Stage five, additional - new pistons - Toyota Sera, 1.5 L, 1990

No, well, all the same - it was assumed that there would be a problem with them, but up to a kilogram of boost, I counted on them ...

I begin to work out all the piston options - from a 1N diesel engine, from Suzuki, from Honda ... And most importantly, because forged pistons on VAZs are like a threshing floor behind garages, and on 4-5E, and even "repair" 0.5 ... well, the most budgetary option is 800 bucks, from the states, on order, although they can be found in Moscow, then faster, otherwise 2 weeks at least after payment. Where?! What?! ...

At the same time, I am "opening" the topic with the "Amazing" pistons, why do they keep them at 1.7 bar for Andrey, but for me ... threshing floor ... It turns out that such a Japanese company has existed since the 30s - Izumi (+ something else in Japanese ), produced something for herself, including engaged in auto parts. During the Japanese automotive "boom", auto parts became a core business, including pistons. And these pistons were supplied to the conveyors of many Japanese factories, and they delighted the Japanese, and then you and me, with their quality. And in the late 90s, during the crisis in the automotive industry, this enterprise was bought outright by the transnational auto giant Mahle. But until 2003, it worked under its own brand Izumi Industries. In 2003, the name and form of ownership was changed, it became something like Izumi Automotive Parts. Those. until 2003 they were "left alone" and then the Europeans from Mahle began to "format" them for themselves. The formatting ended in 2006, the name became Mahle Japan and the Izumi brand simply disappeared ...

But, in 2007, a certain Izumi Pistons enterprise appears, registered in Taiwan! And who claims that the pistons are made in Japan (yeah, in an abandoned basement) In general, the Chinese got ahead of themselves and "picked up" the shaken brand. And the site of these Izumi Pistons looks like a home page, the catalog is also barn. (I liked the Thai Teikin more from the manufacturers of "duplicates" on the Internet, a competent catalog and information.) A working version appeared - pistons on Tsinos, capitalized in 2007, still from the "real" Izumi, and I have a "remake Chinese", paragraph.

Okay, Izumi sorted out, what should I do?

I remember that at the Starlet Forum someone mentioned Zelenogradskaya Kovka. I ask questions, I urgently appeal to the "author", with the nickname FIGARO, he gives a link. At the same time, I go to the laboratory at the Moscow Institute of Automobile Transport, which serially produce pistons for VAZs, moreover, from their blanks, and boast of a unique press for their production. Muscovites, in fact, turned out to be ... well, I would say "muddy science-like scoops", I myself worked at the institute, KTI VT SB RAS, laboratory No. 7, and this approach turned out to be too familiar to me. Those. fingers "like a fan" can do everything, and, most importantly, they really can, but there is no commercial streak, no activity, there are few real violent ones, so there are no leaders. Answers - yes we can do it, write what exactly is needed, with drawings, we will think about it, or even better come and talk. Yes, I would talk

The guys from Zelenograd are great! They are engaged in repairs and tuning, at the same time mastering new directions for the manufacture of spare parts, developing, in a word, and not resting on their laurels inherited from the Great and Mighty. They work with mail promptly, specific questions, specific answers - people work, they make money. And their salary depends on my order, and not as in the institute, merges into the "general" budget, and the specific executor does not feel the "exhaust". They insistently recommend sending a sample, but I don’t mind, I’ll make a competent drawing with all the details for two days, and I’ll even forget something, or don’t take it into account, due to lack of experience. At the same time, I decide to lower the compression ratio, due to the sampling in the piston crown.

I calculate the required volume, impudently copy a drawing of a piston from some catalog, draw a sketch - a sample in the bottom of 1.8 mm, apply dimensions. I put the sketch in the "package", and I print the "accompanying", with a description of where this piston will be used - low-volume, long-stroke, forced engine, with supercharged up to 1.5 bar and power up to 250 forces. I also write that they, as experienced engineers in this matter, can make additional changes to the design based on the operating conditions. I find a courier service to "to the door", inexpensively and with a branch in Zelenograd, FedEx, and send a sample piston, pay the invoice (there, depending on the diameter of the piston). The package is already in place the next day, people are working. On Thursday they report - everything is ready, you can take it! Wah, quickly! I'm in a hurry in the morning at FedEx, I leave a request to pick up the parcel at the address, and receive it at the Novosibirsk office. Then there was a small "misfire", they have an office in Zelenograd, but the couriers are from Moscow, there is no way to pick up on Friday - the schedule has already been drawn up, but on Saturday they do not go there. The parcel was picked up only on Monday, on Wednesday I already received it. It was worth the wait!

Four handsome forged, coated with an anti-friction compound for running in. The durability of the material is claimed to be 30% higher than the normal cast "drain". My "notch" is present, I measured the dimensions - a tunic in a tunic. They made changes - the connecting rod pin lubrication system was changed, not the "tunnel" from the oil scraper rings, coking when overheated (sore at 5 / 4A-FE), but from the crankcase "fog". The thickness of the bottom is increased by 25-30%, and that at first I didn't even "notice" - the thickness of the partitions was increased by 25-30%!

Then I thought that I still had to order to make a "floating finger", but something did not figure out. The pistons are sent for repressing, I use the fingers from Izumi, I hope they will withstand something. Again I buy "consumables" - a block gasket and head bolts, on E-motors it is also a "consumable", the bolts are thinner, stretched out, and the head is smaller, made "as an asterisk", a rare bolt can withstand 2 removal-installations. Correctly, forged studs are generally put there and then only nuts are used. But I hope I won't open the block anymore

That's it, Sulfur is "charged" again. The guys are making a new right-hand drive, already without any collective farm with welding, just a drive from another car, suitable in size and splines. We have to replace one grenade on the drive and replace the hub with a "thick" Tercelovskaya instead of a thin Starlet. That's it, such drives will now withstand up to a kilogram

And, having already thoroughly washed the completion of the project, I slowly roll around and rejoice. Together with a strong exhaust silencer, the turbine inflates about 0.7-0.75 bar in urban mode. At the same time, it easily bypasses Levin's BZ-R and slightly more serious cars. At the start of "combat", but at "city" pressure, the first gear is solid axle boxes and two black stripes on the asphalt, and is only needed to spin the turbine for the second gear, on which, with a little squeal, Yokohama 205 / 45R16 AS.01 grabs in good asphalt and holds tight. On a not very good or wet surface, and / or when pulling out the "silencer" (with a boost of 0.8-0.85), the axle box also goes in second gear, if it is not caught in time. My old "light" Pirelli Drago 195 / 55R15 are more suitable for getting around the city,

After running the car, and checking for "ochkodav" friends and acquaintances, I decided to go to Barnaul for an official competition and measure the cutoff. Even without a boost controller, just at those 0.8 bar, just see the time "in stock". How we went there is a separate conversation, and I already wrote the impression of the competition, I will duplicate it later, but it was raining ... And even Yokohama, with a good grip on wet surfaces, skidded terribly. And there is also not asphalt, but concrete, which when wet is much worse than asphalt. Plus, covering with airfield slabs, 2 meters long, between which there is unmown grass, or has already been torn from the ground at previous races. In general - the axle box first two gears, the axle box attempts at the third. Afraid of "leaving" the track for more than 0.7, he did not press even on the third. At the joints of the Sulfur slabs on its rigid ring suspension, feeling great on the asphalt, - "bounces", and on a 2-meter slab, half a meter is lost on wheel slip, desperately trying to catch on wet concrete. Creepy in general ...

The final photo is at the start in Barnaul. The hood is "pulled up" at the back, firstly, for cooling, and secondly, without this, the Starlet "strut" of struts does not fit under the hood