Alex's white NA8 build.

[Alex 2550]

Ok some updates.
- FM reroute is fitted and waterkneck deleted.
-323 timing covers on, will miss the exposed TODA gears but this is legal. My water supply comes from oil “cooler” no throttle body lines anymore.
I have run this behind the timing plate and the A/C wire to tidy the front of the engine bay.
Water returns to FM reroute after turbo and then to radiator with the barb on mixing valve? Blanked off.
- radiator cut and welded to clear intercooler pipe.
- intake is started just waiting on pipe to weld return for blow valve and catch can.
-catch cans have arrived. I have drilled out the breather holes inside the valve cover and removed the stainless wire I had in there. I will be running twin catch cans.
- sump drilled and tapped for oil return.
-have resbond thread lock and stage 8 locking hardware for turbo to manifold and dump.
- have slim SPAL fan to replace the A/C fan that doesn’t fit with IC pipes.
- all P/S lines ect made or moved to clear intercooler pipes.

Into the small stuff now like making airbox, catch can brackets, cutting undertray for IC pipes, tapping thread into intercooler for barb to send wastegate boost reference, fit exhaust ect ect.

Need to order a new wastegate actuator (turbosmart adjustable with 7psi spring) and some fire sleeves for lines but it’s getting there.
If I could get some time on it I hope to have it running in a few weeks. Here is some random photos I took along the way, unfortunately I have been short on time so instead of taking photos it’s been just working on it.






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[Alex 2550]

These photos are all a couple weeks old but I’ll try get some more up to date ones this evening


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[Alex 2550]

That’s a bit more current


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[PaulF]

This is coming along great Alex, nice to see the progress!

[Nevyn72]

Very nice and neat!

[Alex 2550]

Thanks everyone!


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[Alex 2550]

Hello all you fantastic MX5 people.
Time for an update. i have got a few photos that i will upload after this.
The NA is driving and making boost, its actually working really well except for a couple minor problems that i'm yet to sort out but more on that later. in short one issue is holding me back from the dyno tune and engineers.

there was quite a bit of fabrication work that took time, lots of time actually.
I did end up making an airbox, catch can brackets, a front undertray piece that the large factory undertray mounts to.
cut the large undertray for IC pipes and made new side pieces from 3mm conveyor belt, this actually extends further forward and helps with ducting. tapped thread into intercooler for barb to send wastegate boost and made a plate to block where the cowl intake went.
i also made a fan shroud for the A/C fan, i couldn't fit the factory fan because of the intercooler pipe so i purchased a SPAL slim fan with as close to factory flow specs as possible.

the new wastegate actuator (turbosmart adjustable with 7psi spring) and fire sleeves for lines is all fitted.

i have dríven the car twice turbocharged for around an hour each time, the first drive was just a shakedown, check for leaks ect.
i slowly increased the boost cut and worked on my fuel tables in baby steps, there was no wide open throttle pulls and everything worked perfectly except i had a leak..... from the A/C compressor seal. i assume from sitting the last 7 months that the seal went hard, this leaves me the hard decision on weather to invest the money on overhauling the system or removing it.

At this stage i plan to see how the cars watertemps go in summer heat with the A/C in place. i Dont use it except for defogging windows and i have worked hard to get this turbo kit to work around the A/c so i would like to keep it. in saying that if i can't keep the car cool ill remove the air con to improve flow to the radiator.
at this stage watertemps are awesome as are intake temps but it isn't being pushed hard.

the second drive was time to push the car a little harder, do some wide open throttle pulls, check for boost creep and do some tuning.

well the car mostly did well, plenty of torque cruising and an ok amount of punch when you step on it.
i would say its lively but certainly not fast in comparison to other cars i have owned, yes it puts you back in the seat but its not scary. i feel this is the power level that they should of left Mazda with, i estimate maybe 170-180HP at the wheels on 7psi, fairly rich in boost and very safe ignition table.

i didn't have any boost creep which was a concern due to the 3" turbo back exhaust but if you all recall i ported the turbo housing and wastegate to hopefully fix that issue before it arose.

i think the way it is now you could drive it forever and not have any major issue, i say major because i have a small issue.

over approximately 1 hour of driving i lost injector pulse for about a second multiple times. i looked over the logs and the injectors essentially turn off.
i immediately back off, try the accelerator pedal again, TPS percentage rises but injectors stay flat lined then come back on and it runs perfect again.
its completely random of when it does it which makes it hard to sort out and it didn't do it before the turbo.
i plan to investigate tonight and im hoping for a loose plug or earth otherwise it may be the MS3. i still have spark so i think that rules out the cam angle sensor but would love to hear your thoughts.

more improvements are planned but really need to sort this injector issue.

[Alex 2550]

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[Alex 2550]

Oh also have 949 racing wheel nuts that were gifted to me from Emilio at SuperMiata for helping him out with some stuff, great quality and saves about 144g total on the car. 36g per wheel.
the centre console is finished with switches for high and low boost, launch control and the boost gauge is fitted. All trimmed in black leather.
The car is filthy but you all get the idea.




Oh and another lightweight underpowered Japanese car joined the fleet, it’s a 2010 swift sport. these are very different to the regular swift and an absolute riot to drive. It needs some love but it’s a great runaround and cheaper than my wife driving the 400HP V8 everywhere




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[bruce]

Same here - I've got the same-ish Swift, a turbod NA, and now something vaguely related to an MX with a 400hp v8...

[Alex 2550]

Same here - I've got the same-ish Swift, a turbod NA, and now something vaguely related to an MX with a 400hp v8...

Can't help good taste

[ManiacLachy]

The car is looking great, good work!

I think you might even be at less power than 180whp at 7psi, especially if it's rich. So plenty of room for improvement Slow, steady, cautious improvement of course.

In my car I found I didn't have overheating issues on the street, or even in the hills with AC components blocking flow. However the track is a different beast, and I did get a little over hot on after leaning on the car pretty heavily (or as heavy as my skill would allow). I'd also like to keep AC, if I can get the damn thing to work, but if not I might pull it also for a little less restriction. Next step is a vented bonnet, and I'd want the GV style bonnet!

[Alex 2550]

The car is looking great, good work!

I think you might even be at less power than 180whp at 7psi, especially if it's rich. So plenty of room for improvement Slow, steady, cautious improvement of course.

In my car I found I didn't have overheating issues on the street, or even in the hills with AC components blocking flow. However the track is a different beast, and I did get a little over hot on after leaning on the car pretty heavily (or as heavy as my skill would allow). I'd also like to keep AC, if I can get the damn thing to work, but if not I might pull it also for a little less restriction. Next step is a vented bonnet, and I'd want the GV style bonnet!

I really hope you are right in regards to the power because its a little Meh at the moment, i'm sure after driving the regular cars for 7 months there is a little butt dyno increase for sure.
I doubt this would hold up to track abuse with temps either, I do want to make a heatshield for the turbo to protect the bonnet paint and localise the heat when I get a chance, i ceramic coated the manifold and dump but not the charger.
i also love the GV bonnet (being a fan of Revlimiters Sharka) but they are expensive, I don't mind the Spiked performance vents for the louvers style especially when mounted from underneath.

[ManiacLachy]

I coated the DP, manifold and turbine housing, but after the track day I can see signs it's not enough - heat sleeves melting on surrounding hoses etc. A heat shield around the turbine and dump would be good I think.

I think I might have to with hood vents of some sort, maybe the Singular vents? But I'd love a GV hood - I try to convince Lokiel to sell me his every time I go over

[Alex 2550]

I coated the DP, manifold and turbine housing, but after the track day I can see signs it's not enough - heat sleeves melting on surrounding hoses etc. A heat shield around the turbine and dump would be good I think.

I think I might have to with hood vents of some sort, maybe the Singular vents? But I'd love a GV hood - I try to convince Lokiel to sell me his every time I go over

Hahaha keep working on Lokiel, he will crack.... maybe.
I wish the middle singular vent didn't cut the bottom bit of the bonnet bulge, i like my bulge there is those other ones from the UK R-theory from memory?

looks like i may be a step closer to sorting out my injector problem. im using PID tuning and AFR Safety system.
There is a few reports of them fighting each other with the prediction pulling fuel before going too rich and that in turns triggers the AFR safety system.
i only have a .2 AFR allowance before the safety system kicks in with injectors coming back on line once map pressure drops below 75kpa and RPM below 2000.
last night on a drive i had the cut happen again, put clutch in let rpm drop to just below 2000 and released clutch, boom everything running fine again.

i dont have the chance to use the MX over the next few days to test my theory due to work and family commitments but my plan going forward is to turn off the safety system .
i'm running rich anyway and when using auto tune its pulling fuel rather than adding it but i basically want to turn it off, see if the problem goes away and if it does ill tune the safety system and fuelling around each other till i sort it.
im still running the gate pressure of 7psi and overboost protection of 8.5psi which im not hitting.

i really hope this solves the problem as i have checked everything else mechanical and electrical so it has to be in my tune.

there is a few people over on MT that don't like the AFR safety system because of this sort of thing.

fingers crossed i can sort this then get it on the dyno and to the engineer.