Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post

elliotty · 11-21-2011, 06:41 PM

Update 12/29/2011:
Parts made it today! (Minus the steering coupler, which is back-ordered) Install will begin tomorrow, and I will keep the thread updated!

Big thanks to Sam and everyone at GTM for the great packing job, quality parts, and dealing with my constant phone calls!

Update 12/30/2011:
Made decent progress today. Got the ECU flashed, fuel pump replaced, injectors done and Passenger header off. Tomorrow will begin with the driver's side header. Only a couple hiccups today:
-The stupid heater pipe on the driver's side is a complete PITA to get off. I probably wasted an hour just on that. I was having trouble getting the clip off that holds part of the wiring harness, so I just cut it and will replace it.
-The injector pack was missing the Super Lube, so Sam is sending me some along with my steering coupler. I got the injectors in with no problem, but Sam suggested taking them back out and lubing them to ensure there are no leaks, so that's what I will do!

Things are going well and I will be back at it again tomorrow. Any comments or suggestions are welcome! I will try to add some pics later tonight/tomorrow.

Well I have been very bad at updating my thread. I have worked pretty much full time on the install from 12/30 to 1/6, with the occasional days off. Here is my synopsis:
- The GTM product quality is excellent (as many on the forum already know), I am very impressed with the parts, packaging, and support.
- Doing the install on jack stands with the engine in the car is a MAJOR pain. There were countless times where I thought putting a part on or getting bolts tight was going to be physically impossible, but if you persist, it can be done.
- You have to be ready to head to the store and buy some tools. There were a few times when I just couldn't get a bolt tight with the tools I had on hand.

I think going back to work next week will be a nice break from the hard work!

And now on to the results...
Pros:
The car is put back together and running strong. I have run a few data logs both in and out of boost, and everything looks good. In boost the car pulls strong and feels great overall. She fired right up on the first try and idled normally almost immediately. I was able to get everything together and take her out for some shakedown runs this afternoon. Sam has been great with answering my questions quickly and giving me much-needed feedback. (THANKS SAM!)

Cons:
I have been battling leaks on the Driver's Side turbo. On initial start up, I had a coolant leak and an oil leak. I was able to get the coolant leak fixed by tightening the banjo bolt a little more. I was also able to get rid of the oil leak by taking off the down pipe, waste gate pipe, and waste gate and getting an offset wrench up to tighten the oil feed banjo. After multiple start ups and re-tightening, the leak was fixed and I put everything back together. BUT today during some shakedown runs, the dreaded oil leak returned. It is the smallest drip, but none the less it is STILL there. At this point, I don't think I will have the time or patience to disassemble, attempt to fix the banjo, and reassemble. I plan to take the car to a shop in the next week or two to have the oil leak fixed and have them do a once-over of the car to make sure everything looks okay.

Final Thoughts:
Let me just say I knew what I was getting into with this project! I expected to have hurdles and am overall very happy with the outcome thus far. The GTM product is great and I am confident that the end result will be everything I expected and more. I will keep updating the thread and am hoping the car will be where I want it very soon!

Also, any performance shop recommendations in the DC/Northern Virginia area would be much appreciated! I need someone reliable to fix this oil leak!

6/22/2012 Update

Been driving the car quite a bit and have put close to 800 miles on the kit! Finally took it to the dyno at Moore Automotive today. I would like to thank the owner Bill and the rest of the team for their work!

I uploaded the graph below. It dips around 7k rpm every time, due to it pulling about a degree of timing. I sent Sam an email with the graph and data log to see what is going on. 455 whp peak and 475 wtq peak at 8.8psi - not too bad!