Spare Engine Rebuild Update: Haltech Platinum Pro

Yesss!!! My Haltech Platinum Pro Plug & Play R33 Engine Management System (including a 3 bar map sensor) has arrived from Australia!!!

 
Decided to switch from my Apexi Power FC with Commander to the Haltech Platinum Pro, due to the following reasons:

• User definable X- & Y-axis for fuel, ignition and boost
• 32x32 high res mapping
• VE Tuning (Volumetric Efficiency)
• MAF (no longer have to balance air fuel mixtures correctly)
• Advanced intelligent knock control
• CAN communication (really works as promised!)
• Closed loop idle control
• Speed density (more power)
• Launch control 
• N-VCT (Nissan Variable CAM Timing Control)

Thats just a few of the Haltech's features. Full details: http://www.haltech.com/store/index.php/plugin-ecu-kits/platinum-pro-kits/platinum-pro-plug-in-nissan-r32-33-skyline-kit.html

The Power FC is no longer in production and is technically a 10 year old technology, reliant on AFM readings (which is a pain to balance for twin turbos) plus it only has 20x20 resolution, does not have a ignition cut feature (fuel cut only) = limited tuning features when it comes to modified higher horsepower engines.

Spare Engine Rebuild Update - Tomei Forged H-Beam Conrods

Apologies for the lack of updates but its been a busy month for me and I've been waiting on a particular part to arrive. In fact, its the last piece of the engine rebuild jigsaw puzzle. I'm referring to conrods as it was the only other forged item that I wanted for this rebuild. Lo and behold the official spiel (summary courtesy of Nengun):

Usually, to give con-rod buckling strength and light weight character at the same time, H-beam or I-beam profile is applied. Tomei have applied a H-beam profile for the connecting rod for NISSAN RB, SR, CA, VG engines and succeeded in gaining high buckling strength while reducing the weight. Tomei produces con-rod's using a forging mold with the main bearing hole in its large end, so the 'metal flow' runs along con-rod's entire body. And with a use of special materials, they have succeeded in producing con-rods with extreme intensity and durability. 

Naturally, I got standard RB26 stroke conrods as I'm not stroking the spare engine. Thanks to my good friend Glenn Trollope of Chasers Motorworks Melbourne (good luck at the World Time Attack dude!), I was able to source the conrods in record time.

So that ends this update as the crank is being balanced but I'm hoping the engine will be ready before the end of May. Theres also the Nismo bearings that need to be installed and those had arrived sometime last month, courtesy of a fellow Skyline owner (thanks Nain!). 

Here are the bearings:

Can't wait for all the parts to come together. Watch this space.

Spare Engine Rebuild Update

Please refer to a previous blog entry on my purchase of a spare RB26DETT head and block, if you do not already know the story behind the rebuild.

Due to the limited availability of aftermarket RB26 parts locally, my tuner thought it best that I purchase items that we had reserved at several Sunway shops. 

His fear was that, since these reservations weren't firmly tied down with deposits, the vendors would have no qualms in selling the parts to walk-in customers. And so today we went out and visited the usual haunts of motorheads in and around Sunway. 

So while the block was being re-sleeved at the machine shop, we went to ST Wangan. We were there for the following items:

Jun Oil Collar 

ARP Bolts and Studs

Our next stop was Samurai Racing for the Greddy Oil Sump.

It will take sometime to rebore the block and port the head, so stay tuned till then.

Purchased a second RB26DETT engine for my rebuild project

It has always been my intention to purchase a second RB26DETT. The aim was to rebuild the engine and when it was ready, pop the new powerplant into the R33 GTR. That way, I wouldn't experience any downtime and the car would not be stuck at the workshop for weeks on end. It'll also mean that I will be able to install the performance engine parts that I've been stockpiling since last year (please refer to this earlier blog entry).

Lo and behold, I was able to fulfil this goal recently. A friend of mine was looking to sell his R32 GTR's bottom block along with a R33 GTR head. He has recently embarked on a RB30DETT project and as such, will not be able to utilise the bottom block. Whats interesting about this block is that it has been rebored to fit HKS 88mm drag spec forged pistons.

One of the HKS 88mm forged pistons

The actual bottom block

After carrying out the necessary machine shop tests to check the health of the pistons as well as the bottom block and the head, I decided to purchase the lot. The pistons are in excellent condition (near new in fact), the head needed only one minor weld and skim work, while the block itself passed the water leak test. Whats especially pleasing was that the crank was not bent.

The R33 GTR head

Stock RB26 oil and water pump, which will be replaced with Tomei Oversize Oil Pump and a N1 Water Pump

Work on this second engine will start after Chinese New Year holidays and I can't wait to source all the necessary parts like Nismo bearings :).

 All of that came from this particular R32 GTR engine

Dyno'ed the R33 GTR - Dyno Sheet, Pictures & Videos Included

Dyno'ed the R33 GTR at N1 Racing's Dynojet rig on the 8th of January 2011.

For a 13 year old car with her stock RB26DETT internals and turbos, shes putting out approximately 347.25 whp and 42.68 torque at the wheel. The car was pushing 1.25 bar of boost at 7500 rpm. 

The only performance mods that she had on were:

- Kakimoto Racing Full Mega N1 exhaust
 - Trust downpipe
 - HKS oil cooler
 - Custom de-cat pipe
 - Custom intercooler
 - Apexi induction kit
 - Apexi PFC with boost control

Quite happy with the dyno results. Here are some pics and vids I took of the car while it was being dynoed.