A NB8B Turbo progress.

[NitroDann]

Being a really high powered build, it needed a catch can as you can see above. I built a small stealthy one but have found that its probably a bit small to be practical so we are tossing up returning the oil to the sump like an SE.

Being a local car we have the opportunity to get all of the details spot on like this.

[davekmoore]

I am considering doing a big write up on flex fuel tuning soon BTW. And if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask them here.Dann

No questions yet, but please do the write up.
Mine is E85-ready including Haltech ECU and flex sensor. Presently 148rwkw and 248Nm on a conservative 98 octane tune and with only the IHI turbo, better intake and 2.5" exhaust. Looking forward to the E85 tune when the new bottom end is run in.

Tune kW and Nm 19 Sept 15 low boost 98 octane 800.jpg

Tune 19 Sept 15 low boost 98 octane 800.jpg

[stuart1]

Being a really high powered build, it needed a catch can as you can see above. I built a small stealthy one but have found that its probably a bit small to be practical so we are tossing up returning the oil to the sump like an SE.

Being a local car we have the opportunity to get all of the details spot on like this.

Considering the amount of moisture that can collect in a catch can on a non daily drive E85 fueled car (in our case) I would not be returning any E85 catch can deposits back to the sump.

Lots of sweet smelling "water" in the catch can but very little oil in our case.

What I initially thought was blow by fumes appears to be steam coming from the catch can after a warm up cycle but before track laps.

Just as a matter of interest Dann do you get the occasional bang coming from the catch can?

Stuart...

[Apu]

That is actually a good point that stuart1 has made. I was talking to Kiet from JDMYard (a Honda, not MX5) but interestingly he also said his catch can was filling with E85 and not oil.

His is a deregistered track / drag car so his is vented.

[pressure pack]

yes . most catch bottles are vented to atmosphere . in this case the bottle is vented between the air filter and turbo, a high vacuum area. the oil is probably being drawn straight out .

[NitroDann]

Being a really high powered build, it needed a catch can as you can see above. I built a small stealthy one but have found that its probably a bit small to be practical so we are tossing up returning the oil to the sump like an SE.

Being a local car we have the opportunity to get all of the details spot on like this.

Considering the amount of moisture that can collect in a catch can on a non daily drive E85 fueled car (in our case) I would not be returning any E85 catch can deposits back to the sump.

Lots of sweet smelling "water" in the catch can but very little oil in our case.

What I initially thought was blow by fumes appears to be steam coming from the catch can after a warm up cycle but before track laps.

Just as a matter of interest Dann do you get the occasional bang coming from the catch can?

Stuart...

You're point is absolutely a legitimate one, which is why its come down to fine details and decisions like this. Its a toss up it really is. If you dont return it, you run the risk of low oil, if you do return it you may dilute the oil to a degree.

yes . most catch bottles are vented to atmosphere . in this case the bottle is vented between the air filter and turbo, a high vacuum area. the oil is probably being drawn straight out .

When its full or close to it, yeah certainly.

Welcome to quadrupling the factory power output, there will be hurdles

Dann

[stuart1]

Regardless of any issues with E85 it must be a tuners dream as they can really lean on an engine, be it by ignition advance, compression ratio, or boost, without the problem of possibly terminal premature combustion detonation.

[NitroDann]

Pats NA6 has an 11.2: engine on 27PSI. It makes 360rwhp on a small turbo that has enormous area under the curve, and the engine revs and accelerates like a superbike.

Thankyou E85.

Dann

[IanR]

Thank you for all the interest and inputs.

The car is behaving really well, starts pretty quickly on e85 which is no small feat, can be dríven safely while warming up which helps as a daily driver that it is. The car is a docile puppy and simple to drive in the rain just by only using 5-10mm of throttle pedal, still plenty fast but minimal boost all the way to redline.

At 1/3 throttle onward it is fast, full throttle its still progressive and smooth and very punchy, the 3" exhaust the pod make this race car sound that keeps building as does the torque with it being at peak just before 6k which makes it more rewarding to the senses.

Its a freaking missile; having all the right internal and bolt on parts is not what makes the car, NitroDann has made it with the tuning. We had many discussions about what I wanted now its plenty fast enough and very driveable, you can even use full throttle in second, just do it gently and have it straight prior , looking forward to a safer environment to play with the traction limit more... but I am in no hurry to repeat what happened to my very first falcon , a xy that I spun and wrote off in the wet many years ago. lol its been fwd and awd cars since then...

A little update on the breathing/catch can topic.

After draining the catch can 120ks ago it was time to check the contents and see how much has been collected and its content (oil/water/e85).

After 120ks of general driving (say total 20 trips to 7k at full throttle) this was the volume in catch can.



There are zero water e85 residues that are visualised.




Clearly lots of oil is being drawn though the breather pipes, a combination of likely factors (power, motor, breather modifications, vacuum). The oil looks, smells and tastes normal ( ) so all things considered it will get plumbed back to the sump.

One option is to drain from the catch can...



and use a T piece and plumb into here...the turbo oil return. Perhaps easier than drilling another bung into the sump.



Yes still a bit oily underneath the hot side, hopefully its just residual oil from the catch can overflowing and being sucked up into intake...will only know after it gets another engine de-grease.



Up coming next steps are bd roll bar install, whiteline anti sway bar install and the Garage Star door jam thingys...

[pressure pack]

interesting, maybe we all should taste our oil sometime. lol .

[IanR]

interesting, maybe we all should taste our oil sometime. lol .

Taste helps to identify toxins and maintain nutrition.

Five basic tastes are recognized today: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami.

Fair to say that if oil was correctly analysed by the taste buds, and if e85 or water was present it would register as a bitter taste.

If however the oil was clear and all good to be fed back to the sump, then it would taste sweet.

Like I said, it tasted sweet, as all good oil does.

[IanR]

Not that I'm the sort of guy who loves engine bay shots... but just happy its all back together and ready to have the paint touched up from the rebuild and rocker cover breather mods...

[bear2230]

Ian, this is Neils engine in his race car. The engine in Snowie now. Note the size of the catch can. It has to be at least 2L capacity and had no drain back to the engine.

[NitroDann]

2L is the race legal size. Probably over kill, its s shame that Ians one looks like underkill for his setup, can always drain it back in.

[IanR]

Ian, this is Neils engine in his race car. The engine in Snowie now. Note the size of the catch can. It has to be at least 2L capacity and had no drain back to the engine.

I think at the collection rate I have I would fill the 2l one in a single track day... plumbed back in the only sane option.