Project "Fiat V-Spec" (page 8) |
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Finishing up |
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- - - 2/21/04 - - - Today the car got an exhaust system. While it wasn't the huge system I was hoping for due to space constrictions (only 2" each side, dumping into a single 2.5"), the guy did a wonderful job of tucking it very close to the floor and in very tight quarters. I also had to slightly re-route the wires to the starter. Picture 1 is the full exhaust
system. I actually re-used the rearmost section from the NA engine
The car is now wonderfully quiet - not quite OEM quiet but much better than basically the same exhaust system on the NA engine. Check out the 1.3MB .WAV file HERE I changed the oil to synthetic, although the dented oil pan doesn't allow me to drain all the oil (only 3.5 of the 4.25 qts). I have a 3.36 R180 differential lined up, so that's "in process" as well. - - - 2/24/04 - - - Today's progress: Blow off valves and the hood cut for the intercoolers. Two more items down! Well OK we need to seal the area between the intercoolers and the hood, but Ron did a nice job of making the holes for them. I also plan on having some kind of screen in the openings
- - - 3/1/04 - - - After driving the car a few more times with the new exhaust it's apparent the reduction from 2.5" down pipes to 2" exhaust has limited the boost to about 9psi. Previously I was able to get about 15PSI. While not a show stopper is it is disappointing, it's basically a loss of probably 70 horsepower! Talking to the shop they were uncooperative but instead of fighting with them I will live with this and build a center section (the part they built is removeable) on my own - bolting up the "slow" exhaust portion if I really need to take the car somewhere before I'm done. Before I start, perhaps tomorrow I'll take the car on it's first commute to work....but first I have to give it a shakedown cruise. Tonight I took the car for a 45 minute cruise and as the trek to work is only 20 minutes, I should be ok. Some impressions: Fairly anticlimactic. Mainly because the DETT seriously runs out of steam in the upper RPM's and makes only 8PSI. While it makes tons of torque from a decently low RPM, I'd guess it's making 260-270HP since it refuses to breathe up top. On the other hand it's entirely possible to drive it like an NA car and never get into the boost - in fact my first 20 minutes of driving I didn't have any less than 5in of vacuum, so it's entirely possible to give someone a ride and they'd never know what kind of power reserves it has. Also when cruising at highway speeds and you mash the throttle the turbos spool RIGHT NOW, with amazingly little lag. Now if I can only get it to breathe up top and generate 15PSI like before the exhaust system! What's left on this project? Little things mostly : Filter for valve cover
breather - - - 3/18/04 - - - I've driven the car to work and a couple other places a few times now, and the car is quite reliable and pretty quick - to about 4000rpm. I have the air dam on so the intercoolers now get airflow through them, but man does that exhaust need to be fixed! In addition to that I now have the ball rolling on the brake upgrade. It will consist of 200SX (v6) struts with 300ZX ('90+ aka "Z32") calipers squeezing 300ZX ('84-'89 aka "Z31") rotors. This setup will necessitate a wheel change – the 15x6 swastika’s go away and will be replaced by 16x7.5 300ZX (Z32) wheels [picture] Since I will now have nearly-real traction (225/40’s in the back) I am now sure the Subaru R160 LSD would be in trouble, so I’ve now ordered up an LSD R180 with a 3.36 ratio. The exhaust will get upgraded at the same time, so it will be a very different car. No ETA on when this will be completed, but hopefully by the end of April it will be tearing up the streets for real. - - - 4/16/04 - - - The car is now with Jeff at www.teamthump.com. The Q45 fuel pump died a few weeks ago, so I bought a new ZXTT fuel pump and it is going into a 610 fuel tank (more capacity than the 510 one). Jeff is doing this upgrade as well as the exhaust and wheel/tire/brake upgrade. The 3.36 R180 has been ordered and paid for, so that is also currently in process. The tires I bought are 215/40-16 for the front and 225/40-16 for the rear. Once Jeff is done it should be a very different car than I had driven around for a few weeks.
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