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I was reading through the parts for sale thread, maybe I'm misreading it but it suggest that you could run a small turbo (GT2554) without changing the ECU... Is this possible and safe?

You would need to have it reflashed (ChipTorque can do NBs and NCs) or some piggyback/interceptor solution. I know MX-5 Plus have been working with GT Auto to use the HKS F-Con iS which retains the stock ECU for some functions.

Quite a few of us are using Adaptronic ECUs as they make plug-in looms and Andy provides good support.

Cheers

It depends on exactly what you mean by using the stock ecu, possible and safe.

The answers are yes, yes and yes depending on how they are asked, and what car you are talking about

I'll explain a little and assume you are talking about an NA6...

It's possible to just throw a turbo kit on with no ECU or fueling changes whatsoever... BUT that is not safe.

MANY people run basic low boost kits on a stock ECU and make it safe(r) by retarding the base timing (by altering the position of the Crank Angle Sensor) and adding fuel either by increased rail pressure, larger injector on stock ECU, or an auxilary injector. Of those options an auxilary injector would be the safest IMHO.

The next safer step is to get some boost dependant timing retardation device, which reduces the timing as the boost increases. Without that sort of timing control you'll be limited to runniong fairly low boost numbers.

So in a nutshell, it's possible to do and can be reasonably safe depending on lots of factors.

All of that said it's far from optimal and often most people end up finding it a big comprimise.

saboteur wrote:Quite a few of us are using Adaptronic ECUs as they make plug-in looms and Andy provides good support.

Why not the Megasquirt? You were the one who introduced them to me!

I'll chime in now.....

There are increasing numbers of us here who are playing/have played with boost, and the answers here are all good so far.

The biggest turbo-mx5 dedicated forum I've found is www.miataturbo.net

While it is somewhat dominated by US members, it doesn't have the parochial nature of other US based MX5/miata forums.....

If you are sensible about your questions, and you read the FAQs/search results first to see if your questions have already been asked and answered, you will find a very helpful bunch of enthusiasts.....

And for the record, running a piggyback or dedicated ECU with a turbo is a much more reliable and less fussy solution, despite seeming otherwise.