The Turbonoz MR2 Budget Beast: 487bhp & 364lb·ft

[Turbonoz]

I think I'm kind of doing this the wrong way round as the car is pretty much done now. I suppose I can use this to update how long the engine lasts & how well the car does on the drag strip.

I Bought this car as a temporary runaround in April 2011 for minimal outlay whilst my 523bhp 4dr R32 GTR was off the road. It had a broken stainless manifold and was very slow and very noisy. It also had holes in the sills and faded paintwork, but at least it came with a huge folder full of paperwork. Also came with a Genuine Autopista spoiler, TSW Evo alloys, turbo timer & electronic boost controller.

First thing was to try and weld the manifold back together. This generally worked well for about 1 week at a time. As with all my modified cars, I fitted a set of my favourite spark plugs: The inimitable NGK BCR8ES. As I have had numerous high performance cars over the years, I have a large number of various goodies lying around, one of which was a Pulsar GTiR IC converted for use with a Rover 220 Turbo Coupe. This worked well as a top-mount IC on the MR2, response of the car was brilliant:



Random shot of MR2 on TSW Evos with various black panels at Santa Pod:


At this point I decided to fit a stock log manifold and also ruin everything I liked about the car (its drivability) by fitting a huge intercooler in the boot with 3” piping. The intercooler is from my old 400+bhp S13, originally being a prototype designed for the Norris Designs 600+bhp S13. Yup, one off 700bhp-spec intercooler in the boot of a tired MR2 still fitted with a tiny CT26.



Profec B Spec2 from my terminally-goosed R32 fitted. Boost was increased to 1.4-1.5 bar on the stock turbo, still running the stock ECU, 440cc injectors, restrictive fuel rail & fuel pump. Base timing was reduced to 8° BTDC to keep knock at bay, but things started running a bit lean at anything past 1.2 bar one day. Time for a fuel pump upgrade! I didn’t have any uprated pumps lying around, so had to dig deep and bought a 255lph jobbie from eBay. The thought of removing a fuel tank in order to swap a fuel pump goes against everything I know. Sometimes manufacturers just get things wrong. Cue a Fuel Pump Access Panel Modification (patent pending):



Job done, AFR was a solid 11.5:1 at 1.4 bar on the stock ECU, injectors & rail. At this point, there was nothing more to be done but fit an aftermarket ECU. Power FCs are old school & over-priced for the 3SGTE, so I went for a 2nd hand Link G3 that had previously been hard-wired in an MR2 turbo.



After trying to source a patch cable and getting stupid quotes, I made one myself using a gutted NA ECU for the plugs. The G3 is a joy to work with and I soon had the boost increased to 1.5 bar with intake temps at a nice safe level thanks to the BMIC. I was getting a bit worried about the ability of the stock fuel rail, so when a set of Delphi 85lb injectors & Wolfkatz top feed rail turned up for sale, I couldn't say no. Especially for £150 all in. The seller also had a set of forged Wossner pistons, a modified TVIS plate & ported/polished intake runners, so snapped all these up at the same time, just in case. In went the injectors, rail and an adjustable Sard FPR from my old S13 (set at 3 bar base pressure). Head bolts tightened an extra quarter of a turn as well.




A set of light Enkei RP01s turned up for sale on SXOC, so these were bought immediately. They came into the country originally on one of Phil Morrison's cars. Extra JDM Tyte points for I methinks.



So, now time to refine the map on the road and see what we can get out of the much-maligned stock CT26. This was all going to plan, and the map was pretty much complete when disaster strikes!! On the way back from a small festival in Leeds in Nov 2011, the Hose From Hell decided to let go on the M1. It's quite surprising how much fun a tiny hole in a tiny pipe can cause:





This dude was suitably impressed:


Saved quite a bit of petrol on the way back to Leicester

The MR2 was relegated to one of my garages whilst I concentrated on selling my boring Soarer TT & modifying my 300zx TT and Pulsar GTiR. During this time, I bought various big turbos and put together a kit for a bottom or top-mounted T3 conversion. I got as far as trial-fitting my Borg Warner S200 when a complete GReddy T78-33D kit came up for sale. Everything was sold quick-time and this was bought instead. If you're going to go big, you may as well go BIG. I had a TD06-20G on my S13 and loved it, so the T78 was a no-brainer. A trip up to my old hometown of Whitby to meet a fellow IMOCer later and I was the proud owner of this genuine GReddy kit:


I was a happy chappy. Even the rents appreciated the awesomeness of low mileage truck turbos that are slightly too big for a stock 2L:

T78 install:






All the silicon joiners were lying around, hence the red/blue colour-coding

The car was now ready to start tearing up the drag strip. It was under strict instructions to do very well else it would get stripped for parts and crushed.

Things went slowly, and it ran a mid 13s. Quite embarassing, so plenty of mapping on the strip knocked a good second off the time to get it into the mid 12s. I was limited to 1.5 bar due to the stock G3 map sensor. The Nitto 555R drag radials hooked up well, and I was running 1.8-1.9 60ft times consistently with launch control.

Video:


It wasn't always easy to get to the strip. A blow-out somewhere near the A6 meant we got to chat cars with another recovery dude:


Turbo lag was a major issue, the boost controller was maxed out and that would only just allow me to hit 1.5bar at which point the ECU shut down. Double wastegate springs were fitted and a 7bar repalcement map sensor was sourced and soldered into the ECU. A side-exit 'exhaust' was fabricated and fitted:





Didn't have time to chop it down before the final meet of the season:


Only managed 1 run at 1.4 bar before rain stopped play

End of season 2012 and out of time!

Fast forward to present time. Finally get chance to get it on the dyno and see what it can do in a nice safe environment. At 1.4 bar, it ran 330bhp & 270ish lb·ft. About right, given the fact that the turbo barely had time to spool before the rev limit. After increasing the boost in stages to 2.2 bar, final figures of 487.3bhp @ 364.6lb·ft were achieved on Shell Optimax




My MR2 & a customer's 300zx with 430bhp & 440lbft.

[T.F.S.]

Epic!

Is this the one with stock head gasket/pistons?

Love the choice of sparkplug too...the only ones I ever found that would cleanly ignite 150bhp of nitrous on my old LET!

[Turbonoz]

Epic!

Is this the one with stock head gasket/pistons?

Love the choice of sparkplug too...the only ones I ever found that would cleanly ignite 150bhp of nitrous on my old LET!

Haha, cheers. It's been fun!

Stock everything apart from MHG. Assumed to be from a Rev 3.

BCR8ES: wonder plug.

[craig]

Great read mate!

Best of luck with it

[rs007]

Superb.

A total disregard for glass ceilings and being told what you can't do.

I mean ok, on the edge of the envelope, it will be - as you said in the other thread - unsurprising, if it lets go, but for a ball hair off of 500 BHP on an engine which only made 220 from the factory (on a good day!) I don't think thats half bad. It certainly implies that if you detune that power by 25ish % to 375, you will bring in some more reliability, while STILL far exceeding the levels they say you cannot see.

Was this still sucking its air through the rev 2 MAF, or is that gone? I'm confidently presuming you have took it out when you went for the standalone, since you had to play with MAP sensors, but it was still there in one of the earlier pics - so just double checking.

You could argue all day what this proves/disproves, based on your requirements for the car in question versus someone elses - but one thing it proves for me, beyond all doubt, is that the lack of access of the toyota ECU is its biggest initial hurdle.

The Rev 3 conversion, while easy, for me, doesn't go far enough - if I decide to change from the rev2 setup, it will be standalone. It will do everything the rev3 conversion does - AND give me the ability to tune. For probably not a lot more cash either. Its a no brainer. Fancy megasquirt!!

[4ndee]

i was going to ask that too, is there an air flow meter i assume not.

BTW epic thread i like this car ;D

[Turbonoz]

I fitted the BMIC whilst still running the stock ECU, AFM, CT26 and fuel system.

After fitting the 255lph fuel pump which cured my leaning out issues at 1.2bar, I continued to run with the stock components up to 1.4 bar with good fueling until I fitted the G3 and got rid of the AFM altogether

[4ndee]

haha thats awsome, that was kind of my plan

[dawesy]

impressive. the only real weakness i see is the rods at that power.
i built an engine for my 3S corolla with only forged pistons, deciding to go against advice that the stock ones are only good for about 450bhp i kept the stck rods in (ARP rod bolts fitted though) to be fair it lasted about a year before it let go (just below the wristpin). that was 425whp
as long as there is no det pistons and block should be OK, however your well into the danger zone, bad fuel etc will grenade it at that level.
all the best though

[greeny]

I always use BCR8ES's in mine

Have you still got stock rod bolts?

That'd be my main concern if you're revving past 7.8k.

Good going on the stock block though!

Just don't break it till you get some runs in

[Turbonoz]

Yeah, stock rod bolts. I'll probably fit ARPs before any serious runs at Pod.

I may have to lower the boost a bit for the first run of the year in Feb to keep the clutch in one piece.

The car hates me, it will break

[greeny]

Yeah be wise to put some arp's in the rods.

Be interesting to see how long it lasts

[Turbonoz]

Well, along with the Wossners waiting in the wings, I'll source some suitable cams & uprated valve springs plus keep some ARP rod bolts on standby. This would give me a good spec for the season if needed, along with some race fuel of course.

Saying that, if it does hold together at 450+bhp, the fact it's on a stock engine will be worthwhile over the deficit in power without the cams.

Feb 24th will be the date it hits the drag strip, hopefully the clutch will last the day and I'll get some acceptable times.

[lowslowandold]

love a project it where it "was just a temporary car" and turns into a peanut power project"

[dawesy]

rev 3 cams are good for over 450bhp.
i made 470 on stock manifolds cams and a very mild porting job (flash lines and steps smoothed) just depends where you need the powerband to be.

[Turbonoz]

I'm probably going to do things in stages. See how it does on the 1/4 mile as it is, then some race fuel and 500ish bhp, then some lairy cams with race fuel for 550+ along with a higher flowing fuel pump and larger lines. It'll probably be at that point when the ringlands will say "NO".

[GeorgeL]

Hows this little machine getting on mate? not had an update in forever and i know we both never managed TOTB in the end..

[Turbonoz]

Hows this little machine getting on mate? not had an update in forever and i know we both never managed TOTB in the end..

Well, managed an 11.78@120mph, but the boost required was almost 2.3 bar and with the intake temps reaching 70°C I decided to pull it off the road and go down a different route with forged pistons, more efficient turbocharger & WI. The power figure of 487bhp was at 2.1 bar.

Upon inspection of the engine, it was found to be running a stock composite head gasket (not metal like previously thought) and a stock clutch! It only slipped a couple of times and was subjected to at least 60 full bore 6k+ launches with Nitto 555s. Best 60ft was a 1.6s.

Damage to the engine was a slight vertical crack on the ringlands of #2 piston, worn big end shells and a conrod that was beginning to bend slightly. The clutch was also on its last legs, unsurprisingly. Still can't believe it had a stock paper head gasket in there, but it definitely was struggling with the power produced per cylinder. Mileage is showing as 133k (mix of kms & miles), so it stood up to the stress pretty well. It had failed the sniffer (block) test for the prior 12 months, and this was explained by miniscule damage between one of the bores and a waterway. The only reason this held up under constant abuse and didn't worsen was due to lack of knock from the relatively conservative timing map.

I would say that these engines are truly one of the best, along with the VG30DETT in the 300ZX. They stand up to abuse so well, but as with everything, the materials used in the pistons are only able to withstand so much pressure before failure occurs. My plan was to make it to TOTB, but time was against us. Now I'm not rushing to complete it, I wouldn't mind fitting a known low mileage bottom end with uprated bearings & rod bolts and seeing what can be achieved with regards to longevity at the 500bhp mark. WI and a lower rev limit (I regularly hit 8.1-8.3k rpm) would be necessary, which would also require a less agricultural turbo than the GReddy T78 or some headwork, which means it's no longer a stock engine. Or I just fit my Wossners and some rods and go all out without having to compromise

I did make TOTB, but with a team of 300ZX, which was 2 down in the end. I only managed a 12.6s@113mph on stock T2/T25 turbos & 370cc injectors. The autobox decided to give up and I was limited to low 13s on the Sunday, when the times count

[badgerbob]

Love it

[Magic Beans]

I was never going to last forever, however it's certainly proof of concept