Dave's Build Thread

crackership · #1

Hi All, I'm porting over my build thread from the other place. The original can be seen here but I'll be adding all future updates here. I'll cover the Cliff's Notes of the history first and then get on to what's happened since:

Back in the Spring of 2009, I brought this beauty home:

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crackership · #2

Everything was great! I drove it just like I bought it for about a year and then it caught on fire. It was a minor engine fire, as engine fires go, but it damaged a lot of stuff and so the engine had to come out and all the damage had to be handled:

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I figured I'd jazz up the place with some paint and some blue stuff while I was in there and also replaced all front suspension bushings, engine mounts, etc. I also swapped out the Vitesse MAF for a first production run Rogue Tune M-Tune

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Like my wheel chock? (Don't worry, it's a cracked cam tower I got with a spare engine, I wouldn't abuse a useable one like this)

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crackership · #3

After those repairs, I just drove it for a good long time - got distracted with life stuff and other projects, moved a couple times, not a lot happened to the car. Then, I stumbled across a good deal on a set of 996 Hollow Spoke Turbo Twists.

Before:

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After:

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I didn't like it.

Tried painting them black:

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Better, but still no. So the Fuchs went back on.

crackership · #4

Some more time passed, life happened, I moved again and then I decided it was time to install this turbo I'd bought about a year before, it was built by Joshua (Rogue Tuning) and Sid (Blown 944) - If y'all remember those guys - It's an HY35 Compressor housing and wheel, an HX35 CHRA and an HY35 turbine in a Turbonetics replica Triple K #8 housing that's been ceramic coated.

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hmmm.. will it fit?

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turns out, yes, with a bit cut out of the alternator bracket here:

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and a bit machined off the bottom of the throttle body there:

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plus a creative solution for the secondary throttle return spring:

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it fits!! look at all that extra room!

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crackership · #5

The new turbo made a pretty massive difference. The car was much much faster. So I drove it like that for several years, played with other toys, and all was well. Somewhere in there, I visited Japan and bought this cool steering wheel at an UpGarage. I know it's not for everyone but I dig it and it was a cool souvenir

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Then I had this crazy idea that, maybe, I could paint those twists bronze! Maybe that would make them cool!

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Nope, still don't like them. Fuchs back on.

Stigs cousin · #6

It's hard to beat the look of the Fuch's!I had an '89 s2 and reallyliked the of the "Design 90" wheel.

crackership · #7

And then, about two years ago, I was driving it to a thing and suddenly the cabin was full of smoke!

Having experienced an engine fire in one of these before, I panicked, pulled over and grabbed the fire extinguisher that the previous experience had taught me to keep in the car. Thankfully, no fire, but the cam tower gasket had sprung a leak and was misting the exhaust manifold with oil.. what a mess!

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Unfortunately, I had too much other stuff going on in the garage to get into it.. I'd just bought this heap of junk '96 4Runner with a burnt valve and basically every possible problem - a few months and a JDM engine later, it was ready to drive to the top of mountains though:

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I also rescued my GTV6 from a scenario I can't even begin to describe and dug into it:

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About a year later, lots of welding and many many parts, it was finally ready to fire up!

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AAAANNNND, it had two dead cylinders

Turned out the "totally good" used engine I bought had a couple bent valves.. so the heads came off and went to the machine shop.. they're still there. It's been almost two years.. Unfortunately, people who will do machine work on old Alfas are few and far between, so I just kinda get to wait. Oh well, it's given me an opportunity to get back to the 944

crackership · #8

So, I cleaned up all the Alfa parts and got back to the 944.

first things first, pulled off the intake manifold and noticed a bunch of oil on the back of the intake valves.

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This was the beginning of the slippery "While you're in there" slope. So I dug out my spare NA head I happened upon years ago and sent it off to a very talented young machinist in California who returned it to me very nicely rebuilt and ported to flow 255cfm at 0.005" lift.

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crackership · #9

Then, while I had the head off, I noticed the exhaust manifold was very badly cracked in several spots

well, why replace with stock when you can buy fancy SFR headers (and wait several months for them)?

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Also, I mean, while we're in there.. how about a downpipe? I can't find a picture of it, but I swear I put a 3" downpipe from M44 Performance on it

But.. if I have a 3" downpipe, and a 3" cat-back.. It "only makes sense" to do a 3" mid pipe.. right?

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unfortunately the previously-modified wastegate dump didn't fit with this new pipe;

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sometimes you have to make things...

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ahh.. that's better..

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crackership · #10

While I was messing around in the engine bay, I noticed a slow leak form my radiator.. so I hit up Wizard for this shiny new one

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Carpokes

Carpokes

Dave's Build Thread