the blades are the size of my thumb, no wonder it runs high boost as standard, i think with my hybrid even at 0.2/3 bar it will be fast than the standard at 1bar, so should be fun running the hybrid at 1.2 bar, hopeing for between 110-130bhp with a apexi safc2, new fuel pump and BEGI fuel reg
Having never driven one, does the turbo come on very early? seeing as it is very small I imagine it won't have the lag of a bigger and heavier turbine. So with that in mind, is it like that so its better for city driving?
Yes it dose with a electronic boost controller bit runs out and drops of boost at 6k, it's ok for around town but on my old zato and glanza lithe hybrids I had made didn't make boost till 4k which I much prefer as can drive around of boost using less fuel and when your going for it or out for a spirited drive you just stay around 4k so always around the magic boost and the hybrid pulls and carrys on pulling way past what the Copen can handle in rpm. It all comes down to personal preference, I like lag and a massive kick up the rear as you come on boost
There's very little lag on it, which is nice, but it does max out. I can now see why the Copen's turbo cannot be refurbished, due to it's micro size.
They can rebuilt, so we're ever you heard that isn't true, it's the same inside as any other turbo just a lot smaller but dismantled , and not many places will do it or stock the bits needed but can get them rebuilt for between 250/350
when you say max out, is that the general rev limit, as I thought the turbo copen tacho was redlining at 9000? or you mean to the waste gate will open above 6k as so give no extra boost above that?
The waste gate is openin and closing at 0.8bar to regulate and keep a constant boost pressure, the turbo just runs out of puff and can't continue to maintain 0.8/1bar past 6k as it's to small to flow enough air, that's why people make hybrid turbos so they can carry on making boost and more power till the redline
while i was waiting for a few new pipe for the pipe work i took the cat of to see if it was the same as the avanzato cat, sadly its not the same and a different shape. while it was off the catalyst fell out so now have a decat to help release a few more ponys and help the car breather to the maximum the 3 new silicone hose arrived and got it all plumbed in, had to find new places to mount the horns but luckly there are loads of mounting places for them both i decided to wrap all the cold side pipe work to help keep the air as cool as possible and all fitted, its nice and stealthy sat behind the grill but still noticble if looking
while i was cleaning the inside i moved the passenger set for the first time and found a rear wind deflector under the seat, unfortunately it was broken and one of the arms had snapped of so i had to get creative with what i had to hand i had to drill out the remaining bit and used a old bolt from old turbo oil drain thread that was the perfect size also had to shave a bit of the plastic deflector to allow for the extra thread finally wrapped the thread in duct tape to help the pro bodge blend in and when its fitted not noticeable all back together, not a bad bodge i feel went out to a local car meet last nite with a few friends and i was more than happy with the little copens performance, its now pulls much better at 1.08bar and at 6k has a nice little kick, like all my kei cars ive had it had lots of attention and was by far the smallest and different car at the cruse meeting up to convoy up to the meet
yes deff can feel a difference. it now pulls much stronger past 6k, once its gets to 6k it has a step up in power and really comes alive were as before it started to drop of power around then. just need to get a big ass hybrid made up, fit my fuel pump and reg along with my apexi safc2, fcd and run 1.3bar, hoping to double the standard power out put
Crap, I forgot to get the deflector I promised you out of the press, Superspat. Do you still want it?
its ok now, found the one under the seat, but would be good to have it as a project to get it engraved and run a light through it to make a light up wind deflector for car shows. but there is no big rush mate
Hi Superspat, can you just summarise to this point please, the engine performance mods you have done and how the car has improved? Is it: air filter replaced with large cone-type, BOV replaced (has the blow off pressure been increased?), intercooler replaced with much larger unit, pipework taped for heat control, but otherwise still standard turbo? If still standard turbo now, at the higher RPM does it keep up the necessary airflow due to the other mods or still drop off much as it did before the mods?
for the copen and all kei cars to comply wiht eh japanese kei regulations they have all been restricted and they done this mostly by restricting air flow in and out of the eninge, aevery thing i have done is to help the air flow remove the small restricitng parts AIR FILTER( INDUCTION KIT) can suck in more volume of air over the standard air box LARGER INTERCOOLER AND PIPE WORK the lager the intercooler the better t can cool the hot air coming out of the turbo, and the cooler the air the denser it is which means more fuel can be added, we all know cars go a lot better on a cold frosty morning compared to the summer, this is because the air is colder and thicker. the standard intercooler is very small and dose the job of cooling standard boost levels on a standard car, but the larger on can cool much more efficiently and cool higher boost levels REFLECTIVE HEAT WRAP i used this because the engine bay design is rubbish and gets no cold air flow to the engine to keep the temps down, the reflective tape is actually insulating heat wrap, that you use on exhausts to keep the heat in, but the stuff i used has a reflective layer and keeps the air in the pipe colder as it travels over the hot mannifold and engine bay reflecting the heat away from the intercooler pipe work BOV dumps excess boost, it dose not change any thing apart from being able to build boost quicker on gear change and it sounds cool 2" EXHAUST SYSTEM AND DECAT the catalyst is very restrictive and not good for performance, the larger boar exhaust an decat and get the exhaust gasses out much quicker and there is no restriction which means the car makes boost quicker all of these added together means the car now hits 1.05 bar of boost just under 2k and and only starts to drop of boost around 8k but onyl drops of by 0.1bar of boost, this is because the car suck in much more air, keep it colder and get it out quicker these mods are the basic for tuning a car, and from here i can bolt a new much bigger turbo on and only have to add more fuel and get some very good power gains
Nice mods, I am currently in the process of building an induction kit myself for my OH's Copen, it definitely feels strangled as standard and really does not like being revved over 6k.. good to read that this can be overcome with a few choice mods. Amazing how small the turbo is!! They might as well have made the car NA and breathe better to make the kei limit Funny how the catalyst happened to have fell out!! Have you noticed a difference with doing this? Would it affect emissions to the point of being close to an MOT failure?
all kei cars that are turbo have the same restirction problems, but the older turbo keis have much bigger turbos so when you you de restrict them you get much better power gains. im not sure about emissions and mot's, nothing ive had to ever worry about
Interesting thanks for the info. Another quick question, did you notice any oil in your intercooler when you took it off..? my OH's Copen seems to have oily residue coming from the pipes so I image there's a cupfull or two in there. She's away next week so I am also planning to remove the intercooler and give it a clean inside and out. I am sure oily residue in the intake doesn't help get as much bang for your buck and lets face it the Copen needs all it can get
No mate, had no oil in intercooler, there is a thin film inside the pipe work which is normal for a turbo car but unfortunately mate, that much oil that you say you have got is normally a sign the inlet out seal on the turbo has started to let go. Dose yours smoke under boost at all, or dumping oil out the bov? Removing the intercooler is a bit of a fiddley job, you got to remove the sir box and the plastic divider bit next to it and remove the bonnet catch there are 3bolts holding it on I think I would take all the intercooler pipe work of aswell and drain it all, it could of had replacement turbo at some point due to dead oil seals and just never drain the cooler Let us know how u get on and what you find
