Hey gang,

I'm seriously considering an STS rear mount turbo if I can find one used for a good price.

Wondering though what mileage is the cut off for being able to mildly boost my car safely?

I figure by the time I'm putting on a turbo, if at all, I'll be between 90k and 98k on a stock '04 DE daily driven motor that's been cared for and never abused.

Goal wise I'm looking to hit 400hp at the wheel or even a little less? Just wanting to add a significant pull to the car for the fun factor, but not trying to build a beast, and of course on stock bits I gotta keep the boost down under what...9psi or so?...I know 400-425hp is the max on stock components, and so in that realm is what I'm wanting to accomplish, as inexpensively yet reliably as possible.

I've seen STS kits used go for 3k, so if I could pick one up and have some buddies and myself install it (their knowledge, my labor, I know nothing about installing the STS kit but I hear you can work your way through it if you're reasonable and patient...those two things I can do...calculus and other forms of mental torture...not my idea of a good time...but wrenching and listening and making good decisions I can handle.)

Anyway...all thoughts and input appreciated, trying to gauge if my brain straining is viable or not...if 90k+ is too high a mileage I'm going to a) be bummed and b) just go ART pipes, XYZ with HFC, and a 5/16th MD plenum spacer, and then tune if the tune is worth it. I actually already have the ART pipes, just not installed yet, and my cat back is an older Motordyne running 3" piping, which unfortunately...probably has to go bye bye with an STS rear mount turbo I think?

Ok..side question....would ART and/or XYZ with HFC be a plus at all for running the rear mount turbo setup?,....or would that just be a waste of money that I should put into the STS plans?

Thanks tons...I feel trapped somewhere between Noobeville and Dreamland while holding some bits of knowledge but missing other key information...hoping the guru gang here online can steer me straight to cross the finish line of Project 350zoom.

Saved

P.S. - Drove a 370z recently, and that extra 40hp over my 04 was a nice upgrade, would love to add 100hp or so to my ride as inexpensively as I can.

 

If its built and tune right, 100k is just fine to turbo it. I myself am only at 45k miles, buy i dont see how 100k would be a problem if its tune, built right and the car has been taken cared of.

 

Always a crap shoot with FI, but there are a few high mileage stock blocks at 400 hp and 150k on them. Very few and far between.

 

My stock motor let go at 60K miles. ~15k miles boosted.

 

Don't let the odometer dictate this decision...go get a compression test - if your comps are within tolerance of OEM spec or close to it than turbo away!

Sounds like you don't mind getting your hands dirty and learning a few things - so do the turbo install with your buds and have a good time. Start a build thread too.

A few things I would do when installing a used turbo...

#1 - get the turbo rebuilt - best $500 you spend on the kit
#2 - get new diaphrams for the wastegate and BOV
#3 - New oil feed and oil scavenge lines
#4 - Add an oil cooler
#5 - Install one or two 'flex hose' exhaust sections in the exhaust line

I'd put a turbo on a well maintain, non-neglected 100k VQ any day over a beat-to-****, teen-aged driven engine with 15k miles...

 

Thanks for the fast feedback guys.

I'll get a compression test sometime soon then, good advice.

Now...some of you intimate an issue I think I've assumed wrong about....the FI even on safe levels can still kaboom the engine? I was assuming a "mild" 6psi or a little up from that would be no danger since I'd be under the 400hp threshold....looks like I shoulda used someone else's brain to do my thinking? How dangerous is the FI? No way in the world I want to deal with having to find a new engine and replace it...that's big money, big headache, big time that I won't have later. Right now I have a little time on my hands to play with so I'm wanting to play, but if the engine can go tango down then tango isn't the dance I wanna deal with. Maybe I should stick to exhaust goodness with a tune?

Don't depress me with a pin to my dreams you guys ...I really want my car to have a fresh herd of horses under the hood...exhaust and tune would only add what...30hp at the max? (ART pipes, plenum spacer, XYZ, tune)

Is a supercharger any safer by any chance? Out of my budget, but knowledge is valuable, so a quick two cents on that route is appreciated if you have the time.

What if I turbo'd at a lower level...say shot for 360hp at the wheel? Would that be a lot safer for the engine? Stock is only about 240hp at the wheel, so really maybe I should shoot for 340-360hp and not even 400? I'm more of a "make it fun but keep it reliable" kinda guy. Not looking to be the automotive dragonslayer of the testosterone highways, just a fun ride with some Rambo under the hood.

Thanks again gang, much appreciated, and I'll try to do a build thread if this comes to be.

Saved

 

Think of it this way, an engine going boom on a qaulity built and tune is like getting shot. Sometime it happens to people sometime it doesnt. Sometime it happens multiple times to the same person, sometime people ho through life without having to deal with it.

Can an engine blow on a safe build and tune? Sure, happens all the time. The chances of it happening? No one can give you that. What we can offer is that out of the hundreds of turboed 350z, maybe a dozen or so have blown.

 

And a special thanks to bealljk...great post and and thanks for the guidance.

School me real quick? What's the flex hose section to the exhaust?

What's a rebuild of the turbo accomplish? I know the basics of how the turbo force induction works, but the spooling mechanism (turbo) deteriorates how? Hence my wondering what a rebuild for it does.

Definitely planning on an oil cooler, better safe than sorry. Can't remember if Rick Squires recommends one or not for his STS system...I think he says it's not needed? I'd still add one at some point, maybe not initially if it's not an absolute must, but I'd add one.

Was planning on a new oil pump as well going by the threads I've researched thus far. Good suggestion, keep em coming as I'm still in "sponge mode" of learning this project before I undertake it (if I get to actually do it - can't kill my car ).

Thanks again!

Saved

 

Over time the turbine gets worn. The shaft develops play. A rebuild kit rebuilds the internals of the turbo and you basicall have a jousing that has x amount of milege, the the internals are brand new.

Think of it like building an engine. The block may have 100k miles but the rods may have 0 miles.

 

It's your daily and you can't afford another motor and don't have the time, ding ding ding, FI is not for you.


Just being the voice of reason.

 

yeah ding aling is hearing ding ding ding as well.

Good voice of reason...very tempting, but I think I'm going to wait til I have a backup plan and the budget to back it up if she were to go boom boom boom.

Didn't realize it was still about a 5% percent chance of boom....(assuming bout a dozen out of a little over two hundred?..total guess based on the above mention)

What causes the boom by the way? The cylinder wall can't support the added combustion? Or the rod breaks that drives the piston? What exactly booms typically? All of the rods or just one? Varies wildly?

Still intent on doing this...but am going to wait and learn and save God Willing.

Thanks again for all the help...great info and I love the learning.

Saved

 

Mine had 76K on it when I put my procharger on it. It lasted maybe 100 miles and poped on the dyno. Partialy due to much timing and maybe a weak #5 rod. I was a fool and never did a compression test so I don't know how strong the block was.

 

wow Conway...sorry to hear that sincerely.

What did you wind up doing to fix it? How much did it run?

This morning I was actually thinking of asking the forum how much it would cost to have the engine built up a bit first? Is it a TON of labor to have stronger rods put in before a turbo is put on? I'd want to just do the minimum needed to make it reliable before a rear-mount turbo install, and then add the STS later?

For now though I'm definitely not going to do any turbo techno that can lead to trauma. Can't lose my engine.

Sorry again for your engine loss, if you have the time I'd love to hear how you got the engine running again?

Saved

 

Terrasmak has it right. Stock rods are ticking time bombs in some cars. That's all there is to it.

 

Sure thing...there are alot of really good turbo/supercharger builds on this forum - just about everyone that has posted most likely has a build thread going - I would tell you to read each one...

the flexhose will allow the exhaust members to expand and contract with the heating of manifold/down pipes/exhaust duct...alot of cracked headers are due to exhaust members heating, expanding and not having tolerance to expand/contract - they are pretty inexpensive - $20 per section off the internet. I have one installed on my downpipe(test pipe) and one halfway to the muffler.

the bearings in the turbo will lose shape over time (due to heat, stress, friction, etc) thus providing shaft-play, seals go back, build-up builds up...you don't know what the previous owner did or didnt do to his turbo and this is a good way to eliminate the chance of finding out the hard way. I used g-pop shop out of missouri and I think they did a good job, there are many good rebuild shops around the country...

install an oil cooler - engine coolant cools the engine block, oil not only lubricates but also cools the engine...along with the turbo...install an oil when you install the turbo.

turbos don't blow up engines, bad tunes blow up engines ... Conway has been through a lot...(conway, don't read this When I got my procharger installed initially, the shop tuned the car 18:1 AFR bc they tuned off a narrow band sensor, luckily I dyno'd the engine and it was discovered...the lesson is that double everything...go as far as having a professional mechanic double check your work, have it professionally tuned and then have another tuner review your tune.

I would tell you if you can live with a engine that makes less than 401whp than don't rip it apart...if you rip apart the engine then replace rods/pistons/cams/heads/hardware/etc...but if youre gonna be good at 400 than keep the engine in tact.

now go and search and read up on other peoples threads - here is a good place to start:
https://my350z.com/forum/forced-indu...50-list-3.html

 

My car still isn't 100% I built my own block with the Z1Motorsports engine rebuild kit. I wish I would have professional build it, It would be alot more peace of mind. I think im ~2500-3000 into moto alone.

 

I would say go for it. 90k miles is nothing for the vq to handle if it has been properly cared for. Just install the turbo, get a good tuner and perform regular maintenance and you should be good to go. BTW I was searching for an sts kit also, I cannot find one anywhere online sellers seem to not have any in stock. Right now I will most likely be going with the boosted performance 370z kit. It will be extremely difficult finding a new or used sts kit.

 

Thanks for a lot of great info once again, I'll be reading a lot over the coming months while keeping my eye out for an STS turbo...if one shows up I may still give it a whirl...I go back and forth as the odds are way in my favor on that scale, but reality doesn't always play by the odds.

I saw a thread of Conway's, glad to see a lot of progress has been made, and thanks for explaining why his blew up..that's key information that changes everything...if a bad tune is the main reason it blew then I would make sure when I do mine that I have affordable access to a second tuner to double check all work, and I'm a double and triple check kinda guy anyway when it comes to important things like the install and the research for that matter as well. Safer than sorry keeps you more safe than sorry. Profound I know.

Found the NA forum for the first time...don't laugh lol...drooling like a high schooler over the 400hp NA engine with the rev limit raised to around 9k....pretty much a PERFECT sound in my opinion, and plenty of power for my ideal. I forget the name of the guy, actually two have done it I think, both with lots of expert input and parts from John Wolf Technologies it seems. I wonder how much money would be required to replicate or close to replicate those results, although one person said the engine wasn't expected to last long, I'm guessing because of the high rev combustion causing super accelerated wear? Ten grand? How much horse can you add via NA mods and not hurt the longevity of the engine anyway?

Anyway....thanks TONS..you guys are a great bunch and I really do appreciate the time taken to help me de-noob my way toward the deep end of engine testosterone.

Hopefully later this year or next I'll be using my pedal to crack the whip of a bigger herd of horses under the hood.

Keep the info coming please if you think it would help...and off to read a ton of threads I go,

Saved

 

+/-12 whp and it'll cost you $2300

 

So worth it