Discussion
So the story was the current car was wearing out. The Alfa 156 was getting rusty underneath and after a quick pull up of the carpet and with a little tap of a screwdriver a hole appeared. That along with the exhaust beginning to rust = £££ so it was time to get rid. With the car only being a 2.0 TS it was not really worth saving giving the condition of the bodywork.
So the criteria was:
Most of these seem to be for sale up north. I did travel around the M25 and saw one get sold in front of me and another that was a complete heap. I did see one more local so after a visit I ended up with this:
It was a black mica 2008 MPS Aero. It's in good condition for it's age. There is a few marks on the rear bumper and on some of the interior but otherwise it's been well looked after with full Mazda history until this year (print outs given at sale).
It's actually cheaper to the insure than the Alfa (work that one out as I can't!) and the insurance is actually cheaper than the tax as this one is in the highest tax bracket.
After 12 days of ownership tragedy struck:
It was parked up near work when a car came out of a crossroads without looking and punted another car into mine. It sent my car back a few feet. Luckily they left a note and their insurance sorted it out. However the garage was a bit less than desired.
After a £4k repair job and nearly 3 weeks later I got it back but noticed the car was flithy in side - it clear had been driven around as it had dusty footprints in the rear footwell. It had some extra marks on it I did not notice before and there was red paint marks on the passenger side. I took it back and the machine polished out some of the red paint (didn't even do a good job of this).
Either way it's back so it's time for a long term project. Here's some current pics:
I added a Corksport turbo inlet pipe as the turbo was getting a bit smokey. I also fitted a banjo bolt and changed the oil to some Shell Helix. I also bought an oil catch can but this is yet to be fitted.
I took off the MPS badge as the "S" was broken on it originally and it makes the car a bit more discreet
I will do the side badges sometime..
One thing I have noticed is the paintwork is quite thin and can mark really easy. Stone chips can get through the primer. May be I will get the car resprayed to a different colour in the future.. and may be get a carbon bonnet..
Below are some more general pics of the car:
So the criteria was:
- Something a bit newer than the Alfa
- Something a bit faster than the Alfa
- Something a bit more practical than the Alfa
- Parts not too expensive
Most of these seem to be for sale up north. I did travel around the M25 and saw one get sold in front of me and another that was a complete heap. I did see one more local so after a visit I ended up with this:
It was a black mica 2008 MPS Aero. It's in good condition for it's age. There is a few marks on the rear bumper and on some of the interior but otherwise it's been well looked after with full Mazda history until this year (print outs given at sale).
It's actually cheaper to the insure than the Alfa (work that one out as I can't!) and the insurance is actually cheaper than the tax as this one is in the highest tax bracket.
After 12 days of ownership tragedy struck:
It was parked up near work when a car came out of a crossroads without looking and punted another car into mine. It sent my car back a few feet. Luckily they left a note and their insurance sorted it out. However the garage was a bit less than desired.
After a £4k repair job and nearly 3 weeks later I got it back but noticed the car was flithy in side - it clear had been driven around as it had dusty footprints in the rear footwell. It had some extra marks on it I did not notice before and there was red paint marks on the passenger side. I took it back and the machine polished out some of the red paint (didn't even do a good job of this).
Either way it's back so it's time for a long term project. Here's some current pics:
I added a Corksport turbo inlet pipe as the turbo was getting a bit smokey. I also fitted a banjo bolt and changed the oil to some Shell Helix. I also bought an oil catch can but this is yet to be fitted.
I took off the MPS badge as the "S" was broken on it originally and it makes the car a bit more discreet
I will do the side badges sometime..One thing I have noticed is the paintwork is quite thin and can mark really easy. Stone chips can get through the primer. May be I will get the car resprayed to a different colour in the future.. and may be get a carbon bonnet..
Below are some more general pics of the car:
So initial thought on the car:
Speed - subtle at low revs and crazy when on boost. The cruise control is nice, especially when your near some average speed camera's
Ride quality - quite harsh when compared to the Alfa. The suspension is much harder and the large low profile wheels and tires makes bumps a bit less forgiving.
Equipment - well equipped and comes with all the bells and whistles, including cup holders and some decent sized compartments. This is nice as the Alfa had none of these. Everything works as it should. The only negatives here appear to be a squeeky seatbelt mechanism and that the cabin brings in a lot of road noise.
Build quality - average. Paint work is quite thin and is prone to marks and chips (although having a black car doesn't help). Turbo's are also weak. The gear change is quite poor compared to the Alfa. Infact the Alfa had the best gear changes I had experianced in owning cars. The MPS has a long through between gears - especially between 1st and 2nd and when cold it's quite hard to go between the lower gears.
My plans are quite long and with the house having work done it will probably be a while between updates. In all it's to try and make it the car it should be. The list:
Engine:
- Replace the turbo with a BNR S3 turbo for more power and better reliability.
- New air intake and heatshield.
- New downpipe but keeping the cats in for MOT
- Front mount intercooler as not keen on top mount ones
- High pressure fuel pump
- Cobb remap
- Upgraded rear engine mount
Powerwise I will be aiming for between 321bhp - 330bhp as it is probably all you wand from a FWD car. Ideally I am aiming for slightly more power than my friends old BMW M3.
Transmission:
- Look at replacing the gearbox oil with some Ford gearbox oil.
- New bushes for the gear shifter.
- Some sort of short throw kit for the gear stick.
Suspension:
- Keep the ride height the same but get some softer springs so it's better for road use.
- Strut brace
Wheels:
- I don't like the wheels so I may get some MK2 MPS wheels or some RX8 wheels.
Brakes:
- Get some 4 pots
- Braided brake hoses
Interior:
- Replace the 6 CD changer for something a bit more modern. Needs to work with the steering wheel controls though.
- Tidy up/replace the marked glove box
Exterior:
- The car has 3 small dents in the roof that looks like it's been caused be stones or hail. I want to get these sorted.
- Respray/tidy up the paintwork
- New number plates as the plastics started to peel on the current original ones.
- Take off the remaining MPS badges!
Speed - subtle at low revs and crazy when on boost. The cruise control is nice, especially when your near some average speed camera's
Ride quality - quite harsh when compared to the Alfa. The suspension is much harder and the large low profile wheels and tires makes bumps a bit less forgiving.
Equipment - well equipped and comes with all the bells and whistles, including cup holders and some decent sized compartments. This is nice as the Alfa had none of these. Everything works as it should. The only negatives here appear to be a squeeky seatbelt mechanism and that the cabin brings in a lot of road noise.
Build quality - average. Paint work is quite thin and is prone to marks and chips (although having a black car doesn't help). Turbo's are also weak. The gear change is quite poor compared to the Alfa. Infact the Alfa had the best gear changes I had experianced in owning cars. The MPS has a long through between gears - especially between 1st and 2nd and when cold it's quite hard to go between the lower gears.
My plans are quite long and with the house having work done it will probably be a while between updates. In all it's to try and make it the car it should be. The list:
Engine:
- Replace the turbo with a BNR S3 turbo for more power and better reliability.
- New air intake and heatshield.
- New downpipe but keeping the cats in for MOT
- Front mount intercooler as not keen on top mount ones
- High pressure fuel pump
- Cobb remap
- Upgraded rear engine mount
Powerwise I will be aiming for between 321bhp - 330bhp as it is probably all you wand from a FWD car. Ideally I am aiming for slightly more power than my friends old BMW M3.
Transmission:
- Look at replacing the gearbox oil with some Ford gearbox oil.
- New bushes for the gear shifter.
- Some sort of short throw kit for the gear stick.
Suspension:
- Keep the ride height the same but get some softer springs so it's better for road use.
- Strut brace
Wheels:
- I don't like the wheels so I may get some MK2 MPS wheels or some RX8 wheels.
Brakes:
- Get some 4 pots
- Braided brake hoses
Interior:
- Replace the 6 CD changer for something a bit more modern. Needs to work with the steering wheel controls though.
- Tidy up/replace the marked glove box
Exterior:
- The car has 3 small dents in the roof that looks like it's been caused be stones or hail. I want to get these sorted.
- Respray/tidy up the paintwork
- New number plates as the plastics started to peel on the current original ones.
- Take off the remaining MPS badges!
Small update - the side badges have now been removed! I gave it a quick wash and gave it my 1st attempt at snowfoaming yesterday. I got myself a 12v machine polisher so gave it a bash on the bonnet and front pass wing. Tbh it didn't do much so I may take it to a detailer some time.
My next plan is to probably get an uprated rear engine mount along with a high pressure fuel pump and uprated injectors where money allows.
The only give away to the car now is the MPS wheels, lowered suspension and aero kit. I plan on changing the wheels at some point but at least it's a semi sleeper
My next plan is to probably get an uprated rear engine mount along with a high pressure fuel pump and uprated injectors where money allows.
The only give away to the car now is the MPS wheels, lowered suspension and aero kit. I plan on changing the wheels at some point but at least it's a semi sleeper
TheAngryDog said:
Unless you're going big power then uprated injectors are not needed, and not really available. Best bet is bnr S3/4 and meth injection, fully bolted and decent tmic or fmic for over 400bhp
Sorry I meant injector seals I might end up getting the Corksport turbo as there are a few reports out there claiming they are better than the BNR but we'll see.
Just had these come through the post!
The rear engine mount should make a really nice improvement compared to the standard one.
I suspect the car is still using the original gearbox oil it came with out the factory so I'm going to treat it with some Motul. The washers will also replace the plastic shifter ones that come with the car. I wanted to get this done before the weather is cold and the engine mount before the next MOT as there seems to be a lot of engine movement and gear changes are pretty rubbish when it's cold.
I have also noticed a ticking noise coming from the drivers side. Hopefully this is a bearing gone in the idler pulley so I have ordered a new idler pulley, belt and tensioner to hopefully resolve the issue
Small update time:
Well not much has happened in the year I have owned the car. The uprated engine mount has run in a bit so it's less vibe - there's still a bit but no where near as much as when it was first fitted. Otherwise just wear and tear. I noticed the battery was going a bit flat so got it checked out. It turned out the car was still running on the original Jap battery! Got a new one fitted. Got some new flat wiper blades as the others were worn and got some new front pads.
It was MOT and service today and the car flew through with no advisories! That made my day as it's now the 2nd year the car as gone through the MOT with no failures.
I still have lots of money tied up in the house so most spare money is spent on that at the moment. The car's time will come though as I have some goodies in store
Well not much has happened in the year I have owned the car. The uprated engine mount has run in a bit so it's less vibe - there's still a bit but no where near as much as when it was first fitted. Otherwise just wear and tear. I noticed the battery was going a bit flat so got it checked out. It turned out the car was still running on the original Jap battery! Got a new one fitted. Got some new flat wiper blades as the others were worn and got some new front pads.
It was MOT and service today and the car flew through with no advisories! That made my day as it's now the 2nd year the car as gone through the MOT with no failures.
I still have lots of money tied up in the house so most spare money is spent on that at the moment. The car's time will come though as I have some goodies in store
DaveH23 said:
Great cars these.
I also have a MK 1 in Red minus the aero kit. They are very sleeper like.
Mine does not have cruise control though which is very annoying. Does anybody know if it's possible to have it re fitted?
You can retrofit cruise control. There might be a guide on MPSowners.I also have a MK 1 in Red minus the aero kit. They are very sleeper like.
Mine does not have cruise control though which is very annoying. Does anybody know if it's possible to have it re fitted?
Time to do some little bits. I had a bit of change left over from the service and MOT and got a few bits to make the car a bit nicer. All on a budget though!
So..
The seatbelt squeek:
I figured if I had something that could stiffen the metal bracket of the seatbelt up it should stop squeeking. After some head scratching I got some bushes of Amazon (I don't have Ebay) for around £4:
I made a slice down one part to the middle so it slides over the metal section in almost like a semi circle. I wasn't holding much hope as it's a bodge but it works! I'm going to get some strong glue to stick it in place but it sits happily on it's own after some adjusting :cheers:
The stereo fix:
One small annoying thing with the stereo was the media button not doing anything. A read on another thread on here linked to a much needed cable to fix this issue. I just don't get why Mazda fitted a stereo that had aux input but never bothered spending a small amount on actually fitting the input..
So the price of this fix - 50p! - I had some free Amazon credit left over from something so got this lovely cable at a reduced price. This is it arrived and unboxed:
Getting to work - I would recommend getting a friend to hold the stereo for you if you want to keep it connected and fiddle about running wires through the dash:
I was going to drill a hole in a cup holder then I had a better idea:
I decided to ditch the astray and have that compartment as a place to keep the aux cable. I don't smoke and no one in my car does so it seems pointless having an ashtray. I can then charge my phone and play music at the same time!!
Visual:
I decided to get the Corksport led kit. I had some credit left so got it cheap. I didn't even have to pay any import or handling fees which is nice - thanks Mr. Postman
Fitting the glovebox light was a bit daunting:
Once all fitted it looks nice. The camera phone pics don't do it much justice but it gives off a much cleaner light:
Not all went to plan. I managed to break the switch on the boot light so need to get a new unit as the boot light won't turn on. I also noticed a scratch on the front interior light. I don't think that was caused by me though so I need to get a new one as it looks a bit annoying.
So..
The seatbelt squeek:
I figured if I had something that could stiffen the metal bracket of the seatbelt up it should stop squeeking. After some head scratching I got some bushes of Amazon (I don't have Ebay) for around £4:
I made a slice down one part to the middle so it slides over the metal section in almost like a semi circle. I wasn't holding much hope as it's a bodge but it works! I'm going to get some strong glue to stick it in place but it sits happily on it's own after some adjusting :cheers:
The stereo fix:
One small annoying thing with the stereo was the media button not doing anything. A read on another thread on here linked to a much needed cable to fix this issue. I just don't get why Mazda fitted a stereo that had aux input but never bothered spending a small amount on actually fitting the input..
So the price of this fix - 50p! - I had some free Amazon credit left over from something so got this lovely cable at a reduced price. This is it arrived and unboxed:
Getting to work - I would recommend getting a friend to hold the stereo for you if you want to keep it connected and fiddle about running wires through the dash:
I was going to drill a hole in a cup holder then I had a better idea:
I decided to ditch the astray and have that compartment as a place to keep the aux cable. I don't smoke and no one in my car does so it seems pointless having an ashtray. I can then charge my phone and play music at the same time!!
Visual:
I decided to get the Corksport led kit. I had some credit left so got it cheap. I didn't even have to pay any import or handling fees which is nice - thanks Mr. Postman
Fitting the glovebox light was a bit daunting:
Once all fitted it looks nice. The camera phone pics don't do it much justice but it gives off a much cleaner light:
Not all went to plan. I managed to break the switch on the boot light so need to get a new unit as the boot light won't turn on. I also noticed a scratch on the front interior light. I don't think that was caused by me though so I need to get a new one as it looks a bit annoying.
DaveH23 said:
did you follow a guide for fitting the aux?
I've often thought about it but scared I snap one of the plastics or put them back in such a way it starts developing annoying squeaks and rattles.
Do you also need the radio code as I'm not sure I have mine.
I just followed this youtube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9I9KDNUs4YI've often thought about it but scared I snap one of the plastics or put them back in such a way it starts developing annoying squeaks and rattles.
Do you also need the radio code as I'm not sure I have mine.
I don't recommend using a screwdriver through to get the surround off as it easily marks. You can get it off easily enough with finger nails. It was pretty much plug and play and it takes about 4 screws and a bit of rocking back and forth to get the stereo out. I kept it all plugged in so you don't need a radio code - I don't have one either so didn't want to risk it.
Time for a few more small touches..
I got some new chrome tinted indicator bulbs for the front and rear. The back ones -
Before:
After:
The fronts seem a bit trickier:
The gap..
There wasn't enough time to do it tonight but when I get more time I plan to take the wheel arch liner off and work from there
I have also ordered some plasti-dip so I can do some work on the front badge.
I got some new chrome tinted indicator bulbs for the front and rear. The back ones -
Before:
After:
The fronts seem a bit trickier:
The gap..
There wasn't enough time to do it tonight but when I get more time I plan to take the wheel arch liner off and work from there
I have also ordered some plasti-dip so I can do some work on the front badge.
More goodies!
We have a JBR heavy gear knob. This one weighs around 680 grams. Also got myself a reverse lock out gate. These make a massive improvement with the gear change:
Also a picture of the clear front indicators fitted:
I saw someone breaking an RX8 with these wheels on. I put in a very cheeky offer and managed to get them:
Much better looking and lighter then the standard MPS wheels
We have a JBR heavy gear knob. This one weighs around 680 grams. Also got myself a reverse lock out gate. These make a massive improvement with the gear change:
Also a picture of the clear front indicators fitted:
I saw someone breaking an RX8 with these wheels on. I put in a very cheeky offer and managed to get them:
Much better looking and lighter then the standard MPS wheels
Chris x said:
Bexhill!
Just looking through your other pics... guessing you work at Hastings direct? I live on that road.
I'll keep an eye out for the car, don't remember seeing it around!
Got it in one !! I don't really take the car out much maybe a few times a week. I'll keep an eye out for you though Just looking through your other pics... guessing you work at Hastings direct? I live on that road.
I'll keep an eye out for the car, don't remember seeing it around!
TheLordJohn said:
My words exactly when I saw those wheels "Ooooh, f
k me, they look good!", lol.
Good work. Like to see love for Jap cars
Cheers !k me, they look good!", lol.Good work. Like to see love for Jap cars
Edited by maxdb on Wednesday 8th June 21:15
A bonnet/scoop from a newer model won't fit unfortunately. They do make a carbon vented hood but I'm not sure if it will actually fit an MPS. Plus it does look a little tacky:
http://www.andysautosport.com/products/vis_racing_...
The wheels are actually Rota GR6's. They were just on an RX8 someone was breaking
http://www.andysautosport.com/products/vis_racing_...
The wheels are actually Rota GR6's. They were just on an RX8 someone was breaking
I decided to paint the brake calipers. I've never painted calipers before so I hope they last longer then a few weeks
As the weather has been nice I managed to give the car a good clean - well I cheated a little by taking it to the hand car was initially then finished it off with some Autoglym deep shine polish, bumper gel and high definition car wax I got myself for my birthday. It came out really well but having a black car you can see some stone chips - mainly on the passenger side.
The offending marks:
I really need to take the car out on location sometime for some better shots..
I'm just going to do a few minor cosmetic changers next. I bought myself some black rimblades to protect the wheels a little. I will probably change the side repeaters to some black ones to go with the other lights and I need to take the rear lights out to give them a good clean as they are going a bit green on the edges (common issue on the Mazda's apparently).
As the weather has been nice I managed to give the car a good clean - well I cheated a little by taking it to the hand car was initially then finished it off with some Autoglym deep shine polish, bumper gel and high definition car wax I got myself for my birthday. It came out really well but having a black car you can see some stone chips - mainly on the passenger side.
The offending marks:
I really need to take the car out on location sometime for some better shots..
I'm just going to do a few minor cosmetic changers next. I bought myself some black rimblades to protect the wheels a little. I will probably change the side repeaters to some black ones to go with the other lights and I need to take the rear lights out to give them a good clean as they are going a bit green on the edges (common issue on the Mazda's apparently).
Few more small bits done today. The car is getting a bit dusty so will need another clean so but surprisingly it's managed to miss a lot of bird poo!!
It's annoying that you can't just change the bulbs in the Mazda side repeaters so I found some Ebay replacements. Swapping them around was easy - you just unscrew the wheel arch liner and put your had up the wheel arch to unclip them:
A quick test to make sure they work:
They appear to do the job and are CE marked etc so should be road legal. A bargain at £17ish. I also fitted some black rimblades, which have made a lot of difference visually. I chose black ones so they are more subtle. They fitted ok I guess. I'm pretty rubbish at doing things like that. Here's the finished article:
I'm not sure what to do next. Maybe the badges or a high pressure fuel pump so I can make a start on changing the turbo, air filter etc.
It's annoying that you can't just change the bulbs in the Mazda side repeaters so I found some Ebay replacements. Swapping them around was easy - you just unscrew the wheel arch liner and put your had up the wheel arch to unclip them:
A quick test to make sure they work:
They appear to do the job and are CE marked etc so should be road legal. A bargain at £17ish. I also fitted some black rimblades, which have made a lot of difference visually. I chose black ones so they are more subtle. They fitted ok I guess. I'm pretty rubbish at doing things like that. Here's the finished article:
I'm not sure what to do next. Maybe the badges or a high pressure fuel pump so I can make a start on changing the turbo, air filter etc.
I noticed some more blue smoke recently which indicates the turbo seals are on the way out. The car doesn't appear to be using much oil but it appears the turbo will need to be done sooner rather then later. Luckily I had some money saved but with a holiday in Cornwall due in September money will be tight.
Well we all made it to Cornwall and back
I wouldn't recommend this car for long journeys as the seats aren't the most comfortable after several hours then you have the hard suspension and heavy clutch to deal with. It was a good experience though as I've always wanted to drive to Cornwall.
So back to the car parts..
As money was tight I purchased most the parts 2nd hand so got some good deals. I managed to get the following:
- BNR S3 Turbo (unused as the person I bought it off decided he wanted an BNR S4 instead)
- Versatune and link cable via a Group buy.
- K&N Typhoon and Sure turbo inlet pipe.
- Grimmspeed EBCS and gaskets/studs for the turbo.
- High Pressure fuel pump internals.
Heres's it all bundled together:
Versatune being installed:
All installed ok and I went for a long drive so it run in. For some reason the idle drops to 750rpm when you install Versatune. The person I bought the turbo from also had Versatune and mentioned this. So while running it in this happened:
I replaced 2 of the Potenzas with Rainsport 3's and the difference is amazing. I get so much more grip, no tramlining and far less/no more wheel spinning. I swapped the Potenzas on the front to the rear and put the Rainsports on the front. When the rears wear out I will eventually put Rainsport 3's on all around.
Going back to the engine I fitted the K&N 1st on it's own. It's quite noisy but only when you go over 3000 RPM:
Following this it was time to install the Turbo inlet pipe and High Pressure Fuel Pump internals. I completed this today and a job that was intended to take just over a few hours ended up taking 6 - the joys with cars!! Last weekend I have the Turbo inlet pipe a go.
Battery removed:
Intake removed:
Space is limited and removing the stock intake was actually a complete PITA. I resulted tipping up the battery tray and moving it as space was limited. The ECU cover on EU cars are bolted down so you can't remove them without drilling them out. This restricts access and you have to find all the clips and bolts. The internet guides make it look easy but pretty much all the guides are done on US models..
Eventually I got the stock intake off. Here it is compared to the Sure turbo inlet pipe:
As you can see the Sure pipe is much bigger and less restrictive then the standard inlet but there was something missing from it. I didn't know it until this point either so I had to put the parts all back together again
So today the bleed nipple came. They are hard to come by but I found one on Amazon from a UK seller pretty cheap (about a fiver). Now all fitted to the new intake:
So I repeated the process today and got it all fitted however the nipple is quite large and the vacuum hose would not fit. Luckily the EBCS I bought came with some vacuum hose so I ended up making a new hose. The old one is underneath for comparison:
All fitted:
During all of this I decided to replace the fuel pump internals. Here is the fuel pump in the engine bay:
Getting the bottom nut off was a massive pain due to lack of space. The red cloth is to help catch the nut and catch any fuel they may come off:
The fuel clips at the top are also fiddly. I'm not a fan of the square clamp connectors. The pump is bolted on using E8 reverse torques so I had to buy these for the occasion and the relevant adapters for my socket sets. In the Mk2 versions of the MPS you can take a fuse out for the fuel pump and drain the fuel before hand but in the Mk1 you cannot do this so I got a little bit of fuel come out when I undone the clips and bolt.
Here is the pump with the upgraded internals installed:
I removed the fuel rail lines so it would fit in the clamp easier. An 18mm deep socket and an impact tool did the job. I tried to do it by hand with a torque wrench but there was no chance in hell it was going to un do so luckily I manage to borrow the impact tool. Here's the uprated internals removed and compared to the standard internals:
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Ol0gNWph.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/Ol0gNWph" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Ol0gNWph.jpg)
Next is what took most of my time today. The fuel rails are supposed to come off with a T25 security torx. I got myself a security torx set (they just have a hole in the middle) and had no issue removing the rails from the pump with the uprated internals. It wasn't happening at all with the standard pump. Many attempts with different sockets proved fruitless so I had to put the standard pump in the vice at a funny angle:
Then it was time to use the deep socket:
As you can see the spring was too big for the socket. The autotech sockets have slightly smaller springs. After lots of swearing and had scratching I noted a few others on line had the same issue. I thought I would try and pop the top off with a flat head screwdriver. Success!!
Now time to use that socket:
This is why I couldn't use the uprated pump housing:
All got put back together. I put the ignition on 3 times to prime the pump. I started it and it appears to run with no issues. I will run the car for 100 miles and will keep checking it for now for issues. Once this has been done I will sort the mapping out and save some pennies up so my local garage and change the turbo. I might also look at installing the EBCS myself once I get some more hose.
Well we all made it to Cornwall and back
I wouldn't recommend this car for long journeys as the seats aren't the most comfortable after several hours then you have the hard suspension and heavy clutch to deal with. It was a good experience though as I've always wanted to drive to Cornwall.
So back to the car parts..
As money was tight I purchased most the parts 2nd hand so got some good deals. I managed to get the following:
- BNR S3 Turbo (unused as the person I bought it off decided he wanted an BNR S4 instead)
- Versatune and link cable via a Group buy.
- K&N Typhoon and Sure turbo inlet pipe.
- Grimmspeed EBCS and gaskets/studs for the turbo.
- High Pressure fuel pump internals.
Heres's it all bundled together:
Versatune being installed:
All installed ok and I went for a long drive so it run in. For some reason the idle drops to 750rpm when you install Versatune. The person I bought the turbo from also had Versatune and mentioned this. So while running it in this happened:
I replaced 2 of the Potenzas with Rainsport 3's and the difference is amazing. I get so much more grip, no tramlining and far less/no more wheel spinning. I swapped the Potenzas on the front to the rear and put the Rainsports on the front. When the rears wear out I will eventually put Rainsport 3's on all around.
Going back to the engine I fitted the K&N 1st on it's own. It's quite noisy but only when you go over 3000 RPM:
Following this it was time to install the Turbo inlet pipe and High Pressure Fuel Pump internals. I completed this today and a job that was intended to take just over a few hours ended up taking 6 - the joys with cars!! Last weekend I have the Turbo inlet pipe a go.
Battery removed:
Intake removed:
Space is limited and removing the stock intake was actually a complete PITA. I resulted tipping up the battery tray and moving it as space was limited. The ECU cover on EU cars are bolted down so you can't remove them without drilling them out. This restricts access and you have to find all the clips and bolts. The internet guides make it look easy but pretty much all the guides are done on US models..
Eventually I got the stock intake off. Here it is compared to the Sure turbo inlet pipe:
As you can see the Sure pipe is much bigger and less restrictive then the standard inlet but there was something missing from it. I didn't know it until this point either so I had to put the parts all back together again
So today the bleed nipple came. They are hard to come by but I found one on Amazon from a UK seller pretty cheap (about a fiver). Now all fitted to the new intake:
So I repeated the process today and got it all fitted however the nipple is quite large and the vacuum hose would not fit. Luckily the EBCS I bought came with some vacuum hose so I ended up making a new hose. The old one is underneath for comparison:
All fitted:
During all of this I decided to replace the fuel pump internals. Here is the fuel pump in the engine bay:
Getting the bottom nut off was a massive pain due to lack of space. The red cloth is to help catch the nut and catch any fuel they may come off:
The fuel clips at the top are also fiddly. I'm not a fan of the square clamp connectors. The pump is bolted on using E8 reverse torques so I had to buy these for the occasion and the relevant adapters for my socket sets. In the Mk2 versions of the MPS you can take a fuse out for the fuel pump and drain the fuel before hand but in the Mk1 you cannot do this so I got a little bit of fuel come out when I undone the clips and bolt.
Here is the pump with the upgraded internals installed:
I removed the fuel rail lines so it would fit in the clamp easier. An 18mm deep socket and an impact tool did the job. I tried to do it by hand with a torque wrench but there was no chance in hell it was going to un do so luckily I manage to borrow the impact tool. Here's the uprated internals removed and compared to the standard internals:
Next is what took most of my time today. The fuel rails are supposed to come off with a T25 security torx. I got myself a security torx set (they just have a hole in the middle) and had no issue removing the rails from the pump with the uprated internals. It wasn't happening at all with the standard pump. Many attempts with different sockets proved fruitless so I had to put the standard pump in the vice at a funny angle:
Then it was time to use the deep socket:
As you can see the spring was too big for the socket. The autotech sockets have slightly smaller springs. After lots of swearing and had scratching I noted a few others on line had the same issue. I thought I would try and pop the top off with a flat head screwdriver. Success!!
Now time to use that socket:
This is why I couldn't use the uprated pump housing:
All got put back together. I put the ignition on 3 times to prime the pump. I started it and it appears to run with no issues. I will run the car for 100 miles and will keep checking it for now for issues. Once this has been done I will sort the mapping out and save some pennies up so my local garage and change the turbo. I might also look at installing the EBCS myself once I get some more hose.
a7x88 said:
Are you on the MPSOC Facebook page?
Looks like a tidy little 3! I have a 6 and had the same old smokey turbo it's going up north to have a full forge, meth and BNRS4 install on Tuesday
Just something to be aware of (you may have mentioned it?) but the VVT - they like to go pop, recommended to be replaced around 50-70k
I am - great bunch on there. I'm only on 38k but periodically check the VVT. The chain seems to be nice and tight at the moment touch wood Looks like a tidy little 3! I have a 6 and had the same old smokey turbo
it's going up north to have a full forge, meth and BNRS4 install on Tuesday Just something to be aware of (you may have mentioned it?) but the VVT - they like to go pop, recommended to be replaced around 50-70k
I've now had this car for 2 years. MOT time was looming again..
It flew straight through again with no advisories!
I now have the braided hoses fitted and the brake pedal feels so much firmer and responsive. Hopefully I can fit the BNR S3 soon. Just need to do some logs with the K04 and save some more pennies so my local garage can do the work..
It flew straight through again with no advisories!
I now have the braided hoses fitted and the brake pedal feels so much firmer and responsive. Hopefully I can fit the BNR S3 soon. Just need to do some logs with the K04 and save some more pennies so my local garage can do the work..
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