We like to joke around in the office about how much of a badass Eric Hsu is, but truth be told, he really is a badass. So much so, that it often spills right off the page. Open our January issue and flip to "Question IT". See those guys on the opposite page? When the issue was first printed, they were chillin'. But then champ Machida made the mistake of asking Eric about Euro taillights for his Festiva, and after a few choice words from Eric, his boys got all worked up. Now dude on the left has to deal with Eric gettin' right in his face each time the page is flipped. Is that fear we see in their eyes? Look at Eric-Ice cold. Not even a blink.
questionit@importtuner.comExecutive Decisions
I am currently in the market for a turbo upgrade for a '91 Skyline GTS-T that offers excellent overall boost response. Since the car will campaign in time-attack and a bit of drifting, which turbo would you recommend for my application?
-Kyle
via importtuner.com
I don't have much experience with the RB20 specifically, but off the top of my head I would say a GT2861R might be a bit too small. Turbo sizing is affected heavily by the target horsepower and how the car will be driven and raced. Since you mentioned time-attack and a "bit" of drifting, then I assume your priority would be road racing/time-attack. Given this is the case, I would go with something with some more balls, like a GT2871R with a 52T compressor wheel and a .64 A/R turbine housing, a free-flowing tubular exhaust manifold and a big 3- to 3.5-inch full-flowing, smooth-radius bend exhaust system. A proper front-mount intercooler, solid fuel system with RC Engineering injectors, Nismo fuel pump, Tomei 260-degree camshafts, Cosworth metal head gasket, A'pexi Power FC ECU, and good tuning should get you a solid 400 hp at the wheels. Transmission Gremlins
My '92 300ZX has 86,000 miles and is stock with the exception of a set of upgraded injectors and a 300-degree fuel rail. Most recently, I noticed a 'thunk' sound coming from the drivetrain when the clutch is depressed from a complete stop and between every First to Second gear shift, but it mysteriously disappears thereafter. I should also note the car has no vibrations at any speed and drives fine.
Here is what I have installed or inspected on the car using OEM parts; note the problem existed before these changes:
1) Replaced the center support bearing and rubber support on the OEM two-piece driveshaft.
2) Replaced the transmission rear isolator mount.
3) Replaced all the front and rear rubber insulators on the torsion bars and control links.
4) Replaced the clutch pressure plate and friction disk/throw-out bearing/pilot bushing. Nothing was wrong with these but the car developed a rear-main seal leak that required the transmission to be pulled, so the clutch was replaced at a Nissan dealership.
5) Regularly maintain the transmission and differential with 75w 90 gear oil.
6) Checked the rear sub frame's four rubber support bushings for silicone leaks.
7) Checked the four differential support bushings, but am considering replacing them with polyurethane bushings.
8) Checked for looseness/slack in the differential between pinion input to half- shaft output.
9) Checked the rotational slack in each halfshaft and found that when I hold the halfshaft still at the differential output I am able to rotate the rear tire and rock it back and forth about a half inch, measured at the rim edge where the balance weights go.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated
-Peter
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It sounds like you changed or inspected everything I would have recommended. You did not mention changing or checking the engine mounts though. The VG30DE is a torquey engine with a small clearance between the engine itself and surrounding components (e.g. frame rails, shock towers, hood, etc.). It is possible that the engine is flopping around in that 17-year-old car. Unfortunately, with so much weight on the rubber mounts, sometimes the only time you can see if they have failed is to lift the engine.