Derrr

I've seen that one before, but never attempted it myself. Let us know how it works!

I just finished modifing the BOV last night per that website. Going to install it tonight and I'll see how it does at Cordova Sat. Going bracket racing again...

Intial test of the modified BOV looks good. Held 20+ psi boost when driving Funny thing is, it still leaks air under a boost leak test. I don't understand that...it should hold tight.

Didn't get to run too much, I found a bad front tie rod end and just finished fixin her up. The rod end was pretty loose, glad I found it at home and not at the track. Steering wheel is a little more off center than usual, but it drives Ok. We''ll see what tomorrow holds....

Short version of the track outing Sat...car went 12.65 on a 12.78 dial on the brakes through the light. Going by the 1/8 mile time, it was a 12.4-12.5 run....Oh well. I'm definitly learning the world of bracket racing. Air temp plays a huge difference, and I need to start paying attention to it.


Suspension question: If I upgrade to adjustable KYB AGX's, can I replace the rear first to stiffen up the rear (compression wise) and then at a later date replace the front struts? Or will that cause major handling problems??

I guess I'm going to be such a tightass and order some suspension parts.

To replace the struts with KYB AGX's I only need to get the struts themselves correct? Can the stock rod covers and upper plates can be reused?

Yeah, they're direct replacements for the stock struts and shocks, so all of the stock items work just fine.

Heading again to COrdova today for some bracket racing...100 degree heat index today so I won't be breaking any personal records!

Good Luck Chris. Let us know how it goes!

Went pretty well. Had a nice wind to keep the mid 90's temp managable.
I decided to try really hard for consistency and went with an easy tune, especially with the high temps and high humdity.

These where qualifying runs:
12.976@106.29 with a r/t -.143
13.023@106.61 with a r/t .010
13.003@106.59 with a r/t .002

First round of eliminations:
12.99 dial ran a 13.099@106.32 with a r/t .020

Second round
12.99 dial ran a 13.000@106.08. Unfortunately I went red (-.059) but the other guy ran a .001 r/t and a 12.047 on a 12.04 dial....basically a perfect run for him!

Track was somewhat slick, my 60's were in the 1.8-1.9's instead of the normal 1.7's.

Excellent job man! I am continually amazed at how well your project handles the track time. And consistancy...Talk about some good runs!

Thanks Kicks...I cross my fingers and say a little prayer she stays together before each trip to the track!

Seriuosly though, the setup isn't on the edge or anything so I think that help it pile up the track runs. So far I have 31 runs in this year.

I did order my KYB ABX's yesterday, should be here this week! Hopefully my 60's will drop some, or at least get rid of the bucking broncro look

Started on the strut install. Here's how you know your struts are blown...you compress them and they shoot out all their fluid!!



Assembled rears





I picked up new bumpstop from Advance but the thing is huge compared to the stock one (left)


Is the stock one supposed to be that small? Or is just smashed to hell?

Yeah, the stocker isn't supposed to look like that. Make sure to cut the bumpstops down where KYB suggests in the instructions or you'll be riding on them.

I can't make head or tails out of the KYB instructions...there in the universal "picture" lauguage. All it says in words is not to cut bumpstops more than 1/2.

Should I just cut it down past the top hump?

Wait a sec.... you're using stock springs though right? With stock springs they should be alright. The front bellows I bought at Advance came with the bumpstop integrated into them. You don't need to cut the bumpstops unless you're going with a lowered ride height. I got confused because I did my Eibach Pro-Kit lowering springs at the same time.

Yep, stock ride height. I got Strut Mate brand boots at Advance. The bump stop is seperate from the boot. The boot is nice rubber really flexible.

Are the stock bump stops that tall through? Looking at the one stock assembled front strut, it looks like I'll only have about 3" off suspension travel.

It should be the same height, but compare them to make sure.

Personally I would cut it past the first hump. That bump stop is way too big.

Both bumpstops are pretty well smashed to hell, the other one is in a little better condition. When I get that one diassembled I'll probably cut it based on that stop.

Thanks guys.

Here's the trimmed bumpstop:


Fronts done:


One of the crew working:

She's getting pretty good at getting tools, jackstands, turning on the compressor etc!!

Here's a couple of shots of the driveshaft loop I modified and added at the beginning of the year:




I wish I would have added the struts earlier. Car handles pretty nice for still having the alingment off. Little stiffer ride, I left the shock set on 2-Front and 4-rear for now.

Ordered new poly bushing for the front since the lower control arm moves in the rear mount.

Nice work Chris!

One thing's for sure, get that bigger turbo on your car and it'll be everything I was dreaming mine could have been. Good job man!

Damn putting in new front bushings and found a blown lower control arm ball joint on the drivers side....it's always something!

Ad's posted in the exchange.

Crap, both sides have bad ball joints!!!

I'm still gathering lower arms looking for a good set...typical dsm parts, always a pain in the ass.

I am poly bushings proper function, in the front mount on the lower control arm in particular. Are the control arms supposed to rotate around the poly bushing as the suspension works or is the poly bushing supposed to be "attached" to the arm and the bushing/arm supposed to rotate around the mounting bolt bushing that is pinched in the frame mount?

Hmmmm, does that make sence to anybody?

The bushings aren't supposed to move at all, the bolt rotates in the inner metal sleeve. The bushing is there to deflect movement other than the rotating of the bolt.

Well I got it all bolted together. I got a good drivers side arm and the passenger side rear pin mount is workable.

Since I've replaces the tie rods, struts, bushings on the front I was going to go get an aligment but since the back camber bolts are still seized it probably doesn't make any sence to yet. The alignment shop says they set the back and then do the front off of that.

I started thinking about what actually is adjustable on the stock front. The only thing I see that they can adjust at the aligment shop is the toe. There doesn't seem to be any adjustment to the caster/camber on the top strut mount, or am I missing something?

I've got the front tracking pretty straight with a tape measure alignment and 1/8" toe in, does anybody know what the toe in speck is?

Thaere is no way to adjust amber or caster with the stock componentry. Unless you add some slots where the spindle mounts like I have. then you can get some camber adjustment.

Cool, I'll just check the toe and get the whole thing aligned after I fix the rear.

I have all new bolts for the rear--$$$!, I just need to order the bushings. I may weld up the rear upper control arm to stiffin it up some while I'm at it.

Had a long weekend of track time. Friday Fun Night I got 11 runs in and had some fun. Had a hard time getting some consistency. Alot of red lights that I think I can chalk up to to the new suspension reacting a lot quicker. My 60's are not getting much faster but I think it leaves a little harder/faster

Went back Sat for another round of the bracket series race #9.

These where qualifying runs:
12.858@106.7 with a r/t .002
12.736@107.42 with a r/t .038
12.957@106.66 with a r/t -.018

First round of eliminations:
12.88 dial ran a 13.046@106.32 with a r/t .030 Got out of it at 1000' and just kept a car ahead of the other lane

Second round
12.88 dial ran a 13.073@106.08 w a r/t .055. I holeshot the other car and again just stayed ahead of the other car to take the win.

Third round
12.88 dial and I went red on the start. The other car would have still beat me with my 12.96

Oh well, got 30 more points and won $20 for the second round win.

Decided to take the Talon to work today since the weather was so nice and cool this morning. Took her out on the backroads on the way to work and had some fun! Ran great, 18 psi on pump with no knock to speak of. Pulled good, well as good as the little 14b can...

Got to town and noticed some chirping on right hand turns, once in a while on left. Chirping seemed to come from the passenger side. So tonight I checked all the wheel bearings by doing the "wiggle test" with each wheel up in the air and grabbing the wheel at 12 and 6 or 3 and 9. Couldn't really detect much if any movement and no clunking sounds, drivers side rear has some "noise" but seemed minimal and the noise comes from the passenger side.

I was thinking the chirping might be from the new poly bushings, but I lubed the hell out of them and the noise only comes during turns. No noise over bumps.

Any other suggestions? Should I just watch the bearing and see if they get worse?

I found a link that show how to replace the front wheel bearings, but are the rear easily servicable?

I would just keep your ear trained for it and see if it gets any worse. Poly bushings are known for being noisy. If the lube wore off at all they could make noise.

It's hard to say, just one of those things you'll track down.

BTW - I know your car has to feel crazy fast. In fact if you took a ride in mine, you would probably be shocked and bored with all the lag compared to yours.

I don't know, I'll trade some lag for some 11 sec slips!

I like the way the car feels, it gets to 90 before you think it should be. And with the stiff now non floating suspension it has the elusion of being faster. The only "car" people to ride in it and offer opinions Darryl and NCgalant. Everything is slow for Darryl when compared to his car and I think I may have scared Nathan with my runs on the off ramps during tuning sessions. He said something about not getting him killed

Wouldn't mind a ride in yours sometime, and your welcome to drive my heap

Well tonight's racing didn't go as planned.

The intial autopsy looks like I had an injector going bad and caused a cylinder to go lean and eat the electrode off a sparkplug. I swapped some new plugs and ran her a little, pulled the same plug and she was clean as new and no smell of gas which led us to beleive the injector wasn't firing. Next plug was white/brown so it was burning.

So looks like I'm in the market for either another 550 or a good set of 650's.

I'll tear into it Sunday and verify what going on but if you got anything let me know.

Further investigation of the dead cylinder is not good.

I swapped injectors....still dead cylinder
I swapped the injector resistor pack...still dead cylinder
Screw driver stethascope on injector body...seems to be ticking

Compression test 135-122-0-130. Hmmm I guess I found the problem!
I forgot to have the wife hold the throttle blades open so the numbers are a little low. Of course zero is still zero.

I going to do a leak down test this week to determine whether I burnt a valve or if it the rings/piston.

Hopefully I can get away with a quick hone and throw another piston (have to find one) in there to finish out the year. Hopefully I can at least get it running to hit the bracket finals at the end of the month.

YIKES

I was afraid of that Chris... Been there done that. Still sucks.

On a positive note you have made an incredible amount of races with out any serious breakage and the 14b at it's limit.

Yeah, I've been pretty lucky and the 14b probably has gone as far as she's going to go. I feel like I should be pissed, but strangely I'm not. I've haven't figured that one out.

I just want to get her back together, and finish the year's races I had planned. Then this winter, I will take a good hard look at what direction I want to take her.

I may have some old stock pistons if you are wanting to go that route. I only burned up one per set.

Yeah, I might need them. I figure I either messed up a piston or burnt a valve. I'll give you a call once I get it apart this week. Thanks.

Darryl came over last night and we did a leak down test. Cylinder #3 has 30% leakage and the air is coming out the intake so it looks like I burnt an intake valve. The other cylinder <6% so they should be fine.

Head comes off Sat...guess I'll call Kalina and get a estimate on fixing the head.

One side note, I emailed FIC Sunday asking if they would sell a single injector or reman the one I have. Got the below email Tues morning:
"
Hi Chris
I am so sorry to hear that you're having trouble with the injectors.
We can clean and flow the injector you are having trouble with to see if we
can get it to work 100% or we can sell you a new injector. That's up to you.
Make sure you test to see that the injector behaves the same even if you
switch it to another plug. (You may already have done that...)
The single injector cost is $55 for a 125-0550L + $5 freight and the "Clean
& Flow" is $20 per injector + freight back to you.
If we determine that the injector failed prematurely and will be replaced
under warranty, there will be no cost to you.

Let me know what you want to do.

Regards, Jens.

Jens von Holten
info@fuelinjectorclinic.com
(561) 427-0082


Pretty fast response (with the holiday) and the offer of the possible warrenty replacement is a bonus.

I will be probably sending the questionable injector back in case is was the cause of a lean condition that caused the broken plug/burnt valve.

A little further diagnosis

Did another compression test with the throttle open:
142-130-0-140

With some oil in the cylinders:
155-145-0-150

According to the VFAQ the Standard for a 1g turbo is 164 and the service limit is 121.

She's a little worn but should be good enough to last to the winter after I fix the head. But I think it'll probably need to come out for a freshening.

Carnage photos.....

I beleive this is my problem


I can't find the rest of the valve....it's not in the exhaust, intake and it wasn't in the turbine housing. I can't beleive is was burned away...is that possible??

The rest of the valves look like this, do these look normal? Especially the exhaust ports:


I hoping the guide is OK since the stem has a groove worn in in in the exhaust port.

Good news is that all the cylinder bores look good, no grooves.and nice and smooth.

Oh boy! You did it up right Chris.

You will probably find that most if not all of the valves are warped and the guides are probably ok. If you want to play it cheap, Make sure they ONLY check the valves in that cylinder.

The way your exhaust valves look is pretty typical. They usually get a white coating on them from my experiences.

pretty ugly stuff. 150-160 compression tells me you've still got quite a bit of life left. I decided to rebuild mine when they were more like 135-125-115-130 and even that motor was running pretty well.

Yeah, that's way the way I roll... Crack crank in two...burn finger size hole in valve...next who knows?!!?

Kicks, thanks for the tip on the shop just checking the one cylinder. Has anyone taken their head to Kalina in Peoria? Should I run down some valves or just let them do it?

I need to finish stripping down the head. I know I need remove the cams...I don't need to bring the cam caps to the shop do I?

I also assume I need to pull the lifters, do they need to go back in the same bores?

I've used Kalina on about 90% of my cylinder head repairs/rebuilds.

You shouldn't need to send your cam caps. I always have but not for any reason. Definitely pull your lifters. It's always a good conservative idea to put used parts back where they came from.

Kalina can get nearly as good of a deal as anyone except on the specialized parts. I've accepted paying a little more from them for parts to help keep a local business going. When I wen to my last set of valves...half the price a Ferrea, i had to get them through Winner's Circle but if you are doing stock valves there is no problem.

didn't spy have a race head up for sale a while back??? maybe time for an upgrade!!!!

He already sold it.

I think that head would be out of my price range...if I'm thinking of the right one.

I guess I'm going to send all the injectors back to FIC to have them checked ($10 a piece) just in case I have another one possibly going bad.

Kicks, I don't mind supporting the local shops either. Unfortunality I got back too late from Iowa today to get the head torn down. Looks like it won't get to the shop until Weds.