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The intention here is to end up with a well sorted and fun street car. I'm interested in power under the curve and the ability to use common pump gas; not so much peak power and usage of high octane blends or E85.
I had no real plans of pursuing this route with the car when I first bought it, but things seem to change. Before I dive into where things currently sit, I'd like to quickly run thru how we ended up in the present situation.
I picked up the car in September of 2016 - my first FD. It's a '93 BB Touring. The exterior came with a 99 spec front and rear tails and some unflattering wheels. The engine was remanufactured and running the stock twins. It also had intake, FMIC, aluminum rad and AST, exhaust, and a Power FC. Overall, it was a great buy.
First order of business was to give her a solid tune up and find some stock wheels for the time being:
Then came some Tein coilovers, Work Emotion CRs, and Dunlop tires.
She stayed pretty much in this state for the better part of a year. Then, on one gloomy January afternoon in 2018, the engine popped. At the time, I was living in a condo with no garage. I called my buddy and we towed it back to the parking lot where it sat for nearly a year and a half.
I bought my first house early in 2019 and began to tear into the car in May. It's not a big garage, so it's critical to keep it clean and uncluttered!
Engine bay shot before disassembly. Note the mud dauber nest on the rad fan (and also the highly questionable battery securement - Lol)
Hover-craft mode engaged:
Nearly ready to be snatched out
And it's gone!
The engine is a little chunker with its twins, their controls, and all the emissions crap.
I think my e-shaft pulley bolt was 5X tighter than the flywheel nut, and I didn't have a flywheel stopper tool at the time. Had to get creative with how to prevent the engine from rotating.
Engine disassembled - you ready for some damage?
So the rear rotor is damaged from the apex seal failure. Ready for the rear housing?
So yeah, that can't be used again. Surely the front rotor housing is in fine condition though, right?
Eh, no such luck.
I was quite discourage when I saw this. Two bad housing and one bad rotor. Terrible thoughts started racing through my mind involving 8 cylinders...
I decided to stay true to the car's roots. Provided the extent of the damage, I went with a new OEM 13B-REW and paired it with an 8374. I nearly went for the 7670 but didn't feel the 13B was a great match - it seemed the turbo was generally forced to operate outside of its efficiency range when paired with the engine. I like the power levels that can be achieved with the 8374 at low boost levels.
My goal for the car is to put down around 400WHP. I wanted to keep the engine as-built by Mazda, so I did not crack it open for any modification. The plan to safely support this power level is to use conservative tuning and AI (water only), along with all required supporting mods of course.
She's a beaut -
Getting it all dressed up
Fuel is handled by a FFE step-up kit. New OEM 550CC primaries paired with ID2000 secondaries should provide plenty of overhead.
Also, it's a great time to finally take care of that annoying 5th gear grind. Let's open up the trans and address it:
I'd say we found the problem
Should be good to go now.
Trans is bolted back on and in it goes! Not shown is ACT street/strip clutch installed. Should handle this power level fine.
Finally back home
Next big piece before I can start it is the wiring harness. The original plan was to modify the stock one for the single conversion, but it quite literally fell apart in my hands as I removed it from the engine. I would have required almost all new electrical connectors as well. New harness should be in next week though. Hope to start it before next weekend!
In for updates. I'd go with a similarly mild setup and the same turbo, given the chance.
I will continue to update this thread until she's officially buttoned up! I glossed over many things in the interest of brevity. Posts from here on out will contain more detail as they will be "real time".
Originally Posted by DaleClark
Looking good! That's going to be a great setup.
Dale
Thanks. I'm really excited to feel first hand how this things drives. Stock ports should allow for some good down low pickup and overall enjoyable driving experience.
Looking good man! Are you staying with the PFC? If you're having a new harness made then I'd STRONGLY recommend an ECU update as well!! www.lms-efi.com can scratch both those itches and he's been a solid contributor yo the community forever!!
Looking good man! Are you staying with the PFC? If you're having a new harness made then I'd STRONGLY recommend an ECU update as well!! www.lms-efi.com can scratch both those itches and he's been a solid contributor yo the community forever!!
Yeah, sticking with the PFC - I already have the Datalogit hardware and software for it which I'm familiar with. And that's funny that you mention LMS EFI as that's who I ordered the harness from. Chris is a really friendly guy and builds a high quality product. I wasn't expecting the harness to arrive until Monday, but it came in today
Yeah, sticking with the PFC - I already have the Datalogit hardware and software for it which I'm familiar with.
Ah, I gotcha. So long as you're keeping the power low I guess the PFC should be ok. I got rid of mine due to the complete and utter lack of failsafes, which cost me a motor.
Originally Posted by sawski478
And that's funny that you mention LMS EFI as that's who I ordered the harness from. Chris is a really friendly guy and builds a high quality product. I wasn't expecting the harness to arrive until Monday, but it came in today
Good deal a new harness (that's well made) can be a real (engine) lifesaver!!
Fuel tank has been drained of the nearly two year old fuel, blew the feed and return lines out with some air, and replaced the fuel filter. I've seen Dale's thread on the 20 minute fuel filter change, but man, I'm just not that gifted. I must have taken twice that long. What an inconvenient location for a serviceable filter!
Also, swapped out the fuel pump for an AEM 340LPH. I will hard wire that to the battery using the original power source to trigger a relay, but I don't necessarily have to have that completed before the first start up.
The LMS-EFI engine harness is in! Also ordered a fast reacting IAT sensor with the harness connector suited for that. I'm choosing to maintain the OMP, ISC, and purge control, so the harness has the appropriate provisions for all.
The old, mangled harness is up top. New shown on the bottom.
Here's a side-by-side of one of the old and new ECU plugs. It's a good example of the condition on many of the connectors on the original harness. Look at how drastically simplified the wiring becomes when eliminating the twin turbo controls and the bulk of emission controls
Ah, I gotcha. So long as you're keeping the power low I guess the PFC should be ok. I got rid of mine due to the complete and utter lack of failsafes, which cost me a motor.
Yeah, I did consider more modern engine management. Call it sunk cost fallacy but I couldn't convince myself to get rid of the PFC just yet. I do really wish it had the ability to pull timing or revert to a knock table based on knock level!
Awesome build. Love the direction. I'm running an almost identical setup- stock port, 8374, pfc, FFE/550/id2000. What are your plans for the intercooler setup, you keeping the front mount? In for updates.
Awesome build. Love the direction. I'm running an almost identical setup- stock port, 8374, pfc, FFE/550/id2000. What are your plans for the intercooler setup, you keeping the front mount? In for updates.
I just read thru your thread - what I am doing pales in comparison to the scope of your build! I'm fortunate that I don't have to tackle any body work like you did as I know how time consuming and difficult it can be to get it perfect. But yeah, there is definitely a lot in common with out powertrain setups.
Planning to keep the FMIC - it's a Greddy kit and it in really good condition. I realize I sacrifice some cooling performance by blocking the radiator, but I'm not worried about it leading to overheating conditions with how this car will be driven. Plus, I really like the way the front mount looks behind the '99 spec bumper
I just read thru your thread - what I am doing pales in comparison to the scope of your build! I'm fortunate that I don't have to tackle any body work like you did as I know how time consuming and difficult it can be to get it perfect. But yeah, there is definitely a lot in common with out powertrain setups.
Planning to keep the FMIC - it's a Greddy kit and it in really good condition. I realize I sacrifice some cooling performance by blocking the radiator, but I'm not worried about it leading to overheating conditions with how this car will be driven. Plus, I really like the way the front mount looks behind the '99 spec bumper
A front mount IC is nice aesthetically behind the bumper, especially on a black car, I just never could wrap my head around how the radiator gets much cool air at all back there. Yea, major bodywork sucks $$$, especially when you weren't prepared for it. So what's next? What do you have in mind for tuning or will you tune it yourself? Ignition system? That wire harness looks like the ticket.
Last edited by aplscrambles; 01-08-20 at 01:31 PM.
A front mount IC is nice aesthetically behind the bumper, especially on a black car, I just never could wrap my head around how the radiator gets much cool air at all back there. Yea, major bodywork sucks $$$, especially when you weren't prepared for it. So what's next? What do you have in mind for tuning or will you tune it yourself? Ignition system? That wire harness looks like the ticket.
FWIW, there are several OEMs that run charge air coolers and radiators in series. The radiator just has to be sized so that it can deal with the smaller delta between engine coolant and "preheated" air it's drawing in. I'm sure my setup wouldn't do well on a track, but I've driven it on numerous hot days (~100F) with the A/C blowing cold and never had trouble keeping my coolant temps in check. The fluidyne radiator has proven to be effective.
I plan to give it a base tune myself. Still undecided on who I'll hand it over to for a dyne tune. Need to find someone in Georgia who has a good reputation with rotary tuning. For ignition I'm using an HKS twin power unit. We will see how it does. And yes, the harness is sick!
Managed to completely mangle my coolant level sensor. One might not realize that it used to have threads! I was filling up my coolant and saw I had a leak from this guy - no wonder why.
The plastic was left behind in the aluminum casting. Was able to chase the threads and clear it all out though. Got a new sensor and we are leak free now. I turned the engine over a few times today to get the oil flowing thru the engine and turbo - Hoping for a first start this weekend if not tomorrow!
I love the direction you're going! To me, a build where efficiency/reliability > power is the best kind of build because I think the end goal is maximum seat time
Was having trouble initially with it starting - engine turned over and would try to fire up, but immediately die. A quick sensor check showed that the MAP/PIM was outputting a constant 4.99V. I got out the multimeter and realized there was no continuity between the sensor ground wire and the associated ECU terminal. I traced it back to the connector (X-05 I think) and saw that pin in the harness connector was one below where it should have been. I relocated it and the problem was fixed. Engine started up with no trouble and sounds great. Time to sort out all of the little things now (small fluid leaks, plumbing IC piping, etc.)
Originally Posted by 4RotorDreams
I love the direction you're going! To me, a build where efficiency/reliability > power is the best kind of build because I think the end goal is maximum seat time
V excited to see the end result
Thanks! I agree - reliability, with a healthy amount of power, is the name of the game for me.
Been busy that last few days with little things on the car. Before the engine let go nearly two years ago, I noticed the LH rear caliper was beginning to stick. After sitting for so long with the blown engine, that brake was entirely seized. I had to beat the caliper off the rotor with a dead blow so that I could roll it onto the trailer. Anyway, it was time to address that finally. Caliper has been rebuilt - it looked like the piston o-ring was compromised and let moisture in which which then lead to a lot of rust and debris in there.
I had a small fuel leak on the return line where I used the hard line adapter that came with the FFE kit. I made the mistake of not seating the fitting all the way down on the hardline after I cut the tube because I cut above the "hose stop" feature or whatever it is. That meant I had to cut the tube again at a lower point so I could install a replacement fitting. It was a bit of a pain to access that area with the engine in to replace the adapter, but it's done!
Also installed new rad hoses, an FC fan switch, and new power steering pump reservoir hose. All little things that will ultimately make the car more reliable and run better.
I rewired the fuel pump this weekend with 10ga wire running from the battery to the FP electrical connector. Also added an additional ground. It's very convenient that Mazda provided a bracket with an available space to mount a relay right next to an existing one - makes for a clean installation.
The most exciting news next to the first start was getting the car back on the ground. She finally moved under her own power for the first time in two years! I had to pull her out for a quick wash before she went back into the garage for more work.
Next thing to do is sort out the hot side intercooler piping. I ordered a generic kit with several mandrel bent and bead rolled pipes that should allow me to come up with something. I will likely need to cut the existing pipe and weld another to it that bends towards the compressor housing. After that's sorted out, I will be able to start driving it and breaking in the engine and clutch!
Not sure if you are aware of this or not, but the EFR compressor housings can be cut down to utilize a v band connection instead of welding a cast elbow or using a silicon elbow to make some bends. I didn't know that when I made my piping and wish I did before I tore in to it lol. Build is looking great, you'll be very happy with this turbo!
01-03-20, 11:29 PM
a new harness (that's well made) can be a real (engine) lifesaver!!
