Okay, here we go: The great fix it/upgrade thread

[kdjones2000]

Looks like it is time to finally get up and start doing the "big items" that need to be done. My (mostly) stock car now has ~120k on it, and the clutch has reached the end of its service life. Not bad if you ask me. Recently it has become a bit more difficult to get the car into 1st and reverse, and the FSM is saying it's time to replace it. I realize that it might be some air in the hydraulics, but even if that is the real problem, it's time for this anyway.

So, since I have been slowly turning it into a "Turbo S clone" sort of thing, I figured that I would go and put in the K26/8 that I got from Russell here on Pelican. Add to that a Wideband A/F gauge, plus all new coolant hoses, WYAIT, etc. and before you know it this turns into "Technoduck 2" without the snow

So the plan is to 1) Refresh every coolant hose in the engine bay 2) Get the stock injectors flow matched at Witchhunter 3) Put in the K26/8 4) Replace the icky, brown coolant reservoir 5) Add in a PLX Wideband A/F gauge 6) Replace the exhaust header studs with SS ones from Rennbay 7) Fix the mounts and any exhaust leaks from the CO sampling port on the crossover pipe 8) Replace the clutch/PP/TO bearing with the Turbo Cup one 9) Cam tower cork gasket replacement 10) Rear main seal (although mine isn't leaking) 11) Swap out an aftermarket A/C condenser with an OEM one and recharge it 12) Whatever else is found...

I have been collecting the parts for this over the past year or so, and want to get this done before the temperature gets unbearable. Here are some pics of the things to come:









Starting with the top end of the engine:



More to come, as things progress...

[nize]

good planning. it looks like you went with the stock clutch. i'm curious why you didn't go with the KEP pressure plate and 930 clutch disc.

another 'while you're there'; you might want to consider replacing the clutch master/slave cylinders, depending on what condition they're in.

some other parts that usually need replacing are;
1) clutch fork ($$$)
2) clutch fork shaft
3) needle bearings for clutch fork

[kdjones2000]

That is not the stock clutch, but the "Sport" clutch. Look at the springs and you can tell. I am not planning on putting down large HP/torque, so this should be more than enough for me.

I replaced the slave about 3 years ago, and the clutch master was done 3 or so years before that. I will do those when they go - not now.

I have the fork shaft and bearings, just hard to tell in the pictures. I am pretty sure that my fork is in good shape, but I will know for sure when I get in there.

Here is the list of stuff I am putting in:
Item # PN Description Qty
12 951-106-091-00 Lower radiator hose 1
28 N 013 848 5 Turbo coolant crush ring 2
16 900 123 049 30 Lower turbo crush ring 2
N/A PEL TOL CA3 Clutch alignment dowel 1
12 928 424 523 12 Parking Brake button 1
11 901 424 593 01 Parking Brake rubber ring 1
12 016-141-181 Throwout bearing guide tube 1
21 951 104 311 03 Radiator neck gasket 1
26 944-572-589-00 Heater hose to heater line 1
25 944-572-587-01 Heater hose to valve 1
28 944-572-385-01 Heater hose to valve 1
17 944-106-241-03 Water pump to heater line hose 1
11 951-106-245-03 Radiator to manifold 1
19 951-106-249-01 Radiator to reservoir 1
14 951-106-241-01 Upper radiator hose 1
16 951-106-239-01 Upper hose ext. 1
35 951-106-251-02 Coolant tank to turbo hose 1
13 951-106-321-02 Water pump to manifold hose 1
26 951-106-322-02 Turbo to manifold hose 1
23 944 104 311 06 Radiator neck gasket 1
25 928 106 197 04 Adapter gasket 1
9 928 105 189 02 Cam tower cork gasket 2
36 951-106-247-02 Y hose 1
3 900 174 058 40 Turbo Oil seal 2
25 944 111 205 03 Downpipe Gasket 2
11 944 111 205 04 Exhaust manifold/Crossover Gasket 4
3B 930 123 134 04 2-pc Crossover Gasket 1
2 928 111 244 03 Cat to Catback 1
11 900 123 007 30 Upper turbo crush ring 2
13 900 123 140 30 Turbo vent line crush ring 1
7 999 707 043 40 Upper turbo O-ring 1
5 999 510 012 02 PP bolts 9
4 930 102 206 00 Flywheel bolts 9
15 999 201 213 00 Needle bearings 2
16 951 116 133 00 Throwout arm shaft 1
5 999 113 426 41 Rear main seal 1
3 931 102 111 00 Crankshaft throwout bearing 1
10 944 424 231 01 Shifter plastic socket 1
34 999 701 661 40 AOS Seal - Top 1
42 999 701 613 40 AOS Seal - Bottom 1
31 900 174 044 40 Dipstick seal 1
N/A 931-116-177-00 Clutch viewport cap 1
N/A 944-106-353-01 Radiator plug 1
29 930-606-118-00 Temperature switch 1
45 944-106-927-00 Radiator inlet 1
8 993 111 195 00 Crossover to Wastegate Gasket 1
14 951 123 134 02 Wastegate to Cat Gasket 1
N/A N/A Rennbay exhaust fastener set 1
N/A N/A Rennbay exhaust studs 1
N/A N/A KKK 26/8 Turbocharger 1
1 951 116 011 15 Clutch plate 1
2 951 116 023 01 Pressure plate 1
3 951 116 082 01 Throwout bearing 1
46 944-106-928-00 Radiator inlet seal 1

Keith

[kdjones2000]

Time for an update:

So things have been going pretty much as I expected. No major issues, but man is there a ton of stuff to do!

TOOLS: I have now grown to love my Gearwrenches. These things are great time savers for much of the stuff required. Those and my handy Snap-On pivot head ratchet. Vic (Pauerman) gave me another great suggestion, and that was to get the "Wobble head" extensions from Harbor Freight. These also were invaluable in getting the exhaust (Especially the catalytic converter) off.



I used this setup to get that that "Fourth bolt" on the down pipe from the turbo:



And this was required to get the turbocharger mounting bolts off. I tried to get the long one without loosening up the steering rack, but it simply was not possible:



Transaxle:

This being the 3rd time removing it, I wanted to try the other method: Loosening the transaxle from its mount via the two bolts deep in the casting. The first time I removed it I couldn't even see these things, but now with everything mostly clean it was quite a bit easier than doing it with the upper support bar attached:



When taking it out, I also found a minor issue with the "Short shifter mod" detailed at Clark's Garage. For my car the extended upper bar is scraping the insulation. This might be part of my hard 1st/Rev shifting, but probably not the main cause as the insulation is quite compliant:





With the transaxle out, I worked on the turbocharger and exhaust. Here are the techniques I used to get the crossover pipe out. I know that these are detailed elsewhere, but I will add them for completeness:

Top rear bolt: Pretty straightforward, use an open end and pivoting ratchet.

Top front bolt: You need to remove the inlet from the turbo cooling pump to open enough room to get at this one. A pivoting ratchet and you are good to go:



A gearwrench and open end and this one is done:



Bottom front bolt: The open end can fit from below here:



Bottom rear bolt: This is the one with the nut welded on. I could not do this one without removing the catalytic converter - just not enough room. I got this one from below with the pivoting ratchet:

[kdjones2000]

Exhaust manifolds: The mounting to the head was pretty straightforward, if time consuming. The double-nut trick to remove the studs worked quite well:



I am going to replace the original studs with SS ones from Rennbay. One thing I noticed is that the Rennbay ones are quite a bit shorter where they screw into the head. Has anyone else here used these, and what is your experience? I am a bit concerned that they might not be long enough:



One other question I have is how do most of you get the crossover-to-headers bolts off? I am referring to the 2 inside nuts/bolts. Since I removed the exhaust manifold studs I was able to remove all but these 2 and just lower the headers/cross-over pipe down enough to get them out. But when I reassemble them I would prefer to mount the headers first. Can these 2 be tightened/loosened with the headers attached?

As I mentioned above, the wobble head extension was critical for removing the downpipe nuts. Once those were off, I was able to get the turbocharger mounting bolts loosened (Not without some heartstopping moments) and:





The old turbo is very tight, really no endplay at all. The 26/8 I am putting in is similar. Here's hoping that the thing doesn't smoke on me so I don't have to do this all over again.... Here's a picture of the difference between the #6 and #8 hotsides (#6 is on the R):



The throwout fork shaft came out without too much fuss, and was about as clean as I was expecting it to be:



Issues: So I knew that my rear Camtower gasket had started seeping, and here you can see the evidence:





Another known issue were the mounting points for the exhaust gas sampling tube had fatigued off:

[kdjones2000]

One issue that I was NOT expecting to find was an oil leak somewhere near #1 cylinder. I found oil had seeped from somewhere (Maybe Camtower?) down to the left balance shaft cover, and was oozing backwards and down onto the crossover pipe. When I first opened up the top of the engine, there was a very thin film of oil coming from somewhere near the #1 intake port. If you have had this issue, please lend me your insights, as I currently don't see an obvious source:





So that's it for today. Still have the reference sensors, bellhousing, and radiator/condenser to go.

Hopefully not the camtower as well





Cheers, Keith

[nize]

One other question I have is how do most of you get the crossover-to-headers bolts off? I am referring to the 2 inside nuts/bolts. Since I removed the exhaust manifold studs I was able to remove all but these 2 and just lower the headers/cross-over pipe down enough to get them out. But when I reassemble them I would prefer to mount the headers first. Can these 2 be tightened/loosened with the headers attached?

the way i did it was by wedging one of these wrenches on the top side;

and using a ratchet with a wobble extension on the bottom side.

and yes, you can do it with the headers attached.

[Techno Duck]

For the crossover i used a flex joint with the socket and stubby wrench on the top side. When i replaced the hardware, i used two allen heads with the cap end facing up. So now you can use an allen hey inbetween the runners. Makes life alot easier.

The flex head GearWrenches are probably the best tools i have every bought. I have the 8->19mm set. 90% of the time it is the first tool i reach for. Do yourself a favor and go a step farther with the flex joints, get an 8mm,10mm,11mm,13mm,17mm and 19mm with the built in joint. The universal flex works well most of the time, but the sockets with the built in flex can get into tighter spaces and work at even more extreme angles.

Why not take out the brake booster heatshield? It makes fitting the turbo alot easier aswell as removing the crossover flange bolts. Its pretty easy to get out also, only 4 fasteners.

Funny, my CO test port mount cracked in the same spot, i have it zip tied to the rear hoist ring. I am eventually going to remove it completley and cap it off, or put an EGT probe in that spot. I have not decided between the #4 runner or at the test port yet.

Also its a great time to check and replace the voltage regulator on the alternator if its still original.

With the crossover out... modify your stock to be a 2pc crossover with v-band flange. Makes turbo removal a little quicker! .

[kdjones2000]

Thanks for the info guys. I have the Rennbay exhaust bolts right now - I will see which way is best to go for those 2 bolts, allen or use the ones I already have. I am assuming that I can get some good grade bolts from Ace or somewhere.

I have gone through 3 to 4 alternators, just lost count. Last one died due to the A/C guy pinching off the cooling hose when he did his work - suffice to say I was not amused.

Where is there more info on the v-band mod to the crossover? I have heard about this, but haven't seen any details anywhere.... Link? This has got to be the heaviest exhaust system for any car I have known, I think it weighs more than I do!!

Regarding the BB heatshield, I am of the camp to "not remove more than you have to". There was enough room to get things done with it there, as well as the alternator, so that's good enough for me

This oil leak thing near #1 has me flummoxed, however. Where do the oil channels run in that area? I was not planning on opening up the front of the engine, but I guess that this might be another WYAIT.

Injectors are off to Witchhunter...

Keith

[mikeran]

Our garages look almost the same work wise. I have finished changing all the hoses, the heater hoses are a lot of fun I did the complete Cam tower front, rear and main gasket. Replaced the reference sensors, the AOS seals, replacing my K26/6 with another one, could not find a 26/8 Also bought the Rennbay bolt kit.

[Techno Duck]

http://www.lindseyracing.com/LR/Parts/944XOVRPIPE.html

[nize]

This has got to be the heaviest exhaust system for any car I have known, I think it weighs more than I do!!

that's because this exhaust is double-walled mandrel-bent stainless. it's by far the highest quality exhaust i have ever seen from any car manufacturer.

[kdjones2000]

Alright guys, need some help here.

1) How the heck do you get these Crush Rings out of the exhaust system? I have tried prying and picking, banging, etc. and nothing. Do I need to pull out my torch?

2) Also, who has used the Rennbay exhaust bolt kit? I am wondering if I am going to have any fit issues with these larger nut sizes on the crossover-to-turbo connections, as well as with the downpipe. Originals are 14/15mm, and these are 17mm ones. And the kit didn't come with the 4 nuts/washers for the wastegate:



3) I am putting in a Wideband, and talked with Pauerman about where to place the sensor, and he said to put it in the cat pipe where it goes down from the downpipe. I really don't see a decent area to put this thing, however. Where do you have yours positioned? It's supposed to be pointing down 10 degrees or more for maximum life.

TIA, Keith

[nynor]

1. they are hollow. use something sharp to puncture the bastard then pry it up from the hole.

[ryan951s]

+1 on Nynor's response ... take a pick, drive it into the ring and pry it up.

I just ordered an Innovate wide-band kit, so let me know if you find a spot to mount yours!

[PAUERMAN]

Originally Posted by kdjones2000

3) I am putting in a Wideband, and talked with Pauerman about where to place the sensor, and he said to put it in the cat pipe where it goes down from the downpipe. I really don't see a decent area to put this thing, however. Where do you have yours positioned? It's supposed to be pointing down 10 degrees or more for maximum life.

Install your bung on the catpipe just after of the starter. You should position the bung at around the 2 o'clock position. There is more than enough room for the sensor and harness in this location and it places the sensor in the 10 degree downward position.

[kdjones2000]

Ah, that makes more sense. I guess I misunderstood you the first time.

I will take a look and see how to get it mounted there. Thanks!

Ryan, I looked at the Innovate, and was planning for a while to get that one, but then I started looking into the online manuals for installation and calibration. I found out that they are recommending that you calibrate the sensor on a Turbo car every 6 months or so via a "Free air" test, meaning that you have to remove the sensor from the exhaust.

It looks like the AEM and PLX both use a high precision resistor to calibrate their sensor, so you don't have to do this. That was enough to push me towards PLX (Plus, Vic recommended it ).

All crush rings are removed.....

[nynor]

we knew you could do it!

i've had the same difficulty before. the crush seals on the exhaust can be a real pain. i think i made up a few new and utterly unique phrases the first time i had to get them out.

[Techno Duck]

I usually drill into the crush rings with a small drill bit, pops them right out.

Here is where i have my O2 sensor mounted, probably would be more ideal if it was a little more vertical.

[xupkid2]

Not trying to Hi-jack the thread but Im about to do a similar type of job replacing my turbo. Does it make sense to get the 2pc crossover pipe from Lindsey and put that in at the same time if I plan on that in the future? I havent worked on the turbo yet so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Brian