Yes Dann has been pretty awesome and very helpful during and after the while install process.
That explanation about the rollers makes sense. I took the car again for a blast around my little test track tonight (freeway on ramps are fun) taking more notice of power delivery and feel, and definitely doesn't feel like the power drops off substantially up high like the graph suggests Launching in first gear, flat to the floor getting slight wheel spin at 3000rpm, definitely didn't do that before Boost tapers down slightly after 4500-5000rpm but no real noticeable drop in power from the drivers seat and feels about the same power as stock (after the typical stock SE power kick) up high. So happy with the outcome, the car is so different to stock, so much easier to drive and so much more usable power. No more wringing its neck to get it moving Can't wait to get injectors and intake sorted eventually, but I'm having so much fun with this right now! Went for a good drive on Sunday down south for lunch letting the wife have a drive. The nod of approval and smile on her face every time she squeezed the throttle: worth it!
So the smiles just keep on coming! The wife and I took the car down to Wakefield Park on Monday for the MX-5 Club track day.
I was rather nervous, not just being only the second time on the track, but also nervous for the car. With my previous heating issues on rather cold days, I was very uneasy as the daily air temp were already rising before getting onto the circuit in the morning.
With the Adaptronic installed, I no longer had any connection for the OBD coolant gauge display on my headunit so had to rely on the factory gauge and a borrowed android phone running Adaptive Tuner (which is near on useless with the gauge being so small and no 100deg marker But did have an over temp alert that I set at 105deg) In my first session out I was immediately relieved! After 5 laps the gauge hadn't even moved off its normal 11oclock position!!
I don't know if this was from changing the thermostat over or the better ECU tune instead the dangerously lean factory tune, but I'd like to think its a combination of both. The car was running really well, I was able to leave it in 3rd for turn 8 (the fishhook)and had plenty of grunt to drive out of the turn, where-as last time I had to drop it back to 2nd to keep it on power. (3rd gear used to bog the car down too much) In fact, on the very first lap I went flat floor out of the fishhook in third and turned the car around So yeah, just a bit more mid range
Finished the session feeling good, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and carrying a ton of confidence in the car. Headed towards the timing results screen hoping to have picked up a second over my previous best to be somewhere in the mid 15s. I looked up and nearly fell over! Achieved a 1.14.65 Nearly 2 seconds faster!!
Session 2 came around quickly and with my renewed confidence in the car, pressed to back up the mid 14second time. Wringing every bit I could out of the car, getting better with my lines, braking points, corner speed and when to get back on the power, with the tyres screeching on their limit and the temp gauge still not hinting at moving from the 11oclock mark in increasing heat, I managed a 1.13.09 on my fourth lap!!
The temp was getting really hot towards the middle of the day. had to be over 30degrees. Even with doing double sessions sharing with the wife (she improved her PB too. only 0.21 of a second away from breaking into the 19's) the cars temp didn't even hint at breaking the 100deg mark! So relieved!
So after 12 sessions between the wife and I, 1 1/2 half tanks of fuel (glad I took 2x 10litre bottles ) we headed towards the nights accommodation very happy.
I know my lap times will have improved with more experience but I believe, even though the Adaptronic didn't add any more peak power over stock, the better tune in the mid range helped achieve those quicker lap times.
Now just need to get some consistency. Most laps I was in the mid 14's and had a few moments where it felt like I was on ice. The cheapo Kumho's were clearly pressed to the limit at times. I was put up a group and it seemed just about everyone was running semi slicks so was worried about holding people up in the corners.
Here's my PB lap. After I finished the lap I screwed up turn 2. Overtaking so on the wrong side of the track, carrying too much speed I was all over the place coming out of the corner. Hopefully I didn't screw up their lap time
ManiacLachy wrote:Glad to hear the Adaptronic is working out so well for you! Great work on those times.
Man, I need an ECU. I wonder how Haltech are coming with that E1500 SE harness?
Very slowly. Each harness is being made by hand by the one guy, and it's not his only job. It took over a month for mine. So order in advance of when you need it.
So ever since I started having heating issues on the track (Thankfully now resolved with a new Thermostat and a better than factory ECU) I've wanted a real water gauge. One with temperature readings not, "cold" - "somewhere in between" - "head warped" like the factory unit. I could use an android phone plugged into the Adaptronic to display water temp but wanted something permanent that I didn't have to turn on every time I started the car.
Already having the Speedhut Boost gauge in the dash, I went ahead and purchased their Water Gauge after sussing out how much room is in the factory cluster. Yep, SpeedHut dash cluster install Stage 2!
SpeedHut Revolution Water Gauge with settable warning light:
Remove the dash and the fascia. The water gauge is only held in by three screws on the back of the dash
Plenty of room:
My concern about the warning light being too close to the bezel was unwarranted. Just fits when centred. The set button for the warning light is part of the gauge glass cover, so left with the bare button. Once installed it doesn't stand out at all, which turned out good.
Used a dremel to grind off the post attached to the plastic light housing. I couldn't see any purpose that this piece provided.
Now the fun begins. Pull your gauge apart. Unscrew the bezel and cut the large cables to pop the gauge guts out of the cup. The bare gauge:
Proceed to dremel off the top of the cup, removing the screw on part for the bezel. Put the gauge back in the cup and test fit with the dash fascia so that it drops enough into the cup to hold the gauge face securely. Ignore the ground down threads on the side. This is not required.
This is where I had to get creative. With the Boost gauge install, the cup is held in place by the surrounding indicator housings and wedged into place. Here, there's not much to hold it centred. I used some adhesive backed rubber strips to help align and hold the cup in place.
Some more plastic and double sided tape to raise the cup up to the fascia height. Double sided tape will be used to hold the cup in place.
Unlike the Boost gauge install, the only grinding of the cup threads required is between 95 and 100Degrees C to make the gauge sit up in that little nook.
After a lot of trial fittings, stick the cup too the double sided tape. Thankfully with the warning light, it takes the guess work out of having the cup, dial fascia and needle all lined up. (anyone how has done the Boost gauge in the oil spot will know what I'm talking about there)
Here it is all installed and on:
And at night (the blueish colour in the warning light and around the set button is from the gauge backlight. Its not noticeable at all in person):
Took the car in to Mania on Friday for a service and a few other things, we decided that the best way to install the sensor was in the m12 bolt on the back of the head, but to do this the EGR would have to be removed, and as David was away that day, we decided to temporarily install it in the top hose and sort it out properly later. Works well but doesn't move until the thermostat opens which is not ideal but will suffice for now.
Very happy with the outcome. Looks really factory and actually serves a purpose! Setting the high temp warning is easy too. Just pop the clear fascia off and use a small screw driver to press the button!
Thanks for the write up! I'm planning to put an AFR gauge there in time (along with boost in the oil spot, oil pressure, oil temp and water temp to go in the centre stack) and I wasn't sure how much room there was.
ManiacLachy wrote:Thanks for the write up! I'm planning to put an AFR gauge there in time
Be careful doing this Lachy if you plan on using the speedhut gauge. It takes a 5V signal from the wideband and 'waves' through a range of +/- 0.5 when motoring normally, ie. not trailing throttle or wide open. This may end up being distracting if it's front and centre in your instrument cluster!
"A Convertible has a top you can put down when the weather's nice...... A Roadster has a top you can put up when the weather's bad."
I must admit I have only just now read your trackday post.
Your peak power is similar to before but your average power is way up, so is driveability and your confidence.
Tammie and Warren Hotz dropped 7 whole seconds at wakefield going from NA to one of my big power stock engine setups (260rwhp), proving how important power really is even in a 'handling car'.
I have mounted my MTXL sideways next to the glovebox. Completely hidden and if I want to see it I just open the glovebox. Easily in view from the drivers seat. With the tune running beautifully I don't need to see it all the time so this suits me.
With the water gauge spot, it certainly was less stressful than the oil gauge spot, but far more frustrating getting it all dead centre.
bruce wrote:I like using a bit of gutter silicone to stick things.
That's a good idea. I cut a decent sized hole in the base of the cluster for the gauge cables. You can see the gauge cup easily through the hole, so next time I have the cluster out, I'll stick a caulking gun up there and gutter silicon around the base of the cup. The tape and the pressure from the fascia should hold it firm but silicone will give it that bit of extra all round support in case vibrations over time loosen the double sided tapes stickiness.
Finally got my temperature gauge sensor placement sorted.
Some of you may have read the other thread in the Engine section, some may not care but I'm going to say anyway
I wasn't really pleased with the temp sensor mounted in the top hose. There isn't enough straight section of hose on the SE so the hose kinks slightly, plus the sensor read cold until the thermostat opened a good 15 minutes down the road.
I did have grand plans of using the Automotive Plus reroute spacer, but there's not enough room with the factory outlet housing (you can read the trials and tribulations in the Engine Section)
We ended up using the popular Maruha sensor adaptor. Much neater than the top hose adaptor and no clearance issues with the fan shroud.
As this still mounts the sensor on the cold side of the thermostat, the way we got around this was to use the correct Triden thermostat that has 2 jiggle valves in it (Got advised/sold the wrong thermostat at Supercheap ) we removed 1 of the jiggle valves to allow a small amount of water to get past the thermostat to the sensor. Warm up time has not changed noticeably and now I see water temps rise in time with the engine.
The car still runs at the normal operating temps on the freeway and around town. Super happy with this and perfect timing to get it all sorted too as my top hose had just started to leak! (and was extremely bloated compared to the new replacement, so was probably not far from completely letting go )
Also got a braided clutch line installed too. Completely removes the hard crossover line and is a direct connection.
And did I mention how much I love this ECU?? After a few km's racked up in a variety of conditions and temperatures, still hasnt stalled once, still pulls strong and smoothly. As another comparison in engine temps, the last motorkhana day I did on the factory ECU, temps were getting up towards the 100degree mark on the rear of the engine sensor. On the weekend we participated in another, and in hotter 30+ degree heat, it never went over 94 degrees on the front sensor So if you have having cooling issues on track with an SE, replace the stock ECU!!
But did have an over temp alert that I set at 105deg)
So yeah, just a bit more mid range 
Nearly 2 seconds faster!!
) we removed 1 of the jiggle valves to allow a small amount of water to get past the thermostat to the sensor. Warm up time has not changed noticeably and now I see water temps rise in time with the engine.
