Southern Belle

Started by Petrus, December 19, 2018, 19:35

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Petrus

Ok, southern is sure true in the south of Andalucia.
Belle, not unanimous; my son thinks she looks like a flattened frog...

Here is my introduction: https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=66561.0

Bit of an odd one this car. Imported by Toyota Spain late 2003, it is a 2002 model and also it has a special mention of the vehicle specs that 205/50R15 up front is homologated.

Dove grey with hard top, smt box, LSD, AC and an OEM radio/cassette/dvd, no other options.

Bought with 112k kms on the clock.
Almost 90k by the first owner in 8 years time. The rest by the second owner; a car salesman who had it for himself but aways used sales vehicles.
Some of the panels have had a simple overspray. No bondo, no panels replaced.
Looks like it has seen veryvéry little rain.

Thought the light grey way to ... grey so added some vinyl. I weelyweely wanted the red flutes but with the grey, the car looked too much like a Porsche 550.



Better add some ´touge drift´ and ´Manga´!!!

Son, his mom and my gfs were horrified. For one about the silly mid life crisis (thanks for the compliment ladies), secondly for the pubescent comic thing.
Once I had it done, they were all again in agreement; that it did work on this car.

Next was sort the ´lean mixture´ fault that had appeared. First an OBD port reader plug and app.
Told the resident female that it was related to the pre-cat. Easily enough solved but best buy a decat manifold. Did not make her any the wiser about the Goodrich brake lines ordered.
The fault was sorted by cleaning the MAF sensor.
Oh and swapped the paper element for a Pipercross foam one. Better or not; for me it is a go to left over from the eighties when TwinAir and PolyAir were all but mandatory replacements.

Brake lines are mounted.
Manifold almost done. Fiddling with the heat shields. A shame to hide the shiney manifold but it avoids trouble at the ITV (Spanish MoT).




Next on the list are a strut brace up front and the MAP mod.

Would lóve to replace the heavyweight OEM muffler with something featherweight, but do most definitely NÓT want more noise!
Will come up with something. I still have a carbon outer tube supermono and ditto superbike ´mufflers´ lying about. Up from the cat., transvers mounted like the OEM one, exit on the  other side and down under the rear skirt. Just need someone local to bend me the neccessary large diameter tubing. Could probably use the OEM pipes, but don´t want to cut that set-up.

Also on the list is a Li-Fe battery. Truely awesome new battery chemistry. Not just 10 kilo lighter but they also hold charge way better, charge quicker and have higher cold crank amps. A must really for an MR2. Bit costly though so best when the lead-acid one gets iffy.

Thanks for your time.

Petrus

Update about mods per 10/´21

Mod overview sofar:

Deletes:
Frunk and bucket
Power steering
Airbags
Antenna
Sound system incl. speakers
Rear cubby lids
Softtop shelf
Carpet and damping matts
Rearview mirror
Sunvisors
Rear plastic guards aka nappies
Petrol vapour canister
Intake duct through mudguard
Deleetd front crash bar.
Lightened rear crash bar.
Swapped OEM washer fluid reservoir for lightweight bag.
Miscelaneous stuff

Swapped/fitted:

Front strut brace
Mid belly brace (Snelbaard)
Front lower arm braces (Snelbaard)
TRD rear low arm braces

TRD Sportivo subframe spacers
TRD Sportivo shocks & springs
Enkei RPF1 wheels
Brembo front discs/pads

Lightweight wheel nuts
LiFe battery 0.8 kg.
Wooden steering wheel
Hard shell bucket seats
Higher wattage main beam bulbs
Battery quick (dis)connect

´Tuning´:
Decat manifold (heatshield refitted)
Decat mid pipe
DIY muffler
Cap Weir´s MAF mod.
Iridium plugs
TwinAir filterfoam
Funneled 76mm air horn
90mm bell mouth
Lightweight underdrive alternator pulley
Lightweight cranshaft pulley

Aero:
Hood vents
Under bumper lip
Rear lip
3D rear wing with ultra light side plates.
Mongos

Aesthetic:[/]
Bonnet wrap.
Side decals
Tsurikawa
Chrome interior accents
Engine bay bling
Pokeball shift knob
Doraemon belt pads
Hello Kitty exhaust tip

Bottom line:
under 900 kilo
some 155-160 hp
from 8.4 to 5.6 kg/hp
sharper handling, improved roadholding

Wish list:
Lightweight bonnet
Lightweight rear lid



shnazzle

Li-Fe you say....

Tell.me.more
...neutiquam erro.

Ardent


Petrus

#3
Lithium-Iron or more accurately LiFePO4, LithiumIronPhosfate.
Not thé lightest but very much more resistant to discharging and overcharging than the mobile phone type lightweights popularly called LiPo.
They have found their way into automotive application as racing batteries but also after market for motorbikes.
I have one in our rally car for 2 years now and am AWED!

As a perspective; have always lóathed batteries for any sporting/racing application and for over 30 years always sought for a magnet/electronic ignition solution or lightweight battery alternative. Always a trade-of  :'(  The LiFe batteries are simply all advantages.

Petrus

Found both motorcycle dampers.

Thinking of swapping the LiFe from the rally car for the lead-acid in MR2. Rather iffy capacity though. Saving 10+ kilos is only good if the car starts in the first place.
I will have a look at the connectors as those are bound to be different as well as the wrong way around. There is a law about that  ;)

jonbill

From what I read, you have to make sure your charging system    doesn't go above 14.4 volts. Does the MR2 alternator guarantee to keep under that?

Petrus

Quote from: jonbill on December 20, 2018, 12:15
From what I read, you have to make sure your charging system    doesn't go above 14.4 volts. Does the MR2 alternator guarantee to keep under that?

The LiFe is not so picky. Max voltage in real life is 15V for initial charge and 14.8 for subsequent chargings. Also they do not explode/burn like LiPo.

The regulator on the alternator should stop charging at 14.4.

If you are in doubt/unsure then install a volt meter.

Seems I coulb be in luck. The battery poles are on the correct sides and the MR terminals look like they can be easily adapted to fit.

The battery I have is tíny. Not really enough. The car shoúld start ok enough but with the slightest discharge, whether you left the radio on or whatever, it will become iffy.
Still worth a try I think. Weighs only 0.8 kilo.
Hence my question about the key off discharge. May need to fit a small solar panel charger.

Back to the current state of affairs.
Just back from a test ride.

The brakes are initially disappointing; no noticeable change UNTILLLLL you push harder; then they are rock solid with nó squishiness whatsoever.
This is what you want really. Not like the old Citroen on/off button. Not immediately full on when you start to feel contact with the pedal but perfect modulations from there.

The exhaust. Well, both hidden and not audibly modified either. Again both ´disappointing´ and just what I want.
I did not expect ány noticeable difference and indeed there is hardly any. If you would not knów you would not be aware of just that bit more, well growl is not the word, so sound betreen 3 and 5K revs.
Same thing the smoothness. It ís there, the difference, at those revs but not showing on the seat of the pants torque graph.

Anyone know what the standard muffler weighs?
The carbon ones I have are 2 kilos including a bit of pipe. Cannot imagine they will muffle a lot though. If I decide to have a goo, I will most definitely do a temporary mounting sound check first.



Petrus

#7
and gone  ;D



Petrus

Quote from: Petrus on December 20, 2018, 13:57
Anyone know what the standard muffler weighs?

Found it; just under 13 kilos incl. the bits of pipe. That is rather a lót sitting that far up and back. It is nicely quiet too though.

shnazzle

While you're at it, I don't suppose you could weigh the stock exhaust manifold couldyou?
...neutiquam erro.

Petrus

Quote from: shnazzle on December 20, 2018, 19:42
While you're at it, I don't suppose you could weigh the stock exhaust manifold couldyou?

Could do and will.
´Weighing´ by hand I think it must be about 6 kilos.

Ardent

Quote from: Petrus on December 20, 2018, 13:57
The battery I have is tíny. Not really enough. The car shoúld start ok enough but with the slightest discharge, whether you left the radio on or whatever, it will become iffy.
Still worth a try I think. Weighs only 0.8 kilo.
:o :D

Petrus

Quote from: shnazzle on December 20, 2018, 19:42
While you're at it, I don't suppose you could weigh the stock exhaust manifold couldyou?

5.85 kilos.

At you service  ;)

shnazzle

Quote from: Petrus on December 21, 2018, 10:42
Quote from: shnazzle on December 20, 2018, 19:42
While you're at it, I don't suppose you could weigh the stock exhaust manifold couldyou?

5.85 kilos.

At you service  ;)
Thank you very much! Quite a weight saving then on my new manifold at 3.6kg
...neutiquam erro.

Petrus

Quote from: shnazzle on December 21, 2018, 10:46
Quite a weight saving then on my new manifold at 3.6kg

Am having a look at the battery this afternoon. I hope. Will put the electricity-vats on the scales. Fingers crossed the little one packs enough of a punch.

Will also replace the spare wheel/jack with a can of foam. While the weight reduction is nice, the extra luggage space for the charming company is of greater importance beyond comparison  :))

In my book, weight reduction is ever so more important than more power. On the road even more so if the extra oompf comes at higher revs. at the price of low end grunt.

Petrus

Wow :o
You guys are probably well aware but I was surprises that there was 15 kilo to be saved by swapping spare&stuff for a can of foam. Will add a basic tool roll but that is not going to scare the scales. :o
With the wheel from the well, that is a surpringly ´large´ space  :notworthy:

The LiFe Lead-acid swap looks feaseble. Have the LiFe on the charger.


shnazzle

Have a read of the alarm move in the how-to.
I do a full shop with that front bin empty.

Bear in mind that removing the extra weight in the front does affect handling. The rear is now relatively heavier.
...neutiquam erro.

Petrus

Quote from: shnazzle on December 21, 2018, 13:47
Have a read of the alarm move in the how-to.

Will do.

Quote
I do a full shop with that front bin empty.
:D

Quote
Bear in mind that removing the extra weight in the front does affect handling. The rear is now relatively heavier.

Thanks for the pointer.
Yes, though any clear infor on whether the lighter front increases or decreases understeer?

Shedding weight at the rear is a work in progress  ;)

3 kilos from the manifold ticked off.

Will know later this afternoon íf I can swap the batteries and what it does.

What I am  :o about is the weight of the exhaust system:
Stock muffler weights close to 13 kilo. Stock midpipe weights 7.3kg and the stock manifold 5.85kg. Say 26 kilo.
The midpipe with cat is not thát heavy and not a lot can be saved there, but the muffler...
A JDM street legal titanium cat back is as silent as stock and weighs 3,5 kilo. Ok, the cost is silly but it does proove a point.
As the muffler sits high and what´s more BEHIND the rear axle any weight shed there is also ´re-loading´ the front.
I am só looking at this.

Petrus


Quote from: shnazzle on December 21, 2018, 13:47
Have a read of the alarm move in the how-to.






:)


p.s. Theoretically, less weight up front should deminish understeer. Same as a bit of extra air in the front tires.
Following some theoretic logic, less weight could be compensated by a bit less pressure.
I currently run .1 bar more up front.

Petrus

#19
Since the LiFe is VÉRY much smaller there are some minor mods to the OEM clamp needed. I decided not to cut to size so I can revert to the lead-acid.

LiFe-ly junior started the engine with at least as much gusto as (t)aciturn big brother.
No fault messages, sofar so good.
Proof of the pudding is in the daily use though. Nights are currently some 5 C. below zero.

Standard lead-acid battery 12.6 kg.
LiFePo4 from de rally car 0.8 kg.
Weight loss 11.6 kg.

That makes;
2 kg. manifold,
15 kg. spare&stuff,
11.6 kg. battery,
Say 28.5 kg. total.
Níce!!

Right, back to the little things  ;)

Ardent

Impressive

Well played

shnazzle

Loving the idea of that battery. Will be watching progress on that
...neutiquam erro.

Petrus

-2 inside the car, windscreen frosted; again started at least as energetically as usual. I am tentatively positive. If this prooves reliable, then that is an easy fat gain.

If only the muffler would go as simple. I think I must have a socalled ´decibel killer´ somewhere too. If not, then 15€ or so would get one.
When I get round to that, the steel rear bumper could easily be lightened by about 1 kilo. Again; because that is behínd the rear axle, it shifts the balance forward by móre than 1 kilo.
The latter is why the muffler gets so much of my focus; any weight loss behind the axle shifts móre than that loss forward; it equals adding weightless % to the front = double win.

For the less technical inclined; weight behínd the rear axle gives a momentum around that rear axle, lífting the front: 10 kilo some 24 cm. behind the rear axle lifts the front axle by 1 kilo.
Rounding it off, removing this 1% from the rear, shifts the balance by 1,1%.

Petrus

Went down to the village to set up the market stall for mountain love; -5. Started no problem.

Back to the farm took the lady home. The ccccóld el cheapo rubber gave lots of way and ´Wow, that is not much grip at all!! You need better ones indeed.´ so that is sorted too  ;)

Petrus

Took a break from market preps and dozed off for a moment, woke up realising that the MAF modification may not be compatible with smt: The very same fooling of the ECU into advancing the ignition might see the shift mode changed to lighter  load than reality too. Any first hand experience on here?

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