Rob, I can definitely log the car to get some factual data to represent the changes before and after the pump is installed, and I might try logging pre/post FPR install when the time comes. I figure that it could be a valuable piece of information for future reference. I assume my Palm with MMCD software would be sufficient for this logging spree as I do not have DSMLink... yet.

I believe TMO and MMCD should do the same thing. I use tmo though =]

I'd log..
- rpm (engine speed)
- O2 volts
- O2 feedback trim
- fuel trim low

The car should have been idled & driven a fair bit before logging these.
After installing the pump, you should reset the ECU (by pulling the MPI fuse for a minute), and idle/drive a fair bit again so that the ECU can "learn" - then log again.

Alrighty Rob. I'll be sure to get a log on Thursday when the car comes out of storage. I'll give it ample time to readjust as the battery had been disconnected all winter. This way we'll have the base numbers for reference after the pump goes in.

Off topic; Sequential type BOV vs immediate discharge BOV?

Sequential as in the HKS SSQV?
It's a pull-type valve. That's what makes it so good, because it can't leak.

Yeah, I read about that. I must admit that I don't like the sound too much though... Hence the question. I don't like sounding like I have a canary being strangled every time I shift. Are any of the push-types still reliable, such as the Greddy Type RS?

Edit: Apparently the inserts make a big difference in how the HKS SSQV sounds. Anyone with experience able to confirm?

It does appear that HKS is the only company advertising a pull-type valve.
Other valves will work well, but may require a bit of tuning to match your normal vacuum and boost (be it via spring selection and/or spring tension adjustment).

There is a recirculation kit available for the SSQV, which would decrease the noise a good bit.

In searches, I found that the stock MR2 BOV is pull-type, and very cheap!

Have you looked into Synapse valves? They look like great quality and I have heard nothing but rave reviews about them.

To be honest I purchased one and am more than likely going to swap the old Greddy valve on my spyder for the Synapse to see how it does. I will post a review when I actually get it done. But thats just something to concider.

Whoa. That Synapse BOV is not bad at all. Very informative stuff can be found here regarding Synapse Engineering's products. This looks highly interesting as an option.

Yeah I am really pumped to try it out. Right now the car gets alot of compressor surge. I am hoping that this valve works as well as it shows there to help reduce the amount of compressor surge.

And the great part is they use interchangable flanges, so you can get a different flange depending on what your ic piping is / in case you dont like it. I personally bought an hks flange just incase I do not like the Synapse valve, I can always easily change to a HKS.

Alrighty, so I will be logging the car tomorrow night at some point. Regrinds versus name-brand cams: From what I've read, regrinds do the job just as well. Possible issues/cons? I HAVE searched to no avail...

The OEM cams are case hardened (slightly), and if you regrind them you lose at least some of that case hardening, so they could be less durable.

If I had regrinds I would pull the valve cover off yearly to check the lobes for wear and to check each spacer under each lifter for wear.

Long story short then would be greater peace of mind from name-brand cams?

Sure, but are cams even necessary for your goals?
If you would pay so much extra for the peace of mind, then maybe at this stage the money is better spent elsewhere.

The main CON with regrind cams is it changes the base circle diameter of the cam. This causes the rocker geometry to change slightly and also is the reason you have to shim the lifters.

You can buy hardened washers for a couple bucks that will eliminate any worry you might have about checking them periodically (though I don't see the need for that). Checking for wear on the lobes is probably a good idea and isn't a major undertaking.

FWIW, I have had regrind cams (HKS 264) for several years now without issues. They cost me $300. I got them back when it was more than double that for any other cam. Now that you can get the Brian Crower cams for a reasonable price I don't think I'd go with regrinds.

Cams are necessarily crucial to obtain my goals, though it would be nice to pick up some new BC's at some point. For the price, they're damned good parts. Two for one kind of deal. I'd probably go with 272's.

Thanks for the input on the cams though, guys. I really appreciate it.

As for the BOV, I really like the Synchronic BOV from Synapse Engineering, as well as Greddy's Type RS. I probably shouldn't vent to atmosphere yet which is why I like both of these having the option to recirculate (I think?). Neither of them sound too annoying.

Logging the car tonight as soon as I get back from the licence bureau.

"You can buy hardened washers for a couple bucks that will eliminate any worry you might have about checking them periodically (though I don't see the need for that). Checking for wear on the lobes is probably a good idea and isn't a major undertaking."

I've seen it twice with my own eyes. Sometimes those washers get worn away to bits and peices.

I ran regrinds for years and was very happy with them. It shouldn't take you more then an hour a year to pop the valve cover off and check them all. Just need a pry bar to pop the rockers off and a magnetic extending rod to fish them out of the head once they land.

All I can tell you is I have not seen that and I'll keep my fingers crossed that I don't see it. That does sound strange. I would not expect that to happen. The only thing that comes to mind is that the washer you saw/used was not flat and the edge of the bottom of the lifter dug into the washer repeatedly.

The washers I used are similar to the round ones in this kit: http://www.jegs.com/p/Crane/747118/10002/-1/11511

Sadly, I have not yet been able to find the exact part number I used.

Which ones did you see/use?

Off the shelf Canadian Tire washers . I have no idea what the other car used. I am trying to remember who owned the other car... might have been Noah's.

I tried the HKS 272 regrinds with the 16g a while ago and got the washers from Home Depot. I drove around for a day and the car lost all its lowend, and gained just a little up top.
I was soo happy to put the stock cams back in the next day, and would never get regrinds again.
I do know a few people who have been running pretty decent times with them though. I suggested one of them to put the stock cams back in to see the difference, and...... he didn't go back to the regrinds.

D'oh! The washers you would get at Crappy Tire or Home Depot would not be hardened and most of the ones I've seen/used from there are certainly not flat. That's two strikes right there. No wonder they got chewed up.

I would not get regrind HKS 272's at any price. Sorry to all you 272 regrind owners.

Alright, so my FMIC kit is with Ziggy and going to get shipped out shortly. I'm in the process of confirming which gauges I want. I'm considering an AEM UEGO Wideband o² sensor and I definitely want a mechanical boost/vacuum gauge.

If my tach is completely dead, I may also get a digital tach to fill the last hole on my pillar pod. I can't seem to get the damned thing to work and I find myself second guessing if the car which I took the replacement cluster from was actually a '90 and not a '91. I don't think the '91 gauges work at all with the '90 due to wiring differences. I know for SURE I should be getting a signal if it works because, as I mentioned earlier in the thread, the RPM is displayed when I log with MMCD on my Palm and it seems as though the ECU is sending a signal.

Is there anyone who might be able to help me work some magic with this tachometer? I really don't want a dead gauge, especially that big, smack in the center of my cluster... Perhaps there's a way to make this thing work by hardwiring a few connections or bypassing something? Should I give up and bring it to one of my local DSM specialists? *sigh*

Talk to Helder. I have already seen him fix up the same issue in a few cars.

I would seriously consider doing exactly that even if it means I have to drive to wherever he lives to get it fixed. I'll send him a PM, I've read that he's a miracle worker. Thanks Reza!

Yea, a few wires need to be swapped around at the transistor unit/coil pack. I never really asked him details on how to do it, but have watched him do the trick.

Alright, obviously the 2g TB elbow is larger than the 1g. Can anyone tell me the actual difference in size with some kind of measurement. Searching got me nowhere.

Scratch that last post, I found it. Anyway, looks like I should be getting my hands on a Magnus SMIM, 3" GM MAF Sensor, MAF-T with couplers, and a larger TB elbow (2.5" to match IC pipes). FMIC should arrive today. Gauges/a-pillar pod to be purchased within the next week. Probably going to go with a Turbosmart Supersonic BOV.



Once everything arrives I'll have a nice pile of stuff ready to be installed. 2g ported exhman, evoIII o² housing, Walbro 255lph HP that will get rewired. DSMLink and larger injectors would be the next step, though I'm not there just yet. Maybe soon.

I'm going to try running all this on my 14b before grabbing a new turbo, as suggested, simply to give me the opportunity to make sure I know what I'm doing.

Looks like the intercooler kit came with a Greddy Type S style BOV. I'm 99.9% sure this is a knock-off. I don't know what to do with it, though I know for sure I won't use it myself. Should I even bother selling this to someone else?

Also, regarding Voodoo boost controllers... What exactly is the benefit of a lighter material ball? I assume the back-up models are better than those that don't offer returning to safe boost levels if the adjuster piece falls off. I don't plan on ever running anywhere near 50psi, so I gather that the Voodoo III+ is a good enough product for my application. I just have no idea what the difference is between the regular and HP models...

As an update, my Magnus SMIM has arrived, courtesy of Tyler Cohen. I'm awaiting the arrival of my larger TB elbow, GM MAF sensor, MAF-Translator and related couplers, all courtesy of Jon Arseneau. I'm still debating what gauge to install on the a-pillar besides the AEM UEGO and mechanical boost gauge. I wouldn't mind a volt gauge because I do run some power-hungry equipment, though thats not really necessary as I have other means of determining voltage at the moment. Thoughts/suggestions on other viable options for gauges?

Oil pressure.

That way, you can ignore the stock one when the connector gets loose, and the gauge reads 0 all the time.

Coolant temperature as well. A little more accurate than "It's a needle's width ahead of the temp symbol."

Prosport makes some really good gauges, and they're all electronic. I have their boost, oil, water. Pretty accurate.

How long did your Prosport take to arrive? I'm familiar with them and GlowShift as cheaper alternatives with quality reviews. As for the electronic boost gauge, I think I'll stick with mechanical. Too many electric boost gauge horror stories...

I think it only took about a week for them to show up IIRC.

IIRC eh? I might have to whip out the acronymometer on that one. Anyway, my MAF-T and GM MAF Sensor have arrived! Looks like I got the old-school 1.3 version of the MAF-T for 1Gs, but I don't think that will be an issue, perhaps not as flexible for tuning. Thoughts?

I've done my research, seems just about as decent as the 2.XX versions. Blow through, injector selection, blah blah blah. I even saved the manual for reference during installation.


I'm excited!

I'll second that one, especially after my sensor rotted off and somehow ruined my stock gauge.

As for MBC, I made a ball and spring one 6 years ago and it still sits rock solid at 15 psi. Cost me 15 bucks for materials at crappy tire. If you have a drill and a proper tap, make it yourself. Don't know where the link might be but I followed it to the letter and it has worked fantastic.

I've read several DIY MBC istructions but I'd honestly prefer buying one pre-built for cheap.

Anyone have experience with the 1G MAF-T V1.3?

Anyone care to chime in with their experience/knowledge of the 1G MAF-T version 1.3? I already downloaded the manual but wouldn't mind some insight.

Mechanical boost gauge and triple A-pillar pod are on their way. Installation pending until their arrival.

So I pulled my ECU to check if it was EPROM. No dice! Images below tell the tale:

I've searched for EPROM ECU compatability for my 1990 TSi AWD and I think that they're interchangeable as long as the EPROM ECU is from a 1g... Right?

On the bright side, this ECU is in the best shape I've ever seen. None of the caps look or smell weird and everything is still nice and glossy! Anyone care to tell me the going price for a functional non-EPROM ECU in such great shape?

Basically, that's right. There are a few conditions: (1)must be a turbo 1G (FWD/AWD), (2)trannies should match (MT to MT or AT to AT) because of the difference in injector size,(3)if it's a 91-94: (a)two pins must be swapped (b)tach won't work as is (but can be made to work).

'Course if it's an EPROM you could use a modified chip that takes the above into account, so in that case, the above doesn't really apply.

**NOTE: Condition (2) above doesn't really apply to the 90 model year, as the 90's have the unique distinction of not having an auto tranny as an option with the turbo model. Just a bit of amusing DSM trivia.