I have never dobe a FI system before and after searching around I am leaning to the Begi-S system. It is not the cheapest kit but I don't mind paying more because I have heard many good things about the other kits that Begi makes. I have a few questions about the system and FI in general.

First: How hard would this system be to install for someone who has never done it before?

Second: I have neard that a turbo system is harder to tune than supercharging. Is this true?

Third: Are there goign to be any negative long term efects on the motor? Will it damage it over time?

Fourth: What is the safe boost limit for a 1.6L engine?

Fifth: Does this come with a fuel management system?

My motor has had some upgrades. It has been overbored by .020". So it should have larger pistons but I do not know all of the details about this motor. What do more information should I find out before turbocharging my motor?

I am hoping to purchase my kit this year but I don't want to rush into thias and get in over my head. Any information that can be provided will be helpful?
Thanks,
Tristan

 

First: Not that hard to install it should take about a weekend to do.

Second: About the same to tune.

Third : On the "S" system you may loose about 5 % of your engine life (if that)

Fourth : On the "S" you will be running about 5 or 6 PSI only.

Safe power for a 1.6 is about 12 PSI but you will need an intercooler and better engine management.

 

Braineack's FAQ is very good. https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4288 I would give it a look. That will tell you all you need to get started and be able to ask some good questions. One thing you should find out is if the pistons have the same compression as the stock ones, if they are higher, you cant run as much boost.

 

is there anyways to test what the copmression rating is w/o tearing the engine apart? If say my dad lost the e-mail of the guy we bought the motor from?

 

not that i know of but i dont know a whole lot! anyway, i would ask in the diy turbo section and ask, you will probably get a better response. Be careful though, make sure you read the FAQ first or you may end up getting flamed a bit.

 

I am reading up on things, just very slowly

 

thats the way to do it, the search feature is your best friend.

 

I'm not looking for anything insane at the moment, so I will be sticking to the base psi. Will I need a fuel management system or anything of the sort?

 

no, the fuel pressure regulator in that system will bump up the fuel for you.

 

It probably wasn't changed. I can't guarantee that of course.

 

"Installing" the kit is EASY!!! There are two "hard" things... tapping the oilpan for your fuel return takes a leap of faith that people telling you to drill a hole in your engine know what they're talking about... and the other thing is removing the stock exhaust. 100k+miles of use tends to make exhaust components a bitch to remove. Take your time and use plenty of Liquid Wrench.
The rest of the install is easier than Ikea furniture.

The kit comes with everything you need to run the advertised boost.

The Begi-S system is good because ALL the parts are quality pieces... especially the 3 big ones... the turbo/manifold/DP. The rest of the pieces are also of quality construction and make for very easy and straightforward upgrading. Out of the box, the limiting factor to making more boost on the Begi system is:
#1: Fuel (easily solved with a fuel pump and bigger injectors for about $200).
#2: Timing (easily solved with a Bipes, about $150 used).
#3: Intake air temps (easily solved with an intercooler or water injection, about $250).

Or for about $500, you can purhchase a Megasquirt and injectors and solve your timing/fuel problem... and then work towards a cooling solution at your leisure.

In some cases, tuning a turbocharged system is easier. Study up on the differenes and you'll run across them.

The low boost of the BegiS system will have no long-term effects on the engine. There are lots of 100+mile Greddy kits out there. Most people will tell you that the safe upper limit of a stock Miata engine is around 250whp (how much boost to get you there is a function of the components of your sytem. Some people will make 150whp on 9psi... some will need 15psi. Of course, the main factor in that is tune. Corky says you can blow an engine at 2psi on a bad tune... or run it forever at 15psi on a good tune.

Basic forced induction works like this. You use a turbo or supercharger to "blow" more air into the engine than it could otherwise "suck" in on it's own. The problem with compressing the air is that it gets hot. Hot air=thin air=low oxygen content. So you need to cool the air... typically through an intercooler.
When you add air, you need to add fuel at the same rate. Not enough fuel makes a lean mixture (lean=hot=detonation=bad). Add too much fuel and you run rich (rich=mad mileage=smelly exhaust=less power) but also equals running cool. When you atomize fuel into the intake manifold, it dramatically cools the intake charge. It can only cool so much though which is why you need an intercooler. It's always good to run a little richer in a forced induction engine to help with cooling.
You also need to manage when the spark plug ignites the mixture (timing). Timing is a whole different lecture. You also need to run as high an octane fuel as you can. Higher octane has a higher flashpoint so that the hotter air/fuel mixture detonates in a more controlled fashion.

As for your engine... you absolutely need to find out EXACLTY what pistons were installed. If they're high compression, then you have some problems.

I highly recommend purchasing the book Maximum Boost by Corky Bell to help get your feet wet and learn the boost lingo.

Also, fill out your profile with where you live so anybody who is local can offer to help you out in person.

 

From what I have read the fuel pump should handle what I am looking for. Is there anything that won't come in the kit that I would need? Since I am not going to change the pistons once I find out what the compression is, how would I handle the increased compression if it is indeed increased? I really like the sound of the turbo when it releases pressure, does this change wether the wastegate is internal or external?

 

You've got A LOT of learning to do. The wastegate has nothing to do with the WHOOSH sound when shifting. That's a function of a device called a BlowOffValve... which the Begi kit does not come with.

Again, the kit comes with everything you will need to run the advertised boost.

You don't need to upgrade anything to run the advertised boost... but any more boost will require a fuel pump/injector upgrade, among a few other things.

Higher compression pistons are going to mean your threshold for detonation is raised. I'd say at a minimum, hi-comp pistons on a BegiS kit will require some timing management in the form of a Bipes. You'll have to call and talk to Corky to see what he says. I say again, if you find you have higher compression pistons, CALL CORKY and see what he says.

 

i think you are thinking of a blow off valve. and that releases the boost pressure when the throttle closes to keep it from surging back through the turbo, the wastegate is there to bypass exhaust around the turbine to keep it from producing too much boost.

edit: haha i need to refresh more often

 

The pressure is released by the blow-off valve, not by the wastegate. The wastegate routes exhaust to bypass the turbine when the desired boost pressure is reached. People who use an external gate usually do so when internal gates are too small to "waste" enough exhaust to maintain a low enough boost pressure.

If high-compression pistons have been used, I'd say replace the engine. Of course, if you've already taken off the head to check, and you know what you're doing, you could use it as a good excuse to go ahead and install some lower-Cr pistons and stronger rods..

EDIT - I type too slow, you both beat me to it.

 

I am very slowly learning more and more. Thank you for the patience. I am reading the link that was posted earlier and I am going to pick up a copy of Corky's book. That will take a little time, I either have to drive somewhere else where there is a real bookstore or order it off the internet and wait for it to arrive. I hope to get the book ordered tomorrow. Thanks for the speedy responses to all of my questions.

 

^Awesome!!!
I'd also head over to the BS forum and start a thread asking if there's anybody within driving distance with a boosted Miata who'll let you ride/drive it and walk you through all the parts and stuff.

There are a couple of clubs in Indiana... go to their websites and see when they're having a winter meet-n-greet or something. Within each Miata club is usually a hard-core group of gearheads, some turbo and blower guys who love nothing more than getting another (soon-to-be-broke) soul addicted to boost. Send an email to a club president and ask that he connect you with the right people.
http://www.miata.net/clubs/midwest.html

 

I didn't build this engine it was bought this way after the first motor died. When this motor came to me it had about 10,000 miles on it. I basically got a brand new engine with some goodies, like the overbore, the ported and polished head, and Fidanza lightened flywheel. My dad bought me the car, as my first car, and then replaced the engine when it gave up because he didn't have the car checked out before we bought it. the nightmares of buying a car off ebay. Anywho, now that I am back to my train of thought. I have no intention of replacing the pistons. I sorta need the vehicle as it is my daily driver. So I'm looking for a different alternative then replacement.

 

Sry that was a lot more info than was needed.

 

That bug got my dad who has a 91 BRG which now has a JRSC and he also has a 91 w/ a 350 Carb stuffed into it.