JUBU and other topics, a combo thread

[sbproducer]

More than a handful of us have tried on multiple occasions. they state we need to purchase the item for which the manual belongs to and sometimes they will not provide one to the user, only to the shop that does the install.

Well, I'm about to start dealing with them very regularly on the 18th so I'll let you guys know what happens.

 

[mr.suntorytime]

Well, I'm about to start dealing with them very regularly on the 18th so I'll let you guys know what happens

I truly hope you get better treatment than the rest of their customers. but keep us in the loop if anything happens.

 

[hellasf1]

Just a word of caution. JUBU 460 kit actually turns down the supercharger boost with a larger pulley instead of turn up the boost with a smaller pulley. Here is what they say...

"An important, but usually underestimated characteristic that comes with this JUBU upgrade is the reduction of the supercharger boost-pressure compared to the OEM standard setup. This is applied because the OEM-pistons often can not withstand the high OEM boost-pressures permanently - on sporty driven cars with OEM-setup, the webs of the pistons between the first and second piston ring tend break early.

This performance upgrade is specially designed for customers who - in addition to the extra power - also want to focus on keeping their vehicle as original as possible and do not want to jeopardise the stability of their engine."

Benefits / advantages

• Sustained power increase to +460 hp and at the same time a gentle relief of the engine and compressor by reducing the boost pressure (larger pulley)

I have this set up and I absolutely love it. Yes I wish they didn’t do the larger pulley but then it would make even more power. More than JUBU feels comfortable offers to their customers without build internal.

But the car is fast and pulls all the way till 7200!

 

[hellasf1]

NJ,

JUBU might be wrong about the whole boost pressure thing but I do believe it stems from some experience they had with "webs of the pistons between the first and second piston ring tend break early." Just my opinion. I don't think they are lying about that.

I wholeheartedly disagree, on this idea on the forums that JUBU is just "trying to sell parts." I've taken a real deep dive into their parts shop and alot of the parts they sell are directly related to issues people have had. To share a few examples.

1) The cooling kit. Lotus actually implemented a very similar kit into their new SE.
2) The drive shafts. People have had clean breaks here.
3) Engine mounts. You've expressed the need for this yourself.

When I tried to purchase their Super B battery they recommended I buy from a US supplier (which I did) due to potential risks and high shipping costs and they recommended where to look.

I think JUBU takes a cautionary approach to things which I think is an attribute of professionalism and for me personally I appreciate their perspective.

As far as the price tags, they are a bit high but I think there are three reasons for that.

1). US customers, including myself, we are used to great prices. Most places in the world outside the US have higher prices.

2) A lot of their parts seem to be built in Europe. Higher labor etc

3). They also state somewhere on their website that the prices are higher due to expertise.. thats not a direct quote…. I think people should judge this on their own

Just my thoughts.

You nailed it right on the head. I’ve been working with JUBU since I opened the forum and did our group buy last year. Yes the first batch had software issues but we were the first. They flew out to each of us and fixed it. I have a long write up you can read all about it on the JUBU Group Buy 15% forum.

These guys know this car better than lotus themselves. They just did a 600 cs for a customer in Canada and they shop was calling them machines how precise, accurate and phenomenal they are.

I agree we as Americans complain about a lot especially when it’s overseas and so expensive. But you get what you pay for and they are really great people who love what they do. They don’t own the cars we have, they don’t flash money around as if they are “just trying to sell you parts” The owner came out when they flex out to fix the issues and they just want to ensure your happy with your set up.

But everything I’ve bought from them when a shop looks at it they are amazed at the craftsmanship and quality.

I’ve said it on other forum and I will say it again JUBU is for people who our serious about their build and care about quality over quantity it’s that simple.

 

[hellasf1]

They are in fact lying about this. There are many cars with 2GR running more power than JUBU with no evidence of 'spider cracks' in the pistons. We are talking Evora and MR-2 Guys out there with 600hp with no engine failures.



It's good they recommended not shipping a lithium battery across the ocean...just to ship it back. But these are 'simple' parts to recommend and other than the cooling kit, they didn't really need to 'develop' in order to offer, since these are not parts they are custom making.



1. Irrelevant. Either they are competitive with their prices in the marketplace or they aren't.
2. Their parts are not coming from europe. Maybe some are most are not.
3. May be true, but also I've been around plenty of scam and shady companies they all depend on convincing you they know better. Also, I've heard enough from people that things go sideways real fast and just keep pushing for more purchases to solve problems. People who are tens of thousands of dollars deep with JUBU products and service and walk away because they could not deliver and were stuck with a broken car.

Again JUBU looks at this from a track purpose. Not the typical floor it on the road here and there. They are talking about taking your non build motor with that much power on a track and run it like your racing. Shit will break then.

Like I said for most JB4 and others will do just fine for road shows. But on track is when things become problems. But I think lots of Lotus Emira owners aren’t like this and want more power on the road, which is totally ok.

It’s all preference but I think it’s funny when anyone on the forum questions a company who does this for a living and has seen this and tests on a track regularly. Just to say they are lying.

 

[NJemira85]

Again JUBU looks at this from a track purpose. Not the typical floor it on the road here and there. They are talking about taking your non build motor with that much power on a track and run it like your racing. Shit will break then.

Like I said for most JB4 and others will do just fine for road shows. But on track is when things become problems. But I think lots of Lotus Emira owners aren’t like this and want more power on the road, which is totally ok.

It’s all preference but I think it’s funny when anyone on the forum questions a company who does this for a living and has seen this and tests on a track regularly. Just to say they are lying.

It sounds like some folks still don’t have fully functioning syvecs systems, can you confirm your revmatching works on all downshifts? Can you rev to 7200rpm?

Do you have random stalling issues?

 

[NJemira85]

jubu wont give us their instruction manual for any of their products. what if we want to know how invasive certain installs are?

Can confirm this.

 

[NJemira85]

I would try an email and ask. If they're not willing to help with that, I would be disappointed for sure. They are currently on vacation until the 18th.

They only included instructions once my purchased parts were delivered, and then upon my additional request.

Not saying this is good or bad, but clearly this is subject of interest to them

 

[NJemira85]

I had a 992 GTS w PDK, tuned, so boring. Don't miss it at all. 911s will always have a place in my heart though.. but sadly, the new models are kinda soulless.

MWR Lotus Evora S, Exige V6 Boost-up Kit - Supercharger Nose

This item is the supercharger nose assembly only - pulleys sold separately! Kit does include two bottles of supercharger oil. ***Note the 58.5mm pulley is PRESS-ON so you must remove the 4-bolt hub from the supercharger nose we sell to bolt this one up. *** Fits 2009-16 Evora S Supercharged (

www.monkeywrenchracing.com

Pulley love bro.

 

[hellasf1]

It sounds like some folks still don’t have fully functioning syvecs systems, can you confirm your revmatching works on all downshifts? Can you rev to 7200rpm?

Do you have random stalling issues?

I can’t speak for others but a blanket observation is we are dealing the the general public with these cars, they are not that expensive so your going to run into people who to be frank don’t know what they are doing or how to drive.

Yea all my revmatching works, but remember you have to be on the brake for it to work. The brake has to be applied then clutch. If you do clutch first then brake it won’t work but who does this way anyway? Again this goes to my above statement.

Yes mine revs to 7200 and I have a soft limiter so none of that dangerous stock limiter bullshit. Honestly this has been my favorite part, it’s a small thing but the car loves to keep pulling all the way to redline and you don’t feel that really early limit like stock. Stock I swear it kicked in at 6600.

No stalling at all, but this is very depended on driving skills IMO. My buddy drove it and he did stall it 1 time. But it was just 1 time and told him what to correct and no issues since when he drives it now.

 

[NJemira85]

I can’t speak for others but a blanket observation is we are dealing the the general public with these cars, they are not that expensive so your going to run into people who to be frank don’t know what they are doing or how to drive.

Yea all my revmatching works, but remember you have to be on the brake for it to work. The brake has to be applied then clutch. If you do clutch first then brake it won’t work but who does this way anyway? Again this goes to my above statement.

Yes mine revs to 7200 and I have a soft limiter so none of that dangerous stock limiter bullshit. Honestly this has been my favorite part, it’s a small thing but the car loves to keep pulling all the way to redline and you don’t feel that really early limit like stock. Stock I swear it kicked in at 6600.

No stalling at all, but this is very depended on driving skills IMO. My buddy drove it and he did stall it 1 time. But it was just 1 time and told him what to correct and no issues since when he drives it now.

The higher redline, along with soft limiter, is extremely appealing.

Thank you for the detailed reply.

 

[hellasf1]

The higher redline, along with soft limiter, is extremely appealing.

Thank you for the detailed reply.

Yea it’s these small simple things that when you get them you can’t live without it. It’s a wonderful experience.

Really it’s how the car should have come with but I think we have all said that on numerous of items were have upgraded on the Emira

 

[SaudiStig]

I will share my experience so far with JUBU as well for anyone following this.

As a new owner of Lotus Emira, I wanted to see all options in the aftermarket for track upgrades. while there are some great vendors around, JUBU seemed to me to be the most professional team in this aspect. Mainly for their track driven background and experience.

I have searched in this forum and tried to read everything related to JUBU parts here on firsthand experiences and real feedback, no one is perfect, the most important thing is if the vendor will stand behind his products and give good customer services.

The real feedback I found on JUBU in these forums was through @hellasf1 topic on the group buy, that was clear and honest feedback, in which it showed that JUBU team will support you to the end.

I have then decided to do the upgrade with JUBU team, while the initial plan was to do the 440 package, we have concluded to do the 460 package instead due to the high temp climate I track into, plus the cooling kit which I'm thankful I did.

Once the package arrived and installed, all worked immediately just fine. I did many spirited drives for testing with no issue.
During my first track day however, I encountered a power loss issue and after reporting that to JUBU team, we had an online session where they successfully managed to catch the issue (high temp - safe mode) and fix it.

Not only that, Rene, who is the man working on the software, offered to be available online during my next track day. I have done three more track days afterwards with no issues at all while Rene was available just in case.

We can all agree, I guess, that the price tags they are asking are high, but you get what you pay for.
In all my communication with them, I never felt pushed to buy anything, always offered the options and the benefits that comes with each option.

 

[mikemc]

You make some good points, but let me add:

1) We don't have a clear population of 2GRs running HP and Torque figures beyond what JUBU recommends without upgraded internals that have had engine failures. Even if many have not failed, if some have failed.. it is something to consider. Just because there are "many" 2GRs running out there with 600hp and I'm assuming 400 plus torque, doesn't mean that JUBU is lying. If literally 1 or 2 motors had piston failure, they are being honest.

2) When JUBU recommends a part that is rated for more HP and Torque, it is a precautionary measure and to increase longevity. The Emira/Evora weren't designed from factory to run such high figures, so it makes sense that some parts in the drivetrain are not rated for that kind of power. That means even if things don't fail right away, you are very likely to decrease longevity and have premature engine failure at some point down the line. So upgrading to more solid drivetrain parts and/or internals, if desired, should increase longevity and decrease the likelihood of premature failure. I can't fault JUBU for selling parts that are rated for higher figures. On top of that, they seem to be very involved in motorsports on the track and have a working relationship with Lotus, so it all lines up legit to me.

3) As far as JUBU recommending these parts, well .. they are a for-profit business.

4) I have yet to read about anyone stuck with a broken car after spending thousands with JUBU. I've read many reports of excellent customer service, one-on-one remote sessions for tunes, great follow-ups, and excellent results. They did have many issues in the beginning due to CAN discrepancies between Europe and the US but that's been sorted.

Just my thoughts man. At the end of the day, I think its best that we target the weakest links in the drivetrain so that we can upgrade those and have safer and more powerful Emiras.

1) There are TONS running that level, look at the MR2 2GR community. And I'm talking dedicated endurance racecars, not just street cars. Or Hillclimb cars..
2) The Evora/Emira are run at what they are based on what Toyota and Aisin will warranty their engine and transmissions for, not based on what Lotus designed. We who are in the know, have the general failure point for most every part of the 2GR-FE.
3) Yes, and a really shady one at that.
4) There are countless of these, search more. Spero's saga is posted here somewhere, bought a fully built longblock from JUBU, it's not built correctly, JUBU's response is buy their Syvec's ECU to fix errors (instead of correct their work), he did that and had persistent issues. There are at least 3 on-going Emira JUBU Syvec ECU screwed up car sagas right now.

 

[mikemc]

Lets go down the list of all their engine mods.

• Aluminum flaps for oil pan: valid, but you can also do Wilheim Raceworks baffles or go for a Moroso Pan.
• DrySump: not needed unless you're a dedicated RACE car, i'm glad they offer this as no one else does, but there is almost no use case for 99.99% of people.
• Rods: (I own these) They are made by Mahle, you don't need rods unless you're a turbo application or running over 7800 RPM. The more budget friendly option that realistically is just as good is Brian Crower (these are what MWR sells, except at 2x the price direct from BC)
• Pistons: (I own these) They are made by Mahle. I bought 10:1 CR. There isn't really a defined limit for pistons, some people run 650whp on oem pistons, other people have had piston issues at 250whp, this is more of a Toyota issue with the rings. Again, there are many more budget friendly options, MWR has a lot of compression ratios avaliable made by Weisco.
• Head processing: (I hand ported mine) The exhaust ports for cylinder 1 and 6 do indeed have lower flow by a good margin, and the castings can be not great with some ridges. There are some significant casting bumps in the exhaust ports as well. For the price if probably not worth the squeeze. MWR also offers this at a lower cost (DO NOT BUY Ti RETAINERS, and remember their Ti valves are OEM toyota parts at 3x the price).
• Valve Springs: Needed if you want to consistently be running above 7,200 RPM. JUBU's 30% stiffer than stock is in-line with what I have, this is a good rate. Note that you'll need the older style retainers (new 2GRs come with beehive springs and retainers). I have Frankenstein Motorwork's springs for reference.
• Valves: not really needed, they do have benefits though. MWR sells titanium ones (these are direct toyota parts at 3x the price). I have Titanium intake side valves and oem exhaust (note you never want Ti exhaust side for FI applications).
• Rod bearings: (I own these) I went ahead and bought them before taking my engine apart, really not needed. COULD be beneficial at high RPM like mine (8k+).
• Belt drive pulley set: complete bullshit. People run the OEM pulley/bearings at 1000hp.
• Alternator pulley and Water Pump pulleys being light weight and/or underdrive (larger) are build specific and not needed for 99.99% of people. (I have a light weight water pump pulley from NST)
• JUBU Cooling upgrade is just a lighterweight pulley and lower opening thermostat (this is a toyota part) which will get you 1-2 cooler laps on a track day, zero street benefit.
• Short/Long block prices are over 50% more than direct from Toyota.
• JUBU Cams: re-processing of your OEM cams, only +30hp. There are plenty of better options on the market. MWR (re-processed), Kelford, CatCams, Frankenstein Motorworks (basically best on market, I have these).
• HD Driveshaft - I have a whole post about this, seems to be a bad batch from metallurgy issues causing problems. I can get equivalent ones made for around $4-4.5k USD. I am running my own custom Porsche 930 axle setup (this is the same as what JUBU does).
• TVS1900 vs 1740. The largest benefit is from running cooler and lower boost. You can have the 1740 ported (Jokerz or by hand like I've done)
• Charge Cooling Hose upgrade kit.... they're just silicon hoses, no tangible benefit, they look shiny.
• Their fuel system parts are not needed for non-race cars, and many cheaper alternatives.
• Exhaust system, is good, similar to BOE.
• Syvecs ECU..... Yikes. Many horror stories. Stupid expensive. Get Motec or Maxx if you want a stand alone.

The TLDR; Everything from factory will take 600whp. Valve springs needed above 7,200 RPM, Rods needed above 7,800 RPM or turbo setups. 99% of people won't ever need anything else.

If you want near 550-600bhp the easiest way:
Valve Springs (Clam off engine in bay)
Smaller SC Pulley (maybe port SC)
Remove cats via various header options
Intake
Tune

 

[Nba19002]

I did not have a good experience with JUBU - I was involved in the first group buy for the JUBU ECU.

 

[kitkat]

I did not have a good experience with JUBU - I was involved in the first group buy for the JUBU ECU.

Man y'all need to form a support group from all the horror stories I've heard from Jubu syvecs owners.