I have a 5AT 350Z and already have Injen CAI and Greddy EVO exhaust. What mod should I get next? I'm looking for a bigger boost off the line.

 

how much do you want to spend. FI is the only way for a boost off the line

 

go for an intake manifold or plenum... thats the best way to make NA gains

 

https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-drivetrain/118692-installed-3-5-rear-end-2200-stall-torque-coverter-level-10-valve-body-ecu-reflash.html

 

Definitely 3.53 final drive. Best mod Ive done so far.

 

What kind of negative effects (if any) have you seen from this mod? Does it really reduce top speed? If so, by how much? Does it alos alter the shift points? Thanks.

 

Go for the Motordyne XL Plenum Spacer. There is currently a Group Buy going on. I have a G35 Coupe 5AT. The Plenum Spacer made a "real" difference in power and acceleration. Search the various threads and posts on this and G35Driver forums for dyno results. It performs very similar if not better than the Kinetix and Crawford Plenums for 1/2 the price. It is a fairly easy install with the best customer service from Motordyne (Tony). I believe it is the "Best Mod" for the money.

 

I bet the top speed is still 145mph+. When cruising at 75 I noticed that rpms went up about 100. Also when at WOT in full auto it shifts a little before redline now when it used to shift at redline. The shift point isnt really a big deal to me, I use manual mode when I go the the drag strip anyways. I lowered my 1/4 time by half a second after the install BTW.

 

Sorry haven't kept up with this but if the 350EVO 3.9 fits that would be nice.

a ValveBody upgrade is always nice on automatics.

 

Best mods torque converter, valve body, and 3.5 rear end. With all my engine mods combined with these mods i leave rubber at 50 mph when i step on it.

 

What he said. A high stall torque converter is the best performance gain for an AT short of going FI.

 

4 years from now, when i have a few thousand i can burn, these are the mods i will turn to. id like to stay n/a in my z, just to bring power to the table in both a na setup, and a 5at setup

 

zmego1985, I like your choice of mods.
Yes, a valve body and rear end(Nismo,KAAZ or whatever) along with a manual final drive gear makes a noticable "off the line" improvement. I thought about gettin the 3.9, but the SC already makes too much torque down low.
Another good "off the line" mod would be some rims and tires. With enough rubber, you can minimize your burn outs and put the power to the ground instead of up in smoke
Try fitting some 295s or 315 tires on.

 

The TC, VB and FD are all mods that will leave the car N/A. They are transmission/drivetrain modifications that will have a dramatic effect on the way the car responds to the power that the engine is already producing. One of the things about the stock 5AT is that the transmission and final drive are not well setup for a sports car feel, rather a smoother ride. I would recommend these three mods as well and I will be adding the TC/VB upgrades shortly. Believe me, you will spend a ton of money on the engine in N/A form and wonder why you didn't listen to us back when we recommended these mods first. In many ways I wish this option would have been available 2 years ago before I started dropping money into other mods. These are also good mods for preparing the 5AT for FI or more HP if you plans ever change. Beyond these 3 mods I would say cams, headers and an ECU reflash.

 

as someone who doesn't know much about engines, can someone inform me as to what these parts are and what they do.

 

Torque Converter/Stall speed.....

".... One of the jobs of the converter is to act as a fluid coupling from the motor to the transmission. Another, and a very important function, is torque multiplication. What remains is stall speed, a very misunderstood term. Stall speed is directly related to the amount of torque your engine produces (the greater torque, the higher the stall speed). For example, a converter with a 2800 to 3200 rpm rating might provide approx. 3200 rpm of stall speed behind the big block making 500-plus lbs of torque and in a small block with less torque it's possible to only have a stall speed of 2800.......



Stall speed is a term used to describe the rpm at which the torque converter transfers the power from the engine to the transmission. There are different ways to test stall speed. "Foot brake stall" is when you press the brake pedal and then press the gas pedal. When the car doesn't go anymore or the tires start to spin that is "brake stall". (DO NOT TRY THIS! THIS MEASUREMENT IS MEANINGLESS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO YOU AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER!) "Flash stall" is when you, from a dead stop, press the gas pedal to wide open throttle (wot). Watch your tach needle, you will see the needle jump to a certain rpm, that is "flash stall". A drag racing-style trans brake will give you closer to the true stall speed of a torque converter....


Theoretically, for maximum acceleration the stall speed of the torque converter should match the peak torque rpm of the engine. A good explanation for the way it works is this: when you go outside jogging you start to breathe in and out faster and harder. Well the same thing goes for a performance engine. The engine is breathing in and out harder and faster, at a higher rpm. If a high performance engine makes power at a higher rpm, then a higher stall speed torque converter is what you need to put more power to the ground quicker...... "

 

I think I may be swapping my 3.2 for a 3.5 final drive. I am really interested in getting the Torque Converter and Valve Body upgrade.

How much are these two upgrades and where can I buy them?

 

TC upgrade ~$500
VB Upgrade ~$650

 

Well looks like I can afford only one of them right now. Which one would be best to do after the Final Drive swap?

 

levelten.com

valve body is 800.
tc should run around 650.

install on both items is pretty intensive. with purchase price and install cost... plan for at least 1000 per each of the two mods.