Nathan

Hi Jon, I'm not going to ask who installed it but I would say it was highly likely that this IS an installation problem. Certainly more likely than a duff box IMO. Was the car fine before being installed? The bad starting and missfire problems smack of injector cycle conflicts. I wouldn't rule out the box by any means but I'd be going over the whole installation first. Are you saying the car was given back to you like this? Regards, Nathan TDI PLC

My God. Thats one less person on this planet that I don't need to explain it all too.... The worst thing is that the 'tuner' quoting the 'higher' bhp figure will probaly be cheaper as well....you know where I'm coming from... Nice one. Nathan TDI PLC

51%F/49%R Can't help on the rest mate. Sorry. Nathan TDI PLC

I really don't know Terry....never really done any with that boost...what do you think? 310 ish? Thats not much more boost than stock but the car will be breathing a lot better, hence the 30bhp or so gain. Shooting from the hip really... Better keep the top of my head open on this one Nathan TDI PLC

Hi John, Sorry to hear of your mishap. These cars are so strong but I wondered how long it would be before I start to hear of them going pop, especially quite spectacularly like yours. Thats 2 now in as many weeks that I've heard of and I fear it'll only get worse as more people play with them when they don't have the know-how. You need to decide how much bhp you want before you will get any real advice. As Terry says, 550's are fine for stock based turbos but will you be happy with a max of 420bhp or so? If you want more then now is the time to sort it out. How much boost do you want to run? It's possible you will need to put a cat back in or run a restrictor with your current setup. I'm presuming all of this was done recently going by the fact you have an EVC-5? If you just want to get moving then I would fit 550's, on the stock rail, with an Apexi Super AFC to trim the fuelling down. You don't need an AVC-R; that is a boost controller like your EVC-5. Fit OE replacement engine internals, including the head gasket. Fit a new Walbro pump. Fit some decent spark plugs. HKS S40i's IMO. Most importantly, get the thing setup and checked by someone who knows what they are doing. Let me know if we can help. Regards, Nathan TDI PLC

The problem is that you are only at 0.9 bar. IMO 380~400 bhp is entirely possible on a Mk4 at 1.2 bar with the right fuelling, right plugs etc. and generally running 'how it should be'. (edited to say on stock turbos too). Without an FMIC though you could easily lose 40bhp of that on a stinking hot day. Still, on a good day, the numbers are possible. But then I'm probably talking out of the top of my head Regards, Nathan TDI PLC

Hi Rich, For sure, colder air certainly won't hurt but as I've said time and time again, theory means Jack Squit without final data. For example it's possible that an aftermarket induction kit may well lose say 5bhp at 3K rpm on the daily commute but may gain 15bhp at 6K rpm on the move due to the restriction of the stock airbox, cold air or not. Put another way, you could have air at -3 deg C if you wanted to, but what you lose to achieve it could cost you more power than it's worth. It's the end result I'm only interested in. Any data leading to it, although interesting, is largely useless when it comes to a final decision. Stick a free-flow air filter stright out of the top of the bonnet, thats what I say Cheers, Nathan TDI PLC

LOL. You remind me of my brother in his earlier years Adam. Scarily enough his names Adam too..... He was always 'experimenting' and 'fiddling' with things. One of the more memorable ones was building a low-voltage variable electric test 'cell' into which was placed live insects to test their reactions. He was 9 at the time. A more worthwhile project was a pressure sensor at the foot of the stairs wired to a light in his room so he could tell when Mum and Dad were coming up the stairs and pretend he was asleep. This system was later updated with his homemade intercom and for years our parents never sussed it.... Anyway, I digress. Steve: I think your comments are about right on all counts except on the cleaning of HKS elements. It CAN be done but I've never really gone that route purely because a brand new one only costs around £20 anyway. As for mileage, it's very difficult to say but I'd change them whenever they look 'dirty' or dark. Adam: a test would be good, but I've no idea of the average particle size of 'ambient dust' as found on the roads. Maybe you could find out? Then we'd need to find out the CFM of say a 400bhp soop (not difficult) and then try and work out just how much damage any ingested particle would make. I'm sure I have read somewhere that a large amount of 'dirt' passes straight through an engine anyway but I could be wrong. I bet you loved those lessons that involved potassium permanganate and water.... Nathan TDI PLC

IMO all the aftermarket filters I have seen will offer LESS filtration than the OE airbox and filter. As to how much less, and what it's consequences are is very difficult to quantify. CW found erosion on his compressor impellers and claimed that it was the poor filtration of the HKS elements that was the problem. My Supra had run HKS filters since it was first upgraded and I never noticed any wear on the turbos. Most will agree that for the best filtration you need to keep the stock unit and replace the panel regularly. What can't be answered is just how much an aftermarket filter will reduce the life of the engine. 5K miles? 10K miles? No one knows, but it's unlikely you will keep the car long enough to worry about it. You say you bought a Blitz unit? The pleated stainless mesh type? HKS (who also make them) claim that they need FAR more attention to keep the filtration good than their usual Powerflows. And if I see another link to that filter test with the hoover and a bag of dust I really will 'LOL'. I'm all for proving facts but come on... Rich: Good data. It's clear that the induction kit without a cold air feed picks up hotter air. It's a shame that we can't see the result of it. When looking for such small differences in power output the only way is on the rollers bur then we're back to the poor airspeed/high ambients of the dyno cell....catch 22... Cheers, Nathan TDI PLC

Most of the oldies will know that this topic has been done to death. Chris Wilson and myself have respectfully agreed to dissagree but even so the bottom line is that no, an induction kit, of any make, will not make a huge difference to the car at below 450 bhp, BUT that doesn't mean it won't be noticeable. Some people will say that they in fact lose power but that is based on rolling roads that have tested said item at an air movement of no more than 60 mph. In a dyno cell with high ambient temps trying to cope with 350 horses on quite a trot.... Personally, I like them. Customers have commented on how 'responsive' the car feels after being fitted with one. Others are purely happy with the sound, irrespective of any loss/gain in power. I've decided that until a rolling road can generate airspeeds in excess of 80 mph I can't argue against them. Anything up to that point will be insignificant. In fact, the induction scenario is so full of abnormalites that we have decided to offer a combination of the two ideas: an HKS filter kit that can be used in conjunction with a carbon fibre airbox based on the original cold air pickup points. If you want my personal opinion the 'cold' air box won't make any noticeable difference but if you listen to the majority of 'anti-induction-kit' tuners it should do.... To me it's a nice looking airbox. For my money, I'd buy an HKS induction kit and leave the airbox. Knowledge is power Nathan TDI PLC

Hi Chris, If the chap has found previous thread/s then hopefully he will have also seen our concerns on the possibility of siezed threads in and out of the fuel filter (usually in). Aside from the nightmares we have encountered with siezed threads (my own car was one of them) I will also add that at the current standings it's 50/50 as to whether you will have problems or not. My advice, as I stated a while back, is to have a new fuel line (from the tank to filter) handy. In fact, we won't take on a fuel filter replacement unless we have a line in stock too. As Chris says, if you have a problem fuel will be pi$$ing all over the place but the bottom line is that if you have an issue you need to deal with it as efficiently and as quickly as possible. Fortunately our whole building is also floored with concrete Fuel lines are nothing; about £25 from memory. If I have scared you (and that will only be if you are not a spannerman) then get the job done by someone else. If you want to go ahead, I have a line in stock put aside for a job but can let you have it if needed. It might be worth mentioning that it's not really a part that can be sent via post/courier etc. Like I said, you could have no problems at all....but....are you a gambler? Cheers, Nathan TDI PLC

Yep. Just what we found. Nathan TDI PLC

Nope, never heard of that brand either. It's clearly not stock though by the sounds of it. Nathan TDI PLC

Good point Martin and the UK pump does draw a huge amount of current relative to it's flow abilities. The Walbros use much less current whilst being a more efficient pump. So much so that many can run twin Walbros on the stock wiring. Try that with 2 UK pumps and you will not only have red-hot wires you will probably trip the fuse and/or fuel pump ECU. Nathan TDI PLC

Agreed. Nathan TDI PLC

The emissions regulations for cat equipped cars changed in August 1992...! Nathan TDI PLC

Cut them off with an angle grinder. Being careful not to slice through your hub/strut of course. Nathan TDI PLC

I would urge anyone fitting replacement dials to be EXTREMELY careful. I fitted some lumidials to my Supra and thought I was as careful as I could be. I didn't remove the needles, and was careful not to even move them up or down. Upon replacement I found that the fuel gauge was goosed, and never went below 3/4 full. I had to get another one. I'm sure someone else on this BBS had the same problem after fitting some dials. Hearing of people trying to prise off the needles makes me wince, and IMO is a pretty secure way of screwing up the gauges. Regards, Nathan TDI PLC

One of the reasons why we never use any plug other than the HKS ones..... I'm not saying the plug was the prime cause but it could easily have been a nasty secondary one. If it had of let go any more then you may well of been looking at an engine rebuild. Personally I would be looking skyward and thanking someone right now. Using a plug that won't fall apart in the first place will at least move the goalposts a little. It's one less thing to think about whilst you are flat out checking your EGT's and lambda. We've run HKS plugs up to 1150 deg C EGT before with no problems whatsover. I don't advise it but like I was saying..goalposts moving... Regards Nathan TDI PLC

Remember this is an N/A and therefore the inlet layout looks a bit different. Not vastly but if you asking where the AFM is in the first place... Someone on here must have a pic of the inlet/AFM on a Soop? If not, I'll take a pic of my GS300 tonight....it is identical. Also, look carefully for any split pipes between the AFM and the inlet manifold. Anything even looking slightly dodgy should be investigated and rectified. Cheers, Nathan TDI PLC

At the risk of sounding like the man at deaths door it could be that No.2 turbine has lost a blade or two or a boost control pipe has come loose. Try doing a search on this list for 'death whine' or 'loss of boost' and it might give you a few pointers. It would be unlikely for a 98 car to lose the turbos but it has happened. We always fit HKS S40i plugs (grade 8) and an uprated fuel pump to all Jap spec cars now if we do a regular 1.2 bar upgrade. If this hasn't been done then it may be an issue and could certainly increase the possibility of a high boost missfire. Sorry I couldn't be more help but I would need to do some further diagnostics on the symptons. Cheers, Nathan TDI PLC

So, pretty much what I have been saying for years then, and what our data said from the HKS GT ball bearing setup we had on the stock manifold and sequential setup back in 1995. 'The stock sequential setup and turbo configuration is largely useless beyond 450 bhp' Nice to hear it confirmed though Ho hum. Nathan TDI PLC

Hi Phil, Agreed. From you especially, who has probably spent nearly as much time as I have in the Mk4 nearside footwell.... Cheers Nathan TDI PLC

Personally I would try cleaning the airflow meter. Won't cost much (say £3.50 for an aerosol of carb. cleaner) and could cure the problem Be V. gentle with it though. Not much else to suggest unfortunately. The N/A's are pretty bullet proof (I've just removed a turbo conversion we did from my Lexus 1997 GS300-same engine as yours). Oh, and this is assuming you have no air leaks. Which are a Very Bad Thing where airflow meters are involved. Regards, Nathan TDI PLC

Sorry, is this a company or a bedroom? Punters demanding cheap prices gives you.................monkies!! Who manufactureres the unit, how many wires have you got and what are the colours? If it's like the HKS unit I will try and help. If it's not I'm sure Pete Betts wil help. Either way I think you've learnt a lesson... Regards, Nathan TDI PLC