KevinK121

I was able to pick up my metals order so I started on my heat shield. Coming out pretty good but its a little haggard having been made without all the best tools for the job. I dont have a table vice so I made do with hand clamps and hammers O_o. Bending the flat stock for IC mounting on the other hand.... I think that'll be a field trip to a buddies.


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yossi126

iTrader: (6)

This hurts my ocd bad. the kraken low mount fits great with stock heatshield.

KevinK121

My car came with the Racing Beat header. I'm sure I could have sourced an OEM heatshield... I've seen the photos of the guy that used the stock heat shield but it completely ruins the cool factor for me. Like buying JDM Recaros and putting vinyl Autozone seat covers over them.

When its done, it'll be gold taped and capped like the heatshield/air box that I've already made. Useful, efficient, as pretty as can be(considering).


As far as the rest of the build, The majority of the remaining components will be here Monday. This car will start by the end of the month and I'm getting pretty antsy about it. MN's shelter-in-place order is now running through May 3rd. Hopefully we can get back to our Monthly track days and autocross after that. Not that I'll be ready for full track sessions any time soon. A lap or two at a time will be a good way to start shaking it down and refine the tune. I instruct with a local outfit so getting on track for a couple laps here and there at their events wont be a problem(or an inefficient use of money if I only get a few laps in a day).

KevinK121

Kinda sorta finished product. Likely need to make a new intake hole for the air box and need to figure out where to put the catch can. Happy enough with it for now. A lot shinier than I was anticipating.

KevinK121

Trans is back on. Diff fluid replaced, PPF bolted up, drive shaft in... I fell like I've made it over the hump of the big strenuous stuff.
I did however drop the muffler on my face while under the car today. That didn't tickle. Big wompin welt and goose egg.

Everything needed to wrap this thing up should be here by the end of next week. Then its a matter of wiring and mounting for the boost gauge.
Still havent come up with a plan for a startup map. That whole thought process requires a good bit of research.

Getting rather excited.

Work announced more upcoming paycuts/furloughs which is unfortunate. Looking like there will be two scheduled weeks of furlough in my future. With UI being what it is currently, it should be a roughly 4% pay cut and two extra weeks of vacation. Ill put it to good use Im sure.

Join the med device sector they said. There will be stability they said.

KevinK121

Photo update.

Trans is back on, diff and trans have new fluid, injectors in, spark plugs in, IM reassembled/reinstalled....
Things feel like they're just flying after getting the trans back on.

Notes
- This 949 sprung 4 puck is MUCH more mellow feeling than I thought it would be. I was told it was going to be "EXTREMELY STIFF". From stock to this, the difference is barely noticeable, if noticeable at all.
- The fact I can refill the trans fluid through the turret blew my mind. Feels wrong. (for 6-sp only, if you weren't already aware)
- The old plugs look better than I thought they would. They only have a season on them but I thought there would be some 'unhealthy indicators' on them.
- The mysterious long bell housing bolt threw me for a loop. I wasted a good amount of time there heh heh
- My extra 5/8" hose wrap stuff fits over the dip stick handle and I have enough to travel down the tube. Thanks again for the heads up on that @sixshooter
- The intake side catch can system is likely to change. It was pointed out to me that running it this way, introducing boost, will pressurize the the VC. If this isnt something I have to worry about, please let me know... because this looks cool.


To-do:
- Fuel pump
- Finish heat shield
- Plumb turbo
- Mount/route IC/piping (I keep forgetting I have to do this -_- )
- Wire in boost gauge
- Replace fluids
- ....?
- Start up.

KevinK121

So one thing I hadn't considered when buying this setup... was how terribly difficult it would be to get it all mounted

The nature of the turbo being under the manifold makes things difficult. If/when I do upgrade it will %100 be a v-band setup.
Though I am thankful for the extra 3' of oil supply hose right about now O_o

The order of operations to get this done is:
1) Connect the oil return hose and coolant return hose to the turbo
2) Connect the oil feed line
3) Connect the Coolant supply hose to the turbo
4) Mount turbo to the manifold
5) Mount turbo to the DP
6) Connect the plumbing to their respective places
7) Mount the whole thing to the car
8) Connect the DP to the midpipe

I only made it halfway through step 4 last night. These bolts are a bitch to get tight with the clearance. I probably could have done the preliminary plumbing after getting the oil supply and manifold on...
Im really not looking forward to step 5 with 5 bolts and a total of ~40 pounds to fanagle in a steady fashion with nordlocks and the works.

All that complaining and worrying aside, it feels great to be doing this part. Feels like a big milestone.


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sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

You will want to add clamps or very small zipties to all of the little vacuum lines on the car (to both ends of the lines, haha).

KevinK121

Lol yeah, if you're looking at the catch can sceanrio there, I was more or less just mocking it up so i could feel happy with it's pseudo-completed appearance

Im putting at least one and sometimes two hose clamps on spots where I really really dont want to have to get back into

KevinK121

To any lowmount assemblers in the future, this was incorrect. I have no idea what the proper order should be. I got it done in this order(switching 6 & 7) but it was hell on the DP. You could probably do it this way if you remove the steering input shaft and/or unbolt the driver side engine mount and lift it up and/or remove the rear PPF bolts so the engine sags backwards a bit. Might need to remove the drive shaft in that scenario... so the whole weight isnt resting on the u-joint/so the ujoint isnt preventing the engine from pivoting backwards on the mounts.
This is my first turbo build and Im sure each different build comes with its own different complications but holy **** was I blown away with some of the difficult bits.

Biggest take away to anyone who may read this who has yet to purchase any turbo parts.

BUY V-BAND COMPONENTS WHERE YOU CAN

Had I been able to connect the turbo to the DP via V-band, I could have done the DP last and not had to wrestle it down and in against God and all the forces of nature.


/rant

x_25

I did the DP adaptor bolts through the wheel well on my side mount turbo. I guesd the low mount the sub frame is in the way?

I had to use stubby wrenches though...

KevinK121

One or two I likely could have gotten at through the wheel well. I cant say for sure but getting into the other side would have been hell with the trans and turbo being where they are.

I ended up having the DP situated in a way where it was resting with the midpipe connecting flange on the subframe and bungey corded to the driver side mirror. That was how I was able to keep the DP still with 30 pounds of turbo and manifold on top of it.

The turbo wasnt going to go on with the DP mounted and in the way.



All I know now is that if it has to come off again for any reason before start up, the whole project might be sitting a while before I muster up the nerve to revisit it.

KevinK121

Here's the final assembly on the hot side. I might throw a couple metal zip ties on the heat weave/breather hose to make it a little cleaner. When pulled longer, it sinches up pretty nice. The stuff is basically a heat resistant Chinese finger trap.

All thats left is the boost gauge, IC/piping and the fuel pump. I hate dealing with that ecu position, I hate wiring, I hate taking the bumper on and off. No small wonder these are the last things on the list. So close though. Knowing this will be fired up soon makes these things much easier to swallow.

HarryB

Looks neat and tidy

KevinK121

Thank you

KevinK121

Onto the charge piping and all associated.


I've consulted my local brain trust on the matter and the consensus(hi, Ian) is that I should use both ports 1 and 2 for the BOV, MAP and boost gauge references.
MS3 will get its own port, we'll say #2, and then #1 will go to the BOV with the boost gauge T'd in.

Ports 3/4 look to be very Cyl #1 oriented.

I bought a used FM charge piping for a different gen miata. I believe it was a 90's 1.8.
Either way, the metal pipe bit has a port for some idle air control. I'll be plugging it for now but in the future, I may take the WG reference from it. I need to read more on all that but for now, the housing reference seems safest.
Ill try to recirc the BOV later as well. I just dont want to go through creating a port on the intake after just having "finished" it -_-

KevinK121

Starting to think ahead a little bit, what do people typically do for a startup tune? I know I need to update the fuel injector values but outside of that... O_o

Is it as simple as inputting those values and it should start? Or do I need to source a rough base map from a similar build?

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Source a base map

KevinK121

So, I have my tuned N/A map. It should theoretically kinda maybe work out of boost right? Only differences between last time it ran and now is..

- Injectors
- Fuel pump
- Spark plugs

I know I need to read and learn a lot here and its going to be real touch and go for a while. This car is going to start within the next few days and its kinda weirding me out.

I replaced the fluids tonight. With a big sheet of cardboard to make sure they all stayed where I left them.

The IC install went surprisingly well. I had just bought 4' of 1.5"x.25" flat stock and figured Id get creative. I dont have a pic on hand of the gap to the rad but its maybe .25"
The way the IC is mounted, the two will never touch/rub. Surprisingly sturdy with a little relief on the bottom.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

I like more space between them because the intercooler doesn't allow as much airflow through it as the radiator does. I like air to be able to get around the intercooler on all sides to get through the radiator. But be sure not to plug the bumper mouth with the intercooler, either. I've seen that as a restriction sometimes also.