Damnation: The Cynos Project

It's the only logical way to explain my expenditure pattern [or the haphazard appropriation of one], as well as the need for Five turbochargers...


And now you know. Fitting ^_^.

So, part one "ams" arrived. And, so, what is it? The picture should give a little clue...

And I'm bored of this guessing game already, so!


Revealed onto your unsuspecting eyes, is a truly cancerous looking Farina Racers K3T Turbocharger kit. I know it is oft said from me [without exaggeration naturally] that I have AIDS, my car has AIDS, everything it touches, including me is AIDS etc, but, this kit does actually look like it has cancer. There's even the disclaimer in plain view on the ECU.

Anyway, having recovered from the multiple strokes suffered on observing the quality of some of the workmanship of the repairs on the specimen, I figure I should explain the reasoning behind the purchase. And you should know better than to expect one. It's been explained. I just throw money in random directions. The primary allure for this kit was most probably for the fact of being a Flour Racer kit [Farina = Flour in Italian] - which in essence would mean no actual quantifiable or objective need, beyond my own wish to needlessly spend money. Infact, beyond fuel, I don't think any of my purchases have much of a point? I'm ok with it ^_^. Anyway, another reason was, the turbocharger; for it is quite large. Not much more so than the TD05, but still. Rather. Large. It would also serve as a means for comparison, as I now essentially have a stock Turbocharger to compare with 4 other market-offered options of when the vehicle was popular, and covering quite a diverse spectrum.

In other words, I'm hoarding. And documenting the hoarding. But you knew that already.

In the interests of maintaining sanity/giving a semblance of structure to the blathering to follow, I will describe to kit components separately, as otherwise it'd just be a block of ominous soul-destroying cancer in text form. So, the full kit includes:
- Blitz K3T Turbocharger
- Greyhound Bus GReddy Intercooler-based Intercooler Kit
- Farina Racers Re-mapped Stock ECU
- Ghetto-fabricated piping
- Farina Racers Manifold
- The most disgusting Downpipe EVRAR
- SARD C2 Wastegate
- Turbosmart Blow-off Valve
- 550cc/min Injectors [Apparently damaged on removal. So. Removed with a Plasma Cutter?]

So without further ado..


Not much known about this turbocharger, and not much found really - from what I can fathom, in twin-turbocharger guise the turbine is capable of around 900hp, so divide by two?! I know, I'm a genius. As such it seems to get that sort of power figure - 400hp ish - on EJ20 and SR20 engines at around 1.3Bar + of boost pressure. The compressor side is essentially as big as the ECU, though I will grab some comparison pictures later on.



The ECU is quite interesting - it seems to have a spacer as the stock architecture of the ECU cannot hold in its brains. Blatantly ^_^. Also interesting/not as moronic is the fact that this "Plug 'n' Play" ECU is by far the most comprehensively modified one I've ever known of - a stock ECU re-mapped for a 1.5 [vs. 1.3] engine on 550cc Injectors for 380hp apparently. Stock ECU. Mapped at nearly triple the factory output. O_o


The components start getting more interesting now, for the grasp of this "Cancer" makes itself known. This. Cancerous. Black-hole. Of Failure. On first observation the piping for the Intercooler did not look too atrocious, barring the odd welding here and there. What struck me though was, after testing with a kitchen magnet, that whilst the piping didn't generate a pull from the magnet, the welds did. Odd. Surely no-one would in their right mind use steel welding material on what I presume to be alloy piping. Surely...


Confidence lost as soon as I realised what actually was being welded. I thought perhaps the individual responsible was 3 months old and didn't quite have the dexterity to form a continuous weld. No. The short lines of weld are actually doubling as pipe "Beading" to prevent the intercooler joiners slipping. >_<. The camera's gaze is also being somewhat distracted by something rather tragic..

If there is some solace though [STFU, I know], it's that on preliminary viewing - i.e. picked up a pipe, realised effort would be required to actually get a reasonable outlook, thus pictured it in my mind - it's that the piping would hopefully seem to require little modifying to be re-utilised, having scientifically measured it by eye, holding it somewhere near the car. Ish. Though, considering the intricate and exquisite detailing, I'm a bit dubious as to whether I should. The Turbosmart Blow-off Valve is redundant as I will be replacing it with a Synapse Diaphragm-less item. Likewise the SARD CII Wastegate.

The manifold. It looked disgusting in Sale pictures, and my -33/-89439843 vision sadly didn't improve matters. I was assured that the manifold and downpipe that which shall not be mentioned, were inspected prior to sending off to be resilient to leaks. Obviously putting your hand on the end of the "it" and blowing in through the other end won't reveal much in way of air leakage, but I don't judge an individual's technique. Some of the work started to amuse me though:


Moar Crush bends. Hold on, Crush bend?! Yes. A Crush bend. To clear that tumorous growth of weld "repair". Oh. It's not limited to the outside.


It seems to have spurred Genital Warts in the collector too. As well as a leak-free crack. It is a shame, as the manifold, pre-mutilation, showed some glimpses of wins here and there:



I've avoided "it" for as long as I could, but it is time for the inevitable. I actually don't have any words, so I'll just picture bomb you kay?