hybrid 1044 Report post Posted December 28, 2010 If you run ouot of room or cant make that work .. you can always try running the e36 m3 remote expansion tank (chamber). Quite easy to route anywhere in the engine bay. In the e30 I put mine over by the loom entrance side. This would still keep your area for your intake and plenium clear if you wanted to later on make a cold air separation chamber. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted December 28, 2010 Cheers Josh, I was looking through your project earlier to see how you did it. I was wondering where the tank came from... So far it all fits quite well but i still like the idea of a ram air feed. Might concentrate getting runnig propperly before moding to much! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted January 6, 2011 Today was rather sucessful. After the rad swap i have been a bit paranoid about temps and running it however a friend who has experience tuning links helped me start building the basic fuel map. After a few cautious moments the car is now drivable with a safe (rich) fuelmap from 1500rpm up at all throttle positions. Under load it sounds awesome with a loud induction rumble. Even with a half baked map it feels as strong if not better as it did before. issues remaining: -Still needs map completion -Idle it high at 2000 rpm and there seems to be a resonance making it hard to achieve an idle. Needs some tweaks of injection phase angles, ignition and fuel. All new to me but will learn it. So good to be driving it again after 8 months Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Forrest 35 Report post Posted January 6, 2011 ^ Get some vids up with some induction noise, wish my E30 was m42 powered. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DRTDVL 0 Report post Posted January 6, 2011 <does a happy dance> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thorburn 121 Report post Posted February 9, 2011 How has the tuning gone for this? Where did you get the all alloy radiator from?what do you think of the quality of the radiator? loving the project Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted February 9, 2011 How has the tuning gone for this? Where did you get the all alloy radiator from?what do you think of the quality of the radiator? loving the project The tuning is going well, I do a bit each day on the way to work so low load stuff (below 20%throttle) is pretty much sorted such that it it is safe timing wise without any knock and air fuel ratios around 13 which while on the rich side is again quite safe. Still coming to terms with all the features of the link ecu. Down low the car feels quite strong, over the stock set up but then goes a bit flat as the rpm rises as i have kept the ignition very conserative. It now starts on the second crank if not the first so there is a bit of work to do there but its improving and the idle and warm up sequence is rock solid. Waaay beter idle control than factory, no bouncing around the idle point and stumbling. I have read that Alpha-N setups are hard to tune particularly at low throttle positions but so far im very happy with it. The rad is from redline performance, Im happy with the product for the price. The only down point is the drain tap is poor quality with a press interferance fit finger grip to release the the water. This has broken off. I think it was slightly damaged upon recieving it and the brass fitting it brittle. At some point i will braise on the tap fitting again and would sugest this as a first step if starting again with it. Dimensionaly the product is good and fitted well (had to mod a few brackets but thats because its for a 6cyl not a 4. In conclusion, for the dolars it was about right and would buy another if need be. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
No name user 379 Report post Posted February 10, 2011 I havent read your whole post but have you changed cams to get a better benefit of the ITB's? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) I havent read your whole post but have you changed cams to get a better benefit of the ITB's? Not as yet, just itb's and ecu to run it all, further head work including cams is a future plan. Cam options are varied (catcams list 4-5 options) but the intention is to keep the car street drivable. *spelling Edited February 10, 2011 by MLM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DRTDVL 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2011 street engine and race engine... you do you have two, and after a while you would get quick at engine swaps for trackdays and events! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted February 10, 2011 street engine and race engine... you do you have two, and after a while you would get quick at engine swaps for trackdays and events! Yeah i guess, switchable maps on the ecu..... Was thinking a 'stage 2' could be build up the spare head with valves springs lifters cams etc but will sort out what i have first while i save up for later mods. Next project is the plenum chamber and exhaust before any of that happens. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thorburn 121 Report post Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) How do you monitor knock? Can the g4 use the factory knock sensors without external controllers like knockblock? Thank you for the review of the radiator Edited February 10, 2011 by bbs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted February 11, 2011 How do you monitor knock? Can the g4 use the factory knock sensors without external controllers like knockblock? Thank you for the review of the radiator The G4 Storm im using requires an external "knockblock" but the G4 extreme dosnt. I have only encountered knock a few times (its audible) at low rpm med load situations and have backed out ignition in those zones or corrected fuel due to cells having poor values. Not the best way for sure but to achieve a car which is mobile this has been sufficient . I set up a base ignition map which was very conservitive initilly and this has proven so far quite good. By no means is this my final map or even one i would use full power, just one to move the car from place to place. I understand N/A cars dont make power where they knock anyway so its not a case of add ignition till it knocks then back out a few degrees. Once the plenum and exhaust are done a full dyno tune will be completed by pro's, Ive just made the engine start idle and run safely, not so much tune as correct thing to make it run acceptably Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) Cold air box has been reinstated this week. Intake temps dropped from 47-50 degC to 25-27 degC, peaking at 31 stationary. Due to not being able to CNC my air box any time soon ( i have to wait for free time on the machine) Im thinking of getting a base tune first. Then at least i can see if i made any gains when it gets made and goes on. Also allows me to drive the car with confidence with out having to be cautious all the time. Edit:Photo added Edited March 11, 2011 by MLM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DRTDVL 0 Report post Posted March 2, 2011 Get Katies dad to get his woodworking skills onto it... Sand paper, jigsaws, planes, rasp files.... sorted... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted May 22, 2011 Small progress but significant step toward the final product. This weekend i managed to get one half of the plenum mold machined up. Its incredibly smooth and requires no additionl finishing work. From here it needs sealing in preparation for pulling parts off it. I should be able to get multiple parts from the one mold for a few spares or to sell. The next half should not be too far away maybe in the next few weeks fingers crossed. Finishing cuts over the initial roughing. You can see the shapes emerging. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thorburn 121 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 Liking it a lot Do you have to put anything over the foam before laying the glass or carbon over? Where do you get the foam from? It isn't the same as the old fridge foam is it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 Liking it a lot Do you have to put anything over the foam before laying the glass or carbon over? Where do you get the foam from? It isn't the same as the old fridge foam is it? Yep i will need to seal it some how either with a varnish or resin then put a release agent on else the resin from glass/carbon would stick it all together. I am going to try vac forming some abs over it as well as this will give an instant smooth replacable finish which could be peeled out of a cured part. Its not foam its MDF laminated up. Fridge foam would be hard to seal as all the cut cells would need filling. That and its quite soft and suceptable to damage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apex Effects 3 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 reason for using mdf? would ya suggest using this over casting/molding clay? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 reason for using mdf? would ya suggest using this over casting/molding clay? Purely cost. I happened across the MDF for free. Im sure propper casting clay or cibatool would be way beter particularly for autoclacing carbon as it will withstand the heat better without off gassing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apex Effects 3 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 fair enough i looking into making a plenum for my rb20 an m20 at the moment. reading up on how to lay the cf/ making fibre glass molds at the moment. so far was lookin into making a clay cast of the design to see if my design will fit my engine bay(s) will you be gluing your runners to a alloy flange? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 fair enough i looking into making a plenum for my rb20 an m20 at the moment. reading up on how to lay the cf/ making fibre glass molds at the moment. so far was lookin into making a clay cast of the design to see if my design will fit my engine bay(s) will you be gluing your runners to a alloy flange? Cool, will have to put up some pics when your done. If you rock back to post 40 you willl see how i would like to build the plenum. Basically the dark grey is the moulded part the rest is aluminium. I still want to do the curved runners but cost and complication may force a straight runner set up. Curved runners welded to velocity stacks angled through a backplate is a big ask. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apex Effects 3 Report post Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) Yea your angled runner idea is mint and not un-doable comes down to how good ya welder is. Rereading your thread has help me lots. Currently calculating runner lengths myself well trying.... most of my runners were going to be at 45 degree angles upwards(longer runner in small space) and about 250mm long for my rb20det, m20 un-calculated yet due to engine out of car at the moment. But looking at yours the forward idea looks good to. may look into it closer Edited May 23, 2011 by GASTKR Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted June 6, 2011 After a bit of experimentation vacforming a skin of ABS seems to be an excellent way of sealing the mdf mold. It in effect gives me both male or a female mold depending which side of the ABS i use. Also trying the first wet layup to see how it will work out. So far so good for a fiberglassing noob Hopefully the second half will get machined up soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucan 196 Report post Posted June 6, 2011 FIbreglass noob? That looks pretty damn clean..nice work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
