[s-cars] ...and how was your day, dear? (Danger on the slippery slope)

[Tom Mullane]

S'ers,

Today, on the way to work, my wife had a previously rebuilt tooth fall
apart.  A large chunk broke off.  She worked all day in agony, then went to
the dentist for a few hours of drilling and assorted other pleasures.  She
arrived home at 9:30 slurring her words (Novocain, she swears) and proceeded
to spend an hour and half in the kitchen making some sort of salad for a
work picnic tomorrow.  Pretty crappy.....but I think my day can top hers.

After a particularly hellish day at work, I rushed home to finish some
preparation for the S tuning this weekend.  (Since Mihnea's visit has
greased the slippery slope I have been trying to complete mods that were
previously planned for next year).

Step one was the Stromung.  I have a lift and I've installed the Stromung
before, so it should be a piece of cake.  Buuuut, something was kinda funky
with the downpipe, like maybe it had a bit too much of a bend to it.  I
ended up with the cat pressed right up against the bottom of the trans.
WTF?  I managed to reposition it and use the front mount to force it down a
bit, but I think that the downpipe will require some adjustment with a 2x4.
Nice.  Also, the tips are off center in the little indent in the bottom of
the bumper.  It's on now, but I'm not really thrilled.  The first one fit
perfectly.

Step two was to replace the MAP to turbo hose.  10 minutes; easy.  But after
the install, I have almost zero boost.  So what's the problem? Is it the
Stromung (unlikely) or something I did with the hose?  Oh yeah, and while
the hose was out, I also replaced the fuel filter and the plugs.  Smart.
Now I don't know where to start.  I pull codes, and get a lot of them; then
I remember that I unplugged the MAF and drove the car out of one garage bay
and into another.  Clear the codes, unplug the ECU, wait, plug it back in.
Go for a drive, still no boost.  Seems like the wastegate frequency valve is
unplugged...but it isn't.  Pressure test system, pull vacuum line off ECU
during pressure test to verify that the ECU can "see" boost.  Drive car.
Suddenly, boost has returned!

I took a test run on the highway.  I came ripping up the ramp, shifted into
third, stomped on the gas, and POP!  Great. Get off highway, pull over,
unplug MAF, limp home, remove belly pan (again), and reattach boost hose to
bottom of intercooler.  Repeat process.  <sigh>

Tomorrow I will limp the car back down to my shop and pick up the wagon for
my commute.  Tomorrow evening I'll try again.  Maybe I'll even take a crack
at re-aligning the Stromung.

Hope everyone had a better day than me.

Tom