DET17's "Project cheap thrills" - '92 944T

[Roy 940]

I've noticed a nice improvement with my JT Full 3" exhaust over the BSR/Simon 2.5" exhaust, but my car was equipped with a 3" DP...

[DET17]

Engine management / instrumentation:

I decided go take the easy route on my DD....keep LH2.4, and just install some improved fuel & ignition chips to take care of the extra boost which is foreseen.

Found a nice set of later model LH2.4 boxes....the EZK Gold box, and this ECU fuel box:

[IMG][/IMG]

Both have been fitted with TLAO chips, aka "Mikes Chips". Here is the fuel chip, with 6500 RPM cut:

[IMG][/IMG]

Time will tell how these will work. If spark issue present themselves, I will plan a "Bucha Spark" wasted spark setup in the future....but not for starters. We shall see if 12 PSI of boost requires more spark than the EZK and single coil distributor setup can deliver.

All the sages say that "you gotta have a wideband and KNOW your AFR's"....so I bought an AEM wideband, lightly used. The factory in dash boost gauge on the 9's is a joke, with colors to tell you where you how much boost you have . I prefer a real boost/vacuum gauge. Not exactly NIST traceable, but it beats the hell out of the stock in-dash gauge. Lastly, always nice to know what kind of oil pressure is within the engine, so I rescured a 5 bar Volvo gauge from an old Bertone, then bought a new VDO sender from eGauges.com to match it. I purchased the type with the dual output, including "idiot light contact"; I believe it is labeled WK which I suspect is German for the "wet kontact" idiot light. Nice wiring instructions are available for download from eGauges.com that make it straight forward. The VDO sender that I used has 1/8" NPT male threads, and the B230 redblocks have an M14x1.5 straight thread with copper gasket port. My old friend TF came to the rescue, and hooked me up with a nice adapter made by Autometer (part# 2267); bought mine on Amazon for around $10, fits perfectly. Do NOT use any teflon tape, as you will ruin the ground path to the block. Hold your mouth "just right" and tighten the NPT threads until you get the sender oriented for optimal wiring connection. End result: I retained the dash idiot light and also have my 5 bar gauge.

Now, where to mount these nice new gauges? I've only seen 2 options on the 7/9's (that are reasonably low cost): the triple gauge A pillar setup, and the Nathaninwa "center AC vent replacement gauge mount". Well this decision was easy....down here in the humid almost tropic SE, you NEED all the AC you can get for a DD. True performance-only cars; sure, rip the AC out along with the center vent and install the huge FMIC. But for this DD work car, I'm keeping mine, along with the cruise control, power seat, etc. etc. So the decision was made.....triple gauge A pillar.

Found this triple A pillar mount from another TB member, an IPD unit. SwiftJustice down in Texas, gave me a good tip on plastic paint....the specialist is SEM. I found their products available on the web, approx. $12 a can for the various colors. Be sure to prepare you plastic properly, as per SEM recommendations & with their materials. Well the 3rd time was a charm as I first guessed a color, painted, compared, but trying to match the 92 tan interior with 20 year old faded plastic was tough. Finally I settled on CAMEL as the best fit color, which is as good as it gets to make it look like it belongs (no black pillar RICER look for me). Compared to the paint color, the real bitch was building a wiring harness to fit up inside the pillar....connect the boost /oil pressure gauges to my dash lighting so I could dim them with all the instruments. Thankfully I found the Volvo wiring diagrams available online (thanks TrickMick). Some careful reconn. and I was able to find the power/grounds that I needed.

Installing the AEM is a job in itself. Sadly, I've got no pics, but here is a summary. Bought a "weld on bung" with the correct thread for the Bosch sensor, located it all the way at the end of my 940T 2.63" stocker downpipe, just barely behind the AW71 crossmember. Carefully marked the location (30* angle upwards for the sensor), then had a buddy drill the DP and weld on the bung. Mounted the sender inline cable plug on the drivers side of the crossmember; drilled a hole and made a custom steel plate mount to attach it up and protected by the crossmember from road debris. Then fed the AEM cable up along side the fuel supply/return lines, snaked up under the brake power booster, and into the corner of the firewall where the rubber booties are for wires passing from cabin to engine. Run a fish wire thru.....taped a "pull wire" up onto my AEM cable, slathered it up in dish soap lube, then pulled into the dash. You should drop the ABS computer box and it's mounting brackets, located up in the LH corner of the footpedal area, to gain access to fish the cables thru. Once up under the dash, you find the small passage to enter the A-pillar area.....so the AEM cables, lighting wires, braided boost hose, and the oil pressure signal wire all feed up there. Tight, but it all fits. Building a harness....measure twice, cut once. I solder and shrink tube everything, no wire nuts, no electrical tape...but that's how I roll

Here is the finished A pillar system installed:

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

I think it looks pretty damn good! Worried a bit that it would be a blind spot...that it would block too much field of view. Truth be told, now after 200 miles on the car, I don't even see it as any obstruction. The only negative thus far is the old 5 bar oil pressure gauge is really dim at night, even with a brand new lamp. I understand the lighting on all the 52mm 240 gauges are bad, and many upgrade to LED's, etc. I can see it just fine for now, but later most likely will go LED. I would also like to have "real gauges" for VOLTS and WATER TEMP, but those will have to wait for now, and I would have to find someplace reasonable to install them. Cheap Thrills will roll with these for now.

[Harlard]

WK probably means Warnungskontakt or Warnung Kontakt, as the word in German for wet is "nass"

PS: I like your pillar pod, where did you get it? EDIT: Never mind.

[DET17]

Originally Posted by harribert

WK probably means Warnungkontakt or Warnung Kontakt, as the word in German for wet is "nass"

PS: I like your pillar pod, where did you get it? EDIT: Never mind.

Alles klar! I was confused by the electric terms of wet/dry contacts, but your explanation makes sense.

IPD, who I believe just distributes someone else's part. I like it a helluva lot better than I thought I would

[Roy 940]

How run your car now?

[DET17]

Roy, I'm satisfied with the torque it has, and I'm only running 7 PSI of boost at the moment. I will begin adjusting the MBC up a rev. each day....I want to give the LH 2.4 time to learn as the power increases....and watch my AFR's at the same time to make sure I don't run out of injector. My Ford Browntops are tested/flowed 36 pound/hour at 3 Bar, and that is supposed to support around 230~240 HP. However with my stock 530 head, I don't know if that power level is possible. We shall see.

[Roy 940]

Torque is funny! But I think you can increase the boost to 10/12 PSI w/o any issue, even with your brownies...

[DET17]

Originally Posted by Roy 940

Torque is funny! But I think you can increase the boost to 10/12 PSI w/o any issue, even with your brownies...

Yes sir, 12 PSI is the target with my stock IC, so long as the AFR's read good under full throttle. I will be adjusting the MBC step by step to get there.

[DET17]

Tweaked the MBC again, hit 8 psi this morning on the ride to work. The fun meter is climbing!

[M.H. Yount]

ad·dic·tion   [uh-dik-shuhn]
noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics or boost, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

[Roy 940]

+1!

[M.H. Yount]

I remember the first time I added an Access Port and tune to one of my Subie WRX's. I'm not sure what I expected -- I'd read the literature, tests, users comments -- all glowing reports of free power/torque with absolutely no downside in drivability. But there aren't words to describe the audible giggle that occurred the first time I laid into it hard -- which was about 30 seconds after the tune install. And then - I couldn't stop. I had a good month's worth of the worst fuel mileage ever.....I had become addicted to increased boost.

[DET17]

Originally Posted by M.H. Yount

ad·dic·tion   [uh-dik-shuhn]
noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics or boost, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

I'm reminded of the Robert Palmer song from back in 1988, "Simply Irresistible"

She's a craze you'd endorse, she's a powerful force
You're obliged to conform when there's no other course
She used to look good to me, but now I find her

Simply irresistible
Simply irresistible

She's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went
Simply irresistible she's all mine, there's no other way to go
She's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went
Simply irresistible she's all mine, there's no other way to go

[M.H. Yount]

The very definition of apropos.

[DET17]

The Hallman MBC ought to be the second thing every TBer buys....and a wideband to watch AFR's the first! 10+ PSI today on the drive to work, MORE fun. I have begun wondering what the stock hydraulic motor mounts will withstand The AW71 hopefully will minimize the shock loads in those mounts and keep them intact for a while.

TLAO chips & Ford Browntops are doing their respective things....AFR's still showing 10.0 (pegged) at WOT and boost. I'm going to hold at 12~13 PSI with my stock Volvo IC, but I also need to procure a BOV for the inevitable "whoops" moment, so I don't blow the endtanks off the damn thing.

Got my Kenwood head unit installed, and the dash/driver pedal area covers & knee bolster all reinstalled, hell it looks like a working vehicle from the inside My next area of focus will be getting the beast ready for some paint to a couple small damage areas (only a flesh wound!), and getting my 940 spoiler & trunklid painted to match the car. My goal is to have the paintwork completed, and hopefully my 17" Propus BBS wheels and Nitto rubber installed before the SE gathering. I guess I need to find out when the fall SE meet is happening........

[doucheNozzle]

10afrs? Yikes that's rich!

[M.H. Yount]

Pretty easy to fabricate some engine-movement-limiters so the motor/tranny mounts aren't asked to do more than they should. I prefer those made of tie-down strap material. Softly limits the movement without transmitting any vibration. Just have to be thoughtful about where you place them. And of course one on each side - deceleration can move it just as much the other way.

[Chris_R]

I've run 15PSI on my 88 745 with a 12b turbo and old-style intercooler. 15 PSI on my 92 with a 15G, Mike's chips and the newer style intercooler.

Start cranking that boost until the AFRs come into a reasonable level.

[DNAsEqUeNcE]

I had to run 26 psi before it started leveling out

[DET17]

Originally Posted by scottyd

10afrs? Yikes that's rich!

Indeed, I'd rather see around 11.5 AFRs , so I'm told, under WOT conditions. Cruising she seems about right, under vacuum conditions it is bouncing between 14.2 and 15. Part throttle or "tip in" as the old carb guys called it, around 12~13, but it certainly goes rich under FULL throttle (apparently as designed by TLAO).

Got to research and find a BOV to keep my factory IC together. Anthony Hyde says his research showed they are decent up to around 12 psi, even for some extended duration, but above that they heat soak and the effectiveness falls off the table.

First tank of gas only netted 18 MPG, and this one won't be any better

[DNAsEqUeNcE]

throw some more timing advance at it. do the ezk pin ground mod.

[DET17]

Originally Posted by M.H. Yount

Pretty easy to fabricate some engine-movement-limiters so the motor/tranny mounts aren't asked to do more than they should. I prefer those made of tie-down strap material. Softly limits the movement without transmitting any vibration. Just have to be thoughtful about where you place them. And of course one on each side - deceleration can move it just as much the other way.

Good suggestion, "ratchet strap" nylon webbing. Will investigate and see how/where to mount. I've already got a set of the early 7 series "manual biscuit mount" motor mounts, the type RSI makes the poly mounts for.....was planning to wait for the Getrag conversion in a year, unless I break these hydraulic mounts first

Funny thing along the way....bought a Cherry Turbo upper brace, not yet installed. When it arrived, I notice a bend in it, from beneath, right at the location of the spool. Checked with the seller, and he confirmed he broke a throttle spool or two when he was running a large turbo and 18 PSI. I believe I know where his engine movement limiter was!

[M.H. Yount]

Well - install it and put a piece of high density foam on the 'bend'. 'Course, there's still deceleration... Don't forget about your torque arm mount in the back --- as you are able to put down more and more torque - other stuff starts breaking.

[DET17]

Originally Posted by M.H. Yount

Well - install it and put a piece of high density foam on the 'bend'. 'Course, there's still deceleration... Don't forget about your torque arm mount in the back --- as you are able to put down more and more torque - other stuff starts breaking.

Got it handled.....I have waiting for my recovery from all this work....a Kaplhenke 7/9 rear subframe, and the SuperPro poly mounts for it. That should get the 1041 axle under control during accel/decel. Since I'm running the AW71, there won't be big shock loads to worry about. I'm too old to be doing neutral drops, I'll leave that to the TB kiddies.

[Harlard]

Beware once you set it to higher boost. My car pings like crazy on boost transition when it's warm and dry out, even with browntops on.