Third Time is the Charm? 5

If you’ve been here for ten years you know a little bit about my history.  It’s been about FOUR MONTHS since I proclaimed NA forever, and spoke with disdain of turbocharger responsiveness and engine bay clutter.  What changes in my mind?  Well… nothing actually.  I just resign myself to reality once and a while.  I don’t have 15k for a Formula Atlantic motor.  I don’t even have 2k to build a motor that resembles the FA unit.  And in the end… mine is mild machine.

I don’t like turbo’s… but I won’t deny that they are the easiest way to make power… and torque.  If I had a 9000rpm motor I’d be hating my gears… but with a turbo I could feasibly have 160lb ft of torque from 3500-6000 and never notice 3500rpm rev drops.  Gears are expensive.  It’s time for to move on to other things.  I don’t want to say… itb’s and standalone this year, engine build- 2011, gears- 2012.  I can just say… low boost turbo, 190hp, 190lbft of torque- 2010, FT-86- 2011 (or more realistically… Sienna- 2011).  It’s a short cut.

There are lots of turbo installs that make me feel gross.  I see guys with radiators cut in half, intercooler piping everywhere.  I even came across a guy this week proud of his 10psi T28, intercooled blue top making 130whp.  130whp??  I have a feeling that lots of people turbocharge their cars with the same mentality that lost people use to lower their cars.  Lower and stiffer is always better; more boost and bigger turbo’s are always better.  And I’m not just thinking of being reliable here…

But what do I know?  I’ve only purchased turbo set ups… I’ve never actually put one together.

But look at this dyno plot of an AE86 fit with the BASE HKS turbo kit.  This is a non-intercooled, non-BOV equipped kit that uses a T25 and … 4 psi!  Yes.  FOUR psi.  Now… this is SOME AE86 if it makes 143ps stock, but nevertheless 30% more power with 4psi is worthwhile.  An output of 160ps, as seen on the Auto Land Arena demo car above is probably a more realistic output.  But this is still worthwhile, especially because lots of evidence suggests that the stock computer can manage such low boost levels pretty well.  Some even suggest that the USDM AFM ECU is at advantage compared to the JDM MAP based system’s.  Again I don’t know… but I’ll try 4psi on a stock computer.

You can tell me that I should run more boost.  Maybe I’ll want that… but I don’t have any desire to make more than 200hp.  That is supposed to be the limit of the transmission and rear end… and I feel no motivation to swap to something tougher after spending $$ on LSD’s, clutches, lightweight driveshafts, short shift kits etc etc.

Disclaimer: all these plans are dependent on some guy not flaking on my header purchase.  If I don’t have it all done in 4 months, it will take me 4 years to return to this opinion.  The boat had better be fast.
PS.  The Japanese yen is way too strong right now.
PPS. Real driving hero’s keep AE86 NA.