I just installed my shanghi s kit in my 2000 2 days ago. i am still sorting out a few issues and one of them is that the SGDP has about 1/4 inch of clearance from the steering shaft. It also was pushing the cat up against the heat shield under the drivers seat. Has this happened to anyone else? Is there a way to attach the downpipe to the bellhousing, like the stock exhaust? Is there some other way to fix this?

 

Sounds like you did not tighten the turbo and mani in the correct order. There is actually a particular method to tightening the pieces to keep the cat from hitting the bottom of the car.

From the BEGi manual:

"Now, tightening fasteners MUST be done in the following sequence. If the
sequence is not followed, the convertor will wind up touching the bottom
of the car resulting in BBQ’d feet. Refer to picture # 24, 25 & 23.
1. Turbo to Downpipe
2. Downpipe to the Catalytic Convertor
3. Turbo to Manifold"

Good luck and cheers!
Matt

 

What I did with mine when the DP kept rattling against the bellhousing: (this is on a Greddy, but the principle should be the same)

Loosen (but don't remove) turbo - dp nuts
wedge screwdriver or similar between offending car part and dp
re-tighten dp nuts
remove wedge

 

Prospero- i did install it exactly how it was recommended by BEGI.
Kotomile- i think that that will work for the steering shaft clearance. that still leaves the issue with the cat now hitting the bottom of the car.

Do you think that i might have adjusted the two pieces of the downpipe too close together, and this decreased length is causing the exhaust to ride too high?

 

You may have to take some of the distance back out of the joint on the downpipe...


I had this problem the first time or two that I put the system on... it takes a little massaging to get it right; but just loosen the DP where the joint is (the one with the long bolt) and the connection to the cat. Try to get it all aligned and then snug it up.

Good luck and best regards,
M@

 

thanks i will work on that slip joint a bit. i have a feeling though that i am going to need to make some sort of bracket to get this thing exact though.

 

Hmm, I doubt that you will need anything more than what came out of the box.

I had the same issue and it went away completely once I got it all in place.

Good luck and cheers,
M@

 

have you driven it yet? gotten it into boost?

its unrelated to the DP clearance, but Im just curious...

 

Who do you mean?

 

yes i have driven it a bit. I am also having an overboost issue. I have the actuator rod adjusted completely out and i have seen 10+psi and immediately let off the throttle. Not good for a non-intercooled system! so i am working hard on getting an intercooler, so that i can actually run these pressures. Can't really comment on spool, since i am too cautious to actually floor it under these conditions.

 

yah, I have the same kit on my 99, with the seperated gas downpipe, and I have epic boost creep, it quickly exceeds 10 psi, ive had it to nearly 15 with the wastegate all the way out and it showed no signs of stopping. It appears the only fix for it is a spacer between the turbo and downpipe flange.

BUT, I have not bothered getting such a spacer from BEGi yet because it appears that it is physically impossible to move the DP back any further, even after cutting into the shelf half an inch.
So Im kind of at a loss at the moment...

 

so is BEGi just not backing up their product? This is not good. Do you think that i different wastgate actuator would remedy this issue? Porting the wastgate?

 

lengthen the wastegate rod.

 

My wastergate rod is completely disconnected and the boost still builds too high.
I initially thought it was the wastegate, so I shoveled out 130 bucks for a garrett wategate and bracket and it didnt help at all.
The problem is that the flapper door cannot open all the way, it hits the inside of the flange and kind of blocks the vent tube. The thick steel spacer seems to fix it nicely because it allows for the wastegate to open all the way and gives room for the gas to flow.
Im thinking that maybe a thin spacer/gasket could be used combined with porting to fix the problem, but Im certain that there is no room for a thick steel spacer.

Ive been so busy I havent had a chance to talk to BEGi, Theyre usually pretty good about support.

Im also considering either making a new downpipe or modifying the BEGI DP. Im thinking that I could make it so the separate tube coming from the wastegate does not recirculate into the main downpipe, and instead just have it dump under the car, it should help it vent a lot better.

 

That'll make it worse, creating less back-pressure behind the turbine and making it easier to spin.

 

No, The outlet from the turbine would still run through my full exhaust system. Im talking about dumping the wastegate vent tube. So only the outlet of the wastegate is venting to atmospheric.

Kind of like this, but with an internal wastegate. All the turbo hondas Ive ever worked on had this setup, and Ive never ever seen boost creep issues.

 

yes that'll make the turbine that much more efficient, when the wastegate opens there's no added turbulence behind, so the turbine can still flow like crazy. that's why the divorced setup causes the creep in the first place. the design is so efficent that it promotes too much floooooow.


now if we could get that manifold made for a miata....

 

just whoring through.

 

i just talked with BEGi, and they are sending me a 1/4" spacer. The wastegate currently only opens about 35* when it hits the downpipe. They said that i should see 45*-50* of rotation with this spacer in.

i will let you know how that works out when i receive it.

 

I had the same problem with my S kit when it came in... I just bought an intercooler and called it a day.

Seems that BEGi always had an issue (if this can be called a problem) with boost creep on the low pressure systems. The WG just did not open all the way and BEGi actually offered to port the turbos for those having the issue.

Anyhow, it may be best just to roll with an IC and enjoy the boost

Cheers,
M@