You know, Nelson, there is this new, modern invention called the Internet. It's probably free at work and it's as cheap as $9.99 a month if you want to get it at home. Before you think of dropping $5,000 on a turbo kit, you might want to invest $10 on the Internet, and do a little research. I did a Google search for "TSX turbo kit" and, on the first page, found that there are both supercharger and turbo kits available from Comptech, CT Engineering, and AFI. If these don't suit your needs, then you can have a good shop convert an RSX turbo kit from HKS, GReddy, Cybernation, Rev Hard, or In-line Pro with relative ease. One capable shop that comes to mind is Raceline Development in Temple City, Calif. Give Elton a call at 626.292.7030.
Noobs: Skip This Question
Eric, I need your help on a tuning issue that's been driving me crazy. My project is a '97 Toyota Camry V-6 with the 1MZ-FE engine. I'm running 7 pounds of boost, a FMIC, 330cc 2JZ injectors, a 255-lph Walbro pump, an A'PEXi S-AFC, and an AEM UEGO wideband. Now the problem: I'm having trouble finding a sensor type setting for the S-AFC. I had the thing on 12-12/1 in-1 out, but it wasn't letting me adjust the fuel. AFR would stay at 14.3-15.8 on the UEGO until I would hit full throttle, then it would pin-out dog-ass rich and I'd have no power. I tried other settings too, like 15-07/1-1 and 15-15/1-1, but the same thing happened, and airflow never went above 42.7 percent. As you know, 1MZ support is near non-existent, so the S-AFC was my only choice. Since the OEM injectors were 220cc you'd think that it would want to run rich with 330cc replacements. My MAF sensor is located in the charge-pipe, before the TB and after the BOV. Not too many people even mess with 1MZ here in the States, so was wondering if you know anyone overseas who has a similar setup as mine. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
-Larry Van Nguyen
Pasco, WA199
P.S. Check out my build at: www.cardomain.com/ride/3029563
Cool project. I always give props to people who are willing to tackle the unusual. However, the road to perfection isn't smoothly paved for a privateer, especially since there is virtually no data available for you to tap from with your project. I looked at your Car Domain page and relocating the knock sensors like you did is generally not a good idea. Superchargers "rattle" by design, and on Toyota project cars, that will falsely register as "engine roughness" to the knock sensors. If you've turbocharged the car and the knock sensors are going off, guess what: The engine really is knocking. Moving the knock sensors so they don't sense roughness probably isn't too wise. Next up: the S-AFC. It's limited in what it can do, and sometimes struggles on turbocharged, naturally aspirated Toyotas. The only way you could get the S-AFC to work is if you installed a fuel pressure regulator, a return system, and a BLOX or Vortech FMU that multiplies fuel pressure-per-pound of boost. Only then would the S-AFC be within its usual operating range. I don't have much experience with piggybacks, as I generally think they suck, but it is possible to see decent results after spending hundreds of hours messing with them. If it were my car, I would run a standalone. Why? You know all that time you've spent struggling with different fuel settings, messing with the S-AFC, moving knock and MAFS sensors around...? You would have been done a long time ago if you'd just gone with a standalone from the beginning. I would run an HKS V-Pro, but it can only be tuned by HKS Pro Dealers. Haltech has wire-in ECUs that support the 1MZ's cam/crank trigger patterns, and tuning one by yourself is feasible. It looks like you're already past the point of no return-the car is never going back to stock-so why not dump some extra money in it to get it running properly? I'm sure it will save coin in the long run. Good luck.