pdexta

iTrader: (17)

I wasn’t really planning on make a build thread, but I’m trying few different things this time around and trying to focus more on “getting it right” rather than just “making it fast”. I figure this thread will help me keep all my stupid questions in one place rather than blowing the site up with constant new threads for issues I run into and can’t find answers for.

This will be my 5th turbo miata. The other 4 have met their demise from a variety of reasons. This car is going to essentially be modeled after Miata #2; a 10AE that died a terrible death when I Ford Taurus blew a stop-sign, t-boning me in the door and rear quarter panel.

Goals:
Daily drive-able, AC, comfortable, quiet, flexfuel, reasonably reliable, 350whp.

The victim:
I just picked up a 00SE with 159k miles for $4700. I probably overpaid, but the car was really clean for the mileage, the purple has really grown on me, and it fit what I was looking for; NB + 6 speed.

On the drive home:


Got some help washing it:

Girz0r

iTrader: (1)

Looking forward to this...

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

My wife is ready to kill me and I haven't even gotten to anything that really adds power. I've just been doing little stuff that's easily forgotten about, most of which swaps over from my last miata; changing fluids, brake/clutch lines and bleed fluid, sway bars, gauges, assembled some DIY Bilstein coilovers, etc.

I actually ordered the MS3X from Brain before I even bought the car. It has since arrived and been installed. Along with that came ID1000s, Toyota COPs, DW300 pump, GM Flex sensor, and I used a NA fuel return line to convert the fuel system to a return style with an adjustable FPR (again mostly leftover parts from the last car).

I just started tuning it a little bit this weekend. I'm planning to finish up this tank of 93 and fill with E85 so I can nail down that tune. From there I'll be able to see how it does with a mix of the two fuels and adjust as needed. It doesn't look like there's a ton of flexfuel info out there so I figured I'd play with it N/A while it's harder to blow the car up.

As she sits now:

18psi

iTrader: (76)

haha we have the same disease

congrats man, lovin it

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

hey, look at that!

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

I finally finished up this tank of gas and filled with E85. I swear the car feels quicker but it's probably in my head.

I'm using the GM continental flex fuel sensor. Everything I've seen shows 50hz = 0 ethanol, 150hz = 100 ethanol, but my sensor was reading way high. I was showing 21-23% ethanol on E10. After talking with some GM friends they seemed to be seeing 6-8% ethanol on E10 fuel. I changed the low end frequency to 65hz and it's reading correct.

After filling with 10.5g of E85 (assume 2g of E10 still in the tank) I'm reading 81-83% ethanol, where other cars are reading 78-80% ethanol on straight E85. This leads me to think the accurate settings for my sensor are closer to:

65hz = 0% ethanol
165hz = 100% ethanol

Your results may vary, but figured I'd throw it out there in case others are having similar issues.

Obligatory ricer E85 picture:

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

Looking forward to flex fuel tooning info.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

I always screw everything up, so at least I'll be good for finding all the stuff to not do.

I went out to the road I usually use for 5th gear pulls to run through virtual dyno and the damn thing ran out of road at 6000rpms on a 4th gear pull.

Top was down (drag), it's awfully hot, humid, and ok, I guess the car is just that slow.



Also, the car is idling crazy as ****. It was idling great on 93 fuel, filled with E85 and every 5 seconds it cycles between a high idle and stalling. I noticed the Idle VE table was different on the 2 fuels so I matched the E85 map and E10 map, now the car doesn't stall, but does this:

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

Why would the maps be the same? Shouldn't the e85 one have a lot more fuel.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

I didn't realize what that table was doing, saw a big difference between the maps and changed it to see if it would at least keep the car running. Now I see it's just a fuel map zoomed in on the idle section. Since I hadn't touched it yet it's way out of tune so hopefully that's the issue.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

yeah there's a VE Idle table.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

Now that I started tuning the idle it seems to be idling much better.

After a little more fuel tuning I made a pull with the top and windows up and got some better numbers out of virtual dyno.



I think I've decided to just wait on turboing the car until I swap in my other motor. The motor out of my old car already has my clutch/flywheel, coolant reroute, and forged rods in it. I can't really justify robbing parts off a stronger motor to put in a weaker motor when I know I'm going to want to swap the stronger motor eventually anyway. It'll take a while to get around to it, but once it's done at least it should be done for a while.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

looks healthy

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

Not much to update really, been dealing with some issues on my daily driver that have taken prescience for the time being.

I did manage to get some budget bilstein coilovers assembled and installed. I used MSM shocks since a friend had them laying around even thought I knew they were longer than ideal. With the front all the way down it's only 1/2" lower than stock. The back is about 3/4" lower than stock and still has some adjustment left, but I just left it alone. I've got a lead on some local Hard S bilsteins so I'm hoping that will help lower the car a little more.

I got my dash cam wired in and working too. I spun the camera around and took a quick video with my daughter in the car yesterday. She was a big reason in me moving from my gutted rustbucket NA to a more calm, quiet, and refined NB. There's no way in hell my wife was going to let her in my NA, but she's at least marginally ok with short trips in the NB. My daughter loves cars and "helping" me work on them, so it's really nice to be able to bring her along with me occasionally.


Forgot it's still cold in some part of the country, sorry for all the green grass and palm trees.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

Haven't updated this in a while and there really hasn't been much progress beyond some little stuff. I got my diy budget bilsteins worked out so I'm happy with them. I got my rollbar colormatched purple and installed. I deleted power steering to clear up a little room in the engine bay, and I stole sixshooters ac with no idler belt trick. I took the car out to a test & tune autocross today and it ran really well.

Hopefully this week I can start moving forward on adding some power. I'm planning to just swap the motor, turbo, and clutch setup from my last car into this one. I'm hoping to keep the turn-around time to a minimum. If all goes well it will make for a nice easy plug and play, daily driveable +300whp, that's the plan anyway.

G3ML1NGZ

diggin that color matched roll bar.

viperormiata

iTrader: (24)

Nice car.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

I worked on the car some on Monday after work, then pulled the motor yesterday. I've had a lot of help.









I tapped the oil pan on my other motor too high to fit the AC compressor so I had to tap my stock pan and swap them out. I'm dropping the pan off at a friend's this evening to have it welded. Hoping for a quick turn around there and I should be back on the road this weekend if all goes well *knock on wood*.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

I ran into a few little hiccups but getting back on track now. The motor dropped back in place and now there's a turbo hanging off the right side of it, headed the right direction. Still hoping to have it back on the road tomorrow.