Turtle64b's Stillen Build Thread
 

I honestly never imagined I'd find myself making one of these haha, but here goes.

My current car is a 2012 370Z Touring Sport with Z1 two piece front brakes, K&N Typhoon Intakes, Z1 upper intake plenum, Z1 lower intake runners, Z1 test pipes and a Borla exhaust, all tested and tuned at Z1 Motorsports.

At the end of this chronicle, I will hope to have a running car with the Stillen SC'er, converted to Air-to-Air (utilizing Topgunz's kit and expert guidance), TBatt's pulley mod (raising the wrap on the SC pulley), CJM S1-SE fuel system, ID1050X injectors, Aeromotive Stealth 340 fuel pump, along with the existing exhaust mods, unless I can find some replacement for my test pipes and/or my stock exhaust manifolds. I will either get the car re-tuned at SOHO (the going recommendation) or back at Z1 (they did pretty good work on my current tune).

I feel solid on the DIY install when it comes to the mechanics of it and I've reviewed the Stillen book for the basic kit install, as well as the "Supplemental" instructions (Link: http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...tructions.html) from one of the forum members detailing pitfalls and ways to make the install more efficient.

I plan to start work May 2nd-ish (hopefully Topgunz has a kit on the way around then, no rush though :tup:) and have it hopefully wrapped up by May 18th.

Initial props to vgl08 for the excellent care and great effort he took in meticulously packaging, labeling and shipping the base Stillen kit!! Thank you!

All that said, I will do my very best to keep this thread up to date as I do work and I cannot tell you guys how much I will appreciate the input and I will do my best to pay it forward! Thank you all in advance!!

I will post pictures here (https://goo.gl/photos/6wexurgWYzweWzYw7).

-Brett

P.S. If you're in the Charleston area and wanna stop by for a beer and entertainment in that timeframe, shoot me a message haha

Nice. Almost exactly my setup. :tup:

While you're at it look at coolant-line deletes for the throttle bodies. No use heat soaking them after all the effort to avoid hot air going in. Which also leads to catch cans and ditching the OEM PCV lines to rid entry of unmetered air (3/8 uni-breathers on the front fittings and a 5/8 line with a tee to a catch can with 5/8 filter on it for the rear bypass fittings). A Specialty Z MAP sensor will keep things in check with accurate readings.

Not that I'm trying to add to your list or anything :icon17:

Small update
 

Small update to list of parts going in.

AMS Lightweight crank pulley (OEM size). (Had the NST lightweight underdrive crank/overdrive alternator pulley and belt set but never put them on due to time/support)
CJM billet fuel pump tophat (reliability)
Aermotive 30A fuel pump wiring upgrade (reliability)

Received the fuel pump, injectors, plugs, and crank pulley today. Seeing all of these parts in one place ready to go only makes me more excited haha.

Still waiting on the fuel system (4/24 delivery) and billet tophat from CJM, the A2A kit, and the wiring kit. Very excited!

Also, spun the volute on the SC as per Topgunz directions as well as removed the A2W exchanger from the Stillen manifold.

Impressive build going for someone with <100 posts!!!! Looking forward to seeing it!

Yeah, I've never really had the means to do something like this until recently. I had a '02 Trans Am about 6 years ago that I was looking into modifying heavily, but some poor life choices prevented that haha. Now that I've recovered, have a semi-supportive wife, with regard to car upgrades haha, and I'm done with deployments for awhile, I want to pursue this endeavor. I do a lot of reading here and contribute when I can and hopefully I can give more back once I'm done here! Thanks for the compliment and hopefully the next few weeks and the Z will be nice to me!

Best of luck! I can certainly relate.. building my Z has been the fulfillment of a 20 year dream every since I modded my RX-7 Turbo in High School... it never ran right and I had to get a stock/reliable honda when I went to college. Always wanted a fast modified car.... Excited to see how yours goes!

ChaseZ will certainly be an invaluable resource of information for your build!

any 7AT supporting mods?

Not yet. Looking at all of the FI threads and such, the 7AT can handle about 600hp/500tq stock. With that said, I will be conservative in my approach to power by staying at least 50 below those numbers. I have no intention as of now to upgrade the pulleys or impellers to produce more power than the stock kit will make, up to 50 below the aforementioned numbers. If I find I can do so relatively safely, I will do so cautiously and tune conservatively.

Good luck with the build. Someone out there has the A2A kit with E85 and makes 586whp on 12 psi, so the power is there. You should ditch the lightweight pulley idea and purchase an Ati racing damper in terms of reliability. Also, if you plan on making over 500 foot pounds of torque I believe , don't quote me on this but the stock auto doesn't like to see those numbers.

I won't eclipse the 500tq mark on the stock tranny... I'll stay far from it. What have you guys done as far as gauges and mounting?

I think Elmo might be right here... I think the consensus on here is that the stock 7AT is only good up to 400wtq and even that is just a guideline and not concrete. I think the bigger power 7AT builds have all had built transmissions from Fast Intentions or Level 10 or some other kind of upgrade.

Sub'd for updates, GLWB!:excited:

That is probably true, but I'm not looking to be a "bigger power" guy just yet. I will stay conservative for the stock transmission for now and when I'm ready, I'll probably go with the Level 10 transmission built for beating haha. At the moment (until some of the extra parts sell) I'm a little over budget on the build, so if I have to stay conservative for the moment, I'll be ok with that. And, if the tranny fails me, the wifey will give me some "I told you so's" and I'll tell her that I've gotta get a new tranny. Can't really argue at that point, right? lol. From what I've seen, 1-4 hold fine, it's getting on it in gears 5-7.

Thanks for looking out, I really do appreciate it! I will make sure that the first real drive doesn't result in her last real drive for awhile!

I would say that the next round of upgrades will see a Brian Crower stroker out to the 4.3ish range, the impeller upgrade, and the new tranny. I've gotta get through this project successfully first though! haha

Luckily, centri chargers are not torque monsters. Plus they bring it in about as gentle as could be.

Sounds good! Looks like the future is bright for this build!

If you are trying to save in the short term, you can probably leave out the return fuel system since you are going to start out conservative, but stick with the 1000cc injectors and upgraded pump. The return system can be added later when you go for more power.

You might also consider going with the Walbro 450/485 vs Aeromotive 340.. you'll want the extra headroom when you go fully built. I also feel like I hear more about Aeromotive pumps failing, but that may just be my imagination.

These changes will work for you now while still giving you an upgrade path for more power in the future without upgrade existing parts. All of this is just my opinion =)

Much appreciated! Unfortunately the parts listed are already on the way...
I chose to go ahead with the S1-SE fuel return system based on the several threads I saw about running out of fuel on top.
I chose the Aeromotive 340 because it seemed to be what most were running and there some warnings on the Z1 website about going with bigger pumps at the risk of damage.
I chose the ID 1050Xs because the 725, 850 and 1000cc were all the same price. The 1050Xs were $10 more and boasted better technology. 1050cc injectors will, theoretically, hold fine to 700hp.
I chose to go with the billet tophat after reading stories about the stock plastic ones not holding up so well after modification.
The AMS lightweight pulley will help with some of the losses, I feel, due to the significantly reduced rotating mass. Future mod will most likely be the ATI damper pointed out earlier.

Where did you guys elect to put your meters/gauges? Those are actually the things I need to order and have yet to just because I know they'll get here before the build is done. I figure a dual gauge pod somewhere, but I'm unsure where... The A-pillar looks pretty cool, there was a pod that fit inboard on the passenger side for sale here awhile back, and I loved the DIY about changing out the time and voltage meter center stage there, but I don't really know yet haha.

Boost and AFR are the only ones I'm thinking on. I'm getting the mini fuel pressure gauge on the fuel line to tune that in. I know that more is better when it comes to keeping an eye on your engine, but I don't really want to turn the cabin into a cockpit haha. Although that might be cool... I have a solid OBDx thing that plugs into my OBD2 port and feeds data to an app, like Torque, but I don't know exactly how reliable that is.

Thank you all for all the input, I promise I am paying attention and trying to soak it all up!

-Brett

End of day 0.5! I got started a little early after talking a buddy into taking me to work on Monday haha.

Intake components/interference removed
New spark plugs in
Beginning assembly of fuel components to go into car

Small step but I only had about 3 hours...

Link to photo album:
https://goo.gl/photos/6wexurgWYzweWzYw7

Day 0.75? Assembled fuel components, removed fascia pieces and fitted new gauges. how did you guys install your AFR and boost meters/gauges. I went Prosport EVO 52mm and I'm putting them in the cubby. I am unsure how to wire them up, especially the boost meter because the wires seem so short :(. Any tips?

For mounting gauges in a Z, Galeforce is who you need to check into. Fantastic workmanship.

http://www.the370z.com/exterior-inte...-pictures.html

Sorry I already PMd you about this before I saw you had a thread open. So might aswell ask you here so everyone can have a discussion.

Are you planning any upgrades to the 7AT gearbox?

Si Impeller ? sorry if i missed it and you're going with the 1050x injectors E85?

TBatt: I have a cubby pod already for the new meters, I was just wondering how you guys wired them in to the car. The boost meter wires seem rather short for where they have to go... A custom A-pillar is a little out of my price range at the moment :(.

Shadow: I am planning on upgrading the 7AT, I just don't know when yet. I will keep the tune conservative until then to ensure that I do not exceed the limits of stock. And if it does fail, I'll just have more ammo to convince the wife that I need a new tranny haha.

Acorona: I will keep the stock impeller for now as well. I am running the 1050x's to leave room for expansion as well as to ensure that I have good flow down low. I am sticking with 93 octane for now.

Thanks guys for the questions and input!

I had to lengthen the wires on my oil pressure gauge but not my AFR/Boost gauge. I just soldered extension wires and covered up the solder joint with heat shrink tubing. You could also use crimp splices if you are not comfortable with soldering.

This is my gauge install using the GaleForce cubby mount. I'm using AEM guages, 0-150psi oil and their Failsafe AFR/Boost gauge. I really like the fact that the failsafe gauge is always recording data in two hour files. If I ever have an issue with AFR (bad pump, which HAS HAPPENED ALREADY) I can at least get a clue to what happened. Simple USB hookup to my laptop to download AFR, Boost, RPM and plot it.

Good luck with your build, we are watching over you. Reach out to us if you need help.

End of day three. Tired, fingers hurt...

Fuel system installed aside from pinning the pump assembly connector.
Fuel pump wiring upgrade install done aside from aforementioned task.
Meters installed 100%. Dash restored.
MAF/TB extensions installed.

Tomorrow/over the next week:
Mount intake manifold
Mount SC
Install A2A conversion upon arrival
Flash and (hopefully) drive up to SOHO for the tune.

Pictures link:
https://goo.gl/photos/6wexurgWYzweWzYw7

Do you guys think that with an upgraded Uprev license (standard I believe) that I can make the car able to drive three straight hours? Also, does anyone have an AFR meter with a control module? If so, where did you mount/put the module?

Thanks!!

-Brett

It may just be me, but the fuel pump part of my install was the hardest part!

You are down hill the rest of the way!

Take your time and double check everything! Use WINDEX to install the silicone couplers and then go back and check every single one of the clamps to make sure that you tightened them.

Day 3.5:

Fuel system verified tight (pump still needs wired)
Intake manifold and throttle bodies installed
Coolant hoses and radiator fan assembly removed in preparation for crank pulley swap
Throttle body coolant bypass accomplished.

Intercooler arrived today, thanks Topz! I was very excited to see the UPS dude walking up my driveway haha.

That intake manifold install is literally the most tedious thing I have done in my life to date! WOW!

Also, following directions and not getting ahead of yourself is very important here haha...

Pictures:
https://goo.gl/photos/6wexurgWYzweWzYw7

The blue intake and TB's are gonna look sweet when she is all done turtle

In case you haven't run wires yet from the dash to the engine compartment, on the passenger side of the engine compartment is a big rubber seal where the wiring harness passes through. That is where I ran all of my wires to the engine for my gauge install and also a small rubber hose for the boost gauge.

Looking good!

You ran a pressure line into the cabin for your gauge? Mechanical gauge?

AEM FailSafe AFR/Boost gauge. The sensor is on the gauge itself so you have to run a very small hose to the intake manifold and tee it with the BOV hose.

I ran everything just like this except I left the pressure sensor in the battery compartment and ran the signal wire through to the meter.

Day 3.75?

Reconnected all electrical connectors to reconnect the battery to op-check the meters. Both meters seemed to respond normally!

The fuel pump though... I hear the relay click for the fuel pump, but I don't hear any sounds from the vicinity of the gas tank. Should the pump spin up when the car is on (I'm not turning over the engine yet)? I installed the Aeromotive wiring kit that runs the 10ga wire from the battery to the pump and I'm 98% sure that I wired the connector properly (I also installed the billet tophat). I have the Aeromotive Stealth 340lph pump.

The rest of the parts should be here Tuesday for me to wrap this project up!

For now:happydance::happydance:

Yes you should hear the pump in ON without the engine running. You didn't put a fuel pressure gauge in I take it?

I do have one that taps off of the regulator in the engine bay. I didn't see any pressure on it. The pressure regulator is backed out all the way at the moment, so I don't know exactly what pressure to expect, just "minimum." I'll give it another go in the morning and verify. I'll also take a multi-meter to the new power circuit to ensure that there is not an open somewhere.

Day 4
 

Fuel pump gremlin:
The relay clicks and voltage (~12V) is present at the connector into the gas tank. Relay is only energized for about two seconds. Pump never sounds like it's running, even during the ~2 sec that voltage is present.
Ground wire is connected to a good ground, as verified by checking resistance to the negative terminal of my sub amplifier (<0.5 ohms).
Next step is to direct connect the fuel pump connector to the battery momentarily to determine if it's the power circuit to the pump or the wiring internal to the fuel tank.

Crank pulley:
Bolt came off surprisingly easy. I braced the crank pulley against the engine and gronked on the bolt to break it free. Oil came out of the bolt hole, which I assume is OK.
New AMS lightweight crank pulley is installed and torqued to 30 ft-lbs plus ~90 degrees.

Coolant overflow relocation:
I think the overflow bottle is different from the Stillen supplied one. If you look at the pictures, I'm curious as to how to route the coolant hose that used to be attached to the bottom of the stock reservoir to the bottom of the new reservoir. I'm thinking that I'm gonna grab some tubing from Autozone and go from there.

1/4 inch boost line:
I've gotta grab some tubing for this and another T-fitting to route manifold pressure to the boost meter as well as the fuel regulator. How did you guys make this work? The Prosport tubing does not take to stretching well and there is no supplied tubing to connect the fuel pressure regulator to the manifold...

I had to mount the SC to the engine for posterity's sake... Nothing is tightened down, I just wanted to see what the end result would look similar to haha.
I went through 3 Dremel cutting wheels to clear the pinch weld for the flipped volute. I'll verify clearance once I'm ready to tighten down.

Pictures Link:
https://goo.gl/photos/6wexurgWYzweWzYw7

Is that new crank pulley the same exact size as the oem one you took off?

I had a similar problem come up with my pump. Ended up being a ground that came loose in the basket assembly. The weight of the plastic connector that has the dust boot supplied by Aeromotive was putting slight constant pressure downwards in the wiring going to the underside of the hat, and the ground wire fitting got just loose enough for a poor connection.

When I out it together initially I'd wrapped the wiring up nicely and ziptied it to this OCD thought it looked nice and clean, but that ended up being the cause of the problem. I put a new connector on and left the wiring loose so nothing had any weight at all on it. Looked sloppy but out it all back together and worked like a charm.

Symptoms were similar to what you're describing.

Oh and you don't need to remove the OEM coolant overflow with the A/A. Mine was already gone so will have to decide if I want to relocate the Stillen one or fab up some brackets to out the OEM one back since my tabs were all cut off for the old charge pipe. That line you're talking about to the bottom of the OEM tank I cut and capped off in the drivers side of the engine. If you're leaving the OEM tank you can run it under the SC mounting bracket.

Take a look at my install. I'm using the stock coolant tank.

If i remember correctly when I was chasing a fuel pump problem, when you turn the ignition on the pump will run a couple of seconds and then shutoff. It will not run again until the engine turns over.

You probably won't hear the pump until it is primed and has some pressure on it. You can always hook a hose to the outlet and see if it is pumping.

I'm old and may be wrong....