theo481

iTrader: (10)

Hello.

First off, it's been a LONG while since I last posted on here.... Nothing has really changed with my car except it has sat for an extra 2 years...

I'm finally coming on to some funds and I want to get my baby running again.

Story time kids, pull up a chair.

2006 Summer

Found an FD on carsoup for 4000, couldn't beilieve it, called, didn't run so I was taking a chance. Said F' it, drove to Ohio, from WI, and picked her up for a GT of 3700. Owner said it had been sitting for a year, couldn't afford to get it looked at.

2006 Winter

Started working on it, no spark to the leading... Pulled the UIM, broke every goddamn hose in the world (basically), couldn't find some, broke some solenoid nipples, but replaced the coil, threw her back together and it ran, with no boost. I was ecstatic. 3900 dollars later I had a running FD, with no boost (probably from the broken hoses), in good shape externally. Pretty as hell I tell ya. No smoke of any color came from the exhaust, and it started perfectly, even considering that it had sat for almost 2 years.

2007 Summer

I didn't have work so I figured, lets start tearing into it, fix the boost issue. I started taking the car apart. 2 days later I got called in for work, 40 hours full time so I had no time for her. Wasn't making enough to fix her and pay everything else at the same time so the sitting began again. (I'll explain what was taken apart/off later)

2008 Summer

Decided to go to school, so no more serious work time anymore. She kept sitting.

2010 Spring

Got word of a new job. WAY better pay, bonuses the whole nine yards. Figured I wanted to fix it and put this gem back on the road.

Here is where the advice is needed.

I have a budget. Hell who doesn't. Mine is (roughly) 4000.

I have a friend (1985GSL) who has been screwing with the rotary for a while now. He is going to be helping me work on it.

He has some parts for around 2800, I will be getting a Front mount, a single turbo, manifold, downpipe, wastegate, alum radiator, and some other random ****, h2o injection and i really can't remember the rest... I don't think it was anything substantially more though.

This leave me about 1200 extra that I don't want to spend if I DON'T HAVE TO. (read mildly cheap, but not stupid)

Our idea, with some input from rotaryshack, was to put everything back on, and not pull the motor out. Stock ECU (automatic tranny) and use the fuel thingy to give it more pressure. Also add all the **** that you see above, plus a boost gauge, 3bar O2, AFR gauge.

HERE IS THE DILEMMA PART:

What happened 2007 summer during the tear apart. The UIM was taken off, manifolds loosened, all the stuff from the front of the block was also removed. Basically the last steps were to be loosen the transmission, the oil lines, and the electrical. So this is how it has sat for almost 2 years, garaged.

I looked under to hood, recently, and there wasn't any rust or anything that visually worried me.

The motor has an unknown amount of miles on it, cluster was replaced not by me. The original owner claimed around 50k.

I know these beasts have a bad history of not lasting too long.

So the million dollar question is:

What should I do. IF I WANT TO SPEND THE 1200$ should I pull the motor and rebuild it? or him and rotarshack advised me to get a PFC with the 1200...

Any help guys would be most appreciated, I'm lost here and I don't know what to do.

I want to get her on the road, but I don't want to do anything hastily.


Thanks for the help!

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

What maintenance work have you done? On a car like that you can expect things like the stock radiator, AST, fuel injectors, FPD, fuel filter, etc have not been kept up. What's the mileage on the car, has the engine ever been rebuilt before?

Dave

Enervation

Note that if you do go with the parts from your friend, you WILL need to get PowerFC or similar. Infact, it really should be one of the first things you get, even if you decide to keep everything else stock.

theo481

iTrader: (10)

Since....

I've owned it? Nothing.

Mileage... that's a tricky question. The gauge cluster was replaced, when it was replaced the car had read 60k.

I guess i dont know what an AST, or FPD are...

The car has never been rebuilt. (to my knowledge)

Rotaryshack and my friend told me that I wouldn't need to get a PFC because:

1. I was keeping stock boost
2. The extra fuel would come from a thingy that increased fuel pressure by restricting the backflow a little. This is just what I was told.(????)

Also, why would I need a different ECU if I was staying stock on everything except switching the turbo out to a single?

I guess I don't understand the point of getting a different ECU if I'm theoretically not changing anything??

Here is probably the dumbest question you guys will read all day...

If I find a good deal on a PFC IE: this can I just re pin the ECU? or does it need to be flashed, and if so is this possible by the end user?

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

To install a single turbo I believe you will need a PFC or other ECU upgrade.

With a total budget of 4k I would not go for the single turbo install quite yet. That kind of project easily eclipses 4k and you aren't yet sure about the engine condition and other maintenance items. You're also trying to get the car on the road. I would first get maintenance up-to-date and be 100% confident in the condition of the engine (compression test, coolant system leak test). Since you say the engine is almost ready to pull you could pull it and get a basic rebuild done for minimal cost. Then build up to a simple stock setup and run it for a while to work out any bugs. Any money left over should be saved toward the single turbo project.

djseven

iTrader: (56)

For single swap assuming you dont use a $500.00 ebay turbo kit you will need atleast $6k and that is cheap.

My suggestions,

1st- Auto to manual swap(more fun to drive and make the car worth more money)
2nd-All new radiator hoses, coolant hoses
3rd-vacuum hose job and get the sequential twins working correctly
4th-Intercooler Upgrade
5th-Radiator upgrade and delete AST
6th-Water/Meth injection kit
7th-New Fuel Injectors or atleast have htem cleaned by a reputable company
8th-New spark plug wires and plugs
9th- Start and Enjoy the car.

The above will likely put you at the $4k mark and you will have a nice running fd.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

Man, you scored you a deal!

My recommendations -

- Get the car on the road with the stock twins. Get it put back together and running right and put some miles on it. See how the car drives, what it needs, how it does. Even if you put it back together with the boost problem still there, just get it running again - work on the boost problem next.

- TIRES. I can't stress this enough. The car very likely has ancient dry rotted tires on it. That's the most important part of the car - you can have the nicest engine and the fanciest turbo, but if the tires can't grip, you won't put the power to the ground, you won't grip the corners, and worst case you'll oversteer off the road and wreck this gem of an FD.

- Start in on maintenance. Do EVERYTHING - belts, fuel filter, flush/fill the coolant, change oil and filter. If you have the stock AST (air separator tank, search on it, it's plastic and it blows up) get a good aftermarket aluminum one. Go through the brakes, fully bleed the brakes, make sure you've got plenty of good brake pad in there. Any suspect coolant hoses, change them.

- NOW start in on getting the car 100%. Fix the boost issues, silicone vacuum lines, new check valves, replace any broken solenoids.

When the car is running clean and boosting right, start looking at a manual swap, maybe other mods like exhaust, intake, and PowerFC.

A single turbo is fun, but it's a large investment to get running right. You maybe could run a single turbo on a stock ECU if you keep the boost down, but that's just a waste of time. The stock twins make a VERY good amount of power, they're lots of fun, and they're already on the car ready to go.

I wouldn't worry about the motor right now. If it's running right, starts good, no smoke, run it until it's done. There's absolutely no reason to take out and pull apart a perfectly good engine. Many guys out there with FD's sitting there with blown engines would LOVE to trade places with you .

On the PowerFC - the PFC is a plug and play replacement ECU. Plug it in, go have fun. The base map is safer than the stock map and gives lots of headroom for mods, and you have the platform to take it further down the road when you need it. It's a really good long term foundation investment. You can do some basic tuning yourself with the Commander, to do some serious tuning you can buy the Datalogit and tune with a laptop - it's totally tuneable by you. But, again, I would get all the rest of the stuff done and get the car 100% before you start fooling with stuff like this.

Dale

theo481

iTrader: (10)

I really don't mind having the automatic tranny....

And anyhow the girl can drive it then.

The more I look the more I realize I'm going to have to spend more. I think I'll slowly become ok with it.

Used PFC - 600-700
auto PFC harness adapter - 300
Rebuild kid - 1200
meth/h2o injection - (no idea)

I want to remove all the emissions BS, the rats nest, everything that isn't needed. So I would need block off plates. We can make those.

block off plates - near free

I think i'm going to have to wait on the single turbo stuff.

The way I look at it, i'd rather have an engine that I know is 100% and not in need of anything, and the PFC/h2o injection for the reliability, then take the chance on going single turbo and not rebuilding the motor. save the dough and just get it to stock but rebuild stock.

how does this sound??

Montego

iTrader: (1)

Be smart about this. Don't just start throwing money at it as if you know the car. First get it on the road reliably and then upgrade one mod at a time. You'd be surprised how many bugs surface as the mods pile up.

Don't go single turbo and auto tranny... If you put down more than 350 RWHP (which isnt much) you'll find that your weak link will be the transmission. If you want to go single change transmissions first.

oo7arkman

iTrader: (2)

Glad to see you changed your mind on the single swap. DEFINITELY not the time for that. And even with the parts from your friend you will quickly exceed your $4k budget.

Like most have mentioned above just get the car running well on what is already there minus maintenance items. Fuel filter, spark plugs/wires, vacuum lines, coolant hoses, oil/filter, tires, ast (or delete it), air filter and that is probably just the beginning. If everything was ready to pull the motor you will also need to replace all the old gaskets you removed.

Remember this is a pretty old car and it is going to need several things replaced along the way like bushings and tons of random things you are going to find when you start putting it back together.

The FD really is sooooo much fun to drive on the twins. Get her running and enjoy the heck out of the car.

theo481

iTrader: (10)

Do you say rebuild it then??

sbnrx7

iTrader: (4)

No, he's not saying to rebuild.

Can't believe nobody has suggested this yet but the first thing you should do with a rotary that you are unsure about is have a compression test done. This will give you a health report on the engine. Like Dale said, there is no reason to rebuild a good engine. Good numbers mean you need to tighten those bolts up and leave it in the car and proceed with your plans. But if not, then your money is going to go in a different direction....from mods to a rebuild. Otherwise you'll have a modified, turbo charged, paper-weight.

Steve

theo481

iTrader: (10)

had to lol a bit on the last line.

Ok sounds good, I'm going to do a compression test and report here.

This is going to turn into my build thread as soon as I know where i'm going :S

Theo