Anyone in the Dallas Area Willing to Help Mentor Me
12-03-2011, 02:11 PM
#1
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Anyone in the Dallas Area Willing to Help Mentor Me
Just posted this as a response in another thread, thought i would see if anyone is in the Dallas area that could help someone like me (see below)
I recently bought a FMII turbo with MS...
I am a PCB (printed circuit board) designer by trade, certainly not harder than setting up a FM2 turbo with MS or rebuilding an engine, but i learn best (i am a bit on the autistic side like my fully autistic daughter) by someone taking me thru what i need to know and me writing down notes, then taking those scribble notes and turning them into various step by step procedures for each thing i have to learn.
Thus, the desire to have someone work directly with me telling me all the basics i need to know...if i was wealthy, i would hire a guru turbo/supercharger guy and literally spend weeks with him learning and writing notes.
Gary Schuhart (of Trackdog Racing) has said that he will teach me the very basics on how to properly maintain the car, what to look for, etc.
Until i have that basic knowledge, most of the posts on this particular forum are very confusing for me, and i have spent time reading them and trying to understand them...on miata.net turbo section also...
I have very little time due to driving/working over 60 hours per week, plus being a single dad with two children, one of whom is autistic, so most of my spare learning time at home goes to learning how to heal my daughter...
I have thought of selling the turbo and going NA simply due to wanting to be more simple and at my level of understanding when it comes to cars, plus to save some $$$ to help pay for autism therapies. If i am to keep the turbo, i need to somehow learn the basics i need to know to run a car this intense. Again, the car came already built.
I need a mentor/helper locally more than anything...i could read this forum constantly and still not have a clue about most of what is posted...its not the way i learn for one thing (as i said, i learn by having someone tell me 'You need to know how to do X or Y, you need to check X or Y every week, and here are the steps to do that, and actually in person do those steps', then i write notes while doing the steps and now know how to do that and that i NEED to do that)...
I want my miata to be in top notch condition, and would love to have a turbo or supercharger on it, but without someone willing to work with me in the manner i describe (hopefully Gary will fill that role, however at a cost and not as fully as a local friend would), i am not sure i shouldn't part out the turbo and go more basic with a 130whp type NA setup...
Is there anyone in the Dallas area that would work with me in person to get me understanding all the basics about running an FM2 turbo, what to look for, how to datalog, how to fix various things, etc...that would really help me if i decide to keep the turbo...
Then, at that point, the posts on the forums about turbo'ed cars would undoubtedly make more sense also...
I am a really nice guy (my autistic side keeps me from even understanding dishonesty) and am willing/wanting to learn, but learn best in person and, despite having always loved sports cars since watching my dad flag races in the 60s with Lotus 7s, midgets, formula fords, etc, but no one (starting with my dad) has ever taught me even the basics about how to work on cars, and every time i have tried to learn on my own thru just using books, i have been lost pretty quickly, as i find the books assume you already have a certain level of understanding...
Randy
I recently bought a FMII turbo with MS...
I am a PCB (printed circuit board) designer by trade, certainly not harder than setting up a FM2 turbo with MS or rebuilding an engine, but i learn best (i am a bit on the autistic side like my fully autistic daughter) by someone taking me thru what i need to know and me writing down notes, then taking those scribble notes and turning them into various step by step procedures for each thing i have to learn.
Thus, the desire to have someone work directly with me telling me all the basics i need to know...if i was wealthy, i would hire a guru turbo/supercharger guy and literally spend weeks with him learning and writing notes.
Gary Schuhart (of Trackdog Racing) has said that he will teach me the very basics on how to properly maintain the car, what to look for, etc.
Until i have that basic knowledge, most of the posts on this particular forum are very confusing for me, and i have spent time reading them and trying to understand them...on miata.net turbo section also...
I have very little time due to driving/working over 60 hours per week, plus being a single dad with two children, one of whom is autistic, so most of my spare learning time at home goes to learning how to heal my daughter...
I have thought of selling the turbo and going NA simply due to wanting to be more simple and at my level of understanding when it comes to cars, plus to save some $$$ to help pay for autism therapies. If i am to keep the turbo, i need to somehow learn the basics i need to know to run a car this intense. Again, the car came already built.
I need a mentor/helper locally more than anything...i could read this forum constantly and still not have a clue about most of what is posted...its not the way i learn for one thing (as i said, i learn by having someone tell me 'You need to know how to do X or Y, you need to check X or Y every week, and here are the steps to do that, and actually in person do those steps', then i write notes while doing the steps and now know how to do that and that i NEED to do that)...
I want my miata to be in top notch condition, and would love to have a turbo or supercharger on it, but without someone willing to work with me in the manner i describe (hopefully Gary will fill that role, however at a cost and not as fully as a local friend would), i am not sure i shouldn't part out the turbo and go more basic with a 130whp type NA setup...
Is there anyone in the Dallas area that would work with me in person to get me understanding all the basics about running an FM2 turbo, what to look for, how to datalog, how to fix various things, etc...that would really help me if i decide to keep the turbo...
Then, at that point, the posts on the forums about turbo'ed cars would undoubtedly make more sense also...
I am a really nice guy (my autistic side keeps me from even understanding dishonesty) and am willing/wanting to learn, but learn best in person and, despite having always loved sports cars since watching my dad flag races in the 60s with Lotus 7s, midgets, formula fords, etc, but no one (starting with my dad) has ever taught me even the basics about how to work on cars, and every time i have tried to learn on my own thru just using books, i have been lost pretty quickly, as i find the books assume you already have a certain level of understanding...
Randy
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12-03-2011, 02:31 PM
#2
Tour de Franzia
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This forum will teach you, and you can ask dumb questions, we will flame you and give you hell, but in the end if you tolerate us, you will learn something.
Last edited by hustler; 12-03-2011 at 02:44 PM.
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12-05-2011, 10:40 PM
#5
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Buy this book:
and then buy this book:
They'll teach you both the basics of how a turbo system works, and how to do general maintenance on a Miata. And they're both written by a FM tech. Much learnings can be gained through those two books and searching/reading this forum.
and then buy this book:
They'll teach you both the basics of how a turbo system works, and how to do general maintenance on a Miata. And they're both written by a FM tech. Much learnings can be gained through those two books and searching/reading this forum.
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12-05-2011, 10:50 PM
#6
Buy this book:
and then buy this book:
They'll teach you both the basics of how a turbo system works, and how to do general maintenance on a Miata. And they're both written by a FM tech. Much learnings can be gained through those two books and searching/reading this forum.
and then buy this book:
They'll teach you both the basics of how a turbo system works, and how to do general maintenance on a Miata. And they're both written by a FM tech. Much learnings can be gained through those two books and searching/reading this forum.
I have been building my car for about a year, and just bought these and an fsm.
I wish i would have bought them sooner. They have a ton of info, and give you a starting point on what to search for on this great forum. After reading these, and using the search function there shouldn't be any questions you should be afraid of asking.
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12-06-2011, 10:08 AM
#7
Im not a turbo or miata expert by any means but I am a car guy and experienced mechanic. I live about an hour north of dallas and work pretty long hours myself buy I could probably lend a hand here and there. What part of dallas do you live in?
Last edited by clayton351; 12-06-2011 at 10:21 AM.
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12-06-2011, 11:13 AM
#8
First install the MS and wideband. This is fairly simple following brain's instuctions. T-off the FPR for a vaccum line, hook up wideband with proven grounding points (or just get an AEM). You can teach yourself trying different fuel maps and see how they affect the car. Once you're comfortable with that, and have a good fuel map under 101kpa, you can install the turbo and tune for it.
N/a tuning in Tunerstudios is pretty easy. Autotune will get it close, then you go in after and clean up the sloppy areas by evaluating your datalogs. The base timing map is conservative will work just fine.
Part of keeping a car running properly is being VERY observant. Always know where your gauges are at. Notice the oil or water puddle under your car when you pull away. If it knocks, back off and redo the fueling in that area. Check tire pressures. Double clutch for those cold mornings. Have mechanical empathy.
This is a learning process, you will make mistakes, but you will learn from it and not do it again. This is why these cars are so great, because they are fairly cheap if you really **** something up.
Good Luck. I'm in the Denton area. I am mechanically sound but not as well versed in standalone ECU tuning as a lot of the guys on this forum.
N/a tuning in Tunerstudios is pretty easy. Autotune will get it close, then you go in after and clean up the sloppy areas by evaluating your datalogs. The base timing map is conservative will work just fine.
Part of keeping a car running properly is being VERY observant. Always know where your gauges are at. Notice the oil or water puddle under your car when you pull away. If it knocks, back off and redo the fueling in that area. Check tire pressures. Double clutch for those cold mornings. Have mechanical empathy.
This is a learning process, you will make mistakes, but you will learn from it and not do it again. This is why these cars are so great, because they are fairly cheap if you really **** something up.
Good Luck. I'm in the Denton area. I am mechanically sound but not as well versed in standalone ECU tuning as a lot of the guys on this forum.
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12-06-2011, 11:30 AM
#9
Go to a junkyard with some hand tools and practice taking things apart and putting them back together on random cars, even better if you can do this on a Miata. You won't have the joy of actually getting something running, but it can help to build your confidence with respect to basic tool use, get you used to bloody knuckles, illustrate generally how motors/cars are put together, etc.
Not kidding.
Not kidding.
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12-07-2011, 12:07 PM
#10
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No one is going to hold your hand like your describing. No business owner is going to let you call him 5 times a day 20 times a week with questions if your not buying ****, you will just be wasting time he needs to make a living. Honestly with all that is on your plate you need to sell that turbo off and just enjoy your miata doing basic stuff like oil changes, plugs, wires, fuel filter, foamectemy, new rain rail, suspension, brakes, etc. Spend more time enjoying your daughter.
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12-11-2011, 05:34 PM
#11
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Buy this book:
and then buy this book:
They'll teach you both the basics of how a turbo system works, and how to do general maintenance on a Miata. And they're both written by a FM tech. Much learnings can be gained through those two books and searching/reading this forum.
and then buy this book:
They'll teach you both the basics of how a turbo system works, and how to do general maintenance on a Miata. And they're both written by a FM tech. Much learnings can be gained through those two books and searching/reading this forum.
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12-11-2011, 05:40 PM
#12
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No one is going to hold your hand like your describing. No business owner is going to let you call him 5 times a day 20 times a week with questions if your not buying ****, you will just be wasting time he needs to make a living. Honestly with all that is on your plate you need to sell that turbo off and just enjoy your miata doing basic stuff like oil changes, plugs, wires, fuel filter, foamectemy, new rain rail, suspension, brakes, etc. Spend more time enjoying your daughter.
Randy
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12-11-2011, 06:49 PM
#13
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Location: Arl. Texas
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Generally car parts are like a puzzle, they can only go back together one way. Step out of your comfort zone and try something. Do a belt change, maybe timing belt and water pump. You cant fail if ya don't try. Read, read, read...
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12-12-2011, 12:53 AM
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