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Lotsa work so far. Curious that you've decided to scrap PS pump in your single serpentine front accy setup. The FC->FD PS pump conversion is a sticking point.
Retaining air pump to improve serp routing?
Is the engine bay clearance sufficient to remove turbo from installed engine?
I'd like to see your fuel system (pump, filter) choices also.
Nice job.
Last edited by cone_crushr; Apr 11, 2020 at 03:54 PM.
Replaced ABS pump today, hopefully other unit wont be leaking.
Installed engine (actually dropped the car on the subframe, everything clears for install, turbo with WG and downpipe.
Conected harnesses and found some parts for turbo to IC piping. Just need to make one pipe and everything else will be re-used from twin setup.
PS pump will be used exactly as it was in twins setup, just not installed yet (only bracket)
Air pump used only as idler for belt.
I am able to pull turbo with manifold as one piece if needed. Clerance is good.
Better than in 2003 when i purchased this GT35R. Back then manifold was done by my buddy and i was not able to remove manifold without pulling engine to exhaust manifold studs.
Fuel pump right now will be Walbro 450, stock fuel filter, then 100 micron s/s fuel filter (chinese housing with deatchwerks filter). Feed goes to secondary rail first (bosch 2200 injectors, then to primary rail, then to custom cube with stock FD fpr).
Oem fuel pump resistor retained for 2 speed operation (necessary to keep fuel pressures in normal with Walbro 450
Eventually will build some in-tank surge tank, but right now will do just pain pump install on oem hanger.
Hoping to start it up tomorrow.
fired it up yesterday and been tweaking PowerFC today little bit, idling under 1000 is no problem with semis closed
still some things to tidy up and most importantly, decide when semis should be opening
Can you post your PFC map and some datalogs? You have wideband hooked into the datalogit? To me it seems like the key is to get the thing running and driving with the pports closed first. Standard approach for a variable intake system is doing the majority of the tuning in a "base" condition, like VTEC off or baseline variable runners off (VDI on a 6 port engine). Then add in the variable system later. The same thing applies to a piston engine with variable cam phasing.
So in your case you want to start and idle and drive around the block with pports closed, cutoff closed, most "mild" condition, wastegate on spring pressure. Get the thing tuned thoroughly just like that. You should have a fuel and spark map that runs and drives nice in the milder tune. Then I'd start testing the pport and see how that affects your fueling/volumetric efficiency by trying to stage it at different rpms. So now you'll adjust your fuel maps (possibly injector staging too) to see how much of a fuel bump is needed to maintain same AFR. Thus you understand the VE impact of the semi pport. I would crank up the boost last.
This is the most time consuming method! But it is also the most thorough, and has the best chance of getting closer to OEM-like driveability and consistentency. If it's just a race/track car, mostly on a trailer, well you barely even need it to start and idle, and it you can stage the pports at a low rpm because who cares, you won't be down there anyway. Most people think they want a race car, and they get exhausted by the laundry list of annoying things with their tune.
Still doing some hardware fixes.
Today replaced front main seal as old one was leaking slightly.
My fuel setup is either Walbro 400 or 450, with stock fuel resistor and and stock fuel pressure regulator.
Which i think is not able to re-flow enought fuel even at low fuel pump voltage, keeping the fuel pressure at idle higher than stock, causing stock map to be too rich.
Or second theory :
There is leak at semi pport butterflie shafts, allowing some air to get into engine past throttle body and again making PowerFC stock map too rich. Again, so far its only theory.
UPS delivered today FD ecu header connectors, so i can make plug&play patch harness to connect my haltech PS2000 instead of PowerFC.
I have an idea of tuning with Haltech (which i prefer) and then transfering values from Haltech to PowerFC. Again, just an experiment which might or might not work.
I will have use for that patch harness in other projects, even if it wont work here.
Next step is connecting oil coolers (had it running with loom front cover to oil pedestal so far) and fixing exhaust manifold leak (t3 flange slightly warped during welding and ss crush gasket does not hold it)
My LIM design allows secondary injector fuel to get into semi runners, so i will have to start opening butterflies as soon as secondary injectors turns on, to preven fuel collection behind closed butterflies.
With haltech its not a problem to control solenoid which cuts the vacuum to actuators at same time as secondary injectors start (or slightly before), but with PowerFC i would need output which has on/off logic and is load based, not just RPM.
Other option is to have 'standalone' chip with optocoupler, sniffing the singal of secondary injector wire and switching the solenoid on/off. That would be independent on Ecu.
Oil coolers connected, changed the routing, will see how the pressures are once i`ll start it again.
Removed downpipe, old gasket (4 bolt at turbo outlet) slightly leaking, will put in new one.
Removed wg
Removed turbo with manifold and air filter as one piece, clearance is good.
I was suspecting exhaust manifold leak at T3 flange, but found leak is at engine to manifold gasket. Good used oem gasket, leaking because of warped flange.
Flange needs to be machined, working on it
I was going to recommend a belt sander to flatten the manifold flange because mere mortals have problems holding the manifold to mill it. Apparently you figured it out.
BTW, the stock FPR has little margin. Highly recommend an aftermarket regulator.
Fixing the manifold in mill or grinder is always bitch. Its flat now, but still sounds like leak, or maybe its just sound of tubular manifold.
Took video but youtube rotated it and wont allow me to edit (rotate correctly), sorry
Installed it all back together and started it up. Sounds better but was hoping for bigger improvement.
Still on PFC basemap leaned out in idle, idle set at 950, semis closed.
Semi actuators connected to brown connector , operated by PFC turbo transition settings.
idle/low , solenoid off (vacuum provided to actuators, closing them), over 3000 rpm solenoid ON, cutting the vac source and letting the actuators open by opening free air vent part of solenoid
Mounted PS pump today, filled it up with fluid and took the car for quick test drive.
Exhaust manifold leak is annoying. Something in the map or hardware is wrong, feels like secondary injectors not opening (which is unlikely, but will re-test)
Mounted front swaybar and battery bracket as well.
Off the boost it drives fine, as it should with stock FD map on stock FD primary injectors.
Wired in left fan as well (right one is controlled by thermoswitch, left one by ECU)
Brakes need another bleeding after ABS pump replacement.
No pics/videos today
Tried new map today, secondaries are working, but semi on/off transition tuning will take some time.
Wired in wideband output to datalogit, made first short log.
Another round of brake bleeding done.
Made a brackets for Crane Hi6 box for leading coil. Will wire it in tomorrow. Putting back to work parts which have been sitting on the shelf over a decade.
Removed and rebuild PS rack yesterday, not so hard job in the end.
Filled it up today and took it out for testdrive. No PS fluid leak so far.
Most of manifold leak is gone, but not 100%
After few test runs, driving it harder and harder and found new problems.
My 17 year old HKS GT wastegate has some issue with diaphragm and its calling for replacement.
However, it still seems to work somehow. It does not hold pressure when pumped into low port, but after complete disconnecting hose engine easily went to 1,5bar of boost.
Another issue is with rx8 diff and its top mount. It developed slight crack and will need some upgrading.
Pulled the diff tonight, will re-weld tomorrow and ad some extra bracing.
Other than that, car feels great
Hooked up cruise control cable, ordered 3bar Bosch MAP sensor and hopefully will wire it in tomorrow.....
If clutch will hold (it seems to start slipping), i will try to make more logging runs for better tune, before taking it to dyno.
I had full stock setup on my first version of REW swap (find my thread), including stock FD harness/ecu/sequentiall twins with all emissions.
I as well built another car with very similar swap, with exception of running FC turbo instead of twins....again on FD harness/FD ecu
sorry for thread hijack Mike
I was actually JUST looking thru your thread, you used custom mounts tho, not sure how much that will effect me if I go with motivefab mounts
but this is stock twins with stock manifold right?
im guessing you had to cut and bend the downpipe?
or did the downpipe fit unmodified without hitting the chassis?
the one i'm doing now, is motive fab mounts, stock twins, and 3" down pipe. the heater pipe needs to move (and maybe get wrapped), a little. the downpipe went on but it does hit the floor, so its going to need to be bent a little.
the FC and FD exhausts aren't compatible at all, all the flanges are in different places, its really basic fab work, but its there
I was actually JUST looking thru your thread, you used custom mounts tho, not sure how much that will effect me if I go with motivefab mounts
but this is stock twins with stock manifold right?
im guessing you had to cut and bend the downpipe?
or did the downpipe fit unmodified without hitting the chassis?
I used oem FD mount brackets and modified FC mounts - but i modified subframe to be able do that.
I have lot of spare FC subframes, its much easier for me to make one for REW swap from parts at shop, instead of buying some mounts.
Twins setup was using full stock block, stock manifold.
Downpipe was custom made, since stock one was touching body somewhere (or atleast oem heatshield)
the one i'm doing now, is motive fab mounts, stock twins, and 3" down pipe. the heater pipe needs to move (and maybe get wrapped), a little. the downpipe went on but it does hit the floor, so its going to need to be bent a little.
the FC and FD exhausts aren't compatible at all, all the flanges are in different places, its really basic fab work, but its there
awesome thank you, this is perfect, sounds very reasonable, yeah I bought a cheap stainless downpipe just for this, since I knew I would have to cut it somehow, if thats cutting to bend or cutting to change flanges on the end
right now the car is NA with a full true dual racing beat exhaust... no idea if I can use any of it when going REW lol
Little 2021 update
- pulled the car from winter storage yesterday
- today i replaced koni shocks with ST springs for some lightly used D2 coilovers which i had on the shelf for year or two
- installed new tie rod ends
- had to put spacers under right engine mount, as it somehow got softer and some parts started to touch
Few more changes planned soon, including some dyno testing.
ABS light on, probably messed one of the sensor wires, not sure which one yet.
Water pump bearing is going probably, hear something, can feel some play in the water pump when move it by hand.
Designed and printed boost gauge dash vent.
