Getting a Turbo for my Mazda Protege

[ShaneBell]

Ive decided to go ahead and start saving, planning, ect. for a turbo. I am wanting something simple.. Iam thinking a T-3 w/ 5-6lbs. of boost, something used, maybe from a older eclipse or talon. I can buy a ceramic coated turbo manifold for about $200 and I was hoping to get a turbo for about $100 bucks.. I am thinking the whole job should be somewhere around 800-1,000 bucks to complete.. I dont have any experience with turbos, so Iam hoping I can gain some knowledge here. Also, I am wanting to do this on a poor mans budget, so Id like to go without an intercooler.. Would that be okay? Could a turbo timer do the job of keeping it cool enough? Will installing it on my car, damage it? Any advice you could give would be helpful.

[Jay]

Wow, there's so manythings to point out here..

Let's start w/the obvious
An intercooler and a turbo timer couldnt be more different.

Intercooler cools the hot air heading for your motor. A turbo timer just keeps your car running for an x-ammount of time after you shut it off to keep oil moving through the turbo to cool it down.

An older eclipse/talon is going to have a 14b turbo

You are going to need a means of adding fuel to the motor to compensate for the boost it see's

There's ALOT of factors to add in, you dont just slap on a turbo and go raise hell.

[slowcavy95]

There's ALOT of factors to add in, you dont just slap on a turbo and go raise hell.

Actually you can raise all kinds of hell for a few miles!!


My advice would be just to go on google and type in what you need... You will find all types of forums explaining what you need to do, there are also a lot of people on here that have experience with them... Just remember that a setup on your mazda will basically work the same as a honda, mitsu., etc, it just requires a differnt part #


You might also want to consider a smaller turbo if you are only planning on running 5-6 lbs, if i remember correctly the turbo eclipse/talons had a side mount intercooler stock(?), if thats the case you might want to look into that. Intercoolers really do make a difference even if it is not a front mount, you might be able to find a wrecked eclipse/talon still equipped with everything that you might need for your install... Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[narfdanarf]

boost will bite you.

Do it right or do it twice...that's my philosophy.

[slowcavy95]

Also.... make sure you get it tuned right away, that is unless you engoy changing motors....

[daveb91]

you want a FMU?

[ShaneBell]

Thanks for the advice.. I was planning on having the car tuned at Slow Motion. Ive heard alot of good comments about them. I emailed them, but they havent gotten back to me yet. After I save some more cash and get closer to making this happen Ill give them a call. Could anyone tell me what parts I would need? or is it more complicated than that? This is what Iam thinking Ill need.. Iam sure Iam way off.
Turbo
Manifold
Intake Oil Line
Out Oil Line
Some piping & Hose Clamps
BOV
Boost Gauge

Iam assuming that those turbos have built in waste gates... I dont know. Is this close?

[andy5.0]

Don't forget some sort of tuner/piggyback computer, injectors, upgraded fuel pump, etc.... Tuning is key with any FI setup whether it is on a Mustang or a Mazda, improper tuning and the best case scenario is that your car will run like crap...worst case is a blown motor. Talk to Adam, he has done the research and should be able to point you in the right direction for what you need to go FI on your car without killing it right away. The easiest way I would think would be to get a kit off of a wrecked turbo Protege (Mazdaspeed) and talk to alot of the guys on the Mazda forums about how they setup their cars.

[InterceptorXR7]

I think 80's Chrysler products had t-3's

Just go on http://www.car-part.com and look up turbos and intercoolers from any vehicle you could think of. I found an STi intercooler on there for 300 bucks, and a turbo off a Chrysler for about 200 bucks. Most of this stuff comes with a warranty of some kind, and can be shipped to you.

[Jay]

boost will bite you.

Do it right or do it twice...that's my philosophy.


Indeed
If you half ass it an do it cheap, it's going to wind up costing you more

The best thing to do is buy the lowering springs and just drive it.

[InterceptorXR7]

You have 5 hours to jump on this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda-Pr ... enameZWDVW (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda-Protege-2-0-Turbo-Kit-T-3_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33742QQihZ016QQitemZ2 60135096337QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW)

[Jay]

My car dynoed just over 140 whp @ 5psi with no intercooler, and no fuel management other than a rising rate pressure regulator. The car ran smoothly and normally. But it made way more torque across the rpm range. The way these cars should have been stock. Really it is the limit of what you can do with the OE fuel system, ECU, and stock clutch. Stock dynoed 101 whp.


...ahahahahahaha

[ShaneBell]

So I can run without all that fuel management stuff and an intercooler? If its gonna need alot of other upgrades to get a simple turbo, than its not worth it... I could just go buy another car, that was already fast.. I really wanted to keep this one b/c I bought it new and its been a good car. If I could get it done for $1,000 from Slo Motion, I would just probabley do that. Its seems like it might be a bigger hassel than it would be worth... I donno, I hope Iam wrong about that.

[slowcavy95]

There is a lot involved in a turbo install... $1000 is probably gonna be pushing it, make sure that everything is done correctly and dont cut corners..

[slowcavy95]

My car dynoed just over 140 whp @ 5psi with no intercooler, and no fuel management other than a rising rate pressure regulator. The car ran smoothly and normally. But it made way more torque across the rpm range. The way these cars should have been stock. Really it is the limit of what you can do with the OE fuel system, ECU, and stock clutch. Stock dynoed 101 whp.





I finally got around to reading this... I am intrigued by this

[daveb91]

So I can run without all that fuel management stuff and an intercooler? If its gonna need alot of other upgrades to get a simple turbo, than its not worth it... I could just go buy another car, that was already fast.. I really wanted to keep this one b/c I bought it new and its been a good car. If I could get it done for $1,000 from Slo Motion, I would just probabley do that. Its seems like it might be a bigger hassel than it would be worth... I donno, I hope Iam wrong about that.You dont need a intercooler but its gonna be better for power if you do you really cant go above 5-6 psi without one. i still wouldnt do it though. And I still have that Rising rate reg "FMU"!

[ShaneBell]

Wouldnt turbo it? Iam sorry, but I dont even know what FMU is... Iam really new at this car stuff.

[jamesN272]

Shane,

Not being devil's advocate...just the truth here...

$1000 is not even close to being enough money for that kind of set up. It sucks - but if you want the car to run at all - you'll need to budget twice, maybe even triple that.

A slowmo tune by itself is $450, that doesn't include getting the car up there. They might try, but don't have a ton (if any) experience with Mazda's. You can get away with having $175 in the fuel (injectors, pump, maybe FPR). Engine management is going to eat you...there's a few options, but the cheapest one worth having for the 3rd gen protege's is about $750. Don't even think of having a FI set up without fuel management. I've seen set ups off mazdaspeeds with manifold/turbo/IC for around $1200. Oil lines you can fab yourself for under $100 or so. Same deal with piping. BOV $100 at least. $100 for the gauges. Or you could probably get a manifold for 2-300, T25 for dirt cheap, SMIC, try to make that work.

Do it right the first time. Add all that up and figure in more $$$ for extras...boost controller, fabbing up the entire exhaust, CLUTCH

If you did all that right, you could see 200whp pretty easily. But I could see you dropping $3k+ for a reliable set up that will last more than a few thousand miles. You'd be doing all the work youself...hope you can weld. :P

Just save up and buy a different car dude...I'd buy a DSM before I'd try to boost a protege with only 1k to spend. It's a nice low mileage car, and a great DD...once you're somewhat out from under it, buy something else. Do not buy some shotty rusty 80s junk yard turbo and ghetto rig everything without FM or an IC...you might as well take a 12 gauge to the paint, because you'd be grenading the car and it's value just as fast.

If you're going to do it, do it RIGHT http://www.movhondas.com/forum/images/smiles/smile.gif

[ShaneBell]

Id say your right, although I dont know about half of what your talking about.... I really only know how to drive cars.. I can do simple things, but Iam no gear head.. I appreciate everyones advice on the subject. I dont want to make a quick decesion and regret it later.. What about a supercharger? Same difference? I think that green civic that randy has is pretty much stock except the blower.. Would that be a easier cheaper route? Hell, Ive even thought about a $300 zex kit.. 50hp shot probabley wouldnt hurt anything..

[slosupra]

the bulletin board had a gallant vr4 in it for $4000. as long as it is in good condition it would be a great car awd turbo and only 2k made so you would have a rare car and a sleeper :twisted:

[slowcavy95]

Id say your right, although I dont know about half of what your talking about.... I really only know how to drive cars.. I can do simple things, but Iam no gear head.. I appreciate everyones advice on the subject. I dont want to make a quick decesion and regret it later.. What about a supercharger? Same difference? I think that green civic that randy has is pretty much stock except the blower.. Would that be a easier cheaper route? Hell, Ive even thought about a $300 zex kit.. 50hp shot probabley wouldnt hurt anything..


A supercharger is going to be more reliable, it is also gonna be more expensive and personally i dont think you get your moneys worth out of them. Careful with a shot of n2o as well, a small shot like that wouldnt be bad, just DO NOT get caught with a full tank in your car.

[RobbieNelson]

I'm not being an ass, but if you don't know the difference between an intercooler and a turbo timer, you souldn't even consider building a turbo kit for your Mazda.

Besides that, it's a horrible investment if you don't think you'll keep the car for a while. If you do it right, the car might hold it's value. It will not increace the value by the amount of cash you have in it. Your cash would be much better spent on a decent DSM. Modify it slowly and learn about forced induction engines as you go. Read lots of forum posts and educate yourself.

Yes, Adam is kind-of a case in point of what can be done. However, he educated himself and knew quite a bit about what he was doing before he even started. I'm sure he learned a lot on the way, but he had a good base of knowledge to start from.

[Jay]

When you said you have no idea about it or how to go about it. you admitted you do not need to do it period.

You are wanting to take a reliable daily driver and turn it into a half-ass having turbo'd car that is going to give you fits every chance it gets. and on a 1k budget you arent going to get even close to reliable power.

If you wana play, you gota pay.
Horsepower cost's $ no matter how you look at it.

Nitrous is going to give you some instant "umph" and is alot cheaper, but dont expect to go warping into different timezones. Even on a bottle you will be easily outran by stock f-body's.

My advice is leave it alone and take it for what is, a nice daily driver.
If you want a fast car, buy a fast car.

[slowcavy95]

I would say that your best bet is just to save up and buy a car thats already quick, you could find a decent car for a good price that might need a litle work and do it yourself. Whichever way you choose to go i will say good luck.

[keesor]

I would have NEVER put a supercharger on my mustang if it was still my daily driver. Anytime you add FI you up your chances of breaking something else in the power train. I agree with selling it and buying something that is already quick.

Good luck!!!

[RallyEX]

I tend to agree with a lot of the prior comments. Unless you are a glutton for punishment and have the cash to blow on hand, I'd put a turbo kit on hold for the time being.

With your level of knowledge, by the time you've put all the work / money / effort into it.. you probably could have sold your Protege and purchased a Mazdaspeed Protege or some equivalent factory-boosted car.

Based on the conversation that we had some time ago, you'd be better off to wait until you are at a point in life where blowing the funds on such a project is a little easier.

From what I understand, this car is your primary means of transportation. Attempting a turbo kit on the only car you have can prove to be financially catastrophic and leave you without transportation.

So, if you do it and succeed: Good for you. When can we drive it?
If you try and fail: We'll say "we told you so."
If you decide against it: You are a few grand richer and can put that towards something else.

[ShaneBell]

Thanks for the advice guys :) I think Ill just leave it alone, and myabe late next year when its paid off Ill just buy an old Mustang, Talon, or Eclipse... I appreciate everyones help.

[Davis Silver Sti]

Id say your right, although I dont know about half of what your talking about.... I really only know how to drive cars.. I can do simple things, but Iam no gear head.. I appreciate everyones advice on the subject.
Hope you don't feel alone on the simple mechanical stuff; I'm in the same boat. I know how stuff works, but as far as tearing apart an engine, I'm lost without visual instructions.

I agree with the other movfasters here in that a turbo install on a non turbo'd car is a thorough project.
Perhaps a dedicated turbo car (used) would be a better bet like others mentioned earlier.

[daveb91]

What about a supercharger? Same difference? I think that green civic that randy has is pretty much stock except the blower.

I think i have told everyone but, i knew the third owner of that car the one that started to actually mod it. helped him install the S/C kit, it is stock running the 6 psi pulley untuned and has a FMU. SLOW but better than stock. Thing is you can run 6 psi on you stock motor and as long as your A/F ratio is set pretty good 12.5:1 ish you should be ok. Not even getting into timing but you should be alright. On my stock engne I am running 9-10 psi I have pretty good A/F but will probably grenade the motor someday but then i can just rebuild it because its cheap when you do your own work! :lol:

[ShaneBell]

Na, I think it would be better to just leave it as is.. Id love to have it Supercharged or Turbo'd, but I am affraid of damaging anything.. Maybe someday, I can just buy an STI :wink:

[InterceptorXR7]

dont forget the flux compactor

[Jay]

Na, I think it would be better to just leave it as is.. Id love to have it Supercharged or Turbo'd, but I am affraid of damaging anything.. Maybe someday, I can just buy an STI :wink:

does anyone even make an s/c kit for it?

Stay the hell away from DSM's
Sti wouldnt be a bad choice

[shaneo]

I think 80's Chrysler products had t-3's

Just go on http://www.car-part.com and look up turbos and intercoolers from any vehicle you could think of. I found an STi intercooler on there for 300 bucks, and a turbo off a Chrysler for about 200 bucks. Most of this stuff comes with a warranty of some kind, and can be shipped to you.

Yes shelby's turbo z's glh k cars