94 MSPNP SR20 DIY Build
 

Here it goes:

All of the pics are at: http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff276/kylelind/

I wanted to share and be shared with on all that I am going to do to my car, so I am going to try my best to keep this thread up to date and helpful for all. I bought the car as a spec miata setup with all of the suspension and safety stuff done, so I am tackling the engine part of the beast. I am trying to do it all myself and make it nice, we will see how that goes....

I bought a SR20 turbo from a smog shop for $50 that had a broken stud in the exhaust flange. I rebuilt it and removed the stud (nasty job) and now it seems to be a quality unit. My plan is to do a v-mount intercooler setup without chopping up the braces in the front. I bought a china cooler and chopped it up to fit the space. Now it is welded back together and ready to go. I am going with a Greddy type-s BOV and will eventually recirculate. I am only planning on 200-210whp so hopefully I wont jack up the engine.

Speaking of jacked engine I checked my compression with a Harbor Freight guage and it said I had 125 on all 4?? Either the guage is bad and they are all even-steven, or my engine is crap. Would I even have good power at that compression level?

Also if you can help me with the MSPNP I posted in that section with a misfiring problem.

So, I will keep ya'll updated on my progress and check out the pictures and list of parts that I ordered on photobucket. Also if anyone lives in the bay area and wants to come play let me know.:bigtu:

When you checked out compression did you hold the throttle to the floor?
Also, when checking your compression you need to pull the fuse for your fuel and disconnect the harness from your coils because constant cranking with no spark plug in the wires will burn them up.

nope, did not do any of those.....I did order new plug wires though. What does holding the throttle open accomplish? Just better air flow?

Do you mean burn up the coils?? How can I check that they are not bad?

Closed throttle = gauge is limited by amount of air in the intake manifold with the TB closed

Open throttle = gauge limited by the seals the rings and valves make

Fuel fuse out so you don't flood the motor

coil disconnected because you can burn the coil up by cranking the motor over with the coil un-grounded (usually it grounds via the spark plugs)

Did the other USB-Serial adaptor work out?

Yeah the new adapter works great. How can I make sure my coils are still good?

Check the resistance across the outlets and post it here.
Look for spark with a spark plug in one of the wires. No spark equals dead coil.

I will check that tonight, thanks for the help.

Here are the resistance numbers for the two coils. This image shows the locations where I took the values:

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff276/kylelind/IMG_1511.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

Just in case the photo does not open, the passenger side was 11.5k Ohms between the teo plugs and driver was 11.79k Ohms.

What does this mean?? What range should they be in? Thanks!

That image link did not work.....here it is:

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1511.jpg

Easy way to disable fuel and spark while doing a compression test is to just disconnect the cam sensor.

-Mike

I just got the same turbo in the mail, and I was just about to make thread to ask this but instead maybe you can help.

1. How exactly do I adjust the boost on it? It doesn't have a threaded waste gate actuator rod. How much boost is it set for with the waste gate actuator on it?

2. How do I clock it so the output of the compressor is pointing downward? It doesn't seem to be possible because of the waste gate actuator and bracket, but its no biggie, just curious how others do it.

3. How do I clock the compressor a bit because the rod that comes out of the wastegate actuator isnt attached to the arm on the turbine housing? I see some sort of metal ring that goes around it on the CHRA side and i'm guessing if I compress that it will turn?

4. Is it normal for the flap for the waste gate to be a bit loose? I can only guess it stiffens with thermal expansion.

Your pretty lucky that you got the inlet adapter as well, I only got the outlet.

Thanks in advance.

1. To adjust the boost you need a boost controller of some sort. Manual or electronic, which can be home made (see sticky in DIY thread). The rod only sets the pre-tension of the wastegate.

2. You would need to make your own bracket, I am keeping mine in the stock orientation.

3. Yeah, there is a burly snap-ring that holds the compressor in place. You may be able to muscle it around but will probroably have to remove the snap ring.

4. The wastegate should press closed tightly with the actuator connected, but will be loose when open.

Good Luck!

Back to my compression check, holding the throttle open did produce 183psi instead of 125....much better. I am still not sure if the resistance values for my coils are any good. Can someone help me out? Here they are.

Attachment 215944

Some people get away with using a wood handle(broom) in the compressor outlet to clock their turbos. Only works if your snap ring isn't rusted onlike a MF.

Those coil values look good to me. But you might want to look around some more. I think the specs are between 8-12 ohms and yours are right up in the top margin and close together.

Here is a bunch of new toys that I got today, tubing from acestainless.com that looks like very good quality, and a bunch of stuff from summit including a new 3" aluminum radiator for the v-mount, also good looking. STOKED!!

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1530.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1531.jpg

I will also be testing out the ebay F1 stage 3 clutch so I will keep everyone posted on that item. Another one of interest is the exhaust band clamp that I intend to use instead of bolt flanges. It looks pretty nice and I am going to incorporate some springs in to hold the butt-joint together better. It is very cheap and easy though. $9 for the clamp, $2 for springs, and just cut pipes butted together. We will see....

Never seen someone use the donut they sell for exhaust work.
Next time when shopping for tubing check out racing-solutions.com (google maybe) they offer a discount to homemadeturbo.com members as well. Ace is just fine of course, they have good quality stuff, so i'm told.

I just placed them that way, they are really 90's

That doesn't sound kosher to me, ill try compressing the snap ring a bit. Any specific tool I can use? I cant imagine what I can get into those holes on the snap ring.

Just to be absolutely clear, the flap(disc shaped piece) that closes the hole in the turbine is loose. Thats normal right?

Its my first turbo so im a bit OCD'ish.

Thanks again, good luck with your build. I will be watching this thread very closely.

Well no shit it isn't kosher(jew), i personally use a pair of 8" 90* needle nose because strong snap ring pliers are expensive and the needle nose are more like $7 locally most the time. Make sure the ends fit in the snapring before buying of course. If it's real rusty soak it with oil.

The flap should be tight against the hole. It shouldn't leak otherwise you'll loose spool. If you don't have the actuator hooked up to it though it will be loose. If the actuator doesn't hold it closed tight then the actuator could be bad or you might just need to adjust the pre-tension with a little bracket/mounting modification.

Yea im Jewish, good way of putting it huh?

I think I should try to be even more clear. The flap is attached to a little elbow that is operated from outside the turbine by the actuator. The flap itself is loose, like its not rigidly attached to the arm.

So your kosher flap is not meant to be rigidly mounted to that arm. It should be loose on there so that it can move around in order to seal even under temperature changes and whatnot. So no worries unless something just doesn't seem right. They usually rattle on that arm unless closed. They snap shut no problem with a good actuator though.

Awesome, just what I wanted to know, thank you.

I dont know what I would do without this forum.

When selecting which injectors to use based on the flow testing results, which 4 should I use. The ones that match based on pulsed flow, or cc/minute?

The ones closest to each other based on both variables or just pick one. You want them to be as close to 2% with each other as possible.

Here is a mock-up of what I plan to do. I tore the car apart friday afternoon and went to the junkyard today. I got a new hood to cut open and make a vent, and an extra radiator fan for $60, great deal at pick-n-pull.

Now I strapped the intercooler and radiator into the car with tie downs to see what it will look like. I am doing a v-mount without cutting any of the frame/bracing apart in the front. It looks do-able for sure and I am STOKED!

The rest of the pics are at:

http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff276/kylelind/

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1536.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1540.jpg

slick, does the Vmount go behind the radiator or what?

that is a weird extra radiator man i doubt it gets much flow there.

Huh, nooo.....there is only that one radiator and intercooler, with each of them exposed to the incoming air thru the nose. Look at the pics on the link. It seems like great flow with a vent in the hood and fans on the radiator. I am going to make shrouds to close it all in and split the flow to each. It seems awesome to me!!??

I removed the stock radiator for good......I thought that would be understood?

I think he had to much to drink before he posted... magna has a little more sense then that...hopefully:bigtu:

Here is a photo update of my build progress. I have welded up a STRONG support to hold the radiator and protect it from being pushed back into the engine. I aligned it so that it will fit right inside the lower lip of the bumper...and it bolts on where the tow hooks were.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1548.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1549.jpg
Attachment 215892

I have also started on my tubular shorty schedule 40 stainless manifold that I designed in solid works. It has come along really well but required some very tricky cuts through .125" walls. Looks just like my model!!
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1552.jpg
Attachment 215893
Attachment 215894
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1553.jpg

I will keep you updated!!

Tits, dude. That V-mount bracket setup is really, really cool. I'm excited to see how the final product turns out, especially your hood venting. If it turns out nice, I may want to duplicate the venting on my car for track use.

very sweet...
i want to do something similar, i wonder if there is any data to support your claim of good airflow, it would make me feel a lot better...i have a vented CF hood and a wizdom front bumper, so i get lots of airflow, my fan only comes on if im sitting still for a while, otherwise while driving it never comes on ...so i think ill be alright...please keep us posted

Yeah, will do......I may put a fan on the intercooler as well with a thermal switch. Also I am going to put 2 spal 9" fans on the back of the radiator with very good shrouds to keep the flow in.

What does everyone think of splitter lips in the front to keep the air through the nose??

I this that is way cool, im looking into a diy build but i dont know about this DIY haha i will keep reading and possibly steal some ideas good build thread!

what do you mean...a splitter to separate airflow from intercooler and radiator? it may be a good idea, you need to get plenty of air through the intercooler and radiator both, if you do the v set up it seems that the air would try to go to the middle in between the two, so it may be a good idea to block it off there and route it somehow, maybe aluminum shaped like this <
in front of the two, getting it to flow in that direction, also, you wont have too much room to work with using your stock bumper...but the two fans should help the radiator plenty, just use a 160* thermostat i guess...good luck to you, im gonna wait till someone has it figured out and is willing to share, lol

I think splitters like this work great.
http://www.trackdogracing.com/websit...7-splitter.jpg
They make force more air to go up through the mouth of the car and the air that does go under the car is more laminar creating less drag.

Yeah, cjernigan, that is exactly what I am planning to make. I will also split the air accordingly for the intercooler and radiator.

Do I really need to get a different thermostat? The 160* would just open sooner, not a big difference from the 180*???

Any ideas on the thermostat?? And should a coolant reroute be done?

Also can I tap into the stock water temp sender for a guage??

You don't need anything colder than a 160 and you don't have to do a reroute though they are nice. The stock water temp sender is not the right resistance for your gauge. You need to use the sender that is made for your gauge or vice versa.

Can I just add a resistor in line with the temp gauge to get the correct reading?

Just linearize your stock temp gauge. There's instructions online if you poke around.

So I tapped my oil pan last night and really recommend using a slightly larger drill than the 45/64. The amount that I could thread the tap in did not get the threads big enough to get the fitting to thread in. I had to file the fitting down a little and it was a pain.

I will have some more pretty pics of my progress soon!!

Pretty sure 11/16 is a better drill bit to use.

On a side note... Vmounts will take over the world!

I ran a 23/32" and had no issues. I didn't get the fitting too far in, but then again there aren't too many threads in the pan anyway.

Here is are pics of the manifold all tacked together and placed on the engine. It looks like it will fit perfect and give a great angle out the back for the downpipe. I am going to tig weld it at a friends place tomorrow instead of mig'ing it and having it look UGLY. Like that matters......but it is a sweet manifold for $175 and a poo-load of grinding time.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1573.jpg
Attachment 215860
Attachment 215861

I also got the tranny back in today with the F1 stage 3 clutch that will hopefully work ok because it was a pain getting that tranny out. Next up it completing the intercooler mount and running all of the intake tubing, the the downpipe and exhaust.

So now I am trying to put my boost gauge in the eyeball vent by the door and I cannot figure out how to get the bezel off?? I hear that they are suppose to pop out but it will not. Is this one different than the two in the middle? ??

No idea about the vent. Who made your flanges for the manifold?

flipside customs made the exhaust flange and ATP made the turbo flange. Both 1/2" 304 stainless.

Here are pics of the manifold all tig welded together:

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1585.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1586.jpg

And a mock up of how I will route the piping:

Attachment 215857
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1587.jpg

Hopefully I can finish the rest of the exhaust and intercooler piping this weekend??

Check out the album link in my first post for the rest of the pics.

Nice welding it came out well. You plan to get it coated?

No, what would I gain, and what kind of coating are you talking about? Ceramic??

High temp ceramic coating such as jethot 2000. The ceramic coating won't flake off, it looks nice. It also retains heat really well and can increase spool due to less lost energy by heat retention. You don't need it but it's cool stuff.

Is it a bad idea to make heat shields out of aluminum? I have a bunch of it??

OEM car manufacturers make heatshields out of aluminum. Should be fine. Louvered aluminum would be awesome.

I got the intercooler and radiator all mounted and tacked up the downpipe today. I will post pics soon...it is going very well. Hopefully it runs just as well.

As a side note the oil drain flange from the JGS Turbo kit does not fit the SR20 turbo. Too small. Also the bolt pattern on the ATP turbo outlet flange was slightly off and I had to grind it to make it fit. Oh well.

Here is the current progress:

I have built the 3" stainless exhaust. It has a Magnaflow straight through muffler and 3" catalytic converter. The downpipe has a 3" flex bellow and has a divorced wastegate tube at the top. I made two custom 90* transitions, 2.25"-2.5" and 2.5"-3". I just calculated what the circumference should be and cut out the difference in a v-shape. Then i squeezed it together in my vice, welded it together and cut the end flat.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1596.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1602.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMG_1603.jpg

I also finished welding up a bunch of small changes on the turbo inlet and outlet, changing their direction, changed the water pump outlet direction.....a buch of small stuff. Including welding the BOV flange to the intercooler end tank due to lack of room by the throttle body.

I am hoping to start the car tomorrow night but may push it back until thursday just to make sure everything is good to go. Check out the other pictures at:

http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff276/kylelind/