Got my Sterling back! (and autocross pics... 56k run and hide)
10-09-07, 10:12 PM
#1
Got my Sterling back! (and autocross pics... 56k run and hide)
Hey Guys,
Well, thanks in part to a bad fuel filter letting a metric ton of gunk through into my Sterling, I had to send it back for a cleaning, and some tweaking. I'm proud to say that it's back, it's installed and it runs better than ever!
Idle : rock solid at 650rpm. Has barely moved 50rpm between sunny 30 degree Celsius days to rainy 10degree Celcius days.
No hesitation off idle, picks up fast, and takes off like a rocketship when I open the secondaries.
And of course, I bring some BLING pictures for you guys to look at. It doesn't look much different than before, but it's been shined up and I got to take some great comparison shots with the stock carb/manifold I borrowed from a friend for most of the season while it was down getting re-done.
Enjoy!
I'll have some pics of my new Ron Davis aluminum rad soon. It's installed, I just haven't had a sunny day to snap a pic lately.
Jon
Well, thanks in part to a bad fuel filter letting a metric ton of gunk through into my Sterling, I had to send it back for a cleaning, and some tweaking. I'm proud to say that it's back, it's installed and it runs better than ever!
Idle : rock solid at 650rpm. Has barely moved 50rpm between sunny 30 degree Celsius days to rainy 10degree Celcius days.
No hesitation off idle, picks up fast, and takes off like a rocketship when I open the secondaries.
And of course, I bring some BLING pictures for you guys to look at. It doesn't look much different than before, but it's been shined up and I got to take some great comparison shots with the stock carb/manifold I borrowed from a friend for most of the season while it was down getting re-done.
Enjoy!
I'll have some pics of my new Ron Davis aluminum rad soon. It's installed, I just haven't had a sunny day to snap a pic lately.
Jon
10-09-07, 10:14 PM
#2
For you autocross guys out there, to give you an idea of the difference the carb/manifold/airbox made compared to stock: I had so much extra power on tap after that I spent my first 3 runs of my next race re-learning how to drive without throwing the rear end adrift in every corner!
Compared to stock, I've got power out the wazoo! And I haven't even jetted the damn thing yet!
Jon
Compared to stock, I've got power out the wazoo! And I haven't even jetted the damn thing yet!
Jon
10-09-07, 10:35 PM
#5
And since I'm showing off, might as well throw in a shot that shows off my IoTus opaque tail lights.. they go so well with my Dan Atkins clear corners.. 
Yeah, I know I've shown them off before, but this was a particularly nice shot of them. Unfortunately doesn't capture my car at its cleanest, but that doesn't matter.
Yeah, I know I've shown them off before, but this was a particularly nice shot of them. Unfortunately doesn't capture my car at its cleanest, but that doesn't matter.
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10-10-07, 01:04 AM
#9
Lives on the Forum
I will gladly second the performance of the Sterling carb! Like I always said, I've never lost a race due to a lack of horsepower!
I've got a few videos out there that kinda show the performance, you just have to keep in mind that my motor has well over 200k on it, and is low on compression. Even with that, I've always had plenty of power to throw the back end out when I want to. It takes some discipline not to overpower the course.
Check these out when you have a few minutes to spare:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Kentetsu1
Nice job Viper, looks like you're really ripping it up out there...
I've got a few videos out there that kinda show the performance, you just have to keep in mind that my motor has well over 200k on it, and is low on compression. Even with that, I've always had plenty of power to throw the back end out when I want to. It takes some discipline not to overpower the course.
Check these out when you have a few minutes to spare:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Kentetsu1
Nice job Viper, looks like you're really ripping it up out there...
10-10-07, 06:32 AM
#12
Suspension consists of RB springs, KYB GR-2 Gas Shocks, and all new bushings. Stock sway bars, no strut tower braces (yet).
Tires are Sumitomo HTR-200s in 205/60-13. If it won't bump me up a class, next year I'll probably run Falken Azenis.
The next planned upgrades to help with autocross will be getting the rear end done... as a minimum I want disc brakes and a miata torsen diff, but I'm trying to figure out what else I can do short of a tri-link and panhard to make it handle better back there.
Jon
Tires are Sumitomo HTR-200s in 205/60-13. If it won't bump me up a class, next year I'll probably run Falken Azenis.
The next planned upgrades to help with autocross will be getting the rear end done... as a minimum I want disc brakes and a miata torsen diff, but I'm trying to figure out what else I can do short of a tri-link and panhard to make it handle better back there.
Jon
10-10-07, 10:32 AM
#13
So first you glorified my carb, then you put it to shame lol ... tsk tsk .. That suspension does seem a little softer than expected in the one cornering shot. I too am thinking about that panhard bar, and tri link and debating wether or not it would be worth it for the amount that I do. It would be cool to maybe meet up in toronto or something and race in the same event together. PM sometime next spring as soon as they start back up again .
10-10-07, 11:51 AM
#14
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Suspension consists of RB springs, KYB GR-2 Gas Shocks, and all new bushings. Stock sway bars, no strut tower braces (yet).
Tires are Sumitomo HTR-200s in 205/60-13. If it won't bump me up a class, next year I'll probably run Falken Azenis.
The next planned upgrades to help with autocross will be getting the rear end done... as a minimum I want disc brakes and a miata torsen diff, but I'm trying to figure out what else I can do short of a tri-link and panhard to make it handle better back there.
Jon
Tires are Sumitomo HTR-200s in 205/60-13. If it won't bump me up a class, next year I'll probably run Falken Azenis.
The next planned upgrades to help with autocross will be getting the rear end done... as a minimum I want disc brakes and a miata torsen diff, but I'm trying to figure out what else I can do short of a tri-link and panhard to make it handle better back there.
Jon
10-10-07, 01:57 PM
#15
Lives on the Forum
Jon
You should bump a RB front swaybar to the top of your list. Dirt cheap, and one of the most dramatic additions you could make to your car right now.
Also, I've got a set of Illumina rear shocks I just removed if you're interested..
You should bump a RB front swaybar to the top of your list. Dirt cheap, and one of the most dramatic additions you could make to your car right now.
Also, I've got a set of Illumina rear shocks I just removed if you're interested..
10-10-07, 03:11 PM
#16
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who did it for you, how much did it cost and how long did it take them to do it becouse I need to get my carb rebuilt sometime in the near future I just havent found anyone to do it for me yet.
10-10-07, 09:25 PM
#17
Street Tires add no points
Falken Azenis add 2 points
R Compounds and other race tires add 4 points
These points are added to your car's base point value. You're given points for modifications over stock. Get too many points and your car's total point value will make it a "D Class" car instead of an "E Class" car, then you're racing against other competitors.
Amazingly the first gen is actually rated pretty low in E Class so I'm not terribly worried.
Jon
10-10-07, 09:47 PM
#18
Sterling did it for me. It's not just a rebuild, it's a complete overhaul.
Stock Nikki
- Flows 313cfm
- Has vacuum secondaries that open based on vacuum pressure. Even when new they weren't 100% effective at opening the secondaries completely "Wide Open Throttle" at the right time. 20+ years later, who knows if your secondaries are actually opening at all?
- Has a ton of add-ons which made the carb more "user friendly" and "environment adaptable" as well as "emissions legal"... most of which serve to complicate the carb, add points of failure, and in many cases sacrifice optimum performance for the benefit of these other points.
- Has the air bleed holes directly integrated (drilled) into the emulsion tubes. There are no replacement emulsion tubes / air bleeds for the stock nikki so tuning is limited only to the primary and secondary fuel jets. Of course, changing these jets yeilds less than stellar results often because of things like the altitude compensator and other systems on the stock carb made to compensate for rich or lean running conditions .
The Sterling
- Flows 465cfm (same as a Racing Beat Holley)
- Has mechanical secondaries - controlled directly by your foot. Of course you have to be careful not to open them too quickly (ie: below 4.5k rpm) or you'll totally kill intake velocity and bog out... But if you learn to drive it right, you are a much more efficient opening mechanism for the secondaries and you'll benefit from vastly improved performance in the top end
- Has a modified accelerator pump and shaft to make the transition from primaries to secondaries happen more smoothly, and to give you a good jump from a standing start.
- Has sll emissions and choke-related items removed, as well as a plethora of other things that make the carb more complicated. The main advantage is easier access to the jets and air bleeds. Removing the top of the carb for tuning is much easier on a Sterling than on the stock nikki.
- Another thing that contributes to the ease of air horn (top of carb) removal is the custom, simplified throttle linkage and return spring setup. It's a thing of beauty.
- Has drilled and tapped emulsion tubes which accept holley 10/32" air bleeds, so you can tune!
- Also accepts the same holley 10/32" air bleeds as main fuel jets, so one kit of air bleeds will suffice for all your tuning needs.
And about a thousand other things that I either don't know about, or don't understand!
No, I don't work for Sterling. No, I don't get anything for recommending this carb. Yes I've looked at other carbs, but No I have not run anything other than Stock or Sterling on my car so I can't compare it to other aftermarket carbs. All I can tell you is that you can't beat his craftsmanship, attention to detail, and ability to put up with picky SOBs like myself.
I got my first Sterling a few years ago, it ran forkin' awesome, and it was one of their first off the line. This is back when they only flowed close to 400cfm, and they were Zinc plated instead of powedercoated.
A while later, I sent it back for an upgrade to the new 465cfm powdercoated version. I got it, my fuel filter let go and I got a ton of sediment in it. I spent a year trying to troubleshoot the problem, and Sterling stuck with me as I got increasingly frustrated. Eventually I decided to send it back to him, he found the sediment packed on the insides of the carb, and we nailed down the problem. I've gotten this one back (technically my third Sterling) and I've been happy with his work each time. He steps up to the plate, and the Butt Dyno can't argue with the night-and-day change in performance.
Okay, so your question of price. Well since Sterling unfortunately is not an authorized vendor on the forum (he does this in his spare time with Rx7Carl, so he's not really a carb "business" and thus can't really afford the authorized vendor status... yet), I can't talk pricing.
But if you PM him I'm sure you'll get some info
I warn ya, it's won't be "basement rebuild cheap", but you get what you pay for. And it IS cheaper than a RB Holley, so if you were thinking of upgrading, you might as well. Rx7Carl works with him on them, and they also port and powdercoat manifolds. That's where the shiney mani in the pic comes from. The airbox is thanks to ISCRacing in Florida (www.iscracing.com ... they no longer have it on their website but if you call you might be able to get it).
Jon
10-10-07, 09:49 PM
#19
Guys, one thing I didn't mention is that the corner is actually happening under heavy braking... so the front-loading of the car definitely has something to do with the compression of the suspension in that pic.
Jon
12-18-07, 09:37 AM
#24
Lives on the Forum
I assume you're referring to the video link I posted above? In that case no, that car is a stick. Nick is a blast to watch at the races, and the crowds love him. You can tell he's there to have a good time and really let it all hang out....
12-18-07, 11:05 AM
#25
I don't want to talk jets/bleeds, at the very least until I've had the car on the dyno for tuning. Probably even then, I want to get my "Ultimate Streetable 12a" done before I really nail down the jetting. I did buy a full kit though, so I've got all the jets and bleeds I'll need.
If you've got a Sterling, you can talk to him about your jetting, he can point you in the right direction to start off. Each and every car, owner, environment and situation is different, so what eventually ends up working for me probably won't be ideal for anybody else. Your engine's porting, as well as it's age and compression, combined with your exhaust, intake manifold, airbox, driving style and altitude will all affect your jetting. So it's really a "tune it until it's right for yours" thing.
Jon
If you've got a Sterling, you can talk to him about your jetting, he can point you in the right direction to start off. Each and every car, owner, environment and situation is different, so what eventually ends up working for me probably won't be ideal for anybody else. Your engine's porting, as well as it's age and compression, combined with your exhaust, intake manifold, airbox, driving style and altitude will all affect your jetting. So it's really a "tune it until it's right for yours" thing.
Jon