Useful mods when boosting over 10psi.
 

What mods are recommended at this level of boost to ensure a healthy engine?
I have a 2000 (130k miles) with a FM no electronics kit using an FIC/6 for timing/fuel control and RX8 430 injectors.
I've been running about 8psi, but want to turn it up to around 10psi. I autocross a few times a year, but do not have any plans to track the car.

Upgrade the PCV valve?
Catch can?
Higher PSI radiator cap?
Oil Cooler?
Other ideas?

Thanks for the input fellows.

You'll need a clutch. I found mine slipping at about 10psi.

MS at the minimum.

Engine management would be useful. Clutch would be useful. Reading other 10psi build threads would be quite useful.

FM Level 1 Clutch was done a few weeks ago...Engine management is under control. I'll go check to see if I can see find some threads outlining 10psi goals...

Perfect that clutch will be amazing for you until you get roughly above 20 psi depending on turbo. Band aid engine management (such as the fic6) will work just fine at moderate power levels where you are now. As you up the boost you will find that it will be harder for you to make more power, and become dangerous for your engine without a true ecu controlling all of the engine parameters correctly.

So is this a track car or a car to get you to the store? 10 psi on the track is a lot different than 10psi on a car thats only for the street with the occasional boost.

Nope, no plans to track the car. It is my DD (for going on six years), and I want to enjoy it for a long time. Most autocross courses our club runs are less than 45 seconds. I did a test and tune last week with over 20 runs. Car did just fine at 8psi. I normally do about four autocrosses a year. 10psi is my final goal and I don't know if we're getting close to needing some other supporting mods to make things last.

I'd say everything you have listed there is fine in supporting 10psi. I wouldn't bother with an oil cooler, catch can, etc. For fun you could run a water/meth system.

Dont mean to rob this thread, but I just heard of the AEM F/I/C here and looked it up. Seems like a great value!

I have a 1990 and I am going to turbo it soon, but only looking for modest boost, like 5 psi for now, so I can save for clutch/rear end. Is this a good place to start? My final goals power wise is still modest, probably 8-10 psi. Is this product something that will work now, and then with injectors can turn up the boost later? It's my DD and I hope to autocross a good bit and may try to get to a track eventually.

Thank you!

fic is crap when compared to the modern MS, which can be had for just pennies more

don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

just because it can HANDLE very modest power levels/goals, doesn't mean that it handles them well, and superior systems won't do it better.

You should take care of the clutch/rear end before you put turbo on. Please. And the f/ic is perfectly fine, but for a 1990 miata it's going to be roughly the same cost as a megasquirt standalone. Do the megasquirt.

Aren't you the one who thought that putting a FWD engine in a RWD configuration was dumb?

With mechanical empathy, the rear end can last, and the FIC is significantly cheaper than the MS you want to buy, but it lacks a lot of options so it's worth getting the extra options. That said, the FIC has a lot less to mess with -- it'll be a lot easier to deal with if you don't care for tinkering.

I have no idea what you are talking about, but I definitely don't hold that opinion. I think that converting the miata to fwd would be stupid.

Yea, I figured the rear end would be fine if I'm not drifting and doing stupid stuff in it. I follow the TurboMirage guy, forgot his name on here (Mazda Miata Turbo | Home), and he ran the Greddy kit for a while at 5 psi before doing clutch and rear end and was having a blast with it.

So, for my 1990, can I just buy this main unit (1990 Mazda Miata MX5 AEM F/IC (Fuel Ignition Controller)) for $400 and not have to buy the pnp harness to save on money? Just wire it myself? And, if you know of a cheaper place, or a used one, to get it, please let me know. And you're exactly right! Dont care too much for the tinkering. Just want to set some parameters and just have fun in my car.

I was initially going to go the FMU route for a while, but I figured for $200 more, this may be worth looking into, since I have plans to increase boost months down the road.

Thanks for all the help, guys!

The 1.6 rear end is known to blow up on non-boosted miata's during regular street use. Mine did well before I put a turbo on it, and I was just driving on the street. You mentioned you want to do some autocross and it's your daily driver. You need to upgrade that rear differential if you don't want to be stranded.

Lastly, if you don't want to tinker around too much, stay away from the f/ic (especially if you want to wire it yourself). Wiring it in is a huge undertaking.

Ok, maybe Ill start calling around to some junkyards for a rear end.

What's my best option for fuel, then, just stick with an FMU for now and enjoy 5 psi (ive never had a boosted car and just look forward to having a simple/reliable setup I can enjoy hassle free!)

But, when ready to upgrade to 8-10 psi, i know ill need injectors and pump, but I live in "race city USA" Charlotte area NC. Are these shops not setup to tune turbo miatas? I know you may not be from here, but do local dyno shops not have the ability to tune our cars? I have a friend that's all into 240s and he had a shop do a tune for him for $300. This is the route I would LOVE to take, as in I have no interest in trying to tune the car myself and potentially damaging it.

If you have $400 and don't mind wiring (have more time than money, I know what that's like), then this is what you need.

Listen man, just save up a few bucks and buy a megasquirt system. You don't need a new fuel pump. There's no point in buying a FMU if you are going to up the boost later. You can't put larger injectors in your car without something to control them. So let's say you buy your FMU, lower your base timing the hell down (which you need to do), and run about 5psi. You decide that you want to up the boost, so at this point you now need to take that FMU out, and install a megasquirt or a f/ic. You just wasted your money.

Please listen to Dustinb and Vlad. Buy a megasquirt if you think there's a chance you'll go bigger later. I have read a million build threads and basically everyone who doesn't get MS ends up wishing they had.

Upgradr your diff unless you want to be calling a tow truck shortly.

Man i almost wanna buy the MS board because i want a project to do lol.