Which turbo?

[NiceLyphe]

Should i Use an RB26 (no idea of turbo model) turbo rebuilt with metal internals..or a s14 Sr20 turbo [GT2560R]? For a beginning turbo set up on a KAT. Also daily driven. Any advice is appreciated.

[Feadz]

I'm pretty sure I remember reading that the stock rb26 turbo was too small for the KA.

What kind of power goals are you aiming for?

[NiceLyphe]

Ah I see..better to go with a s13 sr20 turbo? I'm just looking for a start right now. Eventually I would like to hit a decent 250-300hp reliably..also a daily driver.

[s13drifter88]

s13 sr t25 is choking for its life on a ka. try an s15 t28, if u cant afford look for an s14 t28. its not ball bearing but its big enough to be efficient a make ur 250+whp

[s13drifter88]

btw, rb26 is a pair of t25's so using one isnt gonna get u too far

[NiceLyphe]

Hm I see..so I should stay away from the t25's and look for a t28? Also what's a good injector size to start with? The sr20 370cc's?

[Feadz]

What's your plans on engine management? I'd go with the 550ccs to keep the max duty cycle of the injectors down, if you plan on going ~250hp.

[WDRacing]

For engine management your best bet is to find a ROM tune that you like and buy the injectors and MAF for that particular tune. Makes it easier then finding a tune to match your parts. Almost every ROM tune available these days is good for 250WHP.

Cheapest way is the T28 route combined with Ebay parts. CXRacing now offers a T3/TO4E kit that has everything you need minus engine management. If your goals are to make decent power, you'll want to stay away from the T28. If you want to run close to 300, which is the limit of that T28 IMHO, then it's a good turbo. But if you EVER want to make more power, which you will, you should use a T3 sized turbo.

WD

[NiceLyphe]

Hmm i see, yea I really have to look into engine management and such. Id like to sit around 250-300 HP right now as a good start/daily driver status. Whats the max hp the stock KA MAFS can hold to? I really gotta read up a bit on using diff MAFS and such. Also think its better to get a rom rather than just using afc and fpr and such as a start? I dont really wanna spend too much. But i do wanna get it done without ruining stuff.

[WDRacing]

The FMU is a better cheapy option then the SAFC IMHO.

The stock MAF is good to about 250ish. When you get a ROM tune you just install the MAF that the ecu is tuned for, which just consists of cutting the MAF plug and wiring the new one. Real simple.

WD

[s13drifter88]

the stock ka maf is good to about 230whp. Jim Wolf Technology can do u a t28/550/n62 maf rom tune for about $400 or s and its about as good as u can get without like mega squirt or nistune. the s15 t28 will do u about 275-280whp efficiently, after that ur looking into larger like a 2860 or a 2871. for the ka i would size either of those 2 in the .86 ar exhaust since the increased displacement of the engine will flow more. a 2871 can get u up to around the 370 mark but anymore than that go t3 coz t2 would be choking u bad. WD likes t3 and i prefer t2 for ur basic builds and simplicity but to each his own. either way u can make great power

[s13drifter88]

ka maf 230whp, ca maf 230whp, sr maf 240whp, n60 (j30/na 300zx) 300whp, n62 (300zx tt) 500whp, lightning/cobra maf over 600whp. remember to keep ur maf atleast 14 inches away from the inlet of ur turbo. doing what ur doing and what u want it for a t28 with deatshwerks 550's, n62 maf and a JWT rom tune should more than suit u. i say use the n62 maf coz with 550's itll leave u room to grow if u ever want to upgrade to a 2860 or a 2871. also for added stability in ur boost pick up an HKS wastegate actuator. theyre only about $100 and itll prevent spikes and creep and u can also mechanically adjust ur base boost. much better than a manual boost controller if u can afford a good boost controller like an EVC6 or AVCR. set for 12psi an GO!

[NiceLyphe]

Ah i see, Yea those 550's sound good to go with right away, leaves me room to play with for sure. Will they be ready to drop into stock KA rail? or would i need an aftermarket rail also. The turbo i got has an adjustable wastegate on it already and what not, but what electronic devices will i need to run this smoothly? Main concern right now is getting it all put together and running smoothly, from there i will upgrade stuff and what not. For now i can deal with the stock KA maf i suppose. But what electronic devices will i need? Also will i need to upgrade the fuel pump when using 550's?

[Feadz]

As long as the injectors are sidefeeds they will fit into the stock DE rail with no modifications, some people prefer top feeds, which would require a new rail and some other modifications, but if you're on a budget i'd stick with the sidefeeds to keep the cost down. You should pick up a new injector o-ring set too.

The fuel pump you'll need is a Walbro 255, numerous vendors sell these in the advertisement section here on nico.

Did you pick a plan for engine managment? I'd choose a ROM tune, as suggested above it's basically a plug and play. Enthalpy is running a special for dual tunes pretty cheapand they're up there with JWT.

[s13drifter88]

id up the maf. the ka maf is going to peg 5 volts around 18lbs a min of air. youll make 4 or 5 psi and then peg ur maf. deatschwerks 550's will drop right in and work with ur factory resistor pack. rom tune all the way. u can order it flashed for the 550's and n60 or n62 maf and be good to go. and as previously posted, go to enjukuracing.com of frsport.com and get a walbro 255. depending on what turbo u decide on u can make upwards of 350whp really easily. u wont need any electronics if it already has an adjustable wastegate actuator but u can always invest in a good HKS EVC6 or Apexi AVCR later. i prefer the EVC6 tho coz its REALLY easy to use. it holds boost very consistently and forget spikes. its so accurate

[s13drifter88]

also u may want to invest in a good turbo timer after u get it together and running. the hks type 0 is about $85 and works great. get it with the $15 plug and play harness and it only take 10 min to install. its what i have and i couldnt be happier

[NiceLyphe]

Sounds good, im going to look into the community and searching for maf and stuff for sale and go from there. The sr turbo elbow and sr downpipe will work though?

[s13drifter88]

yes

[Spring Break '92]

As long as the injectors are sidefeeds they will fit into the stock DE rail with no modifications, some people prefer top feeds, which would require a new rail and some other modifications, but if you're on a budget i'd stick with the sidefeeds to keep the cost down. You should pick up a new injector o-ring set too.

The fuel pump you'll need is a Walbro 255, numerous vendors sell these in the advertisement section here on nico.

Did you pick a plan for engine managment? I'd choose a ROM tune, as suggested above it's basically a plug and play. Enthalpy is running a special for dual tunes pretty cheapand they're up there with JWT.

ROM tuned ECU's are great. Don't forget EFI Specialist. Skip right over the 370cc SR injectors and get the biggest injectors you can find/afford is what I always say. Sidefeeds are notoriously expensive when bought new, because they are kind of niche. Topfeeds are more affordable, although you do have to buy a new rail, you have more options and they are cheaper individually. Most times you are going to have to wire in pigtails for aftermarket brand sidefeeds anyway like you would with topfeeds, but your old factory wiring near the connectors has seen better days anyhow. Also, I like to keep a nice supply of lower o-rings on hand at all times.

[WDRacing]

Water temp gauge, boost gauge that reads vacuum also, wideband O2, oil pressure gauge and a fuel pressure gauge are all gauges needed IMHO. The more things you can monitor the longer and more reliable your 240 will be.

Turbo timer's are pretty cheap these days, but not really needed.

[NiceLyphe]

Cool Cool, so will i still need a fuel pressure regulator with the rom tune? tune id go for would be the t28,n62, with 550's

[WDRacing]

I like to know what my fuel pressure is. I recommend an aftermarket adjustable fuel pressure regulator (FPR) and a 255lph fuel pump anyway. The gauge usually just screws into the FPR. Bare in mind it's important to know your fuel pressure because each ROM tune is assuming you're at the stock fuel pressure.

Having the gauge also helps troubleshooting any issues that can come up. Knowing there are no fuel pressure issues allows you to "look" else where and "Know" for sure it's not a weak pump or crimped line etc.

Everyone runs into trouble at some point, having answers to questions is the only way to fix anything yourself.

We've got a good group of guys here, not much we can't figure out with the right info.

WD

[biggie]

An option is also Nismo FPR and then an in-line FP gauge, that's what I've got.

[s13drifter88]

the megan pressure reg's off ebay and frsport work fine. they come with a liquid filled gauge so it holds its accuracy and stability. ive got one on mine and a friend of mine has had one on his sr for the last 2 years. deatschwerks injectors will drop right in no wiring required although as previously stated in no way could it hurt to replace old plugs. Remember, solder and shrink wrap... no twists, crimps or tape lol

[NiceLyphe]

Thank you for the info guys, ill keep that in mind also. Would i be able to run a t28, n62, and 550s without a rom tune? What would i need to manually tune? Considering a tune costs a bit of money. Id get it over time though.

[s13drifter88]

an safc would be ur only option but dont expect it to last long

[NiceLyphe]

Ah they break easily eh?

[Feadz]

Patience my friend. Just save up and do it right the first time, you don't wanna rush this or stuff is going to blow up. lol

Here's a link for an inline fuel pressure gauge.
solving-your-needs-for-a-fuel-pressure- ... 20134.html

[s13drifter88]

its not that they break easily coz any motor will. its just turbo motors have parameters for boost in the stock computer. the ka doesnt so thats why u hear people say its all in the tune. u need good boost parameters. and safc will make it "work" but not properly. and safc is good for minor corrections and tuning but in the end its still lying to the computer about the maf signal. its not a tune, its a signal modification so ur operating under stock ecu parameters but ur telling it that whats happening isnt really happening. if u take away fuel ur not exactly taking away fuel, ur just telling the computer its getting less air so the computer takes away fuel, see. still stock parameters just under different circumstances. u need to be able to tune, not lie.

[NiceLyphe]

Ah i see, alright sounds good, ima search and see how much those jim wolf tunes cost. Do i just get a chip in my ecu for that? Or do i get a whole diff ecu?