All posts by tech

1ZZ w/ a Bad Attitude

Carlos messaged me on our facebook page some time back asking if I was interested in building a 4 cylinder.  We are not biased on building engines so we take on the challenges of all types and makes that ppl would like us to work on.  After discussing things over with Carlos he came up from Austin, TX to our shop to take the tour and drop off his stash of parts he’d been collecting and his engine assembly he wanted us to build for him.

Carlos did an excellent job in picking out the best parts his platform had to offer from aftermarket vendors.  Molnar rods,Crower cams, Supertech valve train kit, Moroso oil pan and the list goes on and on.  What I particularly liked most about this build was that he was doing it with an underdog assembly that most don’t care to modify too often plus he felt a TRD supercharger was a required piece of equipment so one was shipped to me so it could be installed on this fresh new assembly.  Take a look for yourself!  This engine should do well over 200HP and it was such a pleasure in building this for Carlos.

EPR Teams up with Saenz Performance

During PRI last year (2017) I was contacted by Ignacia Saenz who is the owner of Saenz Performance Connecting rods.  Ignacia expressed he wanted to build custom rods for us as he liked what we did as an engine development company and he felt we would be a good fit for his product.  After many discussions on design and what they could offer we started doing all our custom rods through them.  Since then we have become Saenz Performance Central distribution hub in the USA.  Now all your favorite Saenz rods are in stock and can get to anywhere in the country in 2-3 days time.

In accomplishing this great business relation, Saenz was then able to come to aid in offering us their P series rod for the VG30.  A full Tri Beam design that incorporates not only 4340 rod material but they also offer the VG30 connecting rod in a 300M material which is an industry first for us.  To also note, all of our VG30 Stroker kits utilize Saenz rods so you get the optimum weight savings and all the durability you need.

Here are the new P Series VG30 Rods we offer now. These are now available in the Engine Internals section.  Please contact us to place your order.

VG30DE Engine Block Cut Away

Here is a great cut away sectional I had done not long ago to showcase how the VG30DE architecture really is.  For a V6 to weigh in at 130lbs bare, this block exudes ultimate strength. Even though its a 2 bolt main the main web structure is very intact and is VERY hard to distort.  The weak part being the main girdle is what sends these blocks in with windows in the side of the block.  Once the cast girdle gives way destruction ensues.

Overall the design of this block was well engineered and rightfully so.  It was a huge leap in VG performance over the SOHC VG30E series block.  Needless to say this DE block upgrade that made its way into the 1990+ vehicles had a much better chance at making power and sustaining it.  Only downfall was the single case iron girdle.  Don’t worry though a proper solution is available to strengthen that part of the block.  We have or very own billet main cap kit that replaces the stock case girdle and reduces weight by 2lbs and is considerably stronger than the factory piece.  Check out these pics!

L28 – Old & Busted to Hot New Sh%t

Simtec Motorsports, known for his vivid sheet metal works and off the wall creativity contacted me to start an L28 build for a RHD 280Z that he was restoring for a client of his.  The car being a RHD was immediately ushered into the class of high end detail with total renewed paneling to make the chassis as new as possible with faint ques on performance.

Where I came in was on the power plant.  This L series needed a much needed revamp on power with a quality approach to new parts and services.  So I began to sit down and draw out a full engine design on custom pistons suited for this application as well as needing the acclaimed P90 head casting to ensure detonation and tuning weren’t going to be subsided with a flaw in cylinder head design.

Moving forward to today, the short block is completed and the cylinder head is on the chopping block for a valve job and chamber blending.  More details are to come!

 

Mod List:

EPR Custom L28 Pistons
Forged H-Beam Rods
King XP Rod Bearings
FM Main Bearings
EPR Bearing Coating
EPR Piston Coating
ARP Main & Headstud Kit

EPR Billet Oil Filler Caps

Towards the end of last year I wanted to make an engine piece that had more aesthetics than I am normally used to.  I wanted to give it the feel and look that would show off a mechanical side of things that would also give the consumer a talking piece when they popped their hood to show off their engine bay.

What I came up with (which yes, has been done before) was my own version of the billet piston oil filler cap.  My particular oil cap fits ALL Nissan Models from the CA/SR to the RB and VR platforms.  Just to clarify all platforms it fits, here is a list.

 

CA18
SR20
RB (20/25/26)
VG30 (DOHC & SOHC)
VQ35 (Rev Up & HR)
VQ37
VK45/50/56
VR38

These are made of T6061 and are fully modeled after a custom CP piston we run in our assemblies.  It has an engraved company logo on top and includes an O-ring to ensure a proper seal is made.

 

You can get these anytime as I’ve 30 on the shelf currently.  Price is $65 shipped

NEW EPR VG30DE(TT) CAMSHAFTS

Its been a while now that the VG30DE market has been utilizing the same camshafts on the market.  A single US manufacture of VG cams has been a go to for pretty much the entire US market while other international JDM offerings from companies such as JUN Auto & Tomei have been the premium offering to the community.  Its important to understand the price points of the JDM offerings due to the fact they have a much higher refined casting for the blanks they utilize and they do not produce a camshaft with a reduced base circle that plagues the VG30DE platform with VTC deterioration & failure which results in consumers having to buy remanufactured VTC intake cam gears.  So the costs go up considerably if you use a lesser made product.

Today I want to introduce to you a new line of camshafts that are made here in the USA but DO NOT have the cam profile with a reduced base circle.  They have properly designed lobes and are developed for the use of a well matched valve spring setup to enable the user to not only retain VTC (if they choose to do so) but it will not damage the VTC at all.  This is a huge advancement since a lot of consumers like to retain the VTC system for drivability function.  With this development now you can finally get a camshaft that doesn’t reek havoc on your valve train system.  You will able to utilize a much better valve spring that has considerably better spring rates and get the lost performance this platform has so desperately been loosing out on.  Being made here in the USA you aren’t subject to extreme delays in time due to custom orders nor pay high shipping prices or have to adjust your price based on market currency conversion rates.

There are 3 profiles that will be debuting soon for both hydraulic outfits and the much anticipated solid lifter setup.  Both series will enable the user to achieve top performance and not have to dish out extra money for other upgraded components just to get the valve train system to survive.  This will be a system specifically designed to enable the user to have the best available camshaft on the market that will be 100% power driven.

EPR camshafts will be made using existing cores but undergo a regimen of various processes to make the camshafts utterly the best the market has seen.

Be on the look out soon for the first hydraulic offerings hitting the market in the coming weeks. After that I will debut the solid profile camshafts which will give you all top tier performance for your VG30DE(TT)

EPR 3.2L VG Stroker Rotating Assembly

For years now there has only been one available stroker option for the VG30 engine platform.  Offered by one of the best Nissan aftermarket companies in the world JUN Auto, they were the first to offer a 3.2L rotating assembly for the VG30 that allowed us to take a step into the larger displacement catagory.  The upsides were ultra premium materials used with exceptional quality in details from the billet crankshaft to the remarkable “I” beam rods they included with the rotating assembly.  The drawback was the price.  At a healthy $12-13K consumers were rarely if not ever financially ready to spend that type of capital for a working piece.  I’ve personally built an assembly for a client that has utilized this exact kit and I must say it truly is a great product.

But now times are different and the racing industry has made it more available the items and systems we’ve only dreamed of to be part of reality for a large group of enthusiasts.  I spent a lot of time looking over the JUN Auto rotating assembly and paid attention to not only what was good but what could be better to allow a revised and ultimately much better designed system for the consumer who wants a much better option with a better more affordable price point in mind.

EPR has finally compiled all the details a proper rotating assembly should have and has made it a true reality to offer a very affordable rotating assembly that is a huge step above whats existing today.  The EPR 3200RA system gives all VG platform enthusiasts the capability to expand the power potential above and beyond what was then and is allowing it to be in your hands NOW.

This new system is a 3.2L Stroker Rotating assembly that is manufactured right here in the US!  Thats right, cheaper costs, higher quality materials and a faster turn around time than before.  I’ve incorporated industry standard features to both the crankshaft, rods and pistons to give you the consumer the absolute best system your top dollar can buy.

My rotating assembly consists of a brand new billet crankshaft made of EN4340 steel that has been triple hardened (ion nitride processing) with a “straight shot” oiling system better known as the HSOS.  Rod journals have been increased in both diameter and width to give the crankshaft a significant increase in overall surface area for oil and bearing function.  All journals feature a better filet radius to aid in oil relief and include a leading edge tear drop for better oil supply to each bearing set.  Counterweights have been modified to decrease parasitic drag within the crankcase and allow for more power potential.  Each crankshaft comes directly to you having already been dynamically balanced as well.  The rods (consumers choice on design) feature a ridge beam (Pauter designed) connecting rod that not only is one of the lightest rods offered but is the most functional rod in cutting through windage plumes within the crankcase.  The ridge beam is one of the most well engineered designs and has an excellent history of withstanding some of the most abuse seen in the racing industry.  Rods come with standard ARP 2000 rod bolts and come already pin fitted for a complete connecting rod solution.  Customers can opt to utilize an H-beam selection at an additional cost if they do not wish to use the standard ridge beam connecting rod supplied with the kit.  The EPR 3200RA comes standard with custom EPR spec’d forged pistons which have lateral gas ports for increased ability to promote a better ring seal to the cylinder bore, dual oiling in the pin bores and come full coated (crowns & skirts) as well as being pin fitted to round out the assembly.  Main and rod bearings are supplied.  King bearings are the choice used due to their composition and overwhelming quality compared to other bearings offered on the market.  All bearings will be fully coated with a dry film lubricant.

IMG_20160201_145330351_HDR

 

6628_x800As you can see this is a 100% full comprehensive system that gives you the consumer a fresh and new look at power production at an affordable price compared to the current offerings on the market.  There simply is no better system available and when paired with EPR billet main cap & girdle kit your VG engine will be the biggest, baddest VG engine to hit the track and dominate the competition.

Each rotating system includes:

EPR Billet Crankshaft
EPR Forged Rods w/ ARP 2000 Rod Bolts
EPR Forged Pistons w/ Detail Specs
King Main & Rod bearings (Fully coated)
Dynamically Balanced
Custom Piston Ring Kit
HD Wrist Pins
KrammLox Clips
Piston Coating

EPR3200RA
Custom Kit w/ Carrillo Rods supplied

Each EPR 3200RA Kit is priced at a remarkable price of $6500

Please contact me regarding any questions you have pertaining to this system.  These are available now and take typically 14-16 weeks to produce due to the custom application it is.

 

Worlds First VG37ETT- Yep you read that right!

Theres so much to list on this build that I honestly would be here for a very long time drotting down the list of custom one off parts.  However I can say what this engine has is what every SOHC VG owner would dream of from a custom billet stroker crankshaft to my newly designed VG33 pistons, Billet main caps and new solid adjustable roller rocker arms, & Garrett GTX Turbochargers with custom equal length tubular manifolds.  The list is extensive and this client is literally allowing me to write the new rule book for SOHC VG performance.   This will be the bar from now on.  Check back with me periodically to see how this system unfolds to produce remarkable feats in the Z31 community.

STAY TUNED!!!!!!

High Compression to high outcomes

I was contracted last year to build a VERY robust high compression (10.5:1) turbo build for a client in Houston, TX.  He wanted to do the build the right way and use the industries latest systems with coating applications, manifold design, machining and build practices.  I’ve gone through this setup with a fine tooth comb to the likes of the clients request and the product of final setup is nothing short of beauty.  There is a little bit left to go for this build to be a completed setup but the light is very near and I can’t wait to hear my clients enthusiastic nature to run this engine like it was meant to be.  More things to come from this setup!

CP 10.5:1 Pistons
Carrillo H Beam Rods
EPR Spec Block
EPR Modified Cranksahft
EPR 8qt oil pan
Piston coating
Bearing Coating
King Race rod bearings
King Main bearings
ARP L19 hardware
EPR Billet Main Cap and Girdle Kit
Manley OS SS Valves
JWT Solid camshafts
JWT Springs
Tomei Solid LIfters
EPR Ported Cylinder heads
EPR Tubular Manifolds
Twin GTX3076
Tial MVR 44 Wastegates

More to come……

WINFACTORY CNC Billet Fuel Rails – Engineered Performance

WINFACTORY has teamed up with EPR to produce a fully CNC machined billet fuel rail for the Z32 community. The birth of these newly designed rails from billet to final production shows the commitment EPR has to its community and WINFACTORY to get the job done! Currently we have a few that are done as test pieces to ensure programming and material are best suited. This will be a true billet product and will be the best option for top feed fuel system for the VG30!

Rail kits include all mounting hardware and fuel rail unit.  All rails are processed through a very unique anodizing process that is 100% corrosion free since the process impregnates the material with ceramic.  I only use the best processes on all parts I produce so that all my clients obtain the latest technology for their builds.  This setup requires very minor clearance of the upper plenum and once fitted fits under the stock throttle cable cover.  Now owners have a complete kit that essentially drops in and can be hidden to keep your engine looking unmodified to now show off the upgrade you have!  This is the best solution to topfeed injector conversion for the VG30DE platform