New member, but I've been searching the site and this is the closest thread.

I've got a 2005 G35x and am interested in F/I. Tending toward Vortech at this point. The thing is, I talked to a tuner, and he said he called Vortech, and they aren't sure they've ever done a G35x. Seems impossible, but there it is. Vortech apparently wasn't sure their piggy back ECU would work with the AWD ECU. I told the guy I'd actually prefer a tuner kit and pick a stand-alone ECU, fuel pump, a probably injectors--but he uses AEM, and he didn't think they made a box for G35x.

So here's the questions:
- Anyone aware of a successful Vortech S/C install on a G35x? Saw an earlier post from someone declaring the intention, but no report on the results.
- Is a re-flash (from Osiris) my only option for tuning if it turns out the Vortech piggyback doesn't work?

For what it's worth, I have the maintenance manual for the car, and I don't see any terminals on the ECU that are unique to AWD. Also don't see any wiring in the Vortech installation instructions that would have any effect on the AWD controller, even if it did touch the ECU somehow. On the other hand, the ECU part# from Inifinti is different between G35 and G35x, so maybe there's an issue...

IPSthorne, you sound like you know what you're talking about...

 

1st, Don't go piggy back ecu. Do it right your car will last longer and run better
2nd I see no reason why a vortech kit shouldn't work. It might require some fab work but any shop worth there fruit can do it
3rd a Reflash of Osiris is not your best option. You want a proper tune for a build like that, I personally do not like OTS maps for boosted applications I get a proper protune. I've got experiance with both vortech and positive displacement blowers on VQ's and other platforms.
4th you do not need a standalone, Any good uprev tuner should have 0 issues tuning this type of setup. If your near ohio our shop can do this build start to finish.

I personally think that a roots style blower would be way more fun on these cars. The owner of our shops brother had a stillen stage 3 g35x and he speaks very highly of it. He now has a TTd g35 rwd making 700whp on pump and 1000 on racegas

 

Thanks for the fast response. Yeah, I wasn't tracking how the AWD was an issue, either. The fact that you know of a successful Stillen install on a 35x is reassuring. I'm still on the fence between Vortech and Stillen. Low-end boost of the Stillen sounds like a good fit for me, but it's that aftermarket hood... and having to store the OE hood and plenum for the long haul. Still not sure.

You clarified the re-flash thing for me. Makes total sense.

Quick tuning question on the Stillen, though. Says it takes care of extra fuel by injecting it into the intake flow, i.e. a 7th injector. Wouldn't you have to use the supplied piggyback unit to control that? Or would just omit that part of it from the install, and take care of the extra fuel with a reflash of the ECU? I suppose I'd be upgrading injectors as well, then, right?

Hey, one more question while I have you. The guy I talked with (this will be in Virginia Beach, by the way) said he couldn't do the tune because he didn't have an AWD dyno. So that might be another showstopper. I thought G35x normally put 100% power to the rear wheels. Wondering if disabling the VDS, or some other trick, could make the car act like straight RWD for the purposes of a tune?

 

**** the whole 7th injector thing upgrade your injectors to the right size to compensate for the boost.

No you cant dyno a g35x in rwd mode. I played with the idea and tried pulling the fuse and it din't work . find someone with a AWD dyno.

 

there are a few stillen roots chargers G35x. I dont know if they are still around much. But around the time i joined this board there were some stage 4 stillen AWD guys that posted a lot. You should be able to still dig up their postings. I dont think i've seen a vortech one, there is a rear exhaust mounted turbo AWD sedan on this board. He was in Indiana.

 

I drive an '05X I recently noticed I blew the electric coupling in my transfer case, this may be from running it on a dyno dynamics dyno so beware guys. All I know is now I can't sell my car and I'm going to have a real crappy winter. Anyways, I made 227 awhp on that dyno (Its known as the heartbreaker). At the time I had:
Injen CAI
z1 plenum spacer
RDZ lightweight underdrive pulleys
Magnaflow custom catback 3"
M2 Y pipe (the flex sections will rust out in 1 winter, ha...)
AAM high flow cats

I just converted to RWD, I will make a DIY if you guys are interested. The car feels much quicker and shift time is about half of what it used to be. I lost about 25 pounds of rotational weight...
I am going tuning on friday again, between my last tune and this one I will have added topspeed headers and a port and polish job on the lower plenum. I was forced to switch dyno's because DENT sport garage closed its doors, but we should still see about how much drivetrain loss there is in the AWD system.

 

Interesting... do you think the coupling was blown before you dyno'd it, or did you register power to the FW? Maybe that was a factor in the low-ish numbers?

These forums are killing me. Just when I read enough posts and digest enough manufacturer's web sites to believe that adding F/I is a perfectly safe and reasonable mod--even if it peaked with G35s several years ago--I run into one of these stories about major damage to a car. I dunno... maybe I'm just a nitrous guy... at least that will just blow the engine and not the tranny, right?

Found an AWD dyno in Richmond. Only about a 90 minute drive. I'll post what they say...

 

Someone stated above that there is an RPM pickup issue with the g35x, I had one pretty bad directly after getting a tune. I believe that pickup issue is caused by the T case, because I wired a switch to cut power to the coupling and boom problem solved. As my coupling became more and more worn I felt a harsh clunk at about 2750 rpms and I began wondering wtf it was. I started with differential bushings because I was completely in denial... before it turned into a clunk both my tuner and I thought it was a pickup issue caused by tuning. That was not the case.
After converting to RWD its amazing how smooth it drives. Shifts are insane, even going into 5th snaps you back. I was about to install a transgo shift kit but there is no need anymore. All of that dead weight in the front really hinders performance (until harsh weather comes).
The motor feels like it should, the RPM's pick up completely linearly with the torque curve.

As for F/I; definitely do it. I'm NA so its not like an overwhelming amount of power blew my T case coupling. I don't know for a fact what caused it to blow so I cannot point any fingers, but I highly recommend just dropping the front driveshaft the day of your dyno trip for peace of mind. The first time I went on the dyno my car acted up, he said it was a drive by wire issue but that had never ever occured before... The car wouldn't accelerate like it was in safe mode. After switching off power to the VDC module it finally began to work and I hit just shy of 200 whp that day what a joke.
Dropping the shaft is very easy; you only have to remove the passenger side catalytic converter and make a plug out of a socket and a bolt + electrical tape to seal it where the shaft enters the T case. The point of the bolt is to seal the socket off and to allow you to thread something onto it to yank it out for re-installation of the shaft. Now you don't have to drive across states to find an AWD dyno! I also modified (Cut!) my CV axels to reduce rotational weight and to keep my front wheel speed sensors in place but you can leave the shafts in if you plan to go back to AWD.
You can always get a used T case for 450 shipped online if it comes down to it... Not bad.
I'm 18 so I just put the extra effort in instead of the extra cash.

 

With:
Top speed headers (CZP)
Z1 plenum spacer
AAM HFC's
M2 y pipe (don't install until you weld better flex sections in)
magnaflow 3" catback
RDZ lightweight underdrive pulleys
255 lph fuel pump
3" CAI stock MAF housing no z tube
RWD conversion
I went from 227 AWHP without the headers all of the way to 262.5 WHP (dynojet) after my RWD conversion. The car is FAST now. You should see my tq curve... 2900 rpms and up its flat line max torque until the valve springs give way.

 

how much work is it to disable the AWD?

I always knew the AWD on our cars sucked up more power then it normal AWD cars but i didn't figure it was THAT much.

 

You have to keep in mind the differences from a dyno dynamics dyno to a dynojet dyno, and the fact that I added those headers which are good for 15 hp. I explained above how to convert to RWD. You will have an AWD light but it's not a big deal.
1. Wire a switch in the AWD fuse or AWD control box for v36 cars.
2. Remove passenger side cat
3.Unbolt the front drive shaft from the front differential
4. Slide the drive shaft out of the transfer case
5. Make a custom plug to insert where the shaft was
6. If you are planning on keeping it like this (not just a 1 time dyno day) DESTROY your front CV axels
7. Re insert front wheel speed sensor hub inserts
Step 6/7 remove more rotational weight when going down the road.
I'm not sure if you can drop the front differential. There is a mid shaft that goes through the bottom of the engine... Not sure if it is safe to run without this to save a good amount of weight/sell the front diff for $$$$

 

i find +15whp from headers to be a little hard to believe.

while i dont have proof of my actual gains. I did about a 230awhp on a dynojet. with 5/16 spacer and HFC.

I know all dynos are calibrated differently. A car on dynojet A can pull down 260 and on Dynojet B can do 300 and on a mustang it read 200.

 

I spit out exactly what my tuner told me. I tuned on a mustang dyno and hit somewhere in the 230's. he says the difference from real world experience is about 10% from mustang to dynojet with the weight calibration of our cars.
He also said if he had go guess I saw no more than 15 hp from my headers but 15 is very doable with a full exhaust. Why exactly is that hard to believe?

 

OK, I've thought this over some more, and I think I'm back in the Stillen S/C camp. Found a tuner with an AWD dyno within driving distance and asked for a quote for a proper installation that skips the Stillen fuel system mods and piggyback FMS. He quoted $2500--that includes the labor (not parts) to swap in upgraded injectors, but doesn't include the Osiris license and Uprev tune. ($700 + $500)

Anyone else think $2500 is a little steep for a bolt-on kit, with no tune? I read through the instructions from Stillen, which advertises the install as a 10-12 hr DITY job. It would be more like a whole weekend for me. I know the piggyback route is less than optimal, but dude: living with the Stillen supplied fuel mods and piggyback ECU would save me something like $4000 in parts and labor when you add it all up. Also thinking of doing the install with new injectors + fuel pump myself, then just hauling the car to the tuner for the tune. Doesn't save quite as much $$$, but I'd have a great set-up.

Any thoughts?

 

Hello all.
Don't know where to post results from Dyno.
So, Moderator, please assign to right thread.

03 VQ35DE AT, Blox Plenum, removed idler, K&N drop in airfilter.

This is the result:



228 whp according Dyno Dynamics or roughly 258 whp at Dynojet.

This is 25 horses more than any G or 350z have shown here on Dyno.