Small MX-5 mods
- Thread starter DRZ
- Start date
Well...
Firstly, Tuning Developments have secured my recommendation and future business. Considering the size of the outfit they have a very impressive reputation and having spent the day there I can see why. Really decent guys and with knowledge that you perhaps wouldn't expect from guys so young.
I know that comparing results between different dynos is stupid, let alone ones of different brands but I must admit I was a bit disappointed with the final figures, especially when you consider that they had spent a good few hours mapping the car properly (yeah, I really did have *way* too much fuel in there...).
That disappointment was due to it being about 5bhp "down" on the previous dyno run, which was on the Maha 4wd dyno at Powerstation - the Tuning Developments dyno being a DynoDynamics 2wd dyno. I know that the two use very different methodologies so making a direct comparison isn't really possible.
I also was a bit surprised to see that my boost reached peak (6psi) at 2-3krpm and dropped by about 2psi and stayed there according to the dyno - but my boost gauge doesn't show the same thing, it stays solid at 6psi...
Anyway, my disappointment lasted until I got in the car and actually drove it. Holy hell, what a difference! It might not be making more power (although it really does feel like it is) but the extra torque is ridiculously noticeable. It absolutely rips through 2nd gear now, I hit the limiter in 2nd the first time I gave it some welly as I wasn't expecting it to get there quite so quickly!
Hopefully with some intake cooling and a smaller nose pulley I'll crack 200bhp soon enough
Oh, and I also upgraded my knob
Pics later
Firstly, Tuning Developments have secured my recommendation and future business. Considering the size of the outfit they have a very impressive reputation and having spent the day there I can see why. Really decent guys and with knowledge that you perhaps wouldn't expect from guys so young.
I know that comparing results between different dynos is stupid, let alone ones of different brands but I must admit I was a bit disappointed with the final figures, especially when you consider that they had spent a good few hours mapping the car properly (yeah, I really did have *way* too much fuel in there...).
That disappointment was due to it being about 5bhp "down" on the previous dyno run, which was on the Maha 4wd dyno at Powerstation - the Tuning Developments dyno being a DynoDynamics 2wd dyno. I know that the two use very different methodologies so making a direct comparison isn't really possible.
I also was a bit surprised to see that my boost reached peak (6psi) at 2-3krpm and dropped by about 2psi and stayed there according to the dyno - but my boost gauge doesn't show the same thing, it stays solid at 6psi...
Anyway, my disappointment lasted until I got in the car and actually drove it. Holy hell, what a difference! It might not be making more power (although it really does feel like it is) but the extra torque is ridiculously noticeable. It absolutely rips through 2nd gear now, I hit the limiter in 2nd the first time I gave it some welly as I wasn't expecting it to get there quite so quickly!
Hopefully with some intake cooling and a smaller nose pulley I'll crack 200bhp soon enough
Oh, and I also upgraded my knob
Pics later 
eBay! They have been coming up occasionally from a seller called J4performance. It was mentioned on mx5nutz that they do come up from time to time so I waited
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Aug 2003
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- 9,824
- Location
- West Midlands
How did you add more power then? More ignition advance?
Well, less retard yeah. I was playing it mega safe, now I'm just safe with about 1.25 degrees of extra retard per PSI of boost.
I also stopped being a fanny with AFRs and got out of the mid to low 10s and into the mid to high 11s which has helped no end with drivability at lower RPMs but at the expense of a bit of cylinder cooling...
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Aug 2003
- Posts
- 9,824
- Location
- West Midlands
Running leaner always gets you more power at the cost of cylinder cooling though! This is where you introduce things like water injection 
Running leaner always gets you more power at the cost of cylinder cooling though! This is where you introduce things like water injection
Maybe after my smaller pulley and intercooler. I've seen people lose 20bhp+ by adding water injection, so I'm a little wary of it knowing that you need to get it spot on. Also, relying on that to give you a safe tune is way too extreme for what I'm trying to do here.
What's the *safe* AFR for those engines? Rover Turbos run a fairly ridiculous 10.4:1 on boost, massively overfuelling.
When I finally look into mapping mine, I'll be aiming for 11-11.5:1 so I can't see the 5 having problems with mid to high 11s It's hardly dangerously lean.
When I finally look into mapping mine, I'll be aiming for 11-11.5:1 so I can't see the 5 having problems with mid to high 11s
It's hardly dangerously lean.