Story time - Matt's latest (last?) Alero build

[[ion] C2]

Originally Posted by homegrown

seems like you're at redline in the blink of an eye. I can't even fathom how insane Chris's car is

standalone is awesome. you don't need it, but it would let you make it run very nice and extract the absolute most power possible. in my specific scenario, it was $1500 ECU, $1340 AEM display, and labor/wiring.

my car regularly stalled at low speeds and idled weird the more modified it became. the idle spark timing was always erratic. i can say that with the standalone it is incredibly smooth and you can even rev it and it comes back down to idle perfectly (as seen in the dyno video)

[dbral]

I drove it a few miles yesterday and initial impressions are that I need to re-calibrate my right foot. My wife looked at our vehicle insurance app and I was flagged for heavy acceleration several times, so I got throttled for that (he he he....get it?).
Anyway, this thing rips pretty good. Especially once the tach needle swings past 4000rpm; seems like you're at redline in the blink of an eye. I can't even fathom how insane Chris's car is with 600+ HP.
Problems? Sure. The transmission is very clunky at low speeds (like when you're crawling around a parking lot). It's compounded my the fact that the engine doesn't like puttering around. And if you're at low-ish speeds and making a turn and push in the clutch (like turning into a parking spot or my subdivision), the engine dies. But that's related to the computer calibration in that we don't have a bunch of tables to fine tune it. I do not have the stomach to change to a stand-alone EMS - I'm in way too deep as it is.
But such is life. I'll try to have fun with it and stay out of jail.
Oh, and I'm on a stock timing set and rocker arms. I do not believe that time-serts were used in the heads.
__________________

hahaha! Yeah I get it.....hope you don't get pun-ished too badly for it. lol
Happy to hear that the new set-up is healthy and I guess the low rpm issues are just the nature of the beast so to speak. We all know that it is capable of a smooth sustained idle when the conditions are right so I am with you guys in your thinking that there is an issue with the tune. I understand completely why you would not want to go further with it in that respect and who knows, it might be happy and fine once you start to see some summer-ish temps up there. If all of the pieces of my puzzle arrive I might go the route you and Ion suggest for your car (stand-alone) and see what happens with mine. Kindly report back in the summer if you get a chance and let me know if there is any difference in the driveability. Thanks in advance. 10-4 on the valve-train info. Going to do the time-serts on mine but most likely no on the rocker upgrade.

standalone is awesome. you don't need it, but it would let you make it run very nice and extract the absolute most power possible. in my specific scenario, it was $1500 ECU, $1340 AEM display, and labor/wiring.

Ion, What's the name of the system are you running?

[[ion] C2]

Link G4X XtremeX

[homegrown]

UPDATE:
Well, I made it about 2700 miles before my first major problem. As I was driving to exercise class yesterday morning, the car died on me at a stoplight. I could not get it restarted – I think it’s not getting fuel. The fuel pump is not that old, and who knows if it was something tied to the new injectors that were installed with the motor build. But I’m not really sure. Thankfully, I was able to push it out of the street and into a parking lot, where it got towed to my trusted local mechanic. Hopefully, it’s nothing too seriously expensive or I’m giving up on this whole thing. I just can’t take it anymore.

[[ion] C2]

Pumps are hit or miss early on, just the nature of the product.

No fuel pressure gauge?

[dbral]

Sucks to hear that news. Hoping for a cheap and easy fix like maybe an issue with the external crank trigger kit needed for the LX9 swap. Possibly the crank sensor or its custom bracket vibrated loose or got hit and bent by road debris and is unable to read the reluctor? Keep us posted and don't give up on it.

[homegrown]

Originally Posted by dbral

Sucks to hear that news. Hoping for a cheap and easy fix like maybe an issue with the external crank trigger kit needed for the LX9 swap. Possibly the crank sensor or its custom bracket vibrated loose or got hit and bent by road debris and is unable to read the reluctor? Keep us posted and don't give up on it.

I suppose anything is possible; I didn't even think of that stupid external crank trigger. Still, this is not the kind of reliability I was hoping for. We'll see - I'm in a really foul mood over it all.

[tw0123]

Damn Matt that's crazy to hear all these issues you've been having... I don't blame you for being that upset with it after everything you've been through.... I do hope you can figure it out and not give up.... you deserve to get some reliability and seat time after all these years!!!
Fingers crossed for a quick fix to get more smiles while you're out cruising

[dbral]

100% agree with tw0123 and hey, it's not like the monster that Ion built where you are pushing the extreme limits of everything and you expect stuff to break, it should for all intents and purposes, be a pretty reliable car. The issue you are having might not have anything to to with the recent build....it is a 20+ year old GM product after all so like you said anything is possible. The car is way too nice and unique to give up on. Please don't do that. Here's hoping for a quick fix/fingers crossed X2!

[homegrown]

The diagnosis is a faulty fuel pump.
It shouldn't surprise me; the shop that installed it is the same one that built my last motor that was so FUBAR'd.....well, you get the idea.

[tw0123]

That's good news... what fuel pump are you going to put in? I'm still running my stock pump with your old motor and the mp62... haven't had any issues, but it is 19 years old at this point... i know I'll have to replace it at some point haha

[dbral]

Unfortunately not too cheap or easy of a repair but it could have been worse. Been having good luck with the Delphi fuel pumps. Hope you are back on the road soon.

[homegrown]

Enjoy.

[[ion] C2]

Awesome!

[tw0123]

That's awesome Matt!! Super glad to see you've still got the car as well!!

[dbral]

How do you see the review Homegrown?

Hope she is running good!

[homegrown]

Originally Posted by dbral

How do you see the review Homegrown?

Hope she is running good!

Sometimes the YouTube tags don't work on this forum.
Here's the direct link - https://youtu.be/uByyyuiLL8A

[dbral]

Thanks!! ENJOYED the review and the car sounds great! You could tell the host was surprised by the acceleration and was genuine about the interest in the mods and the car itself too. Kinda like an old Motortrend review maybe?
Liked the Intrigue cluster w/ 8k tach....first time hearing about that in an Alero ever.
Lots of positive comments about your Alero build on youtube. Love it!

[LRM88]

Good review of a great looking Alero. You got the exterior mods just right and it seems like a fun car to drive. Nice job.

[Cyber Knight]

That's badass, nice work and vid!