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Well, I had my first setback on the project when I went to blow a 2.5" hole in the fabricated part of the hot side for my blow off valve. I had used a heavy wall stainless available on Amazon and it was good to work with but heavy and seemed to have a low than typical melting point when welding. Using the plasma blasted some dross into the inside opposite the hole and it is embedded and I cannot get it out. I am afraid with extreme heat some could break loose and go through the turbo so this piping is junk now. I Got new good 304 stainless like is more typical and starting over on it.
Life is hard,, it is even harder when you do stupid stuff...
Mostly took the weekend off, done some more trading and decided to go with a Holley EfI Sniper lower profile intake. Working today to build a new hot side after my little screw up with the plasma cutter on the other one. I turned it into a stainless test weld piece for striking arcs and practicing before welding the real thing. Got this tacked up but have to go find all the needed stuff to back purge this assy while welding. Done some testing and it is the only way to avoid the sugaring inside the pipe when welding. Back to making progress. Got all the new and some different fuel system stuff in to do (3) 340's in the tank, that will be a project soon.
Got this tacked up carefully w/o an argon back purge setup but I got one ordered. I think one of the very best places to self learn how to weld is via. Jody Collier on you tube and his channel "Welding Tips And Tricks" As such I always patronize his store if there is anything I can use and sometimes I buy stuff I do not even need as a way of saying thanks. Ordered the dual output flow regulator back purge setup from him today. I can weld this out once it gets here, stainless is beautiful, appropriate and easy to weld but it certainly has special needs when welding. These tiny welds and tacks is the and slightly beyond what you can do w/o the back gas setup.
About got this finished up this afternoon. So out with the old and In with the new. I like this placement much better stands up taller and tighter to the front of the engine, makes more room in front of the turbocharger, less conflict between all the hot,cold side and waste gate and it makes it easy to grab cold air out of the fender well and keeps the exhaust going out and down under the car where it belongs. Here is some pictures and even one looking in the inlet where you can see the waste gate port. Final Answer...
Some new tools this time. Got an evolution cut off saw and it is all that and a box of chocolates, got in my new dual regulator so I can back purge the stainless Turbo " Hook Up's " I am building, and the 03-04 cobra fuel tank is done, assembled it with an on3 fuel hat that carries (3) on3 340 lph fuel pumps and their fuel sending units. Hi hope but low expectation for now. We will see. If this fails me I will be building Fox body specific drag race fuel cells made from tig welded aluminum that fit in the spare tire well. More info in the notes below the video.
Finally got the drive line down in the car and feel like I am making some headway. Everything is fitting super nice. No clearance issues anywhere. Start on fuel trans cooler lines and electrical now. I will measure for and order a drive shaft now too.
Installed the firewall grommet for the wiring harness to run through and laid the wiring in place to see what was gonna work and what was not. Gonna need a wbo2 extension harness is all I see for now.
I got both but Using the NTK from Holley and keeping the bosch style for my backup, it came with the dominator / terminator system.
Now that I am all set up and turbo oriented in this direction that expensive wbo2 sensor is looking kind of venerable to thrown belts. Wish I had some good info on what kind of rpm the truck belts stay stable to.
Everything is a pain, seem I used to just get by somehow. Now these days and after 40 years of car building and accumulating all these tools I seem to have to mill, lathe fabricate or weld everything I touch. today i broke out these special hardened flange head bolts I had bought just for the bell housing to block, the configuration matched all the bolts in the ls from the factory and I wanted them as deep as possible in the aluminum engine block. Well, I found the flange too big on the diameter and have to use the lathe to trim them down, 2 minutes after taking this picture I realized they were all 1 thread too long and had to go back and trim them all by 2 threads. My car may not be the nicest or fastest but there is a lot of attention to detail went into it. Really has Bogged me down compared to when I was younger...
Still grinding on the car, little slow with holiday stuff, got in my flex fuel sensor stuff and found it in the box on Christmas morning !! Now I do believe in Santa again... Also welding up this behind the strut tower puke tank for trans vent and crank case as well. I will put a pleated breather on top and a drain on the bottom...
Not really, took a month off i guess, need to get back on it. Actually thinking tomorrow is the day, wife outta town this week doing some training. Drive train is in to stay and laying the harness in place currently. Chassis wiring to follow.
Been gathering more parts, and I got most everything I need, short of a driveshaft. Wheather getting warmer so I will open the shop back up. Been traveling and took some time off.
Oh yes, I got all the hard stuff done, drive train is all in to stay, just gotta run the wiring, brake and fuel lines, "all in stock" and order the drive shaft. I had held off on the DS due to needing to install all new bolts in the rear suspension and throw in the solid upper bushings, it has had no bushing in the housing uppers up to now so could not trust getting a good #
Was thinking about you and your car the other day.
I was thinking crap I never got ahold of Doug when we have went out to the track. Lol to my defense with this weather it’s been a last minute decision to go
It should be but I have not spent any time on it since mid winter. I hope to get back on it soon. I need to, wire, plumb, buy a shifter and a driveshaft. Fab work is all done and waiting on me.
11-27-2018, 03:17 PM
