BUILD: My love-hate relationship with the latest SW20

[tooomanyprojects]

Car was painted by a fellow MR2 owner and personal friend of mine.

All the issues are sorted with the car although it's changed set up since the last update. And I have more plans to come.

[tooomanyprojects]

Just realised that it had been a while since I last posted anything.

Car has been through several changes and is currently undergoing more.

I went to a trunk mounted intercooler set up. Original plan free air from under the car, and out the back between the tails.

Intercooler

Center panel

I also finished up the wheel re-furb and had a go at making my own exhaust.

Wheels and exhaust

Since those pictures, I have fitted coilovers and white line swaybars. Now drawing air from under the car doesn't work as well so I'm changing up the intercooler, it will draw air from the side vents and out the bottom.

I have also removed the interior to strip the sound deadning and removed the OEM turbo and manifold to upgrade, so watch this space

[tooomanyprojects]

I've started decides to re-do the loom as well with all this spare time. It's amazing how much wore you can remove and have everything still running.


Also, here is a little teaser for anyone actually reading/watching

[Benckj]

I’m watching

[GDII]

I've started decides to re-do the loom as well with all this spare time. It's amazing how much wore you can remove and have everything still running.


Also, here is a little teaser for anyone actually reading/watching ;)IMG_20200415_131907.jpg

The OEM puts in quite a few things that are required to meet manufacturing rules of the times and adding features that are nice to have. Some things are there that a lot of people don't understand are there for a reason of a car that the manufacture is trying to sell as a quiet reliable drivable car. You wouldn't want to buy a car that didn't have AC, smelt funny because of no emissions gear or was noisey. Well at leas the people buying the cars new from the dealer, rather than someone 30 years later and the 5th-10th owner. OEMs don't care about people like us.

Now that's a real turbo. Definitely keen to see where this goes!

[tooomanyprojects]

Sadly won't be able to fit the turbo untill I have a manifold made, which will not be started until after lockdown.


But I've been keeping busy. Have the location of the turbo somewhat sorted. Plan is to run it with the compressor side facing the original intercooler ducting. I will make up a blanking plate and use the intercooler shroud as a cold air intake. Also shortens my intercooler piping buy roughly 400mm or so.

I made up a blanking plate for the passenger side vent as I'm going to duct the air to the intercooler in the boot.

Will try post updates as I tick things off. But covid has me running out of parts/things to do very quickly.

[GDII]

Beautiful block off plate. The ones you get with the Greddy style intercoolers are terrible. Don't fit well and do not block off the air going around the intercooler. I'll be sure to make one like yours but have the intercooler hole in it and seal it with some decent rubber seals. That's good inspiration for others. Thanks!

[Benckj]

I like your design and can understand the dynamics of using what limited air flow source is available. Keep in mind the hot exhaust including hoses in close proximity that need some decent air circulation. Not sure if your plans include a top fan on engine lid but might be worth consideration.

[GDII]

You are right Jim. Need to consider the air flow of the MR2 engine bay. Up from the bottom and through the side intakes/vents and out through the top and forwards towards the rear window. Take a look at the direction of the vent louvres on a stock turbo engine lid. The face forwards, not backwards. Are goes from over the roof, drops down at the backlog the engine lid, circulates forwards the back up the window and then out the top.

There is a video a guy posted on YouTube showing models of the MR2 versions in a water flow bath with nitrogen bubbles acting as smoke like a wind tunnel. It shows this exact roof to engine lid circulation phenomenon.

[tooomanyprojects]

Once I have the manifold I intend to make up some heat shields to help keep heat away from sensitive areas. I also intend to wrap the downpipe (and probable mid pipe) to keep heat in the exhaust and out of the engine bay as much as possible.

As for the air circulation in/out of the engine bay, I am currently mocking up a custom "engine lid" of sorts. although it isn't really an engine lid, it will replace the lid and side panels.

I'll post pictures of that once I have finished it/once I'm happy.

Have talked with Sinco customs about my manifold and once they are able to go back to work we will begin mocking things up.

List of things to do is still long but slow progress is still progress.

[tooomanyprojects]

Just a little update. Wiring is getting close to finish, a little teaser of how it'll look.

Wiring

I will be using milspec bulk head connectors to pass through the fire wall. Mounting the ECU and "engine bay" fuse box behind the driver's seat.


Also sinco has started my manifold. It's gonna be a bit of a process as they will be making it remotely (they don't have my car). This is the first step. Tacking up the flanges and sending it back.

Manifold position

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Planned turbo location

[Benckj]

Interesting to see in reverse layout with intake on RHS. Without an AC there is more space to work with there. What are plans for IC?

[tooomanyprojects]

Interesting to see in reverse layout with intake on RHS. Without an AC there is more space to work with there. What are plans for IC?

I have an air to air intercooler mounted in the boot with the floor cut out. The "hot pipe" will run across the timing cover/rocker cover side of engine into the boot and the "cold pipe" will come out an enlarged hole that is usually used by the engine/body loom. I think I have photos of this up already but could be mistaken.


Also, the "first draft" of the manifold turned up yesterday, test fitted it today.

Big ups to Sinco. The manifold fit on thier first attempt.

Basically they sent me the collector and flanges.

Flanges

I tacked some steel rod between to show placement.

Flanges tacked

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Took a bunch of photos, sent it back and they tacked this beast together.

Manifold

(It's not complete, but they made all the areas that we're going to be tight fit.


Those guys are the real deal when it comes to fab work.



This is how it sits in the engine bay.

Manifold fitted

Turbo and manifold

[tooomanyprojects]

Just a little update, started outing some if the interior back in, mocked up the new ECU and "engine bay fuse box" mounting.

New ECU location

Got the manifold back from sinco, made a heat sheild for the OEM oil cooler, modified my dipstick

Finished manifold, with heat sheild for the oil cooler

Sat the turbo in and figured out how I'm gonna route the lines.

Turbo and manifold.

I also got my injectors and fuel rail sorted/mocked up.
I chopped the bottom off my old fuel rail to make adapters for the new top feed injectors, and I'm using a gen4 gtt rail.

Injectors

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Next up is putting the last few connectors on the loom, fitting the fuel rail/injectors/lines and making up the turbo lines.

[Benckj]

That actuator is very close to exhaust outlet. It may not survive long in that location unless you have a heat shield and air flow route planned.