That's shitty about the hose, but glad you've found a solution... did you have to reschedule the dyno testing due to this issue or were you able to make it as planned?
I sourced a 1-3/8" aluminum tube this morning and found a place that could bead roll the ends. I installed it with wide stainless t-bolt clamps. There is NO WAY it can slip off now. The hoses will burst before these clamps and pipe let loose.
I drove it around and it seems good. The radiator keeps things comically cool. The blow off valve sounds much cooler for some reason. The muffled air intake masking a lot of the turbo spool sounds must be contributing to it. Did a little pre-tuning to get the fuel a little closer to where it needs to be for the real dyno tune.
AutoZone IAT sensor failed though and its readings go wack half the time, so I went and got an original GM one. I think my original GM thread-in IAT lasted about 11 years.
So it's ready for tomorrow. Hopefully everything holds up and withstands the abuse of many dyno runs and I get good numbers. The car is currently in the most buttoned-up state it's ever been. It drives better than ever and has zero exhaust, boost, or vacuum leaks. Quite a feat for this car. Feels good and moves out.
Looking forward to getting a badass video and good dyno chart tomorrow. I have plans to hit 1,000 HP when the money's right, so I don't really care what it is right now as much, but it would be awesome to see 500+. I really should have the GTX Gen 2 version of this turbo, which is rated for significantly higher power, yet fits in the same size footprint. Might swap to that before I go all out on the 1,000 HP build just so I have more power.
Ran out of fuel pressure up top. Compensated it a bit with opening injectors more. Part-throttle high RPM is a no-go, it's either full send or nothing on this tune due to running 25 psi and only being able to read up to 15 psi with the 2-bar limitations.
Learned a lot from the tuner as far as what's holding it back, and the capabilities of a standalone.
Next up, AEM 340LPH fuel pump, Turbosmart electronic boost controller, and a G series turbo if possible... then dyno again. Supposedly the runners are too small to support the power level I want eventually, so gotta make a new manifold again, shit lol. However this manifold also needs to somehow make a 4" intake fit. He says my 2.5" intake is also reducing power potential.
So the car still gets a little warmer than I want. With the radiator I have, it should never go above thermostat temp. Well, it should float right around 180. It gets up to 198+ which means there's something going on. Could be thermostat stuck partially open, as I initially thought, but the water pump is leaking coolant. It always has ever since install, just a little bit. Leaks more lately. The weep hole has oil leaking out of it, too. So looks like it's time to do the water pump and do a good job sealing it to the block. The turbo manifold is so close to it, it's going to be very difficult. Gonna suck.
I ordered Mishimoto constant tension spring loaded high torque clamps that I will be installing on all lower hose connections, because it seems like a good idea.
I also ordered a new one of those weird squished pipe assemblies that connects the thermostat to the radiator hose, because I realized #1 mine is rusty as shit and #2 it's the same pipe I had on my 253,000 mi red Alero so it's got like 300,000 miles on it by now. So, I'm replacing the thermostat with a GM one, new metal pipe, all new clamps, also have a new lower rubber hose that will be cut up to fit with the custom aluminum extender pipe.
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Today I replaced a coupler that was nearly cut through by vibrating against a metal edge, and I added a thick silicone cushion around the metal hole so it should protect it from now on. I also noticed that vibration from my throttle cable has worn/coated my charge pipe with a rusty brown splotch, so I added a rubber tube around that area to cushion it as well.
Also, I noticed my ABS/main brake distribution thing is just kinda... resting on my lower hose. Doesn't seem to be attached to anything aside from the brake lines. That's not good lol. Going to have fabricator do something temporarily until I get a new ABS system installed and all new brake lines.
Visited fabricator. Going to do the water pump and thermostat and all the lower hose upgrades in his shop using ramps/jack stands probably next weekend. I am not looking forward to the labor lol, nor that engine mount that I recall using a crowbar and impact wrench to align and install.
I realized the water pump was replaced when the engine was built (I think) but that's it. So it's been a while (8 years), but only about 35k miles... Hopefully that resolves the cooling quirks for now. I can say with pretty high confidence the head gasket is fine considering the dyno pulls and high boost with no problems. So it has to be a supporting item like the water pump, thermostat, or external leak.
Are they glass? My coworker had one on his Harley and I've been jealous of that part every since
The big one is borosilicate glass from Killerglass.
The sight gauge one is a rigid plastic, Chemfluor 367 with Kynar PVDF push-in fittings with Viton seals. Rated for the temperature, pressure, and chemicals.
The big one is borosilicate glass from Killerglass.
The sight gauge one is a rigid plastic, Chemfluor 367 with Kynar PVDF push-in fittings with Viton seals. Rated for the temperature, pressure, and chemicals.
Yes, Killerglass! That's the site. Pretty cool stuff.
[quote='[ion] C2;667168']Audio quality is very good now. Just gotta bracket the sub in place so it doesn't go flying when I hit the brakes hard or take off hard.
I just got a straight 9 inch section (7 inch visible) for 1-3/8" ID hose, including heat shrink clamps and LEDs (didn't install them though) for $145 shipped. I e-mailed him td@killerglass.com to discuss and order.
Got a new hose, marked straight lines and cut a 7 inch section out. Added straight lines to the glass, lined everything up and heat shrunk it together.
I just got a straight 9 inch section (7 inch visible) for 1-3/8" ID hose, including heat shrink clamps and LEDs (didn't install them though) for $145 shipped. I e-mailed him td@killerglass.com to discuss and order.
Got a new hose, marked straight lines and cut a 7 inch section out. Added straight lines to the glass, lined everything up and heat shrunk it together.
Replaced the water pump, thermostat, metal thermostat to hose pipe that goes under the engine, timing chain, tensioner, guides.
Tomorrow buttoning it up with a new lower hose (rubber portion) with all Mishimoto constant-tension clamps. Should fix the minor coolant temperature abnormalities I was experiencing.
So far, the temperature gets up much quicker and is basically rock solid set at thermostat temp. I'm still working out an issue with being able to connect my laptop to the car to monitor the actual coolant numbers, but it seems perfect.
Also, it's confirmed, definitely going RWD using a T56 transmission.
Now, a long hiatus until there's money to do Stage 6, which will be a big one. Gonna try and get some rolling shots here soon. Hard to coordinate as it takes 3 people, one of them that you trust to drive your car.
Photoshop of how I think I want the car to look eventually. First I need to find that AAS body kit to modify.
If anyone has a line on one, let me know. It seems that they are all gone - no stock anywhere. It would be nice to use it as a base to modify from, but I might have to 3D scan the car and have one designed, perhaps even different from my Photoshopped version. IDK. I should make it widebody for even wider wheels/tires...
Idk man I wouldn't say you f---ed up the photography at all. The pics look awesome imo! Especially the first one. So you're planning on going back to red eventually like the old one?
Idk man I wouldn't say you f---ed up the photography at all. The pics look awesome imo! Especially the first one. So you're planning on going back to red eventually like the old one?
Haha yeah they did come out OK I guess. Just compared to some pro shots they are sub-par. Rolling shots are very difficult to perfect. I found a guy on Instagram locally that's going to take some awesome ones of my car, and his tend to come out better: https://www.instagram.com/jamespaulmedia/
Yeah, it's going to be a very reflective candy red. I photoshopped all sorts of colors, and when it comes to having a kit like this on the Alero, red, white, metallic gray, orange, bright green are the only ones that seem to look "good" - but I have a thing for candy red.
We'll see how it shakes out. If I happen to get the body kit modified up and have some spare money, I might have the car wrapped in a reflective red for now, and then when I have a ton of money to sink into bodywork and RWD conversion, the car will be powder coated and then painted the color. I am probably going to pick up a spare Alero to get the custom work done without having this one down. We'll see what happens. Fabricator says it's easier to just grab a scrap car whose main body is good and rust free, modify it, then transfer all the stuff I want from this car to it.
I sent my spare throttle body out to Maxbore to be bored and sleeeved to 62mm, or 2.44". Since the ID of my charge piping is 2.37", this will prevent the throttle body from being a potential restriction.
I have a fuel rail arriving today that I'm going to modify for AN fittings. I am then going to focus on gathering funds to get the 1700cc injectors, FPR, fuel filter, fuel lines, and the parts and labor for installing and tuning the AEM standalone with flex fuel sensor based maps so I can run anything from 91 to E54 safely and am no longer tied to certain gas stations.
It will also dyno above 500whp, which will be neat.
Haha yeah they did come out OK I guess. Just compared to some pro shots they are sub-par. Rolling shots are very difficult to perfect. I found a guy on Instagram locally that's going to take some awesome ones of my car, and his tend to come out better: https://www.instagram.com/jamespaulmedia/
Yeah, it's going to be a very reflective candy red. I photoshopped all sorts of colors, and when it comes to having a kit like this on the Alero, red, white, metallic gray, orange, bright green are the only ones that seem to look "good" - but I have a thing for candy red.
We'll see how it shakes out. If I happen to get the body kit modified up and have some spare money, I might have the car wrapped in a reflective red for now, and then when I have a ton of money to sink into bodywork and RWD conversion, the car will be powder coated and then painted the color. I am probably going to pick up a spare Alero to get the custom work done without having this one down. We'll see what happens. Fabricator says it's easier to just grab a scrap car whose main body is good and rust free, modify it, then transfer all the stuff I want from this car to it.
Yeah I think they came out more than okay man. Give yourself some credit lol and that I believe given the amount of different variables in capturing something that's moving at a certain speed while it's surroundings are stationary. Nice!! I checked out his Instagram and those are some really sweet photos. I still have the one you took of my Miata in Michigan a few years back saved on my computer haha.
Nice and yeah I like a good gray myself, but it makes sense. Red is what you started with afterall. It was the OG project. I could definitely see that and plus finding another Alero on the cheap is pretty easy. Even if you come across a nice one. I still see them driving around from time to time, but most of them are in pretty rough shape unfortunately.
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