• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

Boosted on a budget

I was ordered to perform duty at a moments notice down south for a couple of days. wont have an update until Saturday :-(
 
Still hunting down my troubles. I replaced the intank pump and that didn't change anything, grounded MSD directly to negative post on battery and that didn't change anything. Next I plan on bypassing MSD and seeing how that runs just it rule out MSD. Then if that doesn't change I will change the plug gap from .28 to .25 and see if that helps.

Anyone care to comment on what gap they run?
 
Well almost a month later and I finally have an update.
The issue with the sputtering is quite funny actually. So, apparently my gas gauge is off a bit, and it could have been messed up from the twisting and turning to get the darn thing back in when I replaced the intank pump the first time. Anyways, under hard acceleration, the gas was not enough to reach the pick up and was starving. I fixed the level reading by bending a metal tab on the housing that stops the float level rod from going higher or lower, and its accurate now.
With fuel in this thing, it pulls hard! The only thing is, it pulls way too much fuel too?
I have been working with Shane to figure out my issue and we are exhausted at this point.
On another note, I decided to install a rail with a schrader valve.
I sand blasted it:

BFA6426A-9998-45BE-A2A4-12C4EBAFFC9F.jpg


Then I had to delete the CSI so I chopped the bracket off, welded the hole inside and bolted it back on:
33A51D7A-623D-4E38-AD77-5DAD0D501ABC.jpg


46C90A00-BDD9-4ADB-8C6F-029BA74AF9EB.jpg



I started the beast up and fuel shot everywhere!! I noticed the rail was bent and was causing number 4 injector to not seat well.. I was frustrated so I decided to make my own billet aluminum rail.. I am still not finished yet but ,once I am I will post photos.

I ordered form Amazon and heres what I received:
A30E0729-EEAB-4332-8431-8413B38EEE14.jpg


I was going to anodize it black but it already came that way!! less work for me!
8AF537AB-F572-4860-926C-5F47A2F9E48C.jpg


5CF095F2-6FA3-4294-9479-4B6A94DCE3B6.jpg



I was looking into options for a 3 bar FPR to mount to it. I decided to do some homework and found that Mazda's use a smaller 3bar as well as Hondas. Went to the junkyard to find a few.

Got some and blasted/painted them:(some before and after shots)
Mazda:
3450F8F0-3344-44C4-B4FC-FA824DA0508D.jpg


D81B7126-B5FF-44F1-AE79-B9B8BEE51DEB.jpg


Honda:
0D1AE3BF-8591-44BD-9AB2-E6A6B6FF6E88.jpg


1BD3B524-E5DB-4640-9A5D-875998263C7D.jpg


5C0007C2-9A1C-4509-A19F-9E87BB0D5026.jpg


B2780E0E-A939-41B5-804D-947E4DC284BA.jpg


7D0DCFDD-8292-40C3-8371-487B33CA361B.jpg



Thanks to some help provided, I was able to get information on the specs needed to build this rail. So here you can see that if I use a stock FPR, the rail will be the correct length and I wont need to cut it down:

Volvo:
F28DE917-5F48-4B54-A154-0B83F2ACDA08.jpg


If I use the Mazda/Honda FPR, I will have to trim it down by 1.5"
Honda:
29EBB493-7E9D-478F-AE38-EDE84AE9DBF4.jpg


Mazda:
7D03F120-2F85-4DD4-99D7-8F48291D0EE9.jpg


And here you can see a line up for the difference in sizes:
E2372FB1-2CCF-46D3-ACD1-67040A186F41.jpg


I had to order some new fuel line to accommodate this rail and it should all be here soon. Once I get it on I will post some updates.

In the mean time, I made a Boost leak tester so I can see where my leaks are:
B13BA2F9-F04D-4F11-A3BB-815ADE10A86B.jpg


57EA4C79-029C-47E5-9D87-BE4750C94601.jpg


0056958A-E8B7-41F6-98D2-8F6768E7213B.jpg



Ill post my findings here tonight! Wish me luck!
 
Everything on this car looks incredible and very clean, even the pressure tester you made looks better than any I've seen lol. Can't wait until this thing runs right.
 
Thanks man. I want this thing to run too. I have no idea ways wron. I think Jerd had the same issue a few years back and gave up and installed MS.
 
Ok so after I performed my ghetto fab boost leak tester, I have results:
Only 3 spots were leaking
8378671A-B931-4814-852C-4B01A9B51CB8.jpg


The throttle body gasket, the fuel pressure regulator hose, and my intake hose.

Not bad if I say so myself.

I am getting tired of looking at the bubbled up paint on my valve cover that used to be elegant, so I got out a spare and blasted away:
A181C911-9F7B-49AA-B175-0630F9BBF39C.jpg


I started one stage of brown rouge polish:
A287D6FC-4745-47C0-8C33-CB8AB5CEA006.jpg


I will finish with the red an white tonight. I hope. I am picking up an oven so I can start powder coating. I will hit the valve cover up and some BBS wheel faces here soon.

Stay tuned while I start all these projects that I never finish!
 
So I apologize for those of you who like looking forward to my updates. I do have a few for you guys. I seem to be all over the place right now since I get bored with one thing and move on to another, or I cant afford to finish something so I start something else.


Anyhow, Here is an update on a rear coilover prototype I have been messing around with. It works great!

Step 1: Go to junk yard and grab a set of upper shock mounts: ($2.00 at jy)
C4F5C7C6-BC86-41D3-9D53-38A6649EEF7E.jpg


Step 2: get some cheap coilovers from a junk yard or online somewhere ($8.00 at jy)
sleeve.jpg


Step 3: Measure the coilover collar and cut out the center of mount top and bottom all the way through:
0B75B667-6E11-4933-A99B-DDD4EC9FF990.jpg


469C62CF-9E6E-4EE1-9BF0-F893EA6A4CD1.jpg


Step 4: Drill and tap hole for mounting the threading nut to spring mount:
BA1DF114-92F7-4205-9ABD-B4CF7A0266AC.jpg


A73ECAD1-C91C-4A77-A77E-6A6C7BE8941A.jpg


Step 5: Find a pipe that fits inside the sleeve you have. Get a washer and weld it to the pipe. Slide sleeve over pipe asm. No pictures ($0.00 stuff laying around the garage)

Step 6: Cut your springs or buy some 5" Outer diameter springs of choice or use 5" OD springs from something like a Jeep from a jy or something. I bought some Eibach springs ($55)

Step 7: Thread new mount to sleeve asm you just made and bolt it to the lower control arm.

Step 8: Slide spring on:
7A67F93C-525E-4502-8EFF-095AC8CA27F1.jpg



Step 9: Adjust height:
DF216EE0-FEDE-4FD5-B755-8F200E64055E.jpg


Step 10: Drink a PBR and congratulate yourself on a GhettoFab coilover kit.

I built these as a test and then drove the car around to see how well it does, to my surprise it was pretty solid. It looks like my sleeve is going to hit the upper mount but it doesn't. I have since trimmed it down flush with the mount. I took them off to blast/paint them and should be pretty nice once bolted back up.

I will be drilling a hole and using zip ties to hold the spring to the mount for larger bumps that would unseat the spring.


Cheap and easy, just how I like her, I mean it...
 
Last edited:
Probably not a bad idea to secure them to the seat but I doubt you'll extend the suspension enough to unseat the spring. I never secured the ones on my 142 and they haven't gone anywhere in 15k miles.
 
I also have a little more to post on my fuel rail I have been building.

Recap: I bought the rail online at Amazon for about $26 shipped.
I had to buy a countersink bit. I think it was $10 but I could have used a larger drill bit if I had one.
I bought a 13.5mm drill bit since I didnt have one that large.:oops: It was a cheap one for $8.


I first tapped the ends:
BEAFEDD0-27AC-4C84-8ABD-1092E3913BF3.jpg




Then I counter sunk the ends to use an ORB fitting:
84F0A2B3-7708-4D36-BD39-0E7F12438B9B.jpg




I measured the distances between the injectors and made some markings:
96E402A7-ADBA-465A-8595-161D38E8C0C4.jpg




Set the rail on the existing rail to see where I wanted my FPR:
52E42179-6F8D-41D5-9F5A-68C6D54D581D.jpg




I drilled the pilot hole for injectors, then used a 3/8 bit, then the 13.5 bit for the final size. The last bit only goes 8.5mm inside:
3A9C3D34-61F6-470B-AAEE-8E8C87A18F87.jpg


AFD769AE-9ECD-4FAB-B23F-A45C2B020E14.jpg


25E1BC7A-2024-4DFE-94CD-7A22A399B245.jpg




I then drilled the hole for the FPR. I am using a Mazda 3bar that comes on almost every Mazda at the jy so if I need another one its readily available:
78513EF3-AE19-49F7-89A0-2E55E75273BC.jpg


4CC5D4D1-81CE-45DD-87D7-94AAD38C489D.jpg



The hole is smaller than that of the Volvo FPR so if I ever wanted to use that one, I can drill the hole larger.

I have not yet gotten around to drilling and tapping the hold downs for the injectors or the mounting to intake. I am using the stock white block injector hold downs and cutting them to size/shape.

So far so good. Im excited to install it.
 
Not to overwhelm everyone with updates, but I have one more.

With the power that I am now putting out, the stock clutch is no good. we all knew that. Well then again, we all know that an M46 wont hold up to that power either.

I had a T5 tranny laying around. I decided to finally start saving up for the swap parts.

Me being Frugal.. aw hell, just plain cheap, I was torn between using the dog dish flywheel or a flat flywheel. Only problem is, I have LH2.4 so I would need the flywheel machined. So I sought out for one already made up.

In the mean time, I called around looking for the proper clutch that could hold approximately 300-350ftlbstq. I ended up getting the best price/customer service from Southbend by a cat named John. very nice individual. He was able to get me the Clutch disc using the 10 spline T5, the PP rated for what I need that will mount to the flywheel and the throwout bearing as well all for $350. Seems like a good deal but still a lot of money.

Well I had some time to decide on that so i figured I would go ahead and source the Adapter plate. I ended up shooting Ben an email and asked him some questions about his plate and the machining etc. After quite a bit of emailing (awesome guy and very quick at responding), I decided to buy his plate, brass bushings, and the bellhousing with machine work.

I happened to ask Ben if he had a flywheel for 2.4. He wrote me back and said sure do. I got pretty excited.
Then he said he was sold out. Bummer. Later he replied and said he had built a flywheel for himself that was a flat flywheel machined for 2.4 and ALSO machined for both the Volvo PP and the Saab Aero PP! I went ahead and got that from him.

After researching, I ended up finding out that the 9-3 turbo and the 9-5 turbo could be used. I knew where there was a Saab 9-3 Viggen and a 9-5 Aero at the yard that were both manual. After research, the Viggen held more torque than the 2.3L 9-5 turbo. I went there and attempted to pull the clutch after work. I got pretty close to getting the tranny out and then the yard closed. I am going back tomorrow after work to finish the job. New Saab PP= $, used =$10. All I need to source now is the disc. I can get one from Josh for $110 I think.



Here's what came in the mail today!:
Flywheel.jpg


Fork%20Bushings.jpg


Adapter.jpg


You can see how much you have to machine the housing in this picture:
Machining.jpg


He even gave me hardware! What a swell seller. Didn't think it came with it.
Tranny%20parts.jpg




Well all I need now is the input shaft from a V8 (mine is a V6) and shorten my driveshaft and weld a plate or build a custom tranny crossmember. I will see.



Stay tuned for more updates!
 
Back
Top