Tampa noob learns to tune
 

Howdy

I picked up this 2002 Miata in late 2017 from a family dealership with 127k miles on the odometer, a base model with the Hard-S options, so strut tower brace, bilsteins, 5 speed, and LSD. So far I have modified or refreshed just about every component inside of it, for better or worse. I have picked up a bunch of tools in the process & now I sorta have an idea of what I am doing. There are more zip-ties holding this car together than there should be.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...62a065eab0.jpg

I plan to keep the exterior almost completely stock so I don't regret any of the mods, the urge to bolt on a big wing is strong but I will resist. Here is the current engine bay mess, when I got it, it was completely stock except for a K&N Typhoon intake which heat-soaked too much for my taste in the Florida sun, so I replaced it and promptly cut a hole in my firewall that I will soon no longer need. The factory strut brace is removed as I took it off and couldn't tell the difference without it.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5805dbe29d.jpg

Gold heat tape on plastic intake tubing is dumb, don't do it.
My MS3 Basic should be here within a few days, I have my AEM UEGO in a gutted vent ready to install in the center vent, passenger side, and I have a new intake I fabbed up ready to be installed, 949 Racing Style.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e3733c3432.jpg
I am going to re-do the lazy twisty wire connector, eventually. Also yes, the sensor is black silicone gasket maker'd in

I originally planned to keep the cowl intake, however I unfortunately ordered a MAF delete tube from BEGI, and stupidly ignored the warning on the forums here that the threaded tube would be not deep enough for the intake air sensor to be in the air-stream.

Next steps are for me to install my VICS manifold after I figure out how to recreate curly's mounting plate for the VCTS actuator to repurpose it for VICS, install the AEM UEGO + properly crimp the wires to my MS3 Basic, and start tuning. Eventually I will Turbo the car, however it won't be until at least 2 years from now. I just got accepted into USF and need to get another 77 credits or so for a Bachelors in Cybersecurity, and turbocharging a daily + only car is not for me. If I can't learn to properly tune my car N/A in 2 years then a turbo probably isn't for me. I am trying to stop spending money on this car other than maintenance, and turbo related mods seem to be the only thing left I could possibly spend money on.

I will try my best not to ask dumb questions, I think my google-fu is pretty good.

I just got my MS3 Basic, taking the stock ECU out made me feel like switching to powercards.

You seem to be missing a clamp. ;)

Yep, I plan to install the other clamp once I get the megasquirt installed, next weekend maybe? Getting the stock ECU out makes me want to use a sawzall on the brackets, curse the Japanese engineer who decided that the nut should be near impossible to reach.

Hopefully this is the last dumb question I ask, I recently replaced my injectors with rebuild purple tops, which normally flow at 265cc. Mine were flow tested and they flow around 284cc at 43.5 PSI. I am getting ready to install my megasquirt and don't want to mess up my initial fueling values, should I change the injector size to 284cc, and leave everything else alone, specifically the Static/Target Rail Fuel Pressure setting, which I believe is 60 PSI on returnless fuel system NB2s? This is all off of Revs base tune, trying not to change much before starting everything up, unless I need to.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...da6b85bcdd.jpg

Installing everything took me 7 hours, I was working slowly and I took the ECU off the mounting point at least 5 times. It started the first try, then promptly died, giving it gas for a second let it stay running. Fixing the IAC calibration should take care of that. I have a giant mess of wires under the wheel, but it works. The AFR gauge seems super accurate for being connected via Analog, but I haven't revved the car past 2k RPM yet. Eating dinner then I will go do some VEAL. I changed the Injector size to 284, enabled Incorporate AFR, and calibrated a few sensors, then shut the car off.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f4d5dcf29e.jpg

Messy wiring

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...949a7455e1.jpg

And my new air intake, with the extra hose clamp installed.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...274f69e588.jpg

Sounds like you are on the right track. Yes, you use whatever the actual flow rate is for the req_fuel (i.e 284). You'll be blown away how smooth the car can be if you put in the time, keep it up!

Thanks Tuna for confirming that, it was a question that nobody has seemed to ask before, so I figured it really was that simple and changed the CC value. I will keep tuning it till it is near perfect, not touching the spark map unless I am on a dyno. As this is my daily and I have the next 3 days off work, I will tune it as much as possible. Eventually I will install the Flattop manifold I have and re-tune everything again, maybe get it setup for E85 and see if I can get to 150whp. The goal is to beat a 93 miata with a JR M45 Supercharger, running on P-p-p-power cards, I think 150whp should do it.

Once again, NA6 FTW, best ecu location of all NA/NBs. I have dyno’d a 180*’coupler off the throttle body and it was incredibly restrictive on a 1.6. 108hp, installed a 3D over the rad intake and made 116

I saw those 3d printed intakes, I wish there was an equivalent for NBs but it doesn't look like it would be possible without drilling holes. The 180 degree bend seems to be Emilio's favorite, eventually I will dyno it and compare between stock/randall/this intake, as I am curious to see what intake gains what. I am jealous of your ECU location, my back is in pain.

I drove around for 20 minutes with VEAL on easy, applied everything, then drove for around an hour with VEAL on normal. The car starts rather weakly, but that's because I haven't touched a single startup or idle setting. Other than that it runs great, already much smoother acceleration than stock. It idles very well, however I will need to check my logs to see how much EGO is kicking in. I suspect its doing a bunch. This basemap is great, thanks Reverant!

What are your thoughts on changing the deadtime for my injectors to 1.2ms? The basemap has it set to 0.9ms and I feel that is a bit optimistic for EV6 injectors. I've read the thread on determining injector dead-times and I feel like just ball-parking it would suffice.

Wrong direction. Stockers are more like 0.6 or 0.7. I haven't tested myself, but see this post: https://www.miataturbo.net/ecus-tuni...d-times-60240/
EV14 are usually more like 1.2

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, that is impressively low. I may just keep it at 0.9ms for now until I can properly measure the deadtime for my specific injectors. It doesn't seem like it would be very hard to re-tune my fueling with VEAL after changing the deadtime.

I don't own a NB (hell I've only seen two in person) but couldn't you run a 45° off the TB that would put the intake right behind the headlight? The 180° just looks like it has a lot of extra length...

You could do that, however the length is beneficial, I am not sure why however emilio uses this intake on some of his cars. I cut it to 21" of length as per their instructions here

I was going off of this image as a reference

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8a6dceaf86.jpg

So far it seems to bang into the hood when I start the car, once I get my startup settings tuned I suspect the engine will buck much less and it will probably minimize it.

Just gave that link a read, interesting stuff. I understand moving the intake away from heat will result in more power (or I guess more correctly, less loss of power) but I don't understand the need for exactly 21" of length. I'm sure Emilio has tested a ridiculous amount different intake set ups and I'm sure he's confident in what he says is accurate (and I'm sure it is). I just wonder why 21" is better than say, 12" assuming similar intake temps.... Sorry for the de-rail :hsugh:

I think the length has nothing to do with intake temps, and everything to do with the momentum and smoothing of the intake air flow. There is actually an optimal length.

Nope. Soft motor mounts and inadequate clearance of your intake. I warn against tight clearance for this type of intake in the tech article. Pretty normal to take one or two tries to get it to clear everything under load.

Intake resonance. Internal combustion engines are tuned air pumps, much like any woodwind or brass musical instrument. Lengths, bends, interior volumes, bypasses. All tuned to resonate at certain frequencies. In an instrument, we hear the frequencies with the most energy. In an engine, we hope to harness the energy of those frequencies to build pressure at the exact moment the cylinder is filling, or drop pressure at the exact time the cylinder is emptying.

Any N/A intake will deliver the broadest powerband by utilizing a helmholtz chanber, as all the OEM NA/NB intakes do. Tricky to engineer. Best alternative is a specific length and diameter, of which 21" seems to be for the BP. Change bore, stroke or cam timing, lift radically and that might change. Although we have run a wide variety of N/A BP's with this formula successfully.

We publish the info to help the DIY'er. Not enough hardware to make a viable product plan so we gave it away for free :)

I stopped it from banging into the tophat by angling the intake toward the manifold, I suspect non-extended tophat users wouldn't experience this.

After some fidding with my Idle VE Table, CL Idle Initial Values Table, and my A/C settings, my idle is fairly stable, my cars A/C now functions at idle instead of hunting for idle constantly causing the A/C compressor to never kick on. I am looking to update my target AFR Table now, the current one is super safe but also super rich. I will probably just dial in my VE table with VEAL before I change it a bunch. Car runs great, and hasn't failed to start on me. Anyone have any insights as to AFR Targets with a N/A build, for a daily driver? It looks like a Brain-style AFR Table would be super fuel efficient, I am just worried about the car running lean all the time.

I just got my squaretop from the UK, I managed to snap a bolt holding the EGR Valve in when removing it, even with a torch and WD40 the nut decided to seize. I made a super ghetto but hopefully functional EGR Valve blockoff plate with RTV and some aluminum plate I cut with tin snips. If there is enough exhaust pressure going through the EGR Pipe to leak I will need to actually properly block it off.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9dc91bcb40.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4647d0fff2.jpg

I plan to install it this weekend and tune it. Hoping for 140whp to the wheels after I get it properly dyno'd to tune spark and VVT.

Anyone know any good dyno's/tuners in the Tampa Area? I am thinking Proven Performance should be able to tune spark

Damn rough break on that bolt. It's in a terrible place too. There are quite a few Tampa guys, sixshooter I know of off the top of my head. Maybe shoot him a pm?

Proven Performance is capable but I'm not sure what Miata experience they have. Our cars can't handle as much advance as Honda or Nissan and they need to know that. Not important until you add boost for the most part.

I don't think that plate will be thick enough when you add boost.

I would not tune spark on a Dyno naturally aspirated. Enough of the parameters are already known. Spec Miata guys have found maximum benefit at the 101 kPa level between 29 and 31 degrees advanced at around 5000 RPM up to 6500. Taper those numbers lower as you go into your Boost cells and as you go towards the lower RPMs at the same kPa. Taper those numbers upward as you go down in kPa towards your highway cruise cells for best fuel economy. Look for threads on stock spark values. People have figured out what Mazda did from the factory for several of the generations of cars.

After you have set the new timing values you can drive around and let the auto-tune feature do it's magic. Dyno time not necessary.

Understood, thanks for the tips.

I will try messing with my spark table, maybe get some detcans setup for it. I don't plan on boosting for a few years, as long as this holds up for a bit I am fine with it. I shouldn't have tried to even remove the EGR valve, it seems that one or both of the bolts seizing up usually occurs

I just got my squaretop installed, it was a pain in the ass to do. I don't know how people install these without jacking the front of the car up.

I thought it didn't fit as the NB2 fuel rail dampener was contacting the squaretop
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5214b02c08.jpg

After freaking out for a few minutes I took the top of the manifold off, jiggled it around, and it fit into place.

Here is the squaretop bottom half vs the VTCS bottom end. You can easily see the difference.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4abd2c6511.jpg


And here it is installed. My ghetto EGR blockoff is holding. I will need to replace it properly when I boost the car, but that's future me's problem. Screw that guy

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4293898d15.jpg
I had to add a bunch more fuel into my Idle & Regular VE Tables to get the car to start normally. The only thing I can do now to the car is install a turbo, which will have to wait. At least I get to fiddle with the megasquirt when I want to work on the car.

My MAP line is right after the throttle plate, megasquirt doesn't seem to care. I have barely changed anything in the tune and the car almost runs and idles better than stock.

The squaretop lets the power ramp up til redline, I am very happy with the power delivery as the car sits. I leaned everything out and smoothed the AFR Target Tables, the car seems to like it so far.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7d4f995150.jpg

My timing table is nice and safe, I will mess with it once I get my tune a bit more drivable.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...fa0657b591.jpg

Glad to hear you feel the difference. I would copy over the 90 row up to a 100. No need to dump anymore than 13.5 afr to redline. You can keep the tapering to 13 as a peace of mind.

I leaned out the cruise region a bit more, now I am consistently getting 15.3 AFRs when cruising. My fuel economy is now much better than it was, I will probably lean out the center cruise cells to 15.5 cells and see how it runs, possibly advancing the cruise timing a bit as well. I still need to lean out the WOT region, trying to wait til I get my WOT spark table region dialed in, it could use a bit more advance in the lower RPMs.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...37f326fa70.jpg

Without det cans I am trying to make minimal timing changes, I have no knock in my logs according to the stock NB sensor, good enough for me with my still fairly conservative advance. More advance could be done in WOT from 4800RPM onwards, and I could probably do with some timing advance in cruise.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2dcc58754e.jpg


I also took brains basemap injector timing table and replaced my old one, which injected at 360 degrees across the board. After some VEAL my lean/rich spikes disappeared and the motor seems to like it. Hooray for science, and copy/paste.

Here is my current basemap, I still need to fix up my startup, as it takes a bit to fire up, and the idle dips to 300-400 right after the car starts. Sometimes it will die right after, but it doesn't happen frequently. Use at your own risk. I will eventually turn down EGOs authority from 25%, once I get my VE tables all fixed up.

I picked up a 5 speed Miata Roadster short shift kit, this is almost the best mod I have done to the car. There is no more shifter play, my 3rd gear doesn't go to random places anymore, and its super precise. I can see why everyone raves about this kit. 11/10

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...48a425d9b3.jpg

The only mod I have left to do is a coolant re-route, even though I have an NB2. Going with a QMax for that, once I sell my old intake.

Drivability is awesome with my current spark map, I doubt I will be able to pick up any more power with timing advances. I added a 10 degree region for exhaust pops & burbles when shifting and lifting the throttle, to appease my inner ricer. I got 24.5 MPG on my last few gallons, with lots of high revs, better MPG than stock. This is in between brains & revs basemap for spark, and I am not knocking on east coast 93. I can't see anything to improve here, except for boosted region timing.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ae2112590e.jpg

I leaned out my AFR Target Table a little bit more, that's as far as I will go with it. I don't have an EGT gauge to monitor things, but my center console region is cooler than it was before. Timing advance in cruise probably helped.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...52215944be.jpg

Still messing with my idle PID & startup settings, but other than that the car runs great. I wouldn't hesitate to megasquirt my daily again, if you are willing to put in the work & somewhat know what you are doing, it will easily run better than stock.

I installed the skunk2 throttle body I picked up from a forum member here, and ported my squaretop for it. I made a decently long writeup about it, hopefully this helps someone with installation. Thanks to everyone helping when my throttle was sticking, that was annoying while it lasted.

The only thing left to do now is turbocharge the car, ETA 2+ years

The wait begins

The only issue I have remaining after the throttle installation is the throttle appears to stick open slightly after starting the car at 1400 RPM til I blip the throttle, at which point the car goes right to the RPM it should be at.

I went ahead and did a pull to see where my power is at, all data indicates a turbo is needed. I should be making more than this even without one. I suspect my mostly untuned VVT intake table and possibly my motor is to blame. Car has a torsen 2 from the factory, I believe it is a 4.3.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...74347d7df7.jpg
I changed my VVT intake table from the one on my MS3 Basic to the VVT Tuner Table, copied from Curlys setup on this thread.

Attached is the VVT Intake Table I was running for that pull. Also attached my current tune, I will try some VEAL and do another few pulls to see if I pick up some torque.

I'm a bit confused. You have access to a dyno but did not do sweeps to determine your your own VVT table? It only takes three or four pulls to get it 95% perfect. If you are using a junk2 TB that is likely the cause of your sticky throttle.

VVT sweep is easy. Once AFR and ign are dialed with zero VVT angle, just add 5 degrees everywhere. Then 10°. Then 15°. From there you should see clear trends and have a good idea of what basic shape the table is going to be. You will also know what areas of the table want no more than 5 degrees so only work on the areas of the table that are still increasing. Monitor AFR while you are doing this. On some engines we have seen as much as 45° advance still developing increases. Once you get your final VVT table then go back and do ign timing sweeps.

​​​Note that a good VVT table will increase cylinder pressure throughout the mid-range which makes det more likely.

Thanks for the tips Emilio

I am just doing virtual dyno runs for now, pretty much just plugging in tables from other people due to not having dyno access, even though every VVT engine should have different settings for peak power. Based off of other peoples results with my setup I am hoping that I can get somewhat close to the 130-140 whp mark. If I can't it really doesn't matter too much, as long as the car starts and drives fine everyday.

Ah, on my phone. Didn't see the virtual dyno watermark. Carry on.

Try a third gear pull.

Your throttle hanging issue could be closed loop idle tuning related.

I scaled my spark, VE, and AFR Target tables for a naturally aspirated car for more resolution, the car pulls way smoother now as a result. I also yoinked this guys timing map which is apparently one that his MS3 Basic shipped with, mine was about 5 degrees more retarded across the board than his. The result is no knock according to my knock sensor, and lots of perceived butt dyno power. Filling in the VVT Intake table before 3k RPM with all 0's was evidently a mistake, as my butt measures an improvement due to filling out those areas as well, I simply stole the map from an 8x8 interpolated version of the VVTuner Table. The AFR Target table is just about the only thing I made that is left on my tune, it looks pretty and feels functional.

Loading this tune on your turbocharged car will result in bad things happening. Running East Coast 93 Octane.

My reports of the RPM hanging at 1400RPM were mistaken, it does go down after some time without blipping the throttle. Quirk of the Junk2 I suppose.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f235982138.jpg

I will do a Virtual Dyno pull in 3rd gear when I find a straight section of road with no law enforcement around, I think the results will be pretty apparent.

This isn't tuning related, but I picked up this from a dude who wrecked his MSM for 20 bucks. Put in some M200 speakers to complement my M800 front speakers, and along with a powered sub behind the passenger seat, everything sounds great. It also makes my car slower, oh well.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...774b363549.jpg