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Post by superdan on Jun 13, 2016 15:28:29 GMT
I'm looking for reliable recommendations either first hand or from other sites on threads for DIY turbo conversions? I have looked but so many seem to be old or the pictures no longer get working etc so if anyone can point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
Ideally I'd plan to use bits sourced from a friend who prepares and upgrades Impreza's. So hope to in time acquire good quality used, turbo, intercooler, and ecu and then work from those over a winter build.
Not looking good for mega power, 160bhp feel about right as a number plucked from the air so guessing 8psi of boost. Keen for reasonable dribability but car is track day only so useable rev range is say 3500 to 6500.
Few thoughts,
Will standard injectors deliver 160bhp? I know rx8 yellows are about £100
Will standard clutch deal with this?
Will standard fuel pumo deal with this?
Megasquirt seems popular with off the shelf loom. What comes up used cheap will be primary factor so what else is an option?
All help and advice appreciated.
Current car Engine wise is a healthy stock mk1 1.6, unknown tubular manifold and shortly full manifold back Miltek stainless exhaust.
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Post by ghostrider on Jun 15, 2016 7:00:28 GMT
TBH the cheapest way with the least hassle is to buy one that is already converted.
If you've got your heart set on keeping your car then just read through other turbo builds. Everybody does the build a little differently but if you cross-reference a lot of the info then sooner or later, the same important steps come to the fore. First things first though, I'd uprate the brakes. 1.8 brakes are popular. Then I'd uprate the suspension so I know that if I increase power, I have the handling and braking to control the power, especially if it's a track day toy.
160bhp is not a lot - you could do that with a very basic setup. What you will need is a reputable mani/downpipe (not the shiny ones from ebay), t25/td04 or similar turbo, oil lines, water lines, something to control fuelling and probably the 1.8 injectors for a little wiggle room. You'll want to run a cooler spark plug too and retard the ignition to 6 degrees BTDC. That is a basic 'band aid' setup. It'll drink fuel and won't be particularly linear in power delivery but you'll be approx 160bhp. The standard clutch should hold this - not sure for track.
Then things get serious. You've got money to spend and you want to do it properly. By all accounts, get a standalone ECU first (megasquirt/ME221) before boost, get that in the car and start playing with it. Find out how it works and how easy/difficult you find it to tune. You may even gain a few bhp in the process. Read some more before fitting your kit, consider an intercooler, ally rad, coolant reroute, bigger injectors (RX8's are popular), VPTS, IAT sensor, boost controller, uprated clutch, 1.8 flywheel, extra bracing, stronger diff. There will be more that I've forgotten - it can be quite overwhelming.
Finally, have a look at the turn-key operations that have sprung up in the last couple of years. Some will convert to FI for about £2000+VAT and all you do is supply the turbo I think. If I could do it again then this is the route I'd have taken...
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Post by superdan on Jun 15, 2016 12:23:52 GMT
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it. Would prefer to keep the car, in fact we will. It was 'built' by someone who did a thorough job and it's well sorted, if not the prettiest thing up close. 1.8 carriers, disks and hopefully shortly some pads are in the post, suspension are new Miesters, I think we're covered off in those regards. Current on track performance is good though NK NS-2R's are planned, going down the straights we just need a bit more go, even when cars are pulling over at Blyton, unless they fully get out of the throttle we don't get passed before the next corner  160bhp might not be a lot in the grand scheme of things but if we could buy 45bhp around £1k (see below) in a lighted mk1, that would be ideal. I found a good article on Flying Miata yesterday www.miataturbo.net/diy-turbo-discussion-14/diy-faq-all-your-answers-one-big-post-4288/ which was interesting but from 2006. Noted that it could be done cheaply without replacement ECU but was by modern standards some bodging to control fuelling and in 2016 I don't think it was the way to go. The guy that put our car together is, or at least was a Motec dealer and I think has experience of most ECU's I'm hoping that when he has an Impreza in for more significant (expensive) upgrade that already has had some tweaks I can source turbo, intercooler, piping and ECU from him. Then map for mates rates fingers crossed, I'm hoping this should keep it to a sensible budget. Noting how much 1.8 injectors are (£30 vs £100+ for RX8's), definitely go for a set of 'tan' ones for the extra room on fuelling as article suggests they will deal with the kind of power we're looking for no problem as long as the fuel pump capacity is OK. Any and all other advice appreciated, as there are so many if anyone is aware of a broadly similar recent build thread elsewhere then please let me know. Planning early ahead of a winter build I hope. |
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Post by BikeTuna on Jun 15, 2016 20:44:04 GMT
Who are these 2 grand turnkey people? That's really tempting...
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jbuk
New Here
Posts: 54 
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Post by jbuk on Jun 15, 2016 21:51:56 GMT
This is the one I know of. mtechautomotive.co.uk/mx5-turbo-conversion/Realistically this will do the job, you can then decide about alloy radiator, brakes, suspension, rollbar, seats, gauges, oil cooler etc if you want to go from there. |
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Post by ghostrider on Jun 15, 2016 22:34:23 GMT
Yep - those were the guys I was thinking of. It's a shame that they started trading about a year too late for me. If someone said that I'd have a guaranteed 200 brake with proper management and sorted on a dyno for that money then I would've taken their hand off!
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160bhp might not be a lot in the grand scheme of things but if we could buy 45bhp around £1k (see below) in a lighted mk1, that would be ideal.
