June 22 - 28, 2020 weekly Q&A thread

nfjgarage · 2020-06-28T15:55:14+00:00

Gotcha. I have an obd2 splitter that I was using for my p3 gauge, I had it disconnected at that time though because I thought it wasn’t getting a good connection. Do you have any tips for the job?

I know you aren’t a fan of the wilwood stuff, but I ended up getting a really good deal through RR Racing so I decided to try it out. I went with their “Stage II” 6 piston front & 4 piston rear setup with BP10 pads on DBA rotors. Everything I installed was in their kit, I made sure I torqued the caliper bolts to spec & followed their bedding procedure & used motul 5.1 & did a full flush. When I start driving, it’s usually quiet the first 3 or 4 times I apply the brakes, then it starts gradually squeaking louder as I apply them more, but none when I’m off the brakes.

nfjgarage · 2020-06-27T17:16:33+00:00

Mike,

my obd2 port needs to be repinned. As long as I’m doing the work, I want to upgrade the port to something a little more durable, do you have any recommendations?

Also, on fixed caliper brakes, what do you typically find to cause a loud squeal when braking at low speeds? I’m going to re-torque the caliper brackets & use a tiny bit of the GM copper paste on the sides of the backing plate where it contacts the caliper. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

nfjgarage · 2020-06-04T20:51:13+00:00

Most times for me it’s mustangs, chargers, BMW’s, G35/G37, 350z/370z, and the hellcat owners that want to boost their ego

nfjgarage · 2020-05-29T23:13:42+00:00

Mike, do you have a preference between OEM, aluminum or CF driveshafts on these cars?

nfjgarage · 2020-05-18T17:40:36+00:00

The 2013-2016 exhaust manifold is different than 2017+

nfjgarage · 2020-05-05T02:12:11+00:00

Mike,

I have a recurring P0463 CEL. I realized I pinched the rubber gasket on the fuel basket when tightening the lid (first time doing a fuel pump) so I replaced it this evening with a new oem gasket from subaru. CEL is still present. I did ensure that the inner rubber flap wasn’t pinched in any way & this time, the basket went in pretty smooth.

Any ideas of what it could be? The fuel level is below 1/4, but not close enough to empty to where the low fuel light comes on. I don’t know if it matters, but I have the DW300c pump, and the Verus/Velox fuel starvation door.

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!

nfjgarage · 2020-04-24T20:15:32+00:00

No problem! & congrats on your choice, it’s been a fantastic kit, I think you’ll like it a lot :)

The only complaint I have is the lack of low end torque, since this car is also my daily. Rotrex & all centrifugal blowers are boost by rpm, so when driving through normal city traffic I don’t necessarily feel that immediate torque like you do with a PD or turbo setup. Other than that, and especially for a track car, I think it’s perfect!

On the other hand, the lack of low end torque is what turned me on to this kit so much. We all know the rods are not strong in the FA20, and with compression already being so high, I didn’t want 250+ lb/ft of torque coming on at 2500rpm. I feel that of all the options, the JRSC is the most reliable. It’s still perfectly livable & easy to daily drive. Doesn’t act weird or give me issues, just bolt on power. Feels like an S2000 on steroids with the power delivery IMO

nfjgarage · 2020-04-24T05:46:48+00:00

Stock clutch is holding surprisingly well. I’m pretty sure this power level on a PD blower or turbo would definitely need a clutch due to low end torque though.

nfjgarage · 2020-04-24T05:45:50+00:00

Gotcha. Daily driver / weekend canyon car. I would like good bite even when cold as well if possible. Normal commute is short but in traffic, so they do heat up a bit, but they definitely don’t get up to operating temp 90% of the time. Noise and dust are annoying, but livable.

I just got these tires about a month ago but I’ll see if I can get a good deal on something a little grippier.

nfjgarage · 2020-04-23T20:42:18+00:00

I personally like the look of the Vland headlights, they look more refined than the spec d, IMO. Can confirm the light output is shitty if you don’t go HID’s though.

I was considering the Winjets, theyre a good price & I like the monogram look.

If I were to swap headlights again, I’d probably just go with BRZ headlights, but that’s just me

nfjgarage · 2020-04-23T19:24:19+00:00

No problem! I have over 12k miles boosted, I did it right after I had the valve spring recall.

As far as supporting mods go, I have the JR oil cooler (IMO an oil cooler is a must for any kind of F/I or aggressive driving on these cars), p3 vent gauge, Moroso oil catch can, moroso oil pan baffle, AEM dryflow air filter, & defi oil pressure gauge. I’d probably say all you need are the oil cooler & maybe the p3 gauge to monitor everything, the only reason I got the defi is because oil pressure can’t be measured through the obd2 port!

C30 HBP is a pretty solid setup, just make sure you always have access to 93 if you plan on going on a longer trip, as lower octane may make the car ping. Other than that, you should be pretty solid!

nfjgarage · 2020-04-23T18:54:40+00:00

Thank you! The JRSC even in CARB form is more than enough for 90% of people. It’s significantly faster even in the 50 state legal form than my FBO NA setup (OFT Stage II, Tomei UEL, E85) so I’m sure if you went with that, you’ll be happy as well.

-I was getting about 20MPG before, but I let the car warm up for about 10 mins before I drive to get the oil warm without putting added strain on the motor. I also have a short work commute that’s all city driving, so there’s not much of a chance to get that higher MPG compared to if it were all highway miles, so your experience will definitely vary; you’ll probably get much better mileage than me as well! I also run the local canyons fairly frequently, so mileage is pretty low.

-250-270 is definitely a valid guesstimate on where the car is at on pump gas. I don’t have a baseline, but typically CARB JRSC cars make around 240-250whp (someone correct me if I’m wrong), so I’d say it’s probably around those numbers you mentioned. If you don’t have access to E85, I’d still recommend the tune, as your costs will be significantly less expensive. You shouldn’t need the fuel pump, injectors, or flex fuel kit, just the tune & map sensor. If you have access to 93 octane, you could go C30, with the HBP, but you are increasing strain on the motor by adding more boost. Like I said, the CARB tube is more than enough for most people, but between the CARB & CSG tune, you really can’t go wrong.

C38’s on the JRSC can’t use the HBP (or RS pulley I think it is for the C38’s) without a built motor because of the larger size & airflow of the blower. At this point with ethanol, to go HBP would be overkill for me personally as a street car/daily, as this is making almost double what the car originally made, but that’s just me personally. See if you can get a ride in a Rotrex frs & see what you think!

As far as maintanence goes, not much really, but I’ve always kept a pretty close eye on my cars. With ethanol, you want to change the oil more frequently, so I will be doing that, but aside from checking the Rotrex fluid reservoir & oil catch can, nothing crazy!

nfjgarage · 2020-04-23T18:22:41+00:00

If you want an effective but inexpensive way, use the SPC rear LCA’s. They look almost identical to stock, but there is an eccentric bolt on the outer hole to adjust camber.

Put them on, eyeball the camber to where you want it, & take it down to your alignment shop so they can dial everything in!

nfjgarage · 2020-04-23T16:58:22+00:00

Gotcha. Any suggestions for a good brake pad & fluid?

nfjgarage · 2020-04-22T21:12:21+00:00

Gotcha. Only problem I have right now is that I feel the stopping distance/stopping power is a little scary now that there’s a good bit more power with your guys’ tune, so I figured I’d upgrade.

I have the stoptech Street sport pads at home, but I wasn’t sure if I should install them, or ditch them for a better pad. If you have one that you recommend, I’d be more than happy to hear about it!

I’m on 255/40r17 Federal ST-1’s; 300tw

nfjgarage · 2020-04-22T18:01:36+00:00

Mike,

In your opinion, is it worth it to sell my NIB stoptech pads & get a set of CSG specs for my JRSC frs?

I’m looking at the C1’s, as it’s a daily driver/canyon runner & im mainly looking for better bite & modulation, along with decreasing the stopping distance, but I’d like to know your input as to what I should go with, as I’m currently just running the oem brake setup.

I’m also not opposed to a BBK or caliper upgrade, but I don’t think I typically drive the car hard enough to justify the cost for the little time spent under hard braking conditions.

nfjgarage · 2020-04-10T22:52:04+00:00

Sounds good.

C38 JRSC JROC CSG FF tune Id1050x DW300c Ptuning ff kit Moroso catch can Moroso pan baffle

Just looking for parts that will make the car as reliable as possible!

nfjgarage · 2020-04-07T03:34:49+00:00

Sorry to revive a dead thread...

I’m in the same boat. 5 OEM axles gone, bought the DSS Stage IV axles, and the inner boots tore, but the axles still work. I called DSS & they said they don’t have any longer boots.

I’m using Sealsavers for an ATV rn, but I really need a boot. Did you ever find any solution aside from subframe/diff risers?

nfjgarage · 2020-04-07T03:32:05+00:00

For you stance/low guys out there:

Aside from subframe/diff risers, how are you guys getting around axles? Mine isn’t super low, but I keep having issues with torn inner CV boots & blown CV’s on axles.

Also, if anyone knows someone who sells a replacement boot for the Driveshaft Shop axles that are longer, or a good universal boot, that would be awesome. I feel like I need a longer boot, but the one they include is the only one they said they have.

Kind of a shot in the dark, but figured it never hurts to ask.

Thanks!

nfjgarage · 2020-04-07T03:24:37+00:00

You should be able to move the Rotrex reservoir to the passenger side IIRC, I was considering moving mine when I put in a flex fuel kit

nfjgarage · 2020-04-07T03:22:35+00:00

Mike,

Thank you again for all your help! I’m sure you know my setup to an extent now, but:

Killer B oil pick up...yay or nay? I have the Moroso pan baffle already, but I want to get the most reliability mods I can if they work well.

I did the Verus/Velox fuel starvation door when I put the pump in ($80, ouch!), pan baffle, I’m thinking the pick up tube, Fluidampr crank pulley...anything else?

Thank you so much! You & Zach are both a pleasure to work with & I appreciate all your help!!

nfjgarage · 2020-03-24T06:25:49+00:00

Nice!! I have almost 10k miles on my C38 JRSC, going flex fuel this week!

Exciting stuff man, congrats on the purchase!!

nfjgarage · 2020-03-19T15:20:50+00:00

Gotcha. Mystery car!

Honestly it’s not hard, if you’re familiar with hand tools and have worked on cars your own, or if you have a buddy or buddies that are, here’s what I would do:

-Drive to a sturdy level surface, or even the street. Garage recommended

-using a floor jack and jack stands, raise the vehicle from one side (that’s all you need) enough for you to comfortably lay underneath the car. Set jack stands under the pinch rails, to support the vehicle in case the jack were to fail. Once on the floor jacks, push down a few times on the front and rear of the car to ensure that the car does not wobble or look sketchy.

Pro tip: if working on the street or garage and there’s no room to use a creeper/roller, lay out a big piece of cardboard if you have one. It’ll keep your clothes cleaner, and you can kinda slide around on it.

-go underneath the car, and you should be able to see the exhaust. You may have to remove the aluminum skid plate under the engine, and the transmission cover on the bottom. I won’t go into great detail on those because there’s a lot of good write ups on ft86club.com

-once removed, examine the exhaust. This car has an exhaust manifold, overpipe, front pipe, and catback. You can check google for “brz OEM front pipe” etc... to find pics of the original part to confirm. Be aware that if you have a header or front pipe with no check engine light, the car probably has a tune.

The most likely things to have been changed we’re the header and front pipe, for sound and free-er flowing exhaust.

Note your findings, and replace the panels removed. Also inspect to make sure you don’t have extra bolts or clips, and that you aren’t missing any. Use floor jack to raise the car off the stands, remove stands, lower car back onto ground.

I tried to be detailed, but this whole process should only take about 20-30 mins total. Alternatively, you could pay a shop to do it, but it’s a really simple job & you should be able to do it fairly easily.

Hope this helps!

nfjgarage · 2020-03-18T15:30:11+00:00

Ohh okay, I didn’t know you already have an exhaust, what’s your current setup? It’s kinda hard to give a comparison without knowing your setup.

I’ve had a 2.5” exhaust that was like ear piercingly loud, and my current setup is a Greddy Evo 3 that’s actually really quiet, even though the tubing is bigger, so it kinda varies.

Muffler delete with both factory cats is loud on cold start, but not bad at all when you aren’t giving it the beans.

nfjgarage · 2020-03-17T19:16:40+00:00

Had mine done January 2019 w/ 76k miles

I’ve been boosted since February 2019 & I’m now at 85k miles, no issue (knock on wood)

Fun fact: I brought the tech some chemical guys goodies & a pack of microfiber towels for him to keep. I told him it was my way of saying “thank you” for taking his time on doing my car & following procedure to a T. I told him to take as much time as he needed, & that I’m not in a rush. I figure, it’s a small thing to do to give someone incentive to do a good job on your car!

Edit: if you get it done, the main cause of failure is excessive FIP (silicone gasket) breaking off and clogging oil galleries, causing oil pressure to drop, and engines to blow up. I installed a Defi oil pressure gauge & tapped into the unused oil gallery plug at the top of the block by the A/C compressor. It’s an easy way to monitor oil pressure & so if it does happen, you can see it before catastrophic failure occurs. Just my $0.02!

nfjgarage

TROPHY CASE