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6/27/02
I now have the suspension up to par. I replaced the rear shocks with some KYB gas-a-just shocks and swapped the struts off my 89 shelby. The suspension is quiet and smooth again. The head gasket is blown or I have a cracked head. I am going to tear it down this weekend and find out. I am also going to do a few upgrades. I am going to install a MP performance head gasket, MP headbolts, EGT gauge, and steel braided turbo oil feed line; all from Relentless Racing. I am also going to install and R/T radiator and intercooler assembly and the Garrett T2 from my 89 shelby. Also the normal stuff, oil , oil filter, fuel filter and other little things. Another thing planned is removing the balance shafts and replacing the front crank seal since it is leaking. After all this I am going to turn up the boost which is only set at 9 lbs with a grainger valve. A side note on the grainger valve, they are THE BEST way to control boost. 7/10/02 I spent the entire last week in my dad's shed working on my car. Turns out that the headgasket was not blown and the head was not cracked. The head was just not tightened down enough. I did a compression test before I started, #1-135 #2-140 #3-125 #4-125. I have not done a compression test after yet. The head looked to be in great shape and so was the pistons. All the parts I got from Relentless Racing was top notch. I got everything done except removing the balance shafts and changing the the fuel filter. I also added a external temp switch for my radiator fan. The switch is used in fiero's and is rated to turn on at 195 degrees and shut off at 185 degrees. I just wired it into the fan relay so the computer can still control the fan for the AC and anything else it uses. It works awsome with the 180 degree thermostat. The temp gauge stays just under 1/3 on the gauge, no more sitting in traffic waiting the fan to turn on. I also drilled a small hole in the thermostat to reduce thermo shock and help bleed the coolant system. With the R/T radiator and intercooler installed I had to find a fan for the radiator. I bought a 16" radiator fan at Checker auto parts and it was a little taller but was the perfect width. Another dilema was finding a place for the overflow bottle. I couldn't find a place for the one that was originally on my car, so I got the one out of my 89 shelby. I had to cut some of the battery tray back so there was room to put it in front of it. After all this has been done the car is running excellent, it acts like a completely different car. I am still at 9 lbs of boost, but with intercooler you can really tell by the butt-o-meter that there is alot more power and the flow is alot better with the garrett. The spooling of the garrett sounds alot cooler than the little mitsu. The upper rpms are alot smoother and more powerful because the garrett flows so much better. I mounted my 1G blow off valve on my upper intercooler pipe, I really can't hear it release like I could with out the intercooler. Spool up time really doesn't seem much different, I get full boost around 2600 rpm verses 2300 with the mitsu and no intercooler. Here are a few pics of the engine compartment after I installed everything.
Here are some close up pics of my fan switch, my 16" fan, my intercooler, and my 1G blow off valve.
9/21/02 The car has been running great. I finally got my exhaust installed. The car had the factory exhaust, except for the cat was removed. I installed a 2.5" by 28" long Thrush glass pack, I wanted to go as cheap as I could, and 2.5" 90 degree that dumps out right in front of the driver's side rear tire. It sounds pretty cool. It's kind of loud when you get on it in town and then its really loud when you really get on it and into the high RPM's. With this new exhaust it really flies up to redline, when it used to get choked off. Also I had to turn down my grainger valve because I hit the overboost cutout, the boost must spike a little now with the opened exhaust. Happy Boostin' :^)
Here are some more pics I took of my car this weekend. Instead on the shadow steelies, I installed turbo blades of my new parts car. I used my tire budget to buy my parts car, so I didn't have money to buy new tires for my pumpers. The turbo blades have tires with good tread, but are a hard compound and don't keep traction when the boost hits. It does make for some fun tire squealing and smoking.
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