Beaten to death: Turbo Questions
 

Ok, I did my fair share of turbo searching with people asking about what is what, if they can bold a header to their turbo, etc etc. No answers or follow up/closings. What I am looking for is if I will need to be running a stand-alone ECU or reflash mine with the MSP maps, if I run a small turbo pushing no more than 6 or 7 psi. I am keeping everything minimalist here, so no huge turbo, intercooler, loud BOV or external open dump wastegate. Looking at a small T3/4, .63 A/R turbine and .50 A/R compressor. The maps on those do not look too bad. OBX turbo manifold, 2.5" exhaust with high flow cat, resonator, and MSP muffler.

Would this work on the stock ECU, if I plug one O2 sensor and MIL it?

Thanks guys.

http://i17.tinypic.com/6yoweiw.jpg

for starters there's no such thing as a "small t3/t4".

Theoretically you COULD bolt it up to a header with the proper flanges but it's a BAD idea. I'd eat a bullet before trying to go that route.

The MSP ecu is a GOOD idea though if you stick with a simple GT25...they are a dime a dozen ($250 for good condition or rebuilt units on ebay).

Yeah a T3/T4 is a big, serious turbo on our little cars.

The MSP ECU does work well if you're running a small, low boost turbo setup.

Definitely don't keep the ECU stock though. The MSP ECU is $250-$350 (used of course), I haven't heard anyone able to get their ECU reflashed --I wouldn't recommend it, just get the real deal and keep your stock ECU for if you ever want to sell the car.

I wouldn't touch the OBX turbo manifold with a 10 foot pole if I was you. 1, you'll need a custom downpipe, as I don't believe any downpipe was made that works with a T3 flange and that manifold. Oh right also it's a T3 flange so you have to run a big turbo on it. Running a T3/T4 without forged pistons and rods would just be silly.

I agree with the above...if you want to run a small turbo, the MSP setup
is right up your alley. You might even be able to piece together a complete kit
or find one for sale.

^^ mazdaspeed motorsports sells a 'kit' of it
http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/page.../turbokit.html

The items included in the partial turbo kit include:

* PRIMARY TURBOCHARGER AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY
* EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKET
* EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEAT SHIELD
* UPPER RADIATOR HOSE
* LOWER RADIATOR HOSE
* WATER RETURN ELBOW
* BOOST CONTROL HOSE ASSEMBLY
* TURBO WATER FEED SOURCE ASSEMBLY
* OIL DRAIN INSERT
* NECESSARY SCREWS, GASKETS AND HARDWARE

and they have the full instructions, which are the instructions used when the kits were installed in the MSP at port. It's funny because the pics in the instructions are a spicy MSP that starts out with the non-turbo exhaust manifold

The non-racer price is over $3300 for that, racer price is a full 1000 less. It doesn't include an intercooler, ECU, or anything else though, just the things in that list. that link is useful for the instructions though, even if you piece an MSP-similar kit together yourself as I did.

You can get the callaway manifold around $100 used, the turbo around $250 in crazy low mileage or rebuilt condition, and the downpipe piece you need (just the s-pipe, the j-pipe is the same as what you already have) for under $100. Then you just need coolant lines (also cheap used for the oem hard lines), oil feed and drain (can be built for about $100 in parts for all braided stainless stuff), the msp water return elbow ($30-50), a heat-resistant lower radiator hose (included in the mazda kit), and an intercooler with piping and a bypass valve.

if it were me, I'd probably make my own watercooled intercooler with seperate pump and tank and have no fmic visable. I've also played around with the idea of in-bay mounted air-air cores with an e-fan mounted on each side of the core...one pusher, one puller. they both draw air TOWARDS the engine to keep radiant heat from the exhaust from drifting over to the core and could even be fabbed up to pull in outside air like the CAI's do. Very simple upgrade and retain stealthy looks.

Also, Meth injection is your best friend.

Stealthy look? it's easy enough with a FMIC, even easier if you can fit one behind the sedan bumper

http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2064413382&size=l

edit: or just some thin self etching primer and the lightest coat of black paint to get coverage if that isn't stealthy enough.

Thanks for the advice. I know our motors do not like much boost. I come from RX7 background, thats the T3/4 idea :)

painting or polishing an intercooler greatly reduces it's cooling ability. Paint reduces the amount of heat able to be pulled away from the metal and polishing removes a ton of surface area which increases heat as well.

I know what you're saying though. Yes, they can be made to be less visible but having one completely within the engine bay makes it 100% unseen. Also, using my ducting idea you can cool a smaller core with fresh outside air and a few small fans. I had a simple mock-up of this when I was working on the superchargers for the proteges...kind of a "high boost" application with a completely hidden intercooler.

They have a paint out now for thermal coating. People can send in their oil coolers into somewhere in Texas IIRC and for 150$ get all the fins straightened, cleaned inside and out, and coated. I will see if I can find a link in a second.

As for the intercooler layout, I will probably just use a TII IC routed up front and on to the side, and tilted forward like /. Routing up some ducting would not be hard, I do not have fog lights and I have hollowed out the stock fog light cover/grill thing before, and left the grill in place. Basically, behind the foglight grill it is a plastic sheet, and drilled that out for a stock appearance but with air flow through it.

I have toyed around with the idea of using windshield sprayers from an 02 civic and mount them in front of the IC to spray WW fluid on them. Little trick from the scoob forums, and the civic sprayers are not jetted, more like mist. Thats something I will do for the 7, but probably not for the pro. Just... don't need it, ya know?

And here is the thread:
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.ph...cooler+coating

yup yup, good ideas being tossed around.