Curly's car's cupgrades.
 

Decided to start my own build thread, as I am currently doing numerous projects at once, and thought others might benefit from hearing about my approach. Plus I know people get bored and want pictures :D I'll also have plenty of questions for those who have already done this, so bare with me.

So in the next few weeks I'll be finishing up my coolant reroute, starting in on my oil cooler, installing NACA ducts either in both side windows or one for the oil cooler, and properly mounting my 5/6th point for my harness. I also hope to get my COPs installed once someone builds me a harness, since I don't have the skills or tools to make one I'd be satisfied with myself. No doubt somewhere along the line I'll add more projects to the list, as everyone knows a project car like this is never "done"

I'll post up pictures tonight once I upload them of my modified BEGI coolant reroute spacer and my oil sandwich plate, stay tuned.

Consider Curly's cantankerous COPS, coolant conundrum, colossal cutting of counterweight a conspiracy to crush and capitalize on the cretin Cueball's copiously corpulent car.


Did you mean to say Cupgrades?

yes I did, to go along with the theme of C's from "curly's car". Your post, which no doubt took some time to write, has once again out shone me completely, which is why I'll have to kill you.

Back on topic however. I would like to test fit my oil sandwich plate, but I'd like to avoid draining the oil. Anyone know if there's oil up to the filter before draining it? Seems like there wouldn't be but id like to know for sure before I spill it all over the driveway.

hey curly!

sorry about not getting back to you about the wiring harness =P

check your PM's

Pictures, as promised! I apologize for the crappy iPhone pictures, that's all I have available at the moment. And don't blame me for the ugly welds, they're plenty strong, water tight, and I didn't do them. It's a wire feed TiG welder which doesn't produce as 'pretty' of welds as a normal TiG welder would, or so I've been told.

Your guy's engine bays look like this when you do a reroute, right?
Attachment 205191
Unmodified
Attachment 205192
Stock water neck milled and welded for clearance
Attachment 205193
Large pipe was cut off and welded closed, it'll be drilled and tapped with 1/2-14npt threads for a 5/8" hose barb for the heater core inlet. The spot face is where a little aluminum spacer will be welded, drilled, and tapped for the coolant sensor. Reroute spacers would be much easier if that damn sensor wasn't so long. I also milled the little groove you see for thermostat, some how the earlier BEGI design didn't incorporate one.
Attachment 205194
Freeze plug installed. It was being an absolute bitch to install. Left it alone and came back to it the next day and it went right in. Only thing I changed was going from a regular hammer to a little 5lb sledge, and putting a little RTV on it, which might possibly of lubricated it enough to slide in along with the little bit of extra force provided by the sledge.
Attachment 205195
The spacer/water neck assembly in for test fitting. Wouldn't fit at all with the speedometer cable bracket, so I just bent it straight down. I have no idea how I'm going to get it all in and my massive forearms below it with a wrench to tighten the bottom bolt, I'll get there when I get there. I still have to clean the old gasket off the back of the head, that's going to be hard enough.
Attachment 205196

And here's my start for the oil cooler project.

One of these two ports will be blocked off, with the other one serving as my new oil temp sensor location.
Attachment 205188
can anyone identify this spacer? I can get the oil filter to seal on the flat side, but just barely. I'm thinking it's made for a 1.8 filter, are they larger in diameter? The other side, as pictured, has a groove in it, so I know I need some type of o-ring, but it looks like the oil filter sits in a bit of a cavity, so I'm not sure I have any room around it, I may have to mill it down at work.
Attachment 205189
I haven't done too much to it, just tapped the single hole side with 1/2-14npt threads so I can put a 3/4" hose barb there. That will be the feed, with the return being the plugged hole in the same side of the block, where the greddy turbo drain usually goes. It's pressurized, so it doesn't need to be constantly pointed down like a turbo drain, correct?
Attachment 205190

I haven't actually sourced an oil cooler, or figured out exactly where I want to mount it, but I figured I'd get the feed for the cooler figured out first. I might end up with a short and long cooler down by the steering rack, or a square one in front of the tire with a naca duct feeding it, or mounted to the inside of the bumper with holes cut in the bumper to feed it, or, or, or...ideas are welcome!

I've done a little searching about this, but can't seem to find the answer. What are your guys' opinions on shock tower braces? I've seen a lot of cars that I consider very well sorted cars (handling wise) without them, this logic makes me think they're worthless. The only thing I can think of is to keep it until I have a cage, which will most likely dwarf any stiffening effect of a shock tower brace.

I believe "shock tower" braces are actually strut braces. As you know our cars dont have struts so there pretty much useless unless there 3 point and connect to the firewall. As you see there are ones on ebay that are super cheap ( 20$ )

the brace might do something for you if you did high speed freeway racing, other then that no. mostly used for bling looks

Yup, that $20 is the one I have! Don't look at me, it was a gift. That's another reason why I'm not sure that it's doing anything, it's fairly cheap.

Strut/Shock tower brace does the same thing, it doesn't have to be any different to stiffen up our car, we're just not allowed to call it a strut brace. But if we're going to argue this, we'll need to move over to m.net.

As pointed out before, they make a great hand burner if hot, and a really good prop if its cool enough to touch. Comes in handy when you have to lean over the engine for more than a few seconds. I have the GoMiata one. Paid too much ($80) but it looks nice. If it does so anything, its not much. Maybe a bit of cowl shake reduction and steering response, but again, not much.

The 1.6 and 1.8 used the same factory filter. Same one as the Protege, the RX7, and probably half the other cars made by Mazda.


I ran into the same issue when I installed an OEM 1.8 oil cooler on my car. I simply took it to PepBoys and started pulling the o-rings off of various filters until I found one that fit.


Take it to the store and start experimenting.


Am I correctly interpreting that you intend to take oil from a side-port in that plate, pass it through a cooler, and then return it to the engine using the capped nipple on the cold side of the block where the Greddy turbo normally drains to?

This would be a lot of fail, actually.

That hole drains to the pan. So if you do that, you will have pretty much zero oil flow or pressure to the crank, lifters, cams, etc.

Well oil would take the path of least resistance and just dump into the pan, so of course I'm not planning to do that. Except I was

Damn I thought the drain was the easy part, where are oil cooler returns generally plumbed? Is my sandwich plate a good idea for feed or should I rethink that as well.

Typically, a sandwich plate is used which does not have big holes cut into it in the middle. There are two fittings, one for send and the other for return. Here is such a device:
http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/i.../MOC-SP1GT.jpg

This particular one has an integrated thermostat which I can say from experience does not prevent over-cooling on the street.

Amazing how that works. When something is frustrating or pissing you off, walk away. Come back with a fresh perspective later and it's suddenly an easy job. It's a good skill to have in life. The ability to step back and try again later.

I have a relatively cheap SHOCK tower brace from Cork Sport. There is an obvious difference with it vs. with out. Front is stiffer and turn in feels more positive. I installed it after doing FM's frame rails. The frame rails made almost no noticible difference unlike other peoples experience. The SHOCK tower brace was more noticable. Was this due to the combination of both parts? Don't know but it did help. Does make a nice rest when you are leaning in as was mentioned earlier! Bonus!

Well it was getting dark out so I had to stop for the day.

Joe, thanks for your help, I think I'm going to purchase one of those plates with the thermostat, isn't there a $40 unit where the only difference between it and the $80 one is the size of the fitting? Motec if I recall correctly. I am in no way worried about over cooling.

You can get them without a thermostat for around $40: Pegasus - Cast Aluminum Sandwich Plate w/ Bypass, 3/8NPT Ports

One thing to know: the Mocal plates have holes which are tapped BSP rather than NPT.

Sweet, I'll measure the threads and buy one of those. Anybody want an apparently worthless purple plate? $5+shipping.

I finished the reroute today, what a pain!

test fitting before I tapped for the fittings, even putting one bolt in was a pain, and it was the easy to reach one.
Attachment 205169
Drilled and tapped fittings at work today. Apparently our TiG welder at work is way way too strong, and would melt the little bung before it welded it. I don't know how to TiG weld, so don't ask any questions, that's just how it was explained to me. I ended up drilling 3/8-18npt for a 3/8-1/8npt coupler, than drilled and tapped that to m12x1.5 for the coolant sensor. Blah, blah, blah, heres the pic.
Attachment 205170
All assembled and ready to bolt up, I was taking pictures, cleaning parts, and sealing threads, all to avoid having to install it.
Attachment 205171
After fortunately no bloody knuckles, but a lot of dirt, grime, and scrapes, it's installed! I tested the "5 degrees between ratcheting" sales pitch of my awesome GearWrenches, and they're what made it possible to tighten them.
Attachment 205172
And no I didn't do it with the valve cover on, I just placed it there to keep dirt out overnight.

Hopefully I'll get my NACA ducts soon, I'm getting a little tired of this dirty grimy stuff. I still need to seal my valve cover, get that damn fuel line clamp clamped, and get a COPs harness, since I don't think the coil bracket will fit with the coolant sensor where it is now.

Mazda Miata Parts & Accessories at MiataMania.com

If this is your purple plate i'll definately take it for your $5 shipped with fittings and all

more or less, it's slightly different, see the above pictures.

NACA ducts are here, what an annoyance! Running back and forth between my dad's woodworking shop, my shed, and where the car is parked, it took about two hours total. That includes tearing down the door which includes taking both the triangle window and main glass pane out, like I said, it was a pane <---LOL

I'm not writing any descriptions for these, cause it's pretty f'ing obvious what it is.
Attachment 205153
Attachment 205154
Attachment 205155

Here's the finished engine bay. Technically speaking I still need to seal up the valve cover, bolt up my heat shield and shock tower brace, but that's it. Oh, and I need a COPs harness! Savington, if you're reading this, did you get my PM? Railz hasn't come though with pics, and I'm not buying a harness that could turn out to be made my Picaso.
Attachment 205156
Attachment 205157
Attachment 205158
Quick question about the valve cover, do you guys use silicone gasket material on both sides of the rubber seal, or just the bottom? And does anybody know what the two wire rectangle sensor looking thing is beside the ignitor?

Alright, so I've been driving the car a bit since the reroute install, and everything seems to be working fine. I'm certainly not over heating, but only time and a track day will tell if I made a mistake by not routing the heater core return through the radiator.

I do have one main problem though: while in boost I have a high pitched whine that I'm worried about. I was thinking maybe the turbo bearing, but after idling for a few seconds, I shut the engine off and the compressor continues to spin for 15.5 seconds (timed on my iPhone's stopwatch), so that makes me think the bearing's fine. It definitely sounds like it's coming from the engine bay, so I rulled out the FP. Sounds like a straight cut or sequential gearbox whine. I certainly hope it's not the transmission. I'd like to think it's not, since it only happens while in boost. Anybody have an idea as to what it might be? Your diagnostic help is greatly appreciated, as always. I'm going to check shaft play once it's cooled off. F'ing turbo's get hot.

Sounds like a boost leak to me. Just fixed the strangest sounding boost leak today. I'm used to them sounding like a whistle, this sounded like a whine.

Worth checkin out :)

Interesting, I certainly hope it's something small like that.

It started making the whine after installing my reroute, but at the same time I rotated the BOV to a different position, along with installing different clamps on the BOV, and eliminated my DIY dual feed fuel rail. Maybe it's the BOV? It's VTA without a check valve, but I've been running like this for a while without any noise, but perhaps the different orientation is causing a weird leak. I'll try reinstalling the check valve and see if that helps.

Is 15psi too much for a Bosch BOV?

Depends on which kind you have. I've heard that 15psi is too much for the plastic ones.

Its a used plastic one I bought off ebay years ago. Looks like I'm gonna need to upgrade. Are the <$50 BOV on ebay considered any good? And why is everything bolt on, aren't there any decent clamp on styles?

That leak I told you I thought I fixed is still there this morning. When I hit 12psi it makes the sound. I need to replace my plastic bosch valve as well...


As far as the ebay ones...its a case by case thing. Some people have luck, some do not. I'm debating on giving one a try. As for the flanges, you can get a little adapter that turns the flange into the clamp on type.

my knock off from TACO TACO is holding up good.

eBay Store – ilovetacotaco: Search results for type rs.

FYI Curly, I just replaced my plastic bosch with an ebay knockoff of some sort and the problem seems to be gone. however, this now BOV sounds obnoxious :( I miss the way the bosch sounded. Pretty damn good quality piece though considering it was 50 bucks...

Can you link me to a similar one? I don't care about sound, honestly I'd love the Bosch to make more sound. Right now with my race exhaust I can't hear it at all. I still have the whine and I'm pretty sure it's coming from my BEGI fpr, but my AFR look fine so I'm going to leave it alone.

This is what I got:

Type-H/RFL BOV Blow off Turbo K20 Civic RSX B18 WRX STI:eBay Motors (item 350224372865 end time Jul-16-09 13:39:35 PDT)

Very adjustable. At first it surged unless I was lifting at full boost. Now the surge is gone and it holds, but the sound has a weird whistle to it. I think I can figure something out with a piece of foam or something. When it was too tight it sounded awesome, like a whip cracking.

Again, was very surprised by the quality. Its sturdy...I dont see how it could possibly break.

Freaking $20 a roll!
Attachment 204606
Necessary to tape this scrap of carpet (with insulation on the back) to the tranny tunnel to keep my feet cooler. An essential on any stripped turbo car, I've even seen it in an SM. Standard duct tape failed after a 30 minute spirited drive on the road.
Attachment 204607
This is just cause I'm proud of it, my cut down ignitor bracket. Saved at least 1/16 of a lbs.
Attachment 204608
all cleaned up.
Attachment 204609
I routed the heater core return underneath the reroute spacer and then along the long pipe under the intake manifold, where I'll hook it up to a + shaped union which will be spliced into the radiator inlet hose, and have this hose plus my coolant temp sensor in it. The thick wire zip tied to the fuel line is the capillary tube for the temp gauge.
Attachment 204610
Dub temp gauge. It's lower than I wanted it, but I'm running out of time and this is good enough for now. One plus is that wherever my hands are on the wheel, it's never blocked.
Attachment 204611

I like the heat shielding on the tranny tunnel. I need to do that still.

I had an eBay carpet set that I bought right before I decided to buy a new car and make this one a track slut. Ended up going in storage and the mice ate through it. Salvaged that piece, which is from the driver side floor, you can tell from the pad. $185 piece of carpet there. I'll report back how the tape works after this upcoming trackday. I seriously hope it's not getting above 260*

Installed my oil cooler, thanks to Cueball1 for selling it to me, he bought it for $145 off ebay and never installed it. Yes I know it's not in direct air flow, but the stainless steel lines WOULD NOT BEND and it was a complete pain. Not only that but the 90* angled -8AN fittings were really long and a pain to deal with. Once I have more time I'll be rotating it up or down, depending on which way the lines would like to bend, and then cutting up my hood to make an extractor hood, cause with all this air I'm shoving in, I'm really starting to get a sense that it has no where to go.
Attachment 204530
Attachment 204531
Another plus, although you can't see it in the 2nd picture, is that the hole exposes a bit more of the radiator, which is otherwise severely hidden by my intercooler.

Along with a rerouted heater core, this oil cooler, 100% distilled water with a bottle of water wetter, I hope to stay cool. I also sealed the stock plastic under tray to the bottom of the radiator, doubt it'll do anything, but worth a shot.

Reviving this thread because.....






ITS HERE!!
Attachment 202889

No, not the beer, and no, not Transformers 2. That's right, after two years of bandaids and loud popping noises while I shift, I had Wayne Curr build me a MegaSquirt. Countless useless threads about connecting it to my lap top to follow soon:giggle:

First thing I did after Anton (Wayne Curr) poured hours into building it was tear it apart. I had to see what was in there, and it looks amazing! Braineack, you've got northwestern competition.

The plan is to take this to my GF's where the car is, use my Dell Inspiron 9400, the serial adapter from DIYautotune.com, a $3.99 serial cable, and my untested and most likely explosive PnP harness to get my car running, tuned, and ready for the track next summer.

I used the wiki page for a wiring diagram, having the stock Mazda plug read out and the DB37 MS readout with actual lines running between them was a huge help. I ransacked my stock ECU for the plug, which saved me $12 I think. I have serious concerns about it's reliability and function.

Coupled with some used R888's, and my Porterfield race pads that barely have 2 track days on them, I hope to be much fast next year. Updates/frustration/suicide notes/questions/pictures all to follow soon!

10/10

I like that oil cooler mount a lot...but I'm going to take air from somewhere less obtrusive.

There is far too much quality humor in this thread. I am going to have to find one that is a little more ricer.

Oh wow, didn't realize you had COPs. Gonna have to adjust some settings for those. Do you know what their dwell is?

Since in my packing haste I forgot to flash the DIY basemap for you, you're going to want to do that then set your Spark Out Inverted to YES in the spark settings. Then set your base timing. Then get larger injectors before you take this thing to the track. They likely wont handle your fueling now without the AFPR.

I'll be running very low boost, to keep my injectors and engine happy. In fact I'm very much looking forward to a much more drivable car, even with less power. I'll be patient until I find a good deal on some 440's. There's been some good deals on 305's lately that I've had a very hard time turning down. Go big or go home!

I don't actually have COPs yet. Well I do, but I haven't installed them, I'm still on stock coils and ignitor. I keep saying I'll make the harness and install them, but haven't. I've tried a bunch to grind down my spade connectors to make them clip into the Toyota plugs I bought, but I've have constantly failed. Ideally I'd go to the junk yard and cut off 4 pigtails and use them, as they're not something I'd like to see fail on the track. I have no idea what the dwell is, they're Toyota Denso 90080-18016 if that helps at all.

**Edit: Just saw someone wrote "'01 Corolla 1.8" in sharpie on the side too.**

Hustler, like I said that oil cooler mount was very temporary and is now slightly angled to be more in line with the bumper hole. I still don't like it though. I also want to get another 90* fitting and cut the passenger side hose and make it shorter. They come both the same length, but obviously one has to be the length of the oil cooler shorter.

Dunno if anyone is still watching this but, well, I don't care. Here are some updates:

Final final COPs harness:
Attachment 201087
Attachment 201088
Attachment 201089
Specs:
Pigtails bought off eBay with extensions soldered on
Weather-pack connectors bought from diyautotune.com
the end is wrapped with electrical tape, however from coil #1 to about where it passes the intake manifold is wrapped in this:
Repair tape - X-Treme Tape - Duluth Trading Company
resistant up to 8000 volts and heat resistant up to 500*F, amazing stuff.

Finished switch panel with labeling, just cause it looks bad ass.
Attachment 201090

14" daisy fail, but required since the R888's previously pictured are now on the previously pictured 15x7 Enkeis.
Attachment 201091

More or less final MS install. Right after this pic I shortened the MAP line so it didn't hang down below the DB37 cable. I plan on wrapping the harness a bit to both cover up all the colored wires and to replace all the zip ties. Floor will also be cleaned and painted black like the driver side is.
Attachment 201092

So it's coming together nicely. After having the exhaust welded back on along with a flange to remove it for track shenanigan, bolting the center console back on, and putting $30 NAPA brake pads on the front it's actually a nice streetable car again. And I'm actually having fun in it for once! Just need to get it registered, please see this thread:
https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t43071/#post510442
and throw out some ideas/opinions for me making my 1.6L environmentally friendly again.

Great build man, keep it up

It's motivating to see others getting this much work done.

Looking good...