Adding a turbocharger to a
factory atmo engine is a venture that’s getting harder and harder due to
increasingly complex driveline control systems. Here’s a prime example – a
turbocharged Mitsubishi Magna TH Sport auto (see Move Over Magna!). Having been converted to
aftermarket programmable management there are no problems delivering the
appropriate fuelling and spark timing to suit the new turbo system. The only
problem is, the aftermarket ECU can’t interface with the auto transmission or
the traction control system... Make sure you discuss all of these sorts of
things with your trusted workshop before giving a project the go-ahead!
Adding aero add-ons is a pastime of many car fans. Invariable, many of these
fibreglass freaks will justify the add-on bits’n’pieces by theorising about
improved downforce. Add a spoiler – front – or rear – and you’re guaranteed
downforce, aren’t you? NO! Aerodynamics remains a black art where random changes
are unlikely to yield favourable improvements. Check out Real World Spoiler Development
for the story of our own aero testing.
If you’ve squeezed in a monster
exhaust beneath your car there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be hearing the odd
under-floor clunk when cornering hard. That’s the pipework hitting the
undercarriage. One way to reduce exhaust movement is to replace the existing
rubber hangers with new poly-based items that are much stiffer. Most
high-performance exhaust shops should have these in stock. Poly-based hangers
might reduce exhaust movement by a few millimetres, but that might be enough.
Most of us would know about under-bonnet heat undoing the good job of the
intercooler on the plumbing route to the throttle body. The only solutions we’ve
seen adopted involve exhaust-type insulation wrap or ceramic coatings – both
being quite expensive. Another option is a wetsuit-like material that’s about
3mm thick and insulates at up to 260 degrees Celsius – we’re talking hi-temp
oven mitts! For a detailed ‘how-to’ and installation results, see Insulating the Return
When lowering or adding a body
kit to your car, make sure you give more than a passing thought about ground
clearance. If the car has long front and rear overhangs, this will limit how low
you can realistically set the suspension or whether or not you can fit ‘ground
effects’. Before committing any money, it’s a good idea stop the car half way up
the steepest driveway you’re likely to encounter and check out how much
clearance there is before something scrapes. And don’t forget to factor in a
little bit of suspension compression.
An external wastegate – why would you want one? Well, it’s normal to step up
to an external ‘gate when your existing internal bypass is struggling to flow
enough gas around the turbine. This is often identified by excess boost pressure
at high loads. An external wastegate gives a larger bypass passage, thereby
reducing the chance of over-boosting.
Where appropriate, the OBDII port of your late-model car gives you access to
valuable information about oxygen sensor voltage, throttle position, ignition
timing and engine load. Begin reading our two-part series on OBDII data
connection at Reading Your Car's Brain - Part 1
In some rare examples, earlier OBDI vehicles have had software written that
allows similar info to be displayed on laptop or PDA. There are several US-based
outlets of data logging software for the Mitsubishi Galant VR4 (from about
1990).
If you’re trying to route a big exhaust or some new intercooler plumbing in
the engine bay of your ride it’s possible that the factory oil filter is getting
in the way. The solution – and it’s an easy and cheap one! – is to install a
remote oil filter adapter kit. We’ve seen these kits sell on eBay for around
AUD$100 including all necessary lines, fittings and hardware. A bargain!
When sizing a fuel pump you
should keep in mind the potential of using twin pumps in parallel. What’s the
advantage? Well, a single high-capacity pump can cost a lot of money, whereas
two conventional size pumps can be bought relatively cheaply. Note that running
twin parallel pumps won’t increase fuel pressure but it will increase fuel
flow – and that’s what you need for making big power.
|