how much do you want for the GT30 and downpipe?

 

^^ PM'd you.



-----

OK so I did some more work last weekend.


Got the engine out! It wasn't that difficult. Installing the roll bar was more painful.



I thought I drained all the coolant but nope. You can also see my melted AC compressor. Gotta get a shield for my next one.



The horrible dirty hole left by my engine. This is why you don't install your valve cover gasket poorly, why you don't let your SS lines saw through your PS pump, why you try not to get busted DOA oil feed lines that spray oil all over your engine bay, why you use that hi temp threadlocker **** on your studs etc etc...



Annd a new clutch disc. After being sold a disc that was ground down into the studs and then a FAKE act clutch by two separate forum members, I smarted up and just bought one new. I'd like the 949 racing clutch but it's over $1000. This disc cost me $140 with bearings and the tool. If I really hate driving with it, it won't be a big loss.

 

Also, your engine bay will be cleaner if you leave in the factory splash pan:| It's not worth the .1lbs saved.


OK time for the most embarrassing part of my initial turbo install.



That is the frame rail. I "notched it" to install the GT3071. It was like, 2am, I had been installing my kit for about 3 weeks and i wanted the ******* thing to go in. I couldn't get the assembled manifold/turbo to fit onto the cylinder head studs. So I went out and got a sawzall and hacked until it fit in nice and easy. Then I got a hammer and beat on it. If I had known anything I would have just got a huge *** pry bar and pushed the engine a bit or taken the studs out or assmebled the turbo/mani once in the car etc etc etc.

So now this **** has to be fixed. I'd like to do something to try to restore the structural integrity of my car. The rail hasn't bent or anything in the past 30K miles (judging by tire wear) so I guess it's ok, but I am worried about the damage. I don't have a welder so I'm thinking about craigslisting someone's help (unless a superkind forum member wants to help). Or, jb welding a plate on. Or filling the entire crevasse with jb weld. This is why i haven't gone to any car meets since turboing. it just looks so bad.

 

Update--

Cleaned up the engine bay some while painting parts. Girlfriend helped a lot Got most of the soot and oil residue off and now it looks pretty ok. Am painting the intake manifold, the heatshields, and a few ugly parts black. I got POR15 and their manifold paint. Neither dries very smoothly at all.

Took the transmission off the old engine today to put on the new clutch and found this:



And this:



Which was probably caused by this and this:






I will probably also have to get the flywheel and pressure plate resurfaced because they look like this:





Currently waiting for this stuff to arrive in the mail:

1. BEGI coolant reroute
2. new injector seals
3. one of those orange injector clip booties. I lost one :(
4. some reflective foil
5. flywheel bolts
6. exhaust flange crush gasket
7. FM fuel rail, some plugs etc

Todo:

1. clutch assembly, tranny seals
2. hydramist everything tubing install-- gonna run it from trunk along fuel lines up tranny tunnel mebbe
3. catch can - getting this one: Peterson Fluid Systems : Breather Cans and will fit SS line to bottom to return to oil pan
4. Install plx gauge, sensors, and senders
5. get bung for second hydramist valve on intake
6. fix the ******* frame rail
7. "fab up" some heat shields for my AC compressor
8. install turboxs MBC
9. install knocklite

 

I hope you're cleaning everything spotless and replacing every accessible seal/gasket that could cause that mess again.

 

Yup, the new motor is properly sealed up. I didn't do it.

Easy question: Any recommendations on cleaning the bellhousing interior? I can scrape a lot of that off but I want it to be seriously clean. If I hose it out, will water find it's way inside the gearbox?

 

Probably not, but it probably could. Just use tons of disposable rags and a bottle of simple green. I always hate that part cause of all the nooks and crannys that are hard to reach. Damn transmission.

 

That spot that you hacked up is kind of structually important, don't you think? All the suspension points are right there. Weld it up, or find a friend who knows how to weld and box it back up! I did the same thing on my car, I have a lot of pictures of what I did in my build thread.

 

Yah, I am either copying your fix or will do a piece diagonally. I just need to find someone that can weld locally..

 

Would the GT3071 sit in place without cutting the frame, or did you do that to squeeze it in for the install? I'm sure you could DIY weld that.

 

No, it needs to be cut. The minimum amount that needs to be cut is only about an inch and a half by 4 inches. You will need to either remove the head studs and install them after you get the turbo and manifold in place or rock the engine out of the way with a pry bar.

 

thank god i didnt have to notch my frame rail haha, looks like a pain to clean up

 

Any updates? I'm dying to see this thing move along.

 

Allright, update time.

So I had my fucked up frame rail welded by some craigslist savior for $60. Nice guy who had a mobile welding truck with MIG/TIG etc. Said he can do exhaust repairs to etc. Normally works on bridges, wrought iron and non car stuff but also maintains the fleet at the place he works. Pictures are forthcoming. It kinda looks like crap but there's now a piece of 1/4" steel where the torn up stuff was.

Onto the motor install--

I had to order a big pile of parts- seals, bushings, nuts, hoses etc. That set me back a while. When I got started wrenching again, I was installing the oil return fitting into the pan. It was going in nice and snug and I was like, f yah this will be so tight it won't leak. Then I heard a loud pop. I had tapped the pan to small for the fitting and I cracked the pan :( I had York automotive pull and repair the pan ($65). I would have DIY but after reading about more experienced mechanics having pan leaks I decided to play it safe and have the shop do it.

Today, I busted a nut (in the bad sense) while trying to install my reroute water neck. I decided **** it and threw both engines, all my parts, and my tranny into my forester, and got my car towed by AAA to York Automotive. Ed is going to install my engine proper like for an extremely reasonable price. As previously stated, I've never pulled apart a car before so I have no clue wtf I am doing. I just don't want to make some stupid noob mistake and ruin my brand new $5000 engine because of my ignorance. In the future, I think I'll attempt a whole engine removal/install with a cheap stock engine.

In some ways, I view this as a failure but overall, I think I'm mitigating my inexperience.

 

New post for a new topic:

I want to upgrade to:

Dual feed rail
AFPR for higher rail pressure
ID Bosch 1000CC injectors
LS Coils

My thoughts are that I break the engine in with my existing 750CC RC injectors, stock coils, stock rail, and then install the stuff in that list. I was thinking that I would stick with the stock FM GT30 map running @ 9lbs of boost, then install the crap, and dial in my timing, WI, fiddly spark settings etc.

Does that sound sensible?

 

Final update--

York is also going to put together my rx7 clutch diff, rx7 um transfer case (the thing that the diff mounts go in), r&p.

 

You proably dont care at this point, but brake cleaner works pretty well for cleaning out a bell housing. A proper bell housing/trans will NOT allow water into the gearbox itself when you clean it. The inside of the bell housing does get a decent amount of moisture through vents during normal use. If they did not seal around the input shaft well then there would be tons of failures (not to mention oil leaks).

So I just spry the crap out of it with brake cleaner or even WD40. Its going to get pretty dusted-up by clutch break in too.

 

siiiic, awd miata ftw braap!



diff carrier/housing

Sounds really good so far. I can't wait for pics.

 

looks good man.

i also use brake cleaner to clean everything.... works so well

 

OKie so here's pics of the lovely WELDED frame rail



argh i mean



glorious



Your rail is now inferior to mine.