Total Friggen Noob
 

My name is Matt, just picked up a 1994 R package with 160k on the clock. Car is super clean, great shape, mechanically sound, and at 3k I think I got a pretty good deal. Picked up a hard top for it as well, since I'm really not a vert guy.

http://turboninjas.com/gallery/d/518...129_171338.jpg

I am however a car guy. Just sold my mildly modded 04 STi, which was preceded by a 03 350z (boring), a 92 SC400 (I got too busy to complete the 1j swap), a 93 5.0 notch, a modded 02 WRX, and a 68 Camaro. (and a few boring things too). I have a 99 XJ (jeep cherokee) for a beater/hauler/tool-around car.

I'm not much of a fabricator, and only a decent wrench, but I have close friends who are amazing tuners, fabricators, and wrenches. I have access to damned near every tool under the sun, and for the light work I can use my area, for heavier stuff I can impose. If I can figure out some stuff I can't live without, and others share the need I may be able to get some stuff made through a friends cnc shop. It may sound like I impose, but I have other skills that can help them, I'm all about win-win.

That said, thus for I think I'll be going DIY, megasquirt, moderately sized turbo. I figure something in the low 200hp range will keep my plenty happy. I'm never going to be the fastest among my friends, so I just want to have fun.

Finally wound up registering after lurking, since not being able to use the search got the best of me. So I'll likely be keeping my mouth shut until I get a better idea of what I need. Living in Albuquerque, at a mile high I figured boost is a must.

Made a little blog about getting the car, which I deemed the found money miata... since my goal was to buy the car purely from selling stuff I had around. Almost worked, 2/3rd found money. If you care to read: http://foundmoneymiata.blogspot.com

Thanks for having a great rescource.

sup bro

Solid first post. Knowing what you don't know is the key, if you know what I mean.

nada dawg...

Thanks. I've had enough turbo cars, and been around enough seriously gonzo turbo cars to know better than 'zomg i want psi'z at 800hp". So yeah, I know cfm, I know lag, I know fuel, I know engine management on a broad scope... I also know where my budget is, and where it's not.

Megasquirt is awesome, and I have a lot to learn about tuning miatas, and I have a lot to learn about how much a 1.8L can take at various levels of build. That sort of stuff only comes from experience, and I'm damned short on that with Miatas.

Thanks for the warm welcome(z)

Check out all the stickies in all the different sections. They will give you a lot of information that you understand you need to learn. Also whenever you have a question, search before asking. If you follow those 2 rules you will get along fine here.

Nice looking car, welcome to the site.

Thanks guys.

I've been on a few forums for an absurd amount of time (9.8 years on nasioc), and as I said the reason I registered was more so I could search than anything, but figured an intro wouldn't hurt. Some things are tricky to search for; searching for 1.8L is going to get me a lot of results that won't be pertainent.... but I'll do my best to avoid the dumbass questions.

...in poking around I've seen the results of ignorant posts, poor grammar, and dumb questions... I'm diggin the hornets nest approach here, lulz.

Glad to see you made it over here. Welcome and good luck.

Thanks Ben. Came on your suggestion.

Welcome to the board. Shoot for 220-250 horsepower. It's sweet.

We need to change that. Take your whole car apart and lose interest like I do.

That was the lexus.
I had the 1j, trans, intercooler, gauge cluster, fuel pump, everything but drive shaft and 1 or two little things... never got it done. Sauce.

I hate to admit it, but I'm failing at searching, finding nothing on 1.8 specific issues.. Think I've gone through all the stickies.

Fortunately I'm slightly smarter than I look. Since the vb software wont allow for such a short search term as 1.8 or 1.8L, I turned to the trusty googles.
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...ba8ac501c942d5
This will get mentions of 1.8 on the forum. Huzzah!

I had heard before about the 1.6 taking boost far better than the 1.8, then I had heard it makes little difference, so I didn't know the straight dope. Still not 100% of the answer, but it seems both can certainly be boosted.

Others may have more info, but in all my time hanging out here, I've heard no solid evidence that the 1.8 is in any way "weaker" or less suited to boost. Both are well suited to boost, but of course the 1.8 pushes more air so it will spool a given turbo faster (or, spool a larger turbo at the same rate the 1.6 will spool a smaller turbo).

Now, if you're buying used parts, I'd say it's easier to find deals on 1.6 turbo stuff -- older kits, lots of folks moving to 1.8s and selling off parts, etc. But if you have a choice, 1.8 all the way.

If you're looking for an NA, 1994 seems to be the golden year. You get the 1.8, the larger brakes, bigger rear end, and extra chassis braces, but you avoid the introduction of OBDII in 1995.

^ OBDII came in 1996. It doesn't matter if your 95 came with it. Federal testing doesn't kick in till 96. All 95s get the sniffer test.

And welcome Matt!

1.8 all the way. Your bottom end with a 99+ head and intake is what I'd do in your case.

I just have a ton of 1.6 stuff so it makes sense in my case.

Thanks Adam & Ben.

mgeoffriau, makes total sense. In reading more I think part of the rationale used was regarding the 1.6 in the 323 gtx. Happy to know this is a wives tale, and I certainly get there is no replacement for displacement.

Coming from the STi, and all the tuning available for it, I don't see ODBII as an issue from experience. Here if there is no CE, and the computer is saying things are a-ok it'll pass emissions. Do people make a secondary map on the MS for snif tests? Or genuinely tune to pass.

With my Link, I just leaned master fuel out a bit. I passed the sniffer test with flying colors, by nearly half the allowed amount. I also swapped my stock cat back in for the test. No other changes.

I don't really speak megasquirt, but I assume it would be pretty easy to make an emissions-passing map. If your daily map is up to snuff it should require minimal changes.

The difference is with the subarus it's much easier to flash new code into the factory ecu. Not the case with the OBD2 miata.

With MS you could have as many maps as you want they are easy to change. Though I tune for both emissions and power at the same time. Because the cells they test that effect emissions have no change in the cells that you use when you actually drive and want to make power. I did need to use the high rez code to pass with my 550s.


The test we have is basically a sniff test at idle, and another unloaded sniff at 2500 rpm.

Solid. The read-mes on fuel pressure, injectors, and damned near everything else seem straight forward. After wheels and roll bar I'll start collecting parts. Tuning at atitude might be rough, especially getting a base map.

what are you putting down ben & adam? any other local turbo miatas?

Oh... and one more rule, "Thin skin? Don't join in..." - This place can be as friendly as a pack of rabid, starving jackals...

Welcome to the mix.

- L

I've noticed. Trying not to be a re-re.. it can be an uphill battle sometimes.

Thanks for the lukewarm welcome :)

Tuning is the same as it is at sea level. As Joe Perez often likes to point out. You need to stop thinking of in boost and out of boost, 15psi vs 10psi. You need to think in terms of kpa and a gradual scale like so.

http://www.boostedmiata.com/timing/aug-2008-fuel.jpg

Our atmosphere is at about 85kpa instead of 100 which would be sea level. Below is vaccume, above is positive pressure. But your fuel and timing maps are not concerned with that. They simply want enough fuel and spark for each cell of kpa vs rpm to give you the afr you want and not knock. Granted my idle and emissions cells are tuned for emissions but you don't actually drive in those cells anyway. Spend some time in the ecu and engine performance sections here. Read up on the tuning for MBT thread, and the various fuel and spark threads in the ecu forum. Look at the maps people made and why.

You don't really need to mess with fuel pressure if you go MS, just swap injectors and retune. I'd give you my map but my timing would be dangerous. But the PnP basemap is generally safe. I'll help tune if you want, when you're ready. It's generally better to get the ecu before the turbo so you're familiar with how to tune it, and it's safer.

I hate quoting power numbers, I can tell you Adam and me are roughly the same, at least in torque. I haven't been on any rollers, I tune on the street and track. I have no problem pulling evos, GTOs, and 370z's on the highway. FWIW my boost cutoff is right at 210kpa, my wastegate is just under. There are a few other turbo miatas, Sam Sharp, Poi, there's a kid in Rio Rancho with a white one, and there was Skyler from Los Lunas that was in the 10's. Fireindc is shivering up in Taos.

If you can't tell I really want some more fast miatas at the track so I have reason to push the envelope. Soren is taking too long with building the EP car.

Does Skyler still have his? That guy goes through projects like no tomorrow. Was his built? The name Poi sounds familiar, as does Sam. Can't put faces with the names.

Point taken on tuning in absolutes, I have little tuning experience, last time was messing with a u-tek on my wrx, which was ages ago. I recall a lot of that being throttle position, and a very low resolution map. MS seems awesome from what I've read. My buddy Jerry offered to build me a MS, he's made a few before.

How's the social aspect, I know Skyler is far from a social guy, anyone wanna meet up for lunch? Josh Coleman told me he was planning on getting together with Adam, and I was going to tag along for that.

That was years ago Skyler had his, but he sold most of the parts to a friend that still runs around town.

The miata has a binary tps which makes throttle position tuning pointless unless you swap a different sensor over. Jerry is a good guy.

No organized meets or anything aside from the local miata club, they drive around and eat.

I'm usually at the track. There is a track crew, but not really a turbo miata track crew yet. Adam needs to get new wheels and come out more. XD

I could only imagine the photos those two would come up with.

Adam DOES need new wheels. Or rather, more wheels.

Now that it's getting nice out, who wants to meet up one of these days?

Welcome to the forum man!

Thanks :)

Side note, also on the blog, I'm a re-re and put a few little dings in the front arches pulling/rolling fenders. Makes me sad since the car is/was so pristine.

Starting to make a shopping list for turbo stuff, I have a lot of reading to do. Buddy of mine has a MS daughterboard with my name on it.

Welcome! Great first post. Sounds like your off to a good start. You have a game plan, prior experience, a desire to learn, proper punctuation and grammatical usage. You even posted pics. I'm so turned on right now.:giggle:

There is a wellspring of info on the turbo Miata subject, you should be able to find everything you need to get where you're going. There's some really in depth info as well. Along with some fairly large brain pans. Everybody here is willing to help someone who helps themselves. You will have no problem reaching your goals.

Hope you enjoy your stay.:bigtu: