[Marv_st]

Hi all,

Thought I'd make a very brief build thread. It'll pretty much be a photo dump in relative order.
Providing fiestastoc accepts my file sizes. I'll write a description as and when.

I first strted by getting myself a donor engine and making up a wooden plate to mount the supercharger. Just as an initial guide.

I then split the engine apart (only needing the head), and left the head to soak overnight to decoke it.

I then collected a rebored block (+0.5mm) with keywayed crank, low comp forged internals, high volume oil pump and arc sump baffle from a member on here ( CarmineUK ) for a price I just couldn't turn down.

I removed the pistons and rods as they were due to be sold. The pistons being low comp was no use to me with a supercharged build and selling just the pistons on their own would have taken significantly longer. Photo'd bellow is a forged piston next to an oem piston from the donor block.

Thats all for now, until I can find a way to make my photos from my camera 10 times smaller in size so they will upload on here.

 

[Marv_st]

Ooooooookay looks like the image resizer i used has worked a treat.

Here's another photo of the low comp pistons, as you can see the inward domed top would lower the compression ratio to around 9:1. Whereas I want to remain at around the oem CR to keep that low down response.

While i was waiting for the new internals to arrive i started to clean up and port the head. This would have been the 4th ST150 head I've ported with previous attempts giving relatively good feedback. I modelled previous heads off of an AL Developments head, imitating sizing and finish. With mine I went a bit further.

I don't have any photos of the finished ports sadly, only progress shots

With the head skimmed and valves lapped in, the head was complete for now.

 

[Marv_st]

Once all the goodies had arrived I could really get stuck in.

Wiseco oversized 88mm pistons and K1 rods arrived. once assembled and the ring gap checked they were ready to go in accompanied by some king big end bearings.

I don't have any images of when I removed the crank and replaced the mains bearings and fixings. But it now has King mains bearings and ARP maind fixings.

 

[Marv_st]

So i was umming and arring as to how I was gong to go about having a dipstick, as the eaton sc sits directly above it. I tried bending the oem dipstick tube to shape, but it was just too tight of a bend to make it practical. I tried digital sender units from oem cars, they worked really well but it would display 1 bar difference between min and max. Which just isn't good enough. Eventually I discovered that the mk3 mx5 uses a 2L duratec (same block) and uses an internal dipstick. So I ordered a cam cover and dipstick. The next step once they'd arrived was to drill a 7mm vertical hole through the head into the oil gallery (sounds worse than it is).

Once complete the head was cleaned off and ready to go. (don't worry the head was completely grease free from being dipped after skimming and the head was bagged off whilst drilling so swarf didn't go everywhere)

 

[Marv_st]

I then ported the Eaton and rebuilt it with new bearings/seals/oil.

More goodies arrived

 

[Marv_st]

Head, block and charger were given a clean up and a lick of paint.

ARP head studs were fitted, head gasket then head bolted up.

cam cover sprayed silver then red with anodised paint for something a little different.

sump and baffle cleaned up.

fitted up the timing kit.

finished engine just needing axillaries bolted on

mk3 focus rs water pump.

horizontal oil filter housing with sandwich plate and honeywell oil pressure sender.

 

[Marv_st]

next was adapting the slam panel to suit running a civic ek half rad. I made a new lower brace to hold the rad in out of folded and bolted angle iron, the new lower brace giving me an inch or so more height to play with. The Eaton would work with the oem rad. I just didn't want hot air from the rad baking the charger and boost piping. so using a half rad gives me looooads of room.

As you can see I have the pas cooler on the left and the oil cooler on the right. The oil cooler is due to no longer using the oem coolant based oil cooler.

I completely forgot about the actual engine removal, bay spraying and engine fitting. Just imagine my next post was before this one... not that it really matters.

 

[Sam_Lougher]

Excellent read and great photos!

 

[Marv_st]

So I had the engine out on a Friday evening after work and, a few hours and an extra set of hands and it was ready for prep and paint Saturday.

Saturday morning bright and early I got the marquee set up (temporary make shift spray booth to catch the spray dust).

I spent most of the morning removing rust on the nearside mount and chassis leg. then it was onto etch priming.

once etched it had a light coat of primer then a few coats of moondust silver. Didn't fancy anything flashy.

Then 3 coats of Lechler lacquer.

 

[Marv_st]

Then it was Sunday, time for the new engine to go in.

I then wired in the battery relocation and the front end could go back on (oem rad for running in)

The car at this point was running NA for running in. this gave me a chance to confirm the alignment on the sc pulley was spot on. No belt wear was caused during running in. the sc was wired in, just not switched on. I used the oem rad so i didn't have too many unknown variables. But thankfully it all went very smoothly. The only thing that needed doing was the sc bracket needed remaking in thicker material to alleviate vibrations and i added an extra pulley for more belt to sc pulley surface area for good measure.

 

[Marv_st]

So that's the bulk of it in little to no detail. Since fitting and running in I have opted for an Ecumaster emu black standalone ecu. This is just the start and as the car sat, it was on the limits of the oem ecu as far as safety cuts.

So now it has been road tuned in great depth by brands hatch performance.

The car goes very very well. drives incredibly smoothly when cruising. and goes like a stabbed rat when you push it. The ecu and tune is just perfection.

 

[Sam_Lougher]

That’s sounds incredible - Nice Job!

 

[Marv_st]

That's sounds incredible - Nice Job!

Thanks, kind words. It's a shame my phone camera's mic doesn't do it justice.

 

[Marv_st]

So after running the car through the summer. When sitting in traffic it came to light that the cooling system could be better. So I've gone for a thicker rad, with a larger and more powerful spal fan and cowling. The rad has larger ports and in a quad core. It's a thicc boy.

I'll also be redoing the slam panel to utilise every last bit of useable moving air.
I also managed to blow the contents of my sports cat out the rear. So now have a mongoose decat to replace it. As it's obnoxiously loud as it sits now. Aaaaaaaand at the same time my oem Audi S3 recirc valve pooed itself and I happened to know someone selling a gfb dv+ criminally cheap. So it soon became a reliable new addition.

I also found a local guy who prints fog light ducts which feeds the oil and pas coolers perfectly.

 

[Marv_st]

Been coming to terms with the emu software today, find my way around the place. Currently doing the HPA training course for standalone ecu's.

Yes I am very aware the date is wrong on my radio.

 

[MickyD]

Yes I am very aware the date is wrong on my radio.

IMG_20210110_145601_391.jpg

????

Posted yesterday, yesterday was 10th....... Am I missing something obvious....... :laughing:

 

[Marv_st]

????

Posted yesterday, yesterday was 10th....... Am I missing something obvious....... :laughing:

I took another photo and didn't take the text out.

 

[cosbooST]

Very cool. Do you what power your running?

 

[ST85]

Man that is mint! Sounds the nuts.
Wish I had the money to do performance mods this year but my ST150 is being improved on the outside this year, did interior and engine bay bits since owning the car 3 months ago.
But seeing the work done to yours engine wise just makes me want to get myself to Jamsport and give it what i want ha.

If your interested I have a YouTube channel with my build.
Here is a link

https://youtube.com/c/DriveWithAndy

 

[Marv_st]

Very cool. Do you what power your running?

Sorry mate just saw this. I would hazard a guess at circa 250bhp at the moment given the boost pressure.
It was dyno tuned just to get a safe running map. Then was perfected over several days on the road. As that's where its used.
The boost pressure should be almost doubling in the summer providing I pull my finger out and rebuild the slam panel to suit the thicker rad.