Assembly is the reverse of installation - Left overs and a start up

Post after post of major works and dreamy excellence, just like the building of Lego one part slotting into the next, in almost perfect in design. 

Naturally this isn't so and there are a few items that caused some small difficulty along the way. 

MGT are not big fans of the Plazmaman inlet complaining about the restricted access once it is in place. Which could explain why the previous outfit Drift Street Imports left bolts off. One of the other things which didn't get put back on last time was the undertray. I somehow didn't think it would go back on this time either, as now have the RIPs extended sump, although Mark at MGT was messaging me the other day, saying he was cutting lumps out of it so it would fit!  

I think I will need a new turbo blanket, judging by the look of the other it appears a bit mishapen now and as I think they effectively 'bake' into place am not sure it is a reusable item. 

Below: This is the gearbox backplate. This needed some work as was 'clattering' against the new clutch. MGT thought that it seemed odd as some of the holes were elongated. However the car did start out as an Automatic and this would have been changed many moons ago.  

Below:  This is an image of the right hand boost pipe from throttle body. The clamp isn't really working there and it offers a potential for boost leaks. This pipe is being replaced. 

Below: Innovate LC-2 Wideband Sensor installed.  

If like me you ask, what exactly is a wideband? Broadly speaking there are two different types of O2 sensor available, wideband and narrowband. Both sensors have their place in tuning an engine, narrowband sensors are designed to be used in conjunction with a catalytic converter.

In brief a catalytic converter works on a saturate/starve principal where the fuel injection system saturates the converter then starves the converter, i.e. it runs rich of 14.7:1 (saturate) then lean of 14.7:1 (starve) and as such a narrowband O2 sensor only reads rich of 14.7:1 or lean of 14.7:1.

Narrowband O2 sensor are unable to determine exactly how rich or exactly how lean the engine is running making it useless for full power engine calibration (as under full power we need to run the engine much richer that 14.7:1 so we don’t melt pistons!).

A wideband O2 sensor on the other hand is designed to read a much broader spectrum of air to fuel ratios which makes it the ideal tool for engine calibration.

Below: One of the best ECU's available now. Sure there are others but this is pretty proven technology, mapped in the right hands can be highly effective and benefits from built in safety features.  

The Link G4 only comes as a circuit board and needs to utilize the original ecu case. As I had an Apexi Power FC which is still a desirable choice for upto 500 HP (so desirable) I had to dig out my old Automatic ECU (Mapped at Bells auto) which I originally had mapped to 320HP at the fly! 

Below: A picture of everything finally coming together. I could not resist this picture and sneaked it onto my Facebook page. Soon regretted it with the all the questions. People just do not understand 'art'. Although maybe I should understand the Facebook isn't private and it feels so ugly boasting. Am in this for me not the applause.  

Below: I would like to say this is the first fire up, it is actually the second (see rattling back plate). From here the next chapter starts. 

Thanks go to MGT Motorsport for the photos and constant technical explanations. 

Not injecting a bit of magic after all!

Major post edit alert.. See the red bits!


I am a firm believer in thinking things through, getting it right, not rushing in.. I think we would all like to think that of ourselves to a greater or lesser extent wouldn't we?

Soooo, lets talk injectors shall we?

STOP PRESS: Okay I have spoken to the garage. Turns out that my moderation in blaming the adaptors was well placed and the problem is with the Plazmaman Fuel Rail. The injector rail holes being undersized. At time of writing I am waiting to find out just what the hell is going on and how on earth I'm going to get out of this one..

In my previous post I outlined some of the difficulties being experienced with what should be an off the shelf purchase. A fuel rail that will fit a Greddy inlet but after the specification changed, would not fit the standard inlet. This changed to a Plazmaman which takes 14mm injectors, I had 11mm injectors to fit the Greddy. More trouble, again sourcing from Australia 14mm injector adaptors (collars that sit on the 11mm injectors).

So how did I get on with my new found antipodean friends at Flow Fittings Direct?

Yes, this is really me fuming! 

 Actually not so great as it happens, the result has not been the coveted success I might have hoped, with the garage being unable to use the adaptors. First hand, I saw that the adaptors would not quite fit the fuel rail, although assumed that they would probably need to be tight and a push fit (they fitted the injectors like a glove).
However my garage think that the adaptor rings are .25 oversized, which is enough to ruin my day! I'm still not entirely convinced that the adaptors are unusable, although am caught between two camps now of the supplier and garage.

Possibly don't buy these! 

It would be unusual for me to be down on a supplier without their right to reply so I will see what they think of my garages observation and update.  


As to plan F? Well I need a new plan.. This has become the worlds most pointless post!



Welcome to Plan F (from an empty space, my head)

Still going with the top feed plan (well I have a fuel rail now!) am going to fit 725cc 14mm injectors.

What of the old fuel rail and injectors? Well I can probably easily sell this on to someone fitting a Greddy style inlet and at least cover my costs.



If I was to conclude a moral from this 'saga' it is to trust my instinct and would never have been here if I hadn't listened to an expert on the subject way back when starting out.

My sincere apologies to SJ who lugged the original injectors back from the States.