Miata Turbo Forum - Boost cars, acquire cats.

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-   Engine Performance (https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-performance-56/)
-   -   Where is my top end power? (https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-performance-56/where-my-top-end-power-60335/)

chicksdigmiatas 09-10-2011 12:51 PM

Really check the hell out of all your couplers, and make sure your cams are lined up correctly. I had a turbo volvo that did about the same thing, and the cam was off. The turbo would glow red as hell and it would boost fine, it was just down on power. Also, I can't tell you how many times I have just quickly eyeballed all of my turbo couplers and they looked fine at first, then I realized I had a split paralell with the edge of the hose clamp.

Savington 09-10-2011 02:52 PM

Check the cam timing.

On second thought, given the track record of members here recently, photograph the cam timing so WE can check it for you. :)

chicksdigmiatas 09-10-2011 05:52 PM


Originally Posted by Savington (Post 769830)
Check the cam timing.

On second thought, given the track record of members here recently, photograph the cam timing so WE can check it for you. :)

Oh yeah, no chitty phone pick either.

AredMiata 09-10-2011 06:07 PM


Originally Posted by Savington (Post 769830)
Check the cam timing.

On second thought, given the track record of members here recently, photograph the cam timing so WE can check it for you. :)

It was an honest mistake, I swear! :rofl:

chicksdigmiatas 09-10-2011 08:40 PM


Originally Posted by AredMiata (Post 769879)
It was an honest mistake, I swear! :rofl:

It's ok, I thought mine was off since I decided not to plug in my coils. Anything can fuck you.

https://www.miataturbo.net/showthrea...+douche+pickle

sixshooter 09-10-2011 09:56 PM

If your cams are advanced it will move your torque and hp peaks toward the lower RPM range. I'm going to start there with all other things being equal.

+1 on wanting to see cam gears pics to verify timing.

Faeflora 09-11-2011 01:00 AM


Originally Posted by Braineack (Post 769734)
what are the final numbers? and what boost level? and how much water?

the only other time ive seen a HP curve like that is with WI


And mine. Which was caused by boost sag. I had a leak at an injector.

nismo502 09-11-2011 09:24 AM

Thanks all. I will get the workshop to check the cam timing again. One of the other variable is my synapse bov. I wonder if it is the culprit.

Laur3ns 09-14-2011 03:32 PM

Is there a cat in the exhaust?

shuiend 09-14-2011 03:43 PM


Originally Posted by AredMiata (Post 769879)
It was an honest mistake, I swear! :rofl:

You are not the only person to have cam timing off. Mine was off on my built motor and it took forever to figure that shit out.

pdexta 09-14-2011 04:13 PM


Originally Posted by nismo502 (Post 770019)
Thanks all. I will get the workshop to check the cam timing again. One of the other variable is my synapse bov. I wonder if it is the culprit.

If the BOV is leaking you would see the problem down low, while the turbo is still building boost. Once you've hit your desired boost level I wouldn't think it would make much difference.

nismo502 09-15-2011 04:24 AM

Updates: We checked the cam settings and timing and it is according to specs. We also checked for clogged exhaust/Cat/flex pipe/resonator and there is nothing wrong with it. I did boost leak check and there a no boost leak.
Giving the benefit of the doubt that the above are not the problem since we went through each item carefully, I will next run the car again on the dyno without water injection.
Will update with my findings.

sixshooter 09-15-2011 09:58 AM

No cam gear pics? :cry:

Braineack 09-15-2011 10:12 AM


Originally Posted by shuiend (Post 771297)
You are not the only person to have cam timing off. Mine was off on my built motor and it took forever to figure that shit out.

Correction: You took forever to fix the issue.

magnamx-5 09-15-2011 01:25 PM

give us the specs on timing water input amount and we can help. Did you check the motor over for a bent rod before you swapped shit out? I know my motor lost alot of power uptop especialy when i had 3 bent rods in it. Lean that damn afr up to 11.5 atleast man 9-1 is not good for making power if i am reading your chart correctly.

nismo502 09-17-2011 03:50 AM

2 Attachment(s)
- Ran compression test today. Seems healthy across cylinder.
- Switched off water injection, slight difference
- retuned adaptronic ECU, made 30bhp more but I am still down by 30 bhp from another car on the same engine, same turbo, same ECU, different exhaust manifold (me flyin miata and him eBay), i have a visually more restrictive downpipe

Here is the result:
(Red after retune, Blue before)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1316245820




(Blue - my current setup, red is the other car on the same setup, pink is before my 1.6-1.8 engine swap)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1316245820

I am going to redo and turbo outlet, run 3" till the end and see if it makes a difference.
Just a note, the car runs perfect, no misfiring and idles perfect

Will update after my next change.

Faeflora 09-17-2011 09:35 AM

dude there are lots of variables that you might be overlooking. things like a messed up compensation factor, humidity, a wacky ems trim etc.

Also, compare your damn timing maps. It may be the same tuner but they may have screwed something up.

It could also be something related to your boost control. One performance tuning aspect that is often overlooked is boost control. Boost control has a HUGE effect on performance. That missing HP could easily be caused by a crappy boost controller or um lazy wastegate or something. Or even a vacuum signal line that is too small.

I appreciate your HP quest, but chasing someone else's dyno graph requires more attention to detail than you are putting in.

nismo502 09-17-2011 10:30 AM

Fair enough. You have a point. But the quest is not about chasing another person's dyne map. It's about missing 30bhp from the same setup. Both cars are based on the same ecu base map with the same compensation, trim etc. Dyno environment is the same because it is on the same dyno with the same load/gear/dyno variable.
Like I mentioned previously, everything about this 2 cars are similar, down to the damn vacuum line and even same brand of boost controller(BLITZ to be exact). The only differences are what I mentioned previously in this thread.
I have gone through every variable suggested by good people here and am will try other means. At this point, the purpose of updating this thread so that others can reuse the experience I went through.

miatauser884 09-17-2011 11:58 AM

I think it looks like a wastegate issue. Are you both pulling your boost control signal from the same location? Before/after the intercooler. Are you pulling your MAP signal from the same point? While on the dyno there was a 1psi difference between where I pull the MAP at the back of the intake manifold, and the front where the tuner pulled it. (could be as simple as different map sensors, but something to think about)

Faeflora 09-17-2011 12:36 PM


Originally Posted by nismo502 (Post 772297)
Fair enough. You have a point. But the quest is not about chasing another person's dyne map. It's about missing 30bhp from the same setup. Both cars are based on the same ecu base map with the same compensation, trim etc. Dyno environment is the same because it is on the same dyno with the same load/gear/dyno variable.
Like I mentioned previously, everything about this 2 cars are similar, down to the damn vacuum line and even same brand of boost controller(BLITZ to be exact). The only differences are what I mentioned previously in this thread.
I have gone through every variable suggested by good people here and am will try other means. At this point, the purpose of updating this thread so that others can reuse the experience I went through.


What about the timing and timing trim maps?


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