LS V8 Online Tuning, Vinny Fabrication, Intercooler Quality | Today At HPA 216 [UPDATE]

Here’s Andres update that came right before your members-only webinar lesson ‘216 | Introduction to Megasquirt’ using our Mazda Miata/MX5 (details on membership below).

SUBARU WRX: In this update, we quickly run through the Haltech controlled Subaru STi which has just had a turbo swap and an adaptor harness created in order to also fit our Ecumaster EMU Black for some course content creation. Andre does mention how we are cheating a little bit with our JDM WRX which is a different spec engine from what you would find for US or AU spec Subarus of the same year. It’s only ‘bad’ for us though, as we are forgoing control of a few features that the JDM model has which other models do not. This car is really just used for lessons so it’s not a problem for us.

REMOTE PRACTICE DYNO: This is one step closer to completion! Soon you will be able to log in and tune an LS engine live over the internet via team viewer using the Haltech platform, and in the future HP Tuners as well.

FD RX7: Our Mazda FD3S RX7 is back from the awesome team at Vinny Fabrication and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome. 

We started out with our Turblown Engineering turbo kit which includes their investment cast stainless manifold, a BorgWarner Performance Aftermarket EFR8474 turbo and a pair of Turbosmart external wastegates. Andre gives a quick recap on the kit and the wastegate setup but this has been discussed in some previous episodes already in details if you would like to know more.

Vinny Fab added a custom v-mount intercooler and radiator setup and a custom intake to the turbo, all secured with plazmaman.com clamps (Wiggins style clamps). The advantage and disadvantage of these clamps are covered, but obviously, for us, the pros outweigh the cons.
The Vinny Fab crew also built a full purge-welded stainless exhaust system, including a separate 2.5” wastegate pipe that runs to the rear of the car. For those wondering why we didn’t just dump the wastegates to atmosphere, unfortunately, we can’t do that legally for a streetcar here in New Zealand.

The IGN1A ignition coil position has been covered before, and we caught some ‘heat’ about the location which Andre addresses in this episode. Lastly, intercooler cores are touched on as a product that many people overlook and you’ll get some tips on how to double-check you are purchasing one that is fit for purpose.

VIDEO RELEASE: If you haven’t seen it, make sure you check out Ken Blocks Cossie V2 that we managed to get up and close to during the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019. It’s a modern take on an iconic classic that was dominant in the UK tuning scene back when Andre was just starting out, although we weren’t lucky enough to see too many RS Escort Cosworths down in this part of the world ourselves.

WEBINAR INFO: The Megasquirt ECU has long been a popular option when it comes to aftermarket standalone ECUs. In particular, Megasquirt offers an extensive feature set in a cost-effective package. In this webinar, we’ll take an introductory look at the MS3 Pro ECU fitted to a Mazda MX5/Miata and explain the tuning process using TunerStudio MS software.

Want to watch the members-only webinar on How to use Histograms in HP Tuners along with over 200 other lessons on engine building, tuning, and wiring topics? Sign up here for only $19 USD a month, start and stop at any time (unlike your gym membership!).