one put in? I wouldn't think it'd be too terribly expensive.

As far as putting one in for looks, I guess I could clear the code and attach the visible part of the sensor to the turbo mani and no one would be the wiser.

After a good bit of searching I found this:

http://www.sr20forum.com/showt...ifold

Quote »All of the DET, turbo DE's I have done have been full Emissions, you have to weld a tube on your DP and route it to the EGR , other than that just leave everything intact [/quote]Apparently tapping into the GTi-R, BB, or Avenir mani is a bit more difficult that I'd figured, solid iron does stuff like that, lol.

When I get to doing this I'll make a full write up with loads of pics so that no one should have to search too heavily to find it. It'd also make a great article for NICO and maybe draw some more Sentra owners to our humble abode.

So that leaves only a few questions: Is that parts list about right on? What intercooler setup would you recommend?

I talked to a buddy of mine (240kid on this site) about the logistics of a DIY on this. After chatting a bit we came to the conclusion that this is definitely something that can be done in a garage with some patience. After we get done we'll put the SAFC in what he called "safe mode," which we term to have it make sure that the car is running way rich at all times. I'd stay off boost for the 5 minute drive to the local shop and have them dyno tune it. About how much do you think a dyno tune will run?

I'll be up at that shop today anyway getting an SES checked out . I haven't the faintest idea what's up. I was driving along on some backroads coming from a friend's house doing 65ish. The road was in pretty bad shape in a few spots, but nothing bad enough to I think have caused a problem. We hit a bump and a couple minutes later my SES came on. Car pulled fine, no leaks or extra noises. I think a sensor probably came loose or something. Meh, we'll know later. I'll ask about a dyno tune for after my turbo install while I'm up there. edit: SES was an Evap, maybe the gas cap really does hate me. The shop cleared it and it didn't come on for the next half hour or so of driving, so I think I'm good to go, we'll see. Yay!

I had one more question but I totally blanked out, if it comes back to me I'll edit it in. edit: Got it! I'm pretty sure all three of those manis will bolt to a T25, yes? Which one would have the best flow characteristics? SRs like to breath lots, so... I also don't want lag though, the small turbo is because I want response, reliability, and low-cost, and I'd like to have the mani be in similar form.

Thanks for your help, as always, Red.
Modified by nametakennow at 4:44 PM 4/6/2005

"There is a problem with EGR on a boosted car. The turbo creates a lot of back-pressure in the exhaust manifold, and the EGR tube orifice is too big under these conditions. According to Mike Kojima, it is best to route the EGR pickup point from the exhaust manifold to after the turbo on the down pipe."

^^^That was also a quote from that thread you posted.

The parts list complete is as follows for using the DE:T25/T28Manifold for the respective turbo(T28 will fit on T25 manifold, but with modification to the block) Oil/Water lines( I prefer the OEM water/oil lines from a DET, more of a pain to put on, but they are OEM for a reason)Drill and Tap for the blockAt least a 2.5" DP2.5-3.0" catback exhaust Nice clutch setup to hold more power than what you have (Clutchnet my recommendation)S AFC II ( I have a I, but wish I would have gone with the II, you can store two maps on the II, also reads knock)370cc injectors(T25), obviously bigger if you go with T28stock MAF will work with T25, bored maf or z32 MAF for T28

As far as the fmic, I went with johnnyrace 5" intercooler. http://www.johnnyracecar.com. Like $175 shipped. Cheap and effective. 3-4 of us turboed sentras around here are running his intercooler. I had to trim some off the bumper, so I don't know what kind of fitment issues you might have. He makes different sizes and shapes though. Custom work as well.

I also recommend motor mount inserts as well.http://www.suspension.com/nissancars.htm

The manifold for either turbo will suffice.

Digging up my old thread...

A short while after this chat stopped, I changed my mind and decided to do simple NA stuff, that being a Topspeed header and JWT S3R cams because of financial constraints/reliability issues/cold feet.

However, it turns out that labor for the cams runs $385. Add $545+shipping just to buy the cams and $300 for the header, and suddenly you have $1230+cam shipping, so, safe to say, $1250 or so.

Hmmm... $1250 is not much less, if any, than this turbo setup.... why would I pay the same amount for a lot less power?

Thus, turbo is back in the picture.

And therefore I ask that those of you who frequent SR20forum keep an eye out for a good, complete turbo setup in the next 2 months, I intend to be installing this by the end of July. I'm thinking that it SHOULD take only a day, but knowing how slow my group of friends and I often work (slow and careful > blown motor), I want to have a good week of time to work on it and get it running well before school starts.

Just an update on that.

Oh, and on SR20forum there's a post about IC piping kits, $160 shipped... since I really don't know what to do as far as IC piping, I assume that this would probably be a good idea?

Lastly, since I have to take it to the shop to get the tuning done, I have to drive it without having a program for the turbo. Would it make sense to simply keep the wastegate fully opened and leave my CAI attached to the intake mani, then pull out the CAI and plug in the turbo intake when I get it on the dyno? That seems like the best way to avoid accidentally making boost and causing a nasty lean-run...

edit: I'm thinking smaller IC piping is best, what will work most effectively with a T25? I figure 2 or 2 1/4, since smaller pipes are easier to fill and thus will make spooling easier.

edit 2: Instead of drilling and tapping the block, couldn't I simply use a longer line and return to the oil pan? It seems like it'd be much easier that way, and less risky. I could drain the oil, take the pan off, make a hole and clean up, set up the line, then put it back on and put some fresh Mobil 1 in there...
Modified by nametakennow at 12:02 AM 6/4/2005

If you are going to be running a S AFC, just set the fuel curves up conservative and stay out of boost until you get to the dyno. You should be able to drive your car without going into boost or at least keep it under 2psi. For a T25 I would run 2 1/4 piping off the turbo and 2" on the cold side. Just make sure the intercooler kit you buy is made specifically for your car the way you want it routed and for the intercooler that you decide to go with. Any slight deviation in angles and you are screwed. YOu could very easily tap the oil pan for the return, but you need to be very careful. What are you going to run for your oil feed line? Line from Nissport or fake nissport adapter? You going to hook up coolant lines as well?

Labor for cams!! You could have put those in yourself in about an hour or so. But you wouldn't be happy with bolt ons anyways. Trust me, I already want more HP, like over 300 bhp isn't enough.

Oil pans are a LOT cheaper than blocks, so if I mess it up, I don't really mind, that's why I thought about it in the first place.

I was thinking I'd get a Nissport adapter, that way I could tap in an oil pressure gauge without much work too. The line itself, I don't really know, I'm hoping to pick up a kit that has lines with it. If the oil line isn't long enough, I'll probably go get an SS brake line and use that, or an N2O line, those seem to be strong and they'd be long too.

Coolant lines would be a good idea as well, I was thinking I'd follow something like this - http://www.turbochargedse-r.com/turbodayfour.html - ie, tap into another coolant line, but I'm honestly not sure how I plan on doing the coolant part. I'm assuming that the T25 is designed very similarly to the T28, as is the T3 and T3/4, as far as cooling/lubing goes, and everything I've read points that way.

The intercooler kit I mentioned is a piece-together type, it has pipes of several different cuts and seals to connect them. Mike (240kid) has a friend whose dad is a master welder, so I'm thinking that I'll cut and piece together the IC piping, then take it over there and have him weld it for pretty cheap. He'll be welding my EGR setup and O2 bung(s) anyway. Then I'll paint it and it'll look quite clean and professional.

Yes, labor for cams. Since you have to line up the valves after a cam install, I didn't really trust myself to do it, and none of my friends were up to it either. So, I figured, it'd be best to have a shop do it so there's someone to blame if my valves collide and explode or whathaveyou.

There's a custom T3 setup FS on SR20forum, it comes with everything I'd need except injectors, SAFC, and intercooler/IC piping (and clutch, but my stocker is on the way out anyway, so if I kill it in short order with the turbo, I was planning on having to get one soon anyway)... while it would lag a bit more, whenever I finished up the turbo setup and got an ECU and MAF to handle the boost, I could turn it up and make 300whp, if I ever felt the urge for that much.

This is still a little ways off, so as I come up with details that I need to know, I'll ask.

Here's the setup I mentioned - http://www.sr20forum.com/showt...pp=20

Looks clean, turbo has hardly been used (says it was used only 2 days after it was rebuilt). It's a hybrid T25/T28/T3 turbo, which seems, to me, like it'd spool not quite as quick as a standard T25, but probably a little quicker than a T28, and have the kind of top-end flow of a T28 (says 300hp is quite doable). But I could be entirely wrong about that. In fact, it may spool just like a T25, same size inlet, bigger compressor wheel, a tiny bit harder to get started, but once it is, more air is being forced through a smaller space, increasing the velocity of that air and reaching full boost faster.

If I went for that, would I want to get bigger IC piping? It seems to me that since the compressor housing is that of a T25, having bigger piping really wouldn't do anything, since the volume of the area right before the compressor wheel would be no bigger. This is all going under the assumption that the piping ought to be only as big as the area right before the compressor wheel, since, as said before, anything bigger would just create backpressure in the intake system.

It looks like a pretty good setup, as I said... though I'd probably get the flanges on the DP replaced, those look BAD. I'm not sure what size that DP is either, but it looks big enough at least for starters (especially with my low-boost intial setup, which I'll be running for 8-12 months).

Is $950 a good price for that hybrid? It looks like it would fit really well, and setting up the EGR and O2 sensors would be easy too. I'm thinking I'd try to take him down a little bit so that I could more easily afford the intercooler, piping, SAFC, injectors, and dyno tuning, but if I have to pay $950, I'll scrap it together (hey, it's only as much as getting/installing cams anyway, lol).

FYI, I'm almost posting just to write it up for myself, when I read things they make more sense, so if I blabber, don't worry about it.