prjkt A31 Laurel Altima Turbo Upgrade

I’ve been piecing together a few items since I first got the A31 Laurel Altima that aren’t related to the engine swap that I did earlier this past late spring, but more or less upgrades to be done after I have the car finished and inspected/registered. The mindset for this car is still the same- OEM look and streetability. Why don’t I just do the upgrade now and then take it in for inspection/registration? Simply, I have not done a shakedown run on the car. It is better to rack up some time with the car on the road and see how things settle before creating a problem or exacerbating a hidden one. Don’t get me wrong, for the engine is running nicely and it does drive and behave like I like, but I really need to get the interior finished before we start messing around with increased forced induction.

Regardless, the following will be used when the time comes to upgrade from the factory mani and T25 Garrrett turbo.

Seven-Layer Metal Exhaust Manifold Gasket. Sourced from GKTECH in Australia. GKTECH says that their manifold gasket can be re-used. I have a tendency to believe them because their stuff holds up really well. As long as it is clean and not kinked or bent, it should last a very long time.

SSI Exhaust Manifold. I bought this manifold used from my friend, Jonathan Rowland, when he was stationed in Japan for $80. When I looked up SSI Manifold, it turns out that this manifold is sold in New Zealand by Japanese Race Supplies out of Auckland, NZ for approximately $595. It was originally marked up to $799.00. I think I got a great deal! Anyway, the welds at the collector section have been reinforced. I took a strong flashlight and pointed it inside while looking at the exterior for light leaks. There are none. It is a really beefy manifold, and should last a long time, as well.

GReddy T517Z 10cm internal wastegate turbocharger. This turbocharger is comparable to the GT2871R from Garrett, as far as power potential goes. It is rated between 175 to 375 HP. This is very good, since I am not looking to crank above 350 WHP.

I bought this last year around this time from a guy who changed his mind on what he wanted to build. I bought it as-is. The CHRA is in really good shape with no shaft play.

Since the turbocharger came without a wastegate actuator, I had to source one. It’s almost impossible to get one from GReddy in Japan, so I went with a KAMAK/Kinugawa 1 Bar billet/adjustable arm. I’ve read reviews on this item, and it has been reported as very favorable.

The T517Z is oil-cooled only, and I purchased this stainless-steel braided oil feed and oil return system. Nobody likes hard lines, and the Nissan OE hard line for oil feed wouldn’t work, anyway. For oil return, I got a kit made specifically for the SR20DET using the T517Z.

To compliment the turbo side of the car, I bought a GReddy air intake piping system for T28 along with a Z32 MAF. This will replace the OE rubber intake piping, and it is necessary to upgrade the MAF to the tried and true Z32 MAF when making more HP to prevent break-up.

To take care of the extra fuel that must be present with more charged air, I went with JECS 550cc high impedence side-feed injectors from a 2004-2006 WRX STi.

To take care of the air/fuel tables, I have a ROM’d Nissan OE E5 ECU that was modified by RS Enthalpy. The program that has been flashed into it is for Tomei Poncam 256/256 drop-in cams, 550cc injectors, Z32 MAF, GT2871R turbocharger (Greddy T517Z is a direct substitute) and has the standard boost cut and fuel cut removed.