I’m looking for somewhere in Lincolnshire, preferably nearer to
Grimsby, that I can get my supercharged MX5 tuned, can anyone recommend
anyone?
Cheers
Hedge
What have you got installed that needs tuning ?
EMB / APFR ?
I just want it tuning by someone who knows about cars with superchargers and all the gubbins that goes with them as there is no-one locally who seems to have a clue unless its a bog standard MX5. I’ve heard good reports about 5 Speed near Derby, looks like I may have to travel to get anywhere decent!
What kind of supercharger and engine management have you got fitted? Unless you have got sophisticated management, tuning on the rollers may be superflous.
As you say, you do have to travel to get to forced induction specialists - Performance5 and MX5 Mad in London, 5 Speed in Nottingham and Only MX5ives in Solihull are my list of specialists.
Good luck!
Its a Jackson Racing SC but the whole car was done by Mazdaspeed in Japan so no idea what kind of engine management it has to be honest, thats why I need someone to have a good look at it and make sure all is running as best as it can be. I’m going to try % Speed and see how I get in.
Cheers!
Having looked at your pictures, your supercharger looks quite an early version. Do you have any history with the car? Might be handy if you had a peek to see if anything has been piggy backed onto the PCM, such as a knock sensor.
Have fun!
Hi Joanne, Can you speak in english please???!!! [:S]What is a PCM and a ‘knock sensor’? I know about engines and how they work but stuff like this its a no no. I dont think its ever been rebuilt no but it has been taken off and inspected by the garage I bought it from and there was supposedly no obvious wear to the bearings etc etc and it runs well. You think its ready for a rebuild or replace???
Don’t ask me - I know nothing! I just read all the books [;)]
Have a word with Mark who comes on here aka 200bhp/Only MX5ives. He is a supercharger whiz kid and will get you sorted out in no time.
The PCM is the engine management brain that controls fuel and ignition and a knock sensor detects detonation and alters ignition timing accordingly [Y]
Quite possibly your car would benefit from a bit of expert TLC but if it runs well, there can’t be too much wrong with it.
Ok Joanne, will watch out for him on here thanks.
Am going to give 5 Speed a bell too as I’d like the car checked out as it runs well but I suspect a good going over and tweaking may smooth it out or grab a few more horses from somewhere!
Later!
…and more interestingly, I have got a pretty identical widscreen washer bag to yours!
Most of the Mazdaspeed cars have no management, some have a ‘chipped’ ecu but all I’ve come across haven’t had.
Most have either an AFPR on a 1.6 or a diode on a 1.8 and no timing control.
So really it depends what you want to spend but I can G tee that you are down on power.
Steve at 5 Speed used to work with Phil so I presume he knows what he’s doing but best is to call and have a chat first to see that you are both thinking the same way.
IE Assuming you have nothing, Powercard and Bipes is simple, PC Pro is better, EMB is better still (if tuned correctly) etc
As Jo said I also tune SC’s but I am a few miles further away but phone advice is free.
There you go! Someone who actually knows what they are talking about has agreed with some of my ramblimgs…wow. So, Hedge, get some expert advice and unleash the full potential of your little motor.
Why are you called “Hedge”? Are you a prickly character [:D]
Perhaps our cars were separated at birth!!! [:D] Maybe our cars are a special limited edition, the Eunos LTD PB (Plagga Bag)… [:P]Someone said we had ‘the bag’ instead of a plastic bottle to make room for the SC and its gubbins but I’ve seen cars with the same JR SC with bottles. Odd. But my 1989 Mariner Blue 1.6 had one too when I owned it. I like the little pic of your car, looks good, have you more photos of it on here anywhere, particularly of the engine bay as well??
Yes, I hope to get it sorted and running tip-top asap, watch this space!
LOL…moi? Prickly??? You’ve read my other posts then!! Nope, I’ve had spiky hair for as long as I can remember and my nickname is Hedge as in Hedgehog! [H]
I dont think my ECU is chipped, what do you mean by controlled by a diode? That doesnt sound like it would be doing anything exciting for my engine. So whats actually governing the amount of boost/power produced by the SC? Very little judging by what you are saying [:(]
Steve at 5 Speed emailed me back and said, and I quote “The pinking noise you hear could well be pinking - I have seen Mazdaspeed Eunos’ melt pistons due to knock. The Mazdaspeed ECU retards ignition severly at low and mid rpm ranges: - it may be that someone has advanced the ignition in an attempt to overcome the resultant dead spot.” That doesnt sound too good does it???
What sort of ballpark figure am I looking at to get the engine managed properly (As I assumed being a factory conversion it would have some kind of management system on it) and give me better power and more’s the point, safe power? Can you explain the pros and cons of what sounds the basic stuff, ie Powercard to what you mention, PCpro/EMB? I can give you a bell after work most evenings if you think it would be easier to explain on the phone.
When you say you’re a few more miles further away than 5 Speed, how much further? I dont mind travelling anywhere too far if I get good service and advice.
Nige (AKA Hedge)
There are too many options to Email best to talk to people IME.
My No. is 07729 999468 9am - 8pm
It also depends if you want new or used solutions and whether YOU want to learn how things work or want a fit and forget solution.
Your car can be transformed for around £300 (in used parts and a few hours fitting) but there are many options and variables depending what you want and what we find - I’ve regularly found tuning aids fitted but not being used and several Phoenix Fives members have left my place happy after I’ve found they had adj suspension that they didn’t know was fitted !
TBH the most important step is you use someone who is familiar with performance MX5’s - best way to choose is to call and chat to them and see who is thinking the same way as you.
For example I’m a fan of the simple systems, if you want a fully programmable ECU I’m not the guy you want.
Cheers for the info Mark, yeah I’ll give you a bell and have a chat. Where are you based? Sorry, I didnt realise you had a business doing this, I thought Joanne meant you just knew your stuff with MX5’s!
I’s be looking for something relatively simple (I’ve found with cars in the past the more complicated a thing is the likelihood of it having a complicated and expensive problem if it goes horribly wrong. Basically something that would make my car run better, take away the worry of something going wrong due to not having some sort of management system fitted and something that is basically fit and forget, I dont want to have to be tweaking things or programming stuff, its not my bag, I just want my car to run as best as it possibly can.
Do you do any other mechanical work on the systems? I only ask as I have a rattle/vibration which is in the vicinity of the SC and its been taken off and I was told the bearings etc were fine (and no its not the heat shield!) and from what I described to the chap at 5 Speed he thought maybe the idler pulley bearings were worn, is that something you could do or do you stick to the electronic side of stuff?
Cheers,
Nige
My car has got a little placcy washer bag because I fitted it when the original one (fitted in front of the front wheel!) disintegrated.
Oh you youngsters with your wild and wacky hairstyles [:D]
Glad you are getting it sorted Mr Hedgehog.
I do anything to do with MX5’s buy them, sell them, fix them, service them etc I don’t generally sell new FI kits I leave that side of the market to Phil and Russ… though I’m not sure why… as ‘new’ is easier then ‘used’… I must be a glutton for punishment I guess.
I do however try to avoid clutch swaps as I hate the job.
I’m in Solihull B93.
Its impossible to diagnose a rattle without seeing the car and the problem is that no one carrys stock of everything that could go wrong with one hence its best to find out as much as possible before you visit anyone…
Did I mention calling first.
[:D]
Never mind all that - just make sure you are in tomorrow and have got biscuits to go with my cup of tea [:)]