Installation Day
With all the supporting mods from Part 1 complete, it was time to bolt on the turbo kit.
Turbo Kit Installation
Manifold & Turbo Mounting
The CXRacing manifold fit well after minor clearancing of the heat shield. Key points:
- Used new OEM exhaust manifold gaskets
- Coated all studs with anti-seize
- Torqued in three stages per spec
The GT35 turbo mounted cleanly with the included gasket. We oriented the compressor outlet toward the passenger side for optimal intercooler piping routing.
Oil Feed & Return
Critical for turbo longevity:
- Oil feed: Tapped into the factory oil pressure sender location using a -4AN fitting
- Oil return: Welded a -10AN bung into the oil pan above the oil level
- Used braided stainless lines throughout
Intercooler Setup
The Mishimoto front mount intercooler required bumper modification but provides excellent cooling:
- 3-inch inlet/outlet
- Bar and plate core
- Dropped charge temps by 80°F vs. no intercooler
Tuning with UpRev
The UpRev Osiris system is the gold standard for VQ tuning. Our process:
- Base calibration: Started with a conservative base map
- MAF scaling: Dialed in the new injectors and MAF housing
- Boost control: Set wastegate duty cycle for 8psi baseline
- Timing optimization: Pulled timing where knock was detected
- Final fuel trims: Targeted 11.5:1 AFR at WOT
Safety Features Enabled
- Knock detection with automatic timing retard
- Boost cut at 12psi (wastegate creep protection)
- Rev limiter at 7,200 RPM (stock is 7,000)
Dyno Results
After four hours of tuning, the final numbers:
| Metric | Stock | After |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel Horsepower | 247 | 412 |
| Wheel Torque | 238 | 386 |
| Boost | N/A | 8 psi |
| AFR at WOT | 14.7 | 11.5 |
+165whp gain on 91 octane pump gas with a conservative tune leaving room for E85 in the future.
Final Thoughts
This build demonstrates what’s possible with the VQ35DE platform on a reasonable budget. Total parts cost came in under $4,500 including the tune.
The customer has put 3,000 miles on it since completion with zero issues. The GT35 spools around 3,800 RPM and pulls hard to redline.
What We’d Do Differently
- Upgraded clutch should have been part of the initial build (slipping at 400whp)
- Would spec a larger wastegate for better boost control
Thanks for following along with this build series.
Parts Used
- Front Mount Intercooler - Mishimoto
- 3-inch Downpipe - CXRacing
- UpRev Osiris Tune - UpRev
- Wideband O2 Sensor - AEM