Eaton M45 Supercharger project

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I've started writing up the project on my blog:


http://kickingtyres.co.uk/words/petrolhead/mx5-sup...

It's a work in progress and will get updated as I go. I'm still waiting for the parts from Tim Lane and a sacrificial ECU, and then I can start work.


Also, if anything I've written is incorrect or unclear, please let me know. I'm trying to make it far more comprehensive than many of the build diaries I've read, so it can almost become a set of step-by-step instructions for anyone else following the same route.

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KevSeymour said:

Isn't the Mini SC the MP45, not the M45?

I don't know what, if any, difference there is between them but i thought the Jackson Racing kit was based around the M45, but almost everyone who "homebrews" the conversion uses the MP45?

I've not read through what you've written yet, but i'm sure i'll do so next week when work grinds to a halt - i'm hoping to put a supercharger on my Mk1 next year, so although it wont be exactly the same i'd be interested to read what you do.

The mini charger I have is an M45. ie 3d gen. I believe the 4th gen is the MP45.

Edited by feef on Wednesday 14th December 14:56

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KevSeymour said:

Oh right, do you know what the differences are?

I'm not sure what the physical differences are, but the MP denotes that it's suppplied by MagnusProducts under licence from Eaton:

http://www.magnusonproducts.com/mp45.htm

Magnuson Products handles service and the aftermarket for Eaton and provides superchargers to a number of companies that design and manufacture the installation system for specific applications. Magnuson provides more superchargers for aftermarket applications than any other supercharger manufacturer in the world. link

Also, the JSRC kits, I believe, used superchargers supplied direct from Magnuson Products, and so they were the MP45 unit.

All this is based on snippets of info that I've picked up from various forums, blogs and whatnot, so my understanding could be completely wrong.

Edited by feef on Thursday 15th December 09:53

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Updated blog with some images only, and received my box of bits from Tim Lane.



Now I'm just waiting on my sacrificial ECU and need to source an alternator from a mk1 1.8, as the mk2 and 2.5 alternator isn't self regulating, as that's done in the ECU.

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MX-5 Lazza said:

I'm running a standalone ecu but I've left my stock ecu in place controlling the alternator, immobiliser etc.

I've managed to source an alternator (two actually, but that's no bad thing). I'll see what I can do with it as is. If the worst comes to the worst, I can modify my harness to pull in the stock ECU for anything else that's required.

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This evening I cut the mounting bracket off the supercharger to allow the outlet to fit. Fitted the outlet and bypass valve, and everything looks to fit fine.

Looking at the inlet that Tim Lane supplied, I removed the powder coating and it seems a fair bit more has to come off before it'll fit. I think I'm going to stick the supplied inlet in the milling machine to remove the excess, but will do that another night, when I've got an appropriate bit, i'm less tired, and it's not below zero (no heating in the workshop)

I'll update the blog later with images and a more comprehensive write up, right after I've had some more of this nice 2006 St Estephe and a mince pie.

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Updated the blog with more words, pictures to be added soon, once I've sorted them out and resized them.

Updates are as follows:
Components section : Added info on alloy bypass pipe, wideband o2 sensor and misc plate/sheet for blanking panels.
Mechanical install : outlet, inlet and bypass pipe issues.
Costs : updated with additional components that have been purchased.

http://kickingtyres.co.uk/projects/mx5-supercharge...

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There's been a fair bit of progress on this. I'm waiting for one more component (a new support bar for the supercharger mount), and need to plug in the electronics, but it's all but complete.



Howls like a banshee!

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taustin said:

Looking good!! Any idea what sort of BHP you are running with the S/C? Haven't read through the whole build thread, but have you kept the internals unmodified, with no need for an intercooler upgrade?

Engine internals are stock. The 1.8 MX5 engine is based on the 323 turbo lump so is actually pretty robust as it is. As superchargers operate on a volume-per-revolution basis, so faster it turns, the higher the pressure. So with a standard pulley, no intercooling and standard injectors, I can expect around 5 or 6psi. With that, it's alleged (depending who you speak to) that you can expect about 40bhp more taking it to about 190bhp.

With an intercooler, smaller pulley and injectors from a Supra, you can easily crack 200bhp

My stage one is the install as you see it, with a power card and timing card added onto the stock ECU.
Stage two will be to fit an Emerald ECU as a standalone unit, losing the MAF, installing MAP sensor and wideband o2 sensor.
Stage two WIL happen as I have all the bits, I just haven't had the time to install them and the sun's out.

Stage 3 will be the intercooler, smaller pulley and larger jets. I'm undecided if I should go this far and will wait and see how she drives after the Emerald is fitted.

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This might be one of the oldest bumps in PH history, but since the project has finally got moving again after a LONG stall, I thought I should update things.

I'll bullet-point the updates here, but there's more comprehensive info on my website: http://kickingtyres.co.uk/mx-5-supercharger-projec...

Getting some custom 6-rib pulleys made up to spin the blower faster.
Got an intercooler going in
Larger injectors
Instaling uprated radiator, high flow fan and oil-cooler
Emerald is going in along with MAP sensor and wide-band O2 sensor.
Adding a proper triggerwheel so we can use sequential injection on the ECU
swapped out the alternator for a MK 1 model.
Stage 1 Exedy clutch is on order along with...
Findanza lightweight flywheel (about 1/2 the weight of stock).

I've also uprated the brakes and have some Tein sport springs to install

And for no other reasons than I fancied it, I've cleaned and painted the rocker cover and intake manifold.

I'm hoping to have it back on the road some time this summer if all goes according to plan.

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Not impossible to pop by and help, or at least point and advise. I'll likely be busy with my own car between now and early July or late June if all goes well, as I've got my boy with me half the time and I'm trying to run a business at the same time

A brief update on where I am now.

We're going to get a 36 tooth trigger wheel, confirmed with Emerald that this is the best route to take. They're going to get someone to take a look at the immobiliser to see if it's compatible with the ecu which would be nice as it also controls the remote central locking and whatnot.

Removed the 1.6 throttle from the ambient side and made a new mounting for the TR Lane supercharger intake to accept the original throttle from this car. The advantage of this is that it has a more compact idle air control valve. We'll make up a suitable intake flange for the intake manifold so the silicone hoses can plug straight on. In modifying in it, excess material was also removed which should help airflow.

The IL performance oil cooler and fan kit appears to come with a generic oil filter collar, which is about 20mm shorter than e stock water cooling collar. We're going to make up an ally spacer to make it fit, which should also help with clearance issues with the hose fittings.

I've brought some brackets and bits and pieces home with me to strip, clean and paint while they are off the car.

Dyno time is being booked for the beginning of July as they are pretty busy, but we're hoping to get it on late June if there's a cancellation.

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Some more progress. Kieran from Emerald has confirmed that the wiring harness I've made up has been done correctly, which is nice. Also confirmed is that we can keep the immobiliser and remote central locking. Another nice to have.

Today I installed the alloy scuttle-mounted washer bottle and started wiring in the aftermarket fuel warning light.

John also got his lathe sorted out with a larger chuck to take the billet of T6 ally needed to make up the two custom 6-rib pulleys. A 36t trigger wheel is on order now, which will be mounted on the crank pulley

Clutch and lightened flywheel are still on order, should be another week or so before they're here.

Edited by feef on Thursday 5th June 22:32

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pewe said:

Regarding washer bottle OP ^^ is probably referring to these?
http://fast5.co.uk/alloy-water-bottles/
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe.

That's the one, yes. Fits perfectly and it's a trivial task to reroute the pipe work under the bonnet as the holes for the clips are present on the drivers side too. Just need to run some wiring from the plug across, and job's jobbed. I've used a cable tie to hold the pump against the bulkhead under the tank so it's out of view. I'll get some photos up when it's finished as I still need to drill the hole for the second mount. One uses the existing bolt near the bonnet hinge, the second requires a hole through the scuttle panel.

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Bit more progress.

Fitted the stainless twin pipe back box.

mated up the oil-cooler, fan and frame to the new rad and offered it up for fit. I'll need to reposition the power steering reservoir a little to allow it to fit with enough clearance for the intercooler hoses. We'll make up some new copper piping for the power steering cooling loop, so it passes behind the rad support, instead of between the rad and support, which was fouling it.

John got the custom pulleys made up for the power steering pump and crank, and also fitted the trigger wheel to the crank pulley. Apart from looking teh secks, they also light up perfectly first try. Happy days.

The oil cooler needs an adaptor plate made up, as I suspect that, although it's stated it'll fit a mk 2.5, 1.8. I think it's for the non-VVT engines. I'll need to investigate further as to the differences, but we have a solution anyway.

I've got some nice alloy we can use for the intercooler mounting brackets, so I'll take that over on Monday or Tuesday and see if we can't get closer to the finish.

I've also just been notified that the flywheel and clutch are en route, due to be delivered tomorrow, so that'll be nice.

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A few more updates.

• A bracket and mount for the crank angle sensor has been fabricated and fitted.
• Oil cooler spacer has been fabricated and the oil cooler installed.
• Supercharger is back in place and it all looks good.
• As we've moved the throttle to the supercharger intake, the throttle cable is now too short, so I made up a new one using a new outer, cable and ends, but with the original fittings removed from the old cable.
• Intercooler mounting bracket is in progress and has been tigged up.
• Wideband O2 sensor has been fitted and the wiring run into the passenger footwell where the ECU will live.

One the home straight now.

What's left?

• Rad mounting brackets and upper intercooler bracket.
• Fit MAP sensor
• Fabricate a face for the intake manifold to accept the hose coming out the intercooler. basically a dummy throttle with no valve, just straight through
• ECU wiring harness I made up is a little fragile, as you'd expect from soldered pins, so once we've verified it all works, we're just going to fill the back of it with resin or potting compound to help make it a bit more robust.

I've also received the Findanza lightened flywheel and Exedy clutch. It'd be nice to get these on too, but I can do that at a later date. We'll see how time goes before deciding whether to fit them before D-Day (Dyno day, booked for the 9th July)

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Nope. Single throttle on the ambient side. As the eaton is a displacement supercharger I think this would be better. Putting another throttle on the pressure side could damage the butterfly if it's under pressure while closed. I'm also taking advantage of the idle control valve on the throttle on ambient side too.

I'm confident it's the right path, if not the one most others have taken.

Edited by feef on Tuesday 17th June 16:45

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Questions time : The MK1 can have/does have ABS I believe. Is the ABS system controlled with a standalone ABS ECU module, or is the ABS operation handled within the main ECU?

We've hit a stumbling block with my supercharger install (MK2.5) in that the stock Mazda ECU does various things other than just engine management including alternator regulation (which we knew about), ABS control (which I guess isn't unexpected in hindsight, but that's life), as well as controlling the dash as it's on a CAN bus.

I can work around the alternator and dash problems, but I can't see any options for an aftermarket, standalone ABS ECU system.

If the MK1 has a standalone ABS then I could work out a way of using that.

In the meantime, we're going to set it up so the stock ECU controls the dash and abs (and alternator, since it's going to be there anyway) but I'd like to see if I can get it going completely standalone.

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Went over to Brundall Motorsport to check in on the MX5 and see what progress is being made.

Everything is back in, and on and we even got the engine to fire and run on a basemap on the Emerald ECU today, which is a huge step forward. The new twin-port exhaust is significantly more fruity than I expected, but it's not obscene.

A few teething troubles to iron out. The supercharger drive belt is squealing which we think is down to one of the idler pulleys being slightly on the cock so the belt is pulling over it at a very slight angle.
There's a tiny oil leak, which we think is from the 'donut' of the oil cooler system but we'll check..

And the tacho doesn't work, but we'd expected that.. along with a host of dashboard lights telling us things aren't working and whatnot.. but we will get there....

It's nice to hear it run and fire up so readily. It's idling a bit fast and the idle control valve is doing odd things when we enable it in the Emerald, so we've left it disabled for now and will let the chaps at Emerald deal with it when it gets on the Dyno on Thursday.

No photos or video I'm afraid, there was too much hanging on the ignition key ready to kill it at the sign of anything going wrong

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According to the wiring diagram, the ABS ECU on the pump has a speed output from the engine ECU going into it.

Tacho, I've worked out the solution so no worries..

Biggest problem is that the squeal isn't the pulleys, but seems to be coming from the blower itself. I suspect a leaky seal.

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Richyvrlimited said:

That's news to me, I can't find it on my wiring diagram either?!? Which ECU pin goes to the ABS module?

Either way though it has no effect on the ABS or it's operation. my stock ECU has been missing for the last 2 years, plenty of winter track work as seen a lot of ABS operation

Pin 3Q (green/white) on the PCM goes to the ABS unit.

MX-5 Lazza said:

You are running a single throttle body on the ambient side aren't you? Is the bypass working correctly so that it bypasses the SC on vacuum?

It's squealing at any revs, whether that valve is open or not however, you've just given me an idea.. it COULD be related to the idle control valve which isn't programmed yet.

I will investigate further anyway