When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Ooh, can I come too. Might be an expensive trip but worth it!
I live 10 minutes from Laguna Seca. Stay with me and all you'll need is a plane ticket. Bring a couple R&Ps in your luggage on the way up, and some injectors on your way back, and you've paid for the trip!
I've made some more progress over the last few days. I had a driveshaft made, and with that and some additional wiring I ordered, I've got everything I need to complete the build.
One problem I ran into was the DDM flywheel Sits a little closer to the oil pan than the stock one, and the ecotec miata oil pan isn't what you might call precise in its dimensions. A set of round head allen bolts were hitting the oil pan. I clearanced them with a dremel and now the flywheel spins freely.
Also, the ecotec miata oil pan doesn't have a cover or bolts that mate up to the transmission on the bottom the way the stock LE5 oil pan does. It leaves the flywheel completely open and exposed to flying rocks, oil drips, or things hanging down in the engine bay. I whipped up a little bracket to add some strength on the bottom side engine-transmission mating, and made up some covers for the other open spots. This should really be part of the ecotec miata AR5 kit. I got an early version, so hopefully they add something to solve this problem in the production ready version.
I've took off 17 years of grease and grime in the engine bay, trimmed back and welded the tabs on either side of the trans tunnel, and painted over the bare spots.
And I cut the PPF to make space for the AR5 PPF adapter that comes with the kit.
I plan to drop the engine and trans back in tomorrow or the next day and bolt it down properly. After that:
- bolt up to the PPF via the adapter, adjust the angle, install the driveshaft
- find a place to mount the ECU and connect up the harness to the engine
- run new cables from the battery to the starter, ECU, and new relay box
- connect up the miscelanious wires like tach, reverse light etc.
- reinstall the radiator and connect up all the cooling hoses
- reinstall the intercooler and figure out intake plumbing
- figure out how I'm going to get the spedo to work
- fab up a downpipe and exhaust
- anything else I have forgotten
- do burnouts
Having owned and tuned my old LNF Cobalt SS/TC, your going to love the turbo response on that twinscroll K04. I was running ~320whp/380wtq on OEM everything with E47 fuel at ~23 psi. Clutch was just starting to show signs of slipping so I ramped boost in a little slower and all was well until the day I sold the car. That same powerband in a car that weights 6-700 lbs less and is RWD? Yes yes yes.
Edit: I have my old LNF HPT tune maps if interested in reference material.
Having owned and tuned my old LNF Cobalt SS/TC, your going to love the turbo response on that twinscroll K04. I was running ~320whp/380wtq on OEM everything with E47 fuel at ~23 psi. Clutch was just starting to show signs of slipping so I ramped boost in a little slower and all was well until the day I sold the car. That same powerband in a car that weights 6-700 lbs less and is RWD? Yes yes yes.
Edit: I have my old LNF HPT tune maps if interested in reference material.
Thanks! I'm stoked. I'm using megasquirt for this, so I wouldn't know what to do with the HPT files. I think in terms of tuning I'll probably find the most difficulty dialing in timing and vvt, both of which would be different than the LNF. I'm finding disappointingly little on people who have tuned the LE5 well with turbo. I think the MO of most solstice boosters is to give their credit card to someone and have them do it.
Unless you already have a solid base map, using his files will be extremely useful, even for referencing timing/vvt. (and looking at his logs wlil also prove very useful)
How do you plan to control DI timing?
Unless you already have a solid base map, using his files will be extremely useful, even for referencing timing/vvt. (and looking at his logs wlil also prove very useful)
How do you plan to control DI timing?
The LNF is DI, the LE5 that I'm using is port injection and I'll be using some frankly amazing 960cc injectors at 4 bar (so 1110cc in my application). The LNF and LE5 both have VVT, but I'm not sure if they are similar or not. I've got a base map from someone running a similar setup in a Miata (LE5+K04+MS3) that leaves a lot on the table for a good tuner to figure out. I wonder where I could find a good tuner...
All that said, I'm pretty out of my depth here, so if maps from a DI engine are useful, then I'd love to take a look, Padlock.
Ahh, didn't know you were going MS. If it helps I can pull a factory LE5 and factory LNF file from the HPT database and then at least you have a base map to know where GM sets them from factory. You can only access this database if you are a paid HPT user, which I am. I believe the VCM suite software to open up the files is free to download and use, but you'd have to double check via this link. https://www.hptuners.com/downloads/
If you cannot get the software to open up for you after download, then let me know and I can shoot you over screenshots of timing maps and fueling targets set up in the OEM tunes. PM me in that case, and I'd be glad to help. Nothing is more frustrating then getting base maps set up with no reference material.
The LNF likes a LOTT leaner AFR targets during WOT so I know you wont wanna follow that on your LE5. I was running 12.8-13.0 AFR at 23 psi WOT and the car loved it. DI is an amazing thing.
Based on my recollection of the ecotec forums I was on a few years back, a majority of ecotec owners are scared of tuning "witchcraft" so your credit card statement holds true.
Edit: Just looked in the HPT tune repository and found a turbo LE5 solstice file which may be valuable to you. It has the following detail notes on it.
2007 Saturn Sky- 2.4L LE5 engine
Engine – All factory internals and throttle body
TURBO- T3/T4 57 trim with .63 exhaust housing, 2.5” V-band outlet
Wastegate- Internal with 8psi spring
Manifold- Stainless Log
Intercooler- 3” thick core V-mounted in the nose with 2.5” diameter aluminum IC piping
MAF- Factory MAF used as blow through in a 2.5” diameter tube in the same location as stock. (welded on the GM aluminum MAF pad from Summit)
Downpipe- Catless 2.5” 304 stainless going into a full 3” magnaflow stainless exhaust
O2 sensors- Upstream narrow band O2 sensor only (no post cat sensor being used) plus NGK AFX wideband controller for tuning
Fuel- Premium (93 octane with 10% ethanol)
Injectors- ZZP Siemens 60 # for 2.4L LE5
MAP- ZZP GM 2-bar for LE5
Filter- The turbo has cone filter on the compressor housing, no intake
BOV- Located in a 2.5” SS tube and vented to atmosphere and is located pre-MAF (just after turbo outlet)
PCV system- The PCV hole in plastic intake manifold has been filled to eliminate oil in the Manifold from the cylinder head
Edit: Just looked in the HPT tune repository and found a turbo LE5 solstice file which may be valuable to you. It has the following detail notes on it.
2007 Saturn Sky- 2.4L LE5 engine
Engine – All factory internals and throttle body
TURBO- T3/T4 57 trim with .63 exhaust housing, 2.5” V-band outlet
Wastegate- Internal with 8psi spring
Manifold- Stainless Log
Intercooler- 3” thick core V-mounted in the nose with 2.5” diameter aluminum IC piping
MAF- Factory MAF used as blow through in a 2.5” diameter tube in the same location as stock. (welded on the GM aluminum MAF pad from Summit)
Downpipe- Catless 2.5” 304 stainless going into a full 3” magnaflow stainless exhaust
O2 sensors- Upstream narrow band O2 sensor only (no post cat sensor being used) plus NGK AFX wideband controller for tuning
Fuel- Premium (93 octane with 10% ethanol)
Injectors- ZZP Siemens 60 # for 2.4L LE5
MAP- ZZP GM 2-bar for LE5
Filter- The turbo has cone filter on the compressor housing, no intake
BOV- Located in a 2.5” SS tube and vented to atmosphere and is located pre-MAF (just after turbo outlet)
PCV system- The PCV hole in plastic intake manifold has been filled to eliminate oil in the Manifold from the cylinder head
If it's not too much trouble - if you posted screenshots of as much of the above tune as seems useful, it could be really helpful. I'm figuring other people after me will attempt this, so posting here could help others too. Figuring out what to tweak or not on VVT control, as well as timing and AFR in boost are areas that there isn't much general knowledge on it seems.
The engine and transmission is in. The big struggle over the last couple of nights was getting the PPF mounted to the trans. I've got an early version if what's intended to be an install kit, but the fitment is very poor. It took several hours of frustrating before I realized there was some contact between the adapter and transmission that's not visible when the trans is in. I should have test fit with the trans on the garage floor. About half of the surfaces facing the trans had to be cut back 3-5mm. Now it's in. Onwards!
I've been struggling with the downpipe - mostly because I suck at welding, but also because it's a bit tight. I should have that sorted out in a few more days.
If it's not too much trouble - if you posted screenshots of as much of the above tune as seems useful, it could be really helpful. I'm figuring other people after me will attempt this, so posting here could help others too. Figuring out what to tweak or not on VVT control, as well as timing and AFR in boost are areas that there isn't much general knowledge on it seems.
I have the file pulled on my laptop. I'll try and remember to get some screenshots for you in the next few days.
I ran my intake plumbing tonight. Despite the intake being on the opposite side of the car, the routing is quite similar to what I had before.
I'll tuck the air filter off to the side for now, but I may route it in front of the rad at some later point.
Hot side comes off the turbo and heads down, then wraps around the rad.
The intercooler is bolted up to the exact same points, just flipped 180 so that the temp sensor is on the new cold side.
The cold side pops up through the hole behind the driver side headlight, to the BOV, then into the way oversized TB.
Next up for the intake I'll need to sort out how to plumb the idle control valve.
Some more progress. Engine bay is getting shaped up.
I pulled the dash to work on wiring. It was a bit of a pain, but something I should have done at the very beginning.
Started building the exhaust. 3.5 inch off the turbo, condensing to 3 the rest of the day back.
There is a great thread showing how to best fit the exhaust around the diff, which formed the design for the mk kit. I can't find it now though. Does anyone remember off hand whose build thread that was?
12-28-2018, 11:22 AM
1
