TitaniumTT's I hope I make it to DGRR '09 Build

[TitaniumTT]

So I guess it's time for an update -

Many a long night has been spent sorting out little issues but most of them are dead and gone.

Over the weekend there was a bad drivetrain vibe that developed while I was getting some breakin miles on her. I knew the rear wheel bearings were bad so we went ahead and replaced those, what a fricken nightmare. The bearing wistle was gone but the vibe remained. So we started jokeying around tires because mine are about 10 years old, literally. Vibe remained... now we're getting annoyed. Swap the driveshaft (mainly because it was on there so tight we had to beat the piss out of it to get it off the pinion plange, I figured we might have done some damage....) a little better but it was still there. Now we're pissed. So right after we swapped the driveshaft my buddy and I went back to the annex, back up on the stands she went and he helped out until midnight and I carried on until 2:30 in the morning swapping the rear out and double checking EVERYTHING else on the fricken car. Vibe was finally gone. So I went to sleep.

Woke up around 8:30 and got on the road. Plan was to meet Ihor @ IRP @ 10 and pick up my 140 amp alt, and then head over to meet Dave @ KDR for some dyno tuning.... well driving through Jersey I started to get this nasty rotten egg smell. I figured it was just Jersey When I got to IRP I shut the car off and heard this sizzling noise coming from behind me. The Optima redtop that I relocated to the passenger bin was scalding hot to the touch, fuming and just a generally unhappy battery. Soooooo we let the car.... and bat cool down a bit, did a little troubleshooting and said eff it.... Ihor swapped the alt right there for me. Great guy, pleasure to deal with and the alt of course kicks ass. Where as before I had 14.5+ volts and the voltometer neddle bouncing with whatever music I had playing at the time, the new alt holds 13.5 volts rock steady regardless of the lights, wipers, heater, fogs, stereo it doesn't matter, it just stays.

So with Ihors help I got back on the road and off to KDR. While we were swapping the alt I noticed that my charge pipe had broken in half..... cheap chinese aluminum didn't like the temps used for the ceramic coating I guess and it became brittle and cracked, then broke. HUGE boost leak. So I nursed her over to KDR where we put a coupler on it so we could at least tune her.

After sorting through some mechanical issues with the TB sticking EVER so slightly and a few calls back and forth to Motec to figure out why the BAC wasn't turning off and keeping the idle at 1600.... we started making some pulls. First pull..... 131 hp @ 1lb After some troubleshooting (like 2 minutes) we figured out that in my sleep deprived state I got the lines from the boost and vac chambers crossed. (Good to have EVERYTHING on hand. I brought the wiring schematics for the Motec, all the pin-outs and even the schematic for the twins with ALL the vac boost lines color coded - that was the saving grace) The end result was the turbo control valve was closed, the charge control valve open, and the charge relief valve open. What that means was turbo control was closed and NOT proving exhaust to the secondary turbine, the primary turbo was boosting to atmosphere through the charge relief valve and backspooling the secondary turbo through the open charge control valve.... and still making positive manifold pressure.

So after a few hours working through various driveability issues and and other things we made some REALLY nice pulls. End result was 313 RWHP @ 7.5ish PSI and 7k RPM with conservative timing. I'll be back in a few weeks after some hard miles to and from DGRR to up the rev limit, up the boost, and MAYBE play with the timing... probably NOT play with the timing though.

My first time meeting Dave @ KDR and I really can't say enough good things about him. Very proffessional, VERY thourough and not at all afraid of the new software. Between the two of us working together it went incredibly smooth. I'm really looking forward to getting back on his dyno in a few weeks to turn up the boost and start playing around with the sequential turbos... like REALLY looking forward to working with Dave again. GREAT experience with both IRP and KDR today.

Some food for thought though..... and think about this.... stock FD makes 215 RWHP @ 10lbs...... I made 313 RWHP or 146% of RWHP at 75% of boost level, and with a lower redline. The torque curve KEPT CLIMBING strait to ign cut. Brian is very pleased. Brian is also making ~5lbs @ 2400 in 5th running NON-sequential. There's alot left to get out of this motor me thinks

So left to do on the "I Hope This Is the Last Fucking List," list that I have tacked on my wall is

install FTP lenses
Mount Inverter
Wire Inverter
Refinish my 3 other BBS rims
cut and buff the FR fender and bumper
glaze the entire car
Mount new tires that should be here tomorrow.... err today actually
get hub rings machined down
and my brakes still suck, they start off good and get squishy after a few hundred miles... so Thursday morning I'm going to install a new master and see if that helps it at all.

Looks like tonight is going to be another all nighter. I'll take Thursday off, work through the night Wed, nap a little on Thursday morning and then take off for DGRR. Thursday night in VA where we're stopping will be my first real nights sleep in probably 3 weeks.

[vex]

Originally Posted by TitaniumTT

Looks like tonight is going to be another all nighter. I'll take Thursday off, work through the night Wed, nap a little on Thursday morning and then take off for DGRR. Thursday night in VA where we're stopping will be my first real nights sleep in probably 3 weeks.

Where at in VA? If you're heading through Blacksburg you're welcome to swing by and I'll show you around town and you can see my project that's about ready to get kicked into overdrive in the next few days.

[Max777]

Wow, I'm glad you got it done in time!

Unfortunately, not all of us had the same luck.

[WE3RX7]

Fantastic build, really.

We'll have to talk at DGRR.. I want to see this thing! You giving ride alongs

A friend of mine and I are both build REs right now. His for an FB, mine for my FC and we're both anxious to see what these motors can make and I'm very interested in seeing the stock twins behavior! He's got an APEXi single for his and I'm running a larger single on mine, but if you can pull out 313whp at 7.5psi on the twins... at only 7K... that gives us both big hopes.

Glad you're going to make it.

Where in VA are you stopping through? I'll gladly trade you dinner for thought, lol...

[TitaniumTT]

Originally Posted by vex

Where at in VA? If you're heading through Blacksburg you're welcome to swing by and I'll show you around town and you can see my project that's about ready to get kicked into overdrive in the next few days.

We're staying in winchester along 81. Don't know where blacksburg ius and there are 3 in VA

[TitaniumTT]

Originally Posted by Max777

Wow, I'm glad you got it done in time!

Unfortunately, not all of us had the same luck.

That's a shame.... these cars are never "done" though

[TitaniumTT]

Originally Posted by WE3RX7

Fantastic build, really.

We'll have to talk at DGRR.. I want to see this thing! You giving ride alongs

A friend of mine and I are both build REs right now. His for an FB, mine for my FC and we're both anxious to see what these motors can make and I'm very interested in seeing the stock twins behavior! He's got an APEXi single for his and I'm running a larger single on mine, but if you can pull out 313whp at 7.5psi on the twins... at only 7K... that gives us both big hopes.

Glad you're going to make it.

Where in VA are you stopping through? I'll gladly trade you dinner for thought, lol...

Thanks. Definately have to chat it up for sure @ DGRR.

As for the RE's power potential.... it would be on par with any other ported rotary really. THe intakes are larger so that certainly helps but it's the entire package that makes or breaks the HP. I did everything that I could possibly do to make this motor as effiecent as possible. I ported everything, portmatched everything, ceramic coated everything etc etc etc... so the motor is really as effeicient as it can be. Proof is in the numbers. I'm making more power at less boost than some FD guys running the identical turbos and manifold. So yeah, I'm pleased. Next time on the dyno we'll start horsing around with the twins in sequential and try to get full boost by probably close to 2k, and up the boost to 14.

Stopping in Winchester VA for the night. Plans got changed so HOPEFULLY we'll be there by dinner. I'll be all hopped up on redbull, smokes and mt dew though Where are you located?

[WE3RX7]

I live in NOVA, but I'm about 1.5 hours from Winchester. I'll be leaving for DGRR at my home in Culpeper which is about 2.5 hours from Winchester, lol... I assume you're hitting up 81 to roanoke, lol... We'll catch up at DGRR...

[TitaniumTT]

werd, actually changed the reservations to Harrisonburg for Thurs night. Right off of 81. Figure split the driving in half, and plan to get to the damn around 3:30. That's the plan anyway. Aight, I'm off to knock the the "This Better Be the Last Fucking Allnightyer Thrash List," list which consists of

Finish refinishing BBS rims
Mount new tires
machine hub rings
replace master cylinder
bleed brakes
replace waterpump
change oil
mount inverter
wire inverter
Wema sender
Glaze car
vacuum
fail emmisions test

I think that's it. Not too bad but I won't have the Master or the waterpump until 10:30 and I'm planning on leaving @ 1. I love cars. Gonna have to up the Redbull dosage me thinks

[rotarybeat1287]

Congrats on the car man! I really am amazed by it. The build up is just insane and I give you props on the amount of detail that you have put into your FC. I can't wait to see it and snap away w/ my camera! Gotta couple of SB-600 flashes that will be used remotely and that should compliment your fresh engine bay nicely!

-Allen

[vex]

Originally Posted by WE3RX7

I live in NOVA, but I'm about 1.5 hours from Winchester. I'll be leaving for DGRR at my home in Culpeper which is about 2.5 hours from Winchester, lol... I assume you're hitting up 81 to roanoke, lol... We'll catch up at DGRR...

TTT, Blacksburg is about 30minutes to an 1 hour south of Roanoke on 81. You should come, I'll introduce you to Taboring

[misthael]

I wish I could be at DGRR just to see this car. What a build. Good job.

[rotarybeat1287]

working w/ a couple more right now but here is a teaser! Love the car man. Super nice and I was blown away at the detail in person! Congrats and major props! Very well done!

I was trying for a while to get some nice shots but was being REALLY careful w/ the tripod and flash to not get in the way of everyone and watching out for the cars.

[Phoenix7]

glad to see you made it! Car looks clean as hell.

[Herblenny]

The car was VERY well put together and thanks for coming out to the event!