mmmS13's Backwards build.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:53 pm

Hey everybody, been reading throughout the forum for a long time. Took all the knowledge I got from this site to boost my car with the help of my best friend. My threads kind of a backwards thread because I boosted my car 5 months back and never made a build thread.

So basically im going to try to start from when I first bought the car to now in like 5 posts instead of 2 years haha. So here we go. I am originally from Maryland, lived there 18 years and after high school moved out to San Diego with my parents in 2010.

I bought the car in LA near the end of 2010. Stock motor 210k miles, only upgrades were Tein basic coilovers and a Nismo 1.5 way lsd. for 2700 bucks. (Sorry if the pictures come out huge)

Drove it like this with only a Greddy Ti-C exhaust added on for a year. I started saving for turbo parts as I had an itch for more power. But saving was taking forever as I was only going to college full time and didnt have a job. So I told my parents I wanted to move back to Maryland and get a job so I could be with my friends again. So for a year I lived with my grandparents helping them around the house while I worked full time detailing cars. The job wasnt that great but it was enough to get my build going.

That year I bought,
CX racing fmic
Enthalpy ECU
Garrett 50 trim (.63 ar)
Blueridge motorsports Manifold and Downpipe
Deatschwerks 810cc injectors
New oem oil pan
AEM wideband
Autometer boost gauge
etc. etc. all the little things you need to properly boost your car.

So long story short, in 2010 my engine bay looked like

After putting some miles on the car I started to find all the bugs with it. The car didnt have a thermostat, So I installed one then my car started to get too hot. Turns out my lower radiator hose wasnt getting warm at all so I replaced it and all was good. The previous owner also rigged the pop-up headlight motors in a sketchy way and the driver motor burned out. So I replaced that too.

Now, my engine bay looks like

Engine now has 230k on it and still doesn't smoke or burn oil. I have only been running 7psi (wastegate) since its been boosted. But I recently bought a Hallman boost controller and am now running 9psi. Every so I often I want to up the boost and stop around 12psi on the stock block.

I took a good bit of pictures between when I bought it and where it is now but my phone cleared itself 4 months ago, and I lost it all :/ so thats all I have for now.

500hpKA240sx · Post by **500hpKA240sx** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:18 pm

wow your car is ungodly clean

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:23 pm

Thanks man, the previous owner repainted it so the paint is like 4 years old

the guy who rolled my fenders mentioned to me my one rear quarter panel has bondo :/ but I suppose for a first car im not so worried about the bondo since the cars 20 years old and the outside looks solid so im happy.

Oh yeah, and that first picture was right after I waxed it. I think the day or two after buying the car I spent like the whole afternoon cleaning the outside lol.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:04 am

Just figured I'd also add the first time I moved back to Maryland, I drove that car the whole way

Also, 2 months ago I moved back to San Diego as I am now going back to school. But this time I shipped my car as It now has a turbo and maybe less reliable, but its been running amazingly ever since I boosted it.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:43 am

Just figured I'd add a few more pictures of my car. After I got my wheels and rolled/slightly pulled my fenders I lowered my car alot when I was N/A.

I want to take out more rear camber but i've recently raised the car as I plan to make more power (hopefully 350whp) on this stock block and I dont know if these 235s (Falken 452's) will cut it.

This was like a week after being boosted. Next to my best friends car, he's building an ls2 with a big turbo for that thing

and his gf in the background.. lol

last but not least for now, my dads Datsun 510. The day he wants to sell it I may take it off his hands and make it quick

ATL240 · Post by **ATL240** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:57 pm

Looks very nice! Do you have any stalling issues with the MAF being pre-turbo?

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:44 pm

Thanks man. if I'm driving like 40mph and put it into nuetral to stop for say a red light or stop sign it will stall. But if I downshift down to 2nd gear and then stop in nuetral around 20mph or slower its fine. The car would do this when I first bought it too when it was unmodified. Its funny I never looked into the problem I just downshift whenever I slow down.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:58 pm

So today I decided I would try and figure out my headlight problem. The motors dont get power from pushing the button next to the steering wheel with the lights on or off, I was checking my fuses and relays and all and found this.

The previous owner left me a little rats nest of wires

Im gonna have to do some research before I even attempt to fix this because just looking at it I am clueless of what he did. Its like he tried to hardwire some things but why take out the relays? I dont understand. Although, everything on the car is working fine minus my headlight motors, which I may just make my own switch directly off the battery somehow.

schmauster920 · Post by **schmauster920** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 9:49 pm

Looks like he jumpered around the relays, you should be able to just pull that stuff out and put relays in there.

Might want to write down where they went just in case.

Have you taken your car to Qualcomm or borona 1/8 mile? I head out there sometimes.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:05 pm

Ive never been to either actually, I just moved back to Cali 2 months ago. I spent the last year living in Maryland. I will definitely have to take my car to the track now that im boosted. Kinda curious as to how this thing runs. Back in Maryland I would go down to the local strip with my friends but I never ran my car, just watched my friends so I really do need to get out there sometime.

If I do go it probably wont be for awhile because im hoping my parents will be nice enough to get me some forged pistons and rods for christmas so my block can be happy again. My block is so tired I dont know how its still alive. The previous owner had the timing advanced 10 degrees, from what my friend told me when he was fixing my thermostat problem when I first bought the car.

But I think I will just draw out a diagram of where each wire goes and replace them with relays and see if that works.

Also, schmauster where are you in cali if I may ask? I literally do not know anyone in this state lol.

BADA$$240 · Post by **BADA$$240** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 8:26 am

That is a clean s13, I don't see many like that in my neck of the woods.

schmauster920 · Post by **schmauster920** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 1:21 pm

Youve got a super clean 240!

Sounds like you might need to clean your IACV for a stable idle

I sent you a PM

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 2:35 pm

Thanks guys

I would pull my IACV and clean it but since I bumped the idle up a bit it doesn't want to die as much when its warm. But if I do get another motor or build my bottom end I will definitely clean it when its out of the car.

pballa88 · Post by **pballa88** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 9:30 pm

Decided to boost at 200k+ miles damn took some balls to do that. Looks really cleanm man. I am planning to do a build myself probably this summer. Hopefully sooner.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 1:45 am

pballa88 wrote:Decided to boost at 200k+ miles damn took some balls to do that. Looks really cleanm man. I am planning to do a build myself probably this summer. Hopefully sooner.

Thanks man. The main reason I boosted it now rather than rebuilding or building it first is because is doesn't leak, doesn't burn oil and runs healthy. Plus I didn't have the cash at the time to build and turbo. I figured as long as my tune is good and I don't cut corners, it will last on low amounts of boost.

But I got the bug and want more power

So soon im going to start upping my boost a little more and see how 12psi feels.
Also I think my motor has seen a good life by now and its ready to sleep.

500hpKA240sx · Post by **500hpKA240sx** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 1:51 am

why toast a motor for no reason? to each his own....

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 1:59 am

I mean, im not going to blow it on purpose. But if it lets go on a 15psi pull I wont be upset. Its a high mileage motor and im kinda curious on how much abuse it will actually take.

schmauster920 · Post by **schmauster920** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:02 am

Its hard to know when to stop lol Make sure it lasts long enough to give me a run at least

You should google "DIY det cans" and make some so you can listen for detonation. Sometimes you can have it and not even know it, this is what will kill your motor or any motor for that matter.. especially when you are creeping the boost up.

This will help you throw a rod at 400, rather than melt a piston at 350 lol

E85 would help a lot and we have it semi locally

I have a KA block that you can have for cheap if you want, with free delivery lol it has a nice scratch down the cylinder wall but it would be good for a built motor. Ive also got an extra set of ARP headstuds sitting around which you should have with the boost you are running.

This thing is sweet for a first car, my first car was a junk pile that i would rather forget.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:14 am

schmauster920 wrote:Its hard to know when to stop lol Make sure it lasts long enough to give me a run at least

You should google "DIY det cans" and make some so you can listen for detonation. Sometimes you can have it and not even know it, this is what will kill your motor or any motor for that matter.. especially when you are creeping the boost up.

This will help you throw a rod at 400, rather than melt a piston at 350 lol

I have a KA block that you can have for cheap if you want, with free delivery lol it has a nice scratch down the cylinder wall but it would be good for a built motor. Ive also got an extra set of ARP headstuds which you should have with the boost you are running, but maybe not.

I can't promise anything but I'll do my best keeping this motor alive lol.
My dad and I have been talking about rebuilding my motor for awhile now since he is finally seeing that I plan on keeping my car for a long time. I'll mention the block to my dad and see if he bites

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:31 pm

Little update*

With the start of the new year I bought myself a nice Nardi Steering wheel and raised my boost yesterday. I am now currently running 11psi and oh man did my turbo wake up. I finally got the feeling my car is fast. After class tonight Ill upload a picture of my interior.

ATL240 · Post by **ATL240** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:03 pm

Good to hear! I ended up getting the enthalpy ECU. Just working on setting up my MAF "draw-threw" and recirculating the BOV. How did you recirculate it? I didn't see in your pictures.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:07 pm

Current interior poor cracked dash

On the drive home from class today I stopped at a light, and my car almost went poop on me. Would barely hold idle at 450rpms and seemed to struggle and would be rich between shifts, also would bounce from rich to lean on the wideband after letting off the throttle on the highway. Get to investigate that after class tomorrow, should be lots of fun.

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 6:07 pm

Its just a simple tube I got from a hardware store. It has some flex but its pretty stiff

ATL240 hopefully that helps

ATL240 · Post by **ATL240** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 6:46 pm

Thanks for picture! I'm gonna have to get that inlet welded on to the intake. Fun stuff. ehh

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 8:41 pm

Not a problem, glad I could help! I was lucky and my friend works at a welding place so he handed my intake over to a coworker and said "hey will you weld this to this".

LPime001 · Post by **LPime001** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:56 pm

mmmS13 wrote: On the drive home from class today I stopped at a light, and my car almost went poop on me. Would barely hold idle at 450rpms and seemed to struggle and would be rich between shifts, also would bounce from rich to lean on the wideband after letting off the throttle on the highway. Get to investigate that after class tomorrow, should be lots of fun.

Sup buddy,
Just saw your newest street kill. I guess you resolved your idle and fuel issue.
What was the problem?

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:28 pm

LPime001 wrote:
Sup buddy,
Just saw your newest street kill. I guess you resolved your idle and fuel issue.
What was the problem?

Thanks man, I found a vacuum leak :p Idle is still a little sketchy but ill bump it up soon and all should be good.

ATL240 · Post by **ATL240** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:49 pm

Has your idle always been like that since you boosted? Mine acts like it wants to turn off ever since I got an enthalpy tune. My wideband reads lean on idle so that could be it( not getting enough gas). I think you and I have the same exact tune: 810cc DW, Z32, t3/t4

mmmS13 · Post by **mmmS13** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:01 pm

I think my idle has been like that since NA, although it wasnt as bad until I went turbo. Like I couldnt stop in neutral from 40 mph ever since I bought the car.

ATL240 did you delete your egr? I used a block off plate and left the wiring stuff.

ATL240 · Post by **ATL240** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:23 pm

Yes, and I used a block off plate as well. At first I had it with only the gasket included with the plate but was having boost leaks. So I JB-welded the plate on. No more boost leaks there

Removing the EGR properly will not affect idle though. Hmm your stalling issue is weird.