Back To Basics: Budget Rebuild

[spaceace60]

be sure to keep us all updated on final length of all the converted lines! will deff save others a ton of time/work! also keep us posted on what parts r used and where such as what size an fittings ect! thanks Jim

[sergechronos]

If you're referring to the waterneck AN conversion I am/will be doing, that's definitely on my list of things to document and write up. There have been several others who have done it, although the information is a bit scattered and in some cases wrong. As I pointed out on one of the earlier posts, the coolant lines have frequently been quoted as being -4, yet a physical comparison between the OEM hard lines and a -4 fitting shows that is clearly not the case. -4 may have the same ID as the OEM rubber lines or perhaps the size of the opening in the factory banjo bolt, but I'm not entirely sold on that either. Would need to put a caliper to the lines to be sure, which I intend to do to the stock oil feed lines (although I do not plan to replace them at this time just due to costs and it being incredibly unnecessary.)

I will not be doing that for the fuel system conversions as there are numerous write ups on that already. I will take pictures though and continue to offer services doing the AN conversions as well as unveiling a fairly complete upgrade (and repair/replacement) to the system that can be done piecemeal style and will likely come in less than what some of the vendors charge for just replacement fuel hats..

As far as updates: Picked up a Morgan Motorsports splitter which may, or may not, be modified or copied to do a few other things for me. I'd like to seal the whole bottom of the engine bay off, with access panels that can be removed to allow access to do the oil and transmission fluids. Additionally, my heads are due to be picked up at my earliest opportunity. Hopefully within the next few weeks when classes are out for the summer I'll have some time to work on the car before summer classes start.

[CoopKill]

Carefull on sealing the entire underside of the bay. It needs venting as the air coming in thru the radiator needs to escape out the bottom.

[sergechronos]

I plan on venting the hood.

Met with FamilyMAN a couple weeks ago to pick up an interior and after checking out his hood and engine bay set up, fairly confident that the same style vent will work wonders for me as well, especially with sealing the bottom of the bay. Should pull the heat straight out the hood and further improve efficiency. Believe Erron did something similar with his, although not the same style vent.

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[sergechronos]

Got a call from the machine shop today, total cost for the heads: $586 for 5 angle valve job, valve guides and VSS. While not cheap, it's not terrible either since this will likely last another 100k+ and can always be moved to a new short block when I forge the bottom end. This will leave just purchasing OEM head bolts as the last step to reassembling the actual long block.

I'm still trying to sort out a viable SMIC option that isn't over 700-800 bucks. Modifying existing CXRacing ICs for Audi S4s is an option, as is just getting a long bar and plate core and welding them together with end tanks to make a large core. Getting an exhaust shop to bend piping, or using prebent piping, may also end up being cheaper than using a CX Hard pipe kit, but remains to be seen. Once classes are out for the semester I will be measuring how much room I have to work with to fit cores and end tanks to pursue a SMIC idea and go from there. I think that if possible to do a kit with piping and larger cores for somewhere in the 800-1000 range brand new would likely be doable.

I of course still need to complete the AN conversion to the water neck, decide whether or not to AN the oil feed (since the rest of the lines to the turbo will be AN.) I also need to acquire a new fuel filter and make some lines to use Oohnoo's fuel set up, as well as do my conversion to the fuel hat for AN8 feed, AN6 return and new wiring bulkhead. I will be replacing the exhaust, although it will likely just be open pipes initially to make sure I'm not leaking any fluids onto new exhaust components..Eventually a new DP and Tanabe Medallion will be on order. I also need to put the front suspension back on and get some big ass bolts to put through the hubs so that I can push the car out of the garage and have room to work...or get it towed to the Ninja and assist them while working on mine on the side

[familyMAN]

Subbing.

[sergechronos]

Bout time

[sergechronos]

As an update, I am still working out a SMIC option, may have a sub $500 solution that is an actual upgrade over the DSM ICs and hard piping, but I need to mock stuff up and find a local tig welder.

I did pick up the heads today from the machine shop and have. Couple questions for the experts:
1) the rust spot. Wtf? Not sure if its something to be concerned with or not. Seems to be away from any high stress areas, still vaguely concerning.
2) not sure why some of my valves are black and some are gray, anything to be concerned with?

I am contemplating postponing the completion, since I still have to hear back about the trans and finalize my intercooling solution, and picking up a set of 264s but I will play that by ear.



I will be going out to Nashville tomorrow to pick up a 97-98 bumper, which I am glad to have finally found semi-locally. Will need to be painted to match, but I'm okay with that

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[familyMAN]

Rust spot is just where a coolant port ends. Not a big deal. Obviously alum can't rust so it's probably just picked up deposits from block/water.

[sergechronos]

Rust spot is just where a coolant port ends. Not a big deal. Obviously alum can't rust so it's probably just picked up deposits from block/water.

That's about what I figured..Just no block here at school to compare it to..And sold my old heads already before I could compare Thanks for quick response.