Been busy upgrading, as usual running late as have rebuilt the front end with wider bones and now a Turbo is coming together


Installed_rear_june2009_small


Installed_top_june2009_small


Installed_side_june2009_small

It seems to take me forever to do stuff these days, the manifold was a struggle.


Thanks to Scootz for this piece of kit, it seems pretty cool, no oil or water pipes or wastegate required as its got variable vanes, planning 8PSI to protect the gearbox and clutch.

Anyone know what Holeshot do to the cam timing on Fireblade engines, I believe they advance the inlet....


Cheers Mark



[Edited on 25/5/09 by mark chandler]

Ooooh an exposed turbo. You just wanna show off!!!

You need to cut slots in both the cam timing sprockets - they need to be about 9 or 10mm from memory.

Malc of MB CUSTOMSdid mine. 01323 743733

quote:

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Originally posted by mark chandler
Anyone know what Holeshot do to the cam timing on Fireblade engines, I believe they advance the inlet....
[Edited on 25/5/09 by mark chandler]

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That's just showing off having the turbo on show, wish i had thought of that when i did mine was a nightmare to keep it in the engine bay

Bit afraid to stick it inside TBH, no watercooling or oil so it must get pretty hot.

Thanks for the number Steve, I,ll call tomorrow first thing.

Cheers Mark

[Edited on 25/5/09 by mark chandler]

Very nice mate - looks good! I'm thinking I may have to have a partially exposed turbo as well, as it looks like trying to fit it within the bay will severely compromise manifold design now that I have moved the engine back 5 inches

Are you supporting the turbo at all? It's a heavy lump of a thing to have dangling on the end of 18ins of hot tubes - it'll probably need some support that allows a bit of movement as the manifold expands and contracts. I've see some good home-made supports that use an old valve spring welded to a bracket.

Does the variable vane unit use an actuator to vary the vane position? How about boost control - is this a normal wastegate arrangement?

Cheers,
Tom

Just aded this link to favorites. Wanna watch the progress!!

What year blade you running?

Hello Tom

Its a third in, a very big lump sits behind the main body that controls the vanes, this is why its so far forward to avoid knocking into the oil filter and drops below the main frame diagonal.

No wastegate as it directs the exhaust on or off the vanes negating the need. I will stick on a BOV.

It also has a number of vacumn points on the actuator so I will need to experiment with these as it came without instructions.

No bracket as yet, next weeks task.

The engine was a 893 originally, the bumps in the paint are where the rod exited last year so its now a 918 lump.

Megasquirt EFI using 954 throttle bodies
Cheers Mark

I envy the passenger, he'll get a good view of a bright orange turbo......

fantastic stuff, looks great.

You fitted EFI to a 893 thats now 918...awesome

As there any reason you decided to go EFI as although my knowledge is limited with turbo setups I thought you could run the carb setup?

How did you get a base setting for the megasquirt?

Fitted because its easier to tune and I had a megasquirt box lying around from a Rv8 install.

No faffing about with jets, I tuned with a JAW wideband sensor stuffed in the exhaust.

Bike carbs previously were dynojetted with free air filter, fitting the EFI improved power and torque above this setup to the degree that it caused the clutch to slip.

Regards Mark

Made the exhaust Sunday afternoon, just got to plumb in the intercooler now so anither half a day and I should have everything in the correct place.

Task after that is to insert some rods to stop the inlet plenumn bulging out and improve the inlet manifold so the TB's do not seperate from the head.


Turbo_long_rear_small_01June20


Turbo_top_small_01June2009.JPG

Intercooler in, after reading corky bells book I welded some external ducting to stop spilling air.
Rescued attachment Intercooler_rad_low_view_small.JPG

bugger thats good

wow nice work!
paul

it looks very good hope it all goes well for you

Its been a busy few weeks, I found my megasquirt was so old that I had to replace the MAP sensor, it had the earlier 115kpa sensor so now replaced with the 250kpa version.

Cars all up and running so I decided to test the set up to ensure it would hold pressure and not overboost so jacked the rear wheels off the ground, stuck it in 6th, flat out on the throttle and hard on the brakes!!!

Result, as boost builds (which is very quickly) I cannot hold the revs on the footbrake, smoking calipers after 10 seconds but confirmed 6psi boost from 3000 rpm building to 10,000rpm lambda values a bit weak but not piston hole time.

So have added a bit more fuel at the top end, this has added a bit more power as I cannot get near WOT and hold it back.

Next job then, book a track day... ye haw.

NB/ lots of red hot manifold and and burning paint.

You sir are a frikkin' looney!

I'd doff my hat if I were wearing one

Managed to get on to a private road today for a little try, the performance on a completely standard engine running around 6PSI is

*****UNBELIEVABLE*****

Not a lot of boost below 4000rpm but then it comes in very quickly and shoves the car forward, it makes 5th and 6th gears feel like 2nd and 3rd.

Previously the car would break the rear wheels free under acceleration in 1st, this happens now in third doing ~50mph

Then the bad news..... The engine was sold to me as good, it overheated really quickly and upon inspection it’s been frozen, creating a couple of cracks under the exhaust ports which have been cunningly filled with some kind of putty...

It runs perfectly so I will drag out at the weekend and have a go at welding these area's, at least if the turbo blows it up its a scrap engine I suppose.

Was hoping to do a track day at Woodbridge, will have to can this idea so aiming for Brands evening on the 15 Aug now.

Car also sounds great, much quieter than before with a satisfying Psssshhhh as it boosts up, at least my hard work has not been in vain.

Cheers Mark

[Edited on 29/7/09 by mark chandler]

Well done Mark - I bet you are glad to have it finished!

I thought that engine was suspiciously cheap - still, if you can't fix it, at least you can find out how much boost it will take before it goes pop

If I'm around on the 15th I'll pop along to Brands to see how it goes. Didn't know there were any private roads near you ;-)

Tom

Thanks Tom

It has taken a lot of time, for what looks like a little bit of effort, but initial impression is very worthwhile.

I,m glad you pointed me in the boost it direction, it just seems more satisfying cobbling bits an bobs together and getting real power gains, maybe as much as £300 to transform the car.

This was also the first time I have driven with the wider front end, this also feels good, to the degree the back end feels a little loose now (or could just be the power) so some 205's and arches may be called for.

I,ll let you know if I book up brands, if I can sort the engine out this weekend then should be good to go.

Cheers Mark

Brands, 15th, Ill come watch!!

That is a good bit of craziness! If you book it then a few people should come down to watch. Dont want to put the pressure on to perform!!

Good luck with the rest of the build and fixing the cracks.

Looking good Mark

I would be interested in a list of components you have put together and the costs involved, to turbo your engine.

Were the parts all used/second hand or otherwise ?

How are you managing the fuelling ?

sorry for the pleb questions, but a link to your build album if you have one would be worth a look too..

cheers

Will not be brands now, had a look the date was wrong but its fully booked anyway.

I am afraid there are no build albums, as close as you get is on this forum.

Costs:

TB's were £85 ebay
Jag injection pump £25 ebay new
Megasquirt, squirt only ~£100 years ago
JAW wideband ~£125 (not recommended)
Turbo #1, from a volvo £5 but not used
Turbo #2 from Scootz, £250
Old exhaust manifold to chop up £25
Inlet manifold, Bit of ali scaffold lathed and welded.
Plenum, rolled a bit of sheet around a drain pipe and welded ~£10 scrap
RS Escort intercooler, £70 ebay
Intercooler tube, old bed frame free
Silcon hose, Turbo D landrover £5
and some clips, £10

That's it, so really! Engine is untouched, as bike engines are designed to run on american fuel with Optimax you can boost to 6 - 8psi without issue.

With megasquirt I had a decent non-turbo map so I just extroplated the table out. You then disable enrichments and datalog on a gentle drive and feed the results into megalog viewer, this generates a new table, load repeat using more revs and after an hour you have rolling roaded the car youself. Just start off rich so you do not blow holes in pistons.

Cheers Mark

Excellent Mark thanks....

all homegrown and on a budget

You have me thinking already.

I was surprised how easy it is to do, if I had known what I know now I would have stuck a turbo on some of my old cars.

The difference in performance is astonishing....

Over the last couple of years I have been slowly improving my 2001 Saab Turbo.

It was 210bhp when I started, its now 290bhp and extremely quick.

I have a lot of midrange now, too heavy to contend with a well sorted kitcar, but a predator with Boxsters/350Zs etc.

Hence Im a fan , you either love them or hate them.

Regularly on ebay.com in the USA there are bike turbo assemblies for sale, Hahn, Big CC etc at reasonable money. Worth bearing in mind....


Your approach is spot on, learn as you go and if it doesnt pan out ok, bin it....

Youtube it running ?

Well had a go at welding the block today, here's one side




Then welded, funny smell of burning wood and very hard to do..... so not that hopeful




Installed in car filled with water and still leaks Just at the end of the weld so have now lost interest in this lump, ebay to the rescue another 918blade engine has come in at £325 so fingers crossed.

At least I have a decent set of spares now.

Cheap enough for another engine. I'm gonna keep my eyes out for a spare myself.
I'm gonna do the same on mine this winter. Dont have the skills like yourself but a good friend is pretty clued up so between two should be ok...i hope! Did you find goin fuel injection made it much easier setting up? Think i'd rather stick with the carb's to try keep costs down.

I prefer injection because of the flexibility, carbs need sealing then rising rate fuel regulator, if going for 8psi boost then a pump capable of 10psi....

If it goes lean when flat out goodbye pistons, but this is a well trodden route.

Megasquirt needs you to get your head around it, after that it just gets easier. Plenty of peeps here can help you out.

Carbs will be cheaper and should deliver the same power, you will probally lose some economy as it will be hard to get correct across the full range.

For me the big advantage is BUSA power without BUSA cost or weight!

When it goes bang cheap replacement.

Regards Mark

Replacement engine in, only one small hiccup, One of the exhaust studs had been snapped previously taking a lump of casting then cunningly build up with JB weld, sold to me as good

I would have wanted a bit off as the head is scrap, but AC tig to the rescue, ground that out and rebuilt. Engine now all plumbed in and running, sounds great.

Broke out my ebay Db meter, 98db @ 8000rpm so have just booked up Woodbridge for Sunday.

Just hope I do not destroy all my hard work to soon!

[Edited on 7/8/09 by mark chandler]

Quick update, went to Woodbridge aerodrome on Sunday and had a very good day.

Little car was really good, not getting overly hot with loads of power until the plenum split around the lower welds so lost all boost.

Had me fooled as thought the turbo was stuffed, but found the issue so cable tied up, and carried on with hardly any boost.

The biggist issue I have is gearing, when on boost I was flat out on the straights within a few hundred yards, standard blade gearing with 13" wheels and 3.65 diff is ~125mph so I now need a taller diff.

Another chap was there with a turbo MNR, the build quaility was FANTASTIC, put me to shame unfortunately he had heating issues. Also met a few others from here so all a jolly good time really.

Will weld the plenum up at the weekend but add some rods to brace it, I guess it must have been flexing, on/off boost causing the split as its torn alonside the weld by the look of it.

Cheers Mark

I am in awe. I wish I had your skills and confidence!

Can you post some info on the turbo? What is it from?

Its an early one of these.

link

The 53 series

Any problems with clutch slip at all?

Geoff

Not yet, the plates are all pretty new, a bonus on engine number 2 and I put in some barnet HD springs.

If the numbers stamped on then is anything to go by they are all standard Honda. I just use halfords semi bike oil.

This is another reason to not go to mad on boost yet.

Second track day all turbo'ed up and going very well.

Boost by the gauge is 0.4 so ~5.5psi which agrees with the MAP value logged at 143 peak.

Only fly in ointment is car gets hot when thrashed hard so holes required within bodywork.

Performance has moved right up, I was chasing down a slick shod westfield BUSA for most of the afternoon, straight line performance is on a parr, just falling behind on bends so a little extra boost required and slicks...

On the straight I was nudging 120mph, 3.14diff is definately required if you do this ....


Regards Mark

Awesome!

Good work indeed - only just seen this thread, very good read