I am considering an F/I upgrade, as i'm sure many listers are, but am concerned with reliability issues. I would like to start a survey to assess the differences in each kit and problems had(if any). To participate, please fill out the info below:

Type of Kit installed(TT, SC, Intercooled, company, etc.):
Price Paid:
Cost of other required parts NOT included in kit:
Install Cost:
Time to install:
Other Engine Mods:
Boost Level:
Approximate Hp:
Miles on engine when installed:
Miles on engine since F/I install:
Problems/Issues:
Likes/Dislikes:

Thanks in advance and if there are a lot of responses someone should stick it so we have an ongoing database of aftermarket kit reliability.

 

Read the sticky threads at the top.

 

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I am aware of the threads already available but so far they have been simply lists of parts or stories of installs. I would like to address the RELIABILITY of the individual kits, not how much Hp or what other mods were done. Can you get 50,000 miles on stock internals with the Greddy kit? How about the APS? Who has done it? How many people have blown their engine within a month? What kit were they using? Which kit is the most complete and "plug-and-play"? How long will a daily driver last if the boost is turned down to -gasp- 4PSI and someone settles for 300 whp? 5 inch long lists of parts and 500 whp dyno charts are fun and all, but there are many more Z owners who would consider a basic F/I mod if the reliability was cataloged. What is the point of spending $5-7000 on a basic F/I setup only to have to dump another $2-8000++ into it within an unknown period of time?

 

The longest running F/I kits are the supercharger guys after that Sharif had his Greddy kit for like 20k miles. Thats about it...

My car has almost 3k miles with the Turbonetics kit now with no issues.

 

I now have about 12 thousand miles on my Procharger. I got it about two years ago. One of the first (at least in the top ten I think) 350z's to get it. I am running the 9 psi pulley. The rest of my mods are in my sig.

I have had no problems whatsoever other than one belt change due to me forgetting to tighten it and it getting shreaded because of that.

 

There's some guy on the other board with a retarded amount of miles on an APS TT and stock motor (70k I think). I'll have to find the thread when the board comes back up, not sure if that's all turbocharged miles.

 

I believe he had 70k miles on the engine, but only like 10 or 12k miles on the actual turbos. Still not bad though....

 

Type of Kit installed APS Intercooled Twin Turbo
Price Paid:7500 + 3000 Install & several tunes/maps
Cost of other required parts NOT included in kit: stillen exhaust & high flow cats 1700
Other Engine Mods: none
Boost Level: 8lbs
Approximate Hp: 400RWHP
Miles on engine when installed: about 22K
Miles on engine since F/I install: about 9K
Problems/Issues: nothing really
Likes/Dislikes: the kit is awesome, starts spooling around 2500, full boost at 3200, driveability is PERFECT and when I get on it, forget it....

There are other kits out there, but I have to tell you that as far as "out of the box" goes, you are not going to find a better kit.

As is the kit will support 650HP. Of course you will need internals/engine build, so thats another 5-10K depending on how you go about it.

Reliability factors: Oil & Water cooled garret turbos, fuel return system, highly reliable tuning available through the unichip, all components designed fitted to the 350z & VQ motor, not off the shelf/forced onto it. High quality manifolds & plumbing.

I autocross, drag and daily drive the car with no problems.

Let me know if I can be of any help. If you're local to LA or serious about your car, you can go to brainstorm in los angeles for info/install.

Whenever I am there, they have a couple cars from out of state.

It took me nearly a year to get to the APS kit, I nearly bought a stillen, did more homework for about 6 months and waited/bought the APS.

 

If you want reliability don't boost your car. It's that easy. The VQ is not made for boost or high output and if you try to push it your gonna pay.

 

Wow...all that resistance to csmith82177 request...
I agree with the gist of the list... being manageable and easy to understand.

Non of this, I had this problem or that problem with these solutions. Or sponsors boasting how damn good their kit is without giving us all the downfalls or problems still unresolved. Filling out the list is not that hard, proven by alpine

Zquicksilver
ps Why hasn't someone done this before...good job csmith82177...

 

this list is useless without more questions. you need to add if it was installed by a qualified shop, a shady shop, or installed at home by an inexperienced person. then you need to ask if the car is even USED for anything... many people make a ton of HP but have yet to run the track, street race... or anything that really puts the car thru hard times. I seen plenty of cars roll thru here on my dyno making great numbers and somehow they last as a daily driver, but I could promise if you left it in my hands for a few days I would bust it up real fast.

 

Thanks for your negative input; not what I'm looking for. Actually, as a shop owner you could help me and others out by telling me how many installs you have done, what kits, and what mileage you are getting out of them.

Transferred from **********, thanks Chaparro78:

Hmm, coming from personal experience and with more than 6k miles on my vortech alone, I couldn't be happier. I don't know who installed the system in the car you drove but I have the 9lb pulley and i am getting over 400 to the wheels. I'm in Dallas but I don't let anyone drive my car, let alone someone I have never known. My car still pulls hard in every gear and there is an amazing amout of difference compared to driving i stock. And judging from comments from other drivers that have heard my car, whether at car shows, on the street, or anywhere else, all like the blow off valve sound.

Oh, and hope everyone has a good Christmas and a safe new year.

This post has been edited by chaparro78: Dec 20 2004, 05:05 PM


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Performance Mods:
-Vortech Super Charger Polished w/9lb pulley
-Stillen Headers
-Stillen Dual catback Exhaust
-B&B race pipes
-5 Wire Grounding Kit
-Defi Dgauge Boost gauge
-Defi Dgauge A/F gauge


Easy: What he's got, mileage, Likes/Dislikes. More like that, please.

 

lmao +1

 

Some of the answers you are wanting can be found by searching (most complete kit? this has been covered over 100,000 times).

I don't think you are going to get people to participate in this thread like you want. It's just a PITA to post your setup 20 times when every newbie comes on here wondering this.

What I think would be good is adding a usergroup "Forced Induction" and you can request to be in the usergroup. The terms are you have to list your setup in your signature (mileage, mileage with F/I, HP and TQ, boost level, who it was installed by, cost, etc.). If you don't, you don't get added.

Then it would be as easy as going to look at the F/I usergroup and clicking on each member and looking at their signature.

 

nis,

That is a great idea!

 

Where is this statement coming from?

I don't know you, so if you're some genius engineer or something, please pardon my ignorance.

Making power from an engine isn't about boosting or not boosting. It's about design & balance.

I started down the path of FI over a year ago, I don't know it all or anything, but I've learned that it is more than bolting something on and stepping on the gas pedal.

I've seen/heard about just as many N/A non modified VQ engines as moded or FI'd so I don't really see the difference.

There is so much to be said just about fuel, and fuel management contributing to failures as much as it is higher power output or FI.

The only part about your statement is "you're gonna pay" (which you spelt wrong but don't worry about it) because one way or the other you are going to pay.

Unless you paid your car off, you have a monthly payment.

If you go around throwing stuff into your car without thinking it through, you're going to pay unless you steal the items.

The car needs gas right? So yes you're gonna pay unless you have some gas pump hacker trick.

Don't maintain your car? You're gonna pay with negligence.

Jump on the gas pedal? You're gonna pay, more fuel, more wear and tear, sheesh you might even get a ticket or better yet a car accident.

I've got 400RWHP on my daily driver and I autocross my car, drag my car, and I just got back from a 600 mile trip and the car was a dream to drive.

There are so many variables as to how to get HP and how to keep your motor from blowing up it's ridiculous. You could get every "valid" post on the entire internet about the VQ and still come up short with "everything you need to know".

Bottom line here, if you don't have some kind of fact or a basis for opinion, don't comment when someone is looking for information, not just more lines of garbage text to read and dispose of.

thanks for your cooperation.

 

good review. did u have to upgrade ur clutch for the aps kit? thanks

 

good review. did u have to upgrade ur clutch for the aps kit? thanks

 

I think etx is a non-believer that the VQ35DE is ok with boosting since his motor blew a week or so ago.