Fi - diy

2fast4thelaw · 04-19-2010, 08:58 PM

In amidst of the latest DRAMA between Forged and GTM and a couple of dissatisfied consumers some very good points were raised out of all of this.

NOTE! This thread will not be about this subject but rather one major point that I think will be very applicable for this forum.

There are many of us including myself who want to install their own FI system on our new 370Z/G37s ourselves. I am not an auto mechanic by trade however I am pretty skilled with a set of automotive tools and very good understanding of what I am doing.

I would really like to see more posts like “modme” did where he did a GTM TT install on his own and did a great job covering the install and the sticky parts of the job. This to me is what this forum should be about. I also want to personally thank "Modme" for this information. This information is not only interesting to us all but it gives us more courage to step out there a bit and do-it-ourselves. Auto Mechanics is not rockets science (no offense to anyone in that field) but its not that hard if you have a good set of tools and all the information you need, anything is possible. I have respect for "modme" to have the balls to install a TT kit himself while keeping the engine in the car.

I have no interest in shipping my car in either direction of the US to take even the slightest chance of having my car butchered. If I install it and I mess up then I only have myself to be pissed at. But sharing information is what these forums are about and when I install the FI kit I choose to run with I will do the same as “Modme” and share not only the difficult moments but some of the highlights.

I feel installing the system yourself will not only save you money but it’s a learning process and you will be able to resolve most of your own problems since you install it yourself it gives you that intimate knowledge that would be otherwise lost by having a shop do the work.

2fast4thelaw · 04-19-2010, 09:09 PM

DIY GTM Stage II Twin Turbo Kit install by "Modme"

DIY GTM Twin Turbo Stage 2 Install!!

37Z · 04-19-2010, 09:21 PM

Good point from bad press!

I good start would be to get the service/engine manual/specs for the VQ 3.7 VHR. Tuning is the art & science of any mod. The 370Z has many computers (5 I believe)that talk to one another... so it is not that easy to tune the engine's ECU without effecting other on board computers controlling safety, HVAC, and other operations. I am not sure if the various tuners advertise on this web site and/or other have completely crack the various codes controlling all aspects of the 370Z yet.

Demon Z · 04-19-2010, 10:03 PM

Looking forward to this...just finished reading modme's install thread.

2fast4thelaw · 04-19-2010, 10:05 PM

You have a good point, however when it comes to tuning, for me that is where my job ends and the professional's job begins. Not many of us, including myself, have access to a dyno nor the codes to crack the 370's ECU.

Luckily for most of us the the ECU flash that is provided with the turn-key FI kits will be adequate for most of our needs. Anything beyond that would reqire us to have our cars tuned at a reputable shop.

My past experince with tuner shops is being talked into crap I dont need which only makes the project budget skyrocket. I prefer to keep things simple and basic at first and go from there.

Chris@FsP · 04-19-2010, 10:26 PM

I totally support the DIY guys; that's how I learned to work on cars

Xan · 04-19-2010, 10:32 PM

Good take away and I fully support doing your own work.

But unless you know what you are doing and have been working on cars for a good amount of time, you might not want to use your new $40k car as your first diy fi project. I would start by re-building an older car first and learn from that...

fstrnldr · 04-20-2010, 12:42 AM

I'm all for seeing more DIY installs. I say go for it and if you have questions post them up. I'm sure one of the "professionals" on here can help you out.

What kit are you thinking of doing, and have you talked to the company to see if they can get you some instructions to check out prior to making your decision?

2fast4thelaw · 04-20-2010, 10:02 AM

I have decided to go with the GTM supercharger Stage1 kit. I really like the Rotrex compressor for its low noise and efficient traction drive system. I also like how clean and unobtrusive it keeps the engine bay.

I have also considered the GTM TT kit but its far more complicated and a whole lot more could go wrong during the install. Both units will meet my power goals and the supercharger is significantly less expensive and simplier to install plus everything is up front. Furthermore, if I ever have to remove it for whatever reason I could likely have it back to stock over a weekend.

JB-370z · 04-20-2010, 10:21 AM

I will not be doing DYI: Props to all that go this route!!!!!!!!!!!
I plan on going TT. I will be sending my car out to GTM before the end of the summer. Stage ll turbos here I come. I will need to sell all of my N/A stuff soon and put on stock

I love my HKS exhaust. I CAN sleep at night knowing GTM did the install. I am going for a very low boost and about 430-450 hp. After I have the car about 6 months to a year I will rebuild the motor with a lower compression and up the boost. At that point I will be good for 550 hp and be done with it. I want to be able to beat my brothers 911 down the track, thats my only real goal.
After performance, I will go for a little bit of show and sound.
I am looking into buying a s2000 as my back up car.

FuszNissan · 04-20-2010, 11:09 AM

JB - 430-450 is plenty. I can't even get traction from First -Forth gear.(WOT) I am not sure how you will be able to keep the power to the ground, if you decide to go more than 450.

JB-370z · 04-20-2010, 03:48 PM

I might just say 400-415 and keep it at low boost. I will need to do some mods to try to get the power to the ground. I drive like a grandma every where and I only drive the 3-4 times a week 30 miles a day so its not like I will be racing the car. But every once and a blue moon I will have to give it a little go-go

Lou where is all the videos at????
I am stuck on what kind of exhaust I want to put on the car....Thinking of HKS carbon fiber ti but thats alot of exhaust to be hanging out the back twice. GTM can fab up anything just need to find the muffler I like.

FuszNissan · 04-20-2010, 04:39 PM

I made one vid. I know I have been slacking.

JB-370z · 04-20-2010, 05:09 PM

Everyone that goes turbo either does not post on the forum much or would not make nice videos if there lives depended on it. Is the car still easy to drive like the day it came from the factory? Also how much harder is it to press the clutch down all the way vs stock???

Chris@FsP · 04-20-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB-370z

Is the car still easy to drive like the day it came from the factory?

As long as the tune is right; yes, it will drive like stock until you put your foot down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB-370z

Also how much harder is it to press the clutch down all the way vs stock???

This is impossible to answer, seeing as how there are so many different clutch options available. My OS Giken triple plate, for example, has probably twice the pedal pressure over stock. However, after driving it for a day or two, it feels natural. Now, when I drive a customers car, I almost put my foot through the floorboard on startup since I'm so used to a heavy clutch

04-19-2010, 08:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
2fast4thelaw Enthusiast Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Denver Co Age: 50 Posts: 403 Drives: 09 370Z Sport/MT6 Rep Power: 16	Fi - diy In amidst of the latest DRAMA between Forged and GTM and a couple of dissatisfied consumers some very good points were raised out of all of this. NOTE! This thread will not be about this subject but rather one major point that I think will be very applicable for this forum. There are many of us including myself who want to install their own FI system on our new 370Z/G37s ourselves. I am not an auto mechanic by trade however I am pretty skilled with a set of automotive tools and very good understanding of what I am doing. I would really like to see more posts like “modme” did where he did a GTM TT install on his own and did a great job covering the install and the sticky parts of the job. This to me is what this forum should be about. I also want to personally thank "Modme" for this information. This information is not only interesting to us all but it gives us more courage to step out there a bit and do-it-ourselves. Auto Mechanics is not rockets science (no offense to anyone in that field) but its not that hard if you have a good set of tools and all the information you need, anything is possible. I have respect for "modme" to have the balls to install a TT kit himself while keeping the engine in the car. I have no interest in shipping my car in either direction of the US to take even the slightest chance of having my car butchered. If I install it and I mess up then I only have myself to be pissed at. But sharing information is what these forums are about and when I install the FI kit I choose to run with I will do the same as “Modme” and share not only the difficult moments but some of the highlights. I feel installing the system yourself will not only save you money but it’s a learning process and you will be able to resolve most of your own problems since you install it yourself it gives you that intimate knowledge that would be otherwise lost by having a shop do the work. __________________ To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. Last edited by 2fast4thelaw; 04-19-2010 at 09:08 PM.

04-19-2010, 09:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
2fast4thelaw Enthusiast Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Denver Co Age: 50 Posts: 403 Drives: 09 370Z Sport/MT6 Rep Power: 16	DIY GTM Stage II Twin Turbo Kit install by "Modme" DIY GTM Twin Turbo Stage 2 Install!! __________________ To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

04-19-2010, 10:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
2fast4thelaw Enthusiast Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Denver Co Age: 50 Posts: 403 Drives: 09 370Z Sport/MT6 Rep Power: 16	You have a good point, however when it comes to tuning, for me that is where my job ends and the professional's job begins. Not many of us, including myself, have access to a dyno nor the codes to crack the 370's ECU. Luckily for most of us the the ECU flash that is provided with the turn-key FI kits will be adequate for most of our needs. Anything beyond that would reqire us to have our cars tuned at a reputable shop. My past experince with tuner shops is being talked into crap I dont need which only makes the project budget skyrocket. I prefer to keep things simple and basic at first and go from there. __________________ To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

04-19-2010, 10:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
Xan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MA Posts:99999999999999 Posts: 3,301 Drives: 370Z 40th Aniversary Rep Power: 24	Good take away and I fully support doing your own work. But unless you know what you are doing and have been working on cars for a good amount of time, you might not want to use your new $40k car as your first diy fi project. I would start by re-building an older car first and learn from that... __________________

04-20-2010, 10:02 AM	#9 (permalink)
2fast4thelaw Enthusiast Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Denver Co Age: 50 Posts: 403 Drives: 09 370Z Sport/MT6 Rep Power: 16	I have decided to go with the GTM supercharger Stage1 kit. I really like the Rotrex compressor for its low noise and efficient traction drive system. I also like how clean and unobtrusive it keeps the engine bay. I have also considered the GTM TT kit but its far more complicated and a whole lot more could go wrong during the install. Both units will meet my power goals and the supercharger is significantly less expensive and simplier to install plus everything is up front. Furthermore, if I ever have to remove it for whatever reason I could likely have it back to stock over a weekend. __________________ To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. Last edited by 2fast4thelaw; 04-20-2010 at 10:05 AM.

04-19-2010, 09:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
37Z Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 476 Drives: 370Z MB 6M -sold Rep Power: 263	Good point from bad press! I good start would be to get the service/engine manual/specs for the VQ 3.7 VHR. Tuning is the art & science of any mod. The 370Z has many computers (5 I believe)that talk to one another... so it is not that easy to tune the engine's ECU without effecting other on board computers controlling safety, HVAC, and other operations. I am not sure if the various tuners advertise on this web site and/or other have completely crack the various codes controlling all aspects of the 370Z yet.

04-19-2010, 10:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
Demon Z Base Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 229 Drives: '13 FR-S Rep Power: 17	Looking forward to this...just finished reading modme's install thread.

04-19-2010, 10:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
Chris@FsP Enthusiast Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 430 Drives: 2008 350Z TT Rep Power: 369	I totally support the DIY guys; that's how I learned to work on cars

04-20-2010, 12:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
fstrnldr Base Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: CA Posts: 170 Drives: Canyonero Rep Power: 16	I'm all for seeing more DIY installs. I say go for it and if you have questions post them up. I'm sure one of the "professionals" on here can help you out. What kit are you thinking of doing, and have you talked to the company to see if they can get you some instructions to check out prior to making your decision?

04-20-2010, 10:21 AM	#10 (permalink)
JB-370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston, Tx Posts: 1,859 Drives: Stage 2 Twin Turbos Rep Power: 19	I will not be doing DYI: Props to all that go this route!!!!!!!!!!! I plan on going TT. I will be sending my car out to GTM before the end of the summer. Stage ll turbos here I come. I will need to sell all of my N/A stuff soon and put on stock I love my HKS exhaust. I CAN sleep at night knowing GTM did the install. I am going for a very low boost and about 430-450 hp. After I have the car about 6 months to a year I will rebuild the motor with a lower compression and up the boost. At that point I will be good for 550 hp and be done with it. I want to be able to beat my brothers 911 down the track, thats my only real goal. After performance, I will go for a little bit of show and sound. I am looking into buying a s2000 as my back up car. __________________ ll Baker Tuning ll GTM ll Powerhouse Amuse ll HKS ll Up-Rev ll iForged ll AP Racing ll Pioneer ll SPL ll Bride ll Top Secret ll OS Giken ll GTM Stage 2 Twin Turboed 370z (First in Texas, Thanks To Baker Tuning) Last edited by JB-370z; 04-20-2010 at 10:25 AM.

04-20-2010, 11:09 AM	#11 (permalink)
FuszNissan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: St. Louis Posts: 14,275 Drives: Pure Sex Rep Power: 542	JB - 430-450 is plenty. I can't even get traction from First -Forth gear.(WOT) I am not sure how you will be able to keep the power to the ground, if you decide to go more than 450. __________________ Mods: Too Many to list! LouFuszNissan ZDAYZ 2012

04-20-2010, 03:48 PM	#12 (permalink)
JB-370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston, Tx Posts: 1,859 Drives: Stage 2 Twin Turbos Rep Power: 19	I might just say 400-415 and keep it at low boost. I will need to do some mods to try to get the power to the ground. I drive like a grandma every where and I only drive the 3-4 times a week 30 miles a day so its not like I will be racing the car. But every once and a blue moon I will have to give it a little go-go Lou where is all the videos at???? I am stuck on what kind of exhaust I want to put on the car....Thinking of HKS carbon fiber ti but thats alot of exhaust to be hanging out the back twice. GTM can fab up anything just need to find the muffler I like. __________________ ll Baker Tuning ll GTM ll Powerhouse Amuse ll HKS ll Up-Rev ll iForged ll AP Racing ll Pioneer ll SPL ll Bride ll Top Secret ll OS Giken ll GTM Stage 2 Twin Turboed 370z (First in Texas, Thanks To Baker Tuning) Last edited by JB-370z; 04-20-2010 at 03:52 PM.

04-20-2010, 04:39 PM	#13 (permalink)
FuszNissan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: St. Louis Posts: 14,275 Drives: Pure Sex Rep Power: 542	I made one vid. I know I have been slacking. __________________ Mods: Too Many to list! LouFuszNissan ZDAYZ 2012

04-20-2010, 05:09 PM	#14 (permalink)
JB-370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston, Tx Posts: 1,859 Drives: Stage 2 Twin Turbos Rep Power: 19	Everyone that goes turbo either does not post on the forum much or would not make nice videos if there lives depended on it. Is the car still easy to drive like the day it came from the factory? Also how much harder is it to press the clutch down all the way vs stock??? __________________ ll Baker Tuning ll GTM ll Powerhouse Amuse ll HKS ll Up-Rev ll iForged ll AP Racing ll Pioneer ll SPL ll Bride ll Top Secret ll OS Giken ll GTM Stage 2 Twin Turboed 370z (First in Texas, Thanks To Baker Tuning)