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Katie was blunt with her comment, “Dad, I know it's faster but it doesn't feel any different from the last engine.” In other words, she was saying what I had not been able to put into words. I blew it. The GA16 engine was not a road burner, but on the track it performed beyond anyone's expectations. I had spent a lot of money and hundreds of hours for only a minor improvement when we thought the SR20DET would blow us away. Disappointment was the name of the game at this time.
Katie flew to Australia (any Australian time attack teams looking for a Canadian record holding driver? Let me know.) and I went to my spare parts pile. I dug through the boxes and found what I was looking for. The Go Fast Bits electronic boost controller that I got from Wes Dumalski – the one that he had briefly used on Project 200SX. All I can say is wow! I Wired it up and worked through the set up process, drove it around a bit to see how it ran and then off to the dyno.
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| If it’s not faster than a GA16, then it’s time for new tires… and time to up the boost! Wow! |
The first pull produced 287hp at 12.4 pounds of boost, the second pull dropped way off with only 227 or so. All kinds of panic set in until I remembered that the GFB has been resetting itself to the first of it's six presets when it hits the rev limiter. I changed it back to setting number 5 and I could not stop grinning. 297.3 wheel horsepower at Marken Performance's Dyno here in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. I really just wanted to know that the air/fuel ratios were good – and they were – but I will happily take these numbers. This is with stock injectors, stock engine, stock GTi-R ECU with the boost set at 12.4. We had time for one more run and turned the boost to 14.7 pounds. Unfortunately it only ran up to 12 and we were out of time. Curiously enough, the next time I had the opportunity to try out 14.7 pounds of boost the car hit it instantly. It just was not meant to be on the dyno. For the track 12.4 is the boost level, although GTi-R drivers around the globe have boosted stock engines to 18 and beyond, I am more interested in driveability and reliability. Well, no, I still want my 12.4 pounds of boost.
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At CTMP on July 28th I was very pleased with how the car pulled on the back straight. All of a sudden corner 6 and corner 7 had new meaning. If I knew how to knit I could have made a pair of socks with the 1.6 liter engine as I went uphill on the back straight. I would hit a GPS indicated 160 kph, but not until after the crest and then with Katie's guidance I would go flat through corner 8. But we did not feel 6 or 7. With this new boost the car just flies, and required shifting into 5th gear at 190 kph prior to turn 7. There were some mock races occurring during the lunch hour, with passengers buying the right hand seat and money all going to charity (over $4000 raised for Children's Aid). Some of the race cars had technical difficulties and their passengers were left stranded. As the chief instructor with OTA and having 5 point harness for the passenger seat, I was conscripted. 11 cars on the track, two cars wide in the corners, we did two 15 minute mock races that gave our passengers the thrill of a lifetime as they got to ride in a racecar during a race. I finished last in the first heat; sixth in the second heat. The car was performing beautifully.
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| Me with white helmet, held firmly in the Kirkey seats with G Force 5 point camlock harness. I won’t drive on the track without proper safety equipment. Including a Bell SA helmet and DeFnder restraint system. Image courtesy of Change CRAFTER services. |
Which is good, because Sunday morning during the first warmup session, while taking it easy and still hitting 198 kph on the back straight, my transmission went south. It has taken a year and a half of abuse as I have sorted out the car, so it does not owe me anything. I just wish it had waited and allowed me to finish one timed lap.
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| The Bully Stage 4 clutch is in perfect condition. Blowing a transmission is a perfect time to check out the clutch components. With the boost up at 12.4 pounds, wheelspin while exiting second gear corners is common. |
Am I disappointed in the SR20DET swap? No. The GA16 is an underrated engine as Wes proved with Project 200SX. I proved that the naturally aspirated GA was also a durable and fun engine on the race track. The N/A engine simply does not compare to the thrills of the GTi-R's powerful SR20DET. The first half of 2012 continues to be a time to work out the kinks. They are almost sorted out. Stay tuned for the final half of the track season.
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