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Nissan
Skyline R32 GTST
Under
the hood (stock 115 to 125rwkw)
The R32 Nissan Skyline is equipted with the the Rev happy 157kw RB20DET
engine featuring a twin cam 24 valve head, and a intercoolered turbo
charger. The Turbo is a ball bearing item with a ceramic turbine wheel
to aid responce. The RB20 lacks low end tourque compared the RB25 but
acceleration in similar to newer skyline models as the car only weighs
1245kg.
Engine
Tuning Stage 1
Exhaust (around 140rwkw)
The RB20DET is a sweet sounding engine but very quiet in standard
form and as with most factory turbo cars the exhaust causes a huge restriction.
A good free flowing exhaust will have the RB sounding great, turbo lag
will be reduced, and power gained throughout the rev range. The new
exhaust should start from the turbo with a dump pipe either a 3"
open bell mouth or better still a split dump to separate the gases from
the turbine and waste-gate. From here a high quality 3" high flow
cat should be used, then 3" all the way to the back of the car
with high flow mufflers.
Intake (140 to 150rwkw)
Now we have the exhaust side of the engine breathing the next step is
to get more air into the engine. Either use a high performance air filter,
or replace the air box with a POD style air filter. If you choose to
go the POD filter route I recommend you fabricate some type of shield
to keep hot air from the engine bay away from your intake. A cold air
intake to the filter from the front of your Skyline will also give you
a performance advantage. 5-10 rwkw is achievable with this mod.
Intercooler
Upgrade (150 to 160rwkw)
The standard R32 intercooler is tiny and before a boost increase I recommend
installing a better cooler if you don’t you risk detonation on warm
days. The R34 GTT intercooler is a good cheap upgrade for the R32 and
bolts onto the same position as the stock item but some modification
is required but its an easy job for a aluminum welder. The GTT intercooler
is rated up to about 200rwkw if you plan on going further than this
power figure a GTR or aftermarket front mount will be required. Be aware
that with these systems new pipe work will be required and you may notice
a small decrease in throttle response. You may notice a small increase
in power with this mod without increasing boost as airflow will increase
and the air will be denser. But it’s the ability to run more boost that
makes this mod a good one. If you don’t plan on increasing your power
level to over 200rwkw I recommend the GTT intercooler as its cheep and
you will notice no difference in throttle response.
Boost increase
(160 to 170rwkw)
As mentioned before the turbo’s exhaust wheel is ceramic and they tend
to fail if to much heat is generated. The amount of boost you can run
with the stock turbo is debatable but I don’t recommend running more
than 12psi. You have a few options when choosing to increase the boost
either a manual boost controller, electronic boost controller, or a
new waste-gate actuator.
A manual controller
is very basic in its operation it bleeds off air causing the waste-gate
actuator to open later. The amount of boost run depends on the amount
of air bled form the system. It is critical to install an after market
boost gauge before carrying out this modification as the stock gauge
is not accurate enough and is measured in mmg not psi or bar. Manual
boost controllers are cheep and easy to install but they do have there
disadvantages some can cause boost spikes and boost creep I have also
found boost tends to tail off high in the rev range.
Electronic boost
controllers on the other hand use stepper motors and monitor boost about
every 10th of a second because of this boost spikes and boost creep
are kept to a minimum, and the desired boost level is held to redline.
Electronic boost controllers are expensive and for this level of modification
a manual controller will probably be good enough.
A 3rd option is
to install a different waste-gate actuator HKS have a actuator with
an adjustable arm to help set your desired boost level. I think this
is a good option for this level of modification as boost spikes and
boost creep are eliminated.
After this modification
many people have problems with flat spots throughout the rev range this
is due to the ECU seeing an increase in airflow and as a safety precaution
it richens the air fuel mixtures. Many people find re-gaping the spark
plugs from 1.1mm to 0.8mm fixes this problem but if it does not you
need to consider the next upgrade.
ECU Edit
(170 to 180+rwkw)
Many Performance shops are able to edit the standard ECU's settings
this is good news If you are a R32 owner as you don’t have to be a new
one. Timing, air fuel ratios and all other aspects of your stock ECU
can be edited. In my opinion this is the best most cost effective option.
As mentioned before
many people have problems with flat spots and rich air fuel ratios.
Even if you don’t have these dreaded flat spots an aftermarket ECU will
give good power gains and improve drivability. One popular option is
the Apexi SAFC (Super air flow computer). The SAFC is a piggy back to
the ECU and works by tricking the ECU into thinking your engine is getting
more or less air than your engine actually is. Tuning should be done
be a professional on a dyno this modification should fix those dreaded
flat spots by leaning you air/fuel ratio's at different RPM points.
A better but more
expensive option is the Apexi Power FC which replaces the standard ECU.
Many people choose the Power FC as its less expensive than other aftermarket
ECU's, and it plugs straight into you old loom so there is no need to
cut any wires. All parameters of your car can be tuned with a Power
FC but once again it should be dyno tuned by a professional. Please
note the power FC cannot be used an automatic transmission.
Clutch,
Flywheel and Fuel Pump
At this level of modification the clutch may start to slip due to the
extra power so it will need to be replaced with a heavy duty item. Many
people choose to upgrade the flywheel at the same time this increases
acceleration but you may loose a little torque.
The GTS-T is starting to age and the stock fuel pump
may not even flow enough for standard power let alone your modified
engine. I recommend that you upgrade it. Popular choices include the
boche 040, or 044 these are probably your cheapest option, Nismo, Tomei
and HKS also make aftermarket direct fit pumps.
Conclusion
This completes stage 1 engine tuning for the Nissan Skyline R32 GTST.
Basically at this stage we are at the limits of the standard turbo and
fuel systems but in terms of car modification this level of tuning is
offers great value for money. Many people with these modifications with
and a well sorted suspension and tyre packages have ran low 13 second
quarter mile passes.
Continue to Engine Tuning
Stage 2
Please
use this as a guide only I recommend consulting a professonal before
carrying out any of these modifications. Nissanskyline.6te.net takes
no responsiblity for any problems you may encounter from following this
guide.
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