Turbodudey/quicksilvr MegaSquirt & Turbo Build

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:29 pm

Oh, you know...just trolling.

The realization that this car might drive down the road sometime before the snow flies this year is exciting. Stress the "might" part of that sentence...

TurboVanDan · Post by **TurboVanDan** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:54 pm

Whoo Hoo...!! I actually worked on the car today....!! Finished (finally) installing the rear disk brake upgrade parts (SRT-4 parts). While installing the left side knuckle/caliper/rotor, I noticed that the left rear lateral arm is BENT...!! Actually, I'm sure that it has been bent since Josh (Turbodudey) got the car in 2004 (or was it '05...??). This car was a "salvage title" car when we got it, meaning that it had been repaired after being crashed in some fashion. There are other minor things about the under body (especially in the rear) that hint at the previous damage, but I guess we never noticed the lateral arm before... Anyway, since I had it "halfway" loose because of installing the disk brake knuckle, I took that lateral arm the rest of the way off so that it can be replaced. Anyone have a good, straight, left rear lateral arm laying around...??? Also, I will let David (quicksilvr) post pictures of this latest activity. Actually, we plan to move the car to his garage soon in an effort to make it easier for us to get together to work on the car.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:45 pm

TurboVanDan · Post by **TurboVanDan** » Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:52 pm

I'm picturing billowing smoke from those front tires... They're small, and cheap... we can get more.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 11:21 am

Getting some work done again:

image

image

I'm going to need to file this down....it came out pretty hard.

image

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:50 pm

WTF?

I bet the axle seals hate life too. Knda makes me cringe.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:12 pm

Yeah, good thing they don't have any nerve endings....lol. It's a little bit of a mystery as to why it was catching so hard. The circlip is a little scabby as well. My plan was to file it all down nice and smooth, replace the circlip and then put it back in. As long as it pops in nicely, I'll assume everything is ok.

The seals seem fine as well. Josh replaced them at some point, so I was going to leave them alone.

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Fri Oct 25, 2013 12:49 am

Hahaha transmission fun. I am in the same boat buddy.

I would file that down too, looks prickly.

Picture of the halfshaft going in the transmission I presume? Both halfshafts were like that?

What all did you replace?

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Fri Oct 25, 2013 5:54 pm

No, only the passenger side axle. The driver side popped out so easy it was accidental.

To take out axles, I don't take the LBJ or TRE off...I just remove the struts. Seems a lot easier to me. So on the passenger side, with the strut out, and the axle free from the hub/wheel bearing.....I tried tapping it out with a prybar and hammer like I normally would. It wasn't budging, but the free play it did have was very easy to move. I could grab it on the inner joint and move it in and out of the transmission about 1/8". I ended up putting a REALLY long 3/8" extension through the driver side of the transmission (luckily that driver side axle came out easy!) and hitting the extension REALLY hard with a sledgehammer. So a very hard direct blow right in line the direction it needed to move was the only thing that popped it out.

I haven't replaced anything yet. The clutch is what is getting replaced. It was slipping badly under boost. And the intake manifold is at the machine shop getting modified right now as well.

Once I get the intake manifold back, literally every single part necessary to put the car together and drive it down the road will be in my garage. So I guess I should work on it huh.

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Sat Oct 26, 2013 12:38 am

Nice man! Hopefully you can enjoy it before it gets very cold out.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:42 pm

Everything was dry, as expected. Looks like the disc just got glazed. Most likely a combination of not enough pressure from the pressure plate and a disc that was designed for driveability not performance. Before it started slipping, it drove just like stock.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 5:44 pm

The main seal is good, I'm bolting the new clutch on tonight.

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:29 pm

Looks pretty good. Has it been replaced previously?

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 11:21 pm

occasional demons wrote:Looks pretty good. Has it been replaced previously?

Yeah. That seal only has about 5-8k miles on it.

Notice the extra layer between the bedplate and the oil pan? That's the windage tray. I like the idea of leaving it on there...but because of using it, there are TWO oil pan gaskets in play...and it leaks a little bit all around.

Leave it and let it leak a tiny bit? It's a pretty cool piece, and I know the performance benefit is real...I just hate that I have to use two gaskets and it's hard to get it to not leak.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 11:51 pm

Darn. There is no alignment tool in the box with this ACT clutch.

I suppose I can just buy one online somewhere...

turbodudey · Post by **turbodudey** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:33 am

I think I sold the windage tray a long time ago. Look closer, there should be just one gasket and the pan. That gasket has probably been re-used about 3 or 4 times. If it's getting weepy, it might be about time for a new one.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:15 am

Haha, I guess I was so sure it was on there, I didn't look very close. I know I sold the one I had that was never used.....I didn't know you'd taken it off and sold it.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:23 am

Josh, which exhaust manifold gasket would you use? Did you port match an R/T one to the exhaust ports last time?

Also, same question for the intake manifold gasket?

turbodudey · Post by **turbodudey** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:56 pm

Yeah I took off that second windage tray at some point. With the built in tray in the pan, having a second seemed a little too much overkill.

The exhaust gasket was one of those metal flake/graphite jobbers that I trimmed to match the ports.

Intake side was a rubberized paper gasket or whatever those are made out of. Also trim to fit.

gilly02le · Post by **gilly02le** » Thu Oct 31, 2013 8:16 pm

Both of us have solar yellow neons, and the only indigo racing flywheels i've ever seen! What are the chances of that. I realize now that i never reused that metal shim on the flywheel between the crank bolts. Wonder if i should pull it and check for damage? did you get instructions with yours by any chance? sorry to threadjack.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 10:43 am

Oh, I wouldn't worry about that shim. I guess there is the possibility that the bolt heads damaged the aluminum, but it's not likely. If you aren't having problems, don't mess with it. I didn't install that Indigo flywheel, Josh did....not sure if he'd remember the install instructions.

That Indigo flywheel is coming off...I guess it'll probably be for sale soon. The ACT 4 puck sprung racing clutch that is going on the car has it's own one-piece flywheel that I'll be using.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Nov 04, 2013 10:21 pm

I ordered the clutch alignment tool from Summit Racing today, and the machine shop also called to say the intake manifold is done.

I need to place an order for a bunch of gaskets, and then it's assembly time!

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:14 pm

Here's the modified intake manifold. Any suggestions for a color? I need to refinish it (obviously)

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:43 pm

Why was it modified like that??

Go white with it.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Wed Nov 06, 2013 9:45 am

Andre from Lonewolf originally made this manifold to go on an older turbo dodge. There was never enough clearance for the factory Neon thermostat housing/water neck, because the plenum stuck out past that last intake runner quite a ways.

Now, it fits with the factory thermostat housing in place. And hopefully flows better into that number one cylinder.

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:05 am

Love the modified intake. It looks so raw.

INVUJerry · Post by **INVUJerry** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 6:25 pm

Intake looks like it oughta work better. And I've actually used a transmission as an alignment tool in the past. Lots of lifting and cursing but got it done.

I'd go graphite colored with the intake.

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:24 pm

quicksilvr wrote:Andre from Lonewolf originally made this manifold to go on an older turbo dodge. There was never enough clearance for the factory Neon thermostat housing/water neck, because the plenum stuck out past that last intake runner quite a ways.

Now, it fits with the factory thermostat housing in place. And hopefully flows better into that number one cylinder.

Oh gotcha, for some reason I thought that was on the ride before.

quicksilvr · Post by **quicksilvr** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:29 pm

Alignment tool came on friday. I still haven't bolted the clutch on yet. If I make time to work on the car this week, I can hopefully get the transmission completely re-installed and put the front suspension back together.

I think I'm going to either do medium gray (graphite) or royal blue for the intake. Blue would be cool...but i think it might look a little over the top. So i'm leaning towards gray.

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:58 pm

I vote gray. I too ordered an alignment tool. Cheapest I could find the ATCP2 was $8.80 shipped.