A NB8B Turbo progress.

[IanR]

Remember to take them off on track days - they melt

Gee I would have hoped they used material that could handle the heat, for they sure they melt huh?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[slyfox2151]

All 4 of my caps fell off in pit pane after 8 laps around lakeside. Lucky they didn't come off on track.

Is your intake pipe between the turbo and filter metal? Does it sound nice with it? Have been considering swapping mine to get some more choo choo noise.

[IanR]

All 4 of my caps fell off in pit pane after 8 laps around lakeside. Lucky they didn't come off on track.

Is your intake pipe between the turbo and filter metal? Does it sound nice with it? Have been considering swapping mine to get some more choo choo noise.

Def take them off for the next track day then, good heads up thanks to you both.

Yes the intake is metal, it does make a pretty cool intake noise plus the bov/+ a little compressor recirc from full boost does sound the business. Is your build diary up to date with the possibly secret changes you having been making to the silver NB?

[slyfox2151]

Just waiting for another 2 action cameras to turn up everyone likes a good video to go with the story.

[IanR]

Just waiting for another 2 action cameras to turn up everyone likes a good video to go with the story.

That we do! Looking forward to it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IanR]

You wouldn’t believe how bad the car was running at full throttle on these plugs... after the tune I think they started to miss after a few hundred ks, replaced with ngk bkr7e not the 6e that came with the car. Takes full throttle like a boss again. Best 20 bucks you can spent when plugs are shot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IanR]

Well..it's 2025 and there is a No 3 Mx5 in the garage, an built engine SE and it's RED!!!

First real drive.jpg

So, in the usual fashion we have had a drama straight of the bat...

Driving the car home from the handover from the previous owner, 2 of the 4 bolts holding the turbo to the manifold released themselves onto the road and by the time I got home the remaining two were 50% wound out as well.

This resulted in a disgusting sound, no boost and an un-hideable face of pain. My wife who was driving back in the family car pulled up next to me at the lights only a few minutes after my new car purchase had just gone sour, she asked in a scowl "whats up?" noting my facial expression, and trying trying to hide under a fake smile "nothing" I replied... anyway, at that point I knew my ownership experience of another modified mx5 has just begun.

As per the usual formula, we are sorting problems and getting it retuned for the full experience.

Anyone want to see under the bonnet? Of course you do! After refitting the turbo, replacing the rocker cover gasket and a general clean up.

IMG_2158a.JPG

IMG_2159.JPG

Some new wheels and tyres have arrived and the car is now at the tuners getting a full new set of low and high boost maps, why? Because the car is running rich on cruise which I want sorted and get this,...the previous tuner wont share the passcode for the haltech ecu...(what do you think about that?) so I have no choice but to start from scratch.

Stay tuned, we are just starting another car experience journey and videos will be uploaded in the usual fashion.

[greenMachine]

Now that is a great way to start the New Year!!

Seems like some challenges coming your way. PO doesn't have the code? Though it probably doesn't matter, painful maybe, but you are probably better off getting a complete tune from someone you know and trust. The built engine is a good start, but it still needs a safe tune, just don't allow the tuner to push it into gearbox busting territory if they aren't familiar with the fragile Aisan 6-speed.

What is the turbo/manifold - Kraken mani? Garrett or EFR turbo? It is a worry that the nuts have loosened on the street, must have had some heavy test drives before you got it! The nuts do need monitoring, there are solutions up to and including welding . Was this the mani-turbo joint, or turbo-DP?

Looks like it has cruise control? And is that a catchcan by the ABS unit?

[IanR]

Thanks for the post greenmachine, buying the car didn't go they way it usually does with buying a car that has been modified, long story short the owner drives the car like he stole it and the mechanic keeps sorting out the issues and gets it back on the road for the next track day event... he wouldn't know the ecu code.

I agreed with you that its a great way for my mechanic tune shop to get to know the car and add their touch, the new tuner is a really smart bloke and has a great reputation... not something that is a fluke when you have been around for a while.

The motor has rods, piston, valve springs and the usually arp this and that. The turbo is an aeroflow 4628, a gtx2860r spec turbo, the catch can and head breathing mods have been well tested, has a reroute, its got the 330mm yellowspeed bbk with what look to be a custom brake resovoiur to handle more fluid. The exhaust manifold is a custom stainless unit, looks pretty awesome.

The tuner has worked with a few of them prior and understands the 300ftpd ceiling, 280-290 is plenty to work with... its also how smooth is comes in, I prefer the big bang at 3-4k but it's not the same as vag cars that can handle another 100-150ftpd over the mx5 6 speed. The goal is to mimic the previous e85 tune a little as it has been well tested, the guys youtube channel is very incriminating for extensive track day hot laps at full gas.

Oh, it looks like it had cruise control at somepoint...long gone, as is the std steering wheel.

[IanR]

The car has come with track tires (nankang ar1 235/40/17) on Koya sf02 17x8 et35, I wanted to get a set of street wheels with some tires that better handle wet roads and a are quieter than the ar1's...

After going shopping with a fist full of cash, trying to get the right combo of offset, brake caliper clearance and width to mount as wide a tire as my guards and suspension hardware will allow, I ended up ordering a set of koya sf15 (gun metal) in 17x8 et35... because 1, they will work and 2, they are in stock, unlike my first preference which were the yoko advan wheels which are sold out internationally and nearly twice the price as the koyas.

They arrived in boxes and they are beautiful!!! I opted for yoko ad09 235/40/17 as the daily tire for all things except heavy abuse, the ar1's and a spare set of nt01's are set for that.

IMG_2248.JPG

[ManiacLachy]

She looks like a spicy one!

In that first pic, is it a trick of the angle or are those wheels and tyres oversized?

[greenMachine]

I'd talk to the tuner about those loose nuts, see what he says about fixing that. They all have their tricks, but at the end of the day doing regular checks is going to be necessary, the only option is how regular .

I'd be more concerned about the manifold, if it has been seriously heated, you need to watch it for cracking. This is an inevitability for fabricated manifolds, again only question is when and that is a function of how they are treated. Seems like you have a fair idea of that, and it doesn't sound too good.

What is the suspension setup - springs and shocks? That is a lot of wheel/tyre, not to mention the big brakes - controlling that combination is not a trivial exercise. Hopefully he has been as keen to spend on the suspension as he was on the engine, and you have some good stuff under there ... ?

[IanR]

She looks like a spicy one!

In that first pic, is it a trick of the angle or are those wheels and tyres oversized?

Yes the iphone has made the wheels look bigger..."does this make my wheels look phat?"

62088002-7A1C-413A-810C-5B17ABF57304 1(edited).JPG

[IanR]

I'd talk to the tuner about those loose nuts, see what he says about fixing that. They all have their tricks, but at the end of the day doing regular checks is going to be necessary, the only option is how regular .

I'd be more concerned about the manifold, if it has been seriously heated, you need to watch it for cracking. This is an inevitability for fabricated manifolds, again only question is when and that is a function of how they are treated. Seems like you have a fair idea of that, and it doesn't sound too good.

What is the suspension setup - springs and shocks? That is a lot of wheel/tyre, not to mention the big brakes - controlling that combination is not a trivial exercise. Hopefully he has been as keen to spend on the suspension as he was on the engine, and you have some good stuff under there ... ?

Unfortunately, good points...Ive already had cracked manifold issues on a previous mx5, the silver one which was a cast log style. The fabbed one is made out of stainless, specced by the workshop that built the engine and have looked after the car...should be fine at this point but keeping an eye on the manifold to turbo bolts...shame the turbo has to be seperated to get a spanner on the nuts.

The suspension compromises of shockwerks coilovers, racing beat bars. It has been professionally setup by some racing guru place in sydney, with plenty of track use...I could share the youtube channel to see if anyone is interested. It feels pretty good at pace on bumpy roads which is the other end of the track day spectrum so I am happy at this point, brake are excellent.

[PaulF]

I was reading just the other day on MT.net about everyone's experiences with loosening turbo hardware. The most effective solution, for turbos with enough space around the holes, seems to be drilling for M10 hardware. I'd also be looking at bracing the turbo down to the block so not all the weight is hanging off those four bolts. After those options you've got Inconel, locking hardware, safety wire etc.