Mr2 newbie question

hi everyone,

im contemplating on buying a Mr2 (sw20) turbo, i have a few questions that i hope you all can answer for me so i can make a better judgement on purchasing one off these babies, so please take some time to read what i have to say. :)

First thing i would like to know is how effective is the intercooling system compared to a front mount? im not completely sure where the intercooler would be stored but it seems to me as though it wouldnt be getting a lot of cool air rushing through it like a front mount does, this is one off my main concerns because when i purchase the mr2 i would like to push it 18-20psi and hopefully achieve ~300hp more or less.

Second question is how hard is the engine bay to work on? i already know that jap cars are a nuisance to work on and getting your hand in some areas can be a daunting experience (currently own a mk3 supra)


Third question is , does it already have a MAF system so i can vent to atmosphere? or would i have to get an aftermarket ecu and tune it etcetc, i quite like the hissing sound a BOV makes

Last question, is this car good for a everyday drive , is it not prone to breaking down so often?

If you guys have any advice, please feel free to tell me, i need all the information i can get!
thanks

-Dien

thanks for the reply carmikey,

so an aftermarket intercooler will be needed.
My third question is concerning a problem i encountered in my supra, when i used a vent to atmosphere blow off valve, it would make my car run really rich for whatever reason i dont remember, (it had something to do with the AFM), so i had to use a plumb back BOV which fixed everything, although the plumb back doesnt have the nice sound.. (hope thats more clear to you).

Another question i forgot to mention, how many litres for 100km's? highway , suburban and city driving combined do you think i will get at maybe 2-3 boosts a day :D

thanks!

is there any way to overcome that problem?, because i intend to buy the 2nd gen

I know Ddubtoile has a BOV on his gen 2, his car already runs rich though due to the fact itson a "safe" tune and makes 250rwhp with ease, and he daily drives it with no isses

I'm really confussed by this whole post. Why do you care about the intercooler? A stock Gen2 turbo wont put out 18-20psi efficiently for starters and the stock ecu without tuning wont support it safely plus I think the injecotrs/pump/fuel rail on the Gen 2 at 18-20psi will be on its limit if not over, so if you have to change all these things to get to 18-20 psi why do you care about the intercooler? 
You were also asking about fuel efficiency so you can boost it 2-3times a day. Why do you want a car with high horse power and boost to only boost a few times on the street? I don't see the point of building a very fast car to drive slowly.
 

I don't think his asking why MR2's don't run front mounts. He is asking how effecient the intercooler is compared to a front mount.
 
QUOTE
"First thing i would like to know is how effective is the intercooling system compared to a front mount? "
 
Then goes on about wanting to run 18-20psi and being worried about intercooler efficiency for running this.
 

I don't think my response was shooting him down. I saw a lot of responses going on about intercoolers and no one had mentioned anything about the stock turbo and other components limiting his end goal.
Wont help him very much if he bangs on a bigger side mount or W2A intercooler then realises the gen 2 doesn't go 20psi so easy. Like I said in my very first line "I'm really confussed by this whole post".
 
 

Firstly,
Welcome
 
Secondly
A search on the forums is the first thing you need to do before asking questions, all the questions you have asked have been asked before and have lots of replys to help you out initially, then armed with some knowledge ask questions about the doubts you have.
 
Thirdly
You being a newbie should atleast try and refrain from questioning the responses from the older guys regardless of wether it doesn’t make sense or not as there may be other reason you don’t know about that influence the outcome of said questions and answers…(this is where the search will help you too)
 
Now..
The intercooler on the stock sw20 isnt too bad, if your going to run higher boost then the cheapest alternative is to buy the intercooler kits from ebay (greddy knock off) buy a thermo fan, a block off plate and shroud (if you can find any) and that should take care of cooling (ebay cooler kits have **** silicone joiners and clamps so you will need to update them) also do not try to run the cooler without a fan as it will heat soak a lot otherwise…..
Ps – if you have no idea why a thermo fan and block off shroud is needed when upgrading the cooler do a search…..
Also changing the intercooler is one of the worst jobs ever….
 
 
Working on the engine bay, well if your short like me then it’s a PITA. But its not impossible and many people who own the SW20 including myself work on it themselves.
General maintenance like oil and filter change (oil filter on  gen 2 will give you some grief) plugs leads etc are quite easy to do.
 
 
The 2^nd Gen turbo does not have a MAF, it runs a VANE TYPE AFM
The reason your supra was not running well with a Vented BOV is due to the fact it has the same Vane Type AFM.
Im guessing you have the 1g-gte engine in your supra, the 7m has a different type of AFM and will run much better than a 1g-gte with a vented bov.
The reason the car runs like **** with such BOV has already been explained, so I wont bother going into details.
There are ways to get around this, but its expensive and includes running a new ecu, tuning etc.. the best way is to buy a GEN 3 as already mentioned.
(when I had my gen2 I could still hear a small amount of plumback noise when I had a pod filter installed, but its not loud enough, I have now converted to a apexi PFC and have my BOV plumbed back and its still LOUD)
 
Daily driving this car is probably personal choice, I used to in my gen 2 and never had issues. Be aware also that this car is not like any other RWD turbo and will make you learn to drive it, treat it like a normal RWD car and you will be crying before you know it (SPECIALLY IN WET WEATHER)
Ps- don’t bother putting some **** tyres on these cars and expecting it to handle properly either
The second gen turbos also had a issue with synchros on the 2^nd and third (mainly due to wear and tear and old age) so make sure you get one that has a good box
Make sure the cooling system is in good condition. A neglected cooling system will give you grief in ways you never knew possible
The targa top version will leak no matter what the seller tells you (unless you get reaaaaaalyyyyy lucky)
Most SW20s have been written off in the wet just so you know. So be carefull in wet weather with them.
Also Don’t buy the cheapest Turbo you see, you will end up with more
 
All the best with it mate.