Max_King's Newbie Turbo Build
 

This is my thread to record my progress and get some help with the install and the details from you pros since this is the first time I ever FI a car. Looking forward to the fun :D

To give some background the car is a 2000 A/T with 191k it doesn't seem it was beat on, runs strong and better then the other 2 maximas I had with less miles. No current problems with the car other then the POS evap canister. Current mods are I/Y/E. The VIAS actually still works and the cup is sitting strong. I recently installed a Transgo HD2 shift kit.

Here's what I have so far:
-Holset HX35w
-HKS SSQV bov
-Ebay 38mm wastegate with 8psi spring
-Autometer EGT gauge, Fuel pressure gauge
-32x12x3 FMIC
-Modified lower oil pan with 10an fitting for turbo oil drain
-4an 36" feed line, 10an drain line, fittings, oil pressure sender T fitting, obx oil pressure reducer
-EU
-440cc injectors
-feedpipe and downpipe
-aem wideband
-boost gauge
-one step colder plugs

Parts I still need to pick up:
-oil cooler
-trans cooler

Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks!

You will be running full synthetic oil so no turbo timer is needed. Having a boost controller maybe convenient. Don't forget the one step colder spark plugs.

Yes I am running full synthetic currently and plan to run 5 qts. (from the regular 4.25) in order to compensate for the extra oil needed for the turbo. Is this sufficient?

I'm assuming the EU has an add-on for a boost controller option so I would most likely get that later down the rode. Thanks for reminding me about the plugs.

Hey this is local willing to help out if needed .

Just replied to your pm. I've seen your builds before and may have some questions for you and also might need you to build me the exact feedpipe and downpipe I want.

http://forums.maxima.org/supercharge...ontroller.html

also you can't use a tranny cooler as an engine oil cooler. oil pressure drops significantly using a tranny oil cooler for that.

I know, I was planning on using this for an oil cooler http://bmracing.com/PRODUCTS/Univers...BTU-11x8x1-1-2 and this for a trans cooler http://bmracing.com/PRODUCTS/Automat...U-11x5-3-4x3-4. Would that be sufficient, or should I get a trans cooler with a higher BTU rating? I think the BTU rating for the oil cooler seems good.

Thanks for the link for the boost controller!

All you need to know about the engine oil cooler http://www.modified.com/tech/modp-10...l/viewall.html

The b&m auto trans cooler is thermostatically controlled so you're good with that. Good quality synthetic fluid helps.

So would that B&M Universal Supercooler and a oil adapter sandwich plate be sufficient or should I look into a different kit altogether something like this http://www.jegs.com/i/Derale/259/15501/10002/-1?

Got tranny cooler, get: http://forums.maxima.org/supercharge...tall-pics.html

Also, I HIGHLY recommend you get a Transgo shift kit, HD2, that plus drop resistor mod and the cooler, you got tranny for a VERY long time.

nice cant wait to see the finished product. I wanna peice together my kit soon need to stop slacking

This won't be updated for a good month lol OP got banned.

I have a HD2 kit bro, you must have missed that in the OP. Thanks for the link!

Thanks!

Well I'm back now ;)

Ok updates since I was on vacation for a month. I have installed the injectors and the walbro fuel pump. The car is currently sitting in the garage with the VCs and IM off. I was changing the pcv and the dumb grommet fell into the VC, so since I had to pull the IM to install the injectors, I decided to pull the VC, pull out the grommet, and paint the VCs. I have also purchased new everything you can think of that deals with the crankcase ventilation since all the hoses were cracked and the pcv was full of oil.

I plan to run a breather valve on the front VC, a catch can that will ventilate under the car from the pcv, and a brass T with a breather on it on the hose that connects both the front VC to the rear VC. After researching pcv systems for hours and hours I found this would be a good idea. Thoughts on this?

So, do you have a horsepower goal?

350 whp is what I would like, if it makes a little less/more I would still be satisfied. If it only makes 300 I'll drive it off a cliff and if it makes 400 I'll drift off a cliff :D

Why are you using an ebay wastegate? Those things usually suck at holding any boost and are not the best quality. I understand that they are cheap but I would look into something better. Also a 1:1 FPR would be a nice touch.

I got the wastegate for free with the turbo, I'll eventually get a better wastegate and FMIC once I get the setup up and running.

I don't think I need a FPR since I'm running a walbro and 440cc injectors which I just finished installing btw.

Today I finally started the car after pulling the IM, pulling VCs and painting them, installing the 440cc injectors, reinstalling the walbro to fix the problem that occured where it didn't go to F on a full tank, pulled the VI power rod out so no more VI, and setup the crankcase ventilation as I stated in post #14.

The car drove fine after the install except at WOT its like it had no power and it hesitated. I'm guessing this is because its running rich maybe? Not enough air too much fuel in the higher rpm may be causing this. Or am I wrong?

If you have 440cc injectors with a stock tune, yes you are running rich as a MOFO at WOT.

At WOT, the car adds fuel based on MAF signal only. Not a combination of MAF and O2 readings. The ECU also has no way of knowing that you have larger injectors in there. You're injectors are pulsing at the rate they need to be with stock injectors. But they are letting a LOT more fuel in. The car doesn't sense anything wrong because it ignores the O2s at this point.

Put the stock injectors back in until you have time to tune it. Or just scale down the injectors if you're handy with the EU already.

Oh ok thanks, I don't plan to put the stock injectors back in since this was basically phase 1 of prepping the car for the turbo install. The EU I will hook up next and I'll use it to scale them down. I knew I was running rich I just didn't know it would make the car hesitate at high rpms.

Btw how do I scale down the injectors, just use the injector input and put that I have 440cc now but what is the stock size?

Btw here's a crappy cellphone vid I took of the first startup yesterday, if anyone is interested. You can also witness how the AT shifts with the transgo hd2 kit and how I setup my crankcase ventilation system.

Enjoy!



Questions/concerns/comments/feedback all welcome!

Yo man, I would like to see a pic in the day of that painted VC! Car sounds good. You get rubbing with 245s? How low are you? I got 245s and I'm not rubbing in the back, then again I have Eibach springs so its not really that low.

When you think you'll be totally finished and dynoed with the turbo build? I'm looking forward to this. There will be at least 2 more turbo Maximas next year!!!

I'll take a better pic for you, I just got the charger for my camera I ordered so I'll charge it and take some better pics. My wheels are a 35 offset and I have 15mm spacers so your talking a 20 offset in the rear with 245/45 tires the fronts I have 245/40 and no spacers and its fine. Also, I'm dropped on stechs which is the lowest spring drop you can find 2.2"F/1.8"R and over time the drop seemed to go a little lower.

I'm not sure when I will dyno, but I should be finished with the installation and a street tune by the end of January. That's assuming we don't get crazy snow that prevents me from even taking it out of the garage.

Where should I connect my fuel pressure gauge to? Would before or after the stock fpr be ok?

I'm guessing after (fuel rail side) would make more sense? And just to confirm the rear side of the fuel rail is the delivery side, the front is the return correct?

I go to install my EU, so I unplug the battery. Leave it off and leave the ECU unplugged while I make the connects on my patch harness, come back connect it up and I get no power to the EU. The security light is on rock solid while the key is in the ON position. I remove the EU and the car cranks and cranks but won't start and the security light is on rock solid in the ON position. Everything else works, lights, radio, etc but with the EU connected it doesn't get any power and without the EU the car won't start. I didn't try starting the car with the EU plugged up since I haven't setup the EU yet.

I'm thinking the NATS immobilized the car but wouldn't I still get power to the EU when its plugged in if that was the case? Or does the NATS cut power to the ECU?

Everything was fine before this.

Wish you the best on your build. Now i know how mine will run when i put in my 440's and the walbro 255lph. Hope i figure out that EU power issue soon

Thanks bro! Your car will run better though since you already installed the turbo ;)


I got the ecu relay in today and replaced it. Well its the same problem, it wasn't the relay. So now back to the drawing board :facepalm:

Hope you figure out the issues. They are frustrating.

if it's not even coughing or attempting to fire it sounds like a lack of fuel. i don't know anything about how the nats or immobilizer works, but that would be my guess as to the root cause - assuming you didn't install other parts at the same time as you did your eu install.

what's your fuel pressure gauge reading?

Its not NATS I already wasted money trying that. The ecu is not getting power at all and since the injectors and fuel pump are powered off signals from the ecu they as well are not getting power. This is how I know the ecu is not getting power.

1) Can't communicate with ecu using obd2 or even consult2 to access the NATS.
2) Voltage at all the fuses everywhere but at the ecu pins
3) No voltage in the power wire going to the ecu, even if the ecu is blown the EU should have turned on because current flows through the wire regardless and there is no voltage at the pins, plus the ecu never turned on period for it to fry
4) Check engine light doesn't even flash or come on period when key is switched to ON position

This is my exact process before the mishap. Disconnected battery, unplugged ecu, check fitted the patch harness, wired up EU to patch harness, connected patch harness up to ecu, connected battery, put key to ON position, nothing happened, unplugged battery and disconnected EU and patch harness and connected ecu back up stock, nothing happened. Basically after I first disconnected the ecu initially it hasn't got any power since.

There is no fuel pressure since the fuel pump isn't even turning on at all like its supposed to. I checked the wiring schematic from the FSM and followed the path of power from the battery to the ecu and it makes sense why the fuel pump wouldn't get power since its directly connected to the ecu power there after. The power goes from the battery to the fuses to the relay to the ecu then to fuel pump, injectors, etc. There is voltage at the fuses but I couldn't get voltage at the ecu, so I thought it was the relay. I replaced the relay and still no voltage at the ecu. When I say ecu I measured at the harness both with the ecu connected and disconnected on more then one power pin.

My only guess now is that A) something got disconnected when I pulled the harness off the ecu B) a wire somewhere/somehow was fried in between the path of the fuses to the harness.

I'm not sure of the path of the ecu harness itself, where it goes or what its connected to. I have to figure that out and check it out.

The harness maybe wired wrong and when you provided 12v it cooled the ecu. I would crack open the ecu a check. If that's fine check the ignition switch to see if power is making its way there

Thanks guys! Problem solved, last night when I replaced the relay I was in a rush and didn't plug the ecu harness all the way in. Today I was about to check voltages so I was removing the plastic piece on the harness so I can check the pins at the harness. I plugged it in and the car fired up. I had the plastic off before so I'm sure I wasn't an idiot previously and didn't have it plugged all the way in. Before there was no voltage at the harness and now after the relay replacement there is.

I am throwing P1320, pending P1320, and P0305. I haven't checked them but I'm guessing misfires. I am running 440cc injectors stock so I'm sure its misfiring from running too rich.

Ok this thing won't run for **** today. I hooked up the EU and it wouldn't start and threw the P0335 Crankshaft Position Sensor and a P0464 code something about the fuel level. So I disconnected the EU and just reverted it back to stock. Started it up and it ran but it was running crazy as if it was misfiring like last night. I wait a bit, start it again and the car is shaking violently and making loud popping noises but it was able to stay on for a while. I turned it off waited about 2 hrs because I thought I was flooding the engine. I go now and its even worse, the exhaust sounds like gunshots and there is gas in the exhaust, its like half burned gas. the car won't stay on and when I hit the throttle no air gets sucked in by my intake.

Its not an ecu connection the car is completely back to stock the EU is hooked onto a plug and play patch harness. I am running the 440cc injectors so I'm guessing all the attempted starts have flooded the engine.

What should I do? I thought waiting would help the flooding but it hasn't. If I can get it to at least idle right then I can worry about the EU and used it to scale down the injectors.

Can someone confirm that I am right about the flooding? I'm pretty sure the wet exhaust confirms this.

I took a vid of the problem here it is, any help is appreciated

i think the stock ecu can't handle the larger injectors. it's running pig rich because the ecu is giving the 440 injectors the same pulse width the stock 290s or whatever are getting. do you have an AFR gauge hooked up? what does it say? hook the EU back up, remove fuel and run auto tune. my .02

No AFR gauge hooked up yet, thanks for the input. I guess I'll have to finish the build up and then tune.

One question I have is where I should hook my wideband to, on the feedpipe before the turbo or on the downpipe after the turbo? I thought on the feedpipe would make sense but I've been told that isn't an accurate reading and that it should be on the downpipe?

After the turbo in the down pipe far enough way from the turbo so the o2 does not get too much heat from the actual turbo.

Stock ecu cannot compensate for injectors that big. That is why you are having issues with the car starting and trying to stay alive. Either remove the injectors or pull fuel back with the EU. Better hope you dont wash out the cylinders.

My car with a AFPR (set to base fuel, 36psi) and 600cc injectors can run of the stock ECU. So yah...

On the subject, why don't you have a wideband hooked up...that's working backwards right there, remove the guess work and save yourself time/questions that can be answered with one glance. That and how do you know if you decide to take the car for a spin that you won't run it lean?

well obviously you are running too rich. turn your fuel pressure down to at least get the start-up/idle afr into the ballpark or pull back the injectors with eu.

but yeah... you have your number 1 tool for trouble shooting this (wideband) sitting on the sidelines being unused... why is that?

Was the popping coming from you're intake?