[nxcoupe]

It's cracking where the first guy moved the wastegate to the rear and where he patched the hole it came from, and where the second guy repaired the first guy's terrible welds. I'm having chris build a log manifold for me, and larger turbo should be sitting on my doorstep when I get home this weekend. My turbo will be for sale once I test the new one and determine I like it. Mine is more for fun to drive than big hp numbers, but hoping I can make this new one work.

[wickedsnake00]

Forgot to update this one. The big, bad turbo car has been taking up most of my time, with a side benefit. I'm now set up with a Quarterhorse, which means anything is fair game with the 2.3 as well.


Looks a whole lot better than a gaping hole, doesn't it? The whole engine bay is slowly coming along getting painted yellow as well.
   

Once the paint is done I can get back to putting the engine in chassis. I need to put a return fitting in the pan and get some assorted aluminum piping.

[nxcoupe]

Looks good so far. I just did this to a guys stang. My burgundy coupe is the next one I'm going to repair the rails on. I'm going to go with the patch panels that are being made by someone.
Keep updating!

[wickedsnake00]

Got around to posting some more pictures and getting some work done.

Found yet ANOTHER spot that needed to be patched on the passenger side strut tower. It had completely rotted through where the plate underneath was spot welded to the tower. So that got cut out and replaced.
   

Now the whole engine bay is painted and the engine is ready to go in!
   

And an extra here; turbo drain line was prepared. I went with aligning it to main journal #3. I did the punch and tap method. I can post the measurements for the main journals if there's interest. You can see the white marks for journals 1 and 2. 1 is too close to the bend in the pan, 2 has the same clearance issue with the engine mount as 3, but is more prone to kinking with the stock mount.
   

Why is it plugged? Well I'm going to run it NA for a bit until I get the turbo clocking and outlet figured out.

[wickedsnake00]

Haven't been very good at updating this. I've been daily driving it NA for the time being. Which in the course of that I've found all kinds of issues to tend to including but not limited to a bad ECT sensor (causing all kinds of hesitation and hard starting), needed a new cap and rotor, bad ECT sending unit and fan switch, and this sad excuse for a floor board. All have been remedied. As much as I wanted to just slap an old road sign in the floor with some self tappers, I couldn't bring myself to do it. You can see it got the full treatment of sheet metal replacement (even bent to fit, but not bead rolled), priming and even seam sealing. I've got to say the Eastwood MIG welder is such a step up from the old Harbor Freight one I did the engine bay with, I wish I would have bought it sooner.

Before: (Note the gravel below)
   

After:
   


Getting back to business, I've got the turbo clocked and the inlet/outlet housings all set up. It's time to start piecing it together. The problem is with the lockdown, I can't get out to get junkyard parts, and with my pay cut and job in jeopardy for the time being, it's probably not wise to be spending money on it. But that won't stop me, I'm going to make the most of it with what I have on hand. Scrounging up old fittings and scrap pieces, take offs from other cars. I can't get my hands on an intercooler for now, but I do have some spare parts that could be used for a home brew water/methanol system in the interim. I've got an old washer tank and pump laying around, and plan on fashioning my own throttle switch and nozzle for it. Stay tuned for absolutely ridiculous and gross misuse of parts. It's like being 16 and broke all over again.

[Stinger]

I've looked at the PIMP plug and play. The big allure of the QH is that I can use it on two of my cars. And I was already half tempted to jump to it with the other car between the live changes and the whole SCT lawsuit.

I know this was from a year ago but I didn't see it until now. In what way does the QH work in multiple vehicles that the PiMP doesn't?

[wickedsnake00]

I know this was from a year ago but I didn't see it until now. In what way does the QH work in multiple vehicles that the PiMP doesn't?

The PiMP could only be run in my 88. I can swap the QH between my 88, my 00 (EEC-V) and my soon to be EEC-V swapped 82 Fairmont. Not a slight against the PiMP, I just have a unique situation.

Though I have to admit the release of the PNP Megasquirt for EEC-V Mustangs has been incredibly tempting.

[Stinger]

Gotcha, was just curious. It certainly applies when going between EEC-IV and EEC-V, though the act of removing/re-installing in each ECU makes it only swappable if you're only using one vehicle at a time over a decently long period of time. Wouldn't want to be swapping it daily or weekly or anything.

[wickedsnake00]

Slow to update, but I managed to get the rest together. Exhaust is a 2.5" down from the turbo to a 18" long glasspack and dumped before the axle. Wasn't too bad to mock up the exhaust. Surprisingly got it to stick to the cast turbine flange using flux core pretty well using the old bucket of sand approach to let it cool.

Once all that was done I ran it briefly on the stock NA ECU to make sure it worked. It sounds almost hilariously bad; like a cross between a tractor and a Subaru.

After that I upfitted it to run the TC ECU, which was shockingly easy. I also threw out all the EGR junk which was broken anyway in the process. The VAM is mounted where the airbox was with the air cleaner sticking into the fenderwell, using a chopped and welded air box bracket and aluminum plate.

Putting the injectors in I was less than happy. I was sold a set and told one was a reman. Checking the part number on the reman it corresponds to a Bosch injector that flows 10% less than the stock ones. I'm hoping that it's just a core they use for the remans and it's accurate, but I put it on cyl 2 and will be boosting the fuel pressure a little to try and compensate until I can test it. Speaking of fuel pressure, I built my own adjustable regulator. I cut off the top of the stock one to use as a spring cup, then welded on a flat plate with a nut welded to it. A bolt and jam nut were installed in it. I added in a boost reference port by soldering in a piece of brake line. Pretty cheap and easy. The stock pump is at its absolute limit though. Checking leaks and setting the base pressure I found that it would do some screwy things if it went any higher. Not sure if the leaky Harbor Fright pressure gauge was helping any.

All that said and done I fired it up and it started and drove surprisingly well. Well, at least for awhile, until one of the plug wires melted on the compressor housing. Whoops. But when it worked it sure spooled up pretty quick, though I didn't surpass more than a couple psi.

Still to do is put the GT fuel pump in, which is also a good excuse to replace the sending unit that has never worked on this car, and make the wastegate adjustable. Currently it's set around 25psi which is just a tad too much for an NA bottom end. It's going to get the same treatment as the FPR with some screws, welding, and springs. Probably around a 8-10psi base and adjustable up from there. An accompanying permanent boost gauge will help as well. And of course, some actual pictures to go with it.

[TurboRay]

[1] Surprisingly, got it to stick to the cast turbine flange using flux core......   

[2] I built my own adjustable regulator......

.
1. I wuz wrong once before, WS ~ BUT......I'm reasonably certain that the turbine housing AND elbow are both made from cast STEEL, and - if so - might explain why yer flux-core welding wire "stuck". . 

2. LINK  .