The story thus far...

When I first bought this car I said I wouldn't modify it.. after a couple of weeks
I said I might change the alloys when the tyres wear out..
that happened and the car has had various different alloys and tyre combinations
under the arches in the 2years and 8months and 61,000miles I have owned it for.
Then the "when the exhaust is worn out I might fit a better one" noises and then in
the end decided no point having no standard exhaust to refit etc..
so a secondhand Scoobysport (H&S) system was installed..
This was still early days for me in working on the car and I have to thank
David Wallis and P20SPD for fitting the downpipe for me.
Then a ScoobyECU found it's way onto the car.. along with a KnockLink and a Dawes AFR.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=836337&outx=600&oq=0

I was happy with the car in this spec for a bit and the real hold ups on going any further was
Money and the fact that I liked my alloys which would only cover 2pots and it went quick enough..
at the time...

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=510616&outx=600&oq=0

Then the clutch went.. the original lasted 124,000miles so I must not complain.. it was a ******* of a job
took most of a weekend as she fought the whole way. but felt good for not paying someone to do it for me..
Went for a standard Spec Borg and Beck, although I now wish I had fitted an uprated one whilst I was
in there.. but at this point I didn't expect to up the power much.. hummmmm...

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=520533&outx=600&oq=0

Then another set of alloys and tyres found there way onto the car in a flurry of tyres and wheel sales
and so I had room for bigger brakes..

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=814088&outx=600&oq=0

Bigger brakes on and there was not much to stop me, but lots to stop the car.. ignoring the money..

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1230617&outx=600&oq=0

At this point my plans were for more Power but usable road power and reduced intake temps which
were getting silly in the height of summer with 60degrees seen.
I wanted to keep the 3000rpm go but still have enough power below 3000rpm to enable me to drive
sedately and save petrol when the mood required it.
Also I wanted to keep the car on the road throughout the modifications..

I considered many intercoolers but none came close to the core size or had as good pipe inlet and outlet
locations as this one, with an uprated radiator included as mine was past it's best it seemed to make sense.

So a new Intercooler was sourced from Mark @ Lateral Performance.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1517090&outx=600&oq=0

Pipework has been interesting and I have slowly tailored it.. nearly happy with it.. I have moved the oil filler and the coolant header tank to allow the pipework to take better routes.. and the carbon canister and air con are now in my garage.
First set of pipework went around the header tank which allowed me to keep driving the car but looked awlful and the bonnet only just shut :)
although it is crying out for front entry on the manifold, but that is another project saved for later.
..and I still need to fit a dump valve and I am sure I can shorten the pipes further if I try harder.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1595463&outx=600&oq=0

Last weekend whilst travelling back from a party in London I was thinking.. very misty.. was looking in the mirror at the time at the headlights of the car behind.. then realised it was only misty behind me!! oh sh1t.. stopped and smoke bellowed out the bonnet and filled the motorway.. oops..

Let it cool down, a Police car arrived to check and left satisfied that we were not going to blow up but that "that will be your Turbo mate" whilst we continued to wait for the smoke to reduce..
I opened the bonnet to see everything covered in water..
I did laugh.. I was expecting oil everywhere and perhaps flames.. visions of metaled samco and cooked intercooler..
It even smell like oil burning.. must have been the new coolant..
lifting the bonnet slowly to see water was a big relief.. found a small hole in the top hose with a torch, managed to seal it with a bit of old pipe and a jubilee clip I happened to have in the boot.. and it stopped leaking totally.. topped it up with the 2litres of water I carry..
So later today a set of Samco coolant hoses go on..

Then back to the other mods..
Will sort the dump valve perhaps if I get time today although still waiting for a tuning kit from Forge to arrive
with the different rate springs in..

Other things already on the car, fitted at some point in the past ported headers, HKS induction, various catch cans variations - all involving coke bottles.. LOL

Plans still to happen.. uprated fuel pump, uprated fuel pressure regulator, 550 injectors, Forge recirculate dump valve, custom Uppipe, a more permenant catch can, and of course a remap.

JGM :)

Edited due to strange cut and past errors?!

[Edited by Jolly Green Monster - 11/7/2003 9:54:40 AM]

Damn fotopic!

When count in exceeded

click here (http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/photo.php?id=1672097)

JGM :)

Edit.. try again.,.

[Edited by Jolly Green Monster - 11/10/2003 8:51:38 PM]

When I first bought this car I said I wouldn't modify it..

I had to say that too, so I could have the car... ;)
Fortunately, it's not now the case. :D

Hope you get where you want to be :)

dnb,

So do I..

I am expecting the engine to go bang at some point.. I just hope I get some fun out of it first :)

LOL

JGM :)

I was happy with the car in this spec for a bit and the real hold ups on going any further was
Money

What did i do this time! lol :D

Story is good mate :D

There is just never enough of you mate :)

Coolant hoses on and dump valve fitted this arvo :)

JGM :)

Samco hoses, looks like a bag of intestines(SP?)?

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1655452&outx=600&oq=0

Dump valve on

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1655453&outx=600&oq=0

K&N breather filter on, just need proper catch can for it now

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1655451&outx=600&oq=0

The wife went out shopping in it today!! :eek: I was on tender hooks all day waiting for the phone to ring.. lol..
She hadn't previously driven it for at least 12months.. why now?!
;)

JGM :)

them breathers can block up from the inside with oily crap

this buolds and then rapidly rises till you have oil pissing out everywhere (well thats what happend on 2 of my older vauxhalls)

keep checking inside of it for crap and clean and required ;)

Thanks Sticky..

I have a catch can (well bottle at the moment) between the breathers and filter.. the plan being any oil vapour will drop out of the air in the bottle.. seems to be working so far..

JGM :)

Many thanks to Mark @ Lateral Performance again..

Fuel pump and FPR now sat on my desk here waiting for me to fit them. :)

JGM :)

I have a catch can (well bottle at the moment) between the breathers and filter

Pics?

I'll dig some pics out in a minute..

The bottle is to be replaced with a catch can when I get around to welding some ends on a bit of 70mm tube.

Decided to go for a Link today as I noticed a secondhand one..
Was driving home thinking "What have I done, spending more money"
get home to find a letter saying "You will be receiving a tax rebate"!!!

How is that for timing :)

JGM :)

Money,

by chance I moved the breather and bottle yesterday when I finished off the pipework. You will see the coke bottle where the air con compressor was.. one pipe goes to the k&n mini filter and the other two I have connected where the two breathers enter the air intake on the bend before the turbo.
One comes up from the crank breather (with PCV valve I believe) and the other from both cam cover breathers which connect together under the inlet manifold.

Eventualy plan is to run individual pipes from each cam cover etc.
and use a decent home made catch can rather than a bottle.. which is a bit Heath Robinson..

I get very little oil out.. which is probably down to no suction on the breathers now that the air intake is not sucking through the breathers.. also richened my mixture slightly as no air being sucked in which was not shown on the MAF..

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1672097&outx=600&oq=0

JGM :)

BTW.. thanks to Neil for this pipework question..

The bulges on the samco pipes on the right are because they are a 50 to 70mm converter and a 70mm straight bit of samco connected to a 63mm bit of metal pipe! doh..

Think I might try the original 70mm bit of pipe seeing as it now goes like sh1t off a shovel and has all my low rpm torque back with avengence.. so I would get a good comparison with the 70mm switch..
If 63mm is better then I can trim the samco :)

JGM :)

JGM, nice lot of mods mate, nice to see another pre 96 car with mods. I am doing some similar things myself althought I have stuck to an uprated TMIC rather than the FMIC route. I have the FPR sitting waiting to be fitted and have just done the fuel pump thing. And I saw the thread for the LINK ECU after you had got to it :( but am talking to Pavlo to remap my standard ECU. By the way do you have shares in samco cos it looks like you should have !!

LOL at the cloud of smoke behind the car that turned out to be a burst top hose, EXACTLY the same thing happened to me, it is so scary when you first see the smoke!!

I am currently waiting on a catch tank (dodgy ebay purchase that may not come off) so I might give the old coke bottle a go what sort of hose do you use?


keep on with it, Ali G

p.s. where about in the country are you ?

Thanking you :D

Money,

No worries, your car is looking very good btw.. :)

AliG,

I just used boost line hose of the required diameter to allow me to get three pipes into the top of a coke bottle.. lol..

As long as it has some temperature resistance and a reasonable internal diameter I would expect it to be fine.

The Forge catch cans come with hose about 10mm internal diameter.. but I have noticed there are bits on the original breather system that reduce to about 5mm.. and with no vacuum on the catch can there is less fumes and oil coming out of them..
Although you need to be careful not to get a blockage..

I only fitted mine as a temp fix to get over the oil in the intake and expected to remove it but was impressed with it so have just modified it from there.. eventually I'll do it properly..

I have thought about getting Shares in Samco.. and I have added a Samco Sport sticker to the back window as the engine looks like an advert for them.. so might as well advertise them on the back too..
LOL :)

JGM :)

No worries, your car is looking very good btw..

Cheers Mate. Rob done sh*t loads so im well chuffed.

I hope you get discount with samco the amount you have got. lol :D

I hope you get discount with samco the amount you have got. lol

wish I did.. perhaps I have good grounds to apply for one?

Mind you I have all I need now.. doh! :)

Simon :)

Pictures are in the FMIC folder here (http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/)
when Fotopic goes weird..

JGM :)

Uprated pump and Fuel Pressure regulator with gauge fitted last night.. :)

No pictures as batteries in the camera are dead.

Might get some today and take a picture of the new FPR..

Found a kink in the vacuumline to the original FPR.. which won't have been helping matters..

JGM :)

On FPR.. :)

Pressure set to 3.05bar for the moment.

Did have a problem where the fpr was not holding the pressure when ignition off.. but think I have solved that now..

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1721013&outx=600&oq=0

JGM :)


[Edited by Jolly Green Monster - 11/16/2003 4:39:21 PM]

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1721014&outx=600&oq=0

Think the trade mark diet coke bootle might be staying :)

JGM :)

but think I have solved that now

How did you solve it?
Mine doesn't hold much pressure after turning off ignition. :confused:

Alan :cool:

The plate on top of the tank in the boot was not sealed properly..

removed it and resealed it and problem seems to have gone..

Smell of petrol fumes in the back was a bit of a give away :)

JGM :)

ermmm..you taken the emissions equipment out of the car?

When i took mine out, i drilled an 1/8" hole in the petrol cap to stop any pressure build up in the tank and also stop fumes coming in from the "vent to atmosphere" pipework which was left under the bonnet,so maybe that's why my pressure drops away?

Alan :cool:

Problem I was having was not there before I changed the pump and FPR so I knew it was something I had done with them.

Jump in the car and turn the key to ignition on and wait for the pump to pressurise the system and then start the engine and it started fine.. but jump in and just try and start the car straight away and it turned over and over and refused to start..
Then stop turning the starter and the pump pressurised the system and it started first turn.

I have removed the carbon canister if this is what you mean.. but it was removed when I was on the original pump and fpr and no problems caused by this.

None of the connections to the carbon canistor are pressurized as far as I know.. one is a vent from the fuel tank, I think from the unpressurized part of it.. if you look into the tank there is what appears to be a sectioned off area the pump goes into which I presume is pressurized by the pump.. guessing.. and the vent to the carbon canistor would I assume be taken from an area outside of this.. dunno never looked into it before..

The pipes to my carbon canister.. the ones to the air filter system are removed and blocked off on the intake, the ones connected to bits I still have anyway.
The other two are T'd together and vented into the subframe when the carbon canister used to vent to. I have retained the non-return valve which was on one of these pipes coming from the engine which might well be the vent from the tank?

Things that gets me... does petrol conduct electricity??

How come the pump doesnn't short out in the tank?

JGM :)

Haven't bothered updating this for a while..

Since found out that my assumed knowledge in the above post about the fuel tank and pressure are completely wrong..

:)

Still running with no carbon canister and no problems since finding a vacuum line leak on one of the connections, which the standard ecu was managing to get around with out to many problems but when I fitted the Link ECU I was having to do some weird map settings. With help diagnosed a leak somewhere in the vacuum lines.. a dark evening checking all the vacuumlines found the pipe which was no connected once sorted my mapping had to start again as the map was complete crap and was mapping around the vacuum leak.

I have since fitted my 550 Blitz injectors and thank you to Pavlo for the adapters to fit them to my phase 1 rails and also for mapping advice. Along with a few others along the way.

I have also done away with the standard horrible air intake pipe onto the turbo with all the breather connections and ISCV connection.. my ISCV is now vented to atmosphere (which reminds me I must fit a filter on it).

The car is now running fine, on the map I have done on it but it is not much fun driving using the Link Logging and then tweaking the map from the log and then driving again etc.. but with the OE lambda sensor I have a reasonable map running just over 1bar and no knock..
It is fairly rich as I have aired on the rich side incase the narrow band sensor is shot.
I have a 3bar map sensor to fit to allow the boost to be upped, although there are boost control issues to be resolved at the current boost first.. currently overshoots the target slightly by about 5psi and then stutters back to target..

Idle problems on the 550s still exist slightly but hopefully that can be resolved with a bit more time spent looking at the map or if someone who has experiance at mapping looks at the car. Mark was going to be doing this and suppling a nice large K&N to allow me to bin the maf housing.. but unfortunatly my wife has been ill and I have had to look after her instead. Maybe next week.

Simon :)

Whilst everyone else in the house was ill and asleep in bed this morning I managed to sort the ICSV filter etc..

:)

Filter and no intake pipe
icsv filter (http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/photo.php?id=1992761)
http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1992761&outx=600&oq=0

Nearly a tidy engine bay?!

engine bay (http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/photo.php?id=1992762)
http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1992762&outx=600&oq=0

Noticed I have a power steering pump leak so looks like need weekend will be replacing the seals on the pump and tank etc..
Also think I should put a mesh on the fmic as noticed a couple of bent fins..

:)

JGM :D


[Edited by Jolly Green Monster - 12/14/2003 8:44:54 PM]

3Bar map sensor fitted this evening and progression with the idle on the Link.

Thanks for map tips go to Pavlo, David Wallis and a post of WRXHackers for help :)

So I can run upto 2bar now with this MAP sensor.. rest of the car is not up to it but BOOST here we come..

MARK now about this remap ;) pretty please...

Simon