JhnRX7's Weekend Track Toy Build

[TitaniumTT]

Originally Posted by JhnRX7

So my FD is down for the winter and its time for some long overdue motor work. The last time the current motor was out of the car was in 2004. I have not put a ton of miles on the motor (maybe 35k), but they have been hard miles. I had been having smoking issues over the past year so I finally decided to pull it and tear it down.

Seeing as I built this motor when I was 17, there were quite a few things I would have done different had I known better. It appears that I had ported slightly into the oil control ring causing the front oil control rings to wear well past spec. I believe that, combined with using the original (now 120k mile) metal control rings ultimately led to the smoking.

There were other issues I found while I was in there, chattering from the 3mm seals, a dented rotor, and poor side seal clearance on the rear rotor just to name a few. The rusty coolant passages were from years ago when I lived in FL I made the mistake of running the system with little to no coolant.

See the blow by here… this explains why my catch can was filling with fuel!

I have cleaned everything and stacked the parts away on a shelf until I decide what to do. I want to start over with a 2mm motor, and polished stock ports. For now, I am focusing on other projects.

That's pretty good considering the type of miles that your car has seen. What so you think caused the chattering? Hurley, 3mm or what are you using for oil injection? Straight stock or premix in the tank as well?

What are you going to be running for seals in the new motor?

I like stock ports.... they have their place depending on application. The 'vert engine I built was originally supposed to be just a stock engine with a stock turbo making 270rwhp. I didn't change the port timing at all, just cleaned everything up significantly and spent some time in the bowls.

I've since changed my mind and will be doing WM injection, building a mani for it, running either a TO4 something or a BW S360. New power goal is 450. All I'm going to do is crack the keg open and replace the Apex seals... that's it.

Originally Posted by JhnRX7

…other project such as a redesigned, overbuilt fuel system!

This past weekend Mr. Ambrosio (RENESISFD a.k.a "Hard Line Master") came down to lend a hand in bending and flaring hard lines for the entire car. I used 3/8" 316L Stainless along with an assortment of tube nuts and fittings. With John's assistance and his fancy hydraulic flaring tool we were able to complete all the motor lines as well as the under car lines.

VERY sexy...

Originally Posted by JhnRX7

Injectors will be ID1000 primary, ID 2000 Secondary. Seeing as E85 requires 30% more fuel I upped the stock 5/16" lines to 3/8" which should be plenty for my goals. I maintained the original in series fuel routing. The primary to secondary hard line is my favorite. It fits within a groove in the water pump with thousands of an inch to spare on all sides!

Very sexy indeed.... my only concern would be heating of the SS line in that area being that close to the WP housing. But then again, with the amount of fuel flowing through it, I don't think it will be that much of a problem.....

Originally Posted by JhnRX7

We replicated the OEM under car lines which was not an easy task. 13 bends in each line and if any one was off the whole thing would not fit! I am no longer running a purge control valve so the charcoal canister will vent at the rear of the car. Luckily, the 3/8" lines were able to fit in the OEM clips and everything bolts up exactly as stock



I picked up the newest 2013 GM flex fuel sensor. This sensor is also made by continental like the others however it is smaller and has improved electronics. "Outputs ethanol concentration and fuel temperature within 250ms after start-up" as opposed by 500ms with the older sensor… not sure how much that matters, but I like that it is smaller.

Been there, done that, more than a few times.... I get quicker each time, but I like it less each time as well

Originally Posted by JhnRX7

I have yet to determine what I am going to do between the under car lines and the fuel pump. I need to figure out a fuel filter solution first. I plan on running the AEM 320lph E85 pump in tank.

are you going to run any type if surge tank or anything of that nature given how much you track the car?

[JhnRX7]

Originally Posted by TitaniumTT

That's pretty good considering the type of miles that your car has seen. What so you think caused the chattering? Hurley, 3mm or what are you using for oil injection? Straight stock or premix in the tank as well?

Yeah, I was running Hurley 3mm seals. The OMP system is stock. I did not start premixing until a few years ago. However I have always changed my oil religiously.

Originally Posted by TitaniumTT

What are you going to be running for seals in the new motor?

TBD

Originally Posted by TitaniumTT

Very sexy indeed.... my only concern would be heating of the SS line in that area being that close to the WP housing. But then again, with the amount of fuel flowing through it, I don't think it will be that much of a problem.....

This is a valid concern. One I had not really considered... The flex fuel sensor also measures fuel temperature, I will have to monitor fuel temp to see how it is affected as the car warms up. Worst case, that is an easy line to re-do.

Originally Posted by TitaniumTT

are you going to run any type if surge tank or anything of that nature given how much you track the car?

This is part of the reason I did not finish off the rear of the car. I am seriously considering a radium surge tank or the setup Ambrosio has (just not welded in the tank). I want to mount it under the car to maintain a stock appearance.

[RXtacy]

Originally Posted by JhnRX7

…other project such as a redesigned, overbuilt fuel system!

I recently had the opportunity to tune an E85 FD and I was very impressed with the capability of the fuel. Not only the knock suppression, but mainly the cooling ability! The coolant temps on that car were rock solid despite the fact it had a completely insufficient cooling system (greedy FMIC, no under tray, etc).

I have always liked the idea of water injection, but never installed it because I don't like the idea of installing additional mechanical systems on the car. My ECU has full Flex Fuel capability so it seemed to me E85 was the obvious choice. Once everything is all setup and tuned I just need to go to the gas pump. The ethanol content will dictate the power the motor makes by automatically adjusting between the 93 map/boost settings and the E85 map/boost settings.

I don't have lofty power goals. I am not using E85 was a way to achieve a big number. Truth be told, I will probably be running 93 the majority of the time. I simply want to take advantage of more capabilities of the ECU and I wanted an excuse to overbuild the fuel system

This past weekend Mr. Ambrosio (RENESISFD a.k.a "Hard Line Master") came down to lend a hand in bending and flaring hard lines for the entire car. I used 3/8" 316L Stainless along with an assortment of tube nuts and fittings. With John's assistance and his fancy hydraulic flaring tool we were able to complete all the motor lines as well as the under car lines.



Injectors will be ID1000 primary, ID 2000 Secondary. Seeing as E85 requires 30% more fuel I upped the stock 5/16" lines to 3/8" which should be plenty for my goals. I maintained the original in series fuel routing. The primary to secondary hard line is my favorite. It fits within a groove in the water pump with thousands of an inch to spare on all sides!

We replicated the OEM under car lines which was not an easy task. 13 bends in each line and if any one was off the whole thing would not fit! I am no longer running a purge control valve so the charcoal canister will vent at the rear of the car. Luckily, the 3/8" lines were able to fit in the OEM clips and everything bolts up exactly as stock

I picked up the newest 2013 GM flex fuel sensor. This sensor is also made by continental like the others however it is smaller and has improved electronics. "Outputs ethanol concentration and fuel temperature within 250ms after start-up" as opposed by 500ms with the older sensor… not sure how much that matters, but I like that it is smaller.

I have yet to determine what I am going to do between the under car lines and the fuel pump. I need to figure out a fuel filter solution first. I plan on running the AEM 320lph E85 pump in tank.

Hardlines look great!

Originally Posted by JhnRX7

This is part of the reason I did not finish off the rear of the car. I am seriously considering a radium surge tank or the setup Ambrosio has (just not welded in the tank). I want to mount it under the car to maintain a stock appearance.

The Radium surge tank is a sexy piece.