Our Company Blog: News & Events

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info@radiumauto.com
(971) 221-6417 Mon-Fri 9AM to 5PM  PST

On April 21st, Radium attended one of the regional drift events at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington put on by Evergreen Drift. We went to check out the local drift community with a goal to expose our Fuel Surge Tanks which have been popular in the drifting circuit.

We had all of our universal products on display. There were plenty of stickers to give away and a large number of spectators to take them. Nissanparts.cc was camped next door and have become our newest dealer. Be sure to check them out here. 
Everyone got to see our products first hand and we enjoyed discussing our products in detail with anyone who would listen.

Another vendor on site was 425 Motorsports, located in Bellevue, WA. They specialize in racing gear, planted seat brackets and a huge selection of perfomance parts. Check them out.

Evergreen Speedway is large venue with lots of seating and parking.

In a sport dominated by Nissan S-chassis cars, we enjoyed looking at the variety of the different builds. Some were very professional, others were lucky to be running.

Qualifying ran throughout the afternoon for Grassroots and Pro-Am drivers. There was about 60 drivers trying to qualifying for the evening's competition.

Some were fairly new.

Others were more experienced.

Also on hand was plenty of eye candy...focused mainly around the Nissan S-chassis vehicles.

The Pro-Am drivers were a bit more experienced than the Grassroots drivers and carried high drift angles around most of the bank.

AE86 initiating a drift with a yank of the E-brake.

The more tire smoke, the better.

Last minute repairs were the norm.

Fresh set of tires just waiting to be destroyed.

Bumpers optional. #131 Jeremy Richter ended up with a 3rd place finish in the evening competition.

Remember that last minute fix? Well they got it fixed and Victor Moore went on to win the Pro-Am event.

Local driver Pete Funatake was the only FD-licensed driver participating in this event. He finished 4th in Pro-AM event.

Rob Primo always puts on a good show.

The main competition took place in the evening and the action was exciting to watch.
Results can be found here.
This event proved that drifting is alive and well in the Northwest. The event is growing exponentially every event and will see record attendance in July when Formula Drift and all the big name pros come to town.

We would like to thank the crew at Evergreen Drift for being gracious hosts and letting us be a part of the action. We enjoyed it and will definitely be back this season.

Having launched our Lotus Hard Parts Turbo Kit last fall and shipping a couple custom configurations, we are now taking the next step and installing one on a stock 2006 Elise. Radium will fully install the kit and document 100% of the process for the instruction manual. Portland Speed Industries will become our preferred shop for turbo kit installations after this process. 

This vehicle was recently delivered to us from Vancouver, British Columbia. Since this vehicle is normally in storage during the winter months, we are taking advantage of this time to do the conversion.

The customer also opted for a Radium Fuel Surge Tank Kit, Radium Dual Catch Cans, and a Radium Fuel Rail with upgraded Radium 630cc/min injectors. We will be tuning our kit with an AEM EMS using a custom plug n' play harness. The harness includes an electronic boost controlled race gas switch to enable well over 350hp. A South Bend high performance clutch will keep the power to the ground.

The Midnight Blue Elise is stock and is a perfect platform for the Radium Engineering Turbocharger Kit.

A baseline dyno graph is the first step in our process. This Elise made the expected power confirming the engine is healthy, strong, and in perfect working condition.

The car will have double the power upon completion.

We plan to document the swap and will be updating this blog throughout the process. Bookmark this page and follow us on Facebook for update alerts.
Elise/Exige Turbocharger Hard-Parts kits are available now! Please Call or Email Radium to discuss the best option for you.

Update 1/15/12:
Preparing to pull the engine for the clutch and oil pan installation.

The build is going perfectly. We had the rear clam off in record time and the engine is now ready to be hoisted out. Normally you do not need to pull the engine for installation of our turbocharger kit, but for this particluar build, a clutch install is part of the package. After doing two clutches with the engine in the vehicle, we have decided it is easier to do with the engine out.

With the engine out, it will also be a good time to install this Sector 111 G-Pan.
This pan is equipped with a special bung for plumbing the turbo oil return line. We HIGHLY recommend a baffled oil pan when installing our kit. The factory Toyota 2ZZ-GE pan has no baffling. Oil starvation will not only damage the turbocharger, it is detrimental to the engine.

Update: 1/19/12

With the engine pulled, the transmission slips right off.

Here is comparison of clutches: The top is the factory clutch, the bottom is the South Bend clutch we will be installing.


The Sector111 G-Pan fit perfectly and installed without a hitch. It is a beautifully fabricated piece. The seams are fully welded on the outside AND the inside.

With the engine on the stand, it was a good opportunity to test fit the turbocharger and manifold assembly. When a customer orders a Radium turbocharger kit, this is how it is delivered. The turbo is fully bolted to the manifold and the downpipe elbow and wastegate are also installed. We pre-assemble this because we use a special extreme-temperature thread locking compound on all the fasteners and this also greatly reduces install time!  The turbine housing comes thermal coated too.

Update: 1/23/12

Clutch installation

With the clutch installed and the transmission mated back on to the engine, the engine was dropped back in place. A good time to test fit the turbo/manifold assembly again. Everything is looking perfect!

The engine is now sitting on Innovative mounts. All four mounts are nicely constructed and have a powder coated finish.

This picture shows the oil drain line routing. Also notice how we have a nice little bracket that uses the factory header brace to help suport the weight of the turbocharger.

Update: 01/30/12

Despite being very busy with other projects, we have made great progress on the installation. The end is in sight and things are now moving along quickly.
Shown below is the interior gauge pod from MWR that we are installing. It houses the Boost and AFR gauges and also has a keyed switch that switches the EMS from pump gas to race gas mode.  The indicator light turns on when in race gas mode.

The intake manifold is back on and we are busy bolting on all the stuff we removed previously. At this point it is a lot of detail work including wiring, water hose and oil hose routing, installing small brackets, etc.

Here is what is supplied with the Hard Parts Kit:

However, before shipping any turbocharger kit, we preassemble all the major components including:

1. Turbo, Wastegate, Manifold, Downpipe, Oil Feed Hose & Fittings, Coolant Hoses & Fittings
2. Turbo Oil Drain Hose with -10AN Fittings and Thermal Sleeve
3. Billet Aluminum Coolant Manifold 5-Port Junction
4. Coolant Tank with Sight Tube, Fittings and Mounting Bracket
5. Water Pump Bracket with Loop Clamp and Hardware

This helps reduce installation time, and the possibility of installation errors.

Update: 2-12-12

All of the "Hard Parts" kit is now installed. We are down to wiring, and interior work. As you can notice, this customer decided that a muffler was a little too mundane for him. This system dumps straight from the turbocharger with a 3" polished stainless steel pipe and custom tip exiting through the diffuser in the stock location. We custom made this as a one-off for this customer.

Simple, effective, and lightweight.

Another view of our cold air intake for the turbocharger air inlet.

Did we mention there is no muffler?

We plan to start it within the next 2 weeks. After that, we will get some shakedown runs before heading to the dyno for tuning.

Update: 3/5/12

After finishing the installation, we began shakedown testing which consists of gentle driving while carefully watching all engine parameters. The car was running great except for a misfire above 5500RPM. After swapping out ignition coils, the problem remained. We finally decided to try a new set of spark plugs. Problem fixed! For some reason we were getting misfiring (resulting in bogging) from the NGK V-power plugs we had just installed. So we changed to a set of NGK Iridium plugs and opened up the gap slightly.  This fixed the issue.
Irirdiums have several benefits:
1. Iridium has a much higher melter temperature than the nickel-metal alloy standard plugs, which means they last longer and can survive in extremely high cylinder pressure/temperature situations better.
2. Iridiums also require less voltage to light off, making them less prone to "spark blow out".

On the dyno, we noticed that even though the charge temps were nice and cool from our air to air intercooler, we were still fighting to make a ton of power "safely" with the limitations of pump-grade fuel. So it was decided to use a Cosworth headgasket to lower the compression ratio of the engine.  Portland Speed Industries is doing the installation and we look forward to getting back on the dyno soon.

Update: 3-20-12
This particular Elise owner wanted every bit of power on pump gas. Our recommended (cost effective) solution for a healthy engine is using a thicker head gasket. This is used to drop the compression ratio allowing for more intercooled boost pressure to be safely utilized while keeping combustion chamber temperatures lower.

Ron at Portland Speed Industries installing the Cosworth 1.2mm headgasket without trouble.

To make the tune safe on pump gas, we programmed the boost control to act in a linear fashion for improved control on the street and to keep the EGTs in check.

A custom straight pipe coming off the Radium stainless steel downpipe elbow makes for a loud low restriction exhaust setup.

For the switchable race gas map, we were able to safely advance ignition timing in order to produce more power with lower EGTs. And since this car will be tracked using racing slicks, we were able to flatten the boost curve on the low end for added torque.

Maximum Power Results:
Pump Gas (94 Octane, Ethanol free) 311.5whp (298whp SAE corrected) 
Race Gas (110 Octane leaded) 334.8whp (325whp SAE corrected)

Analog 1 is the boost pressure in PSIG as recorded by the Dynojet.

The Garrett GT2860RS turbo has a lot more still in it. But at  approximately 393hp at the engine, we called it good as we have reached the limit of the stock internals.
The owner will be picking the car up soon and we think he will be very suprised to see how his Elise has been transformed.

Update: 3-24-12


Pump Gas Video
http://vimeo.com/38893189

Race Gas Video
http://vimeo.com/38893445

Update 4-10-2012:
After a few weeks of conflicting schedules, we finally found a day we were all available to meet up and hand off the car.

We popped off the rear clamshell so the owner could see all goods up close and personal.

With the clamshell back on, it was time for the first drive. The owner was given some brief instructions on operation of the race-gas switch and a few other things before being let loose.
He returned safely and was very pleased with the car. She thought the Synchronic blow-off-valve was the coolest sound she has ever heard in a car.
They both were very impressed with the acceleration. The only problem? Now wheel spin needs to be dealt with!


A huge thanks to the owner for being a super cool guy to work with and letting us transform his car. We hope to see him again soon at a Club Lotus Northwest track day at Portland International Raceway.

After being asked many times how a fuel surge tank works, we decided it would be a good idea to produce a video explaining this. We teamed up with SullyLife and made a this short video that illustrates how a surge tank works and why it is needed on a performance vehicle. Enjoy!

Our complete line of Fuel Surge Tanks can be found here.

Aeromotive's Stealth line of fuel pumps are fully compatible with the Radium Engineering Fuel Surge Tank line. These pumps offer a ridiculously high flow of 340lph @ 40psi in a compact package. Shown above is our dual internal pump surge tank with two Aeromotive Stealth pumps. Also available in single pump configuration.

Aeromotive Stealth pumps are a drop-in replacement for most OEM/Walbro in-tank fuel pumps.

Check our product page for pricing information HERE.

For a brief LOG 31 video, click the link below

The annual Lotus Owners Gathering (LOG) was held this year October 14th-16th in Las Vegas, a mere 18+ hr drive from Portland Oregon. We were a sponsor of the event and we were looking forward to attending. This was our first LOG event and as such, we did not know exactly what to expect. Luckily, the event was run very well and the organization was top notch, so there were no conflicts with logistics or scheduling. This helped make the event even more enjoyable for first-timers like us.

This year the event was held at the Red Rock Hotel and Casino. This venue was perfect because it featured an adjacent  large empty parking lot that was used for the car show and autocross.

The Radium Turbocharged Lotus Elise in front of the Red Rock Casino.

We installed a new set of "street" tires days before leaving on the trip and were trying them out for the first time in Las Vegas.

The trusty Radium Toyota Tundra tow vehicle. A huge thanks to Portland Speed Industries for donating the enclosed trailer for this trip!

Saturday morning was busy with the car show and meeting owners from around the country that traveled out for the event.

A special appearance by the John Player Special vintage Lotus F1 race car.

We had demo products on hand and enjoyed Lotus owner's feedback.

Sector 111 unveiled their Elise with an artisitic twist.

Want to see what a $25k watch looks like? BRM Watches was on hand showing off their goods.

More shots from Saturday's Car Show:

Satuday also included an Autocross event. We participated, but did not get any pictures because our photographer was driving the car. Saturday evening was the banquet, with guest speakers. Due to prior engagements, we were not able to attend.

Sunday Morning we were up early (kind of) and made our way to Pahrump, home of Spring Mountain Motorsports Resort. This resort features a track that can be configured many different ways. This day, it was configured with 19 turns. Lotus Cup USA was on site conducting a race for their series. This provided some great interaction with race teams and drivers with the LOG group.

For the track we put our lightweight wheels with slicks back on the car. Our pit crew, Tyler Hara (Cosworth) and Eric Valdes (Street Image) worked hard keeping the chairs from blowing away.

We talked professional driver Robert Podlesni into taking our turbocharged Elise out for a couple of sessions. We were very interested in his feedback and to see what the car could do with a real driver at the wheel.

After the first session, Robert made several comments about how linear the power felt and with a properly set up race chassis, it would be unstoppable.
He managed to absolutely fly around the track during the LOG drivers sessions and was a real pleasure to watch and learn from.

The crew from Mulholland Motorsports was on hand keeping a gaggle of Lotus race cars dialed in for the Lotus Cup race.

Dietsch Werks was on hand acting as pit crew for at least one (maybe more) of the Lotus Cup competitors. Here they are swapping a clutch before the big race.

Ramon Manuel in his Exige Lotus Cup racer. Mulholland did an excellent job with the race prep of this vehicle.

The cup series race kicked off late in the afternoon and was an exciting race to watch.

Andrew Kern walked away with a healthy win this day.

Thanks to Spring Mountain and the Lotus Cup USA crew for great day at the track.

Thank you again for the organizers (Sean Lethbridge especially) of the LOG event this year, it was pleasure for us to participate. We are already looking forward to next year in......Orlando!?

Last weekend the organizers for the Lotus Cup USA racing series came to Portland to promote the series, test the waters (literally), and host a high performance driver education (HPDE) track day for fellow Lotus enthusiasts.

Joining the Lotus Cup USA organizers was our local dealership Lotus of Portland with manager Steve Wintermantle. Both organizations brought out several cars including some new Evora-S models.

The main topic of conversation all day was the weather. It alternated between sunny and rainy all day. Luckily, the Lotus Cup sessions happened to occur during dry conditions. This helped us as we were not planning on running our turbocharged Elise with racing slicks in standing water.

We prepped the car and ran it in the two morning sessions. As usual, the car was superb and very fast.  The new ACT clutch performed flawlessly and handled the power without ever missing a beat. Radium Engineering co-owner JP had the car programmed to 11psi boost (shown below) which was making about 310whp using 110 leaded racing fuel.

After a catered lunch we began our first afternoon session. This was cut short after one lap due to a broken T3 turbocharger stud resulting in an exhaust leak. Our day was cut short and we packed it in soon after discovering the problem. In the few days since the event, we have already fixed the issue and worked out a permanent solution that we will be implementing in all of our production turbo kits to ensure that customers do not experience this problem.

Driving instructor Will Stevens piloted this Exige (shown above) around the track at a blistering pace.

The track was being shared by a local organization that attracted all sorts of cars for open track time.

More pictures from the event:

More images can be seen here in Lotus of Portland's Flickr stream

Overall, the event was blast and we hope to see the Lotus Cup series come to the Northwest next season. We would like to thank the organizers for holding the event and making it an enjoyable experience for all in attendance.

Over the past few months we have been experimenting with various clutches in our Turbocharged Lotus Elise. Throughout last year, including 3 track days at over 300whp, we used the stock clutch without any issues. In preparation for the 2011 season, we were planning on pulling the motor  for maintenance and decided to upgrade the clutch since the install would be simplified with the engine/transmission out of the vehicle.  With plans to push the engine harder, the stock clutch might reach its max holding capability and a upgrade was necessary.

This picture shows ACT (top) and South Bend (bottom) clutches.

Having success with South Bend clutches on other applications, we chose their TZ Series KTY14 clutch. This clutch is rated for 25% more ft-lb of torque compared to the stock clutch. The pedal effort was very streetable similar to the Toyota clutch.

After installing the South Bend Clutch, we put around 50 miles on the clutch and then began dyno tuning. Toward the end of our dyno session we noticed some clutch slippage.  At this point, the car was making about 220 ft-lb max torque.  We thought the clutch was overheated and did not address the issue. The following track day at Portland International Raceway, after several successful sessions, the slipping issue returned.

After contacting South Bend, they requested that we return the clutch so they could examine and determine the problem. We are waiting for their diagnosis.

In the meantime, we installed an ACT TC2-XTG6 clutch. This is a 6-puck sprung disc with an "Xtreme" pressure plate. This clutch is rated at 400 ft-lb max torque (at the flywheel). We plan to test the GTX3076R (600+hp) turbo early next year using this clutch.

The ACT clutch comes with alignment tool.  This is the first 2-piece tool we have seen for the 2ZZ-GE.


The alignment tool bushing gets pressed into the center of the flywheel as shown. This bushing remains in place even after the clutch is fully installed.

Advanced Clutch Technology (ACT) clutch completely installed.

After driving this clutch on the street we have noticed some differences. The increased pedal effort is prevalent but not unbearable. Also, there is no excessive chatter during clutch engagement. We will be putting this clutch to the test this coming weekend at the Lotus Cup USA HPDE event being held at Portland International Raceway. We will report back on its performance.

Hopefully, these experiences will allow us to make educated recommendations when discussing clutch upgrades with customers.

A couple months ago, we implemented some design changes to our popular Oil Catch Cans.

The catch cans are now one inch shorter for packaging in tight spaces. They also feature a billet aluminum dipstick for a quick and easy way to check the level of the oil built up in the catch can reservoir.

The dip stick simply unscrews from the top. The tapered sealing surface makes sure an air tight seal is maintained.

A 7/16-20 (-4AN) O-ring port is now machined into the bottom of the catch cans. This allows another method for draining, or it serves as a port for use with a remote drain.

We offer a petcock valve drain kit that uses 1/4" PVC hose, a ball valve and a fitting that screws into the catch can port. This kit makes remotely draining the catch cans easy as simply opening a valve.

The inside of the catch cans still uses our same stainless steel mesh condensing media and low-velocity open chamber design.



These new features are standard on all GEN2 Catch Cans.

Please see our product page for more information:
Universal Single Catch Can Kit
Universal Dual Catch Can Kit
Lotus Elise/Exige Dual Catch Can Kit
Lotus Evora Dual Catch Can Kit


Due to popular demand, these sell very fast. However, we have our second batch in stock and are ready to ship now.

On September 2nd, we joined Club Lotus Northwest for a track day event at Portland International Raceway. We always look forward to getting out with this group and having fun on our local track. We also seize these opportunities (and any track event) to test our products in extreme conditions in order to root out any weaknesses that would not appear with normal street driving.

There were well over a dozen modern Lotus vehicles in attendance and several vintage ones as well.

Local fabricator Kevin was on hand showing off some of his products including this new splitter. More information on this splitter can be found here.

The event also attracted a host of non-Lotus vehicles too, including this 900lb Palatov Motorsports Prototype which was by far the fastest vehicle on the track all day.

The RADIUM Elise performed excellent despite being plagued by a damaged ignition coil early in the day. The turbocharger kit and related components all performed flawlessly.

Our main issue with the Elise is the brakes. With the turbo kit,  we are reaching higher speeds and this means more work for the brakes. A couple sessions were cut short due to persistent brake fade. We use Motul RBF600 fluid, but that was not enough. We have already begun laying out a plan to address this issue. We hope to have a solution in place by mid October, which is when we will be attending LOG31 in Las Vegas.

Local Evora owner, Kris Myers, was on hand turning out lap after lap. We installed our prototype cold air intake kit on his car and he gave us excellent feedback. We could tell he was genuinely sad when we pulled it off at the end of the day and replaced it with the stock airbox.

Kris was also running our Dual Catch Can kit on his Evora. He was collecting a suprisingly large amount of oil. The photo above is after 1 session!

Additional photos from the event:

We would like to thank Club Lotus NW for organizing the event and making it fun for everyone. We look forward to coming out again!

Here is a test and tune session with Portland Speed Industries at an abandonded lumber mill in Packwood, Washington. Our long-time friend, Pro Drifter Justin Pawlak (JTP) was on hand to give our car a good work out. He did very well putting on a show despite several characteristics that make the Elise a less than ideal drift car.

More information on this event can be found here.

Radium Engineering is proud to announce another new product for the Lotus Evora. Our Dual Oil Catch Can installation kit is now available for the 2010+ Lotus Evora.
This kit was created based on input from a customer about periodic blue smoke from the exhaust when autocrossing or tracking his Evora. This blue smoke was the result of excess oil in the PCV system being dumped into the intake manifold and burned in the combustion process. This was verified by examining the PCV hoses and finding the insides of them soaked in oil.
This was a perfect application for our existing GEN2 Billet Aluminum Catch Cans. These would solve the problem by trapping the PCV oil in the catch cans and keeping it from getting into the intake tract or intake manifold. More information on how our catch cans work can be found here.
For the Evora, we found a great mounting location that is away from moving parts and excessive engine heat that can be detrimental to the oil separation process. So we designed a custom laser cut bracket that bolts on with no drilling required. Proper hose lengths were recorded and, as always, O-ring sealed fittings were used.

The catch can bracket mounts to the right side deck lid hinge bolts and positions the Catch Cans clear of the engine cover.

Hose routing is clean and functional. The longer the air flow travel, the cooler the gas becomes and the chance of the oil vapor falling out of suspension increases. Full access to all engine components is maintained.

The kit comes complete with Radium Catch Cans, Hoses, -AN Fittings, Laser Cut Bracket, Stainless Steel Clamps and Fasteners and can be installed in less than 15 minutes.

The Billet Oil Catch Cans are visible from outside the vehicle looking though the vent screen and through the rear window.

We are currently awaiting a new shipment of GEN2 Billet Catch Cans and this kit will be ready to ship in early September 2011. Pre-ordering can be done on our website by CLICKING HERE. Catch can orders will ship as soon as they are available.

After over a year of development, testing and refining, we are finally ready to announce pricing for our intercooled turbocharger kit for the 2005-2011 Lotus Elise 2ZZ-GE. But what is a price if you don't know what the kit contains? This blog will highlight all of the components and fully explain the details of this turbocharger kit.

While we have always intended for the turbo kit to be an all-inclusive package, we have experienced delays with our Lotus specific engine management system. We did not want this to further hold back the release of the turbo kit so we are now releasing our Hard Parts Kit.  The Hard Parts Kit consists of all the turbocharger kit components, MINUS the engine management system and any engine wiring harness adapters. In early Fall 2011, we will be releasing our Lotus Plug N Play Programmable EMS. This Hard Parts kit is ideal for someone using a stand-alone EMS, piggy back ECU, or reflash ECU that their tuner is comfortable using.

Earlier this year, we experimented with a non-intercooled setup in order to provide a lower cost alternative setup, but we decided that the price savings was not worth the sacrifice in performance. For this reason, we are offering our Hard Parts kit in intercooled form only. You can read more about intercooler testing here.

This kit is designed to be a complete bolt-on system that requires no special tools or permanent modification to the car allowing the vehicle to be returned to stock if necessary. Furthermore, all factory equipment is retained but the relocation of certain items is required for proper installation.

Here is a pictoral list of the contents of the Radium Engineering Hard Parts turbocharger kit:

1. Garrett GT2860

We have selected the Garrett GT2860 as the best fit for the 2ZZ-GE engine. This turbo offers very quick spooling along with ample air flow for up to 400hp. This turbo is water cooled and uses a special T3-flanged exhaust housing that has a custom Radium machined wastegate port for this application. Available in ball bearing as well as journal bearing for cost savings. Both have the same GT aerodynamics. This turbo kit has also been designed to be compatible with the Garrett GT3076 (Rated up to 550 Hp) should it be requested. All turbine housings are ceramic coated by Radium Engineering for a lasting finish and improved heat retention.

2. Internal wastegate actuator assembly

We had our own wastegates manufactured for this application (prototype shown in picture). These actuators are held in place with a custom laser cut nickel plated Radium bracket. These can be controlled with an electronic boost controller for driver or EMS controlled boost levels, starting as low as 7psi.

3. Radium cast stainless steel exhaust manifold

Our exhaust manifold is cast from 347 stainless steel. It is a bulletproof design and will easily hold up in even the most extreme applications. For a more in-depth look, see the individual item product page.

4. Exhaust manifold heat barrier

This thermal blanket is custom made for us by a company that holds the rights to several proprietary technologies. These same heat barriers are used on F1 racing engines, military helicopters and more. This protection drastically reduces under-hood temperatures and is a necessity for the kit. For more details, Read our Blog.

5. Radium cast stainless steel downpipe elbow with integrated internal wastegate swing valve

The downpipe is cast using the same 347 stainless steel and high tolerance investment casting process as our exhaust manifold. This critical part will not crack or deform under harsh conditions. It features an integrated 3" V-Band flange for easy installation of the exhaust system.

6. 3" stainless steel exhaust mid-pipe

This 3" exhaust pipe connects to the cast downpipe elbow and routes exhaust gasses to the muffler. It is compatible with the stock muffler and attaches to the factory slip-joint inlet (concept shown). This system is also compatible with other aftermarket mufflers that connect with the slip-joint the same as the factory muffler. We will be releasing a pipe with a high-flow catalytic converter option (for an additional charge).

7. Top Mount Air to Air Intercooler

Our intercooler is designed for the Elise engine bay. Because of the lack of space we chose the more efficient bar and plate core design with custom Radium cast aluminum end-tanks. It contains an assortment of bungs for sensors as well as an integrated GReddy style BOV flange. We are offering an intercooler air-flow upgrade kit separately, see details below.

8. Silicone couplers

Our custom 5ply silicone couplers are designed for efficient flow and packaging necessary for getting air in and out of the intercooler.

9. Radium billet oil return fitting for oil pan

This billet fitting functions similar to a banjo bolt. It allows oil from the turbocharger to drain back into the stock oil pan via the drain hole using a -10AN hose assembly.  There is no need to uninstall, weld or modify the factory oil pan. This saves on installation labor and time. The fittings have been thoroughly tested in extreme driving conditions and has proven to work very well with either turbocharger option. For users with an aftermarket oil pan with ports already supplied, this fitting is not necessary.

10. Cold air intake system for turbocharger (Toyota MAF sensor compatible)

This air intake system draws air from the LH side air duct of the vehicle. This supply of cold air helps keep the intake temperatures dramatically lower in all driving conditions. This system is compatible with recirculation of the blow-off valve, as needed for accurate MAF metering. It consists of mandrel bent 6061powder coated aluminum tubing with custom silicone couplers. This part is in the final stages of production.

11. Synapse Engineering Blow off Valve

This is our favorite blow off valve on the market. It uses a superior piston design and works incredibly well at all boost levels and is very responsive. Read more about Synchronic technology here.

12. Radium coolant expansion swirl tank

This powder coated cast aluminum tank replaces the factory coolant reservoir. It mounts to existing studs in the center of the firewall adjacent to the factory ECU. Not only does this multi-chambered tank do all the things that the factory Denso tank does, it also features an integrated swirl pot helping to de-aerate the incoming hot coolant. Chambers shown in the transparent CAD render.

13. Radium 2ZZ-GE water hose relocation kit and turbo water lines

Because the Toyota 2ZZGE engines were designed for front wheel drive vehicles, most of the components are mounted backwards. These -AN hoses and billet aluminum fittings re-route and clean up the factory water lines for more efficient packaging. It also incorporates lines for the turbocharger coolant system. The custom billet fittings are anodized Radium green for appearance and durability. Thermal protection sleeving is also included for the hoses routed near the turbocharger.

14. All necessary gaskets, nuts bolts, T-bolt clamps, brackets, hoses, etc.

Every required nut, bolt, gasket, fitting, etc is included in the kit for a hassle-free installation.

We are releasing the base level kit at an introductory sale price of $6,195

Here are the available options for the kit:
1. Ball bearing turbocharger +$295 (GT2860RS)
2. Polished exhaust system: exhaust manifold, downpipe elbow, and exhaust mid-pipe +$495


3. Intercooler air flow upgrade kit +$450

This kit provides a dedicated custom air duct that channels fresh air to the intercooler from from the LH side vent of the vehicle. Also included is a 10inch SPAL electric pusher fan and fan shroud. These are installed on the bottom side of the intercooler. This kit is highly recommended for users in warm climates and customers participating in high performance driving events.

4. Relocation brackets for windscreen washer fluid bottle +$95

This bracket relocates the washer fluid bottle to the forward/left area of the engine bay. It provides mounting points for many accessories such as: Radium oil catch cans, Radium fuel pressure regulator, map sensor, boost solenoid, and E85 flex fuel composition sensor.

For the engine management side, we recommend the following that will help complete the installation:
-630cc Fuel Injectors (set of four)
-Radium Engineering Fuel Rail
-ECU Connectors (2005, 2006+) -Useful for constructing custom adapter wire harnesses for piggy back or EMS installation.
-Radium Engineering Surge Tank with upgraded fuel pump
-Radium Engineering Surge Tank installation kit for Lotus Elise (Frame rail mounted)
-Radium Engineering adjustable fuel pressure regulator

Over the next couple months, we will be working with aftermarket Lotus ECU tuners who are interested in supplying a factory ECU reflash tune for this turbo kit. This will open up another possible engine management solution, should the customer not want to go with a piggy back or stand-alone ECU. We will post updates on this aspect of the project as they develop.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When will the kit be available for shipment?
Radium Engineering is accepting pre-orders for the Hard Parts turbo kit starting immediately. Shipment is planned for mid August 2011. Please contact us at: info@radiumauto.com for details.

Do I have to remove my rear clamshell for installation?
We highly recommend removing the clamshell for installation.

Can I install this on my 2006 normally aspirated Lotus Exige?
Yes, however we have not test fit the kit on an Exige. If you are interested in installing on an exige, pleaes contact us and we will work with you personally and address any issues that may arise from the different body styles.

How difficult is the installation?
The Hard Parts kit has been designed to be 100% bolt-on, no special tools, fabrication, etc. are required. With the clamshell removed, installation can be done by someone with above average wrenching skills. However, the engine management solution should be handled by a professional.

Can you recommend a shop that can perform the installation and/or handle the engine management install?
Yes. We work closely with Portland Speed Industrieshere in the Pacific Northwest. They are capable of providing full installation, tuning, and engine management services.  Radium Engineering does not perform installations.

How much power does the kit make?
The great thing about turbochargers is that they can easily be tuned to a wide variety of power outputs depending on fuel type and driving conditions. This should be left to the professional tuning the vehicle. The power output is not limited by the turbo kit, it is limited by the engine and drivetrain. We have not experienced engine or drivetrain problems on our shop car which makes a safe and reliable 300rwhp on 110 octane. With a built engine and related driveline mods, the power output could be pushed to as much as 500hp. The final power output number of your vehicle will be up to the tuner, and what they think is safe and proper for your specific vehicle.

What are the benefits over a supercharger kit?
If you are converting from a supercharger, you will immediately notice the large increase in midrange torque. Because of the lightweight characteristics of the Elise platform, Lotus was able to get away with this lack of low end power in its factory form.

Because turbochargers use wasted exhaust energy to operate, they are more efficient. More reliable power can be made because the engine does not have to work as hard to make the same amount of power.

Supercharger flow is dictated by engine speed. When an increase in power is requested a smaller pulley must be physically installed. Turbochargers do not require any hardware changes for a boost pressure change. A simple valve or solenoid can be routed to the wastegate and boost pressure can be adjusted based on EFI parameters, interior switch, etc.

Furthermore, with the flexibility of a turbocharger, power can be increased or decreased at specific locations or areas throughout the powerband .

Do turbochargers lose power at high elevations like superchargers?
Assuming an electronic boost controller with closed loop feedback is used and the turbo is not already maxed out,  the wastegate will automatically compensate for higher altitude. Power will always be the same, no matter what altitude the vehicle is driving in.

Why are there many more supercharger kits nowadays?
One downside of turbocharger kits on modern cars is the lack of real estate, specifically in the Lotus. We have solved this by investing in top quality investment cast tooling that yields parts with shapes that are not normally achieveable with hand fabrication. We made extensive use of our FARO CMM arm and SolidWorks modeling to locate and shape parts strategically in the vehicle.

Aren't turbochargers too hot for the Lotus engine bay?
Luckily, the exhaust side of the Toyota engine faces the back of the vehicle. This allows the turbocharger to sit in the low pressure rear section of the engine bay that is able to allow hot air to escape out the rear of the vehicle and through the decklid. We also take full advantage of the factory air flow and ducting while adding our own heat management components such as thermal wraps, sleeves, coatings, ducts, shrouds etc.

Why are turbo kits so expensive?
Turbocharger kits are inherently more expensive than the average supercharger kit due to the added complexity and increased part count. However, the benefits of increased performance and tuning flexibilty that come with a turbocharger system are realized. Over the last year we have found ways to cut costs and make this kit affordable by comparing multiple vendor quotes and finding the best in business for quality, lead time, and cost. We have managed to keep this kit economical by carefully considering manufacturing processes and costs in all aspects of our designs. All of our components are geared for high volume production which also reduces costs.

Please send any questions to us at:  info@radiumauto.com

We took delivery of a Lotus Evora last month and we have been developing a few parts to enhance overall performance.  Several concerns, including a tendency for the engine to burn oil after hot lapping, gave a direction for the areas of development that would be initially tackled. The oil burning issue was solved with a Radium Install Kit for the Evora using our billet aluminum catch cans (more info on this later).

Another idea was to improve the air flow to the Evora's engine, allowing it to breath more freely.  This would improve the performance and create a more audible sports car engine sonud. This lead us to design a cold air intake system.  Drawing from former experience as engineers at Advanced Engine Management Inc., we assessed the factory intake system, developed a test plan, began fabricating test pipes and designing parts.

The factory intake system is not only restrictive, it is heavy and HUGE!  This monstrosity occupies most of the engine bay and it is exceedingly complicated. Without a doubt, Lotus went through many steps to suppress the acoustics; unfortunately, as a side effect, performance was sacrificed.

This particular Evora was equipped with a Larini Exhaust and a K&N drop-in panel filter.  These factors may have resulted in a slightly higher power output than a 100% stock Evora. However, since this exhaust was in place for all of our testing, it was not going to affect our run to run comparisons. The graph below shows the peak numbers of one of the stock air box dyno runs, 242.18rwhp and 229.73ft-lbs.



Along with raising the rev limiter, the SPORT button activates a vacuum operated solenoid that opens a flapper valve in the intake system allowing a more direct air flow to the engine. The power output is not notably effected by the SPORT button.

Since the 2GR-FE engine in the Evora uses a MAF sensor to meter the incoming air, we needed to ensure that this ECU input functioned flawlessly with our new intake system. The inside diameter of the pipe effects how accurate the MAF sensor reads and can throw off the calibration if not dealt with properly.  As expected, we saw large variances in the air fuel ratio when fabricating an intake pipe that created turbulent flow through the mass air meter.  Some other issues that occur due to inadequate calibration include a stumbling idle, high fuel trims, and poor gas mileage. To replicate the diameter of the stock MAF sensor tube, we were constrained to source a non-standard aluminum tube size.  Special tubing is more expensive than standard off-the-shelf sizes, but a properly sized pipe guarantees that the MAF sensor relays the appropriate signal to the ECU. Using the specific tube size, we constructed an intake system for testing using our own billet MAF sensor mounting flange.

On the dyno, we were able to experiment with different pre-MAF tube diameters and overall system lengths.

We found that the engine did not like many of the tubing configurations tested. 



Some vehicles we worked with at AEM required long intake pipes (i.e. Honda S2000 = 42") to make the most power gains throughout the RPM band. The extra long tubing configurations (shown above) lost major power throughout the revs. We also realized that short intakes, like the factory Lotus 9" intake pipe, were way too short. After hours on the dyno testing multiple lengths and diameters, we found the perfect combination that made astonishing power.

Next, we constructed a prototype pipe that physically fit into the engine bay and located the filter to an area that would receive the coolest intake air charge. This pipe had the appropriate inside diameter and tuned length that made the best power on the dynamometer. We made a point to use minimal bends in order to reduce turbulent flow that can cause trouble for MAF sensor readings. 

The graph above shows the peak numbers of our prototype Radium CAI dyno runs, 269.2rwhp and 239.71ft-lbs.

The graph above shows the average of the stock air box dyno runs (blue line) and the average of the prototype Radium cold air intake dyno runs (red line). On average, our prototype cold air intake picked up 21.5 peak hp (265.96WHP vs 244.46WHP) along with significant power gains throughout the entire RPM range.



The graph above shows the the torque difference between these two averages.

Our Evora CAI kit will include everything needed to install the system, including: K&N Cone Air Filter, Powder Coated Piping Weldment, Custom Made Silicone Coupler, Heat Shield, PCV Tubing, Hose Clamps, etc. The installation is very easy and quick and can be done with standard tools in less than 1hour.

Because of the extra room created by eliminating the Lotus air box, it allowed us to expand our Evora product line with a Radium Fuel Surge Tank, sold seperately. By simply unscrewing our heat shield's block off plate, the FST slips right into the location and mounts to the heat shield for a clean installation.



The FST installation kit will include its own heat shield in order to block engine heat and receive cool air flow from the driver side air vent.  The FST installation kit will be available late 2011.



This intake system not only unleashes noticeable horsepower gains, it also provides an engine note that matches the performance of the car. Other benefits are: weight savings, added engine bay space, increased air filter surface area, and easier serviceability.

This video contains audio clips that compare the cold air intake sounds to the stock Evora air box.

The Evora intake system is now in production and we expect to have them ready to ship in 4 to 5 weeks. See our product page for pricing and details.

Portland Speed Industries recently installed a Radium Engineering Fuel Surge Tank on Andrew Coomes' competition drift car after having fuel slosh problems with his JAZ Fuel Cell. At the next drift competition, the car no longer experienced fuel starvation.

The Radium fuel surge tank is a perfect compliment to drifting due to the extended periods of lateral G's drift cars experience when competing. Fuel starvation is a very prevelant problem in drift cars and as a result, competitors are forced to run with full, or near-full fuel tanks. This adds extra weight and significantly affects the polar moment of inertia of the vehicle.

Photos Courtesy of Kyle Tomita

The Radium Fuel Surge Tank ensures a constant and reliable supply of fuel to the engine under all conditions.  PSI chose a surge tank equipped with a Bosch 023 internal pump, fed by an external Bosch 044 pump.

Photo Courtesy of AJC Drift

Check out the AJC Drift website.

Radium now has another variation of our popular surge tanks available. This specific desing utilizes twin pumps mounted externally to the surge tank, there is no internal pump in this design. With these two Bosch 044 pumps drawing fuel from the surge tank via anodized pick-up tubes, this system can provide enough fuel flow to support up to about 1400-1500hp. The volume of fuel in the surge tank ensures the pumps always have a steady supply of fuel to draw from and fuel supply to the engine is never compromised.
The whole package is designed to be bolted in the trunk area of a vehicle using the included mounting plate. A "riser" pump is still needed to fill and maintain the volume of fuel in the surge tank. This is usually accomplished by using the vehicle's OEM fuel pump.
Pumps can be repositioned for different plumbing routing if needed.

Features:
-Unit comes assembled as shown
-Compact packaging of dual pumps
-Supports roughly 1400 BHP
-Pump mounting can be configured to match application
-All Stainless Steel Hardware

Fuel Pumps:
-Two Bosch Fuel Pumps: 400lph at 5Bar
-Rubber Sleeves for Isolation Mounting 
-Also sold without pumps

Fuel Tank:
-Billet 6061 Aluminum Construction
-Anodized and Laser Engraved
-Internal Volume: 1.5 liters
-O-ring sealed modular design
-Internal anodized aluminum pick-up tubes

Plumbing:
-9/16-18 (-6AN) Aluminum JIC Adapter Fittings
-Bosch Check Valve, M10x1.0mm Male
-300psi Rated 3/8" Push Lok Hose

Mounting:
-Water Jet Aluminum Pump Mounting Brackets
-Anodized and Laser Engraved
-Laser Cut and Powder Coated Floor Plate

This product is available here.

These new RADIUM Engineering lug bolts are machined from forged 6AL-4V (Grade 5) Titanium alloy rod. They feature a 60 degree tapered conical seat compatible with most OEM and aftermarket wheels. The threads are rolled, not machined, for superior strength and wear resistance. Grade 5 Titanium is 94% the yield strength of metric grade 10.9 (OEM lug bolt steel) and are also over 43% lighter than steel.

Bottom Left: Set of 16 Steel Lotus Elise Lug Bolts: 2lb 9.5oz
Bottom Right: Set of 16 Titanium Radium Lug Bolts: 1lb 7.9oz

Radium Lug Bolt Mechanical Properties:
Grade 5 6AL-4V Titanium
Yield Strength: 890MPa
Ultimate Tensile Strength: 952MPa
Shear Strength: 550MPa
Elongation: 15%
Reduction of Area: 31%
Density: 4428 kg/m^3

For comparison, some other common lug nut/bolt materials:

Grade 5 Alloy Steel
Yield Strength: 634MPa
Ultimate Tensile Strength: 827MPa
Shear Strength: 496MPa
Density: 7861 kg/m^3

Grade 8 Alloy Steel
Yield Strength: 896MPa
Ultimate Tensile Strength: 1034MPa
Shear Strength: 620MPa
Density: 7861 kg/m^3

7075 Aluminum
Yield Strength: 503MPa
Ultimate Tensile Strength: 572MPa
Shear Strength: 331MPa
Density: 2823 kg/m^3

Our titanium fasteners come in Anodized Green or Nano Ceramic Hardened Gray with a laser etched logo.

They are a direct swap and simple installation for the Lotus ELISE, EXIGE and EVORA.

Click Here to buy.

At RADIUM Engineering we are always looking for ways to improve our existing product lines. The customer's feedback is the most focused on area. One of the many requirements for the Exige/Elise fuel surge tank (FST) installation kit was the ability to reuse the factory Lotus Inertia Switch (shown below). This is an important safety feature that cuts power to the fuel pump(s) if the vehicle were to be involved in a dangerous accident.


Another feature that we required was to have the capability to trigger the FST's fuel pump from the same fuel pump signal in the main tank. In addition, we needed this to be easy for the customer to eliminate human error. To accomplish this we couldn't have the customer cut into the factory wiring. In order to get the signal we wanted, a component was needed between the inertia switch and the main fuel pump. Luckily, the immobiliser sits between these two connections. We sourced the proper male and female immobiliser connectors and made a plug n' play connection (shown below) while still utilizing the inertia safety switch.

This seemed like the perfect solution. However, to access the immobiliser connector, customer's were required to remove their front seat and interior panels that are located on the firewall.
 

After a long search and an expensive MOQ from the manufacturer, we were fortunate to find the appropriate connectors to make a jumper harness for the actual inertia switch itself. The best thing about this solution is that not only is this a plug n' play feature and the inertia safety switch is being used as before, but now the interior can be left in tact. This is due to the easily accessible inertia switch which is located in an area just above the transmission on the frame.
 

The immobiliser jumper harness has now been superseded in all of our fuel surge tanks for the Lotus Elise/Exige kits by our new inertia switch jumper harness (shown below). This component still connects to the same RADIUM Main FST Wiring Harness as before using a 1-pin weatherpak connector. Meaning, the old immobiliser jumper harness can be swapped out in favor of this inertia switch jumper harness, if necessary, with no issues.
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Constructing a turbo kit for a specific vehicle involves carefully selecting the right combination of custom and off-the-shelf components and combining them together in a way that balances performance, cost, and packaging. One-off turbocharger conversions are relatively easy, however designing a turbocharger kit that must be consistently replicated many times over in an economic fashion, is much more challenging. Luckily, that is what Radium Engineering excels at.

Here at Radium Engineering, our Lotus Elise/Exige turbocharger kit has been in development for over 1 year. Why so long? We have had our protoype turbocharger kit up and running since July 2010, however, moving parts into production takes a long time.  This article outlines an example of the development that went into a single component of the turbocharger kit, the downpipe elbow. Now multiply that procedure many times over for all different custom designed components in the turbocharger kit and you can see the amount of time adds up quickly.

The downpipe elbow attaches to the exhaust outlet of the turbine side of the turbocharger. It is the piece that channels exhaust gasses exiting the turbocharger into the exhaust/muffler system. This part sees extremely high temperatures and must be designed to withstand them without warping, cracking, or degrading in any way.
We decided very early on that this piece would best be cast out of stainless steel due to its anticipated complex shape.
However, tooling required to produce a casting is very expensive and we were not going to make that investment without positive testing to back up the concept. Additionally, if we were going to make this large investment, we wanted this part to work on several different turbochargers without modification.

This is a behind the scenes look into what went into designing and producing the Radium Engineering downpipe elbow:

The first step in the process is to hand fabricate a pipe from stainless steel tube using off the shelf flanges and mandrel bends. This part is used to verify the performance and serve as a jig for measuring fitment of the elbow. The part shown here is ceramic coated. Notice how it transitions from bell mouth to 3" round.



Once the performance is verified, the hand fabricated part is measured with our FARO arm. This device accurately measures the part to within 0.005 inches in 3D space and creates exact data in Solidworks which serves as the foundation for the CAD model.

Based on the 3D data from the FARO arm, a 3D CAD model is created with Solidworks. With investment casting chosen as the maunfacturing process, much freedom in the shape of the part was allowed. Investment casting does not require draft or a parting line like other less expensive casting methods such as sand casting.  The CAD model is fine tuned and all detail is added to ensure the best fitment possible.

After the CAD model is approved, we have a 3D print made. While there are many technologies for producing rapid prototypes, we choose FDM (fused deposition modeling) because of it's low cost and high level of accuracy. We simply export a CAD file and a few hours later, we have a plastic prototype in our hands.


The plastic prototype is used to test fit components and ensure all geometry is correct.


The plastic prototype is also bolted in place and everything is checked. We pay close attention to fitment as well as clearance from adjacent components and tool access to fasteners for servicing.

Most of the time, we find details to change on the prototype, so we go back to the CAD model and make adjustments and have another rapid prototype made. This iterative process can cycle many times until we have achieved the best design possible.
Once the design is locked down, manufacturing drawings are created. These drawings must clearly communicate to the vendor exactly what we want. The 3D CAD model and 2D prints are then sent to our casting company. Over the years of working in the industry we have been fortunate to find some of the very best in the business to work with.
We often request feedback from our vendors on new designs. This is useful for finding ways to reduce cost without sacrificing the form or function of the part. Once the design and drawings are locked, the PO is sent.  Then we wait....

Months and months later, we finally receive the first article sample parts we have been anticipating.


The cast downpipe elbow is investment cast out of 347 stainless steel.

The first thing to do is to check the final part and make sure it matches the CAD model within the tolerances specified. This is done with the FARO arm.

Using a process like this, while tedious and time consuming up front, pays dividends when the final part is test fit. Perfect fitment is achieved on the first part revision. If there were any fitment or design issues, changes to casting tools can be very expensive and they add weeks and/or months to the project.

The downpipe elbow is an integral part in the turbocharger/manifold system.

These components are all standard in our Lotus Elise/Exige turbo kit.

Here the progression from prototype to production piece is clearly shown.

WIth the recent arrival of our cast downpipe elbows, we are now in the final phases of releasing our Lotus Elise/Exige turbocharger kit for sale. Please check back for pricing updates.

Radium is excited to release another new product, plug and play ECU connectors for all Lotus Elise/Exige 2005-2011. We worked long and hard over an 8 month period  to source and procure these hard-to-find connectors and we are now offering them for sale individually to the public. These connectors play a key role in our up and coming EMS solution that will be offered for our turbo kits for the Lotus Elise/Exige.

These connectors are extremely useful in making a plug-and-play ECU harness for just about any aftermarket engine management system. In order to install a stand-alone engine management system without a connector like this, a completely new engine wiring harness must be constructed, or the factory ECU connectors must be cut off of the OEM engine wiring harness and 3rd-party aftermarket connectors installed.  With these connectors, the OEM wiring harness can be used without modification, saving time and money.
Normally, parts like these are only available to major manufacturers in extremely large quantities. We worked directly with some of the best distributors in the country to locate and special order these parts.

These 80-pin header connectors are for the 2005 Lotus Elise that uses a one-piece ECU connector. These connectors are the same exact parts used in the construction of the OEM engine control computers.

2005 Elise connectors can be puchased here: Radium Store

We also have the 2-piece connectors used on the 2006+ Lotus Elise and Exige. These connectors are just as difficult to source and require large purchase quantities.

2006+ Lotus Elise/Exige connectors

2006+ Elise/Exige connectors can be found here: Radium Store

Constructing a harness using connectors like this can be easily done be straightening the pins on the backside of the connector and soldering wire directly to the pin, and finishing off with shrink tubing.

These connectors are all in stock now and are the perfect compliment to your custom engine management solution.

We are back with yet another variation on our popular fuel surge tank line. This latest unit uses two internal Walbro GSS-341 pumps in parallel.
This surge tank is designed to support ultra high output engines while also eliminating fuel starvation resulting from aggressive driving.
Each Walbro pump is capable of supporting roughly 600Hp, making this surge tank capable of fueling an engine up to 1200Hp!

Inside the surge tank is the normal high quality Radium componentry. All machined aluminum parts are anodized for protection and sealed together with stainless steel hardware and O-rings.

Each pump has a dedicated output port, and dedicated wiring. This allows flexibility in how the fuel system is plumbed.

The pump(s) anchoring bracket features the trademark Radium green anodized finish.

On all Radium fuel surge tanks, the pump outlet(s) are easily identified by the nickel plated nuts. All fittings are -6AN size.

When buying this unit for a universal application, powder coated floor and wall mount brackets are included.

The surge tank is available now: Radium Online Store

Since Club Lotus NW cancelled its spring track day at Portland International Raceway, we had a hole in our schedule to fill. Luckily, our friends over at Portland Speed Industries were holding a "customer appreciation" day at a popular autocross venue in central Washington the same day.

The location is the site of a long-closed lumber mill in Packwood, Washington. It features 15 acres of wide open asphalt and is privately owned and rented out for automotive uses. PSI rented the venue for the day and invited several of their customers and friends of the shop out for some fun on the pavement.

This proved to be an excellent opportunity to put our turbocharged Lotus to a test of durability. Our long time friend, and professional Formula D drifter, Justin Pawlak "JTP" also attended the event so we handed the keys over to watch the pro driver smash on the mid engine Elise.

Despite the open differential in the Elise, JTP was still able to get it sideways in a controlled drift. The car spent several 10 minute sessions at constant high RPM and full boost and never missed a beat. However, late in the day we suffered a charging system issue and blew a VVTi fuse. The turbo kit performed exactly as expected and was solid as a rock. We were testing out several changes including a new journal bearing GT28 turbocharger, a simple turbo oil return technique, and a new boost calibration tune.

The weather oscillated between torrential downpour to blazing sun all day, but we got several good sessions of dry pavement. Some of the customers had just as much fun in the water.

Twin Turbocharged Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

PSI's R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R

Andrew Coomes used the opportunity to practice his drift technique in his LS powered 240sx.

This event also provided the opportunity for us to work with YAER Productions on shooting a professional level Radium Engineering promo video.

We would like to extend a huge thanks to PSI for inviting us out and letting us bring out the turbo Elise in a safe environment.

Most people know what a catch can does, it provides an area for crankcase gasses to accumulate safely and not cause issues with the engine operation. But we thought we could explain it in more detail, so people can really understand what is happening inside their engine.

Piston rings do not seal 100% and as a result, pressurized gasses from the combustion process will leak out into the crankcase area of the engine, known as "blow by". This is just a fact of our modern internal combustion engine. Pressurizing the crankcase is, of course, not desireable. It can lead to blown out crank seals, oil leaks, etc. So the crankcase gasses have to be vented through the PCV system, which recycles the air back into the intake stream. The vented gasses contain oil vapor that, if not dealt with, can coat the intake tract of the engine with oil and sludge.

Our innovative catch cans have been lurking in the depths of our website for sometime now and we thought now would be a good time to shed some light on their design aspects.

Radium Oil Catch Can

These beautiful components are machined from 6061 billet aluminum, vibratry deburred and then anodized and laser engraved. It is a two part design, with a removable bottom that can be unscrewed and easily drained.

Benefits:
-Increased engine performance through cleaner inlet air
-Prevents oil buildup in the intake or intercooler system walls, throttle body, and intake manifold
-Excessive oil collection can be an indicator of a damaged engine
-Lowers hydrocarbon emissions
Features:
-CNC billet 6061 aluminum
-Powder coated aluminum mounting bracket
-Anodized & laser engraved finish
-O-ring sealed two-piece design
-Integrated oil separator
-Canister body unscrews for easy dumping of fluids
-Stainless steel cleanable and reuseable filter media
-Safe to use in pressurized applications
-Accepts 7/8-14 (-10AN) fittings
-Capacity: 8 fluid ounces
-Height (without fittings): 5.75 inches Outside Diameter: 2.45 inches

How does the oil separation in the Radium Engineering catch cans work? Keep reading to find out....

Gasses enter the catch can through the top port and immediately pass through a stack of stainless steel condensers. These provide surface area for the hot oil vapor to cool and condense. This creates a phase change within the oil makeup converting it from a gas to a liquid. All of the liquid oil collects and drips down to the bottom of the canister. Remaining gasses continue through the catch can chamber where they slow down allowing time for more oil vapor to condense on the interior surface walls. Then "clean" gasses exit through the front port and back into the engine's intake stream.

Close up view of flow analysis, showing only 1 condenser disc.

When designing our turbocharger kit for the Lotus Elise, we searched the market high and low for a catch can with built-in oil separation, removable fittings, the ablility to handle turbo boost pressures, and contained in a small package. We did not find any that matched our criteria, so we designed our own. While this was originally designed for the Lotus Elise, it is a universal part that can be used with any engine. It has the flexibilty to be plumbed with -AN fittings, or traditional hose barbs.

We recently designed a kit specifically for installation on the Lotus Elise/Exige. Shown below is the kit which consists of mounting bracket, two Radium catch cans, fittings and hoses.

Dual oil catch can kit for the Lotus Elise/Exige


Installed on a superchaged Exige. Also compatible with all Elise models.

The RADIUM Engineering Lotus Catch Can kit includes all of the necessary hardware including a laser cut mounting bracket that uses 2 factory M6x1mm threaded holes on the Toyota 2ZZ-GE valve cover.
If you have a superchaged Exige, pop off an intercooler pipe and look down into the bottom of the intercooler. See oil? You need some catch cans. Cars driven at high RPM for extended periods of time (such as track driving) will see more blow-by than a normal street engine. For this reason, catch cans should be a mandatory upgrade on track cars.

Depending on the engine configuration, multiple oil catch cans may be required. Two oil catch cans are required for the Toyota 2ZZ-GE crankcase ventilation system.

One of the Radium oil catch cans is used for the valve cover breather hose. After condensing the oil vapors, this hose is routed upstream of the throttle body (or turbocharger). Depending on the throttle position and the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve, the flow through this oil catch can will freely move in either direction.

The other Radium oil catch can is mounted inline with the PCV hose. The PCV is a one way valve that allows crankcase pressure to discharge through the catch can, condense and seperate the oil vapors and then vent into the engine while the intake manifold is in vacuum (throttle closed). When the throttle opens, the PCV closes and boost (if equipped) will pressurize this specific Radium oil catch can. This is why catch cans should be sealed units, especially in boosted applications. Our catch cans use o-rings on all three ports.

This kit is available now, click here for details: Radium Store

We hope this has been helpful in understanding more about our catch cans and all the function they provide in a small package.

Radium Engineering is proud to introduce another innovative product: Fuel Surge Tank with internal Bosch pump. This variation on our surge tank line uses a Bosch 023 internal pump that is capable of supporting up to 700bhp. This surge tank not only prevents starvation from fuel slosh, it also provides an easy way to upgrade a factory fuel system to support more horsepower.

This beautifully machined aluminum fitting plays a key role in the design of the Bosch equipped surge tank. It provides the flow path for the pump output while also providing a vertical positioning of the pump inside the housing. It is nickel plated for durability.

The fitting shown screwed on to the Bosch 023 fuel pump.

The assembly is then inserted into the billet aluminum body of the surge tank

A specially machined top cap is then assembled and attached to the body of the surge tank. The main pump outlet port is easily identified by the nickel plated finish.

The Bosch equipped Fuel Surge Tank from Radium Engineering

Features:
-Internal Bosch fuel pump: 168lph at 5bar
-Billet 6061 Aluminum
-Anodized and laser engraved
-O-ring sealed modular design
- 9/16-18 (-6AN) ports
-Sealed bulkhead electrical connector with quick disconnect
-Universal mounting brackets include

This surge tank is compatible with all of our fuel system accessories and installation kits.

This product is available NOW, check it out here: BOSCH Equipped Surge Tank

We are proud to open the door to our online store. It is packed with all the products we have developed and a few bits and pieces that we have carefully selected from other manufacturers. We will be constantly adding new products over the next months, so chack back often, or sign up for our newsletter.

Click the "Store" link at the top of the page to begin shopping!

CLUB LOTUS NORTHWEST HAS CANCELLED THIS TRACK DAY (Updated May 5, 2011)
Next month we will be joining Club Lotus NW for a club track day at Portland International Raceway. The date is set for Friday May 27th. This is the first track day of the season for us and we plan to do several more this summer. We will be running our turbo kit on our car using the Garrett GT28 (non ball bearing) turbocharger to make sure this thing will handle severe driving duty. We are also running our surge tank, fuel pressure regulator and fuel rail.
If you are interested in future purchase of our turbocharger kit, and your are in the area, we encourage you to come out and see it first hand. We might even be able to arrange a ride along. Contact us before hand to make arrangements at info@radiumauto.com.

Club Lotus NW website

Some shots from last year:

Portland Speed Industries recently selected Radium Engineering components for performing a fuel system upgrade on a customer's modified Nissan GT-R.

After running out of fuel at 550hp with the factory fuel pump, PSI employed one of our Fuel Surge Tank that uses a Bosch internal pump and a Radium Engineering Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator.
Check out their blog on the installation here:  PSI Blog

Check out PSI here: Tunedbypsi.com

For too long, there has been a lack of high-quality fuel surge tank options for the average enthusiast. The fuel surge tank is a simple and easily installed option for fighting fuel slosh starvation without the hassle of replacing the entire fuel tank. With the integration of a high performance fuel pump into the surge tank, an instant gain in fueling capacity can be had in a compact package.

After a year of development, we are excited to finally release the Radium Engineering Fuel Surge Tank (FST) product line. These products provide a fuel starvation solution and upgraded fueling capability in an attractive and functional package. They are designed as universal products and can be used in any vehicle from street to full race.



The surge tank works by keeping a volume of fuel around the fuel pump feeding the engine. This volume is maintained by the factory fuel pump and the fuel returned from the injector rail. Excess fuel in the surge tank is returned back to the vehicle's primary fuel tank. When fuel slosh is encountered, the primary fuel pump will be temporarily starved of fuel. This is when the FST fuel pump, supplying fuel to the engine, will begin to consume the volume of fuel in the surge tank. This keeps the engine fully supplied during the slosh event. A lack of fuel can be detrimental to the engine, especially in high performance applications such as forced induction. When the slosh event has completed, the primary fuel pump will refill the volume of the surge tank.

DESIGN
From the start, we required our FST to be precisely CNC machined. Welded tanks require too much manufacturing labor, are difficult to reproduce to tight tolerances, and can be prone to leaking from pin-hole voids in the welds. With fuel system components, we prefer to error on the safe side.

Our FST is based around a custom aluminum extrusion that acts as the main body of the canister. We designed this extrusion specifically for our FST and worked with a stateside industry leading company for manufacturing the extrusions. The raw extrusions are CNC machined for precision and to lighten the canister as much as possible without sacrificing strength. They are then anodized and laser etched.


Taking delivery of Radium extrusions

Another design requirement was that we needed to offer flexibility for the customer with our FST. What if they want a Bosch pump instead of a Walbro? What if they want to support 1,000hp? What if they do not want an internal pump at all? We are able to accommodate all of these concerns by using interchangeable end caps.  These caps are machined from billet 6061 aluminum and anodized to match the extrusion. We have several different end-cap designs, each with a specific purpose. Our Walbro configuration can use single or dual 255lph internal pumps. Our Bosch setup uses a 023 internal pump. We also have a configuration that uses a simple pick-up tube for applications requiring the pump to be external to the tank, which enables us to utilize the infamous Bosch 044 external pump. This modular design allows our surge tank to be used in a wide variety of applications. High quality Buna-N O-rings are used at all interfaces to ensure perfect sealing.

Different end cap configurations

Our single Walbro configuration is our first to be released for sale. It uses the tried-and-true Walbro GSS341 pump rated at 255 liters per hour and capable of supporting up to 600bhp. This pump has proven itself over and over in many applications, both here at Radium Engineering and all over the world. It is also the most cost effective solution.


Components that make up a single Walbro Fuel Surge Tank

All parts of the Walbro FST have been carefully selected to ensure top performance in demanding conditions. Every component, internal and external, is plated, anodized, or stainless steel. This allows compatibility with ALL fuel types, even pure methanol, which can be corrosive to bare aluminum.

Internal components of the Walbro Fuel Surge Tank assembled

All configurations of the surge tank are easily serviced without special tools. The ports on top are all -6AN for universal installation using -AN fuel hose. Mounting of an FST is accomplished with universal mounting brackets, or application specific mounting brackets.

It is not coincidence that the Radium Universal Fuel Pressure Regulator installs quickly and easily into one of the top ports as a clean way to package a regulator with minimal extra hoses.  Regulator is sold separately.

Radium Engineering Fuel Pressure Regulator installed on surge tank

INSTALLATION
We will provide application-specific installation kits for certain vehicles to speed installation. At this time, we have our Lotus Elise/Exige installation kit completed. It mounts the FST in the RH side of the engine bay near the engine's alternator. It uses a specific mounting bracket that ties to three factory M6 rivet nuts mounted on the frame rail. All hardware, wiring, and plumbing components are included.

Lotus Elise/Exige installation kit, for vehicles with Radium Engineering Fuel Rail


Surge tank Mounted in Lotus Elise

Also included in the kit is an adapter wiring harness to make the kit truly plug and play. It uses a factory signal to switch on the surge tank pump. This factory signal is controlled through the inertia switch, so the FST will run only when the factory fuel pump is running. No soldering or crimping required.

This jumper harness provides the "on" signal for the FST power relay.

Fuel hoses are pre-assembled and use black anodized Push-Lok fittings. Shown below is an installation using the Radium Engineering fuel rail. An installation kit for applications using the stock fuel rail is also availalble.

Next to release will be our Bosch FST, which uses a Bosch 023 internal pump.  This will be followed with other variations of our FST with both internal and external pump configurations. We will announce the release of this product right here on our blog.

Our single-pump Walbro FST's are in stock now and ready to ship. See our Walbro Product Page for pricing and purchase information.

With our Fuel Surge Tanks released, we can focus on our flagship turbocharger kits for the Lotus Elise and Exige. When we left off, we had tested a Garrett T3 60-trim turbocharger on the dyno. This was going to be our entry level turbo. Despite having insanely fast  spool-up, the T3 just could not keep up at the top end with the air flow demand of the Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine. So we came up with a Plan-B for an entry-level turbo.

Shown below is a Garrett GT28. This is a water cooled, journal bearing turbo that offers the advanced GT-series aerodynamics in an affordable package. This turbocharger should have very similar performance to the GT2860RS (ball bearing) turbocharger we were using on the Radium Lotus Elise last year. We are excited to see the differences in spool characteristics the ballbearing vs. non ballbearing show and we will post the results right here on our blog. We will be taking another trip to the dyno as soon as we can, so check back for updates.

This turbocharger costs quite a bit less than its ball-bearing twin, so substantial savings in the overall kit price will be seen with this option.

After countless CAD models, design revisions, rapid prototypes, a custom aluminum extrusion and working with our machinists, we have our first batch of Fuel Surge Tanks (FST). The FST is designed to augment a factory fuel system. It works by ensuring a constant and reliable supply of fuel to the engine under all conditions. Each fuel surge tank contains a high performance fuel pump that provides extra fueling capability.
Exploded view showing Fuel Surge Tank with internal fuel pump

Before releasing the system for sale, we thoroughly tested the device. A concern for the FST design was the potential heat that could transfer to the fuel from the internal fuel pump. Our testing was to see if the surge tank would act as a fuel heater.

The (raw aluminum) prototype, fully assembled and ready to test

Testing utilized two different fuel system configurations to evaluate and compare results. The first setup used the Radium FST with an internal Walbro 255lph pump. The second setup used an external Walbro 255lph pump without a surge tank. Both tests used white spirit as the working fluid. White spirit is a commonly used solvent found in fuel injector and fuel pump cleaning processes and has similar properties to gasoline. The minimal use of only 1.5 gallons of fluid would simulate a low fuel condition and make temperature changes more immediate.

Fuel Surge Tank plumbed for testing

We chose to operate our high pressure line during both tests at 4Bar (~58 psi) using a Radium Fuel Pressure Regulator. This pressure was selected to fully load the pump to create the worst case scenario where the pump is exerted to the maximum work load and heat levels peak.

High pressure line entering regulator (blue fitting), temperature probe plumbed into opposite side port

Ambient temperature was recorderd and was within 1 degree C during all tests. Fluid temperatures were monitored at the same locations in both setups and were measured using thermocouples in the reservoir(T1) and in the high pressure line(T2) via a port on the regulator.

Power was supplied to the pumps using a 12V battery with an attached variable rate charger. This allowed constant voltage with varying electrical loads. The tests ran at a steady 12.3V and temperatures were recorded every 5 minutes for 90 minutes.

TEST 1

The first test used the Radium Fuel Surge Tank setup (shown below). In this test, the high pressure line that normally feeds the fuel rail and injectors is sent directly to the fuel pressure regulator and returned to the FST.

Test Setup 1. Utilizing Radium Fuel Surge Tank (Blue)

TEST 2

The second test consisted of the same basic set-up. This time the reservoir's pump fed an external (in-line) Walbro 255lph pump (shown below) rather than the Radium FST. This eliminated any heating effects from the external surface of the pump.

Test Setup 2. Utilizing a Walbro external pump

The results were quite surprising.  We speculated that the FST internal fuel pump would transfer more heat to the fluid due to its submersion.  The results strongly proved otherwise...

The chart above shows the fluid temperatures (average of T1 and T2) over time. It is clear that having the pump internal to the Fuel Surge Tank (blue line) does not excessively heat the fuel. In fact, it appears that the FST might provide some extra cooling that does not occur with the external pump (red line).
The yellow line represents a single pump in the reservoir using the same fuel pressure regulator, which simulates the factory fuel system.The green line shows the ambient temperature.

These results show that over 90 minutes the fluid temperature increases 20-30 degrees celcius. This will not have any noticeable effect on engine performance. Fuel density only decreases by roughly 2%. When considering the air/fuel ratio, there is typically 12 times more air than fuel in the cylinder which would make any effects even more inconsequential.

Based on the test results, we are confident about releasing our Fuel Surge Tanks for sale. We will be releasing FST kits for specific vehicles and applications. We will also have FST that utilize other popular fuel pumps including the Bosch 040 and Bosch 044.

We will be publishing a more detailed informative blog entry on the FST very soon.
More Info: SURGE TANK PRODUCT PAGE

Last year we had great success with our prototype Stage 2 turbocharger kit.  We validated many of our parts as well as found weaknesses which were rectified. Stage 2 was running a Garrett GT2860RS turbocharger and a prototype stand-alone engine management system (EMS). It made 310WHP on race gas and spooled extremely well.  We did not release it for sale due to the fact that we planned to package it with our stand-alone EMS, which is currently still in development. With the EMS in the hands of our software & electronics engineer, we focused our attention towards our Stage 1 kit.


Stage 2 Prototype, as ran in 2010.

The  Stage 1 turbocharger kit was originally conceived to produce great low end torque while staying cost effective.  A small-frame Garrett T3 60-Trim turbocharger was selected for its quick spool, compact package, and affordable price. Since a full stand-alone EMS for this kit pushed the price point too high, the kit was designed around a sophisticated Radium piggyback computer to handle the engine control and allow for normal on-board-diagnostics to be retained while integrating with the factory Lotus computer.

We experimented running this setup without an intercooler to keep cost down and simplicity up.  This would also aid in better throttle response and quicker turbocharger spooling. The first test drives of the vehicle with this configuration were very promising.  The high compression 2ZZ-GE would spool the turbo immediately with the slightest accelerator input and it would reach maximum boost pressure very early in the RPM band. This gave the car enormous low-end torque and immediate power.


Prototype Stage 1, Non-intercooled

After initial street-tuning, we visited Portland Speed Industries to use their dynamometer and calculate results.  We carefully data-logged charge temperatures and other vital engine parameters.  As anticipated, boost pressure was instant, but intake air temperatures were climbing to 120degreesF over ambient.  In addition, the turbo was running out of breath in the upper RPM range. We were pushing the small turbo too hard and were paying the price in increased air temperatures and reduced flow. With this unacceptable performance, we concluded that the T3 60-trim is not a suitable option and we are stepping up to a T3/T4 hybrid turbocharger.


Dyno testing at Portland Speed Industries

The T3/T4 hybrid turbocharger uses the same quick-spooling turbine of the T3, but a larger T4 compressor for more flow. Spool will be slightly affected, but we anticipate it will still be extremely responsive. The high compression 2ZZ-GE works very well for spooling up medium frame turbochargers. More airflow from the T4 compressor will also mean cooler charge temperatures and might make a non-intercooled configuration more realistic. Thorough testing will tell.

The dyno session also provided a great opportunity to test our new exhaust manifold heat shield. This was specifically made for our application and uses materials and technology found in many major motorsports branches as well as military and aerospace designs. Throughout the dyno testing, the outside surface of the shield never exceeded 290degreesF. This is a staggering improvement over our previous attempts at controlling heat and we plan to include these heat shields with every kit. More information on this heat shield can be found here.


Heat Shield

We will be returning to the dyno soon with the T3/T4 hybrid turbocharger and will update with results and impressions.

Looking forward, we have decided to eliminate the "Stages" nomenclature and will have one turbocharger kit that can be configured to the consumer’s preferences. This configuration will include a choice of turbocharger, engine management system, and intercooler package. As we move toward production release, we will be incorporating all of this info and more on our website which will soon feature online shopping capabilities. We are anticipating our base Lotus Elise turbocharger kit will start well under $5,000 for the most basic configuration (T3/T4 turbocharger, non intercooled, no engine management) and go up from there depending on selected options. We will continue to include every component necessary for install for a fully engineered solution. This will consist of relocation brackets, fluid plumbing, hardware, exhaust, wiring harness adapters, etc. Performance expectations of each configuration will also be supplied in the form of dyno charts and related information.
Please stay tuned as we work toward final release with solid prices. We will supply as much information as we can on all aspects of the turbocharger kit as we address issues and move toward the final configurations. Contact us directly at info@radiumauto.com with questions.

Radium Engineering is proud to announce our new billet aluminum fuel rail for the Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine. This fuel rail is packed with features carefully designed to provide easy installation, reliable performance, and fuel flow to support any power level. The multiple ports add flexibility for any custom fuel system plumbing method desired.
Please note this fuel rail is not compatible with Lotus Exige models equipped with a top-mount intercooler.

The fuel rail comes anodized with laser engraved graphics. Mounting hardware and O-ring sealed fittings are also included.

The large 0.70 inch bore will support enough fuel flow for any power level. Years of experience has tought us that tapered pipe threads (NPT) commonly found on aftermarket fuel rail inlets/outlets are not the best thread form for the job. When tapered pipe threads are tightened down, they act like a wedge and put large radial stresses on the walls of the fuel rail. This can lead to cracking if over-tightened. The way tapered threads seal is by mashing the threads together, which permanently deforms soft materials such as aluminum. This makes replacement and servicing difficult, because once the threads are deformed, they often do not re-seal. We chose to use 3/4-16 hydraulic-style port threads. These threads are straight and do not taper. The sealing is done with an O-ring on the fitting, not with the threads. As the fitting is tightened down, the O-ring is compressed into a groove and creates a seal. O-rings are very inexpensive and easily replaceable, however, if properly designed and not overtighted they rarely fail. Commonly available adapters can be used to match any size fuel hose.

We included a center port tapped for 9/16-18 which is -6AN size. This O-ring port can be used as a center feed inlet port, as a return outlet, or as a port to tap off a signal for a pressure gauge or transducer.

The fuel rail is supplied with a -6AN inlet port adapter as shown here. The mounting brackets are laser-cut aluminum and powder coated for superior corrosion resistance.

The fuel rail is supplied with everything shown here.

Installation is done in minutes.

These are in stock now and going fast!

For more information, please see our 2ZZ-GE Fuel Rail product page.

We are excited to finally receive our first shipment of 270+ custom extruded aluminum parts from a company in Michigan, USA. These parts are the bodies of our Fuel Surge Tanks (FST).  After considering many different manufacturing solutions for the FST design, like welded sheet metal, aluminum casting, full billet CNC machined, we decided to go with our own Radium Engineering extrusion design because it was the most cost effective without sacrificing quality or performance. They will now go to a local machine shop to have the finishing touches put on them. After that, they will be anodized, tested and assembled in house.

Our fuel surge tanks will be available with multiple pump configurations. Please see our product pages for more information: Universal Fueling Products

FST computer model, shown with transparent components

Looking down the center of a 4 foot section of extrusion

We are excited to have our first batch of our Radium Engineering external Fuel Pressure Regulators (FPR). An external FPR is a necessity when upgrading a fuel system for forced induction or other modifications. Among other benefits, It enables a higher fuel pressure to be utilized, which can be beneficial for flowing more fuel through the fuel injectors.
We designed this product around a Bosch regulator unit that is OEM on many modern vehicles. This regulator unit has been proven reliable. Instead of dealing with finicky springs and leak-prone aftermarket diaphragms, we chose to keep it simple, reliable, and affordable. The Bosch regulator unit is housed in our own 6061 billet aluminum body. We designed the body to be compact and feature-packed.

The housing has two regulated ports that are threaded 9/16-18 for -6AN fittings along with one 1/8NPT port for a pressure gauge or pressure transducer (for data logging). The return port on the bottom of the housing features a -6AN male flare integrated into the body, eliminating the cost of an additional fitting.




We will be offering the FPR's in 3 different static pressures: 3, 3.5, and 5 Bar. Each one is 1:1 vacuum referenced.  We will even be offering an adjustable version. The regulator unit can be removed from the housing by removing the retaining ring that holds it in. This allows different units to swapped in, and can be handy for servicing or cleaning the FPR. Replacement regulator units are available from most major auto parts retailers, should the need arise.
These regulators will come anodized black or Radium Green and include a powder coated aluminum mounting bracket and hardware. For more information and pricing see our product page here: Radium FPR

Please Note:
Changing fuel pressure should only be done as part of a carefully thought-out plan of modifications. If fuel pressure is changed from what the OEM engine control computer is calibrated for, it can cause serious problems.

2011 Elise

Lotus of Portland was kind enough to host a Club Lotus NW meeting for local members in mid November. Not only did they donate their time and facility for club business, they also supplied the group with beer and pizza. Steve Wintermantel is the guy in charge and was a gracious host. We also got a chance to get up close and personal with the newly restyled 2011 Elise and the Evora.

2011 Elise, Rear

Evora Interior

Steve discussing the finer points of Lotus ownership

Exige S

Thank you to Steve and Lotus of Portland for their support of local enthusiests.
http://www.lotusofportland.com/

We wanted to take a quick break from R&D and give an update on what is going on with our Lotus turbo kits. We have completed prototype testing of our Stage II "Sport" kit. This is the 300whp variant that utilizes the Garrett GT2860RS turbocharger. The "hard parts" of this kit are now entering production. As we get prices from our contract manufacturers, we can begin to build the final pricing of the kit.  At the same time, we continue to develop our own plug-n-play standalone ECU solution that will accompany each Stage II kit.


We are also beginning development of our Stage I "Street" kit. This is an ultra quick spool, lower-power kit that utilizes a smaller turbocharger and less componentry. This kit will be designed to be very minimal to keep the cost down, but still perform to our standards. It will utilize the same stainless steel exhaust manifold and silica fabric heat shield solution as our Stage II kit, but similarities will end there. This kit will utilize a piggy-back engine management system with simple plug and play installation. This will retain the stock computer to run stuff like the gauge cluster, OBDII port, etc.  I should emphasize that our kits are 100% installation reversible, they require no permanent modifications to your vehicle or wiring harness.
We are installing our prototype Stage I kit on our test vehicle now and will publish pictures and updates on our blog as frequently as we can. We expect to begin shipping kits in Q1 2011.

Here is a comparison of our Stage I and Stage II turbochargers:


We also have some exciting new universal products in the wings that we are almost ready to release. These include our new modular Fuel Surge Tank (FST) with integrated high-flow pump options (BOSCH or Walbro), and also our own Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR).  These new products will join our Catch Cans in our Universal Parts section of our website. Of course, we will have Lotus-specific installation kits for all for all of these parts for seamless integration with your specific vehicle.
FST (Fuel Surge Tank):

Thank you for the interest and please check our website often. You can "plug in" to our social media outlets as well for updates.

Back in September we had the pleasure to join the Golden Gate Lotus Club on the track at Thunderhill Raceway Park in northern California. It was a blistering hot day and it really put our products to the test.  For a full write up on the day, see our earlier blog entry: Click Here.

We were running our prototype State II turbocharger kit, which consists of the stock 2ZZ-GE engine, and our bolt-on components.  We also run the stock 6-speed transmission and stock muffler.

Below is a video comprised of footage we compiled throughout the day. As you will notice, we were running the track in reverse which presented new challenges to everyone. The GG Lotus Club did an excellent job managing the event and keeping the drivers in check.  It was a great learning experience and a perfect venue for pushing the limits of our Stage II turbocharger system. Enjoy:

Since day one, we have been concerned about heat management in the engine bay of the Elise/Exige. Unlike a front engine vehicle, these vehicles do not benefit from massive amounts of cool high pressure air saturating the engine bay as the vehicle drives.  True, these cars do have fresh air intakes on the sides of the vehicle, but these do not channel enough cool air to the rear of the engine, where the hot exhaust components are located.  The exhaust manifold and turbocharger generate a tremendous amount of radiant heat, and if not controlled, many nearby components are susceptible to thermal failure.
We experimented with several solutions to this issue. First, we decided that under no circumstances are we ever going to ask a customer to cut or permanently modify their vehicle to install any of our parts. With that said, we knew that we had to protect the fiberglass clamshell body of the car, and not remove it. Our exhaust manifold does come relatively close to the clamshell in some areas.  Lotus noticed that this is also the case for the stock exhaust, so they fitted heat reflective material on the clamshell in the area of concern. While it does help, it was not going to be adequate in protecting the fiberglass body from the increased radiated heat from the turbocharger kit.
Our first solution was to insulate the manifold and attempt to retain as much thermal energy in the exhaust gasses as possible. This reduces heat transfer into the engine bay and promotes quicker turbo spool. We built laser cut stainless steel sheet metal heat shields that would encapsulate the manifold and contain the heat. See picture below:


Testing of this solution required us to drive the car at levels that would get the exhaust system to its maximum temperature for extended periods of time, not something achievable with street driving.  Track testing at Portland International Raceway was performed and the lessons learned were invaluable. We discovered hoses and plastic components had melted, and it was obvious something more needed to be done.

Manifold after a single heat cycling

Solution 2 consisted of protective sleeves over all necessary hoses, a tighter fitting heat shield (less gaps in between pieces) and ceramic coating the manifold, turbine housing, and downpipe elbow.
Testing was once again performed, this time at Thunderhill Raceway where ambient temperatures were exceeding 100°F. This was a bonus, as it would really put our system to the test. Results were promising as we experienced no melted components. But things were still getting very hot. We thought we could do better.

Ceramic coated manifold

Ceramic coated turbine housing

After track testing, we removed the turbo manifold for more R&D work, we noticed the ceramic coating on our manifold was flaking off. We knew right away, this was not a good solution.

Soon after, we contacted a company that makes thermal protection devices for all sorts of industries. Their products are used in many industries including: military helicopters, C.A.R.T. racing series, 24hours of LeMans, NASCAR and exotic sports cars. They use several aerospace technologies during construction that are proprietary only to them.  We contracted this company to build a custom heat shield for our application. See picture below:

These shields are constructed from multiple layers consisting of metal foil, ceramic fiber, and silica fabric, custom fit for our application and sewn together with Inconel thread. Based on testing data, this product should dramatically reduce the amount of heat radiated from the manifold and turbocharger. If these heat shields perform as described, we will be including them with all of our turbocharger kits.

About a month ago, we learned about an enticing new turbocharger product line from Borg Warner that was due to be released later this year. While we have been developing our Lotus forced induction kits around Garrett turbochargers, the rumors were enough for us to wait and see what Borg Warner was up to.
The rumors turned out to be true and now Borg Warner recently gave the green light for their distributors to go public with information about the revolutionary new turbochargers they are releasing.  The Borg Warner EFR turbochargers are a very exciting new addition to the afermarket turbocharger industry. These turbochargers are the result of a ground-up redesign with automotive aftermarket in mind.

Photo courtesy of: cosworthusa.com

Here are some of the features:

Low Inertia Turbine Wheel
Gamma-Ti turbine wheel cuts turbine inertia by roughly 50% dramatically improving turbo response.  Turbine sizes range from 55 to 80mm in exducer diameter

Heat Resistant Turbine Housings
Investment cast stainless steel turbine housings improve durability and offer an offer extremely smooth internal flow channel.  Turbine housings have thin walls to reduce weight and thermal inertia.

High Turbine Efficiency
Superback” and “Fullback” back-disk shapes offer very high efficiencies. The Superback shape adds a curved profile to the backdisk and has the effect of lowering centrifugal stress and permitting higher rotational speeds.

Enhanced Turbo Response
EFR turbochargers use a dual-row ball bearing cartridge with ceramic balls and metal cage.  This bearing system provides substantial friction reduction at low turbo speeds and in the process helps improve turbo response.  Metal cage improved the durability of the ball bearing assembly

Flexible Compressor Cover
The EFR turbo “large” cover has a dual-machined outlet, both for a hose connection and a v-band connection.

Simplified Installation
Integrated compressor recirculation valve (CRV) to help avoid compressor surge and backflow during a throttle lift event.  This feature helps to simplify the installation task and lowers overall system install cost

Forged Milled Compressor Wheels (FMW)
EFR turbos contain wheels that are fully milled from forged aluminum, commonly known as “billet”.  Cut from custom forgings, their strength exceeds that which is available from typical bar-stock and also exceeds the material properties of an aluminum casting

Sensor mounting convenience
Speed sensor mounting provisions are also supplied on every compressor cover.  Speed sensors are sold separately.

Boost Control Solenoid Valve (BCSV)
A boost control solenoid valve (BCSV) is included with every EFR turbo.

High Flow Wastegates
Purpose designed large wastegate ports give the wastegated EFR turbos the capability of handling the flow requirements of high performance applications

Ease of Orientation
Turbo orientation flexibility is facilitated by the wastegate bracket to bearing housing mounting arrangement.

Adjustable Wastegate
The fabrication and installation task is simplified with wastegated EFR models that feature adjustable wastegates available in three different canister sizes.

More information: http://www.cosworthusa.com/news/article.asp?idpage=57

Here at Radium Engineering, we are very excited about this new approach to the turbocharger and look forward to using them in future applications. Due to the increased size of EFR turbo's we will not be using them on our Lotus Elise/Exige turbo kits.

A vehicles zero to 60 time is considered a very basic and necessary performance statistic. It allows a direct comparison of the acceleration to any other vehicle.  We recently took some time to find out what our prototype turbocharged Elise could do. The car is making approximately 305Hp at the wheels using the stock 2ZZ-GE engine and our Stage II Sport turbocharger kit. We are also running the stock tansmission and clutch. Tires were Kumho V710's. Measurement was done with a Vbox PerformanceBox.  After many attempts, we were able to pull off a run of 3.8 seconds. Click the video below to see the action.

After almost a month, we finally got around to sifting through our footage and piecing together a video from our track day at PIR in early September.
You can read the full write up on the event on our blog.

*There was no useable engine audio for this video. We will be sure to get some next time. Sorry about that*

We had the great pleasure to spend a day at Thunderhill Raceway Park with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.  We drove 9 hours from Portland, OR to Willows, CA with our prototype turbocharged Lotus Elise in tow.  The goal of the trip was to test our products at elevated temperatures and at racing driving conditions.

We participated in six 20 minute sessions throughout the day, for a total of 2 hours of high-speed driving.  We were running our Stage 2 GT2860RS turbocharger kit that was making 300Hp at the wheels. We are also using the stock engine, transmission, and clutch. Ambient temperatures for the day topped 100 degrees F and this definitely had an effect on the vehicle. The car was not babied either.  Shifting was always done at or near 8,500 RPM, and the engine spent most of the track above 5,000 RPM.  The added low-end torque of the turbocharger did help to pull the car out of the occasional botched turn without the need to downshift.  The stock radiator was working hard, but successfully held the coolant temp at no hotter than 205F. Intake air temperatures did climb, but ignition timing was automatically reduced to account for the hotter air. This reduces power, but also keeps the engine safe by preventing knock. Even in these extreme conditions, driveability of the car remained perfect.  The power delivery was instantaneous, but  always smooth and very controllable. The GT2860 is definitely a very good match for the Toyota 1.8L.


At the mid day lunch break, we removed the rear clamshell for a full inspection.  Heat is a constant menace to the engine bay and we have been experimenting with different solutions. First off, we added a duct that directs fresh air from the driver-side intake vent directly to the underside of the intercooler, where an electric fan then forces it through the intercooler and out the rear deck lid. We also created an air dam to prevent hot air from the turbocharger from entering the suction zone of the electric intercooler fan. These solutions seemed to work very well, as the intercooler was not becoming heat soaked and consistently cooled the charge air by about 30 to 40 degrees. We were also experimenting with ceramic coatings. Out exhaust manifold, turbocharger, and downpipe were all treated with a thermal barrier coating designed to reduce the radiated heat. We made improvements to our stainless steel exhaust manifold heat shields and were testing those as well.


During the mid-day inspection, we were pleased to see no physical damage from the heat.  All components were intact and functioning just fine. But just because nothing broke, doesnt mean that we aren't going to make any improvements. We are currently exploring other heat management devices that can control the heat even more than what we have already. Keeping the heat trapped in the exhaust system not only lowers under-hood temps, but also improves spool-up of the turbocharger.

At the end of the day, I did get the pleasure to ride shotgun with a much more experienced driver in his '05 Elise.  Robert S. had no mercy on his vehicle and was able to push it around the track at an unbelievable rate.  We look forward to the day when we let an experienced driver like Robert track our turbocharged Elise and push it to its full potential.

Thank you to the Golden Gate Lotus Club for holding the event and running it in a relaxed and open format. It was a fun day, and we look forward to doing it again.

We will be attending the Golden Gate Lotus Club's track day at Thunderhill Raceway (Willows, CA) on Tuesday September 28th. We encourage anyone in the area, and interested in our products, to come out and see first hand our vehicle in action. We hope to see you there.

Turbocharging is an excellent way to increase the volumetric efficiency of the internal combustion engine.  But the turbocharger must be controlled in order to keep it from spinning at speeds beyond what is desired or what it is capable of. Enter the wastegate.
The wastegate is a valve that diverts a fraction of the exhaust flow around the rotating assembly of the turbocharger. With a constant engine speed, the more exhaust gas that is bypassed, the slower the turbocharger will spin. By finely controlling the amount of diverted exhaust gas, exact boost pressures can be maintained throughout the RPM range.

There are two main wastegate configurations in use today on commercial turbochargers. The first is the internal wastegate, shown in the picture below. This is a small “flapper” valve built into the turbine housing of the turbocharger. It is attached to a shaft that is controlled by pneumatic actuator that normally is mounted to the compressor housing. When the actuator is pressurized, its shaft is extended and the valve in the turbine housing is opened. This open port provides a path for exhaust gasses to bypass the turbocharger internals, and travel directly to the exhaust outlet chamber of the turbocharger. This is the wastegate configuration chosen by almost all manufacturers of factory turbocharged vehicles.

The other configuration is the external wastegate. This valve is separate from the turbocharger, and is normally plumbed directly from the exhaust manifold. It requires a dedicated runner from the exhaust manifold collector to supply the wastegate with exhaust gas flow.  When the desired boost level is reached, the wastegate opens and allows exhaust gasses to exit the manifold before entering the turbocharger. These gasses are then dumped to the atmosphere, or routed back into the exhaust system

The popular TiAL External Wastegate

Example of an external wastegate installation

We have many years experience working with both internal and external wastegated turbocharger systems on production and aftermarket vehicles in both low and high horsepower output.  Over these years, we have learned firsthand the benefits and drawbacks of each.  When designing our Lotus Elise/Exige turbocharger kits, we here at Radium Engineering made a conscious decision to go with internally gated turbochargers. We based this decision on many factors and felt that this was the best solution for us. It can be boiled down to a simple statement: If you can achieve perfect boost control with an internal wastegate, why add the extra cost, complexity, and weight of an external wastegate?  External wastegates do have their place, this is most often when a large turbocharger is used to make a relatively small amount of boost and a lot of exhaust gasses must be diverted in order to keep the boost down, or when there is not space for the mechanical parts of an internal gate around the turbocharger.  On our turbocharger kits, we have selected turbochargers that are conservatively sized and do not require a large amount of wastegate flow to keep the boost pressures where we need them. We are also striving to keep our prices competitive with other forced induction systems, and the internal wastegate is definitely the most cost effective solution. We utilize electronic boost control with feedback to precisely control our boost levels and to ensure safe and consistent performance from our turbocharger kits. We plan to publish our boost level data with our dyno data.
We hope this has helped shed some light on the design of the exhaust manifold and our turbocharger kit in general.

On September 3rd, Club Lotus Northwest held their second track day of the season at Portland International Raceway. We decided this would be a good opportunity to track test our prototype Sport turbocharger system, and also meet some local Lotus enthusiasts.  The night before, we had a chance to do some dyno testing and we set the car at about 310 Hp at the rear wheels for the track. We decided to run Kumho V710 slicks to help put the power down and enable us to push the car harder than street tires normally allow.

Throughout the day we datalogged critical engine parameters.  This data is used to pinpoint any issues with the turbocharger kit that are not immediately obvious externally.
The day was perfect for the track. In Oregon, that means no rain. After running the first three morning sessions, we took off the rear clamshell at lunch to perform an inspection. Good thing we did, because we discovered some melting hoses, and lost a few fasteners off the downpipe. After a quick trip to Baxter Auto Parts, we had it all fixed and were able to make 3 more runs in the afternoon and even drove the car 25 miles back to the shop in stop and go traffic.


The track day was a valuable learning experience and the issues we encountered would not have happened during normal street driving. We have already implemented solutions to these issues in the production turbocharger kits. We plan to  do another test-n-tune later this month down at Thunderhill Raceway in northern California with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
A big Thank You! to CLNW and Mark Viskov for organizing the event and we look forward to doing it again.

(Video coming soon)

The logical next step after preliminary EFI tuning of our prototype Sport turbocharger kit is to put it on the dyno and see what it can do. We headed out to Portland Speed Industries (P.S.I.) in Hillsboro, OR, and spent several hours tuning and addressing small issues as they appeared. We used high octane race fuel to help fight detonation and keep things "safe".  We were able to push the engine up to 15+psi of boost which made about 360hp at the wheels (Blue line in chart below). This is with the stock Elise 1.8L engine (Toyota 2ZZ-GE), which normally makes about 150hp at the wheels. The high boost runs were also done with the straight-pipe exhaust shown in the picture.
After experimenting with high boost, we installed a different exhaust pipe and hooked it into the stock muffler. This was how we were going to run it at the track the next day.  This configuration, along with a lower boost level (12psi max), put down about 300hp to the wheels. The valve lift switchover point and variable valve timing was adjusted for optimal performance and smooth power delivery.
We were very happy with the results. EFI tuning is an ongoing process and we plan on spent many more hours on the dyno, on the street, and on the track perfecting the tune before it is released.

Many thanks to the staff at P.S.I. for letting use their facility and for the support during our dyno time. Check them out here:
www.tunedbypsi.com


Check back to see how our turbocharged Elise does at the track!

Welcome to Radium Engineering's website!
We are a new company that brings years of automotive engineering experience to the aftermarket community. Currently, we are working through the final details of our first major product offering, a turbocharger solution for the Lotus Elise and Exige.
We plan to offer several different performance levels, depending on the needs of the customer. This will include an ultra-quick spooling option for users who want maximum responsiveness, along with variations that will push the boundries of maximum power. Each option will be an all-inclusive kit that is designed to be easily installed and carry the same (or better) level of fit and finish as OEM. Our products are all designed to be produced in large quantities, keeping the cost down to the consumer.
Along with the turbocharger solutions, we plan to offer other complimentary products that help complete the package. These products can often be used for universal applications. We look forward to developing other vehicle specific applications in the future.
While we work on our web-based retail outlet, purchasing Radium Engineering products will be done over the phone. Please call or Email us to learn more.

We are doing a lot of very exciting things and will update the website, so check back often.

Feel free to contact us and we look forward to working with you!

Last week we finished assembly of our prototype "Sport" turbocharger kit on our Lotus Elise. This assembly is comprised of 95% production components, and a few hand-fabricated parts where needed.
Tuning has been going well and we will have some dyno numbers soon.
We are very happy with the products so far and are excited to get them released for sale. But before we do that, we have to put the car through its paces, collect more data and evaluate the performance of each and every component.
We plan on attending the Club Lotus NW track day at PIR this Friday and will use the time to work out some bugs and push the car harder than what is possible on the street.

Radium Engineering had the pleasure to attend an autocross at the Hampton Lumber Mill in Packwood Washington. This area is home to one of the largest open paved areas available for autocross events which allows for a fast and fun course.

We brought our current product development vehicle, a normally aspirated 2006 Lotus Elise and used this event to gather dynamic performance data.  A logging system was used to record signals from pressure transducers installed in the oil and fuel systems, along with other vital engine parameters. This information will be used to provide a way to quantitatively measure improvements in performance from Radium products.
As many know, the stock 2ZZ-GE oil pan is not baffled, and as a result, allows the oil to travel away from the pick-up tube in high-g situations. This can result in a momentary loss in oil pressure, which can be detrimental to the engine.  The data below was recorded (250Hz) during this event and illustrates the variation in oil pressure over a period of one lap.

Y-Axis = Oil Pressure (psi)
X-Axis = Engine Speed (rpm)
On the top of the graph, the legend shows a color-coordinated 0-5V signal from the mass air flow. Dark blue is minimum airflow and yellow is maximum airflow of the engine.

The cross hair is currently on a section of the graph that shows the Engine Speed at 6141RPM but the oil pressure has dropped all the way to 22PSI. However, the drawn in black trend line tells us that the oil pressure, at this engine speed, should be closer to 60psi. As you can see on the graph, there are many instances of sub-optimal oil pressure.
We have started to address this situation with an innovative solution.

The BC Racing suspension performed flawlessly.  while we do not have a direct before/after performance comparison in a racing situation, we can say that we were very plesed with the vehicle handling. Many people were shocked to see that we were running on street tires and not sticky race tires.

Overall, the day was a success, and we look forward to doing it again.
We would like to thank the Oregon Region SCCA for hosting the event.

In an effort to reduce ride height and improve handling of our Elise, we contacted BC Racing Suspension of Cassellberry , FL.  BC Racing manufacturers and distributes their own coilover suspension systems for many different import vehicles. While not listed on their website, they do have an application for the Lotus Elise/Exige. They offer only their BR-Type suspension for the Lotus Elise/Exige. It is described as "perfect for street driving and occasional road course duty".
The BR-Type suspension offers a single knob to adjust compression and rebound. It has 30 "clicks" of adjustment for fine tuning.

Unboxing:

The parts have a very high quality appearance and fit and finish of all the components is very good.
Anodized gold aluminum spring perches thread onto the plated steel shock bodies. The springs are powder coated and have the spring rates printed on them. Fronts = 180, Rears = 220.  Both front and rear setups have the adjustment knob at the top of the shock body. This makes it very easy to access by simply jacking up the car and letting the suspension droop, then reaching over the top of the tire to turn the knob.

The factory Bilstein suspension on the Lotus are an inverted design, meaning that the damping portion of the shock is attached to the chassis and does not move up and down with the wheel. This is done to reduce unsprung weight thereby reducing the inertia of the suspension system and improving response.  The BC units are not inverted shock bodies, they are reverse of the OEM Lotus suspension.  BC did this to ensure a long life of their product as the inverted design tends to exert more lateral and off-axis forces on the shock bodies. In short, this makes them more resistant to the occasional hit from a pothole.

Installation was straight forward and no problems were encountered. The BC units slipped right into place and fit perfectly. Ride height is adjusted by turning the lower spring perch to raise or lower the height. Once the desirable height is found, the lower perch is locked in place with a lock ring. It is not necessary to remove the wheel to adjust the spring perch height, although it would make it easier.

First Impression

The first experiment was to see how much the ride height could be reduced. While the suspension does lower the vehicle quite a bit more than stock, it does not allow for an exaggerated lowered stance.  While this is normally not a problem, as a too-low ride height will compromise handling, it would be nice to have the capability to lower it further if the owner chooses to, such as for a photoshoot or car show, etc.  This picture shows the ride height with the suspension at the lowest possible setting. Wheels are 15" & 16".

The suspension feels like a good street suspension should. Not harsh or uncomfortable, but also firm and responsive. The spring rates might be a little soft for heavy track use, or for use with slicks/race tires,  but are most likely perfect for a street driven vehicle. The damping adjustment is easy to use and makes a difference you can feel. While more shakedown time is needed to really get the settings dialed in, we found a good starting point is 20 clicks clockwise from full loose on the rear, and 15 clicks clockwise from full loose on the fronts.

BC has expressed openess for feedback on their products. Our feedback would be to offer a "racing spring" option for cars that experience heavy track use, and also to allow more drop adjustment.
The BC Racing Suspension is an excellent affordable option for someone who is looking for the adjustability of a coilover while not breaking the bank. It is a good solid performer and we look forward to a summer of driving and racing on them. We hope they are working on an external reservoir (ER-Series) version for this application, as that would be a perfect fit for a heavily tracked Lotus vehicle.
http://www.bcracing-na.com/