Another start-up video

 

Sounds a heck of a lot smoother now. Less smoke too.

First start-up!

 

It cranked right up with no hesitation! First turn of the key. Throttle response is fantastic.

Yes, it is a little raw but it will of course change as the project moves ahead. The most obvious one is that the 3” cat and exhaust are not yet installed so it's wide open. Also, the tank is pretty much empty with a cavitating fuel pump causing the injectors to spit part fuel, part gas. In addition, whatever little gas is in there is close to 9 months old. Once all is said and done Ed tells me that it will have a very nice sound that is unique to tuned VR6s.

The MS-3 Pro is really cool. Before start-up Ed was able to easily confirm that it was communicating properly with all sensors; then he loaded the base map from a prior project as a starting point. Technology has come a long way....

Wiring, wideband sensor and intake manifold

Wiring:
The hairiest tasks of all are probably the wiring. Here are some progress pictures from behind the driver's seat:

Oh gosh...

Looking better already...

Here is the completed wiring to the ECU, nicely integrated:

Completed wiring on driver's side with MS-3 Pro ECU and wideband 0₂ sensor wired in

A little bit about the Wideband 0₂ sensor: The purpose of the digital wideband 0₂ sensor is to provide a real-time feedback signal to the MS-3 Pro ECU so it can adjust and provide the perfect air/fuel ratio for any given load. Ed selected the LC-2 wideband sensor from Innovate and I can see why: A review concluded that: ”The Innovate LC-2 has proven time and time again to the be the most accurate, while maintaining amazingly fast response times to changes in air/fuel ratio.”

Passenger side:

The fuel pump relay has been reconfigured with an added relay for the intercooler fan. The coolant temp sensor is also integrated into the MS-3 Pro 3 and the A/C condenser fans are triggered by the A/C like they should:

Completed wiring on passenger side

Engine compartment:

Sensors and boost solenoid have been located behind the stainless cover (not installed in the picture) for a really clean look. No components are added on the firewall (unlike that eye sore of a Delorean starter resistor - ugh!!). Nice and clean! You can also see the little heater hose reducer to interface the car’s heater hose to the engine laying on top.

Engine compartment electricals

Intake manifold:

The intake fabrication is coming along nicely. Esthetically speaking, this “round tube” design is much nicer than the square d:o that Ed made for Jeremiah. At least I think so (sorry, Jeremiah J):

 

 

Wastegate, turbo oil supply/return, intake, fuel lines

The wastegate and oil supply and return hoses to/from the turbo are now installed:

Wastegate and oil supply hose to the turbo

Oil return from turbo

Also the lower, stock intake manifold has been mounted, whereas the upper “upstream” d:o will be custom made. Ed will fabricate the main chamber; the portion that mates up to the lower manifold will be CNC machined flat and with smooth radii for an unimpeded flow into the combustion chambers. This manifold should be simpler then Jeremiah’s car because his was an auto so linkages are simpler for us.

Lower intake manifold in place, so far

Coolant pipes are done. The stock Delorean water temp sensor required an adapter that Ed had his machine shop fabricate.



Coolant piping

Fuel lines are also done. For the lines leading up to the fuel rail we decided to go with stock, i.e. rubber lines; not SS. Hard fuel lines would have required custom bracketry, custom fuel lines and additional fittings so we decided to stay with stock. Ed also thought it would look cleaner so I’m good with that.


Fuel rail and lines in place but not mounted

The wiring is underway. Check out the pic where you can see how tiny the new and high-powered MS3 Pro ECU is compared to the old, stock d:o. Ed: “Dropped about 5 lbs of weight too”. I love it.



Wiring starts; MS3 Pro - tiny size, awesome features

After wiring comes the intake manifold, exhaust system and charge piping. Stay tuned. No pun intended.

Turbo!

Turbo and manifold installed

The turbo charger and manifold are here and already installed!

The turbo of choice is a GT35 sourced from the aftermarket (i.e. not a name brand), class type T4 with A/R (area/radius) ratio of .70 on the compressor side and .68 on the turbine side. After Ed received it he sent it out to have the seals upgraded and the rotating components balanced to a tighter specification than standard.

As anyone would know, class T4 of course defines the flow capacity (as well as flange style) which means by definition that this setup can deliver enough air for an output in the 400-800 HP range (gulp!). The A/R numbers represent just the right balance between spool-up time and output. Rather than ball bearings it uses journal bearings in order to keep it fully serviceable.

For the manifold, Ed chose a cast iron, really stout unit from ATP Turbo specifically designed for use in a turbocharged VR6 motor. It drops right in, already has the T4 style flange to match up with the turbo as well as the wastegate port.

Ed also reports that the clutch is completed to his complete satisfaction (“MUCH nicer than my 2JZ car felt like”). It has a full stroke with the expected performance stiffness and an overall fantastic “feel”.

And finally, the new Bosch EV6 injectors are on the way. These are standard issue on the 420 HP Porsche 996 Turbo with a nominal flow rate of 450cc/min each. He also tells me that these injectors are good for at least another 100 HP so, if ever needed, there is plenty of room for growth…  

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.

Base motor + transmission go in for the final time

All of the transmission and clutch modifications are now complete so the whole schebang is going into the car for the final time. Now, all that space everywhere is of course going to be filled with intercooler, turbocharger, custom intake and exhaust manifold, fuel injection etc, so lots more to come of course!


Right side (note the finished motor mounts)



Left side