Tyres & wheels settle up on supercharger
 

Not sure if this is the right post to ask the question... feel free to redirect me if it isn't.
I own a 2012 BRZ and planning to get the edelbrock supercharger soon. The car has 130k km on it, and it's mostly stock apart from a tomei UEL header and HKS Spec L catback. I am planning to mostly daily drive the car and maybe track once or twice a yera at most. My questions are:

1. With 130k km on it, is it still a good idea to FI the car?

2. What sort of wheel/tyre set up would I need to get somewhat reliable traction? I am a sucker for grip and from posts and videos, it seems like people are spinning crazy at 1st, 2nd or even 3rd gear. (I am not going after crazy power, just with a tune and the header and catback, probably expecting anywhere between 250-300 whp?)

3. Any other supporting mods would you guys recommend? (Planning to at least upgrade radiator, oil cooler, fuel pump, baffled sump, rotors & pads)

@jono.brz



Wheels and tires already spinnable even on 170 whp. It really depends on how and where you expect traction.


1. I don't think mileage matters all that much. If it's well maintained, you have the proper supporting mods, and a good tune, it should be fine.


2. If you want the biggest size wheels without worrying a lot about clearances, stick to the tried and true wheel sizes: 17x9+35ish and 18x9.5+40ish . Based on what I've seen, you can pretty reliably fit a 255 wide tire with coilovers. For wider wheels and tires wider than 265, just do your research and make sure it matches your ride height, camber, and tire set-up.


3. Really depends on the kit and goals.

• For the FI part, oil cooler and a good intercooler are the bare minimum. A good flowing aftermarket header (heat wrapped or ceramic exhaust coated) will also improve overall supercharger performance and keep heat outside of the engine bay. Depending on your local climate, a vented hood is also good to keep heat out of the engine bay
• Seeing that your model year is pre-revision, it might be worth it to upgrade to the revised coil packs (with an adapter for model year 2015 or newer, or aftermarket).
• The stock radiator is pretty efficient on the platform, so you might not need it depending on your power goals.
• Fuel pump usually doesn't come into play until you want to use ethanol: consult your tuner for the type of power you're looking for and fuel you want to use.
• For a once-or-twice a year track day type of car, I don't think your experiences will lead you to need to upgrade the oil system outside of an oil cooler
• For brakes, all you need is good race pads and high temp brake fluid. OEM/blank style rotors will be fine.

So I was basically in the same boat as you. 100k but fully stock. A bunch of guys on here will tell you that they had absolutely no problems FIing a stock engine. It did NOT for me. I spun a bearing on my first real pull while I was 'remote' tuning via CSG Zach. Those guys will reply to this thread I'm sure and try to sell you there package. You'll be advised to do injector cleaning and other R&R services related to a 100k mileage that will end up costing you anywhere between 1.5 - 2k.

I did all of that, still ended up spinning a bearing. Again did I say on my first pull?! After that happens, thats it, dont expect any support from anyone, you'll be just another guy who apparently didnt maintain his engine well and its all totally your fault and Zach from CSG is a god and can do no wrong....

So yeah I would say not to remote tune..Ever!!!.. There's a ton of salesman on here and remember that for every good story you hear there are at least 3 bad ones out there which you won't know about. And honedtly that's the nature of modding cars.. Find a good dyno shop and tuner and take it there physically.


My advise would be bite the bullet and get a atleast a stage 2 Iag block instead spending money on some bullshit engine R&R...Break the new block in, go FI and actually be worry free and actually enjoy your car. This coming from someone who was sold on the dream of modifying a car on a budget...

Again don't fall for salesman on this forum.. I got burnt real bad.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Modifying is always a risk, the FA20 is not bullet proof, plenty blew up even completely stock or NA+mods.

Regardless of what wheel brand you purchase, you should review the Apex Race Parts fitment guide. It rocks.

I had my 60k mile engine remote FI tuned by them and its been great as have countless others. Your engine would have blown on any given dyno session by the sound of it. Just the luck of the draw. FI is a risky particularly for a 100k mile engine.

You spun a bearing. You didn't bend a rod, or blow a hole in your block. You spun a bearing.

What causes a spun bearing?

Food for thought.

I’m running the Harrop, which is very similar to the Edellbrock, with the 85mm pulley at 10psi.

Been on the car for 2 year Covid time, which equates to 2 months in real time. Cars only has approx 30k miles since new in 2013, so a lot less mileage than yours.

With the the mileage on your car blow by will be an issue so a catch can is a must.

Oil cooler is NOT essential but I bought the Harrop one and self installed.

Whiteline, or similar, driveline and rear suspension inserts help get that extra power to the ground but are optional.

As for wheels and tyres. DO NOT drive the car with OEM wheel and tyre combo! Just too dangerous!

I initially ran 18x9.5 Te37 with Michelin PS4 245/40/18 tyres and it was not enough to stop spinning well into second and in to third on the right surface.

Now running Rays ZE40 18x10 with Pirelli 265/35/18 and it’s reigned it in a little bit, at least in the dry..

So what boost were you producing when the bearings spun. I was considering the IAG stage 2 myself and may go that way if my car shits itself… So far with a 30k mile motor, Harrop with 85mm pulley, and other mods it’s been fine and very reliable.

I’m more concerned with the trans letting go than the motor doing the same.
Time will tell I guess.

He is on a Jackson Racing C30 kit, with standard pulley.

I can honestly say i've done no supporting mods with my Edelbrock setup and have been running great. I did add sti engine mounts and shifter bushing and transmission insert but that is not necessary.

It's been 30k miles, no regrets. If i drove it super hard or lived in a hot climate i would definitely do an oil cooler. But my oil temps haven't been a problem at all.

My 2 cents...

130000 km is starting to get long in the tooth, and adding the extra stress of forced induction isnt going to make its life any longer or easier....BUT if you go into it with eyes wide open, treat it as a learning curve and dont complain if it goes "bang", then why not?

Dont fall into the trap of believing all the hype... it will not be a tyre shredding monster at the development level you are contemplating. It will simply be quite quick and great fun. You do not need to over tyre the car....but you will %100 need to get rid of the Primacy's (if you still have them). And remember that too much mechanical grip then adds stresses throughout the whole drive train. Of course be carefull in the wet.

Good quality dampers are a must. An oil cooler is probably a good idea, wrap the headers (ceramic coating is a waste of time compared to a proper wrap), make sure your brakes (pads/fluids) up to the new performance level of your car.
Spend some time replacing anything worn out in the suspension (new standard bushes are fine until you know where you want to head).

Then always warm it up slowly, drive it hard but coupled with mechanical sympathy. Use top quality fluids.

Going to be so much fun, especially in NZ...which has some of the greatest roads on earth.

And remember the dampers :)

Sucks that you spun a bearing dude, but realistically it's more likely that there are 3 good ones for every bad story as people are far more likely to post bad than good.

It’s not a good look to double the output of your 100k mile engine, then blame the tuner when it pops without any evidence. Zach and CSG are some of the best in the business, it was just your engines time, it was going to fail no matter what. That’s part of the game unfortunately. Get another engine, stick it in, and get back to it.