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Thread: For more speed, add lightness

  1. #106
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Made some more progress over the weekend.

    - All new clutch hydraulic system filled and bled
    - Throttle cable shortened
    - Vacuum manifold installed on fuse box bracket where windshield washer bottle used to be
    - Vacuum line for MAP sensor routed through firewall to ECU
    - Vacuum caps and constant tension spring clamps fit to the hose barbs above each intake runner on the ITBs
    - Flexible fuel hoses made





















    ^^ Picture shows the splayed cable ends after soldering. It is the splayed ends that give the cable end strength. The solder just keeps the ends frozen in that splayed arrangement. I ground the cable end smooth after this shot. I also resused the OEM plastic barrel end bushing and the rubber cable wiper/seal. It's important to remember to install those items on your cable in the correct orientation before you solder the new cable end fitting on.

    I discovered that it wasn't a good idea to keep the OEM threaded fitting on the end of the throttle cable. Doing so means adjusting the throttle cable requires removing the ITBs, unbolting the threaded block from the linkage plate and turning it one complete revolution and bolting it back on the linkage plate. So next time I work on the car I will cut the cable end off, carefully remove the OEM threaded adjuster that's been swaged onto the cable conduit, fit a ferrule to the end of the cable conduit and solder a new barrel end on. This will allow me to use a standard hex head threaded adjuster, either the one that TWM/Borla supplied with the kit or a slightly longer one that I have from Flanders.

    I also discovered that my aftermarket OMP accelerator pedal cover was too low on the OEM pedal and it was actually limiting my accelerator pedal travel. All these years I've only been getting 85% throttle opening! So I removed the pedal cover and will reposition it higher and the right distance from the brake pedal for optimal heel-toe downshifting.

    I messed around with the accelerator pedal adjuster and the throttle cable tension to ensure I can easily get WOT without having to bury my foot through the floorboard. I played with the throttle cable routing (clipped into firewall vs. not) to see if there was too much friction between the cable and conduit due to the number of bends. However, the stock setup did just fine with the cable routed this way. I think the double throttle return springs are just way too stiff for this application. Maybe the springs work okay with the TWM/Borla recommended throttle cable routing (straight out the firewall in a big loop around the front of the engine and then 180° back towards the firewall on the intake side) but in my application it's not good. So I plan to remove them, measure their free length and spring rate, and get something a little bit lighter. Double springs in parallel, of course, for safety and redundancy in case one breaks.

    I'm not really sure where to set the idle stop screw on the ITBs for a decent idle since I'm not using ICV at the moment. On my motorcycle carbs I used a piece of piano wire to ensure the each slide lift was the same distance but it's different with butterfly valves. Will have to wait until I can start the car and see what happens.

    The Aeroquip Startlite fuel lines went together easily but I marred some of the fittings because I only had a pair of size 6 AN wrenches that only fit the portion of the fitting that threads onto the fuel rail and fuel pressure regulator return. I was trying to save money by not buying the complete set of AN wrenches. That was a mistake. I also thought I had bought some swivel 45° fittings but they were all non-swivel. In my experience, it's best for one end of the fuel hose to have a swivel end and the other end to be a non-swivel end. This way you get good fuel hose routing and positioning without having to resort to P-clamps. So I'll be buying some more AN wrenches and some new fittings to replace the ones that got messed up.

    As for capping the vacuum hose barbs above each intake runner, I think they're only used when TWM/Borla balance the throttle linkage at the factory. The internally balanced vacuum supply with the large hose barb on intake runner #1 should be sufficient to supply all my vacuum needs. It will be routed to my Golden Eagle vacuum manifold. From there vacuum will go to the brake booster and the MAP sensor.

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  3. #107
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fishbulb View Post
    Can you give some more details on that?
    See bracket details below


  4. #108
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here! mrpham's Avatar
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    Good progress man.

    I also had to offset the filter adaptor plate forward, but to clear the clutch master.

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    freedomgli (07-12-2016)

  6. #109
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrpham View Post
    Good progress man.

    I also had to offset the filter adaptor plate forward, but to clear the clutch master.
    Thanks! Yeah, each ITB install is a little bit different on the details depending on the particulars like RHD/LHD, NA/NB, OEM return/returnless fuel system, AC/noAC, ABS/noABS, etc. I think it's actually much easier for LHD cars to fit the big air filters because the RHD clutch and brake master cylinder are more difficult to work around.

    I eventually plan to go to a carbon fiber cold air box but for now this ITG filter will get me up and running. Most ITB cars are race cars and they ditch the AC for weight savings. But since I wanted to keep AC for comfort and because of the coolant reroute, I had to shift the backing plate forward to clear the remote thermostat, clutch hydraulic line bracket and AC hoses. It's a very delicate balance but thankfully I've still got plenty of room between the inside of the air filter and the air horns.

    A lot of people flip their air filter upsidedown for better hood clearance and to keep the dzus fastener from hitting the fuel rail or fuel lines. But because of my coolant return hard pipe and AC lines I don't have a lot of room underneath the ITBs for the fasteners. The middle dzus fastener just touches my fuel rail when the air filter is fully installed but it's not a hard interference condition. The fuel rail is very strong extruded aluminum so it shouldn't be a problem. It might vibrate and make some noise, though. Time will tell. The dome shape air filter is another good choice for improved clearance but you sacrifice free space around the air horns. Everything is a compromise.
    Last edited by freedomgli; 07-12-2016 at 08:28 AM.

  7. #110
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Got another day to work on the car. My dad got the Golden Eagle vacuum manifold mounted and the vacuum connections made. He also made a little bracket to help support the coolant return hard pipe and fit the PCV oil vapor catch can.







    We had to redo the throttle cable end so that we could use the TWM supplied cable adjuster. First we cut off the factory adjuster that was swedged onto the cable conduit. Fortunately my tackle box of cable making parts from Flanders came in handy as I needed to fit a cable ferrule over the end of the cable conduit so that the cable end can spin freely inside the new adjuster. We removed one of the throttle linkage return springs as the pedal force was just too high otherwise. Each throttle plate has its own independent throttle return spring so I'm not to worried about removing redundancy. In the event of a stuck throttle: clutch in, shift to neutral, shut car off. We have some lighter throttle springs from Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies just in case but they're not as nice as the TWM supplied beehive springs with floating ends so I think I'll just leave things as they are. Combined with the OMP accelerator pedal cover repositioned and the modified throttle cable we easily get WOT now and it snaps shut with authority.

    Next I tucked the fuel injector wiring harness and secured it to the underside of the throttle bodies making sure they wouldn't move and interfere with the linkage. I extended the wiring for the 2-wire CLT for ECU and 1-wire CLT for dash temp gauge to reach the new sensor locations in the M-tuned coolant reroute fitting at the rear water outlet. I de-pinned the CAS connector (actually it broke apart in the process due to age) and then connected the respective wires to the NB cam and crank position sensors. Ground and power had to be split to feed both sensors. I was using sensor pigtails from Ballanger and all 3 wires were black so I spent a lot of time checking and double checking wiring diagrams and connector pin positions to make sure I hooked things up correctly. I also fit the GM IAT sensor. Watched a YouTube video on how to assemble the connector after I had already terminated the wire ends. Thankfully I was able to force the small ends into the connector body and pull them through using pliers without breaking the connector.







    Next steps:
    - Fill cooling system
    - Install WB02 sensor, controller and CAN module
    - Install USB drivers to communicate with MS3 via USB cable
    - Update MS3 firmware to V1.4.1
    - Create new Tuner Studio project, connect to MS3, load .ini, configure settings, setup virtual dashboard, calibrate sensors, sanity check, start car, check for leaks, bleed cooling system, set base timing, tune.
    - Update CAN module firmware to V1.0.4 (maybe)

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  9. #111
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! Greasemonkey2000's Avatar
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    Love this build so much!

    Far be it for me to be critical of such great work but wouldn't the IAT sensor be more accurate on the same side as the irtb's, since the exhaust has got to increase temps on tht side of the engine bay? I know most install it as close to the throttle body as possible.
    '01 NB2 aka MisF1re: http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread....218#post207218
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  10. #112
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    That is a really good question. I think the best answer is situation dependent.

    The exhaust manifold is getting a thermal insulating blanket from Track Dog Racing. And while the underhood temps are hot and will be hotter on the exhaust side even with the header blanket, turbulent air is circulating throughout the engine bay all the while the car is moving. This will also have an effect on IAT readings. Ideally, you want your IAT relatively stable, not swinging wildly from 90F to 165F depending every few seconds depending on which way the wind is blowing.

    Getting super accurate IAT readings with an ITB setup isn't so easy without a cold air intake plenum. One must accept that there will always be some IAT error no matter where you mount the sensor. Hopefully it's an amount I can live with. Plus it's way easier to leave the AFM wiring on the exhaust side of the engine bay than to extend the wires to the other side. I like the look of the IAT mounted to air filter backing plate but that suffers from heat soak so is not a good place to put it. Best case scenario the IAT is going to get an average approximate of the ambient air available in the engine bay. Behind the passenger side headlamp is probably a good place for it.

    The only way to know for sure how much IAT offset there is would be to actually datalog with the sensor in both positions for A/B comparison. And I can't do that until the car is running!

  11. #113
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Unashamedly, I've been copying much of what Quinn did with his build. Here's what he had to say back in 2012 about IAT sensor location. I'm not sure if he's changed it since then.

    Quote Originally Posted by Quinn
    Also, to contribute to the IAT sensor mounting part of this thread. I am using the factory NB one and I have it zip-tied dangling off of the hard line for the brake booster. I figured this is where the air will be the hottest next to the runner for cylinder #4. I'd highly recommend against tapping them into the runners of the ITB manifolds as some have done. Not only will that cause heat soaking (I don't care if the GM sensor is open element), but two it disrupts the air flow velocity in the runner. When I was helping CND_Eunos diagnose some issues with his Jenvey ITB's, his IAT sensor was heat soaking being tapped into the runner. LINK
    FooSchnickens had a nice idea but I'm not running a shock tower brace. Instead, I plan to run an upper engine torque damper type mount from the driver side shock tower to the front engine lift point.

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  13. #114
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here! marlonthegreat's Avatar
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    way better ^
    MIATA...incredibly fun to drive - as that is its only purpose for being.

  14. #115
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Alright, I'll get a new pigtail harness and mount the iat closer to the air horns.

  15. #116
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Big milestone reached with the Miata project. Still a big mountain to climb ahead as I teach myself how to tune it so that it actually drives under its own power safely and reliably. But it feels good to finally have reached this point. I thunk I was an engineer and now I are one :-)
    Last edited by freedomgli; 08-22-2016 at 07:12 AM.

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  17. #117
    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone Slampen's Avatar
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    Nice to hear, but I can not play the video.

  18. #118
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    I fixed the link. Thanks!

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  20. #119
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here!
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    Awesome! Congrats on the first start. Looks to be super smooth. Did you keep stock cams in it?
    Just another cracka azz cracka with an Old Beat up '97

  21. #120
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    Yes, stock cams. All internals are stock for now.

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