Damon's Build Thread
 

I just hooked up and calibrated the LC-1, so the build has officially begun.

The car:

Attachment 207536

1992 SE (this isn't my first time around the block with this dark lady).

I have been tenderly caressing the BEGi 4.1 IHI system sitting in the garage for far too long, and studies be damned, it was time to do something about it.

The kit:

Attachment 207537

Attachment 207538

Still waiting on a few pipes...

This build would have happened a long time ago, but sourcing injectors was a fiasco, and the free time I used to have has quickly disappeared as the semester got into full swing.

I am setting up the Braineack-sourced MS as we speak, and will post up with any probs.

After that I plan to acclimate myself to tuning while NA for a week, get the ACT XT clutch in, and drill and tap the pan (will leave drain with a plug in top).

I have already got the IC on, just sans piping.

Post up with questions, concerns or advice.

Could NOT get my laptop to talk to MS last night, or any of two others either, one of which had a real serial port. I was still convinced it was the string of adapters that I had, so I went to RadioHack this morning and got the real USB A to serial adapter.

We'll see if this works.

I'll be in Houston on Saturday if you need any hand holding.

Will be working 10-12hrs all nine days of spring break, and don't plan on doing much with the car. Thanks though, good luck finding someone to fill in for me on Montrose.

Am trying to get MS running so I can snag a few logs and get used to tuning over the break.

Right now I can't get a single laptop to communicate with MS.

ive been working 10 hour days on my car over my spring break. unfortunately weather isnt cooperating and im outside so i have only been able to work on it a few days.

Hopefully boost by sunday!

good luck!

Man, lucky you. I wish I could spend 10hrs a day on the car, I'd have it done in no time.

Good luck getting to boostedness.

See you late-night at Katz...I have an apartment over there too. We can rub cocks together.

Katz's Never Kloses...

kinda like your anus :giggle:

It's official...


I'm MEGASQUIRTIN' (rock theme plays)


This is great.


I'm still trying to iron out some issues, like why MS isn't picking up RPMs or AFRs on the GUI.

I am also getting really high (lean) AFRs at idle, but it smells pig rich.

Got timing good enough to take around block though. It lugs around under about 2Krpm, and then wants to just take off (with AFRs in the 12-13s.

Thanks for all the help Scott!

Ok, when I look at my .msq info:

Lines 1-7,10 are 029q

Lines 8-9 are hr_10

Might this have something to do with the 6 warnings I get when opening MegaTune?

did you install the hr_10g softwares like i outlined?

hmm, not since I reflashed. will go back through it

EDIT: I'm still opening up the same project folder

Very nice. You TOTALLY need my tokico setup though. ;)

How can I be sure I'm running high res?

I've uninstalled MegaTune and gone through the complete reinstall on two different laptops.

It now idles kind of goofy up to about 2K rpm, and then takes off like a scalded dog.

You are completely right.

If only I could finish this part of the project...



I'm not sure what to make of it.

It may be running lean at lower rpms, but can't be sure.

What kind of AFRs should I be seeing at cruise and off throttle?

VICTORY IS MINE!!!!

I finally got everything working right. It involved manually copying the modified .inc files from the reflash into the project directory, and deleting a few that the install threw into there.

Thanks to karter74 for that one, and to Braineack for his help throughout the whole afternoon.

The car runs as well or better than with the stock ECU. I only found one stumble that I'm going to try and tune out with a log over spring break.

The maiden voyage went very well. The idle is actually better than stock, which I guess means I've got a vacuum leak to chase down.

Since idle is better the PS pump works like a champ, which really freaked me out. Good thing that's coming off.

Thanks to everyone for encouragement and support.

TURBO should hit car soon after spring break.

I used to be all about the depowered steering rack idea. I loved how it simplified the engine bay and gave all that room. Then I got a chance to drive my dad's miata, which has manual steering.

That shit is for the birds. I'll keep my power steering. Just sayin'. You might want to drive a depowered car first before you go through all the trouble.

Yeah, I'm unsure where to go, and just how far, with weight reduction and feedback mods.

I'm probably going to finish the turbo install before I get into that, but it would be nice to have that room when putting the kit in.

I have already removed and sold my stereo, speakers and amps. This saved me 25lbs, and put $150 back into the build budget. It left a really sweet taste in my mouth that I want to go back for.

I think I started down and ugly road that there is NO turning back from. Hell, I myself have already lost 11lbs since I started the project.

On the power steering though, I've always been a fan of feedback. Plus I'm fuckin' SWOLE like hustler's pinups. Seriously though, I used to drive a '65 Impala 4 door with a "three on the tree"...no power steering.

Call me a bird I guess, but I'm about to take out everything I don't NEED in that car.

What's that in your glove box kid?

Attachment 207479

Why nothing officer...just a programmable standalone ECU!


With LC-1 and USB a - serial cables at the ready.

Man I'm lovin' this.

Spring Break Sucked
 

So I have worked 12hr days for the past 10days straight since leaving school the Friday before the break. This is good, as I now have saved up half of next semester's tuition, but bad since I did basically nothing to the car.

Well, I did do something. I took off my lovely BBS wheels (for sale here: https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t32708/ ) to clean them up and take decent pics for all the craigslisters.

I put the cheap set of daisies I had on there...

Attachment 207241

And well, it's another black miata with daisies. These have basically new Potenzas on them, so I thought they would serve well for the Houton-BCS commute.

I HATE these wheels. I can handle the looks (besides the higher profile tire jacking me up to mudhole ready heights), but handling went down the shitter.

I didn't think the weight and thinner/taller tire would have that much effect, but I guess I've known this car with 10lb wheels for about a decade, and I got used to it.

Advice: If you've never treated yourself to lightweight wheels, try it someday.

I also did another free air/heater calibration because my LC-1 was taking 30minutes to warmup sometimes. It's much better now.


Today was semi productive. I took off all of this shit:

Attachment 207242

Which is for sale in whole or in parts if someone is interested.

I love having this space:

Attachment 207243
disregard dirty engine bay

More is going to come out, namely: PS, A/C & cruise. Then I'll clean and paint, and tap the oil pan.

I am stiiiiilllll waiting on intercooler piping from BEGi for the kit I bought two stinkin months ago!!! :vash:

So to take out the AFM meant I needed an interim intake solution.

Behold "O'reilly exhaust elbow zip tied to A/C line with adapter to BEGi intake elbow casting" super cold air intake:

Attachment 207244

I know it's cheesy, but if BEGi has a chance of making it as our favorite late shipper of HOT parts then it should only be there another week.

Either way, my intake temps are basically at ambient since it's getting air from the R-package lip vent.

I also worked on making my laptop (Windows 7beta) communicate better with MS. I barely got it running last week via a reflash using friend's computer, but mine now changes values without screwing up high res .incs.

I also changed my ignitor, which gave me a tach again. Yeah!

I still don't have a tach readout in Megatune, but I know it's getting the signal.

I tried autotune today, but didn't seem to change a lot, bottom line of graph consistently said something about values outside of window.

I "tuned" my VE table a little to improve driveability, and hope to improve idle a little tomorrow.


NEXT UP:

Swap in RX7 injectors

Tap oil pan

Wrap heater hoses

Swap in ACT clutch