My experience with Driftlimits/Pacific works

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MR2Kyle
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:53 pm
Location: Auchterarder, Scotland

My experience with Driftlimits/Pacific works

Post by MR2Kyle »

Right I'll put a little bit of back story into this.... I was working down in London last year and decided i wanted to turbo my super clean rev 5 with about 75k on the clock so whilst getting a timing belt done at Pacific works I spoke to luke about it and mentioned that I would want something different put in...the engine from a caldina that's the 4th version of the 3sgte. Essentially it has slightly more power standard, coil on plug ignition and a smaller turbo for a quick spool time. So luke said yea he would do it and was pretty confident in fitting it so, I imported a caldina engine (st215) from Japan and had it sent to the garage along with some turbo rev 3 running gear. When the engine arrived I was told the connectors were mostly cut on the harness that makes sense giving it came from a scrappy in Japan so the harness was sent to paul woods to have it sorted and ready for fitting. The other problem I had (which plays a major part in all this) was the trigger wheel was missing a tooth. Luke shown me this and decided to save time and welded and filed a makeshift tooth onto it. I asked if we should just order a new gear as I thought that would be the best thing to do but was then told that the signal it was reading would just be a mere 1/0 so the makeshift tooth should do the job. I took this mans advice as even though I have a big interest in cars and work on them from time to time I wouldn't say I know them inside out ect as this garage that specialises in mr2s should. So said gear was fitted. Luke had to convert the hubs aswell to accommodate the abs that worked fine and he also had to make the exhaust fit by blending my n/a downpipe with the turbo mongoose exhaust I bought (which I wouldn't recommend as it's very drony in cities and sitting at 70 but anyway). After looking at the welding at a later date and having other mechanics look at it they have all said it wasn't pretty looking. So he had the engine on the 6th of July and I then collected the car on the 12th of September and I could not wait to get it back! I had never driven a turbo mr2 or car for that matter and for my pride and joy to now be turboed and not just your usual run of the mill turbo mr2.....I can't tell you how excited I was! So I flew down from Edinburgh as I am now working there and got a taxi to luke. The car was there. Running but was told earlier in the week that he was having issues getting it to rev all the way to just over 7000rpm as it was really only going to around 5500rpm and then calling it a day. The guys were totally bamboozled by this and said that they had try to fix it but had no joy and I was then told that I could just pop down to paul woods at woodsport and he would have a look at it for me as he's interested to know what's up with it. So I took my car and fluttered all the way up to Edinburgh with my turbo noises and what I though was the turbo experience. After a few days I noticed it wouldn't idle smoothly either when I was sitting in traffic ect...as in I though it might drop out. So I called Paul and found out that it wouldn't be as simple as me just popping down to him as he is incredibly busy (and I seen it for my own eyes eventually) and the best he could do was let me know when he might have a slot to look at it. So I waited. About two months ago I was off on my monthly weekend off and thought xxxx it I'll go down to Durham and see if he just has a minute to look over it or even better book me in so I made the trip down and met paul. He spent around half an hour to 45 mins looking over the car and shed some light on why it was running as lumpy as it was. There was a boost leak and he then demonstrated how it was coming from the blow off valve. A second hand blow off valve that I was given when the engine was converted. So I went up to my own mechanic and had two bits replaced. The dump valve and the trigger wheel. I've had the car back for roughly a week now and the difference is like night and day! She runs smoothly as it should and she will now boost all the way to just over 7k. So after all that I should now have the car I wanted in the first place right? After all the dicking about and extra money I have spent I can safely say that the love I had for the car has faded a lot.... so much so I went and got a twin turbo supra. Don't get me wrong the mr2 still puts a smile on my face and is such an involving car with a gorgeous body to look at but..... I'm sad that it has went the way it has. So to end this book I've wrote down I would not recommend pacific works/drift limits as due to them cutting corners with the trigger wheel and not fitting a new dump valve (that had a bit of radiator hose joining it to the intercooler) I've had to 1. Fork out a considerable amount of money that should have had to have been paid if the job had been done properly and worst of all 2. I've really lost my huge interest in mr2s that really is a shame. I will put up photos of the trigger wheel and dump valve in a bit when I have time but yea. Just giving a heads up :thumleft: :thumleft:
Mk1b 1989 Mica Blue
Mk2 rev3 1993 NA Turquoise
Mk2 rev5 1999 Cosmos Blue with st215 conversion 😉
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Driftlimits Performance
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Re: My experience with Driftlimits/Pacific works

Post by Driftlimits Performance »

Hi Kyle

I'm very pleased that you got to the bottom of the problem and that it is running as it should. Thank you for letting us know what the issue was, it will definitely help in the future. The crank wheel passed the test with the crank angle sensor but clearly was not up to the job at high RPM, next time we will order a new one if this problems arises again. I seem to remember I had to order it from Japan and was a very long wait, and you were very keen to have the car back as quickly as possible. Which is mainly the reason you got the car back when it was not quite up to our high standards. Hence your complaint.

The dump valve we supplied was our last Blitz dump valve and was definitely second hand. Apologies it went leaky, had you have been near by I'd happily popped on another one.

I hope you can re-ignite your love for MR2's




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