Hey guys, lame title huh ;) i didnt know what to name it, but i am concidering a couple thing for my car, either the VE or the DET swap. i was wondering how much more i would have to do to maintain the turbo vs a n/a vehicle. due to being at school i dont have a lot of spare cash to spend on my car everymonth if something goes wrong. If i were to go turbo would i need to keep getting it retuned frewuently, how much time in maintenece do you guys put in these vehicles? Any one in my cituation that has turbo?
Any response would be great,
thanks

From what I have seen the VE is goin to cost u $2600+ other stuff like the MSD switch over. U could turbo your DE for cheaper. BUT u might blow your 3rd gear who knows. ethier way your goin to pay for a swap. u will prob get better MPG with the VE.

by late spring early summer i will have the money, i was just wondering...well let me ask in this way,

What will cost more in the long run. And if i go turbo will it be in the shop more often.

Turbo hands down.

And if i go turbo will it be in the shop more often.

Let's put it this way: The SR20DET is a factory engine. That means it has to go through the same rigorous testing procedures that the regular DE has to go through, and it has to pass them all just as well.

So no, a DET will not be in the shop more often. Just change the oil every 3,000 miles and let the turbo cool down a bit before shutting the car off.

and try not to speed shift or make too much power or kiss 3rd gear bye.

Originally posted by Yellow4g63
and try not to speed shift or make too much power or kiss 3rd gear bye.

People have suggested to cryo treating and shot peening the gears may help reduce some of the "fatigue" issue. The cost for the job is about $400-$500. Does anyone know if there is a tranny system available for the SR20DE that can support 350+whp??

i've heard about the 3rd gear issues, what exactly happens when 3rd gear blows, does that mean your tranny still works except you don't have a 3rd gear anymore, so if you're willing to deal with it, it's still driveable, or does it mean your whole tranny is a goner and your car is out of service until you put a new one in?

I've had my DET for over a year now and have put over 24,000 miles on it. It has been trouble free and here is the maintenance:

1. Change oil/filer every 3,000 miles
2. Run injector cleaner every 3,000 miles
3. Inspect MAF for oil residue every 3,000 miles(this depends on the age and condition of the turbo)
4. Adjust the clutch as required.

That's all. Like Zak91SER said, This is a factory Nissan motor. It is made to be turbo. With that said, it still doesn't mean this engine is invisible, you can abuse and damage even a N/A sr20. I have had no problems with third gear. That depends completely on the way you drive. If you race a lot then this is a big issue. If you drive normally with only occasional redlining then you will be okay(unless you have over 300 whp).

They have gear sets for the SR20DET's but only in the RWD format.


Originally posted by v_knot


People have suggested to cryo treating and shot peening the gears may help reduce some of the "fatigue" issue. The cost for the job is about $400-$500. Does anyone know if there is a tranny system available for the SR20DE that can support 350+whp??

how would there be oil in the MAF if it is upstream from the turbo? i can see oil in the Intercooler, and throttlebody, etc, but not the MAF.

Originally posted by HotshtSR20
how would there be oil in the MAF if it is upstream from the turbo? i can see oil in the Intercooler, and throttlebody, etc, but not the MAF.

When your turbo starts wearing out it starts spitting out oil back out the intake. Depending on how close the MAF is to the turbo the sensor can get coated with a thin coat of oil. When there is enough oil on that sensor it will not read correctly and you have major problems.

I learned the hard way and black smoke started puffing out of my exhaust because the engine was running too rich. My turbo is slowly going out and so I have to keep an eye on that sensor. I know... I plan on getting a new turbo this spring/summer.

have you tried modifying your PCV system? i vented mine so that the part from the VC goes into a T right below the catch can, and the top of the can goes to the intake stream. i plugged the 2nd nipple with a cap and clamped it down. this makes it so that oil that may enter the PCV system (there is, after all, over 200HP worth of air moving quite rapidly through the inlet tube, creating a VERY powerful vacuum) expands in the catch can, and is ultimately very hard to enter the intake tract. this is especially true for cars that spend a lot of time in hard right hand corners, as oil will pool up in that side of the VC and get sucked directly into the intake.

HotshtSR20 you have a good point there. I have removed my oil catch can and this oil that I am getting in the intake might not be coming from my turbo so much as from my valve cover vent. I will have to check this out. Thank you.

Steve, you gotta help me reroute my PCV lines then.




Terrin
92 SE-R

no prob terrin. i will try and take pictures of the way i rerouted it for all to enjoy. this method, by the way, was given to me by Mike Kojima, so i cannot take credit for this idea, but, hey, at least it is endorsed by someone much more experienced in the SR20 than me.