Modifications to Tatjana

		Flyin' Miata Turbo System The Decision I decided over the winter that I really wanted to go FI. Most of my decision was actually based on the geek factor: I wanted to do the install, play with it, and tinker with the car. Of course I wanted the power, but I happily was revving the snot out of Tatjana when she was NA. A miata in a good state of tune does not NEED more power. To paraphrase Bwob, 'If you can't go fast with 90 HP, 900 won't do you any good'. We as car nuts simply WANT more power. Only when merging on the highway and such did I really lust for some more go juice. I began with research...and continue it today. I had always followed power threads, and had a good understanding of what was out there, but I wanted to have a complete understanding of all kits before plopping several large down on some toys. I can't stress this enough: reading the forums, subscribing to MiataPower, and reading the MiataPower.net archives should be done by anyone who is serious about FI. Here is my opinion on the the options for most miatae: Jackson/Sebring SC The Eaton M45 SC is a good, solid 6-8 PSI kit that will make any miata faster and increase the fun factor. I would have gone this route had I found a used one, as I have a personal opinion (read: distaste) for JR, and would not buy one new to pad their, nor other pockets any further then I had to. Additionally, I would want to add better fuel/ignition management to the kit, so the base kit would not satisfy me. Add up the costs, and you are close to a FM kit for what I wanted. Greddy Turbo Due mostly to Nate's creation of his page and associated FAQs, I was pretty set on going this route. The Greddy kit is a great tinkering kit, and group buys get you the basics for 1100-1300 USD. Knowing that you still need knock and other toys on top of that, I had already decided I wanted the FM ECU and such. So, going this route can save you $1000 or more over a full FM II kit. I liked that idea. What stopped me? I got lucky and saw an add for a used FM II kit with custom intercooler as detailed in next section. FM II Turbo The best FI kit out there IMHO for a complete solution that requires the least amount of tinkering, etc while still capable of achieving some serious power! A new trend is to source many of the components from AVO in Australia due to the strong US Dollar. This is a good solution for those who are VERY good with tinkering as the kit can not really compare to the FM kit on fit, finish, and the quality of the Link ECU software that only FM provides (Ray's work). From what I have read, the AVO is easier to fit on a 1.8 then a 1.6, unless you do not have power steering. For cars that do (most), the AVO requires some work to fit with power steering on a 1.6. Sure, saving 20% over the cost of an FM kit sounds great. But consider the extra time and effort needed to make the AVO kit work. Attempt to put a dollar figure on the first class support that Bill, Ken, Keith and company provide at FM via phone, email, or carrier pigeon if you are so inclined. For most, the value is still in the overall FM kit. Here's a glimpse of the magical little devil. It still amazes me that such a little wheel can more then double Tatjana's wheel HP and torque! My Kit In a nutshell, Tatjana is equipped with a FM II system. I was fortunate enough to buy my system used from a lad going back to NA for his own, twisted reasons :) He assembled the kit from various Miata Powerlist folks who had extra parts, and filled in the gaps with new/used as needed. The basic kit arrived as: Garrett T25/28 Turbo FM 'dustpan' style intake (new kits all use the FM III style intake) MK2 Link 1.6 ECU with knock sensor and boost controller DSM 450cc injectors with FM resistor balast Starion Intercooler Standard and custom IC piping from FM and Corky at BEGI Greddy Type S Blow-off Valve Autometer Gauges The basic system is the same: an ECU, Turbo, Intercooled package capable of 12-15 PSI if one desires. Some cost savings over a full FM kit were in using the DSM injectors over RC injectors, and a used IC over the standard BEGI fabricated one. Upgrades over the base kit included a better BOV and more gauges over the standard FM kit. This kit worked fine once I had the ECU repaired by FM after discovering a loose voltage regulator. If your Link sporadiacally cuts out, and does not boot properly (keypad is lit, but without any characters or display) check the solder on the voltage regulator). I have added a few new components over this system for various reasons (discussed below in other sections). Some of these are now standard in the FM kit, others just optional. Installation Notes I did the entire installation on my own in several sections, with some tool/muscle assistance from some friends of mine. I did not photograph the install (digital camera not available at the time), plus Gary (Hakuna Miata) has already done an excellent job of that, so reference his page for the details. Here are some tips on how I did my install, that may be of use: Read, read, and read. I spent several months researching and reading before doing anything. The turbo parts sat in my living room for over a month. Patience is very handy :) For the FM II, do the electronics ahead of time. Specifically, I installed the Bosche 4 wire O2 Sensor, and the Link ECU with MAP sensor. This allows you to get familiar with the Link, auto-tuning, etc...without having to worry about boost variables. Running the Link in NA is also fun, especially removing the MAF and running strong to redline! People in the past have bitched loudly about FM Turbo wait times (something that is rapidly decreasing to just a few days). I think its a blessing: you order the kit, get the Link and Injectors first (usually in stock) and install and tune NA before the turbo actually arrives. After installing the ECU, install the injectors. If you are feeling good, you can do this in one step along with the ECU, but I like breaking the tasks up and focusing on only one or two changes per install. You can run with large injectors NA without a problem on the Link...just reload with the large injector defaults and re-tune. Double your install time estimates: s%$ happens, and it will happen. In my case, the one bolt on the stock downpipe that connects to a bracket on the tranny was rusted badly, and not a happy camper. Took several hours of banging to get it to snap off (its not needed with the FM downpipe), so I happily discarded its deformed carcas. Download and evaluate the Miata Link Lab software if you have laptop access. I highly recommend at least using the Serial Link to do some data logs and such as its very useful in tuning and tinkering if you want. Try to get rides on other Turbo cars. This will help when choosing items like exhausts (noise) and clutches (feel, engagement), and blow off valves (sound). There are sevaral options for these items on the market, each with different characteristics The Miata Power list is a wonderful collection of knowledge and experience. Use the search engine and you probably will get a lot of posts about basic installation questions. Then, post to get additional answers as required Don't shoe string your budget. Have money in savings just in case something wierd happens. Unless you have another car available, its wise to be prepared for something goofy. Just like bringing an umbrella with you often makes it not rain, yet when you don't have it you take an unplanned shower Upgrades* Blow Off Valves Greddy Type S My kit came with a Greddy Type S Valve welded to a flange on the intake side of the engine. This is a common aftermarket upgrade for many OEM turbo applications such as the DSM coupes. The Type S is a good BOV, and held boost fine, however I think it was made for higher boost systems, and suffers from a bit of compressor noise on Miatae. Some have been able to tune it out with using the second (undocumented, AFAIK) vacuum input, while others played with the spring tension. I was never able to get either to work sufficiently to my taste. Additionally, when vented to atmosphere, the sucker is loud. Great for that rally car feel that some want. Not so great for stealth. Knowing some folks like this BOV, I sold it for a song to simply 'downgrade' to a normal Mitsubishi plastic BOV that is known to be more quiet. DSM 3000GT/Stealth BOV (Used with FM Kits) This BOV gets a bad rap about its plastic, and that its not the BOV to use for very high boost apps for some. It is also inexpensive, works fine with newer 'throttle body' IC plumbing, and quite a bit quieter then many other BOVs on the market. I am quite pleased with the sound. You still get a bit of audible whoosh venting to atmosphere, but its very livable IMHO. One day, I would not mind venting it back into my intake track for even less noise. Sounds like a good winter project. Then again....a little woosh may tell the Civic Si driver to just leave it alone :) Tuning This is where the power of the miata community comes into play. For geeks like myself, tuning is a never ending process of tinkering. Let me be clear: the FM kit on my miata has been very trouble free and low maintenance. choose to tinker with the ECU. Fortunately, there are areas of expertise to help this process: Miata power mailing list Miata power forum Miata Link Lab software (from Glenn, sold by FM) The Boys and Girls of FM themselves Recently, Bill and company did a lot of wideband O2 sensor tuning with 1.6 and 1.8 cars on their dyno. This provided a very good set of fuel maps to use for tuning, so much that you may be able to just use the fuel maps in the boost rows and not auto tune. This makes it a lot easier to tune 12 PSI :) 6 PSI Operation I am a bit conservitive with respect to boost. I was not eager to roll out with 12 PSI....6 would be just fine to get used to the car, tune, and lower the risk of anything bad happening in case I had tuning issues (I don't consider the FM kits a very high risk FI system to begin with when tuned correctly, but with any modification like this, you run the risk of loosing some rather big items such as a rod, a tranny, or differential). Not to mention I still have my stock clutch in, which will not hold more then 6 PSI. Tuning for 6 PSI is fairly easy on the street as you can fine tune with the link on the highway with the help of a friend. It is hard to find the space (and nerve) to run up to redline in 4th to accurately fine tune those zones. The BEST way to tune would be with a dyno that can create a load, such as a Mustang dyno. If not available, a Dynojet and wideband O2 sensor would work much better then running it to 110 on the highway. With my 1.6 stock clutch, I ran on the edge of my clutch being happy (if the clutch got warm, it would slip in high gears at peak torque, 4-5000 RPMS). The car is a blast...and I could be happy forever. However, I know 10-12 PSI is there...20-40 more HP, just waiting for me....Boxters and ZZZ's that could really see my tail lights when I wanted it. All at the touch of the button. Once the Max-5 clutch was in, it was time to play. Here is a MLL dyno plot run with the FM wideband defaults. The run was done at 140 kPa, temp in the 50's. Ignition was advanced 1 degree over FM defaults with no knock. Peaks were 168 HP @ 6600, 149 lb-ft @ 5100 8 PSI Operation Definately a sweet spot on Tatjana. With the Link, 8 PSI is right at the tip of the zone 4 fuel and timing zones that were tuned for 6 PSI. Once the MAX-5 clutch was in, it was a simple matter of changing 2 settings on the Link and 8 PSI was there. Normally, I would have stopped here. Why you ask? Tuning above 8 PSI requires tuning zone 5, which I would rather not try to do on the street. Repeated 4th gear redline runs would likely get me a few speading tickets, plus the narrow band O2 sensor is just not helpful once hot. However, with FM's wideband defaults, I have a much better base to start with. Here is a MLL dyno plot run with the FM wideband defaults. The run was done at 154 kPa, temp in the 60's. Ignition was advanced 1 degree over FM defaults with no knock. Peaks were 180 HP @ 6600, 158 lb-ft @ 5600. 10 PSI (aka: OK, this is good) Lets turn it up a notch. This is where I feel its conservative enough to consistently run the 1.6 in a well tuned state. The rear end should be fine (provided the standard empathy) and the fuel rail is about at the limit of what it can do without causing some lean conditions in the #4 cylinder. If you race, or want to run higher boost, a fuel rail such as Jim B's, or Vishnu's would be a good investment. I really like 10 PSI...just that extra oomph during WOT runs over 8 PSI. I generally drive with a fairly light foot, and boost never goes over 6 PSI unless I am really on it. For the winter, I will turn it back down to 6-8 PSI, to help with rear traction in the dry which will be more of an issue when shod with Michelin Artic Alpines instead of the summer Toyo's. 12 PSI (aka HOLD ON!!!!) With the wideband tuned fuel zones available, I have begun to tune for 12 PSI as another educational experience. Remember that I do not really want to run 12 PSI every day in an effor to up the chances of the 6" 1.6 rear end surviving for a while. 8 PSI is plenty fast enough for me....12 PSI is only nice for those run-ins with Boxters and M Roadsters.

Flyin' Miata Turbo System

The Decision

I decided over the winter that I really wanted to go FI. Most of my decision was actually based on the geek factor: I wanted to do the install, play with it, and tinker with the car. Of course I wanted the power, but I happily was revving the snot out of Tatjana when she was NA. A miata in a good state of tune does not *NEED* more power. To paraphrase Bwob, 'If you can't go fast with 90 HP, 900 won't do you any good'. We as car nuts simply *WANT* more power. Only when merging on the highway and such did I really lust for some more go juice.

I began with research...and continue it today. I had always followed power threads, and had a good understanding of what was out there, but I wanted to have a complete understanding of all kits before plopping several large down on some toys. I can't stress this enough: reading the forums, subscribing to MiataPower, and reading the MiataPower.net archives should be done by anyone who is serious about FI. Here is my opinion on the the options for most miatae:

Jackson/Sebring SC The Eaton M45 SC is a good, solid 6-8 PSI kit that will make any miata faster and increase the fun factor. I would have gone this route had I found a used one, as I have a personal opinion (read: distaste) for JR, and would not buy one new to pad their, nor other pockets any further then I had to. Additionally, I would want to add better fuel/ignition management to the kit, so the base kit would not satisfy me. Add up the costs, and you are close to a FM kit for what I wanted.
Greddy Turbo Due mostly to Nate's creation of his page and associated FAQs, I was pretty set on going this route. The Greddy kit is a great tinkering kit, and group buys get you the basics for 1100-1300 USD. Knowing that you still need knock and other toys on top of that, I had already decided I wanted the FM ECU and such. So, going this route can save you $1000 or more over a full FM II kit. I liked that idea. What stopped me? I got lucky and saw an add for a used FM II kit with custom intercooler as detailed in next section.
FM II Turbo The best FI kit out there IMHO for a complete solution that requires the least amount of tinkering, etc while still capable of achieving some serious power! A new trend is to source many of the components from AVO in Australia due to the strong US Dollar. This is a good solution for those who are *VERY* good with tinkering as the kit can not really compare to the FM kit on fit, finish, and the quality of the Link ECU software that only FM provides (Ray's work). From what I have read, the AVO is easier to fit on a 1.8 then a 1.6, unless you do not have power steering. For cars that do (most), the AVO requires some work to fit with power steering on a 1.6. Sure, saving 20% over the cost of an FM kit sounds great. But consider the extra time and effort needed to make the AVO kit work. Attempt to put a dollar figure on the first class support that Bill, Ken, Keith and company provide at FM via phone, email, or carrier pigeon if you are so inclined. For most, the value is still in the overall FM kit.

Here's a glimpse of the magical little devil. It still amazes me that such a little wheel can more then double Tatjana's wheel HP and torque!

My Kit

In a nutshell, Tatjana is equipped with a FM II system. I was fortunate enough to buy my system used from a lad going back to NA for his own, twisted reasons :) He assembled the kit from various Miata Powerlist folks who had extra parts, and filled in the gaps with new/used as needed. The basic kit arrived as:

Garrett T25/28 Turbo
FM 'dustpan' style intake (new kits all use the FM III style intake)
MK2 Link 1.6 ECU with knock sensor and boost controller
DSM 450cc injectors with FM resistor balast
Starion Intercooler
Standard and custom IC piping from FM and Corky at BEGI
Greddy Type S Blow-off Valve
Autometer Gauges

The basic system is the same: an ECU, Turbo, Intercooled package capable of 12-15 PSI if one desires. Some cost savings over a full FM kit were in using the DSM injectors over RC injectors, and a used IC over the standard BEGI fabricated one. Upgrades over the base kit included a better BOV and more gauges over the standard FM kit.

This kit worked fine once I had the ECU repaired by FM after discovering a loose voltage regulator. If your Link sporadiacally cuts out, and does not boot properly (keypad is lit, but without any characters or display) check the solder on the voltage regulator). I have added a few new components over this system for various reasons (discussed below in other sections). Some of these are now standard in the FM kit, others just optional.

Installation Notes

I did the entire installation on my own in several sections, with some tool/muscle assistance from some friends of mine. I did not photograph the install (digital camera not available at the time), plus Gary (Hakuna Miata) has already done an excellent job of that, so reference his page for the details. Here are some tips on how I did my install, that may be of use:

Read, read, and read. I spent several months researching and reading before doing anything. The turbo parts sat in my living room for over a month. Patience is very handy :)
For the FM II, do the electronics ahead of time. Specifically, I installed the Bosche 4 wire O2 Sensor, and the Link ECU with MAP sensor. This allows you to get familiar with the Link, auto-tuning, etc...without having to worry about boost variables. Running the Link in NA is also fun, especially removing the MAF and running strong to redline! People in the past have bitched loudly about FM Turbo wait times (something that is rapidly decreasing to just a few days). I think its a blessing: you order the kit, get the Link and Injectors first (usually in stock) and install and tune NA before the turbo actually arrives.
After installing the ECU, install the injectors. If you are feeling good, you can do this in one step along with the ECU, but I like breaking the tasks up and focusing on only one or two changes per install. You can run with large injectors NA without a problem on the Link...just reload with the large injector defaults and re-tune.
Double your install time estimates: s%*$ happens, and it will happen. In my case, the one bolt on the stock downpipe that connects to a bracket on the tranny was rusted badly, and not a happy camper. Took several hours of banging to get it to snap off (its not needed with the FM downpipe), so I happily discarded its deformed carcas.
Download and evaluate the Miata Link Lab software if you have laptop access. I highly recommend at least using the Serial Link to do some data logs and such as its very useful in tuning and tinkering if you want.
Try to get rides on other Turbo cars. This will help when choosing items like exhausts (noise) and clutches (feel, engagement), and blow off valves (sound). There are sevaral options for these items on the market, each with different characteristics
The Miata Power list is a wonderful collection of knowledge and experience. Use the search engine and you probably will get a lot of posts about basic installation questions. Then, post to get additional answers as required
Don't shoe string your budget. Have money in savings just in case something wierd happens. Unless you have another car available, its wise to be prepared for something goofy. Just like bringing an umbrella with you often makes it not rain, yet when you don't have it you take an unplanned shower

Upgrades

Blow Off Valves
- Greddy Type S My kit came with a Greddy Type S Valve welded to a flange on the intake side of the engine. This is a common aftermarket upgrade for many OEM turbo applications such as the DSM coupes. The Type S is a good BOV, and held boost fine, however I think it was made for higher boost systems, and suffers from a bit of compressor noise on Miatae. Some have been able to tune it out with using the second (undocumented, AFAIK) vacuum input, while others played with the spring tension. I was never able to get either to work sufficiently to my taste. Additionally, when vented to atmosphere, the sucker is loud. Great for that rally car feel that some want. Not so great for stealth. Knowing some folks like this BOV, I sold it for a song to simply 'downgrade' to a normal Mitsubishi plastic BOV that is known to be more quiet.
- DSM 3000GT/Stealth BOV (Used with FM Kits) This BOV gets a bad rap about its plastic, and that its not the BOV to use for very high boost apps for some. It is also inexpensive, works fine with newer 'throttle body' IC plumbing, and quite a bit quieter then many other BOVs on the market. I am quite pleased with the sound. You still get a bit of audible whoosh venting to atmosphere, but its very livable IMHO. One day, I would not mind venting it back into my intake track for even less noise. Sounds like a good winter project. Then again....a little woosh may tell the Civic Si driver to just leave it alone :)

Tuning

This is where the power of the miata community comes into play. For geeks like myself, tuning is a never ending process of tinkering. Let me be clear: the FM kit on my miata has been very trouble free and low maintenance. choose to tinker with the ECU. Fortunately, there are areas of expertise to help this process:

Miata power mailing list
Miata power forum
Miata Link Lab software (from Glenn, sold by FM)
The Boys and Girls of FM themselves Recently, Bill and company did a lot of wideband O2 sensor tuning with 1.6 and 1.8 cars on their dyno. This provided a very good set of fuel maps to use for tuning, so much that you may be able to just use the fuel maps in the boost rows and not auto tune. This makes it a lot easier to tune 12 PSI :)

6 PSI Operation

I am a bit conservitive with respect to boost. I was not eager to roll out with 12 PSI....6 would be just fine to get used to the car, tune, and lower the risk of anything bad happening in case I had tuning issues (I don't consider the FM kits a very high risk FI system to begin with when tuned correctly, but with any modification like this, you run the risk of loosing some rather big items such as a rod, a tranny, or differential). Not to mention I still have my stock clutch in, which will not hold more then 6 PSI. Tuning for 6 PSI is fairly easy on the street as you can fine tune with the link on the highway with the help of a friend. It is hard to find the space (and nerve) to run up to redline in 4th to accurately fine tune those zones. The BEST way to tune would be with a dyno that can create a load, such as a Mustang dyno. If not available, a Dynojet and wideband O2 sensor would work much better then running it to 110 on the highway. With my 1.6 stock clutch, I ran on the edge of my clutch being happy (if the clutch got warm, it would slip in high gears at peak torque, 4-5000 RPMS). The car is a blast...and I could be happy forever. However, I know 10-12 PSI is there...20-40 more HP, just waiting for me....Boxters and ZZZ's that could really see my tail lights when I wanted it. All at the touch of the button. Once the Max-5 clutch was in, it was time to play.

Here is a MLL dyno plot run with the FM wideband defaults. The run was done at 140 kPa, temp in the 50's. Ignition was advanced 1 degree over FM defaults with no knock. Peaks were 168 HP @ 6600, 149 lb-ft @ 5100

8 PSI Operation

Definately a sweet spot on Tatjana. With the Link, 8 PSI is right at the tip of the zone 4 fuel and timing zones that were tuned for 6 PSI. Once the MAX-5 clutch was in, it was a simple matter of changing 2 settings on the Link and 8 PSI was there. Normally, I would have stopped here. Why you ask? Tuning above 8 PSI requires tuning zone 5, which I would rather not try to do on the street. Repeated 4th gear redline runs would likely get me a few speading tickets, plus the narrow band O2 sensor is just not helpful once hot. However, with FM's wideband defaults, I have a much better base to start with.

Here is a MLL dyno plot run with the FM wideband defaults. The run was done at 154 kPa, temp in the 60's. Ignition was advanced 1 degree over FM defaults with no knock. Peaks were 180 HP @ 6600, 158 lb-ft @ 5600.

10 PSI (aka: OK, this is good)

Lets turn it up a notch. This is where I feel its conservative enough to consistently run the 1.6 in a well tuned state. The rear end should be fine (provided the standard empathy) and the fuel rail is about at the limit of what it can do without causing some lean conditions in the #4 cylinder. If you race, or want to run higher boost, a fuel rail such as Jim B's, or Vishnu's would be a good investment. I really like 10 PSI...just that extra oomph during WOT runs over 8 PSI. I generally drive with a fairly light foot, and boost never goes over 6 PSI unless I am really on it. For the winter, I will turn it back down to 6-8 PSI, to help with rear traction in the dry which will be more of an issue when shod with Michelin Artic Alpines instead of the summer Toyo's.

12 PSI (aka HOLD ON!!!!)

With the wideband tuned fuel zones available, I have begun to tune for 12 PSI as another educational experience. Remember that I do not really want to run 12 PSI every day in an effor to up the chances of the 6" 1.6 rear end surviving for a while. 8 PSI is plenty fast enough for me....12 PSI is only nice for those run-ins with Boxters and M Roadsters.

http://www.eclipse.net/~magnum/miata/fm_turbo.html
Last updated: Wed Oct 24 10:40:49 2001
bvl - bvl@attglobal.net