Water pump, remote oil filter/cooler

After a brief (and planned) break, we’re back up again! The motor has now been fitted with a water pump, tubing and thermostat housing. This is all brand new and stock VR6.

Water pump and return plumbing

Maybe more exciting is the remote oil filter/oil cooler arrangement: This is a complete SEO custom solution; sure it looks cool and makes serviceability a snap but the real driver is the fact that the stock oil filter location would have interfered with the new motor mount, so as a result, the filter was relocated. The oil cooler function may not be obvious, so to explain, the oil/coolant exchange takes place in the metal adapter that bolts to the engine block; the coolant return flow runs through the block, through the metal adapter (where it cools the oil), up the little black hose and into the coolant return pipe. Very neat.

Remote oil filter and oil cooler

In other news – the MS3 Pro Engine Management System controller is on order. This is an upgrade from the regular MS3 we had planned to go with but this way Ed does not need to add any expansion modules and such; it’s all integrated into one extremely capable unit.

Also on order is the catalytic converter. We’re going with a 3” high flow unit from APTuned, specifically for forced induction. I don’t really require a cat since they do not do emissions testing on cars older than 25 years here where I live (not sure if it is regulated at a city/county/state level) but, hey, it’s always wise to be prepared for any changes in the laws or if we move…. not to mention doing the right thing for the environment!

Ed also ordered a new 3/4" clutch master cylinder from Wilwood.... No reason to fool around with the piece of junk that I had bought from the guy who sold me the manual transmission.