Spool or FMprotege?
 

I'm looking to getting a turbo for my MP5, any advantages or disadvantages with both. I want a kit that works safely with my engine and has very good realibility.

Thanks!

id go with spool. thats gonna be my next project. start with a stage 2, and upgrade from there. the begi/fm kit has a manifold that can't touch the spool's tubular one. you will get so much more power from the spool. it seems to be reliable, and nobody has given any negative feedback about it. i really like the fact that its upgradable, bc i will defanitely be goin to stage 3 at least. where the BEGI kit is just a one stage kit, and they dont do anything about fuel management. that worries me. if your gonna be getting into running any decent amount of boost, your gonna need engine management of some kind, and the spool stage 4 has that. thats what i would suggest.

I have been looking at both kits and so far the upside of the spool turbo is the room for upgradability and the manifold design which is race spec. The problem that I run into with the spool kit is that the kit removes one of the cats which equals a better chance of failing emmisions. It would be the *$%@'s if you spend a couple of G's and you fail emmisions.
So, right now I'm leaning towards the FMprotege kit which retains both cats.

Does anyone have any imput of either kit. There are many of you running FI, pls speak up...

Thanks!

FM is accually working on a fuel solution that goes beyond the FMU that the kit currently uses as is Spool. The stage 4 for Spool is not even out yet, but is soon to be. If you are familiar with the FM kits for the Miatas, you know that they can take time to get their good shit out, but once its out...Move out of the way.

making a choice and buying a turbo kit because of "stage" choices is a BAD idea.... I'm not saying the spool kit is bad, but just making a choice base on more "stages" is bad

"stage" kits are a marketing ploy setup by some "genius" a long time ago... the term is vague and "stage 2" can mean a different thing from a different company making the same product!

I,d go with SPOOL only because you get a better manifold .I say both are pretty equal but that log mani from FM has to go. Looks wise the FM is nicer but performance wise SPOOL is the way to go.

I'd go with FM, because look at what they have done with the Miata.

It is only a matter of time until they start making some serious stuff for the Protege as well.

Sure the FM Protege manifold is a log style one, but it is bullet proof and will last forever. Durability and quality go hand in hand. I'm not saying Terry's (Spool) is bad or will wear out fast. I'm just commenting on what I have and am very happy with.

Any turbo kit that is out now has fuel and timing issues as no one has cracked the Protege ECU and been able to effectively deal with it. FM is closer with the advent of the O-2 voltage clamp or "device." Unfortunately, the device only really helps out in partial throttle.

Both Terry's and FM's kits are using some form of fuel pressure regulator to dump in more fuel. But timing is still a concern, particularly for the MP3.

Both FM and Terry are working on some way to deal with the fuel and timing issues to cover all throttle positions. The stock Protege ECU has huge control over the fuel and timing, that is why it is posing to be such a problem.

Read the little thing that Keith at FM wrote about this very issue on FM Protege's web site to get an idea of what is going on.

But yea thats miatas we are talking about MP3's and MP5's and Proteges I have had the Spool kit on for like 5 months and there is no problems at all not even w/ the fuel and about the stages its for people that dont have all that money all at once but want to be boosting! I'd say go w/ Spool

BOTH, kits have there +'s and -'s. Call both companies. 90% of the time an actual person will answer. Both Companies are both very customer service orientated. But they should be, they sell 3500$ products. Talk to the guys. They do this because it's what there into. Both are putting out the best products they feel they can. I've searched these boards for the last 2 months and still haven't made a final decision. But.....right now i'm leaning toward Spoolin. Terry is a pretty cool guy.

Something else to keep in mind, Terry's kit loses one of the cats, which might make it difficult to pass an emissions test. Particularly if the do an actual visual inspection.

The Flyin' Protege kit retains both cats, which will make it easier for them to get CARB approval.

Choose what you want.

Looking at what a company has done gives a good indication of where they will go. FM has done some serious stuff with the Miata, the Protege isn't far behind. Spool is a brand new company.

And both kits have timing issues...Fuel delivery is handled with the AFPR (Flyin' Protege) or an FMU (Spool). The ECU causes the timing issues that limit the amount of boost that can be run safely, particularly with the MP3. Both kits have this problem.

Like I said before, both companies are working on a better solution to the fuel and timing issue. Personally, I think FM has more knowledge about this than Spool as they have been at it longer. But that is just MHO.

Yeh, But, from what ive heard, any bolt on turbo will fail a visual inspection. removing a cat will turn it from a ULEV to a LEV whoopdidoo. I will still pass a stink test in 50 states. like i said, call both companies. educate yourself, search the boards for awhile, then drop 3500$

Price???


Fmiata kit already sells with the intercooler @ $3595
Spool stage 3 kit (intercooled) is $3695

or at least thats what his site says.

I wouldnt say that their kits have issues. Its our cars that has the issues we have work with.

Im leaning towards Spoolins kit. he puts up better numbers and from what ive heard he has 20 or so kits out there. FM is a great kit. But if Spoolins got a big community of rides out there. hes got a interest in keeping his riders happy. you dont see many complaimers from either camp. I would rather but from a guy who has his experience. Spoolin has always treated me great. FM is on the West. im from Atlanta. Spoolin is in Miami. I run an Auto, Spoolin has a auto turbo out there. Its all in the comfort level. Spoolin has my trust.

Yeah, but the Fmiata kit has a small, mazdaspeed protege-style intercooler (mounts practically behind one of the fog lights), whereas the Spool intercooler is a larger front mount.

Um, no...The size is smaller than what Terry sells, but the design is more efficient than what Terry sells, hence the size doesn't need to be huge for 6-8 psi. And it is certainly more efficient than the MSP.

And it mounts right on the left edge of the grill, not behind the fog light.

I'd be interested to see how efficient each intercooler actually is with temp tests and flow loss. Then an argument can be made as to who's is "better".

Same goes for the manifolds...All else being equal a tubular manifold (like Terry's) CAN flow better than a log style (Flyin' Protege's). However, it isn't just a given that it will.

A log style manifold can out flow a poorly designed tubular manifold easily. I'm not saying Terry's is poorly designed, but until you test flow both manifolds, don't make blanket statements like that either.