Looking for advice on some upgrades

SmokeScream

New member
i have a jdm st185 and am looking at putting a downpipe and exhaust on it. I was looking at the berk dp but have been reading some mixed reviews. Also was looking at the hks silent hi power exhaust kit. Any comments on these parts?

I was also kinda looking at xs turbos exhaust system and possibly mr2 turbo upgrade kit (manifold, turbo,wastegate, bov and dp). Anyone have experience with the xs turbo stuff? Mr2 upgrade should fit right? Or will it be against the rad?
 

celigts

New member
For the mr2 upgrade you meaning the ct20b?

As for the dp I just bought a 3" berk dp. Definitly a well worth it mod but I did have to repair it a little. I may have added pics in my build thread but there was alot of material overlap on the bell area inside that I had to grind down for prevent bad flow. Otherwise it was a good buy I'd say. I'd suggest the KOracing dp tho if you want better quality.
 

RoAdbOy

New member
brutekiller787":3ayaxt7r said:
Everything on the XS power site you just listed I have and I love it.

hey, how long do you run on xs turbo kit? I'm really interrested.
How much boost do you run?
 

belanger33

New member
I have a 3 inch Berk DP black powder coated since 2011 and i am really pleased with the quality of the product. I didn't have to grind anything and i have a friend with a mr2 with the same DP and he didn't have any problems either!

Really recommend BERK products!!!
 

SmokeScream

New member
celigts":1swva0ey said:
For the mr2 upgrade you meaning the ct20b?

No I mean the mr2 upgrade kit xs turbo has, which is manifold, t3/t4 turbo, downpipe, wastegate and bov. I considered a ct20b or the big wheel ct26 (16g I think it was) but after seeing how rusty the manifold, exhaust housing and dp are, I rather new manifold too maybe. Unless the planets align and the gods smile upon me, I see lots of swearing and twisting off bolts.

I am interested in the xs turbo kit though. I had one on a cavalier. Put 40,000 km on it before I sold it and got an fc3s.
 

SmokeScream

New member
ihave also been chasing dripping oil. it might be a head gasket, im not sure yet. but what thickness gasket should i put in if i have to change it?
 

4rsnduction

New member
Use a thicker gasket and get a well trusted brand.
Apexi make a 2.1mm or 2.2mm MLS head gasket that's perfect for hard racing conditions and high boost.
Roughly $200
I've used one on my ST185 since '09 and im in no way gentle on the car.
When using a MLS head gasket u ABSOLUTELY MUST have the block and head surfaces machined to be perfectly flat.
Failure to do so will make the head gasket fail very very very quickly
 

lumbercis

Moderator
HKS exhaust is the best on the market, hands down.

Anything XS Power is cheap chinese crap, however, it may or may not work for you depending on luck and how much you like "making it work". Personally, I'd be okay with XS exhaust components, but I'd crush my car before putting an XS turbo on it. YMMV.

The stock manifold is fine to somewhere in the 400-500whp range. If you don't like it's natural appearance, take it off and have it powder coated and maybe ported while it's out. Slap it back on and never worry about it again. With the XS manifold, it's a matter of when, not if, you will be taking it off again due to cracks.
 

tw2

New member
As already stated, XSpower can work. I made my own kit around one of the t3/t4 turbos and it worked fine, probably because I made my own adapter and didn't use their manifold or downpipe.

At the end of the day if you want a good, high quality, reliable kit that makes the power it should then you have to pay for it. I learnt a long time ago that genuine trusted stuff is the only way to go. I would look at the turbo kits from atsracing and koracing. You cannot go wrong and they will gladly assist you in any way necessary.

The t3/t4 turbo the xs kits come with has a higher compressor wheel trim than is suited to the 3sgte, it is journal bearing and significantly inefficient compared to newer stuff, in some cases spooling up to 1000rpm later while making less power. The t3/t4 design must be at least 30 years old.

The stock exhaust manifold is not a restriction pretty much ever. It was a long held belief that equal length manifolds are a waste of time on the 3sgte. They are not, they will allow some additional power, not heaps but I am talking about the proper stuff such as the $1000+ manifolds made by ats and fullrace that have lifetime warantees due to the surpurb workmanship..... not xspower.
 
Top