New Blog and Website

We are new and improved.  We have launched a new website with a new blog embedded.


Please see us at www.carmenaperformance.com


This blog will be retired.


If you have any questions about customizing your vehicle, please don't hesitate to contact us.


Blaine


blaine@carmenaperformance.com


250-516-9766


Carmena Performance

ECU - Choose Wisely!

     Here is one good example of what you can expect in a quality ecu. While tuning a customers car I noticed that the injector duty cycles were abnormally high. After pulling up a datalog I noticed the fuel pressure was dropping off rapidly under boost. 
     The customer had opted for a Link ECU Storm which has the capability of utilizing a fuel pressure sensor input for the fuel calculations. As you can see the fuel pressure dropped all the way to 22 psi and the fuel curve never missed a beat. Fortunately on this car it was a simple issue but if you had a pump failure or a plugged filter while using a lesser ecu this could easily cause engine failure. This is one of many benefits of a good ecu. 
     Choose wisely.  If you have any questions - please do not hesitate to call me.  

Blaine
www.carmenaperformance.com

Got Boost?

       When the 2orqueJZ project began we had toyed around with turbo selection. The initial thought was to install a big single. This has always been the go to for big HP Supras. The downside is as everyone knows the ski jump torque curve that starts at 5000RPM (results may vary). The second thought was maybe a pair of twins (who doesn't like twins?). The benefits were typically marginally quicker spool. I say were because turbo advancements have really come a long way and the benefits once gained by a twin setup are less so nowadays . Why not try something different.  Sequential turbos came to mind. This would give the benefits we were after. While the sequential turbo setup would have the results it left me with packaging constraints and complexity. This is where something different came in. Taking some design cues off the stock setup (just some), I decided to do a bit of reworking. The overall design is based around the quick spool of a sequential setup with the free airflow of a parallel system. Needless to say the system requires the use of a couple of actuated valves to alter airflow paths. As for how well it functions, we shall see.

     After getting the engine back in the car the long tedious process of making everything fit began. The turbos are twin Garrett GTX2867R turbos combined with Tial stainless turbine housings. This would allow me to weld to the turbine housings for the valving setup. Boost control is done by a Turbosmart Pro-Gate 50. A Turbosmart Race Port was chosen for bypass.
For aesthetics I chose to go with stainless steel charge piping. Its a bit heavier but so much easier to keep clean than bare aluminum. All pipes were fabricated in house thanks to components supplied by friends at Specific Mechanical . They do not normally supply stainless components so don't bother asking, however if you need a really kick ass brewery setup these are your guys. The intake plumbing is pretty typical of a twin turbo setup going to a single entry intercooler by Extreme Turbo Systems.  Rather than using Silicone couplers for size transitions I chose to use transition cones which allow for a smoother airflow path. This feeds into a beautiful intake manifold from Hypertune.

    Next up came the necessary alterations to the exhaust for the valving and crossover.
 

  And finally I needed to sort out the air filtration and PCV. Every car that is being pushed to the limits needs some sort of crankcase ventilation. Combine forced induction with larger ring gaps and you end up with a larger amount of combustion gasses entering the crankcase. I chose not to go the usual route of installing MASSIVE AN ports welded to the valve covers. In my honest opinion in most cases these are entirely overkill. I chose to run both an exhaust scavenge PCV as well as a recirculated intake PCV.  Here is where you need to be careful. Any time you run PCV back into the intake you need some form of air/oil separator. Oil is a nasty thing in the intake system as even a small amount can kill the detonation resistance of the motor. Do not be fooled by these pretty "catch Cans". They are just that, catch cans. They are made to retain overflows of fluids, not separate oil from air. In a PCV application the oil vapor in the air will simply pass through the catch can and enter the intake. Proper separators utilize some method of condensing the vapor droplets and separating them from the air stream. With this in mind I chose to build an airbox and integrate the separator into it. This improved the look of the engine bay and served to decrease clutter. The air comes from the coldest spot as well, just behind the bumper.

     

      You can also see the valve actuators for the shuttle system. I have some cleanup to do and have to finish the vacuum plumbing and actuator solenoid install but we are getting close. All in all I am happy with the outcome so far. Stay tuned!

 If you have any questions about this build or want some work done, contact me at blaine@carmenaperformance.com. 

Blaine
carmenaperformance.com

Project 2orqueJZ the continuation.

       So, it's been a while since I have written a blog about the Supra project. Okay, it's been a while since I have written a blog about ANYTHING. Well I have been busy, very busy. After a few trials and tribulations with the cylinder head I decided on  Headgames Motorworks for the porting job. These guys have an incredible reputation in not only the Supra scene but many other makes and models as well. Give David a call to discuss options for your project. Customer support was second to none. It was very important for this project to maintain streetability but still make an impressive amount of power. After discussing my goals with David we agreed that a pocket port job was the way to go. The pocket port mainly concentrates on shaping the short side of the runner for optimum flow without sacrificing port velocity.  David also cleaned up the combustion chamber for better combustion characteristics. To keep the air flowing when it should a Ferrea Valvetrain was selected Complete with stainless valves, beehive springs, and titanium retainers. This should allow a vlavetrain RPM limit somewhere around the 8500 RPM range which works hand in hand with the pocket port and Kelford T202-C cam set.

       Many people feel adjustable Cam Gears are a requirement for any performance engine build. While there are certain benefits to be gained they come at a sacrifice of other things. Cam companies spend a lot of time developing cam sets to provide certain characteristics. Cam spec sheets are always provided to give engine builders the necessary information to degree the camshafts where they provide the benefits designed into the cam set. Degreeing the cams on this motor showed they fell into spec with the stock cam sprockets. As a set of adjustable cam gears would provide nothing for our goals but aesthetics which would not even be seen with the timing covers on, I elected so save the customer money by keeping the stock cam sprockets.

     After all the engine mechanical assembly was complete it was time to install  the OS Giken TR series clutch. As the owner is not aiming for the "1500 HP Dyno Queen" status this clutch should fit the bill nicely.

     

Next up is installing the engine and tackling induction. Stay tuned!

   

Link Engine Management

I truly love advancements in technology. The one on the top is a stock 4th gen Supra ECU from the Mid 90's. The bottom one is a newly released Link engine management G4+ Fury. The Fury is configured primarily for the 6 cylinder crowd. It will do 3x as much and will do it better. Some of the features include electronic throttle control, knock control, traction control, variable camshaft control,shift cut and downshift blip, and many more. Looking forward to seeing this in action.

Wiring - Not as Scary as You Think!

So, for those of you who are afraid of wiring, it all starts here. The first step in ECU swapping is sitting down and figuring out a layout of pin locations. This can take some time depending on the complexity of the engine and the availability of reference material. It is one of the most critical steps in the entire operation and can make the difference between an easy first fire or a fried ECU. Be sure to take time and confirm EVERYTHING.