Chris Kennedy wrote:
> The latest FastTrack contains changes to the SP rules regarding turbo-
and
> super-chargers. As I remember them ( since I don't have my SportsCar in
front
> of me ), the first one ( I guess what was decided ) said that the turbo
system
> cannot be updated or backdated unless the entire engine is updated or
backdated.
> The second one ( the change to the rule book itself? ) said the turbo
system
> cannot be added, changed or removed. Does this also mean no changes to
the
> intercooler, blow-off valves, intercooler pipes, etc?
Chris, it looks like your questions got lost in the flurry of discussion
over the turbo swap issue. In answer to your questions, you are permitted
to change the intercooler as described in the rules explicitly. I'm not
sure about the intercooler pipes, but I think they are legal too to at
least some extent.
You DEFINITELY are not allowed to change that blow-off valve though. The
SEB looked at this issue in April 1998 and issued a technical bulletin
prohibiting any changes to blow-off valves. Locally at the time, Fedja and
the New England ESP crowd discussed this issue before the bulletin came
out. At the time, I was troubled by the fact that "backdating" the
blow-off valve from the 1st generation car to the 2nd generation car was
arguably allowed under the rules, even though it increased boost.
It's well known by Talon/Eclipse owners that the stock blow-off valve on
the 2nd gen. engine starts to bleed off boost above 12-13 psi and thereby
acts as a boost limiting device on the engine, as compared to the much
tighter 1st gen blow-off vavle. That's why replacing the 2nd gen blow-off
valve with the 1st gen version is a common mod for turbo DSM owners.
Although backdating the blow-off valve to the much tighter 1st gen. version
would raise boost levels by eliminating the boost bleeding effect of the
2nd gen. blow-off valve, the SEB technical bulletin makes the 1st gen
blow-off valve (as well as any aftermarket valve) illegal on the 2nd
generation cars.
Rich Johnston
95 Z28 ESP
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