FWIW, while I've had many, many issues with my turbo track Miata, the FM hotside hardware hasn't really been among them.

Andrew's stuff is really nice though.

--Ian

Update - I couldn't get stage 8 fasteners in time, but inconel studs on the turbine to DP flange with Nordlocks and Philidas lock nuts (the best recommendation from Owen Developments, the local Garrett distributor) seems to have resolved the issue. Though this is with a couple of caveats.

1. I wasn't looking for the issue before, so maybe took more than a day to develop
2. I never tried more than low boost (~250whp) since I was going to wait to the afternoon for high boost in case of running into issues (that way I'd only lose a few hours of track time, not half the day!) but a rain shower just after lunch removed all grip for the rest of the day so I didn't try more boost.

Though despite this, the seeds of doubt have been planted so maybe I should be planning for a TSE kit in my future....

Does anyone know which MX5 series in the UK is closest in pace to spec miata? I'm trying to work out how hard many people have pushed this kit and comparing back to spec miata lap records seems to be the benchmark. (For reference, the track was Rockingham International Super Sports Car and I was lapping just under 1:35s on 205 Federal RS-R on 8s (and 225 Federal RS-RR on 9s -oddly no faster), ~250whp and ~#2750 weight since I was taking (heavy!) passengers all day)

Are you asking how hard people have pushed TSE kits, or how hard people have pushed FM kits?

I can answer the former pretty definitively - an off-the-shelf TSE kit is the basis for the fastest Time Attack Miata in the world (949Racing's car). Roughly 20 seconds faster than a Spec Miata on a 2-minute course

I've been having these same issues on my FM2 kit at 220hp. Also have lost center section bolts before. 1 weekend at NCM and every bolt was loose down to the down pipe. Including my FM inconels.

Have a TSE inconel set and going to try resbond on everything down to the down pipe this year. Also planning on adding another exhaust hanger. Right now its unsupported to the rear subframe. If I can't get more than 1 weekend still, it's time for the EFR.

No qualm's against FM but if their kit worked really well on track; Andrew from Trackspeed engineering wouldn't have a business model.

Again, the studs & other fasteners on my (resbonded) FM hardware have not been an issue. No loosening despite 300+ rwhp and Laguna Seca lap times a second or more below the Spec Miata record. No, I'm not as fast as Andrew around that track, but that's got more to do with my driving and the suspension that was on the car than anything related to the motor.

AutoFreak57: did you resbond the FM studs?

--Ian

FM doesn't include resbond AFAIK.

I believe that's correct, so it would only be resbonded if AutoFreak57 did it himself.

--Ian

I'm sure the Trackspeed kit is bulletproof, however, my FM manifold/downpipe has been bulletproof for the past 3 years. And yeah, it's been Resbonded.

Mine was no resbond. Main turbo studs won't last a weekend. The downpipe bolts make it 2 with cheap studs.

I'm hoping resbond is the magic glue everyone says it is. Efr is better, but I need good enough for st4 power.

Do you monitor EGTs?

--Ian

No. 14psi, 220whp on a dyno dynamics. Never had issues until I tracked the car (imagine that).

14 psi is plenty of boost to get 1800F+ EGTs if you don't have enough timing. Might be worth adding a sender to monitor it.

--Ian

TSE Inconel has worked well on the manifold for me. Nord-Locks on the downpipe and a good transmission attachment has been critical.

What octane do you run?

--Ian

That's good to hear. Gives me hope in my setup. Can you share a picture of your trans attachment?

Don't have a picture of it handy. It attaches to a factory trans side bracket with a custom made clamp around the pipe about 1.5" wide strip. A U-bolt clamp wont work it will just crush into the pipe. Too high of contact stress when tightened and it will never stay tight. welding a bracket directly to the pipe also won't work it will just rip out the welds. long bolts are your friend factory uses a bolt that's about 4" long connecting the clamp to the transmission bracket try to use something similar.

Side note I use a long runner mild steel schedule 40 weld ell manifold. It's is not near as robust as a cast Iron short manifold like TSE's It needs even more protection from the weight of the exhaust system. It is not without troubles. after some design refinement and reinforcement to the collector portion of it and a good design for a support bracket for the turbine housing It will generally last about a season of track use at best. The mild steel does allot better with thermal expansion than stainless but eventually enough heat cycles will crack it.

Usually 93, if I screw up logistics, 91. Canadian, don't know if that's the same as the states. This is a stock B6 btw.