If you sort out running the balance tube under the plenum. I want details, what fittings/hose did you run, how many un-used holes did you need to weld up, etc. cheers, tim
I don't even have one yet, getting it next week from UAS when I collect my new x pipe. I don't REALLY have plans to make one up. I don't mind the balance tube that much, but if there was one available off the shelf I'd get it.
tips and tricks okay! I've made major headway with the car, now having the 1/3 of the bay and the engine more or less completely tucked. Engine bay pics tomorrow when I've got some light - spent the day repainting stuff. Plenum is back on! Not my good smoothed one, an unmodified spare which I had lying around. Taught myself how to dress a plenum which is pretty cool. My original is off for (further) shaving and smoothing out. Since this has more or less turned into a wiring tuck how-to, here are some of the intricate details of mine so far. This is another photo of my modified loom and its position on top of the fuel rail. In this picture all of the injectors are plugged in, and all of the coil pack plugs are split off to their prospective locations. There were no space issues doing this. I was interested in running the loom underneath the fuel rail on top of the lower plenum, but there is a very tight bottleneck to get there meaning that no conduit can be used. Space is sufficient however, once the wiring has been squeezed past the tiny gap between the injector bosses on the lower plenum and the innermost lower edges of the cam covers. I plan to do this at a later date once I've picked up some good insulation tape - need to fit different injector plugs for my 550's anyway, so I'll tackle it then. I ran the vacuum lines for the blow off valves and boost controller (pre throttle lines) along the top of the accordions and then underneath the sides of the plenum. This may not seem much of an effort, but they really can't be seen with the boost hoses connected over the top. Making efficient use of space, I connected the passenger side BOV vacuum line to this: While the driver's side comes up here, held in place between the plenum and what I think is a PVC hard line. Yes I know I have big ugly grey vacuum hose, haha. It will be replaced. In doing all this around the sides and back of the engine, I simplified some coolant lines for a more minimalistic look. Hosing up remaining stock hard lines after a plenum pull is easy and effective, but unsightly. This passenger coolant turbo line previously went (I think) to the passenger throttle body, so the post-pull hose ends up looping around unnecessarily. I trimmed the hard line and re-ran it. This hard line at the rear of the motor was also cut out to provide more space at the back of the fuel rail for the modified loom. In its place I simply ran one new hose from the far right straight to the driver's side turbo. Two less clamps from the system, too. My buddy insisted he takes a photo of how I trim thick rubber hoses... I see no issue with this, it's a walk in the park and leaves all cuts dead clean! The vacuum line going to the boost controller/MAP sensor underneath my battery tray was run up the back of the motor, next to the #6 coil pack. I removed the fuel damper and am now running one long hose directly to the filter. Unfortunately efforts to modify the fuel rail's feed and return points didn't work out - I was hoping to have them come out the back of the motor but unfortunately since the lines are too thin to be cut and welded, the labour and cost of new fittings required to do this means an aftermarket fuel rail would set me back little more. I'll make do. This is how I ran the feed line for the moment - there's not enough space to put it in front of the coil pack, so it has to go over the top. This is a PITA since I'll have to undo the fuel line to access coil pack #5 :\ I'll be looking into trimming the coil pack if possible, to get the hose more out of sight. Still better than having it loop over the top of the #5 runner... Here's how I did the return line. Fortunately it does have the space to simply loop straight down, so it goes under the plenum to the back, where the fuel pressure regulator is visible. I'll be running some longer hose to get it out of sight. As is, I've cut 5 clamps (potential leak points) from the fuel system which I think is pretty nifty! Lastly for tonight, here's a quick snap of my driver's side boost hard pipe after a good 3 or so hours of grinding, sanding, dremeling and filing it smooth of mounting flanges and unsightly lumps of weld. Took my time with it and I'm glad I did; came great and looks like an aftermarket pipe now! Any questions, put them to me! -A
Fantastic work as always! Small tip I can offer, instead of using the worlds largest bolt cutters to cut hose go buy a small hose cutter haha. I'm sure bunnings have them. Really handy and a lot easier to use then what your using
Thanks fellas. I have little choice than to use my head - there're no guides for this stuff! Cutters I'm using are a set of garden secateurs Dean, and I couldn't ask more from them. As promised, a few engine bay photos of where I'm at at the moment. Not the best, I'll get some more soon. This certainly would look a lot more impressive if I didn't have a completely original plenum on... - Yes, battery will be going. Looking into this now. - One piece braided clutch line has been purchased from UAS, awaiting fitment - Full NA power steering conversion is sitting on garage shelf - Looking into bypass valves for the clutch and brake booster - Power steering reservoir... now that's going to be interesting And one of the newly shaved/painted boost hard pipe and IACU hard line. The balance pipe also got the full treatment with a good hit from an angle grinder. -A
I love the random postings of my engine bay. Haha Heres a better recent picture of the finished bay Props on the good work so far. Looks like yours is coming along well
Not long to go 'til I've removed everything, but a hell of a long way 'til my bay looks anything like that! I won't be doing an engine bay respray. Thank you! Do you think you could fill me in on one or two things I've got coming? Got some better photos for everyone of the bay today in the sunlight. Really liking how the shaved balance pipe is looking. It's coming along nicely. Big plans for powdercoat, big and also secret plans. -A
how dedicated are you to the smooth look? i've gone to the trouble of removing the iacv and all the pipes and making up a blanking plate where it mounts on the plenum. it looks really good without all the pipes and wires hanging off of either side. im not sure if this will be a bad thing when it comes time to get a retune done but, despite what everyone says about bad idle and stalling, my car idles fine at 900rpm and doesn't stall after giving big revs or stopping in a hurry. so far so good. i also changed the pcv hard pipes like you did but with blue high temp oil hose. if i get a chance i'll get some pics on the wknd and post in my build thread.
That probably wouldn't look half bad, but I'm not interested in sacrificing how the car operates for visual appeal in the bay (except for right now when it won't start). I did think about doing this when I couldn't get my damn car to idle properly, but during the tuck I found the problem... one IACU plug out, another caked with green corrosion. I haven't moved the PCV hard line, I think you're confusing it with the driver's side turbo coolant line (which was physically attached to the PCV line until I cut them separate). I've been pondering it for the last few days, thinking specifically about an oil catch can, but in the end have decided to just grab this from CZP - silicon hose set. http://www.conceptzperformance.com/..._Type=NIS300&UID=20120720064830122.106.154.72 Still interested to see what you worked out. Keep the suggestions coming! Also, I've been meaning to ask you for ages - are you interested in detailing my engine bay? It's got a decade of indescribable dust simply caked all over every part I can see, but can't reach. Queensland dust has to be the worst in the world.
Find me a decent product to strip the shit off with and I'll spend a whole day cleaning your engine bay, free of charge.
