when to upgrade auto trans and intercooler?

[94exa2]

hey guys, fairly new to dsm's, but not the import world. i came from the honda realm, i know i know....

but i am looking at this really nice 99 gst auto with <60k miles and am wondering, at what point does the stock 2gb turbo auto trans need to be upgraded? and at what point would i need to swap to a fmic?

my only plans so far are on the coldside of the engine. nice aluminum intake with k&n filter, hard IC pipes, clean stock smic (for now), better bov (recirculated into the intake), bcs restrictor mod, boost controller/gauge etc... basically all the "free"mods/ stage 0 and some of the stage 1 upgrades Tech Guide: 2G 4G63t Upgrades: Stage 0 Power - DSMtuners.

then MAYBE upgrade to a ported 2g ex mani, 14b, ported o2 housing, 2.5" downpip/2.5" highflow cat/2.5" catback with stock evo8 muffler and maybe a decent fmic.

would i NEED a fmic with the free/stage 0 mods and stage1 mods? or would a bigger smic with proper ducting be more than enough? would i NEED to build/upgrade the auto trans at this point? i'd LOVE a fully built, highstall auto trans, but dont really wana spend the $ if i dont NEED it for my plans.

maybe one day i will have the built 1g 4g63/fully built auto trans big16g dsm i dream on, maybe.... but untill then a nice "bolt on" gst will do

 

[okcpopeman]

A FMIC would be a nice thing to add with what you have planned. You wouldnt have to get the biggest or best by any means but you would outgrow the stock side mount pretty fast. As far as the auto trans goes, those things are shockingly tuff with little to no work done to them as long as its not worn out. Maybe a shift kit and switch box and call it a day with what you have planned. The stock converter would be fine with the small turbo.

 

[94exa2]

i def plan on a decent aftermarket trans cooler, and change the atf and filter regularly. so i wont NEED a new converter or shift kit? thats good i guess.

and i kinda figure the stock smic would be enough after i cleaned it, or alteast a larger smic with proper ducting. i'd just rather not have a fmic for the "sleeper" look, but i guess i will when i get to that point

 

[L0ckett]

If the sleeper look is what you want then look into a supra side mount or the dejon side mount

 

[johneclipse]

im honestly thinking the stock sidemount will be plenty for the extent of your t25 life. once you upgrade to a 14b....probably still be decently ok.

have a goal on an amount of boost your planning to run on both turbos?

as for an aftermarket sidemount, if your planning on gettin hard pipes for the stock cooler...might as well stick to a sidemount after upgrading. I would suggest looking into supra, Hahn, and dejon sidemounts. All 3 would be more than capable on a 14b pushing any boost basically.

 

[gusu]

Remember with a FMIC you need to be moving much more air to fill them so you may actually lose A LOT of spool by installing one.

The best bet for a 14b/16g is a CX racing/Punishment racing/VRSF kit.

I wouldn't run any less than 15 pounds on the 14b before getting a FMIC, before then it is fairly pointless. However after that you pretty much need it to avoid heat soaking if you are going to be multiple pulls. Some argue this but a lot of tuners won't even touch your car with out one. I've heard from a lot of people around here Lucas English won't tune your car with out a FMIC at all.

 

[lilnightmare96]

i have a auto gsx with a 14b @ 20psi(dont do with stock injectors). and it pulls hard for being basically stock turbo.get rid of all the rubber/plastic pipes,stright pipe will help with spool but emissions is a bi***! off the line the lag you get isnt to horriable, but once it spools its gone.@ 30-40 roll is the best i think for the 14b/16g on a auto no lag. my opinion. im also on a stock sidemount. oh and i have 183,xxx mi no problems. few oil drips bout it.

 

[94exa2]

at what point do i NEED to upgrade fuel/ecu?

i guess my plan is to go as far as i can on stock exhaust, and MAYBE upgrade to a ported 2g mani/o2 housing and a 14b. will i need to upgrade my fuel system and get tuned with just an intake, hard ic pipes/bov and a mbc? what about that plus a 14b on stock exhaust (maybe with a fmic)?

 

[Absit]

Messing with the intake side with a healthy turbo/wastegate won't increase boost/flow, so you don't need to touch your fuel/tuning. I personally wouldn't touch an MBC until I had fuel/tuning, but many people do. It's proven to be ok, it's just not how I like to do things. If you do, you'll NEED a boost gauge and wideband gauge, this is not negotiable. Some people try to roll without wideband, it's a mistake. The second you start modifying airflow you need these gauges.

You don't NEED a lot for the trans, but the shift kit, end clutches, and trans cooler are all good ideas that will give you the most out of your trans and keep it healthy. They're all highly recommended, I wouldn't bother with a new torque converter at those power levels.

For the 14B, I'd move up to 560 or 650 injectors and a 190 LPH (Walbro or 3000GT VR4) just so you can better utilize it at higher boost levels. With this I'd pick up a Tactrix 2.0 cable and a copy of ECUFlash and EvoScan. You'd actually be doing yourself a favor to get the cable and software right now, before anything else. If it was me, I'd get the injectors, gauges, pump and tuning solution right now. The tuning solution will allow you to squeeze a bit of power out of the stock build, and you'll be able to log, which will help anyone here when they're trying to help you with any problems. Having the larger injectors and pump (with tuning) won't actually change anything right now, so it feels like a pain to spend money/time on them, but with that you could up the boost a bit on your T25 and be fully prepared for the turbo upgrade.

You won't need a front mount intercooler, and I'd actually recommend against it. The stock side mount has seen upwards of 300 WHP, until then stick with it and enjoy the fast spool and low pressure drop.

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

You need to upgrade fuel when you go past 15 psi of boost. That is about all the boost you can safely run on stock fuel system.

 

[94exa2]

You need to upgrade fuel when you go past 15 psi of boost. That is about all the boost you can safely run on stock fuel system.

so the stock ecu will funtion properly as long as i dont go over 15psi? what if i had a 14b at 15psi?

sorry if my questions sound stupid. ive never modded/tuned any car that is turbo from factory. just curious how far i can go on a stock turbo dsm ecu since ive never played with one b4.

 

[Absit]

It's not just the ECU, it's the injectors. Did you tl;dr my post?

 

[lilnightmare96]

14b,16g,@ 15 or 16 psi your stock injectors, fuel pump, and ecu will be fine. anything 17+ will just cause fuel cut. also any metal intake piping, different bov (1g bov works great). high flow exhaust. 15 psi your smic will be fine but fmic would make a difference.as well check all your gaskets/injector rings etc. you dont want any boost/vacuum leaks. also running a oil feed line from the filter housing to the turbo will extend its life. aswell a turbo timer, or you can let your car idle for a few minutes before you shut it off. after messing with your dsm for a bit youll get the hang of it and know what you can and cant get away with.

 

[94exa2]

what about a t28? i heard its an easier swap on a 2g than the 14b would be (doesnt seem hard at all, but t28 is easier?) would a t28 outperform a 14b?

 

[lilnightmare96]

what about a t28? i heard its an easier swap on a 2g than the 14b would be (doesnt seem hard at all, but t28 is easier?) would a t28 outperform a 14b?

the 14b has a higher cfm then the t28 n cheaper. yes to put on the 14b you need a j-pipe again you can get that off a 1g or ebay has nice chrome ones. t28 is direct bolt on. also having the 14b if you deside to do 16g-20g you can use the j-pipe.the pipe going from the turbo to the smic needs to be change for the 14b,t28 you dont. but upgrading from the plastic pipe is a good idea.my opinion i would do the 14b. ebay has a kit for it. j-pipe I/c pipe, oil feed line. what you need for bout $75 shipped. or check out STMDSM.com or extremepsi.com. if you dont wanna do ebay. and a good use 14b you can get for bout $60 or for free if you know anyone.

 

[94exa2]

so basically a stock 2g smic (cleaned real good with "better" flow to it than stock), and stock 2g gst auto trans (flushed with new atf, atf cooler, atf changed frequently, no neutral drops or anything stupid...) will pretty much handle anything the t25 can throw at it? what about if i swap for a t28 or 14b?

will both stock smic and stock gst auto trans will be good up to 300hp (only lookin for 250 MAX right now) till/IF i decide to swap for fmic/rebuilt auto trans?

 

[4g63tc]

< FP B28, Same Side FMIC, Auto trans.

 

[94exa2]

< FP B28, Same Side FMIC, Auto trans.

fp b28? i dnt understand sry

 

[nickk90]

Forced performance bigt28
and a t28 flows more than a 14b. It flows the same as a 16g

 

[94exa2]

Forced performance bigt28
and a t28 flows more than a 14b. It flows the same as a 16g

so a t28 out flows a 14b? both noticeable better than the t25?

which would be better for quick spool/low end like a t25, but still better in the top-end?

or would the benefits of either turbo not be worth the swap trouble???


so stock smic and auto trans are good for me till i reach the highest power i can on stock exhaust?

 

[4g63tc]

I feel like Deja Vu, and not the strip club.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/358386-noob-questions.html

 

[4Lurker4]

I feel like Deja Vu, and not the strip club.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/358386-noob-questions.html

Good call

 

[nickk90]

Both flow better than a t25 but the t28 is going to outflow the 14b by qwuit a bit. I have a t28 and it slows the same as the t25 I replaced but it also holds boost all the way to stock redline.

 

[phunny]

Both flow better than a t25 but the t28 is going to outflow the 14b by qwuit a bit. I have a t28 and it slows the same as the t25 I replaced but it also holds boost all the way to stock redline.

^^^^ exactly. And welcome aboard, hopefully.

 

[94exa2]

what turbo options would i have with a evo3 ex manifold?

im thinking if im not happy with a t25, i wont be happy with a 14b, specially if i have to swap manifolds, and jpipes and w/e else id have to change. so im thinking either evo3 16g or t28. which turbo's can i use with an evo3 manifold? which manifolds can i use with a t28?

im going to stick with a dejon tool intake, larger smic, all hard ic pipes, ported or aftermarket ex manifold, ported or aftermarket o2 housing, 2.5" mandrel dp, 2.5" high flow cat, 2.5" mandrel catback with 2.5" vibrant ultra quiet resonator and 2.5" vibrant twin tip black stealth muffler, and want to keep the great low-end/quick spool up of the t25, but would like more top-end too, and think the 14b wouldnt make me happy for the $ and work of the swap(might as well go [not big]16g[evo3?]), or t28? but not sure which turbo would spool quicker with better lowend but still outflow the 14b uptop?