MR2 Roadster turbo
Discussion
I started this in covid but work, life, taking everything to bits and expecting to get it all back together in 3 weeks actually took 3 years - you all know the story.....
Started as my Mrs' road car which she put through a fence (diesel spill), I repaired, she got swiped by a van, came home told me she wasn't driving it again, nicked my Subaru Legacy so I thought time to get back into motorsport after retiring from rallying due to mortgage and kids in the mid 90's.
I don't have time today to explain the whole process but I'll do a story in pictures and update when I can - it's been a laugh....
I'll start at the beginning with the pics and try get them in order if this site will allow
Started as my Mrs' road car which she put through a fence (diesel spill), I repaired, she got swiped by a van, came home told me she wasn't driving it again, nicked my Subaru Legacy so I thought time to get back into motorsport after retiring from rallying due to mortgage and kids in the mid 90's.
I don't have time today to explain the whole process but I'll do a story in pictures and update when I can - it's been a laugh....
I'll start at the beginning with the pics and try get them in order if this site will allow
Edited by LordTets on Thursday 6th June 18:59
Passed the MOT on Friday so ready for alignment!
The AEM Wideband is just showing what looks like an error code - SEN5 but I think I have a spare so need to swap that out.
Also need a new exhaust before Barbon Hillclimb - It's a sports cat and pipe only and even with the turbo it's ASBO loud and no chance of passing a noise test.
If I can get the exhaust, I might book the track day at Three Sisters on Monday 8th July before the hillclimb on the 13th
The AEM Wideband is just showing what looks like an error code - SEN5 but I think I have a spare so need to swap that out.
Also need a new exhaust before Barbon Hillclimb - It's a sports cat and pipe only and even with the turbo it's ASBO loud and no chance of passing a noise test.
If I can get the exhaust, I might book the track day at Three Sisters on Monday 8th July before the hillclimb on the 13th
Just a standard 1ZZ with the PE Turbo kit from about 15 years ago
The kit was designed to run with no water or intercooling and standard injectors but with a rising rate regulator
It's a really small turbo that spools at 1200rpm so no lag which is what I wanted for the hillclimbs - not after massive power but low down torque and drivability out of the slow bends! The turbo was checked and serviced before I bought it and in good nick!
I've also fitted a paddle clutch and JDM gearbox with LSD which has lower ratio's so should be great off the line and out of the hairpins.
I have 2ZZ injectors and an Emanage Blue to add but been struggling with connecting it to a pc so we'll go with what we have for the time being.
Also braced underneath and will flat floor it in the future as regs say it has to look standard from the side so I'll have to aero it underneath!
have a new set of Rota's with 100 TW Accelera's (they were cheap as I'm on the driver programme) so we'll see how that goes - it's on MR2 rims with Rainsports (wets) atm
Any questions, fire away
cheers
Steve
The kit was designed to run with no water or intercooling and standard injectors but with a rising rate regulator
It's a really small turbo that spools at 1200rpm so no lag which is what I wanted for the hillclimbs - not after massive power but low down torque and drivability out of the slow bends! The turbo was checked and serviced before I bought it and in good nick!
I've also fitted a paddle clutch and JDM gearbox with LSD which has lower ratio's so should be great off the line and out of the hairpins.
I have 2ZZ injectors and an Emanage Blue to add but been struggling with connecting it to a pc so we'll go with what we have for the time being.
Also braced underneath and will flat floor it in the future as regs say it has to look standard from the side so I'll have to aero it underneath!
have a new set of Rota's with 100 TW Accelera's (they were cheap as I'm on the driver programme) so we'll see how that goes - it's on MR2 rims with Rainsports (wets) atm
Any questions, fire away
cheers
Steve
Love this, they are such fun cars and incredible for the money.
I did something very similar with an Old GReddy kit and an MX-5.
If I may offer one piece of advice - abandon the rising rate regulator and the Emanage.
I struggled through for ages with this type of setup, under the assumption that it was fine in 2002 so I must be able to get it to run better. Hours and hours of fiddling and tuning spent on it, mucking about with laptops to run ancient software, data logging, constant panicking and studying of the AEM wideband gauge and knock light, flooding or not starting when hot
Eventually relented and threw the whole lot in the bin and went with a bang up to date standalone ECU and modern injectors (with a standard fixed regulator and return fuel system).
It was immediately, instantly, infinitely better, even on an off the shelf base map. After a minimal amount of tuning, it was to all intents and purposes unmistakable to a factory built and developed car, more power, less fuel used, perfect starts and reliability etc. Mine too was tuned for pickup, low down shove and drivability, just what would make yours absolutely perfect for hillclimbing and sprints.
Honestly, consider it....
I did something very similar with an Old GReddy kit and an MX-5.
If I may offer one piece of advice - abandon the rising rate regulator and the Emanage.
I struggled through for ages with this type of setup, under the assumption that it was fine in 2002 so I must be able to get it to run better. Hours and hours of fiddling and tuning spent on it, mucking about with laptops to run ancient software, data logging, constant panicking and studying of the AEM wideband gauge and knock light, flooding or not starting when hot
Eventually relented and threw the whole lot in the bin and went with a bang up to date standalone ECU and modern injectors (with a standard fixed regulator and return fuel system).
It was immediately, instantly, infinitely better, even on an off the shelf base map. After a minimal amount of tuning, it was to all intents and purposes unmistakable to a factory built and developed car, more power, less fuel used, perfect starts and reliability etc. Mine too was tuned for pickup, low down shove and drivability, just what would make yours absolutely perfect for hillclimbing and sprints.
Honestly, consider it....
Edited by snotrag on Tuesday 25th June 21:00
The weekend was a massive success.
I'd only done about 5 miles in the car in rush hour traffic to the MOT centre and alignment place so had to take a complete guess at settings.
Camber bolts would only give me -0.5 negative on the front with a degree of toe out and then decided on -2.0 degrees at the back with a degree of toe in. Didn't have time to mess further. (I know I have adjustment on the top mounts but I hadn't touched the bolts and didn't want to snap anything)
Ideally I want -2.0 front and -2.5 back but I was treating it as a test - be interested to hear other peoples settings for track
The exhaust was almost standard quite so definitely restrictive but wasn't sure how much as I'd not even had it on boost.
Suspension set on 8 front and 6 back with 28psi front and 32 back on the Accelera 100 TW semi slick.
I'd also not done any competition driving since the 90's and never been up Barbon Hillclimb apart from as a spectator so wasn't expecting much.
Through scrutineering without issue and onto the practice runs.
First run managed a 38 seconds - The Porsche that won the class was at 31
2nd practice I got a 35 but had fuel starvation after the 2 left handers - fuel pick up is front left but I thought I had plenty of fuel in (turns out I need well over half a tank even though it's baffled)
The timed runs I had a high 34 and a low 34 and with the weather holding off they squeezed in a 3rd run.
Managed a 33.3 with the Porsche winning on a 29.something
I reckon I had a couple of seconds in me as I know where I was losing time and with a bit more time with the set up I'd like to think I could be within a second or 2 of the Porsche.
I dropped the tyre pressure for the timed runs as I'm certain I was too high (and still think I can go lower)
Tyres were really very good by the way.
Hoping I can get a late entry for Scammonden a week on Sunday.
Wideband packed up SEN5 on the screen so no idea of mixture and no idea what boost I was at as I never had time to look at the gauges - need to give it a run on the road this weekend and have a look!
I'd only done about 5 miles in the car in rush hour traffic to the MOT centre and alignment place so had to take a complete guess at settings.
Camber bolts would only give me -0.5 negative on the front with a degree of toe out and then decided on -2.0 degrees at the back with a degree of toe in. Didn't have time to mess further. (I know I have adjustment on the top mounts but I hadn't touched the bolts and didn't want to snap anything)
Ideally I want -2.0 front and -2.5 back but I was treating it as a test - be interested to hear other peoples settings for track
The exhaust was almost standard quite so definitely restrictive but wasn't sure how much as I'd not even had it on boost.
Suspension set on 8 front and 6 back with 28psi front and 32 back on the Accelera 100 TW semi slick.
I'd also not done any competition driving since the 90's and never been up Barbon Hillclimb apart from as a spectator so wasn't expecting much.
Through scrutineering without issue and onto the practice runs.
First run managed a 38 seconds - The Porsche that won the class was at 31
2nd practice I got a 35 but had fuel starvation after the 2 left handers - fuel pick up is front left but I thought I had plenty of fuel in (turns out I need well over half a tank even though it's baffled)
The timed runs I had a high 34 and a low 34 and with the weather holding off they squeezed in a 3rd run.
Managed a 33.3 with the Porsche winning on a 29.something
I reckon I had a couple of seconds in me as I know where I was losing time and with a bit more time with the set up I'd like to think I could be within a second or 2 of the Porsche.
I dropped the tyre pressure for the timed runs as I'm certain I was too high (and still think I can go lower)
Tyres were really very good by the way.
Hoping I can get a late entry for Scammonden a week on Sunday.
Wideband packed up SEN5 on the screen so no idea of mixture and no idea what boost I was at as I never had time to look at the gauges - need to give it a run on the road this weekend and have a look!
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