You should ask the CXR guy why the xB2 kit is more expensive than everything else

 

Why? It's obviously better than the other kits since it costs more. Seriously though, it's only $200 more than the 240SX kits. There are a lot of other questions I'd rather ask.

BTW, thanks for the tip on RC Engineering. According to their calculator, the stock 370cc injectors would need to run at up to 82% duty cycle at 5psi boost with the stock fuel system. Not ideal but not terribly worrisome. CXR might actually have a clue. As long as you keep the boost low, their kit might actually work as claimed. I suspect that the stock ECU might even be able to retard the timing enough to compensate for 5psi with 93 octane.

 

is cxr pretty reputable around other car makes?

 

They get mixed reviews among all types of cars, such as 240SXs, etc.

Try at your own risk and make informed decisions.

PS: One of these days, I will write up a guide on how to fix some of the shortcomings of the CXR kit for those who really ARE on a budget and are not able to save up for the more expensive kits out there.

 

Watching.

 

+1

 

Before you read this, just know that I do not promote this and I'm not responsible for anything that happens to your car, etc.

Alright, here it goes. The CXR kit is composed of everything except the S-Pipe and after. Well, it also doesn't have injectors and engine management, which some people consider absolute suicide. I don't really think it's absolute suicide because some tCs use to run a kit known as the "ZPI Stage 0", which had the following:

1. 16g Turbo
2. External Wastegate
3. No BOV (the recent ones, although ZPI is down under)
4. No Intercooler (just intercooler piping)
5. No injectors.
6. No engine management.

Although it had only those things, people ran it for a year or so without problems and it was a very popular starter kit back in the day, so something tells me that the CXR kit isn't all THAT bad, but the quality of the components is questionable.

Let's start with the turbo. There are a lot of things we can do about this thing. You could just send it to turbochargers.com and pay 275 bucks + shipping to replace the bearings, seals, cleaning and to fully balance the turbo PROPERLY. After that, the only real issue that is left is the wastegate, but you can check that yourself. If you don't know how to, or you don't trust the turbo or yourself, then I'm pretty sure turbochargers.com can fix that too, but keep in mind that the service above + possible wastegate fixing might end up costing around a new turbo, or not. I don't know how much it costs to rebuild a wastegate. Also, another thing you can do with the turbo is run a restrictor. It basically limits the output of the turbo, but if you don't want to get it rebuilt and all that other stuff but you wanna try to keep it alive, then this is your next best option.

As for the BOV, there are SOME "China BOVs" that actually work pretty well, so it's up to you if you want to replace this or not. Replacing it is cheap.

The turbo is internally wastegated, and I've said what has to be done above.

For the manifold, the best band aids you could do is properly brace it, run some GOOD flex tubing, and give it a 2000 degree Ceramic Coating. Cheap manifolds, or SS manifolds in general, tend to crack on turbo applications due to stress, and not heat. They have to hold up a lot of stuff, and they are constantly heated then cooled.

The downpipe should be fine, but if you're worried, give it a 2000 degree Ceramic Coating too.

The intercooler should be fine. eBay/China intercoolers aren't really that bad.

By the way, don't run boost higher than 5 PSI on stock Engine Management/Injectors. The 16g is a small turbo, and even on the ZPI kit it ran 5 PSI. Raise the boost higher without injectors and a tune and you're just ASKING for it.

As for the injectors/engine management, down the line you should definitely upgrade your injectors if you're automatic as I hear they need bigger injectors compared to manuals (and I don't know why). You can get them for around 300 bucks I think, and you should definitely get good engine management. AEM, Greddy, etc.

Yes, fixing these shortcomings will shoot up the price, but you don't HAVE to do them all, it just depends on your level of paranoia. Also, it just makes the initial cost cheaper so you can actually enjoy boosting, etc. for a short amount of time before you have to fix the short comings. I'm not promoting this kit, but I'm just trying to help some of you guys out.

 

just so you know i ran out of fuel on stock injectors at 3.6 psi just so you know put managment on and tune it

 

Depends on the output of the turbo. The ZPI kit uses a small turbo, while the CXR kit probably has a turbo that's bigger (I didn't really look at it). Either way, all you really have to do is run a restrictor, or just run lower boost, lol.

But good looking out for thsee guys

 

FromTheOld:

Thanks for taking the time to provide those excellent suggestions. I'm still undecided about which kit to buy or whether to do a custom kit using a cast TC manifold. I like the custom idea except for the hassle of having a custom downpipe made. I'm pretty much sold on using a stealth SMIC like CXR. I've already got Fig side vent grills so there would be some decent airflow to the IC.

What do you think about running 440cc injectors with the stock ECU until someone finally makes a PnP EM solution? I figure that the engine would probably be running rich most of the time but not nearly as bad as it would be with 550cc injectors. IIRC, the SC comes with 410cc injectors.

Could you recommend some good turbos? Garrett, obviously but which others are worth considering? Precision?

Also, you mention bracing the manifold but I've heard that may not be a good idea due to the expansion/contraction and distortion of the manifold during heating and cooling cycles. The flex pipe is a great idea but I'm not sure about the bracing.

Does ceramic coating lower the metal temp of the manifold or increase it? I know wrap increases the metal temp which is why it can often cause failures. If ceramic coating keeps the metal cooler, it would be a great idea. I assume you meant something like Jet Hot where the inside and outside are both coated.

Thanks again.

 

Hey, I'm just gonna vaguely answer these questions since I've gotta go study for some finals.

You could just run 410cc injectors, but I don't think 440's would be bad either since they're not that much different from 410's.

This is pure preference but I like Garrett.

IMO, proper bracing plus the use of a flex pipe helps a lot. Try googling some articles about bracing, but either way, flex pipes do help for sure. From what I have researched, bracing is good, but who knows? Maybe there is some evidence out there that proves otherwise.

Ceramic coating is usually done on both the inside and outside of the object after being sandblasted, etc. The rating of the Ceramic Coating shows the temperature the exhaust gas needs to be to penetrate the barrier. If the coating is rated at 1200 deg, then after 1200 deg heat will be able to pass through it, which is why I recommend 2000 deg. It'll keep the heat inside the manifold for better performance, while at the same time, it'll protect the metal from the heat and other stuff.

I'll give more in-depth answers to all of these questions later. I've got some final exams for my classes and I've got to study.

 

Your answers were clear enough for me. Thanks.

I tend to agree that bracing should help but I've seen others recommend against it. After talking to CXR today, I think some bracing might be a must. When asked about the gauge of the manifold tubing, he told me he thought it was 18ga but also said it was 1.5mm thick (17-16ga). Either way, they should have used 14ga for the manifold, IMO.

I also asked about the turbo and he claims to have 3 years on a similar turbo and not to worry about it. I didn't really expect anything else. No turbo upgrades are available so the CXR kit is only sold "as-is". I haven't completely ruled it out but I am looking at other options.

I would still expect a ceramic coated manifold to absorb some heat from the hot exhaust gases but really don't know how much that thin ceramic coating insulates it. I'm sure it would help but it also adds a lot of expense that IMO might be better spent on other things.[/quote]