Bolt on Options - Advice Needed

[Imation]

Like most I'm on a power quest. Currently I have found my self at cross roads on what to do next.
I have a couple ideas on my mind but dont know which to go with. I was looking at a few options. Bolt on, build the head, or a bit of both.

Option 1: Bolt on

Drop in cam.
Tomei Pon Type B (260 duration 9.15mm lift ) or HKS 272 duration 8.7mm lift. At $800+ is either option worth the money or the gains? I have searched but no one is very clear on the topic.w

Manifolds
Tomei Expreme exhaust manifolds
Greddy intake plenum.
Again are these necessary to upgrade to reach 500-550whp

Greddy or HKS hard pipe kits

Option 2 Build the head

Go with larger cams such as a tomei pro cam or hks step 2 with more lift.
tomei valve springs and lifters
mild port and polish

Current Setup:

RB26. Aftermarket forged bottom end, arp head studs, metal headgasket, and nismo oil pump.
Stock head
650cc injectors, nismo fpr
STOCK Fuel pump will be replace with either one or two walbro 255
Turbos- gt2860r-5
full 3" exhaust and
trust intercooler
apexi suction kit w 300zx maf's
Currently using nistune, greddy profec B, and aem uego for tuning.

[archaeic_bloke]

don't bother with exhaust manifolds... for the money and the installation work you can get a lot more else where.

if your bottom end can take it (which a forged bottom end should be able to), i would go with your option 2...

lemme put it this way.... the head is the thing that MAKES power... and the bottom end (block and pistons) TAKE that power... so ur limiting factor here is not what power you can "take" - its the head....

so yah, a pair of cams, adjustable cam gears (to help dial in the power band), a mild port and polish, and crank up the boost .


in all honesty though if your goal is around 500 whp, you can get there by just turning up ur boost to like 1.8 bar... the stock head is fairly good up to about that level.

[Imation]

Ok so it seem like building a head is the way to go.
What size cams can you put in before you get a lumpy idle.
I drive the car a fair amount and don't want to give up practicality

[derk]

you dont want too much duration if its gonna be a relatively stock car on the stock redline, high duration cams will move your powerband higher up the rpm range. for a street car, you want short duration, and big lift, otherwise it'll feel really laggy, and make the powerband rather unpractical for the street.

but you cant really fit anything bigger than poncams without machining the head to clear bigger cams, so poncams are probably the way to go. together with a mild port and polish, meth, and turn up the boost along with the generic boltons like turbo outlets/downpipe/exhaust/intake, and a good tune, should make for a really streetable gtr with a fat powerband

[cobrAA]

you dont want too much duration if its gonna be a relatively stock car on the stock redline, high duration cams will move your powerband higher up the rpm range. for a street car, you want short duration, and big lift, otherwise it'll feel really laggy, and make the powerband rather unpractical for the street.

but you cant really fit anything bigger than poncams without machining the head to clear bigger cams, so poncams are probably the way to go. together with a mild port and polish, meth, and turn up the boost along with the generic boltons like turbo outlets/downpipe/exhaust/intake, and a good tune, should make for a really streetable gtr with a fat powerband

Now I get it!!

OEM is 248 btw! they make 252 but I guess it's stupid to change them for only 4 degrees.

[archaeic_bloke]

i've heard a lot of good things from people running 264's or 272's and usually the lift we see with those is like 9.x mm lift or 10.2

[Imation]

So how much lift can you run without machining the head to clear the lobes? I was looking at the pro cams with 10.25 and 270degree duration. Too much or should I go with the 260degree

Also the stock cam duration is only 240 degrees?

[cobrAA]

248 I said.

[derk]

i dont know the exact mm of lift, but pretty much any average cam that is in the 10's will require machining

tomei makes a sweet 260deg 10.8mm cam that i want to try out

[NismoS-tune]

i dont know the exact mm of lift, but pretty much any average cam that is in the 10's will require machining

tomei makes a sweet 260deg 10.8mm cam that i want to try out

Tomei's are nice till you have to use their $400+ buckets for their large cams. Bigger cams = laggier.

People out there can make over 500whp on a stock head and GT2530s.

Also, for the thread creator, these cars have been around over 20 years, they have been modded in soooo many ways it sick. You asked a noob question there. Check out some builds all over the world. Someone out there has done it.

On that note, you should try twin T04Z SPL turbos.

[4jo3]

Twin t04z has be done before. That motor had more than one issue thou so we won't go there.

if you are looking for drop in cams hks 264 step 1 with hks valvesprings.

If you are looks for some big power. Redo the head and have it ported and polished to match the cams that you desire. Being streetable is a very fine line with some people. My streetable cams are hks 280 step 2. Most realistically would do a 272 step 2 is the max they wouild do. If you are going all out then I know people have had very good luck running stepped cams like a 272 in and 280 ex. I actually forget which way around it is. It could be vice versa. But if you are gonna run the same in and ex then more port work is need on the one side.

And hks cams are better than tomei. If you look at the specs at 0.50" you will see. Also they rev way better

[Janes]

Tomei's are nice till you have to use their $400+ buckets for their large cams. Bigger cams = laggier.

People out there can make over 500whp on a stock head and GT2530s.

Also, for the thread creator, these cars have been around over 20 years, they have been modded in soooo many ways it sick. You asked a noob question there. Check out some builds all over the world. Someone out there has done it.

On that note, you should try twin T04Z SPL turbos.

People may make over 500 on the stock head and Gt2530s but how long is a 20 year old stock head going to hold up to that much boost before something brakes.

[Imation]

The problem with looking at threads and builds are many extremes. You have xs engineering r32, the special hks r cars, mines, and many big builds coming-out of Australia and the uk. All making over 600whp.
Then you have the basic bolt on guys who are around 300-500whp some reliable some not.

I have looked at hundreds of pages and build threads. None tell you if their 500hp car idles well or if it's reliable or if the bolt on mods like intake manifold are nessery to have a reliable car or just myths so greddy can sell a ton on product.

So I may have asked a noob question but after reading and reading with lots of conflicting answeres theirs a point where you need to ask the simple questions to get a clear answer.

[archaeic_bloke]

i agree, ask a simple question sometimes is important... really important... but when u do so ur gonna get a lot of "simple" answers and its usually not very helpful.

as for the greddy intake manifold my vote is NO... u don't need it... most people compensate for the air stack problem in lean cylinder #6 by getting their injectors flow tested and just putting the one that flows the most in cyl. #6... that seems to work for a lot of people.

If i ever get cams it`ll be the HKS 264's... sooo many people run those and they seem like a great step 1 cam.

[derk]

nope. bigger cams do not = laggier, longer duration cams = laggier.

Tomei's are nice till you have to use their $400+ buckets for their large cams. Bigger cams = laggier.

People out there can make over 500whp on a stock head and GT2530s.

Also, for the thread creator, these cars have been around over 20 years, they have been modded in soooo many ways it sick. You asked a noob question there. Check out some builds all over the world. Someone out there has done it.

On that note, you should try twin T04Z SPL turbos.