How reliable is the FA20 motor when boosted?

[Koa]

Originally Posted by Zoooom

That's good, what kind of power are you making? how do you like the power?

is it crazy power, or just ok?


as for the Tranny, I thought of upgrading the Clutch to ACT HDSS Streetlite Clutch Kit.

Do I need to upgrade anything ales with the tranny?

tranny not clutch

[Zoooom]

Originally Posted by slicktop

Where are you located?

You would probably spend less doing it with an STi, but do what you wish. They're completely different kinds of cars. You say you miss your WRX... seems this would be a no brainer.

I am located in the Middle East, I was thinking of buying the building the car in the US. and then ship to me. That's why I was so concerned about the motor.
I needed to live because local shops here aren't as good with imports.
and E85 isn't available here. 93/91 Octane and meth are.
I know there are not the same, And I know BRZ/FRS are a 2 seater.
I drove a friend's FRS and know how it feels.

Originally Posted by Koa

tranny not clutch

Originally Posted by robr

The trans itself is not known to hold power too well. No, there are currently no "reasonable" options to upgrade/replace the manual trans]

This is not good! I didn't think it's this bad.



After all, it looks like STi is the better option for me.

[Koa]

Originally Posted by Zoooom

I am located in the Middle East, I was thinking of buying the building the car in the US. and then ship to me. That's why I was so concerned about the motor.
I needed to live because local shops here aren't as good with imports.
and E85 isn't available here. 93/91 Octane and meth are.
I know there are not the same, And I know BRZ/FRS are a 2 seater.
I drove a friend's FRS and know how it feels.







This is not good! I didn't think it's this bad.



After all, it looks like STi is the better option for me.

STI 6speeds aren't known for not grenading at those levels, either. Just food for thought..

[cdrazic93]

Unless youre willing to swap in an R154 trans, then the STi is your best bet.

[slicktop]

Originally Posted by robr

Off topic: Are you the same slicktop on tt.NET?

I've used slicktop as a forum alias for a while now. I used to visit that forum but honestly, I can't remember my username there. It's been probably 5 years since I was active.

[slicktop]

Originally Posted by Zoooom

I am located in the Middle East, I was thinking of buying the building the car in the US. and then ship to me. That's why I was so concerned about the motor.
I needed to live because local shops here aren't as good with imports.
and E85 isn't available here. 93/91 Octane and meth are.
I know there are not the same, And I know BRZ/FRS are a 2 seater.
I drove a friend's FRS and know how it feels.







This is not good! I didn't think it's this bad.



After all, it looks like STi is the better option for me.

I'd say the STi is the better bet of the two in your case. For something reliable at 400-450whp without cracking the motor open, the STi is the better without having access to E85. You could use race gas, but that's another story.

[aznatama]

STi hand down IMO.

AWD, 2.5L, better tranny, more overall aftermarket support for higher power applications. Cheaper for a 25% increase than it is for a 100% increase in power too.

[Whatabouteggs]

No one knows. Why do you try it and let us know?

[Chad86]

I'm looking to go with the Kraftwerks C38 Supercharger, to get as much HP as I can get, but I am still wavering a bit as I still have 4 years left on my warranty. I just read another post about someone's great feedback on the OFT and I am wondering if I should just go this route and make other performance upgrades in the meantime (exhaust, suspension, etc.) until closer to my warranty running out.

Oh, but the boost is so tempting


http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...=58293&page=11

Originally Posted by smiley2010

OMG I love my OFT!

Shipping was FAST, ordered on 26th, arrived on 30th and I'm in Canada.

I have to say the writing process was very simple and drama free. Quicker than I thought too.

I don't have a header (yet) so I ran the Stage 1 tune with just a catback exhaust and I must say there are some great improvements.

I know some of the others mentioned this but idle is so much smoother now, no rpm wobbles and just smooth, buttery smooth, like so smooth. lol

Even my wife noticed it and said "wow feels like a more premium car" lol

Reverse and 1st gear is going to take me a few days to get used to as the feel of the car has changed. Not in a bad way and much more refined feel.

Two best traits of the OFT for me was these two...

1. Torque dip is pretty much gone which by itself is worth it imo. I'm sure I'll probably get used to how linear the pwr delivery is now but damn I can't believe how much smoother the power comes on now.
2. Throttle response. Its pretty immediate now. VERY different than stock tune. Great to feel that the car is really maximizing what little power it has and gets on it right away.

I can't wait to see how different she feels at my next autox event

I email Shiv a few times and the response times were fantastic! Very impressed and super nice guy, answered my questions and made me feel confident in my choice to go with these guys.

Now I'm eyeing that Header... lol save some funds

If you have 500$ buy this. #1 mod anyone should do on their FRS/BRZ hands down!

[kbogarto]

The STi starts off with a 100hp advantage. And it's built for FI. If you want nimble go with an 86. If you just want hp numbers go with an STI

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by Koa

It's not a given that internals start to go at 400+ for the FA20... the transmission definitely does. @Reaper

Not true. I'm doing 500+ whp for a year now, stock transmission holding up good. It's a matter of use/maintenance/etc.

I push my car hard on the street, with one track day. I don't do much burnouts or flat foot shift. Also try to shift as fast as possible, but never force shifts in or clutch kick. Just to give perspective on the type of use my transmission sees.

BTW, I don't mean at all the trans is bulletproof, I believe its pretty fragile, I just mean that there are instances that depending on behavior, it can survive 350+ wtq.

Originally Posted by Zoooom

I would call my self a "Bolt-ons" guy. I really no little about engine building.

I don't enough about stroker kits or the cams.

I'd do a turbo and lightly build the engine to support it.

And would defiantly go with a good oil cooler kit, koyo radiator and would power coat.

I've been boosted for 2 years, including one year over 500 whp. I'm going to tel you, there are several factors with these motors.

First, you need a good tune in there that accounts for your environment conditions, meaning a tune for somewhere freezing is not the same as for someone in the dessert, aside from needing a tune for safe power.

Second, these motors sometimes seem to be hit or miss. There's been motors blow stock, while there are others 500+ whp going strong.

Third, fuel used plays a vital role. All these 400+ WHP builds are on E85, which is basically race gas octane rating. So if you don't have access to E85, then realistically aim for around 300 whp.

Fourth, step back and take the time to learn how a turbo works, what are the main components, etc. There is nothing worse than seeing a guy that has a built car but has no idea what he has in it. Furthermore, this knowledge will help you troubleshoot if there is any issues.

Fifth, how reliable is a combination of type of use, type of gasoline, type of maintenance done on the car, type of driving.

Sixth, expect to have money to burn and rain day fund for the unexpected, including needing to replace motor if it blows.

Happy boosting!

[industrial]

The brz/frs isn't about dominating rolling start drag races. The amount of money you'll spend on getting the power and traction to last for 100k boggles the mind. Why not get something made for this? Like the mentioned m3/mustang/amg type cars?

[King Tut]

Never heard of IAG Performance. Whatever they are wanting for your STI build, send me the same amount, and I will send you a BRZ that will beat that STI.

[cdrazic93]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Sixth, expect to have money to burn and rain day fund for the unexpected, including needing to replace motor if it blows.

Happy boosting!

i would like to add to that, keep that rainy day fund big enough for another motor and trans. Too many trans have blown to not worry about it.


Just fyi...if anyone is clutch kicking the stock trans while over 400whp they deserve to have it break -_-