quote Originally posted by RotrexFiero: Just wonderin what is the consensus on the flex exhaust connectors? Are they that necessary, and are we incorporating them into a turbo exhaust manifolds. Currently, I dont have one but then I have not put too many miles on the turbo. Do you the heat-cooling cycle will fatigue the pipes that much?

well i don't have one on my car, and i don't plan on re-making the pipe because that is just a pia. I have seen plenty of turbo setups without this flex joint, and i believe that this application is no different from any of those, so it should be fine. As for the oil hose, this is another piece i plan on replacing. A lot of the stuff on the setup is temporary just so i could get the car running and see if it worked. Now that it does, i can take the time and make everything final, so i gotta wait when i have more time to do that. But thanks for the comments

-Coop

The reliability without a flex coupling depends on the design, I suggested one for this build up in an earlier post after seeing a picture of the crossover pipe. Given the angles and brevity of it I would think it is going to cause a problem before long because it appears to be very rigid due to the lack of length that would allow some flexibility such as that characteristic of the stock down pipe. When the crossover pipe in this setup gets red hot it is going to expand in a near direct manner putting pressure on the exhaust manifolds in an effort to move them apart for relief. GM used flex joints on some of the stock vehicles so it is definately a valid concern.

I have had an exhaust bolt head broken off as a result of expansion using a similar style crossover, as well as leaks that developed over a short period of time at the cylinder head port with more than one turbo setup. A two piece merged/welded crossover where the pipes are in "S" like configuration welded directly into the flange is a little better than the log design and fine with good length, but the expansion joint is tops. I have had no problem with mine going on more than 3 yrs now. I salvaged mine from an OE crossover pipe.

You are going to see a lot of heat at the flange point because your exhaust pulses are pointed directly at eachother and have to make a 90 degree turn into the turbo so keep an eye on that location for cracks.

[This message has been edited by Joseph Upson (edited 11-24-2005).]

well time for an update...

Turbo is plumb'd up to the plenum.
Boost controller installed
Boost gauge installed

currently running 5 lb's of boost...starts to build boost around a healthy 2500 rpms. No knocking, a bit of smoking, but i know what the problem for that is, and have to wait until the spring time to fix it.

Still need to install:

Knock Sensor
ESC
BOV

otherwise the rest is running really well, the chip was a perfect burn, thanks to Watts

i'll keep ya updated soon enough

-Coop

Coop,

If I may, I'd like to recommend you using a wideband O2 sensor. I use a Zeitronix Wide band which measures boost, A/F rate, and EGT temperature. It is a bit expensive but well worth it. The link is www.zeitronix.com. I hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by alex de jorge (edited 12-24-2005).]

hey coop how about you post some measurements of your crossover and down pipes

UPDATES PLEASE

i guess it's time for an update...kinda want to pull this one out of the water.

Well from another thread i created, and greatly critized for, i have installed my intercooler recently. I mounted it in the trunk, but plan on installing a vent on the passenger side to allow air in, and a push fan on the drivers side (of the trunk) to push the air out. This in theory would create a good wind through the trunk, and there i plan on mounting a small 7inch fan on the front of the intercooler to blow air across. Here is a picture of that setup..



This picture isn't exactly up to date, cause i've shortened the left pipe so the intercooler is parrell to the trunk and that BOV, in the picture, isn't the same one that i installed recently. For awhile i noticed there was a significant amount of smoke coming out of my turbo and or oil out the air compressor side, so i decided to do something about that today. I had heard that improper backpressure from the catalytic convertor can actually cause oil to blow through the turbo. So today, 7/29, i cut the cat out with the sawsal and behold, the guts of the cat was just rattling around inside, not doing a damn thing. In place of the cat, my dad and i installed a straight pipe to make the car breathe a little better. Pretty simple job, and the end result is amazing. Car sounds a lot better, deeper. Idles better, and the car doesn't rattle when i close the door (must have been the cat doing that).

On the plus side, the car goes like hell now. The cat was certainly holding the car back, and it always seemed odd to me that i was running 6psi and it didn't feel fast enough. Now the car digs in real good at 2400-4500 rpm's. 0-40, and 20-60 have never gone by so quickly. It honestly feels like a new car now. Can't wait to just work with it some more and just get all the little bugs straightened out. I do want to pump up the power to 10 or so and see how she really performs.

I still have to install the ESC and knock sensor, even though there hasn't been a hint of knock while driving the car. Still better to have those than be sorry in the end. Then other little things include the air intake temperature sensor, and that should really be it on this project. If you guys have any questions feel free to ask.

-Coop

i dont know a ton about turbo stuff (enough just not a ton) but the I.C. being mounted inside the trunk seems like a horrible idea to me! even with the fan, wont it just be blowing hot air through? i mean as far as i can see the is no outside air getting into the trunk compartment, so eventually wouldnt the air in the trunk be REALLY REALLY hot?

im going air/water with mine, just because i want to mount it in the trunk. i just thought air/air had to havesoem serious air flow to work well enough.

quote Originally posted by SLOWnSTEADY: i dont know a ton about turbo stuff (enough just not a ton) but the I.C. being mounted inside the trunk seems like a horrible idea to me! even with the fan, wont it just be blowing hot air through? i mean as far as i can see the is no outside air getting into the trunk compartment, so eventually wouldnt the air in the trunk be REALLY REALLY hot? im going air/water with mine, just because i want to mount it in the trunk. i just thought air/air had to havesoem serious air flow to work well enough.

"Well from another thread i created, and greatly critized for, i have installed my intercooler recently. I mounted it in the trunk, but plan on installing a vent on the passenger side to allow air in, and a push fan on the drivers side (of the trunk) to push the air out. This in theory would create a good wind through the trunk, and there i plan on mounting a small 7inch fan on the front of the intercooler to blow air across. Here is a picture of that setup.."

there is flow, gotta read

-Coop

An air to air intercooler works prettey much like a radiator. It needs to be in front of some serios air flow for it to be effiecient. I see people mount A/A in their trunks but I don't understand why. It is going to be extremely hard to suck air in from the side of the trunk and expect any good. You might want to rethink your "theory" and evaluate another plan befor you hack your trunk up any further. An air water cooler would be much better in a fiero trunk because you don't need air flow. OR you could put one of those NX N-tercooler kits on it so you can freeze the A/A intercooler you have and then you would see a world of difference. You know what they say about theory...it always works on paper, but real world experimentation is what really counts.