Here's What I've Been Up To
 

Other than sorting out the supsension, this is how far I've made it in the past couple weeks. Now I'm about to take a week long break to go to the shore with my girl...... The pics below show a decent summary of my progress.

:Here's what I have to get done:
-Mount and hook up Vortech fuel riser
- Hook up innovate wideband (deleted boost guage off of original, got it done today!)
-Plumb A.F.M. and air filter to turbo inlet
-Heat shield to isolate master cylinder, A.F.M. and filter from the turbo fireball
-A little more heat shielding on the turbo lines
-D.P. back 2.5" exhaust, reemed cat, summit turbo muffler
-Turn signal intakes

-Start the slut, see if she holds 6psi, determine if I have to throw in my 1.8 injectors, click the A.F.M. spring or get an o2 clamp or all of the above.

I was wondering if you guys could help me out with two questions....

1.) My vortech was bought off of a buddy who had it on a supercharged mustang, and then let it sit for a few months before I bought it. Should I worry about cleaning the thing out? If so what is the best way to clean it? Disassemble or just run carb cleaner through it?

2.) Should I do a black mesh grill the main opening in the front bumper and my T.S.I.'s? Anyone have pictures of their grill's???? (Miata grills please!! I don't want to see a close up of Juvenile or Ja Rule!!!)



Catch you guys later! I'm living at work for two days and then heading to the beach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bigtu:

Anthony

I'm diggin the tdr style over the top pipes. I would clean out the vortech just to know that it is clean before I put it on, and I think grills look like asshole.

Yeah, I want to clean it to be safe, but I'm wondering if there is anything touchy to watch out for when dissasembling the vortech.....

I like the over-the-top IC setup. Did you have to lower the radiator at all?

Thanks ATL,
Yeah I definitely had to lower the radiator, about 2.5"
I have a crapload of pictures. Give me your email if you want to check them out....

If it'd been done a month ago, I'd be all over more pictures. I did something similar, but not as elegant ;)

There is certain places mesh belongs, in your grill is not one of them.

That reminds me... gotta redo the porch screen door. Bah.

I'm diggin the over the top IC piping, any chance you can put more pics on what and how you did it? Did you notch the hood too?

As for the Vortech, it probably has a 12:1 disc in it, meaning it's gonna run rich at low boost for you. It's not hard to take apart at all, there's nothing to really mess up. The paperwork that came with mine did say NOT to disassemble the lower part of it (with the fuel barbs), but I took it apart anyway, and it still works. Just be sure that you don't fux the rubber diaphragm and that it properly seals.

Here's my grill <G>

definitely more pictures of the IC pipes. It looks like you notched the front support to make room for the pipes?

Haha.....I guess grilles in the mouth are kind of taboo around here huh? :eek5:

lol....I kinda want to get something in there to protect/hide the i.c. a tad bit....i might just have to make a bar style piece to fit in there..... or try mesh first...

I'm a little more familiar with miata.net and know that they have a pic upload limit. Do we have one over here too? If so...I gotta find a site to host some pics. Got any recs. for a good free spot to do that....cardomain? myspace?.....I dunno :confused:

If I can get a decent spot to host the pics...I will try to get some up between being hungover and drinking while down at the shore. I have a crapload of pics so...



ATLANTA......post some pics of your over the tops if you get a chance...i'm curious to see your setup

I've been using a free photobucket account for about 3 years and have been happy with it.

+1 for photobucket.

Don't grills tend to cause overheating as well. The faster you go the more and more grills act like a solid wall. If you want stealth, then lightly paint the IC flat black, it's been documented on here. Otherwise your IC and radiator will not operate as well as they should.

not a big fan of grills...but flat black paint is #1 in the sleeper world...im digging the pipes two...:)...i just finished my diy turbo on my 1.8 na, running the same vortec fmu too...i definitely need to get an o2 clamp though!!!

You're absolutely right. The tighter the mesh, the more pronounced the wall effect.

s10383: I just got the car boosting last night/this morning, so I'll get some pictures of my over-the-top setup posted on the forum somewhere soon.

Hmmmm :cool: .........that's a good point about meshy crap acting like a wall at speed. Never took that into account. I guess the mouth will stay open, but I'm still no too crazy about leaving the TSI's wide open...guess I'll just have to see how it looks.
I will definitely get some pics up on photobucket within the next few days....

If you are worried about it getting beat up you could make something like what racing beat designed for the 06-07.

http://www.racingbeat.com/conMX5/Screen.gif


Pegasus sells SS wire mesh...

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/gro...GroupID=SCREEN

If racers are buying it from Pegasus then I am sure it doesn't affect cooling to much. I would think the coarse mesh would block a lot of rocks but still allow flow.

Over the top intercooler pipes- yay
Tiny postage stamp IC- nay

It's all about total surface area my friend. The core is about 11"x10" and 6" deep. "10x6" = 60 sq in for each layer and there are about 10 layers in it.
So we got 600sq in. with each layer having 2 sides to the atmosphere so that would be 1200sq in. Go check up in braineack's faq which outlines surface area for I.C.'s and see where 1200 sq in is going to get me. Big I.C.'s look cool and thats about it. They're also nice for blocking a shitload of air from the radiator.

its more about internal volume....

I figured it was 2.5" thick, not 6", it should suffice without problems. :gay:

Sorry I thought it was the MSM IC. Most intercoolers arent 6 inches deep.

Is there some deminishing returns as you trade width for depth?

less frontal surface area, the internal airflow closer to the front will be cooled slightly better than the airflow closer to the radiator. Can it be calulated? I dunno.

That's what I was thinking. Even if it's too complex to calculate it might be measurable though.

but i forgot to say, a thicker intercooler will be more efficient.

Then why don't we see 4" by 4" cores 12" deep? It is just packaging?

I use flat black mesh in my front and rear bumpers. I don't really care what others think since I also have a body kit which is pretty taboo to most of the Miata world. Before I put the mesh in you could see right under the car since I am sure my bumper has a bigger grill area than an OEM one and it was just this big obnoxious hole and it bugged me so I fixed it. There is no way no how that mesh restricts airflow it like 1/4" holes or something not window screen.

inefficient. the only amount of air that can pass through it is that 4x4" sqaure, by the time the air passes through, it'll probably be as heated as the charge.

the greater the frontal area, the greater the amount of ambient air that goes through the core, the great the air through the core, the greater the cooling capability.

so while added thickness will increase efficiency, the gains become less and less. the 2nd half of the intercooler is doing less and less work. and then the thicker the core, the more difficult it is for air to pass through; drag coefficient.


everything about picking an intercooler is a compromise.

READ HIS LAST LINE!!!!! Replace picking an intercooler with 'everything about working on your car' hehehe :vash: choices! choices! there are toooooo many :cool:


Beerslurpy....!no problem man!...NO OFFENSE TAKEN

Less BS more pictures please. :)

Don't stop talking now....

I'm going to need everyones' help when I get this thing running.


HERE'S SOME PICS ON PHOTOBUCKET UNDER S.N. S10383

http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z126/s10383/

thanks for the additional pictures. Your approach to notching the cross member is different from others that I've seen.

Could you describe how you moved the radiator down?

On lowering the radiator: Pretty much everything I did is in the pics...

-Cut hooks off stock lower mounts. Weld slotted extension plates on lower mounts, weld nut onto hooks. Bolt hooks to the slotted extension plates.
-Make plates that mount to stock upper radiator mounts. Drill hole on these plates about 3.5" lower than stock mounting height. Through bolt the radiator to the top mount plates.
-Slide hooks to where needed to match up with the stock lower holes on the radiator. Slide stock lower pins through the holes on the radiator. Viola!
- Notch upper radiator support cross piece. Weld in half of 2.5" exhaust pipe. Paint to match original body color.
-Remove radiator tubing on driver side from rail for lower water hose. Replace with 22" 1.25" I.D. flex hose. 22" rather than 20" is needed since the radiator is lowered.

The front mount I.C. and hard mount devil horns were all then built around this foundation.


ANYWAY:
The thing is all buttoned up. PICS ARE ON THEIR WAY... All I have left to do is flush the entire cooling system and turbo, drain and put new oil in,and recharge battery before I can start it up.

I have the greddy B.O.V. and recirc. tubing mounted but capped off to avoid vacuum leaks due to misadjustment for the first startup.

It's going to be about a week till I can get the time to flush it because I have to regrout my bathroom :vash:

Please check out my pics that will be posted up tomorrow.... let me know if you guys see anything I'm missing and lend any suggestions you have.

Anthony

Over the top is genius, I wish it was simpler to do though, I couldn't do it because it would just be to complicated.

what about motor flex? the devil horns are mounted to the frame then from there straight to the throttle body right? will the silicone connectors flex enough?

I'm hoping they'll flex enough the way it is, but i'm anticipating having to put hump connectors in at each joint........

Engine bay is done (other than remounting my washer reservoir and putting on hump couplers when the straights pop off:ugh2:)

Now I just have to get some stuff done around the house and then i'll have the time to flush everything and get it started for the first time in 1.5months :bigtu:

http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z126/s10383/

It runs!!!!!! Started it up last night, July 20. For the first time in 2 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With the vortech 12:1 disc, it's pig rich up on the top end. I'm waiting on the exhaust clamp that bolts the dp to the bellhousing, and have to bleed my brakes real good. Until then I can't romp on it at all. Then it's off to the dyno!!


Anyone have any discs for a vortech for sale???

Nice work s10383 - definitely did it your way. :bigtu:

All I can say is I like it...

thanks! just uploaded some semi-final pics from today. still have to do some nice heatshielding, get ss lines for the water lines, and do a vent on the hood above the turbo.


http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z126/s10383/

DSM intercooler?

I love the fmoc Ofront mount oil cooler) oh wait... thats an intercooler =) I like it. It's "cute"

lol yep the oversized oil cooler is actually and intercooler (dsm with different tubes welded on).

12"x12"x5.5" do the surface area calcs in the braineack faq and see where that will get ya. i don't like blocking off all the airflow to the radiator with a huge i.c. it kind of ruins the point of lowering intake air temps when you can't keep the coolant from overheating :nono: