SR20DET Power Upgrade Walkthrough

Hi Guys,

If you have a direct question is always best to email! I respond to that much faster than PM’s or board messeges.

Ok Ryan, for your setup I would really need to know exactly what turbo it is you have to suggest whether or not I thought it would make the power. For now neither the MAF nor Injectors would stand up to 300whp as indicated in the initial post you NEED to upgrade this stuff to make much more than 250~

most of the standalones or “smart piggyback” like PFC, they do have a boost control unit,but u need to pay extra for it.
e-boost controllers are not mandatory imo, once ur car got tuned properly, u dont need to adjust ur boost all the time…in fact, changing the boost w/o tuning is very dangerous for ur engine, u will get boost spikes or compressor surges easily…
correct me if i m wrong… cuz i learn these all by myself

you learn something new everyday!. thanks sasha

Holy crap awesome thread :smiley:

Hopefully next year I can get a s13, this helps a lot. Nice plain English. I just gotta look more into braking and suspension now… and maybe internals? Can a stock SR20 handle 300~350hp safely?

great write up, learned some new things

good read, thanks

wicked! got a power upgrade walkthrough for the rb20/25?

very good write up! +1

After installing and tuning a GT2860 RS on Roland’s car with the 0.64 A/R hot side. I would say that if your long term goal is 300whp to use that turbo. The spool and response is improved by over 500rpm, and with that comes gobs of low end torque and transient response (how fast the turbo speeds up, even at high rpm).

This specific turbo will max out 40whp or so earlier than a similarly setup GT2871, but the spool and response should be worth it for any street car.

Thanks for the initial post Sasha! It’s helped me out a bit to plan out my future setup.

Does the Gt2860 RS feel flat on the top end. I saw a few dyno graphs and noticed that power starts to taper off after 5000 rpm. I am setting up my S13 SR for track days, and plan on getting into solosprint/time attack this summer. This is not my daily driver, and I am trying to pick a turbo. Gt2860RS .86 A/R, or GT2871R 0.64 A/R?
I am not looking for big hp numbers, just a really fun track toy.
I was leaning toward the gt2860RS for better pull out of the corners, but will it feel dead up top? Or will a Gt271R be better since it will probably already be spooled up on a track, so there is no turbo lag?
I don’t have any experience with these turbos and would like your input.
Thanks

That is a great turbo for a lapping / time attack car that you want to learn on. It won’t make as much top end power as a 2871, just like any big turbo will make more top end power. But the response coming out of the corners and the RPM at which the turbo can fully spool is well worth the trade off.

Cams and an intake manifold can totally transform the torque curve of the engine and even with the restrictive turbo it can make peak horsepower at the rev limiter. So there’s a lot more involved than just the turbo.

Ultimately, both the 2871 .64 and the 2860 are great options. If you want up to ~330whp I would suggest the 2860. Which is a TON for a time attack car.

My 2007 Canadian Touring Car GT 240sx only had 320whp and I was beating vettes and vipers. Too much power makes it hard to learn how to properly drive, so I would suggest the 2860 for someone that is learning, and a larger turbo for a pro that is after ultimate time, even if the car is harder and LESS FUN to drive.

Hope this helps, and let me know if you’d like some tuning or install quotes. Thanks!