Starion Modifications???

[Marc]

Hi everyone...

recently bought my first JA Starion...

I have a few questions regarding to modifications if anyone can help...

i'm looking at installing a FM Intercooler (obviously after i get an exhaust system).... but just wondering whether i should upgrade the turbo first? and if so what turbo upgrades work well on the Starion?

Also has any one noticed any loss of bottom end power with just an intercooler and exhaust modification? Would i need to upgrade to a bigger fuel pump?

If anyone cud help or give there opinion i'd really appreciate it.

Cheers

[JD_Stazza_Brendan]

Make sure car is in good condition before boosting it.
*exhaust
*front mount IC
*boost controller, wouldnt go higher then 10-11psi on stock motor to be safe
*k&n filter

[WidebodyWoody]

Hey mate. There are restrictions to the starion so you might want to understand them first as well before planning your approach.

Here are a couple of pages to help.

http://www.t-racing.com/conquest.htm
http://www.t-racing.com/starquest%20mod ... e_mods.htm
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mark.stacey1/tuning.html

[Marc]

Thanks mate...these links are extremely helpful...

i'm just thinking at this stage... i DONT plan on boosting the the car at all... so not sure whether an intercooler is necessary...

would i notice much power increase with just an intercooler you think?? I know any cooler air is a good thing, but just not sure on how much extra power it will give if i aint gonna boost.

thanks again.

[Chris 83JA]

putting an intercooler on and not upping the boost should give you more power and better economy, and as it helps keep everything cooler, then it may prolong the life of your engine too.

You'll notice a 1-2psi drop with the cooler on, but even so you will have more power

[Starion_Turbo]

Start simple, get a KN air filter, theres nothing wrong with tco6 turbo for starters, 2.5" dump pipe and mandrel exhaust sposed to be a good upgrade.
intercooler piping will make a fair difference on those hot 30+ days were it feels like the car is struggling to make power, I run 10psi no i/c but will run probably 12psi when I get mine installed.

Thats a good start at improving the factory aspects of the car anyway.

further mods include:

cam
multiport injection
aftermarket ECU
Fuel Pump
Balance shaft remova
Porting
turbo upgrades including td-05 or hybrid tc- 05/06
Twin Cam conversion
Others I cant think of off hand

[WidebodyWoody]

You wont really get an increase in HP, it is more an increase in torque.

Which is what we all want anyways.

[Powerslave]

The biggest gain I got after fitting an I.C. was not from increasing boost , but it allowed me to advance the base ignition timing to around 11/12 degrees (11 for summer , 12 for winter , only on 98ron ) without the fear of detonation . Torque and power increases significantly if you advance your timing a little after fitting an intercooler.

The G63 in your JA is an undersquare motor , so it loves to 'torque'. With just an application of an I.C. , you can leave the 'safe' stock 6 deg btdc base timing and start advancing it. I found this also caused my turbo to spool up much quicker , and made it more 'streetable'. The downside to this increase is advancing your timing will make your engine run hotter , especially in traffic , so make sure your cooling system is up to scratch.

Exhaust would be second on my list. As stated above , only go as large as 2.5inch mandrel exhaust. 3in will dissapoint you , as you will lose drivability (off boost performance esepacially) , and is only really required if you plan on throwing a large turbo in your equation.

TD05h's seem to get good results on these cars , with people here using all types of turbine and compressor wheel combinations.

Congrats on your new purchase , and BTW , welcome to Austarion. !



:beer

[redzone]

only go as large as 2.5inch mandrel exhaust. 3in will dissapoint you , as you will lose drivability (off boost performance esepacially) , and is only really required if you plan on throwing a large turbo in your equation.

wholeheartedly disagree! i have had stock exhaust, 2.5 inch press bent, 2.5 inch mandrel bent, and 3 inch mandrel bent systems on my cars, and the best results were gained with the 3 inch system! it spooled up (power shoots up) a whole 300 rpm quicker than the 2.5 inch, and is WAY torquier up hills etc, and makes boost at extremely low engine speeds. it runs a stock TC06....

the first metre or so of the system is most important, as thats where the hottest gas temp and airspeeds are, so at least get a 3 inch dump pipe first! it doesnt matter that the 3 inch pipe is larger than the outlet of the exhaust housing either.

go 3 inch mandrel, and dont look back!

and note the links woody posted are for the american cars, which run the 2.6ltr 4G54 boat anchor, so it may not all be the same for our cars with the mighty 4G63..

i would recommend in my order of preference:

1) 3 inch exhaust system

2) intercooler and advance the timing (good advice)

3) heavy duty clutch

4) multipoint conversion

5) TD05H turbo installation

6) performance engine rebuild with forged VR4 style pistons

[Marc]

WOW!

thanks for these replies...just what i'm looking for... Especially the IC point. Seems like whatever power increase...the car will run cooler which in itself is a good thing. Advancing the timing wit IC...didnt even think of that but such a simple mod. thanks so much.

I'm surprised to see all of your thoughts on the stock turbo, seems like its not a bad unit to start with. I wasnt aware of that.

Exhaust choice....hmmm well originaly i called a few places in melbourne and they advised me of a 2.5 inch exhaust straight through, but its interesting to see the different opinions here.

Redzone...have you noticed and loss in bottom end power with your 3inch?? and do you run a IC with it??

thanks again evreyone..much appreciated for the advice. rofl

[JDSTAZ45]

Once your somewhat satisfied with engine performance, make sure you get a LSD and good rubber (if you don't have already,
as a lot of early models did not come with the LSD option), and be amazed how the car performs so much better... :)

Welcome!

[Marc]

LSD...yeah didnt think of that...i'm guessing its bloody hard to find...

how much$$$ does an lsd unit usually go for??

[Starion_Turbo]

LSD...yeah didnt think of that...i'm guessing its bloody hard to find...

how much$$$ does an lsd unit usually go for??

Around $800

[merlin]

these are all worthwhile developments,
but there is a problem.
I would suggest a different approach, which would ensure you dont have to re-fabricate your inlet and exhaust plumbing twice.

PHASE I: TURBO & INTERCOOLER.
Check out mrb1's web site GTPUMPS.
He is selling a hotted up evo 3 turbo, the TD05 BIG16G.
This is a terrific Starion turbo upgrade.
It will spool quicker and make a ton more power than the old TC06,
which probably needs a rebuild anyway. Unfortunately, the bearing kits for the TC06 are expensive.
This turbo will bolt onto your staz exhaust manifold, it has the same stud pattern. Note that for best performance, the staz exhaust manifold collector will need to have its throat opened out with a die grinder to match the new turbo, which is MUCH bigger!
Now get your 3" exhaust & dump pipe made to suite the new turbo, as the turbine outlet is quite different to the TC06 outlet.
Buy one of the cheap intercooler kits for a skyline or S14 etc, they are dirt cheap, and mod the parts supplied to fit the staz.

You could do all this for a bit less than $2000 and with the addition of a gated boost set to 12psi have a good setup, ready for -

PHASE II: MULTI-POINT SEQUENTIAL INJECTION
but thats another story and involves the replacement of the inlet manifold, throttle, injectors ecu and usually distributor and ignition.
For something more than $2000 :x

[Darkelf]

these are all worthwhile developments,
but there is a problem.
I would suggest a different approach, which would ensure you dont have to re-fabricate your inlet and exhaust plumbing twice.

PHASE I: TURBO & INTERCOOLER.
Check out mrb1's web site GTPUMPS.
He is selling a hotted up evo 3 turbo, the TD05 BIG16G.
This is a terrific Starion turbo upgrade.
It will spool quicker and make a ton more power than the old TC06,
which probably needs a rebuild anyway. Unfortunately, the bearing kits for the TC06 are expensive.
This turbo will bolt onto your staz exhaust manifold, it has the same stud pattern. Note that for best performance, the staz exhaust manifold collector will need to have its throat opened out with a die grinder to match the new turbo, which is MUCH bigger!
Now get your 3" exhaust & dump pipe made to suite the new turbo, as the turbine outlet is quite different to the TC06 outlet.
Buy one of the cheap intercooler kits for a skyline or S14 etc, they are dirt cheap, and mod the parts supplied to fit the staz.

You could do all this for a bit less than $2000 and with the addition of a gated boost set to 12psi have a good setup, ready for -

PHASE II: MULTI-POINT SEQUENTIAL INJECTION
but thats another story and involves the replacement of the inlet manifold, throttle, injectors ecu and usually distributor and ignition.
For something more than $2000 :x

Sounds familiar :D