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Streetwiseguy
Streetwiseguy MegaDork
1/26/20 12:57 p.m.
Keith Tanner said:

That's because you don't know (yet) that 6th gear is a 1:1. Gives the best efficiency on the highway. 

Ah.  That makes a bunch of difference.  

Knurled.
Knurled. GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/26/20 1:49 p.m.

3.54 and a 1:1 final is like an old 5 speed and a 4.33, so it should not be unbearable.  Many Miatas were sold with 4.30 and 4.10 gears and teeny 185/60R14 tires.

 

KyAllroad (Jeremy)
KyAllroad (Jeremy) UltimaDork
1/26/20 2:04 p.m.

Learn to embrace the revs.

Asking a 2.0 to pull hard from 2500 rpm is a big ask.  Keep it down a gear and let the engine sing a bit more.

Then there is the usual stuff to reduce inertial losses.  Lighter wheels and tires, lightened flywheel, etc.  Will make a big difference in how snappy the car feels.

Snrub
Snrub HalfDork
1/26/20 2:33 p.m.
Keith Tanner said:

Note that there aren't really any tunes for the ND2

You would know best, is the OFT product not actually being sold? I thought people on Miata.net were actually running it?

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/26/20 2:45 p.m.

I have no doubt that Shiv is selling something, but nobody's managed to get deeply into that ECU yet and it's really really really really really hard to get any actual meaningful data about the results of a tune. I've tested "200 hp!" tunes that made 165 hp after repeated and concerted efforts by the tuner and tests at different altitudes and different fuels as the tuner came up with more and more reasons as to why it wasn't working. One thing to know about the ND is that it's smart - you jam another tune in there, and the first dyno run will show gains. Great for marketing. But by the third, the car is back where it was. When the ND was new, one of our competitors was making all sorts of claims that turned out to be, umm, unreproducible.

I'm a little skeptical.

Anyhow, if you really want to mess with the gearing, grab the rear end out of an automatic ND or a Fiat 124 - the latter might have an LSD. It'll get you from a 2.88 to a 3.42 if memory serves. First might be a bit of a stump puller, but there you go.

https://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/gearing.php 

SVreX
SVreX MegaDork
1/26/20 3:11 p.m.

Thanks Keith. 

Maybe I am waiting for the Skyactive X...

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/26/20 3:22 p.m.

Then you'll ask for just a bit more torque. It's the nature of life. I put a 5.3l V8 in my car and I wanted just a bit more torque. So I put a 6.3l V8 in.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin UltimaDork
1/26/20 4:00 p.m.
SVreX said:

Yes, they didn’t leave much on the table.  The 13:1 compression pushing 181 ho out of the 2.0 is really impressive. 

 

It is impressive, but bolt-on K20 cars are putting down ~240 at the wheels. </devils advocate>

 

 

 

SVreX
SVreX MegaDork
1/26/20 4:30 p.m.
Keith Tanner said:

Then you'll ask for just a bit more torque. It's the nature of life. I put a 5.3l V8 in my car and I wanted just a bit more torque. So I put a 6.3l V8 in.

And that’s a problem because??  cheeky

I can neither afford that much power, nor handle it.  I have no desire for it.  If I could, I’d already be hiring you!   

Its a really simple question about the basics of a car I’d like to keep very close to OEM, but didn’t know if there were any simple solutions for the ONLY thing I’d like to modify slightly.  It’s part of a purchasing decision for me.  

 

SVreX
SVreX MegaDork
1/26/20 4:31 p.m.
ProDarwin said:
SVreX said:

Yes, they didn’t leave much on the table.  The 13:1 compression pushing 181 ho out of the 2.0 is really impressive. 

 

It is impressive, but bolt-on K20 cars are putting down ~240 at the wheels. </devils advocate>

 

 

 

So?  K20 is not an option. 

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/26/20 5:34 p.m.
SVreX said:
Keith Tanner said:

Then you'll ask for just a bit more torque. It's the nature of life. I put a 5.3l V8 in my car and I wanted just a bit more torque. So I put a 6.3l V8 in.

And that’s a problem because??  cheeky

I can neither afford that much power, nor handle it.  I have no desire for it.  If I could, I’d already be hiring you!   

Its a really simple question about the basics of a car I’d like to keep very close to OEM, but didn’t know if there were any simple solutions for the ONLY thing I’d like to modify slightly.  It’s part of a purchasing decision for me.  

 

Understood. It's just funny, the ND2 has the best engine ever put in a Miata, with a fairly good bottom end and some nice sprinkles up top. But still, it's the same question people have been asking for 30 years. Just a biiiit more...

Vigo
Vigo MegaDork
1/26/20 9:10 p.m.

How heavy are the stock wheels? What's an acceptable speedo/odo error % to you?  Easiest way to make a low-torque car feel punchier is to put shorter tires and lighter wheel+tire weight on it. It is probably not the cheapest, but it is the easiest. 

frenchyd
frenchyd PowerDork
1/27/20 6:56 a.m.
BoxheadTim said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Keep in mind the ND Miata is a DI engine. It might not be that easy to integrate a Flex Fuel sensor and re-map the stock ECU for flex fuel. And that's before we get to the big question if the fuel pump and injectors are capable of supporting the additional fuel required. IIRC that's the limit on the existing supercharger and turbo kits at least for the ND1.

First, if the Miata engine is capable of providing enough fuel for a turbo/ supercharger the estimated extra 30% max of required fuel for E85 should be the easy button. 
Second,  the recent issue of GRM  shows a Kit to handle E85 for a Early ZO6 Corvette. A far more rare vehicle than a Miata. 
Third  Some Direct injection cars have issues with plugging up the port fuel is injected into.  That's where alcohol is your friend.  Put a little gasoline in a shallow glass bowl and a little alcohol in another similar bowl. Light them both.  The heavy smudging from the gas versus nearly clean alcohol should convince you of  the ability of alcohol to clean and keep clean

Tom Suddard
Tom Suddard GRM+ Memberand Director of Marketing & Digital Assets
1/27/20 7:12 a.m.
BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/27/20 7:15 a.m.

In reply to frenchyd :

As Keith mentioned above there, nobody's really been able to get into the ND2 ECU yet, so remapping it for E85 and potentially integrating a sensor into the existing electronics simply isn't possible right now.

The 'vette has a rather hackable ECU and less complicated electronics than a 2019 Miata.

alfadriver
alfadriver MegaDork
1/27/20 7:33 a.m.
frenchyd said:
BoxheadTim said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Keep in mind the ND Miata is a DI engine. It might not be that easy to integrate a Flex Fuel sensor and re-map the stock ECU for flex fuel. And that's before we get to the big question if the fuel pump and injectors are capable of supporting the additional fuel required. IIRC that's the limit on the existing supercharger and turbo kits at least for the ND1.

First, if the Miata engine is capable of providing enough fuel for a turbo/ supercharger the estimated extra 30% max of required fuel for E85 should be the easy button. 
Second,  the recent issue of GRM  shows a Kit to handle E85 for a Early ZO6 Corvette. A far more rare vehicle than a Miata. 
Third  Some Direct injection cars have issues with plugging up the port fuel is injected into.  That's where alcohol is your friend.  Put a little gasoline in a shallow glass bowl and a little alcohol in another similar bowl. Light them both.  The heavy smudging from the gas versus nearly clean alcohol should convince you of  the ability of alcohol to clean and keep clean

IF it was capable of being recalibrated, E85 is awesome with DI- like a match made in heaven.  When I first tested it, I was really stunned by how much better DI was than PFI for E85.  But that testing was very not for peak power/torque- just for other reasons.

But that is a HUGE IF.  If it's not capable of being recalibrated for E85, then it's largely a waste of time- as I just put E85 in a test vehicle that actually has an E85 option, also a 2.0 DI engine, and while it ran, the desired fuel at WOT was not capable of being flowed with the stock system.  And this was a system that was able to be re-calibrated. 

Which is to say, an E-85 change is more than just a recalibration- it may need some new hardware.

As for the port issues- E85 isn't going to solve that, as it's the long chain HC's in the oil that really do a number in your intake ports.  And there's no E85 there to clean it up.  Assuming that the engine has a port deposit problem, as MANY DI engines do not have a problem with that.  

Knurled.
Knurled. GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/27/20 8:12 a.m.
frenchyd said:
BoxheadTim said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Keep in mind the ND Miata is a DI engine. It might not be that easy to integrate a Flex Fuel sensor and re-map the stock ECU for flex fuel. And that's before we get to the big question if the fuel pump and injectors are capable of supporting the additional fuel required. IIRC that's the limit on the existing supercharger and turbo kits at least for the ND1.

First, if the Miata engine is capable of providing enough fuel for a turbo/ supercharger the estimated extra 30% max of required fuel for E85 should be the easy button. 
Second,  the recent issue of GRM  shows a Kit to handle E85 for a Early ZO6 Corvette. A far more rare vehicle than a Miata. 
Third  Some Direct injection cars have issues with plugging up the port fuel is injected into.  That's where alcohol is your friend.  Put a little gasoline in a shallow glass bowl and a little alcohol in another similar bowl. Light them both.  The heavy smudging from the gas versus nearly clean alcohol should convince you of  the ability of alcohol to clean and keep clean

Z06s are not particularly rare from a mechanical standpoint.  They used the same computers as every other Corvette, F-body, lots of trucks, etc.  Some of the firmwares ("Operating Systems") for other vehicles were flex fuel capable.  It is relatively easy to do that sort of thing on a GM because older GM computers are so versatile, their engineers did all the work and you just need to choose the right Legos to plug together.

 

Apples and peanuts.

goingnowherefast
goingnowherefast GRM+ Memberand Reader
1/27/20 8:28 a.m.

I feel like people are just shouting out generic power adders. "Just add a turbo!" isn't that easy. 

 

For the ND1/2 I would grab the following: 

-Ecutek Cable/license/tunes from Delicious Tuning (https://www.delicioustuning.com/node/734) $999.00

-Header (https://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/61-1824.html) $549.00

-Ethanol map (Delicious Tuning will do one for you) $100-200

 

That combo is much less than $2,000 all in, and it will bring an ND1 from ~140 whp stock to ~180 whp. ND2's are newer and thus there's less information, but I believe we can expect almost if maybe over 200whp as a stock ND2 dyno's about ~165 whp. 

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/27/20 9:34 a.m.

I would like to see real before/after dyno testing of those parts as well as the actual curves. Note that Ecutek cannot reprogram the ND2 ECU, so that cable would not be useful in this case.

alfadriver
alfadriver MegaDork
1/27/20 9:47 a.m.
Keith Tanner said:

I would like to see real before/after dyno testing of those parts as well as the actual curves. Note that Ecutek cannot reprogram the ND2 ECU, so that cable would not be useful in this case.

I also find it interesting what is NOT listed in the ad for the tuning hardware, especially considering it's a California company.... 

And on the header, there's only the CARB disclaimer, when it's also not allowed on a federal basis (can't remove the main catalyst).

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/27/20 9:54 a.m.

DUE TO EPA RESTRICTIONS, THIS PRODUCT CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO CALIFORNIA.

Wow, that shows a lack of understanding of the laws and even the regulatory agencies involved. Ironic, given that Brian is a lawyer.

The tuning company is just hoping they're too small to get noticed.

alfadriver
alfadriver MegaDork
1/27/20 10:01 a.m.
Keith Tanner said:

DUE TO EPA RESTRICTIONS, THIS PRODUCT CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO CALIFORNIA.

Wow, that shows a lack of understanding of the laws and even the regulatory agencies involved. Ironic, given that Brian is a lawyer.

The tuning company is just hoping they're too small to get noticed.

They don't realize that there are car enthusiasts who work for the various agencies, apparently.

Knurled.
Knurled. GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/27/20 10:51 a.m.

What does the EPA have to do with CARB?

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/27/20 11:03 a.m.

They're The Man. It's all The Man.

goingnowherefast
goingnowherefast GRM+ Memberand Reader
1/27/20 11:35 a.m.
Keith Tanner said:

I would like to see real before/after dyno testing of those parts as well as the actual curves. Note that Ecutek cannot reprogram the ND2 ECU, so that cable would not be useful in this case.

I don't think it'll be long until they crack it considering OFT already has it working, but we'll see. 

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