Ok guy its going to be here on the 11th. Perfect time for a weekend install! You guys have any tips for the install?

 

Congrats on your Vortech kit.

 

Tip #1: Follow the instructions and plan on a long weekend.

 

Install tips have to take into account your level of experience with auto mechanics, the tools you have available to you, and whether or not you have access to a lift.

If this is your first car project of this nature and you have no one to help you that has already done this PRECISE install then I highly recommend you go to a pro--or at least have a pro installer check your work. It not worth saving $800 to screw up both the kit and your car.

Let me know the answers to the above questions and I can give you more specific advice and install tips if you wish (including my own very recent experience with this install).

 

Heres my site. www.tacoma.gixxer.com
Ive been around a little, but Ive never done a SC install. But I dont think anything is off limits. Ill also have a friend to help that has done a few Turbo jobs.

 

Congrats! Hopefully I'll have my tracking number for one next week (if I decide not to wait for the APS ST)!

I downloaded the install manual for the Vortech, it sucks IMO. Deifinitely not as good or as detailed as the other FI kits.

 

I assume you don't have a lift and will be crawling on your back under the car. Also, you likely don't have all the fuel line crimping tools, etc, nor have you ever tapped an oil pan where one mistake will be extremely costly. If I'm wrong on my assumptions, please forgive me.

What I'm describing was exactly my situation 2 weeks ago. I had a good friend who was mechanically handy helping me and I'm bold and very mechanical but had no idea what I was getting into. Furthermore, my garage was 20 degrees and the heater I rented for the day broke after 15 minutes. Nevertheless, I spent about 12-14 hours that day and the next morning on the project.

My plan--install the wiring, mounting bracket, blower and all the piping. Don't connect the toothed belt and don't even try messing with the oil system and fuel system. When I was done with my part, the car could be driven without problem to the shop I set up an appointment with to finish the install. They (Avalon Racing) did the fuel, oil systems and final hookup. Also, they installed a JWT oil pan spacer immediately after drilling the upper pan--I highly recommend this add on. All my work was checked and sure enough, I had done something wrong that could have been serious because the instruction manual's picutres and descriptions leave much to be desired. I had routed the down pipe on the wrong side of an airconditioner hose. The hose would have eaten through after a few months for sure. Also, I didn't get the hard tubing for the steering cooler just right and then couldn't line up the tubing into the intercooler just right. All this was fixed by the mechanic who was generally impressed with the job I had done. Most of the cars he worked on after a user install were very screwed up and some seriously damaged.

So, get yourself an excellent installer who has done this precise installation several times. This is essential. Skip the fuel lines/aux pump and oil lines stuff--too critical and requiring a lift and special equipment to dp it right. Also, any mistakes on the fuel lines including less than perfect location (such as under the oil pan and then being the lowest point on the car) can be catastrophic.

Then, get yourself the AutoSport wiring patch harness and do all the timing box wiring on a table in your house. You have to cut and solder a bunch of wires prefectly. You can then plug the harness in between your harness and ECU, solder color coded wires from the timing box harness into the patch harness, and your done. This is well worth the extra $300--please believe me on this one.

When installing the bracket, use silicone cement to fix the spacers to the proper (engine) side of the bracket before you mess with the bolts--except for one long bolt that has to be installed before you mount the blower to the bracket (before the bracket/blower gets installed on the motor). The piping can be a bear. You need to bend the airconditioner line out of the way like the instructions say. You need to route the lowest down pipe between an air condition hose and the frame of the car (looking from the front: driver front wheel, frame, pipe, then hose). This is the step I got wrong. When mounting the intercooler, leave the lower brackets on but bend them flat (you'll see what I mean when you get there. Get the steering cooler up high and to the right side of the left portion of the radiator and remove all the brackets holding the hard lines before you do this. Put on the BOV before you install the pipe that it connects to. Get a Gates 93.5 inch serpentine belt and get rid of the crap one that comes with the kit. Install this with about 1/4" of play when pushing firnly down on the top of the belt. If you're going to swap out plugs to one step cooler coppers or Iridiums (a waste of money I think), then do it before everything else. This alone is a two hour pain in the a$$.

You'll have to cut a hole in the top of the harness grommet under the larger battery cover and feed the timing box harness down into the right kick panel area. Do your soldering into the patch harness you previously soldered in 6 inch lengths of wire you cut from the timing box harness--so now all you have to do is match wiring colors. But don't plug the patch harness into place. Just leave it ther for the final hookup by your installer. The grommet will have to be sealed with silicone sealer--but don't do this if your installer will be installing gauges. He'll route the wiring into the dash through the same grommet hole.

You have to take off the front bumper (easy--don't have to do anything with the attached grill). You have to take off the splash shield and fender guards. You have to be careful to save every single bolt and snap connector--these things will grow legs and walk if you don't have several containers near every point your removing them.

Get your self a service manual--you shouldn't even try this without one.

This is all my humble advice to you.

 

Thanks for the advice! Yeah that looks like a bunch of **** to do! If you were going to have it done by a shop that has done installs would you still buy the harness patch? Anyone know of any good shops in Sac or the bay? If so how much do they charge?

 

The only reason for the patch harness if a pro is doing the install is so you can quickly and easily return the electrical system to stock when needed--for example, pulling the system out to bring car to dealer for serious engine warranty work. But--you could also just cut the wires to the timing box and resolder them later if you needed to do this. And, removing the system is an extreme intervention that I'd only do if you think you'll need a new engine.

Now, a pro will charge you around $80 per hour and the harness wiring alone will take about 2-3 hours. So, if you just do this one thing yourself, you'll save about $250, and for the remaining $50 you have a readily reversible harness hookup.

I think you'd be wise to leave this thing to a really good shop and spend the time doing something more fun than scarring up your hands, bleeding all over your engine, swearing for hours and crying into a greasy rag.

 

When you write all that down it sounds really hard. I’m going to be in the same boat soon. I know quite a bit about cars but I have never done a SC install. Can some others please post their experience with the Vortech that have similar knowledge of cars? Just would like to know what I’m getting into. I don’t mind if things get a little hard cause that how you learn.

 

Oh and can someone please suggest what tools will be needed to make things easy and go smooth?

Thank you.

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but "easy", "smooth" and "supercharger self-installation" is a major oxymoron!

You're going to need combination wrenches, a 3/8" metric socket set, wire cutter/stripper, electrical tape, utility knife, various screw drivers, silicone sealant, blue thread locker, a length of stiff wire as a fishing tool, and a few other miscellaneous things. Oh, and a service manual--very important. This can be downloaded for $25 from Nissan on the web. You'll need ramps or a floor jack with jack stands. I would seriously consider leaving the oil pan and fuel system to a pro. If not, you'll need a fuel line crimping tool (or better yet, a bunch of small screw-type hose clamps), drill, NPT tap, etc.

 

No I don't think it’s easy. But I think I will have fun doing it and learn lots. I have a friend that’s going to help that also knows a bit (two minds better then one). I have all the basic tools, sockets, jacks etc. Just going to have to buy (or borrow) the special stuff like the crimping tools and tapping tool. Know a mechanic that said he would show me how to tap into the pan.

 

ewwww! Electrical tape = ghetto.

 

Do you have a link where to get the harness?

 

http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...ct_Code=ASW180