Header impressions!

[Jim Green]

Ok, first I have to say thanks for all the
compliments, and sorry for Yahoo.  The site
http://www.geocities.com/jeg1976/conversion_home3.html
keeps getting shut off from too many hits.  I have the
stuff for a real web server, but am to lazy to get a
static IP and set it up.

Anyways, this thing kicks ass!  If any of you 10v guys
are even considering doing something like this, get on
it!  Honestly, the header wasn't the hard part, it was
re-doing the rest of the engine compartment to fit
around it that took the most time.  Yes, I could have
simplified it using  my existing IM, but I wanted
something different, plus the MC IM was just in my way
as far as intake, and down pipes were concerned.

The only other mod on my car that has made this much
difference is when I put the EFI in.  So my new advice
to those converters out there is do it all at once!
For me the lack of knowledge and money was the reason
I've been at this for over two years.  If you've done
stuff like this before, do it all at once if you can.
If you're like me, and blow stuff up to learn about
it, maybe you do need two years for your project:)
Right now the car is at ~ 18 psi of boost, stock MC-2
cam.  I took the car up I-70 skiing today, the car was
flawless minus the small issue I talk about below.  I
can now go in 5th gear the whole way as long as the
motor is above 3k rpms, which is the new magical #
where I can get full boost.  Cruising at 3k, open up
the throttle and in a few seconds it's already at 15
psi.  I almost always had to downshift to 4th if the
motor was below 4k in 5th, or anytime someone slowed
me down.  Especially at higher altitudes.  Did I
mention I got ~20mpg on my trip!  I wasn't exactly
keeping my foot out of it either.  The engine is over
all smoother at higher rpms, and really easy to get to
the rev limiter.  I would say I've lost a slight
amount of low end torque, but hardly noticeable. I
still usually shift by 3k rpms in the city because if
I go beyond that, well, you can imagine what happens,
get out the neck braces.  I haven't had the car knock
on me once since tuning it yesterday.  It is just rock
solid power, and I love it.  I would always get
un-explained pinging with the stock manifold when
trying to run at 15 psi without water injection.  I
don't even have that hooked up right now, and can't
even fathom what this would be like with another 4
degrees of advance! I'm sure it will not be long till
I fell the urge to hook it back up.

As far as the other four gears are concerned, 1st and
second are not the most imressive, easy to get full
boost, but the engine can't spin up fast enough.  I
can now see the need for a lighter flywheel.  But 3rd
gear, ohh, sweet third gear, is where it all comes
out.  Mind altering torque is a good description.  4th
and 5th are equally as impressive.  The guy in the
black 5ktq on 120th Sat night can vouch for me.  You
out there?

I wrote a little on the TB in another thread, but in a
nutshell, yes it does make the car a little touchy,
but I found that putting another spring on it helped
stiffen up the pedal, and helps a ton.  After that it
was only a few min. before I was used to it.

The bad:  Well all that nice ceramic coating has
already flaked off the header and turbo(started to 30
seconds after the car was started the first time), so
if I can't get a refund or something, any of you
Denver guys want to go help me remind Biff at Applied
Plastic Coatings where his wallet is?

The other not so bad thing is I think I need another
bypass valve.  That Forge is really working hard to
dump the extra boost.  The turbo is so eager to spin
that if you even let it think it's go-time by opening
the throttle a little, the valve just sounds like it
has way to much air being forced through it.  It is
much louder, and kind of annoying.  Could be because
of the proximity to the firewall, but I can feel and
hear it struggling with the airflow by causing some
slight bucking.  Which brings me to a question.

Right now the bypass valve is by the TB.  I put a
nipple on the pipe right after the turbo for another
bypass valve if I need it.  Any thoughts on how the
system will work with a valve in both places?  I
snagged a pretty big Pierburg BPV off a Volvo at the
junkyard that I think I'll try there.  The Forge valve
may be sticking a little to, so I'll look into that as
well.

Happy Holidays,


=====
Jim Green
'89 90tq 034EFI, Haltech IG5
http://www.geocities.com/jeg1976/car_home.html

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