Hey All,
This is the sixth installment in my build thread. Unfortunately this is where progress stalls for the next few weeks as I have relocated to Melbourne to continue uni for this semester without the car.
This will be as much a 'ask for advice'/'bench-racing' post as a build update so any input would be super helpful.
Pedal box
This was not a really fun job, but not half as bad as people make it out to be. I would probably budget a day to remove and install one properly.
There are a few ways to skin this cat but contrary to popular belief, the newer 'pedal box firewall plates' are not all drilled/fabricated for both auto and manual pedals - Volvo seemed to follow no specific logic when doing this as it is roughly 50/50 all through the years apparently - but lucky for you if your auto plate has the clutch hole!
Mine didn't and so the easiest way to do this is; (I was busy, didn't take pics, sorry)
- disconnect throttle cable
- remove drivers seat
- position yourself on your back with a torch
- undo all the bolts and nuts holding the plate onto the firewall.
- remove the sound deadening and undo the bolts you missed.
- there is a bolt or two behind the heater core - this one is a ratcheting spanner with flex head, o/e spanner and offset ring spanner job. Undoing it takes a while.
- undo the bolts from the pedal box to the 'roof' (what looks like the roof when you're under there) there are maybe 2 or 3. Ratcheting spanners ftw.
- Then take off the pedal box component.
- it is about at this stage you realize you've also undone the nuts attaching the brake booster.
- disconnect the booster from the master cylinder and remove the booster. leave the master cylinder to bolt onto the other plate. The boosters are actually the same between auto and manual but removing it from the master gives you more space
- You should have a bare plate now.
- undo the steering uni-joint from the spline on the steering column
- while the plate is still there turn it 90 degrees, tilt it off the shaft and through the hole it left in the firewall. Finished.
This was just the way I did it, but I did do this 3 times and it seemed the fastest. You don't need to remove your dash. You don't need any long extensions through your dash. At worst you might need to unclip some AC pipes.
Anyway, feels good to have 3 pedals!
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Gearbox Mount
So when I removed the gearbox this is what greeted me on the way out;
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So basically I knocked up a temporary mount to replace it. In hindsight I think the two threads on the mount may have been offset originally as my new one didn't like to fit. Anyway, when I get her driving I'll take her to Berry Motor Group and get the engine mounts and gearbox mount done. I was inspired by Turbobricks hockey puck engine mounts!
8mm mild plate holesaw offcuts I had;
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Cro-mo bike axle
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Rubber test tube bung (really firm!) and silicone 2.5" tube to stop too much squish;
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melted it through;
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sorted?
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Gets pretty squished;
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Now I'm not sure if this is related to my dodgey mount (probably is) but the shifter is really off centre -
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Does anyone know if
a) - this is going to be a driveability issue due to tailshaft angle
b) - this will be corrected when new mounts are put in or
c) - this is a problem for whoever next removes my shifter boot? Kind-of concerned.
Also I think the gearbox x-member had an alloy spacer between it and the floor on one side (or perhaps I lost the other one and there were two?) I didn't put it back in - can anyone shed any light on this? Perhaps
@DCW242 you might have encountered these during your swap?
Everything seems to clear ok anyway;
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Gear Stick / Overdrive
Original gearstick was munted and so was the knob, so on went the generic weighted SCA unbranded thing;
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The O/D was wired to the switch on the switch panel to the right. It uses a relay so that it can only get into O/D when it is in 4th.
Coil packs and Plug wires
As you can see here I put the LS1 coils in...
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And made up custom plug wires.
Something I'm loosing sleep over is that I used a common ground for the coils - does anyone who has experience with this sort of thing know if this will be likely to cause problems in future?
Also wired Battery +ve straight to starter then will run everything from there...hopefully that works ok.
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Vacuum fittings on Intake Manifold;
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Oil return
This is how to do it if you are in a hurry. Probably the dodgiest part of this car, but I will drill/tap the block or tig one in eventually...if this one fails! In fact is this even the correct place to put a return?
Collect your implements of mass destruction:
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Centre punch where you want it, use your biggest drill bit to make a shallow hole in the wall. Whatever you do don't drill through as you'll get shavings in there,
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Widen it...
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Spot weld
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In spot welding I guess you have a good to fair chance of your engine crank case becoming like one of those oil wells in the US where they accidentally caught them on fire in the 20s and still can't get them to go out and they just burn underground for ever. In truth I was relying on my PCV to be so blocked that it wouldn't let in any air to fuel the fire. I did drain the oil first...this was a topic of some discussion though.
fill it in with epoxy rated for temps -
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Oil feed was simple, just took it from below the water pump on the block and ran it to an elbow , 1/4npt in the block to -4an. On a side note, I didn't even get the braided stuff and it cost like $200 for the parts from a hydraulics shop...pricey as!
Exhaust Manifold Saga
So as you know I was going to use a turbo exhaust manifold I bought from Mark a while ago with an up pipe. I had milled it flat and so on but then found it to be cracked all over the back. Pretty weak. Anyway prior to replacing it I had made this up pipe:
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And the turbo sat like this:
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But then my good mate got fed up with my dodgeyness and made the executive decision to purchase this guy;
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Made pretty well - tigged up stainless with 1/2" flanges. It wont need any ceramic coating, I'll probably just wrap it in header wrap. It will flow 10x as well as my up pipe and a huge amount better than a stock turbo manifold. It really was the best option of the lot, short of buying a custom manifold.
People will say you can get one made up for 1k...maybe for your sr20 or 2j that they have the jig there for but for a b230 try 2k and a 4 week wait time if you can even find a bloke to do it.
It does raise a few issues though;
I need to bend my radiator hose like this;
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otherwise it will get really hot.
Alternator Relocation.
So my alternator will probably get pretty warm too - I'll probably just run it till it breaks but has anyone run theirs on the LHS of the motor? in place of AC? The long term plan is to have a 120A alternater and run an Astra PS pump that is electric and a thermatic fan so I will have no PS pump or AC compressor or fan. But in the meantime, a relocation may help?
Manifold Grafting
Need a huge favour - anyone know the overall width of the stock b230 intake runners, and the distance between them? The reason is more for benchracing than anything else but I came across this on the miata forums - the guys who are turbocharging their miatas have poor flowing intake manifolds for turbo applications like us - one smart fellow found that Honda intake manifolds (for which there is a huge and cheap aftermarket) have very similar runner spacing to those of miatas. Cut them both, weld Honda plenum to miata flange and you have a manifold that flows exponentially better for like $200, rather than $1000 for a custom manifold.
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Apparently he recorded hugely better torque figures on the dyno afterwards.
Oh and we put a boost gauge in for lols - It is off some specialty machine and is worth more than my whole car but will do the trick untill I pick up some VDO stuff.
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What still needs to be done:
- turbo dump pipe
- MS wiring
- MS tuning
- Radiator hose
Also I was going to buy a Wideband 02 sensor a few weeks back but instead I got a pretty picture of the 240 taken, and it cost basically the same amount as an 02 sensor so ... 3km/hr can be pricey.
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Cheers!
Sam
P.S. If anyone has a 240 rubber shift boot they would sell me for less than IPD Shipping that would be awesome :)