Twirl

im wondering about this, if i go the turbo route, (which i believe i am, im planning on going with the FMax kit, i heard some people talking about going with the toyo manifold? or something around that area?) anyways, if i go this route, after i get finished with this journey, is it possible to go with a shot of nitrous as well? or would that not be possible? or possible but expensive??? please present any help that you can =) thankyou\

and if this is impossible could you give me an explanation why ?

Lex Luthor

Actually, it works great. The N2O acts like a chemical intercooler, cooling down the intake charge which has been heated by the turbocharger compressing it into the intake tract, while of course making more Oxygen present for combustion. Ya don't need much, and the juice will still increase effective compression, so you'll want to start out in the neighborhood of a 50 shot, and make sure you have enough fuel and sufficiently retarded timing, and i'd recommend a Hobbs turbo switch, a Hobbs fuel pressure switch, an MSD window switch (if not using standalone mgt), a purge, a bottle heater, and N2O press and temp meters. Now go out and get that Cool Aid smile....

SC300TURBO

iTrader: (2)

nitrous works great with a turbo...really makes the car fly...i can vouch...although i have nver used the nitrous to race anyone.....if your gonna do turbo i highly reccommend the toyomoto kit for longevity and reliability........i have personally seen several F-max manifolds crack or warp......and talked to a few guys that have had fires including a guy at nopi last year with an n/a supra with an f-max kit....Jeff

awj

I've seen your car Jeff, and am very impressed. Are you 100% unbiased in your statements about the turbo kit producer? I know the Toyomoto kit is fabulous - but it costs a lot more and to get what I can get elsewhere it would cost me even more! If they would just come up off the manifold, that would be sweet. Otherwise - I find that the Florida guys won't even consider anything but Toyomoto and talk about the other kits. Which is convenient knowing that Toyomoto is located out there, so is there some sort of affiliation with Toyomoto here? Some bird doggin going on?

Not to get inflamatory at all - I appreciate the wealth of info you guys have. After all, these are the cars that actually have the equipment. I have seen f-max kits on the net, but have yet to hear first hand about any bad experience, at least with quality.
Thanks.

I'll be happy to get the turbo.
Then get the turbo installed.
Then tune it.
Then I'll worry about naws.

That is my order - but it would work well if set up correctly.

AJ

SC300TURBO

iTrader: (2)

awj..thanks for the compliment......and as far as quality im telling you what i saw.....toyomoto has replaced several F-max manifolds due to cracking and/or warping......am i partial to toyomoto because they did all my work.....YES!....and that is because the work they did is top notch.......im a perfectionist and the work they do is exactly that....perfect....so that is why i tell other sc and lecxus owners to go there...because i know you will get the same level of quality.......i have been screwed by cheap products in the past and i dont want others to save a couple bucks and not be happpy andhave to replace things......wel all make mistakes...i just try to keep other people from makeing my same mistakes.......Sc300T is from Ohio....and computerwiz was in NC when he bought the kit....so its not just FL guys...

as far as the manifold.......toyomoto takes pride in there quality.....there gonna sell you the best turbo kit out there......they dont want to sell manifolds to have someone else fabricate a cheap turbo kit around it....then people are gonna call and ask 50 questions about how to do this...and how to do that.......when if they would have bought the turbo kit in the 1st place they wouldnt have any of those questions.........understand?......so dont expect toyomoto to sell any manifolds by themselves.......and if F-max is so good why would you need to put a toyomoto manifold on the car?.......think about it?

Jeff....and no i dont work for nor or my quotes from toyomoto......im just giving my opinion...Jeff

awj

Point taken. So are there pics or documentation, anyone with first hand evidence of failed manifolds? My next question would be, why did these f-max manifolds fail and what is different about them and the toyomoto manifold?

It is my understanding that these two manifolds are not all that different aside from the name on the kit they come with. Both have the room for expansion and contraction with temperature changes. If I understand correctly, both are cast with high carbon steel - are we dealing with cooling issues at this point. I know toyomoto has an equal length runner set-up and if I recall the f-max is very similar. There was a manifold I saw posted by Lex Luther a pic from PF with a seemingly powder coated white manifold of a different design school. Any input on this? I'm still doing a lot of my own digging when I find time.

So, we have material (physical/chemical composition) differences if two similar design manifolds are performing (durability) differently.

SC300TURBO

iTrader: (2)

they are different materials......<manifolds>....and i have seen atleast 2 that i can remember that were leaking..and that same manifold was replaced for cracks twice before......as i recall....i ahvent seen anyone with an f-max for the past 2 years....except for the one that caught fire at nopi.....i have no pics...just my word on what i have seen 1st hand....as for PF......i dont trust em..period.....manifold looks ok...but long runners like that have a tendancy to crack with the weight of a turbo and daily driving heating and cooling...just what i know...
also the toyomoto has been proven to flow over 700rwhp....dont think you can say that about fmax....Jeff

awj

I really do not mean to beat this thing to death. But I was thinking about this at lunch. Toyomoto is a performance shop - basically. They have their shop in Florida. Do they cast their manifold? I'm thinking there is a foundry they do business with to make their casted manifolds to the design specs. of whomever's determination. A phone call may be in order on this one. In a like matter, whom does f-max (or any other kit manufacturer) use to cast their respective manifolds?

Thanks for your input Jeff.

AJ

Lex Luthor

Jeff, i'm with you on all that, and there is no question as to the durability and hp capabilities of the Toyomoto manifold and Lance Ho Lung's technical prowess, PF is definitely shady, I admit, but you must concede the benefits of an equal-length design over a log style (PF header flows enough for 900+ rwhp), i'm just throwing out ideas for ppl out there when I talk about alternatives, but Toyomoto is at the top of their game, it's true, and I am a complete perfectionist myself, so I know exactly what you mean. As far as the longer runners go, RPS has the best manifold i've seen, and it's a long-tube design, but i've been told that there is no issue of durability whatsoever with the Toyomoto log-style unit. I haven't seen the problems with the FMAX in person, but if SC300TURBO has seen problems with it, I wouldn't hesitate to take his word for it, far as i'm concerned that removes it from consideration, despite the fact that the two are very similar in design (FMAX and Toyomoto), plus I don't know anyone that's hit tens with the FMAX manifold, let me know if you do. Right now, best bet is to go with a Toyomoto kit, or get an SP, HKS (add GE flanges), RPS, PF, or custom mega-buck big-dog Inconel header and put the rest together yourself. Either way, it'll love some squeeze....

- Jon

CmputerWiz

I was also at NOPI last year, and personally saw the very same Supra that Jeff (sc300turbo) was talking about....the one that caught on fire. Let me state, for the record....that as SOON as I returned back to North Carolina from NOPI I:

1 - Called up SupraStore.com and *cancelled* my order for a F-Max kit. Yes, I had ordered one. This is almost 3 weeks in to the ordering process, and they STILL HAD NOT started making the kit.

2 - Called Lance at Toyomoto and ordered my kit.

3 - Quit my job, decided I wanted to live in Florida, and drove down there to look for a house and job. I picked up my kit from Lance personally. Let me tell you, he was on the ball, and worked extra long hours just for me to get my kit done...making no extra $$ in the process.

4 - Took the kit back up to Virginia to my dads house where my SC300 was sitting. Over a week in my spare time I installed the kit.

5 - A week later I drove my car with newly installed turbo kit 1000 miles back down to Miami, with my GF following in her car. Now we live here.

Moral of the story? I too opted for the cheap route (F-Max), with SC300T and SC300TURBO telling me don't do that. When I personally SAW the F-Max kit? I instantly switched to Toyomoto.



SR

(edit: And neither Jeff nor Scott said "told ya so" even though I deserved it...lol)

SC300TURBO

iTrader: (2)

lex and computer...i appreciate the votes of confidence......im not trying to bash any company...im just telling you what i have seen 1st hand.....im sorry if others dissagree...

as for lex...and equal length....there more prone to cracking.....take longer to spool a turbo...they do have more power potential...but then agian...how many sc300s with a 2jzge motor have over 700rwhp?......right now i know of 1.......and another 2 soon to follow......one from toyomoto and one from SP...<me and ethan> other in the 700 are clint GTE motor...and thats about it...so reaching the 700hp is quite an achievement...let alone 900......understand my point?...and i appreciate your attention to perfection...
awj....stop thinking so much Jeff

skelotar

I know you're trying to be as fair and complete about the comparisons between the two manifolds and all, but if there's any shadow of a doubt, just stay away from it. Get the toyomoto manifold and get the rest of the kit from F-Max if you want. You are basically paying for what you get.

You can get a 500 dollar airbag kit, or do it the right way for 1500.. just don't get caught holding the bag if something happens. Sounds like Lance does a good job so i'd go with what others have said, people with experience.

Bean

iTrader: (1)

you can't... Lance doesn't offer the Toyomoto manifold by itself anymore... you have to spend $1.5k more for an inferior kit except for the manifold; just to get the good manifold

SC300TURBO

iTrader: (2)

bean....an inferior turbo kit?......i hope your kidding?.....the toyomoto kit for a stage 1 is only $5500....for the stage 1.5 i believe its $7500.........cost is higher than f-max but so is quality and reliability.......and you get technical assitance with toyomoto and upgrade-ability.....Jeff

awj

My main concern is quality over numbers. If it is durable the numbers can be massaged. Thanks for the help. I've got three weeks before my 0% interest card arrives. Time to do some reading and calling. I'm swung once again towards toyomoto. If only I could get a t60-1 and fmic for the same price in the stage one. Take care now.