Speedy Gonzales

[x2percentmilk]

From those who have done it,
Do you think a 120k, a gasket overhaul, and a twin turbo conversion can be done in one weekend by someone who has never done either, assuming all parts are massed before hand?

Im fairly mechanically inclined (mild transmission work, clutch was easy, etc), have access to a garage full of tools, and have 5 parts stores within a 15 minute drive. Id be doing most of the work alone but would have a helping hand if needed.

Other questions:
Can the system run reliably on a an NA ECU, tuned with a piggy back, datalogger, and wideband?

[stealthee]

For anything like a TT conversion, always give yourself twice as much time as you think you will need. Can it be done in a weekend? Yes. Can it be done in a weekend by someone who has never done it before? Not likely. The 120k itself will likely take you a whole day. I would do that first, then wait til you have more time to pull off a TT conversion.

As for your other question, it can, but you would be leaps and bounds ahead by getting a TT ECU in the first place. Not only will it run better and more reliably, but it will have more power.

[x2percentmilk]

Yeah, things always take longer than planned (doh). I figured itd be nice as things would all be apart already for the 120k. Ill have to see what kind of time I can free up, or drag someone over who wants to help :D

I remember reading the wiring differences between the tt and na ecu have something to do with seperate power lines for each injector vs one main power line and individual grounds. The ecu pinouts for 1st gens dont seem to mention that, was that a later model issue?

[Austin@STM]

Yeah, I have to agree with stealthee. Under perfect conditions it could be done for sure, but perfect never happens, especially when you've never done it before.

Switching the oil pan and water neck will take some time, along with mounting the turbos and all the lines. Getting the sidemounts in and all the piping will take up some time.

I'd say its worth a shot, but plan on it taking some extra time.

[$$$PIT]

Also if you're doin' a conversion, your compression ratios are different. That would also have to be addressed in order for the car to run at peak performance.

[stealthee]

People have run TT on 10:1 many many many times. Thats not even an issue really.

[$$$PIT]

People have run TT on 10:1 many many many times. Thats not even an issue really.

I'm not saying it hasn't been done. But, to get it up to PEAK performance, won't you have to deal with pre-detonation?

[x2percentmilk]

Correct, most people just keep the boost levels low (wastegate) and theyre fine with a little bit of a tune. Any more than that and your dealing with traction issues anyway.
Hell I spin my NA if im rolling at 4000rpms in first and punch it.

I think I might wait until im out of school to do this, as multiple days off in a row will be easier.
Plus I'll hopefully have more dough by then, and if I want this thing to make it to Indianapolis I might as well take my time.

[stealthee]

I'm not saying it hasn't been done. But, to get it up to PEAK performance, won't you have to deal with pre-detonation?

A 10:1 TT has the potentional to make more power than a 8:1 TT. The higher compression equals more off boost power. Also at FWD one would make around 260 at the wheels, versus 220 of an AWD. Peak performance is a relative term in this scenario.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I really doubt it. If you are doing a full 120K and replacing the bearings and oil pump there's no way you can get that and a turbo swap done in a weekend.

[akotten]

I wish I had local 3S enthusiasts near me. I would totally help people work on their cars during the weekends. I love turning wrenches. Personally, like stated before, I would get the 120k outta the way first and then tackle the conversion the following weekend. If you've never done it before, you'd be surprised how some of the easiest things can become complicated and time consuming. I personally hate removing the lower timing cover. PITA!

[x2percentmilk]

^ Check. Sounds like a plan.

[IPD]

yes, it can be done with n/a ecu. just know that most piggybacks will max effectiveness at ~50% over stock fuel levels; and you'll have to run yours at ~42% just to get to stock tt level. that doesn't leave a whole lot of room.

[x2percentmilk]

Should get me running until another project of mine is finished then. Thanks :)

[Jeremy C]

I did my TT conversion in a weekend. It was 22 hours of actual work involved, and I had a mechanic friend help me with the install (at times he just told me to get back while he did his thing - Alan was there during some of these moments), and we did it at my shop where we had every imaginable thing needed at our disposal. I was also extremely well read on the swap ahead of time, and had the father of the TT swap on speed dial for any questions. During my swap, there were no broken bolts, no stripped studs, and everything went smoothly with very minimal fuss. So can you do it? Maybe, but don't intend to do anything like eat or sleep for the weekend.

[x2percentmilk]

Thats what I needed, a fully informed post from someone with experience haha. 22 hours isnt too bad, I think I can pull it off in a friday-sunday sitting. College has trained me to function well without sleep or food so I think ill be ok. The garage Ill be in is pretty loaded, so that should be fine. Anything take a particularly long time?

[IPD]

yeah. don't expect that you'll run into a "flawless" case. expect anything and everything to break on a 20 year old car. and when it does, if it's something vital/hard to replace, it's going to throw that whole "done in a weekend" idea out the window.

[green-lantern]

Oh this isn't going to turn out well. Unless you have a donor car there, you will be missing something. If you rush all of this work then most likely things are not going to turn out good.

Why do you need to get this work done so quick? Is this a DD? If it is then do the 60/120k and drive it until you get another car to fall back on.

[Jeremy C]

Getting the exhaust mani's off was one of the longest parts for me. We didn't want to have any studs back out or anything break, so each one was torched until cherry before breaking them loose. Added time, but once again we figured that taking an extra minute or two per nut to heat up was a lot better than the time necessary to get a broken stud out and replaced. Getting the rear O2 housing on and in place was a bit of a pain, and we also modified my NA oil pan for the returns by making our own flanges in shop which took a little time to machine and install.

My car also had lots of heat and air tools applied to it to make things come loose. Living in the Rust Belt made sure I had plenty of rust and corrosion to fight through.

[x2percentmilk]

Yeah its my DD, and I have a 7 day a week schedule. Ive decided to wait until after school so it will be easier to have multiple days off in a row, but might try to do the 120k before hand. I have other options if absolutely necessary.

I might need to get my hands on a torch, im up in the north east so salt and rust is like the name of the game. Im also thinking about picking up a first gen TT oil pan to save time.

[green-lantern]

Yeah its my DD, and I have a 7 day a week schedule. Ive decided to wait until after school so it will be easier to have multiple days off in a row, but might try to do the 120k before hand. I have other options if absolutely necessary.

I might need to get my hands on a torch, im up in the north east so salt and rust is like the name of the game. Im also thinking about picking up a first gen TT oil pan to save time.


Good move man, I don't think I have ever seen somebody have everything without having a donor car sitting there. Crush washers, banjo bolts, there always seems to be something you are missing. Also there are some things you need to think about. You really can't run your NA injectors so if you try and run TT ones without resistors they will burn them up or it can cause other problems. If you run resistors with TT injectors then your NA ECU is still expecting a high impedance signal but getting a low one. I'm not sure how much of a problem this can be but it isn't right. What year is the car? My advice is to pick up a TT wiring harness and ECU. Another option is to pick up some 360cc high impedance injectors and use the NA ECU but the fuel maps are so much closer on the TT ECU so it's really the best route using it and the TT harness.

[Jeremy C]

not to mention swapping the ecu/harness takes maybe 30 minutes. Very fast, very easy (but I would recommend another set of hands for snaking things through the firewall).