Bought my S2k back in the beginning of 2017 and immediately started piecing together parts to turbo it. Wow what a terrible decision. After getting bum used parts from a particular user on here as well as starting with a car that had a bit of sketchy past, I had left a complete turbo kit based off PLM -with most of the work already completed- with a "performance shop" out in San Angelo, Texas, where I was stationed while I PCS'd to Colorado Springs. A year later, with minimal work done and $3000 later and a lot of parts destroyed by said "performance shop" I decided I had enough of sending him money to destroy my shit and trailered it back to my current residence to complete it out.

I ditched the PLM for a CX Racing turbo, and though this might have been a downgrade, there had been "work" done to the PLM to make it fit terribly in my car. I sold it off locally to someone and got the new manifold and got it honed. A race/fab shop in town here verified the runners were the same length and were able to weld a divider and a second wastegate flange to make it a twinscroll as I already had a BorgWarner S257-SXE. After deleting a lot of stuff that didn't work or I didn't need (AC, cruise control, heater core lines, I cleaned up the engine bay as no matter how much I washed it, it didn't look clean. Turns out it was a shit paintjob and my car USED to be yellow and explains the lack of clear coat currently on the exterior. After lots of fiddling around with oil relocation and chasing down injector and oil leaks and bad grounds with a shit-ass battery relocation (grounded to with a bolt through the frayed wires to painted sheet metal near the fender), I was finally able to start my car up in nearly 3 years.


If I could have done it all over again, I would have just saved my money and bought a PTuning kit, I certainly would have saved money and heartache in the long run. Now with all the personal labor and mental anguish I've put into this, I have to die in it now. Eventually.

The fleet: '92 Nissan R32 GTR in Nardo Gray, my M6 '13 Cadillac CTS-V, and last and definitely least my '02 S2000.

Slight engine bay cleaning and heat management done.

More heat management. Definitely doing this in titanium wrap next time.

Mounted the fusebox which will need additional bracing, and removed the surface rust and painted the car. Also more heat shielding for the $$bling$$.

Kit finally install (Wastegate dumps are just there for now. I'll be going hood exit)

How the battery in the trunk was "grounded"

What made me dump about a gallon of gas on the floor trying to find the culprit.

My yellow now black S2000 right before I dumped $3000 on nothing.

 

And the first fireup.

 

I’m sorry about your turbo journey. But from experience it’s going to get a lot worse for you because of the low quality parts your used. Your going to have manifold cracking and engine bay heat/mealtime problems in the future.

 

I'll eventually be moving to a either a FullRace or Sheepey manifold at some point. I've had the parts and the car for about 7 months now though so it seemed silly to just leave the car not running, and I can troubleshoot everything outside of a failing manifold in the meantime.

Modding and building 2 other cars at the same time has slowed this project down but that's just the way it is.

 

What ecu and injectors do you plan on running?

 

Currently have AEM Series 2 and ID1000's and a 255 installed right now, but my tuner convinced me to get Bosch 2000's and to wire in a 450.

 

I feel bad for you. I did something similar with my WRX a long time ago with a shitty stage 3 kit. Live and learn. This time around I went with the SOS Stage 2 Supercharger Kit. I've never regretted spending the money. I'd recommend their kit to everyone.

 

Only reason you would need that large of a fuel system is going to be running E85 and shooting for 6-700 hp?

 

I think his 'tuner' just wants to make more money.

 

Definitely not that high, but will be running E85 shooting for 600.

Maybe, we'll see. I'll be keeping AP1Chief in mind either way.