Is this a Good Start
 

Well Ive been lurking around the forums and im not quite ready to Turbo yet but I made a list of parts that I would like for you guys to go over and give me any tips on what to keep or get rid of! 1.6l btw

Begi S - Kit
Rx7 460cc injectors
Mishimoto FMIC
Megasquirt PNP V2 I think its called
AEM Boost Gauge and Wideband (if wideband is needed)
Local race shop can supply oil feed lines and turbo lines
Piping ? Any name brands that are good
Downpipe ?
HKS Bov or one similar to that
Happy Meal Clutch
Act Flywheel

Yes I know this is a very pricey turbo build and im sure there are cheaper ways and Id like to see what you guys think of the list so far and add anything that is needed! Thank you

Check out RX8 injectors over the old technology Rx7 injectors.
Check out the Reverant built Mega Squirts.
Yes you need a wideband.

Other then that looks like a decent homebrew plan. I'm a noob myself but from what I've read around you're on the right track.

I've had good results with the light ebay special fly wheel.
downpipe comes with the s kit so cross that off
I also think you can remove items you won't be needing to reduce the kit cost. for example no cross over intake tube if you plan to build your own home brew intercooler kit.

nothing wrong with buying the cx racing intercooler kit if you plan to weld up the pipes (ok besides the cx intercooler weighting a fuck load). Its possible to do it using a billion silicone joiners, but looks ghetto as fuck. Or you could just buy the FM intercooler setup.

I didnt know the S-Kit came with the downpipe. I know i was looking at the starter kit and not the shanghai kit! Ill def look into the rx8 injectors. How about the cx racing kit itself is that an okay to go with since I know it comes with everything with piping and tubing and all that crap but im happy im going in the right direction with the parts list! My price to build the kit would be like 2-2500$ like I said in the Newbie Greet&Meet but im thinking of doing it right the first time. And of course my name gives away what I want to do with the car but I need more seat time with stock power before going turbo! Thanks guys and if anything mind telling me what your setups are so maybe I can do an identical build? Thanks Again

read build threads. see my sig bellow for an example.

cliff notes of many budget kits:
Begi/FM mani and DP with garret or china t25
ebay or plug and play intercooler kit
megasquirt with injectors and wideband

What he said.
A big savings would be FM's DIY kit for $750, then you have $1000 to buy something like a sr20 2554 turbo and rebuild it with a gopopshop.com kit, or some other used Garrett turbo from the classifieds here.

I rebuilt my sr20 turbo for $250 total. That included $75 in machine work to remove a broken stud.

Will Do! Also I feel like this is a stupid question but overall how long would it take to install the whole entire turbo kit, i.e. how long did it take you? I mean it seems preety simple and im ready to take on a challenge for sure!


I just looked up this http://www.cxracing.com/mm5/merchant...Category_Code= and I know I would need a megasquirt, FMIC, piping for the Intercooler. Would I need to make a oil return feed line and all that. I think my best bet is to go look at turbo builds that have pictures of what I need to do and make and buy. I know the minimum of all what needs to be done and also injectors! Like I said im a complete noob at this and itll be my first shot trying it. Also would PVC pipe be the cheap way of making piping because I have a machine shop in school that I might be able to get my teacher to help with some of the stuff haha!

That's an eBay kit, manifold will crack within days.

Alright so a No go on that! Ill be doing some more research tonight and other things to get my knowledge a little better and all!

I'd suggest installing the megasquirt, wide band and injectors first on your stock vehicle and get those components running smoothly for a bit before tackling the turbo install. That way trouble shooting is easier if you run into issues.

If you have a complete kit with everything sorted out it would take a day. If you or pieceing together you own parts to make a kit it will take longer. For example cutting and fitting piping and mounting a universal ebay intercooler kit may take a few hours to a whole day depending on your skills and experience.

My install took longer than expected from missing a small piece or two and needing to order it online and wait for shipping.

Reading between the lines: you have no backup vehicle and the miata is your DD.

This is a terrible idea. Don't do it. If the miata is your only car, drive it stock until you have enough for a reliable backup.

It takes a weekend to get everything installed.

It takes a solid work week (not evenings after work, but 40 actual hours of work) to get it running well enough that you can drive it and not destroy it.

It takes a month of solid commuting/weekend driving to work out the kinks - plan to be towed or have an emergency stop at least twice during this month, maybe more. Most likely it will be during morning rush hour. Most likely it will be in stop and go traffic. With near certainty, it will happen when you are in the middle lane of the freeway.

It takes 3-6 months to feel comfortable with the idea of driving more than an hour or two away from home. During this time, you'll always have a gallon of distilled water, a quart of oil, vice grips, jumper cables, some screwdrivers, and maybe a hammer in the trunk.

After that 6 months, things will continue to go wrong, though at a much slower pace. As an example, about 3 months ago, years after I completed my build, I was driving to work when the fuel line suddenly came loose from the fuel rail. The only tools I needed were an extra pair of eyes (to see where massive amounts of fuel was coming from with the key in the run position) and a flathead screwdriver, neither of which I had available to me.

^^This. If you cannot afford a project car AND a daily driver, then you cannot afford a project car.

Well I have a pick up as my daily driver so I would be okay with doing the build! But I understand what you guys mean in a way. This is for the future im just piecing stuff together and trying to go in the right direction!


Edit: Made another list and I think this one is solid in price range even though its still missing a few things!

Flying Miata DIY Turbo Manifold/outlet/downpipe = 750$
Flying Miata Hard Lines for Water and Oil Lines = 250$
CX Racing 28x5.5x2.5 inch Universal Intercooler + 2" Piping Kit = 203$
Mazda RX8 Yellow Top Injectors = About 100$
Innovate LC-1 Wideband Controller = 200$
T25 http://www.ebay.com/itm/T25-T28-TURB...4e727c&vxp=mtr = 200$
Megasquirt = 800$

All together it would be 2,503$ without shipping costs. Now I was on the flying miata website and they sell a whole kit for about 3k. Is it worth it to piece it out like above or just buy the whole kit for almost the same price. I know power difference will be different if I was to piece it or buy that kit but, I just want to say thank you guys for helping me out so far and giving me advice!

*Full disclosure, I have no firsthand experience, I've just done a lot of reading*

I think the best course of action is--as others have said--get the Megasquirt running, learn how to use it, then worry about the other stuff. This will do several things for you

1. Spread out the cost of the build
2. Limit the number of failure points. You can buy MS units that are plug and play with a base map already set up for you. How can you mess that up?
3. Going along with #2, you can refine the tune on the MS without boost amplifying your potential mistakes.
4. You won't be limited to the configurations of pre-built kits.
5. Once you've got the MS working and know how to use it you'll remove a whole dimension from troubleshooting problems when you install your turbo system.

Like I said I haven't done any of this. However to me it makes sense to move incrementally with something as expensive, complicated, and unfamiliar (to me) as turbocharging and this is the route I will take. Hope that helps.

0. Xidas
1. MS + Wideband O2 sensor
2. 1.8L Engine Swap + clutch
3. Injectors
4. Turbo kit. There should be a new budget 1.8 turbo kit on the market within a few months.


Admin Edit.

I've built a few Honda turbo kits, it's not hard, but it's time consuming so I bought a FM kit for my Miata. You're on the right track. I did a similar path, got the MS and injectors and wideband installed and dialed in. Then I installed an FM kit but supplied my own turbo (rebuilt T25).

You're not spending an extra $500 on the kit really. By the end of the DIY project you'll have spent near that much in supplies (oil fittings and lines, intercooler mounting, vacuum hoses, etc. etc.) and countless extra hours of frustrating fitting, cutting and knuckle busting. The kit is a deal and well designed. You won't regret it.

Trackspeed??

Nope, I said budget turbo setup so not something TSE would make. Details I can give will be based around a t3 chinachager, simple log manifold, 3" downpipe and exhaust. US made hardware, Chinese pricing.

^^ The most solid future proof plan.

1.) Learn to tune!
2.) 1.8 swap + flywheel & clutch (I recently purchased FM lvl 2 supersize clutch Happy Meal with flywheel, once it was broken in I don't think I'm going to need anything else for the life of my car, sweet heavy duty clutch)... Re-tune!
3.) Turbo kit / injectors, Re-Tune again (you're an ace at it by this point hopefully)

Your DIY turbo list is a great start, Personally I'd do a FM or Begi kit with no electronics, no injectors for R&D & overall cost. Get your t25 turbo and ID injectors. Tune away.


The reason I would suggest a pre-made FM/Begi kit at that point is primarily due to no built motor. Those kits will bolt on and give you what you 'crave' for boost, just dont do it to become a street king, do it because you enjoy to drive your boosted reliable car.