Nissan Skyline R33 GTS-T Tuning Guide

Under the hood (stock 130 to 140rwkw)

The Nissan Skyline R33 GTS25T is a great base for tuning. The GTR's little brother is
200kg lighter and is equipped with the awesome RB25DET. The R33 has 187kw at
the flywheel and most manuals see 130-140 rear wheel KW on a dyno. The 2.5 liter
six is impressive featuring a twin cam 24 valve head with Variable valve timing on
the intake side only. Induction is via a Single ball bearing turbo charger which comes
onto boost fast with its ceramic exhaust wheel. To keep inlet temperatures down the
car is equipped with a small side mounted intercooler.

Engine Tuning Stage 1

Exhaust (around 160rwkw)

The RB25DET is a sweet sounding engine but very quiet in standard form and as with
most factory turbo cars the exhaust causes a huge restriction. A good free flowing
exhaust will have the RB sounding great, turbo lag will be reduced, and power
gained throughout the rev range. The new exhaust should start from the turbo with
a dump pipe either a 3" open bell mouth or better still a split dump to separate the
gases from the turbine and wastegate. From here a high quality 3" high flow cat
should be used, then 3" all the way to the back of the car with high flow mufflers.

Intake (160 to 170rwkw)

Now we have the exhaust side of the engine breathing the next step is to get more
air into the engine. Either use a high performance air filter, or replace the air box
with a POD style air filter. If you choose to go the POD filter route I recommend you
fabricate some type of shield to keep hot air from the engine bay away from your
intake. A cold air intake to the filter from the front of your Skyline will also give you
a performance advantage. 5-10 rwkw is achievable with this mod.

Intercooler Upgrade (165 to 180rwkw)

The standard R33 intercooler is tiny and before a boost increase I recommend
installing a better cooler if you don’t you risk detonation on warm days. The R34 GTT
intercooler is a good cheap upgrade for the R33 and bolts onto the same position as
the stock item with minimal modification. The GTT intercooler is rated up to about
200rwkw if you plan on going further than this power figure a GTR or aftermarket
front mount will be required. Be aware that with these systems new pipe work will be
required and you may notice a small decrease in throttle response. You may notice a
small increase in power with this mod without increasing boost as airflow will
increase and the air will be denser. But it’s the ability to run more boost that makes
this mod a good one. If you don’t plan on increasing your power level to over
200rwkw I recommend the GTT intercooler as its cheep and you will notice no
difference in throttle response.

Boost increase (175 to 185rwkw)

In standard form the R33 runs a two stage boost control system 5psi to 4500 rpm
then 7psi to red line 7000 rpm. As mentioned before the turbo’s exhaust wheel is
ceramic and they tend to fail if to much heat is generated. The amount of boost you
can run with the stock turbo is debatable but I don’t recommend running more than
10 psi. You have a few options when choosing to increase the boost either a manual
boost controller, electronic boost controller, or a new wastegate actuator.

A manual controller is very basic in its operation it bleeds off air causing the
wastegate actuator to open later. The amount of boost run depends on the amount
of air bled form the system. It is critical to install an after market boost gauge before
carrying out this modification as the stock gauge is not accurate enough and is
measured in mmg not psi or bar. Manual boost controllers are cheep and easy to
install but they do have there disadvantages some can cause boost spikes and boost
creep I have also found boost tends to tail off high in the rev range.

Electronic boost controllers on the other hand use stepper motors and monitor boost
about every 10th of a second because of this boost spikes and boost creep are kept
to a minimum, and the desired boost level is held to redline. Electronic boost
controllers are expensive and for this level of modification a manual controller will
probably be good enough.

A 3rd option is to install a different wastgate actuator and the good news is the R32
GTST item is exactly the same as the R33 except the spring inside is set for 10psi.
R32 actuators can be hard to find but I think it’s the best option for this level of
modification as boost spikes and boost creep are eliminated.

No mater which system you choose the 2 stage boost control system should be
disconnected. After this mod is carried out many people notice flat spots throughout
the rev range this is due to the ECU seeing an increase in airflow and as a safety
precaution it richens the air fuel mixtures. Many people find re-gaping the spark
plugs from 1.1mm to 0.8mm fixes this problem but if it does not you need to
consider the next upgrade.

ECU (185 to 200+rwkw)

As mentioned before many people have problems with flat spots and rich air fuel
ratios. Even if you don’t have these dreaded flat spots an aftermarket ECU will give
good power gains and improve drivability. One popular option is the Apexi SAFC
(Super air flow computer). The SAFC is a piggy back to the ECU and works by
tricking the ECU into thinking your engine is getting more or less air than your
engine actually is. Tuning should be done be a professional on a dyno this
modification should fix those dreaded flat spots by leaning you airfuel ratio's at
different RPM points.

A better but more expensive option is the Apexi Power FC which replaces the
standard ECU. Many people choose the Power FC as its less expensive than other
aftermarket ECU's, and it plugs straight into you old loom so there is no need to cut
any wires. All parameters of your car can be tuned with a Power FC but once again it
should be dyno tuned by a professional. Please note the power FC cannot be used an
automatic transmission.

Clutch and Fuel Pump

At this level of modification it’s likely that your clutch and or fuel pump will need
upgrading to handing the extra power.

Conclusion
This completes stage 1 engine tuning for the Nissan Skyline R33 GTS25T. Basically
at this stage we are at the limits of the standard turbo and fuel systems but in terms
of car modification this level of tuning is offers great value for money. Many people
with these modifications with and a well sorted suspension and tyre packages have
12 run second quarter mile passes.

Engine Tuning Stage 2

Stage 2 of tuning is where things start to get expensive as we need to upgrade many
of the standard systems. Nissan Skyline RB engines are known for the strength the
RB25 is no exception with regular maintenance and a safe tune 270rwkw is easily
possible. Some people push the limits with 300rwkw+ but if you want an engine that
will last 270rwkw is a safer limit.

Turbo Selection
There are many good turbo options available but I recommend a turbo that will bolt
onto standard manifold this will save time and money in the long run. Many people in
Australia have had there standard Nissan Skyline turbo high-flowed by GCG turbo’s
these turbos are popular because they use a ball bearing cartridge, and everything
bolts back into place. Turbo response is said to be similar to stock and power figures
average around 230rwkw or up to 250rwkw with cams. Some people have used
larger exhaust housings from the R34 GTT or the old single turbo 300zx and have
achieved 270rwkw+.

HKS in Japan have a range of turbo's for the R33 that come with all the parts needed
to bolt on. Suitable Nissan Skyline kits available from HKS at the moment include the
HKS GT-RS known to make 280rwkw and the HKS PRO-S known to make around
300rwkw the GTRS is cheaper and a little more responsive than the PRO-S. Another
popular choice since superseded by newer models was the 2535 which is similar to
the GT-RS.

Fuel system
If you haven’t done so already the fuel pump will need to be upgraded. Second hand
GTR pumps are a popular option as are new pumps from bosch, walbro, and tomei.
The GTR and Tomei pumps are a direct fit. You may also install a fuel pressure
regulator to increase fuel pressure.

Standard injectors will also need to be upgraded at this stage. You can either have
your standard injectors high-flowed, or buy after market ones from Nismo or
Performance company's. I recommend you use injectors that are a direct
replacement and don’t require any modifications s to fit. The JDM spec S15 Silvia
injectors are also a popular choice as they flow more and fit without modification.

Airflow meter
To improve the tunability of the engine its a good idea to upgrade your airflow meter
this allows for finer tuning which will result in smoother power delivery and make it
easier for the tuner to produce a higher peak power output . Popular upgrade choices
include the Z32 and the Q45. The Z32 is cheaper of the 2 but the Q45 will allow
more airflow. click for more information

ECU
If you have not done so already the ECU will need to be upgraded even with a SAFC
or similar the stock ECU will not do the job. As stated before the Power FC is a
popular option due to its price, ease of installation, and use. There are plenty of
other options that are superior to the Power FC and allow many other tuning
functions like launch control, and the ability to use a map sensor instead of the
airflow meter. But the FC is still a popular and is proven to perform.

Head Gasket
Running boost levels above 1.2 may require a new metal head gasket to lower
compression and improve reliability. Opinions differ on this subject so I think its best
to ask you tuner.

Clutch and flywheel

The stock clutch will certainly fail quickly at this power level the hardest part is
finding a clutch that will handle the power yet not make your car a pig to drive.
Exeedy seem to be popular and reliable choice and while you are upgrading your
clutch a lightened flywheel is well worth considering. This will help the car rev
quicker but the trade off is your car will loose momentum quicker to.

Cams or Cam gears

At this stage the Nissan skyline will benefit from a set new cams, cam gears, or both.
The outright power will be increased but the main reason for installing cams is for a
fatter torque and power curve. Upgraded cams can help reduce lag, improve mid and
top end power. Popular choice is tomei pon cams as they fit without modification and
are proven to give good results.