DIY modification can be hazardous (i'm just whining)

[AceInHole]

Yeah... so I'm always all about DIY projects (if you can't figure out what DIY means, I'm not gonna look it up for you. You can Do It Yourself dammit.) Well, I'm just about at the end of a long ass project (DIY KA turbo) and of course everything is biting me in the ass. But, here's the prob... a lot of my parts are custom fabricated. The problem at hand is my downpipe. Like an idiot, I checked the fitting, marked where I wanted everything, then cut, fit, cut, fit, cut, fit, then marked again to compensate and brought it to a muffler shop to be welded. Well, screw me for forgetting to check the O2 sensor placement, which moved while fitting everything else, and the final result has it about 1mm away from the brake booster. So, tomorrow I get to go cut, fit, cut, fit, cut, fit, and mark where everything goes again, and pay for more welding.
Problem number 2: in attempting to save time, I drain the oil, then start unbolting the stock header while waiting for the oil to drain. Header bolts on the valve cover, oil cap off... hmm.... 1+1=2 and where the hell did that last header bolt (nut?) go?? Since I have no idea where it is.... I have to pop off the valve cover tomorrow to check just to make sure i don't crunch something.

Basically... save time by taking your time. This is the first rule of DIY projects... one that I almost always bring up. Leave it to me to screw myself over by not following my own advice.
Everything else is going well though.

Anyways... pretty picture to make everyone happy, and it only cost about $950+ screwups!!

http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~corrales/240/turbo_in.jpg

[Jeff240sx]

Heh. You're almost boosted! Good luck on finding that bolt. It'll make a nasty rattle if it's sitting on a valve down there...
-Jeff

[KiDyNomiTe]

I was wondering where you were, good luck on the project, don't freeze your hands out in the cold, good luck and have fun driving it when your done.

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by KiDyNomiTe
I was wondering where you were, good luck on the project, don't freeze your hands out in the cold, good luck and have fun driving it when your done.
bah... out in the cold?? my car is in my uncle's garage with the heat lamps on :D

Heh. You're almost boosted! Good luck on finding that bolt. It'll make a nasty rattle if it's sitting on a valve down there...
-Jeff
Hmm... think i could just start the car and see if i get a rattle? The worry is that it might damage something before letting me know of its presence in the valve cover. The thing is... if it DID fall in there, it SHOULD be right near the open valve cover cap, and as far as i can tell, it wasn't there. Maybe i'll stick a rod magnet in there and fish around before pulling the cover off. In all likelyness the nut could have just slipped off the back of the valve cover and lodged itself in a tangle of hoses/ wires.

[BRB240]

Don't sweat the hassles dude. A pain in the @$$ always shows up in a project like that no matter what!

But since its a DIY(F'ing Awesome) when you fire the car up for the first time, because you did the work yourself is going to make it a 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times more rewarding than if you had a shop do the work.

When ppl ask,"what shop did this?" You can say, "WTF are you talkin about I did it myself!"

Rock On Dude!!!
The Best of Luck to you!

[AceInHole]

yeah. it'll be fun. fun untill i meet up with Rob's 14psi SR again.... or untill Jeff gets his car back from the shop... or untill the oil feed line comes loose and sprays oil everywhere and somehow starts an engine fire and blows my whole car up, leaving everything damaged except for the new O2 sensor i installed, which needs to be relocated already....

But hey, I'm saving money right? I can be proud of how ghetto fabbed it looks, right? The PVC MAF is my signature, isn't it?

In any case... thanks for the props guys. I won't deserve em untill i'm posting dyno #'s tho :)

[BRB240]

Originally posted by AceInHole

But hey, I'm saving money right? I can be proud of how ghetto fabbed it looks, right? The PVC MAF is my signature, isn't it?

As long as it works...... and doesn't kill your car ;)

[KiDyNomiTe]

Originally posted by AceInHole
yeah. it'll be fun. fun untill i meet up with Rob's 14psi SR again.... or untill Jeff gets his car back from the shop... or untill the oil feed line comes loose and sprays oil everywhere and somehow starts an engine fire and blows my whole car up, leaving everything damaged except for the new O2 sensor i installed, which needs to be relocated already....


I take it your glass is half empty :rolleyes:

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by KiDyNomiTe
I take it your glass is half empty :rolleyes:

Sort of like my turbine piping....

Yeah. This thread is my gripe. And untill I'm done installing crap and at least have my car running, I'm allowed to gripe. So, maybe my next post will be tomorrow, ending my gripes.

And yes, I WOULD like some cheese with this whine. I spent all day working on the car and forgot to eat half the meals I should have.

But, yeah. The bright side is that there's at least a turbo with oil going to and from it. Things are lookin' up now.... boost is coming....

[tnord]

ya know.........the funny thing is, your project could have major implications. i know yours cost a bit over $1000, but your experience shared with others can only result in lower costs for the next person that does it; economies of scale you know. if there are enough intelligent DIYers out there, this could force people like FMAX to lower their prices.

of course, i'm making the enourmous assumption that a completely theoritcally derived fuel system works out. :D

[blaqsilvia]

awesome job man! keep it up! show any pics u get to take!:) -- i wish i could install my own turbo- not smart enough.. :p lol

[Bbandit]

its just great to work on your car on a garage... unlike me.. i have to do it out on my apt's parking lot
great job ace, hope everything runs great
after you're done and all... why dont you make some kind of like a write up so we all can read and learn from your DIY turbo experience :D

[Foxcolt]

Looks good. Don't despare, aggravation is just a feeling to tell you that your working hard:D Trust me the real aggravation comes after you run the car for a little bit and have tweak everything until it runs the way you want it:p

[Drifted off road]

dude that is soooo sweet. how did u do that for 950. could you either post or PM me with where you got ur mani and turbo and who made all ur piping. And don't get discouraged, you got this far soon ull be hearin the sweet sound of that turbo spool.

[BRB240]

Originally posted by Bbandit
its just great to work on your car on a garage... unlike me.. i have to do it out on my apt's parking lot


Heh same here :D

[-E-]

sweet job Ace, what kind of manifold are you using

[AceInHole]

Gave up trying to fit everything myself. Took the cat off and drove it with just the downpipe to the muffler shop. The "man" says it's gonna cost $60. The bigger cost is i can't say my car has never been to the shop for the project, but big whoop. I almost did it all myself, he's just welding together the peices I already cut and fit (and adding in his own cut and fit steps).

With just the downpipe, I had to take it easy, but coming up a hill to a stop sign on the way there... letting off the throttle... hearing the turbo "whrrrshhhhhhh".... mmm... yeah. You're right. It's worth it already.
So far no oil leaks. The turbo doesn't spin at idle, but that was when the engine was still cold. I'm pretty sure it's being oiled though. I'll check for a reduction in shaft play (expecting it once the bearings have oil in them) when I pick the car up.

Intake piping is tomorrow or this weekend. Whenever I can go up to school and pick up some stuff I left at my apartment.

For the Q's:
1. I'm using a log style manifold made by a friend of mine. Bought it for $200.

2. The budget is around 950 without the clutch (necessary) and some shipping and handling fees. I have a list of prices at home (I'm at my uncle's house playing PS2 while waiting for the shop to work on my car) and before I left, the budget was around $850.

3. I'll do a write up of it when it's done. Step by step of every system (I split it up in the budget by intake, exhaust, oil, fuel, miscellaneous).

4. Technically the "kit" itself is under $1000. The extras are what bring it over budget, so I can still technically say it's a sub $1000 turbo kit. It just happens that I bought a $280 clutch for it (Spec Stage III). Of course... I still need to complete the kit and test it under boost, plus dyno it with a wideband O2.

I really hope my fuel system works....

Oh yeah. I pulled the valve cover for nothing, and lost a valve cover bolt in the process. There was no header nut in the valves.
7:10am- Wake up
7:40am- Drop dad off at work so I can borrow his van
8:00am- Arrive at uncle's garage and pull downpipe
9:00am- Cut downpipe into sections to rotate O2 section
9:30am- Cut flange off stock SR downpipe ($10) to use since I had the wrong flange
10:00am- Buy a 5 pack of reciprocating sawblades from breaking my last one on the SR flange's protrusion
10:45am- Finish angle grinding the flange flat
11:00am- Take downpipe to shop to get rewelded. Leave downpipe there and shop guy says he'll tack weld it temporarily so I can bring the car down to fit everything. Basically I did half of that cutting for nothing. Wasted a good hour or so.
11:30am- Pull turbine and manifold to grind (small bolt interference that was annoying me.) and insert new gaskets.
12:30pm- Pick up downpipe. Bring back and re-install turbo and manifold and downpipe. Make ghetto plug for EGR since I forgot about it. Need to JBweld it into place later....
2:00pm- Drive car to shop. Drop it off and converse for a few minutes. One of the shop guys is all about how I fitted my Nissan key into a Mercedes spring activated flip key.
2:20pm- eat lunch this time. I've got time to kill.
3:00pm- Return to my uncle's house. Leave this crap for you people to read.
4:00pm- Time to go prep some heat sheilds
Peace ya'll. I'll be back later with more news on the turbo.

[Griffon2kx]

Hey Ace, did where did you get the turbo equipment and what did you pay for it?

[Bbandit]

Originally posted by AceInHole
Oh yeah. I pulled the valve cover for nothing, and lost a valve cover bolt in the process. There was no header nut in the valves.


try looking for it in the bucket you used to drain the oil..

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by Bbandit
try looking for it in the bucket you used to drain the oil..
Yea. That was the first place I looked. It's probably stuck in the webbing of the engine lines somewhere. Oh well.

Now I'm just sitting waiting for the call to tell me to go pick my car up.... this is the suckiest of sucky parts.

[Jeff240sx]

Originally posted by AceInHole
yeah. it'll be fun. fun untill i meet up with Rob's 14psi SR again.... or untill Jeff gets his car back from the shop...

Huh? Did I miss something? Or are you not talking about me?
Anyway... did you find that bolt?
What I would do to find out if it's in the valvecover is to either cut the fuel and turn the car over and listen for a rattle, or turn the crank pully and listen.
-Jeff

[Kreator]

I think he was talking about boosteds14's car

Man, now i feel that worrying about a stupid piece of metal i dropped in my head while trying to hold the cams still was stupid :) Good luck, i don't think i'm starting to put anything on my car till way in the spring (gotta learn to weld damnit. the welds still look hella ugly lol). So i'll know if the "fuel system" works :) But yeah, good luck.

PS The welder was only $130+$5handling. I'm welding like 3-4 hours a day and i'm getting fukin addicted to it.... and my neighbors are getting mad lol.

[DarkRaptor42]

I Know your pain, seriously. My turbo is almost on as well but there always seems to be somthing else that pops up that you need to deal with. For example, my brand new freaking alternator decided to die on me. For no reason it just decided to stop charging. Lucky for me its under warrenty from kragen, but that sets me back for running the IC piping. Before that, it was a mysterious oil leak that scared the bejezzus out of me, turned out I hadnt tightened the oil pressure sensor tight enough. Sometime I hate my car, like last night, when the alternator decided it wasnt going to work and I want to kick it. But then I come on here and see threads like this, of fellas just like me having similar frustrations and me makes me feel better for about 5 min.... then reality sets in.... and I remember my girlfriend passed up the 240sx she was going to get..... and bought a v6 mustang..... god I hate that car. SO I know Im post stealing here, but I want to say thank you, to You Ace and you Jeff240 and all the other DIY KATers out there. For not buying v6 mustangs, and unknowingly incouraging me to make a sweet car, even sweeter. Thank you and good luck

[sykikchimp]

So when you get done with this project you gonna start building the suspension? (must ALWAYS be planning ahead :D )

btw - Is there some sort of flange necessary to connect your piping to the Compressor outlet on the turbo? it looks weird.. like something should screw into it...?

[AceInHole]

1. Turbo compressor inlet clamps a hose onto it.

2. Suspension was the first thing I worked on. Next is turbo timer, then AGX's, then z31 1-way clutch LSD, followed by upgrades to the turbo.

3. Actually, scratch that. Next is 7.7psi with the sidemount.

4. Yeah, that means I'm running 4.5psi right now without the sidemount.

5. For further clarification, yes, I'm boosting now.

Thanks for your support guys! Still got a a few quirks to settle though....

[uiuc240]

He said "OUTLET"...the compressor outlet you have in that pic is WEIRD. Not the inlet. I hope you aren't confusing them ;)

Eric

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by uiuc240
He said "OUTLET"...the compressor outlet you have in that pic is WEIRD. Not the inlet. I hope you aren't confusing them ;)

Eric

The outlet also uses a hose and clamp anyways. It's got a 2.5" inlet, 2" outlet.



The semi-final product (needs intercooler and i'm going to redo some of the heat sheilding and paint it all with black heat resistant paint).
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~corrales/240/turbointakev1.jpg

[sykikchimp]

Duct Tape makes the world go-round :) lol


(we really need more smilies.. I got all kinds of faces we can make at that. :D :cool: :p )

[AceInHole]

if duct tape helps me do this:
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~corrales/240/turbodash4psi.jpg
than duct tape is good stuff.

It'll all be epoxied together and nice and clean when it's completely done. I'm just happy I'm running boost. Can't wait to try and up the boost, but I still need to finalize everything even at 5psi....

So.... Is running 4.5psi (hit 5psi flat on the highway actually) proof that the fuel system works? It's running rich, and NO detonation and NO pinging. My timing is still advanced, and I'm running platinum plugs (Pepboys didn't have the NGK's at that moment I decided to just hook everything up).

Thoughts overall:
1st gear through 3rd gear I'm only getting like 3-4psi. I'm guessing it's because of my wastegate spring (I made an extra spring out of a metal clip so that pressure in the turbine would force the wastegate open).
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~corrales/240/actuator2.JPG
It's also probably why it takes a bit longer for the turbo to reach 4 or 5psi (hits it at like 4k rpm or so)

Right now.... the basics are: 2nd gear pulls like 1st, 3rd pulls like 2nd, 4th pulls like 3rd, 5th pulls like 4th. Once you hear the turbo start to whistle it's hard to let off the throttle, too.

[misnomer]

waaaaooooowwwwww

Very impressive, Ace. Are you impressed with the feel for that boost? This is similar to what I would do if I had the cash (plus an intercooler), and if I didn't have so many other issues with my car :-(

What are you doing as far as a blow off or recirculator goes? Looks like your MAF is set up to pull through, would a BOV even work?

[AceInHole]

the compressor has a BOV built onto it. you can see it in the pic of my engine bay, between the MAF pipe and power steering resivoir. it's a recirculating setup that recirculates boost from the compressor outlet to the inlet.

so far i have a few quirks to settle. occasionally in 2nd gear i lose some power going under full boost and high RPM. it might just be the stock platinum plugs though, so i'll get copper plugs tomorrow.

[96SEChick]

I'm impressed!!! How's she running right now? How will you know you're ready for more boost? Great job!! You give all of us more hope on a somewhat-cost-efficient turbo job!

[blaqsilvia]

Awesome man!! this is hot ****!! Makes me want to do a home turbo job.. hehe-- wow- ;) congrats

[Natty]

Wow! I'm impressed!

Is there a thread about this fuel system you made up?
EDIT - Doh! (http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20982&highlight=turbo)

What have the costs been so far, without the intercooler?

What's your engines mileage?

Thanks,
Jeff

[AceInHole]

The car runs great!! At 5 psi it feels like you're running a gear lower than you are, like 2nd accelerates like 1st, 4th like 3rd, etc. The only problem is that I want to run more boost, but I want to finish refining the setup as it is. Also, getting a new pipe from the O2 housing (or is that the downpipe?) to the cat... 2.5" piping should help my spool quite a bit.
As for knowing when I'm ready for more boost, it's a matter of how much boost the setup can support. Like, right now without the IC, even though it's cold, I wouldn't run more than 5 (lower limit of my wastegate). With the IC in I plan to run 7 or 8, and after that it seems my turbo will top out. At that point, I'll get a FMIC to support more boost, and a new compressor housing and wheel (although I've heard of this particular turbo supporting 14.5psi on the Volvo it came on, which was a 2.3L engine).

The engine has 140k miles on it... stock internals that I bought the car with back at 83k miles. At 90k miles I dyno'ed it at 142.6whp and 152.4tq.

The cost includes the intercooler... I'm just too lazy to install it at the moment. Right now it's so frickin' cold in New England that after extended driving the intake pipes are still cold!!

Anyways, thanks for not telling me how ugly the setup looks at the moment!! I'll post more pics when I'm done dressing it up though :P

COST BREAKDOWN:
Oil Path: Cost
--------------------------------------------------------
1/8" BSPT hex nipple: = $2.50
Female T: 1/8" Brass BSPTxBSPT = $3.50
Brass Adapter: 1/8" Male BSPT to 1/8" Male NPT = $5.00
Coupling: 1/8" Female NPT to Female NPT = $2.00
Braided Hose: 3/16" Hose ID, 1/8" male ends = $11.00
Needle Valve Fem In/Out 1/8" Brass NPT x NPT = $10.00
90deg Male Elbow: 1/8" Alum NPT x NPT = $6.00
Adapter to turbo housing = $2
Oil Drain hose: 3/4" = $5
Oil Drain fitting: 3/4" ID Nipple = $2
--------------------------------------------------------
Total = $49

Exhaust Path: Cost
--------------------------------------------------------
Turbo manifold = $200
Turbine machining = $0
Turbine housing = $150
Turbine rebuild kit = $100
Turbine to downpipe flange = $5
Downpipe 90 deg 2.5" pipe bend = $10
Downpipe welding = $50
O2 bung = $10
New O2 sensor = $30
New O2 = $20
EGR pipe = blocked
Downpipe to cat flange = $10
Heat wrap = $25
--------------------------------------------------------
Total = $610

Intake Path: Cost
--------------------------------------------------------
Intake filter = $20
3" PVC MAF = $2
3" flexi intake hose = $10
3" to 2.25" adapter = Silicone
Turbo Compressor = (from exhaust side)
2" pipe from compressor to SMIC = $10
1g DSM side mount intercooler = $30
2.5" pipe from SMIC to throttle body = $15
2" Nitrile Hose = $10
2.5" Nitrile Hose = $15
Heat spray = $10
--------------------------------------------------------
Total = $122

Misc:
--------------------------------------------------------
370cc fuel injectors x 4 including s/h = $75
Autometer Boost Gauge = $30
Autometer Fuel Gauge = $30
Autometer A/F Meter = $50

Oil for swap: 8 quarts Valvoline durablend = $20
JB Weld = $5
--------------------------------------------------------
Total = $215

--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
GRAND TOTAL = $996

And at this point it's a functional setup that just needs refinement :D

[96SEChick]

That is so freaking awesome!! I'm still in awe!! :D

[AceInHole]

Heh... for the most part I've been getting good feedback on the project. One guy was all about how crappy it looked though (not on this board), but it's aiight. Some people are just in it for the looks I guess. IMHO, my engine bay as it is, with the ghetto fabbed piping and heat sheilds, looks so much greater than an NA engine bay with brand name crap and hot pink wire loom on all the vacuum hoses... but maybe that's because I know what the boost gauge looks like at WOT :p

The biggest accomplishment with the project is DEFINITELY the fuel system though (I probably said that already). $75 for a fuel system that's basically as reliable as stock, and tuneable for future modification (to move up to 450cc injectors all I do is resize the bypass).

Other than that, it just goes to show you: take your time, do your research, think outside the box, and have a good friend to ask tons of small questions that would have already been answered if you had bought Maximum Boost yourself (my friend has that book, and more).

I also forgot to mention, for all the other aspiring DIY'ers out there...
For the project:
www.mcmaster.com is great for the oil plumbing and industrial parts and supplies in general (a friend bought a magnetic sheet there and cut it out to make his #'s for autoX). I did my entire oil system using supplies from there for around $50.
www.jcwhitney.com has decent pricing on the mandrel bends. I bought the heat wrap and heat spray from there. DEFINITELY buy heat wrap!! I drove it a few miles with no heat protection and I could already feel the heat generated as soon as i opened the hood. With heat wrap I can touch the turbine without burning myself horribly (it's still too hot to keep your hands on, but I showed my friend that it works well enough that you can poke it a few times). Anyways, I plan on getting more heat protection stuff, probably from www.summitracing.com. I think they've got heat blankets and stuff there that I'm gonna back the metal heat shields with instead of the fiberglass fluff I have right now.
www.roadraceengineering.com is where I originally ordered the hoses for the pipe connections. If I were to do it again I'd get the hoses from a commercial truck parts store. I found a Peterbilt parts dealer near me and got the same amount of piping from RRE for half the price (doesn't look as cool admittedly).
I also should have done more research on the turbo too.... I happened to get lucky though. There's a 20g compressor upgrade for $300 from www.hahnracecraft.com for my TD05 12B :D

Anyways, sometime tonight or during the week I'll do an entire writeup of the install and parts acquirement. AFAIK, there isn't really a lot of documentation on turbo'ing a 240sx specifically, breaking it down to EXACTLY what you need (i.e. BSPT fittings for the oil lines). It would be cool to also compile a list of turbochargers from junkyard cars that you could use (I have a bit of knowledge of that now.... but if anyone wants to contribute than that's awesome, but we'll get to that when I do the thread on the install).

So, now I made a post long enough to need cliff's notes:
1. Thanks for your support, keep it coming!
2. Can't wait to finalize everything
3. There are great places to order peices for us DIY'ers.
4. Full writeup in the works!!!
5. So.... with all this knowledge now... and one REAL example of it... why go SR anymore?? :P (j/k... can't wait to do a New England KA vs. SR battle [a few people have expressed interest in it... ])

[Natty]

Screw any critics of your engine bay. You McGyver rigged a turbo kit all by yourself from a junkyard for under a grand!
That is really damn cool.
Jeff

[-E-]

It dont have to be pretty, as long as it works. :D

[misnomer]

You kick ass too.

[Grant]

good job, hopefully it'll look nicer, looks too ghetto now..

I remember Nissmo240sx fabricating his own stuff.

for about $1200, here is the end result. has an FMIC as well.

http://home.earthlink.net/~fhsiao/turbo1.jpg

[SimpleS14]

Nice, very impressive. I hope with time and money you can clean up that engine bay......its looking kinda sloppy right now. But either way your boosting and I'm not....for now. Good luck with your car and don't become boost happy.

[Kreator]

Originally posted by Grant
good job, hopefully it'll look nicer, looks too ghetto now..

I remember Nissmo240sx fabricating his own stuff.

for about $1200, here is the end result. has an FMIC as well.

http://home.earthlink.net/~fhsiao/turbo1.jpg

hmmm 1200 with the FMIC? How'd he pull that off...
My run with half parts accuired (prices are w/ shipping):

Turbo w/ WG - $220
DSM SM IC - $50
RevHard mani - $380
BLITZ bov - $140
Volvo DP - $70 (has to be fabbed to fit the 240 exhaust, but i got a handy dandy welder :D)
Pivot TT - $30
MSD Rev Limiter - $70
---------------------------
Total: $950 and that's missing the gauges, injectors and all hte misc plumbing crap :(

PS: Ace, did you use a gasket at the turbine outlet to the downpipe connection? If no, than does it leak or not? Cuz i think i need a gasket there. Reason being when i bought my dp from the auto parts store, they said there is a gasket that goes there, but it didn't come in with the order. Now since we have a similar turbo, does your turbo to downpipe connection leak at all?

[AceInHole]

I had my inlet and outlet machined flat, so it's different from what it used to look like. After machining it looks something like this:
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~corrales/240/turbine_outlet.jpg

It leaks at the moment because of a fitting problem with the downpipe and stock cat. I'm having the stock cat replaced with 2.5" piping right now and moving the 2nd O2 beyond the random tech cat. Since I'm tired of exhaust leaks (that were actually there before the turbo too) I'm just gonna have a shop do it. So much for DIY, but the welder I have access to isn't available to me this week and I've got classes coming soon, so I gotta make the best of the time I've got. Can't wait to see how much better the turbo spools with one cat instead of 2, and bigger plumbing to boot :D

Also can't wait to be running 7psi too.... some research on my TD05-12B (small turbo) indicates that I can get a good 260hp with it, probably something like 10psi. If there's any doubt I can always mod the turbo to fit a 15g wheel in there. In any case.... I still haven't completely finished what I've got.... just shows you how addictive boost is. Get just a little of it and you instantly want more :p

[Grant]

Originally posted by Kreator
hmmm 1200 with the FMIC? How'd he pull that off...
My run with half parts accuired (prices are w/ shipping):

Turbo w/ WG - $220
DSM SM IC - $50
RevHard mani - $380
BLITZ bov - $140
Volvo DP - $70 (has to be fabbed to fit the 240 exhaust, but i got a handy dandy welder :D)
Pivot TT - $30
MSD Rev Limiter - $70
---------------------------
Total: $950 and that's missing the gauges, injectors and all hte misc plumbing crap :(


well, thats at least $250 usable towards the rest of the stuff.

I believe he has a few friends who do these kind of things :P maybe he'll be on later to tell the story. it was +/- $1200 and a LOT of time involved.

He said he bought that manifold used from some one. went to the drawing board, and had his friends fabricate the IC piping. I believe he also made the intercooler.

He had an FMU (not sure if PJ went Jim wolf or FMU) and only had a hi flow inline fuel pump.

his exhaust was nothing special either, some wouldn't even notice that was aftermarket.

I'll leave the rest for him to tell :D

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by Grant
He had an FMU (not sure if PJ went Jim wolf or FMU) and only had a hi flow inline fuel pump.

I didn't go JWT or FMU. I used the MAF bypass theory I devised a while ago. Somehow.... it works :P

[Kreator]

Well i got a welder so i could learn how to do all hte piping and the exhaust. Just gotta learn to weld. Yeah, i know i'm getting some extra stuff (rev limiter, tt, greddy boost gauge probably).
But then the stuff i still will spend money on:

Oil temp, psi and A/F ratio gauges - $150
Oil Lines - $50
IC Piping - $100 (again, this is assuming i will learn to weld, and only counts the price of piping)
Greddy Boost Gauge - $100
2 K&N filters - $70 (variation of ace's setup)
--------------------
Total: $470 more
Plus that's w/o all the misc stuff. Then say another $150 for the exhaust..... In the end i came out with $1820 preliminary calculations for all the stuff i want (with exhaust).

[AceInHole]

wow... so you're gonna attempt to bypass the MAF also?? I hope it works... it'll make an already affordable fuel system more versatile :)

Anyways... ran the car at 6psi today. No problems, other than the car being too fast to enjoy the boost :D Tomorrow in the morning I'm installing the new manifold gaskets (ran on the stock ones, which ISN'T a good idea at all...) so that should help my spool even more. I'll attempt to install the SMIC and some new heat sheilds (found some good sheet metal at Sears Hardware) then see if I can edge it up to 7.

As always, I'll keep you people informed!

[blaqsilvia]

awesome job man- i'm thinkin of doin a diy turbo now-- instead of saving all the way up to 4 - 5 grand.. hmm.. sounds like fun wat u did too.. hehe- next ot the whining part.. keep us posted ;)

[DarkRaptor42]

Heres my question for you ace, how far up and how long do you think the MAF theory will work? I know you have an awesome equation down for it and I give you major props for it, but at what point do you think it wont work, or will it just continue to work as you up the pressure?

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by DarkRaptor42
Heres my question for you ace, how far up and how long do you think the MAF theory will work? I know you have an awesome equation down for it and I give you major props for it, but at what point do you think it wont work, or will it just continue to work as you up the pressure?

Here's the thing... I won't really know for sure untill I try. The thing is... I've upped the boost a bit and the baffles are acting a bit too well.... the A/F gauge is reading very slightly richer than it was at 5psi, but it could just be a difference in weather, or a difference in how warm the O2 sensor was. In the case that the mixture is getting richer, it's somewhat of a gift, since it's putting me where I need to be. If it continues to get richer as I up the boost, I COULD reduce the baffle on the bypass, or I could design a new bypass. Eventually I'll have a more permanent design. One thing I DO know... the baffles DO affect the A/F ratio, as each time I adjust the A/F gauge changes accordingly. In the case that the sensor was just a bit off from previous runs, I'll just have to continue boosting at 6psi to see what I get. If it's consistent than no changes should be necessary.

Really though... I expect the setup to work right up to the MAF's max airflow, which should correspond to the injectors max fuel flow, which should be around 12psi on the 370's with the KA. In theory the air/ fuel ratio should not change dramatically as it's following the same curve so far. Already 2 psi above the stock handling point, it's working very well (the stock setup would lean out immensly at this point), so there's no reason to think that the setup couldn't handle more boost. Basically, the setup should continue to work as I up the boost untill I max out the injectors.

There's another interesting developement though. I calculated the size for 50lb injectors (525cc), and the MAF would have to be resized to 3.5" (actually 3.486" would be the stock A/F, so a bit smaller to get a richer mixture). The Cobra MAF has a 3.5" inlet, and a 3" outlet. Somewhere between is the MAF sensor, and if the MAF tapers as a whole or transitions before or after the MAF will be confirmed. Assuming the Cobra MAF uses the same curve as the stock MAF (voltage to airflow), than to use 50lb injectors, all you'd need to do is plop in a Cobra MAF. It sounds a bit too easy.... so someone with a JWT ECU/ Cobra MAF/ 50lb injector setup will have to plop in a stock ECU and see how it runs. Luckily, someone is running that setup and has a stock ECU lying around. Hopefully he'll test it all out and see how it goes.

[Jeff240sx]

Hey. If someone has a cobra MAF laying around that I can borrow, I'll buy an A:F meter and check it out. I will be running 50lb injectors off an AFC... and if the cobra thing needs a lab-rat, I'll do it.

Hey Ace. Since you've done research on this stuff.. here's the most in-depth Mustang MAF site I've found.
Mustang MAF site (http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/InductionBlues.html)

And finally... I think that your calculations are correct for the fuel ammount. The 1993 Cobra MAF is calibrated for 24# injectors. The Cobra also has twice the fuel injectors... so that MAF would run 4 injectors at 48# (right?). If so... then a MAF calibrated for 4 x 48# injectors would run slightly rich on 4 x 50# injectors.
This is all speculation. I'd really like to hear more on this Ace. IM me sometime... we'll figure out how to run 50# injectors cheaply.
-Jeff

[sykikchimp]

how does the voltage output of the cobra maf compare to the output of the Stock KA maf?? if they are the same, and the piping size of the cobra maf is the correct size to meet PJ's calc's to get the bypass size.. then this will work, otherwise it will not.


from the website you just posted:

"When relating MAF sensors and injector size, one of the biggest misconceptions about the MAF system is that the MAF is 'calibrated' for a given injector. This is only true with aftermarket MAF sensors like the Pro-M, C&L / Vortec and Auto Specialties air meters, not the stock Ford air meters. What Ford does, is select a MAF sensor and inform the EEC about it by calibrating the airflow Vs voltage transfer function with data obtained from a flow bench. Then they determine how much fuel the engine will require under worst case scenarios, select an injector size, and put that value into the EEC calibration. The MAF sensor and injector size are basically un-related which means a stock 5.0 Mustang's MAF sensor IS NOT calibrated for 19# injectors - the EEC is. Now that the EEC knows what air meter it has and what injectors are being used, it can correctly calculate how much to pulse the injectors to get the desired fuel flow."

[Jeff240sx]

Yea... but the AFC has the ability to change the input voltages from other MAFs or something like that.
For the JWT ecu, you need MSD 50# injectors, a new fuel map, and the ecu. That is fairly expensive if a $300 S-AFC can do nearly the same thing.
I really don't know anything about the stock MAF voltage, or the cobra MAF voltage. That's why I posted what I found.
Mabey PJ knows better.
-Jeff

[DarkRaptor42]

Originally posted by AceInHole
There's another interesting developement though. I calculated the size for 50lb injectors (525cc), and the MAF would have to be resized to 3.5" (actually 3.486" would be the stock A/F, so a bit smaller to get a richer mixture). The Cobra MAF has a 3.5" inlet, and a 3" outlet. Somewhere between is the MAF sensor, and if the MAF tapers as a whole or transitions before or after the MAF will be confirmed. Assuming the Cobra MAF uses the same curve as the stock MAF (voltage to airflow), than to use 50lb injectors, all you'd need to do is plop in a Cobra MAF. It sounds a bit too easy.... so someone with a JWT ECU/ Cobra MAF/ 50lb injector setup will have to plop in a stock ECU and see how it runs. Luckily, someone is running that setup and has a stock ECU lying around. Hopefully he'll test it all out and see how it goes.

isnt your setup though the air goes around the stock MAF tricking it to produce more fuel with decreasd air over its area than it is? Wouldnt the Cobra MAF not work like this because its not being "tricked" so to speak? Or did I miss out on somthing. If Ive misunderstood than Jeff is right and the Cobra MAF could just be recalibrated with an AFC and no other engine managment is needed. Ive always thought that the JWT ECU was a rip off so this is great to me if its right.:cool:

[Kreator]

From what i understand, the idea is to somehow make the cobra mafs produce same voltage as the 240 mafs (if it doesn't already, and if does, that makes it insanely easy). That way your mafs still gives the same voltage as before, but the air passing through the mafs is greater, accounting for the increase in injectors side

On that note though, why would you bother for the maxing out of the mafs? If just you increase the amount of air bypassed, wouldn't it work? In other words, right now you are bypassing 37%, so if with 550cc you bypass 50% of air, wouldn't it still work with the stock mafs?

[uiuc240]

This is EXACTLY what I posted about over 2 weeks ago and got bitch slapped for it!

I was saying if you started with 370s and a stock SR/SOHC MAFS, you should be able to replace it with 550s and a Cobra MAFS. Everyone including Ace just laughed at me. WTF?

Eric

[Foxcolt]

Originally posted by uiuc240
This is EXACTLY what I posted about over 2 weeks ago and got bitch slapped for it!

I was saying if you started with 370s and a stock SR/SOHC MAFS, you should be able to replace it with 550s and a Cobra MAFS. Everyone including Ace just laughed at me. WTF?

Eric

Two things,

1, cobra mafs has drastic voltage differences than our stockies. replacing the mafs without programming the ECU would be bad. It's not that the cobra mafs can read 1-5 while the stock reads 1-3. (just an example) It's more like the cobra mafs reads 3-6 while the sockie reads 1-3. Hope that makes sense.

2, a mafs measures resistance in air correct (or something of that sort). Airflow. It calculates based on how fast the air moves through the heated resistor wire thingamabob. From my understanding the air traveling through the sensor subracts a certain amount of heat from it and that's what the ecu uses to calculate airflow. Hence why I burned my finger when I touched the wire with the car on.

In that sense even though your blocking a certain amount of air from seeing the sensor isn't the air traveling at the same speed?

[sykikchimp]

Foxcolt.. it's not air speed.. it's air MASS that it reads.. the ECU is calibrated so that a specific voltage output is produced by a specific mass of air moving through the intake pipe. Once you increase the size of the pipe, the mass increases but over a larger area.. so the voltage read by the MAF stays the same.



there were 2 sizes of cobra mafs.. a 70mm and an 80mm (according to that website)

80mm = 3.149 inches. still .337 inches (8.5mm) off of the ratio necessary to meet the 50# injectors with the KA fuel maps. correct?

Sooo.. the cobra maf's won't work without modification. what might be a better solution is possibly wiring the KA MAF to be able to produce more voltage on a slightly higher scale to match the injectors with some adjustment to the voltage output.

OR what kind of voltage output do the 300zx MAF's have compared to the KA maf?? This may be a more viable solution depending on output. Either way the actual piping the maf is in will have to be custom.

[DarkRaptor42]

so in other words, the cobra idea wont work but if you keep using Aces "trick the maf" idea it will work.

[DuffMan]

Glad to see it all worked out ace. My orignial concern with your plan was that the NA-designed ECU wouldn't put out more fuel than the stock engine could theoreticly flow in air.

Since you are running 5psi of boost (a 34% increase in air - 5/14.7) and 370cc injectors (a 37% increase in fuel - 100/270) it could be running perfectly and my prediction could still be correct.

Now I could be wrong here, I don't really know how Nissan ecu's are programmed exactly, but I know for some cars this problem would exist. So be VERY careful upping the boost and make sure you keep a close eye on the EGT, listen for pinging, and go only 1 psi at a time.

If that limitation does exist, you could posibly get arround it by getting a fmu with it set to start adding pressure after 5psi. With that, you could run some pretty high boost and still keep fuel pressures reasonable.

[Jeff240sx]

I'm not understanding...
The problem with a Cobra maf would be the voltage, right? An AFC can alter the voltage output to still work with the stock ecu settings.
Also... What happens with an oversized MAF? That site I posted mentioned that it's calibrated for 8 x 24# injectors. Isn't that 4 x 48# of fuel flow? Also.. Charles, your calculation was wrong. 2.54 cm = 1 in. 80mm is 3.149", or only .149" away from correct. Also, the cobra MAF tapers. So the MAF will run the car a very tiny bit lean, but you could richen out the mixture with the AFC (which you'd need for the voltage anyway), and not spend the $800 for this setup from JWT.
Am I just wrong?
-Jeff

[AceInHole]

1. The problem with the Cobra MAF isn't necessarily voltage.... AFAIK, almost all MAFS work on a 5v scale. The problem is if the curve within that scale is different, since the ratio of airflow to voltage is not linear.

2. I ran 6psi (think I posted that) and it was still running as rich as I wanted. 6/14.7 = .408 = 40.8% increase in air. A bit higher than the 37% increase in injector size.... not sure if that's proof enough yet... guess I'll have to wait untill I install the new head before going further (I'll explain later how much of an idiot I am). As for the FMU, I'm trying to stay away from raising fuel pressure, as working against the fuel pump will most likely require using one better than stock. Setups without an RRFPR have been known to boost over 11psi on the stock pump, so I'd like to stay with the stock fuel pressure if possible.

3. sykikchimp, mass air flow = velocity x density x area. at constant density and area, your variable lies in velocity. The only thing for the MAFS to really detect the change of is velocity, which is where the linear proportion lies in calculating the injector and MAFS sizes.

4. Foxcolt: The point is not blocking a certain amount of air from seeing the sensor, it's to decrease the flow velocity so that the MAF gets a lower airflow reading. With larger injectors, you want less fuel per stock MAF reading for a certain airflow.

5. uiuc240: sorry, but that was before I knew the proportionate size of the Cobra MAF. I DID know that not all MAFS work on the same airflow to voltage curve, in which case you would need an AFC to adjust the curve to fit. It didn't dawn on me that it was possible to fit the curve of the Cobra MAF to 50lb injectors untill I realized the porportions were similar. So, once again, sorry about that. Even then... it's still untested untill Asad from FA or Jeff240sx tries it out.

UPDATE on my car:
My car is BROKENED. It's not because of boost, it's because of my own stupidity. I snapped a manifold stud when replacing the manifold gaskets this morning, and drilled too far in and hit a water jacket. I'm gonna get a new head since fixing the head I have will be just as costly and even more time consuming. So... untill I have the new head installed (hopefully this weekend) I can only answer questions up to 6psi.

See... I told you DIY was a PITA.

NOTE TO EVERYONE: TAKE YOUR TIME AND CHECK THE TORQUE SPECS!!! OR SUFFER LIKE MEEE!!!!!

[96SEChick]

Originally posted by AceInHole
UPDATE on my car:
My car is BROKENED. It's not because of boost, it's because of my own stupidity. I snapped a manifold stud when replacing the manifold gaskets this morning, and drilled too far in and hit a water jacket. I'm gonna get a new head since fixing the head I have will be just as costly and even more time consuming. So... untill I have the new head installed (hopefully this weekend) I can only answer questions up to 6psi.

See... I told you DIY was a PITA.

NOTE TO EVERYONE: TAKE YOUR TIME AND CHECK THE TORQUE SPECS!!! OR SUFFER LIKE MEEE!!!!!

That totally sucks!! How long before you get your new head? that sounded kinda bad :eek:

[AceInHole]

Hopefully I can get one soon. Did a car-part.com search and there are a couple in CT. My first option is actually boostedS14, who said a friend of his has one for sale. Unfortunately I was on my cousin's comp when I was talking to him on AIM, which is really sketchy, and happened to restart on me before I could write down his friend's # (jeff if you read this e-mail me at [email protected] , I need that head!!!). I also know a guy a town over with 2 KA's to spare, so I might buy an engine or head off of him if he gives me a good deal.

I want to be working on the head this weekend, although that will most likely mean dropping it off at the machine shop to have it machined and possibly "tuned" :P Hey... if I'm stuck like this I might as well make the best of it. Anyways while they do that I can use that time to pull the old head off.

The better news is I know someone that wants to buy my broken head to analyze (REAL dedicated 240sx owner) :D I'm really only losing out from downtime in the end.... at least I hope.

[uiuc240]

Originally posted by AceInHole
5. uiuc240: sorry, but that was before I knew the proportionate size of the Cobra MAF. I DID know that not all MAFS work on the same airflow to voltage curve, in which case you would need an AFC to adjust the curve to fit. It didn't dawn on me that it was possible to fit the curve of the Cobra MAF to 50lb injectors untill I realized the porportions were similar. So, once again, sorry about that. Even then... it's still untested untill Asad from FA or Jeff240sx tries it out.

UPDATE on my car:
My car is BROKENED. It's not because of boost, it's because of my own stupidity. I snapped a manifold stud when replacing the manifold gaskets this morning, and drilled too far in and hit a water jacket. I'm gonna get a new head since fixing the head I have will be just as costly and even more time consuming. So... untill I have the new head installed (hopefully this weekend) I can only answer questions up to 6psi.

See... I told you DIY was a PITA.

NOTE TO EVERYONE: TAKE YOUR TIME AND CHECK THE TORQUE SPECS!!! OR SUFFER LIKE MEEE!!!!!

No worries, man. It wasn't like I had hard evidence anyway...I was just imagining the possibility in my head. It'll be cool if it works. Might make fuel upgraded for my SR even easier! I guess we'll see. Maybe I'll have to do some research of my own over the summer when I have the time.

Sorry to hear about the car. Do you have a new head sourced? I guarantee that should be easy. Call up any of the main SR people.

Eric

[Foxcolt]

Hey Ace, If plans fall through I have an extra KA head. One exhaust valve has a hole in it, other than that it's good.

MAFS: Ahh I see. I thought (from not reading all the posts:D ) that you were just bypassing some air so it wouldn't see the mafs.


Jed

[AceInHole]

Hmmm.... i don't see how it's good with a hole in the exhaust valve :p

Anyways, I'm pulling the head off a junked '91, and rebuilding it, and installing it with new hardware.

New head: $100
New valve seals: $40
New head gasket: $30
New head bolts/ washers: $50
New manifold bolts/ yolks/ nuts: $30
FSM to prevent further mishap: $90
--------------------------------------------
Total cost of a 5 minute mistake: $340

I AM selling the old head for $50, though... so it comes down to $290 in the end.

In addition to that, I get the chance to do a DIY port and polish on the head (just gonna be doing simple stuff to it, removing excessive casting, port matching, and polishing) and run slightly "hotter" cams. Cool stuff actually.....

[Foxcolt]

Originally posted by AceInHole
Hmmm.... i don't see how it's good with a hole in the exhaust valve :p


[Homer voice]It's just a little broken, It's still good! it's still good![/Homer voice]

Very interested to see how the port and polish job goes:eek:

[AceInHole]

If you ever wanted to attempt a DIY head porting job, here's the place to read about it:

Standard Abrasives Motorsports Division: DIY porting guide (http://www.sa-motorsports.com/diyport.htm)

This is a MUST CLICK for any DIY'er out there! Lucky me... I'm gonna have the head off the car anyways so I might as well give it a try. With the '91 head I'm buying I also get to replace all the valve seals, what fun!!

This is turning out to be too many projects at the same time... but oh well. Over the next week while waiting for all the crap to get shipped I have some time to do the DIY turbo guide....

[240racer]

Originally posted by Foxcolt
Two things,

1, cobra mafs has drastic voltage differences than our stockies. replacing the mafs without programming the ECU would be bad. It's not that the cobra mafs can read 1-5 while the stock reads 1-3. (just an example) It's more like the cobra mafs reads 3-6 while the sockie reads 1-3. Hope that makes sense.



I think that the cobra mafs run from 0-5v. THe graphs on the webpage link posted show this, I'll attach one. If our mafs runs from 0-5v and the cobra mafs runs from 0-5v then the only thing we have to worry about is the shape of the curve. I know I'm a little late on this, but thought I needed to add it.

BTW, I plan to run the safc, cobra mafs, and 550s and I will see how that goes. I talked to Asad and he thought it should work, but he said there was no setting in the safc for the cobra mafs, so I have to figure that out.

[AceInHole]

Said earlier :p
1. The problem with the Cobra MAF isn't necessarily voltage.... AFAIK, almost all MAFS work on a 5v scale. The problem is if the curve within that scale is different, since the ratio of airflow to voltage is not linear.

I'm surprised that Asad didn't tell you about the calculations I told him about.... he's already got 50lb injectors (525cc) and a Cobra MAF, and a stock ECU to try and replace the JWT with.... he even has an adjustable FPR so he can tune the curves to "fit" a bit more.... the thing is... east coast is so damn cold right now I bet he won't do it for a while (we talked about it a long time ago though... like before I came up with the bypass idea).

Anyways, I'm willing to bet you would only have to tune the S-AFC "down" just a bit (since the 550's are slightly larger than the 50lb injectors).... with some dyno and wideband O2 time you shouldn't have a problem figuring out just how much and where along the curve to do so.

[Jeff240sx]

Last I talked to Asad (couple days ago) he said that he was going to swap ecu's this weekend. Hope may be right around the corner!
-Jeff

[240racer]

he did mention that he was going to try to run it without the jwt ecu. Right now I'm running the 370s with the stock maf and it is working fine (I think). so I don't have any problem turning it down a little, more fuel is always a plus.

[AceInHole]

Originally posted by 240racer
he did mention that he was going to try to run it without the jwt ecu. Right now I'm running the 370s with the stock maf and it is working fine (I think). so I don't have any problem turning it down a little, more fuel is always a plus.

The point is to replace the JWT ECU with the stock ECU and see if it works. I guess since I'm not pulling the head till at least the weekend after this coming one (gotta wait for the head gasket, and in the meantime I'll just rebuild the "new" head with new seals and port match it) he's free (plan was for him to come help pull the broken head off and do some stuff to his car as well... guess he's doing it on his own). I hope he goes through with it and it works though... the most likely thing is that it runs, but not as well as it should.

As for running 370's on the stock MAF without a bypass.... assume the stock A/F is stoich exactly (it's actually a bit richer, but for this calculation we want it as lean as possible to favor the equation working). That would place the stock A/F at about 14.7:1. For a turbo setup, you want something around 12:1 (it's air:fuel. less air = richer, more fuel = richer). Now... with 370cc injectors, you're using about 37% more fuel. So, you can multiply your fuel amount by 1.37, the fuel amount being 1 in the air fuel ratio. This makes your new A/F 14.7:1.37. Reducing this, your A/F becomes 10.7:1. I would say it's workable.... enough to allow the engine to run... but it's a bit too rich. We also have to remember that starting with a richer A/F, the modified A/F drops even more (if stock is 14:1 than the modded A/F becomes 10.2:1... I'd say nearing unusable).

More math can show how large a bypass you'd need.... assuming a 14:1 stock fuel ratio... you'd have a 10.2:1 modded A/F. To reach 12:1, you'd use:
12:1 = x*10.2:1, or 12 = x*10.2, or x = 12/10.2 = 1.176 = 117.6%
So you'd need to allow an additional 17.6% air flow past the MAF in order to obtain a more "ideal" A/F for a turbocharged engine.

I think I have way too much fun doing easy math....

[240racer]

when I was running the afc with the 370s I only turned down the fuel at idle and at cruising rpms at less then 70% throttle to get my gas milage to go back up from 16 to 25. Otherwise I ran it full rich for boost.

I love easy math too, and I also love how relative "easy math" is from person to person

[AceInHole]

An update to my pains:
The current situation:

The reason my car has been incapacitated for the past few weeks:
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~corrales/240/nevergood.JPG
Notice the hold directly into a water jacket. NOT GOOD. Luckily the stock headgasket is pretty thick and protected the block from any damage.

The car currently:
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~corrales/240/headless.jpg
You can see how wet the lower part of the block is from draining the coolant from the block. Damn that's a messy process.... As more luck would have it my uncle thinks he dropped a cam bolt into the lower timing chain casing, which is bad. We can't see it, but since we can't find it we have to speculate it's there. Its corresponding washer was found on the water pump housing, so it's POSSIBLE the bolt is lodged somewhere else in the bay.... I hate this sort of crap though.

Anyways, with any luck the car will be up and running by tomorrow night so I can drive it down to New Jersey next weekend for a hockey tournament, and then drive to Maryland where I might be able to get Q45 rear rotors/ hubs very cheaply. I'm doing a Q45 brake swap pretty soon to attempt to even out the acceleration/ braking thing. I need new rotors anyways.

[DarkRaptor42]

looking good man, hows the port and polish coming? Look nice and shinney yet?

[misnomer]

Awesome, the thread lives again. Seriously, this one has to be archived :-)

[AceInHole]

Update:
We can't find the cam bolt that we think fell into the timing chain cover. So, tomorrow after class I'm heading home and I'm gonna attempt to drag it out with a speaker magnet over the front cover (the bolt is steel so it should definitely be affected by a strong speaker magnet, and at least give a hint as to if it's really in there). Otherwise, I'll clean the outside of the engine to make sure it isn't there. If all else fails, I'm taking the front cover off. That hasn't been very well documented as of yet, so it would at least be a good chance to take some IRL pics of the lower chain assembly. Plus I can get a look at the front seal, get new belts, etc etc etc. Untill we find that bolt, I'm literally screwed, as putting the head back on would just impede the search for the bolt.

Also, on the way home if the weather ins't too bad I should be picking up the Q45 calipers. I'll get some solid rotors for the rears at first, then get slotted/ x-drilled ones off ebay after selling a few items. Also gotta get the rear hub assemblies so I'll have an ebrake!!