Build thread

[FDEEZ]

Eric~just read your updates, and I hope you get everything squared away.

Out of curiosity, what are your hp goals? Your dual Bosch 044s look bad@ss, but are you going to be running both of them in parallel 100% of the time? I used to run a single Aeromotive A700 (but was wayyy to loud), and have since switched to dual Walbros with a Hyperion anti-surge cover. However, my second pump only kicks on when my nitrous is activated. So 99.9% of the time, a single Walbro fulfills my requirement (which is pretty demanding)...and that doesn't flow as much as a Bosch.

Also, good luck on finding an anti-surge cover. I don't think Hyperion (if that's who you're going through) has been in business for a while. If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably sump my fuel tank (and run external pumps under the car) vice the anti-surge cover option.

Anyway, good luck with your build. Hope to meet back up with with you and the club when I return in a few more months.

[speedjunkie]

Thanks!

My HP goals aren't nearly as high as these pumps will provide lol. Supposedly they're good for 500hp each, and I probably won't even be that high, but I also want to overbuild so that I can move up without upgrading again, if I choose to do so. I already upgraded my fuel system once and now I'm no longer confident in it. However, I will be running these at all times. One of my concerns is whether I need to get a y to go from the two 6AN to a 8AN, or a 10AN, or stick with a 6AN. I'm afraid to stay 6AN to the front because of causing too much backpressure on the pumps, but I'm afraid of doing a larger AN just in case one of the pumps fails and one is not enough to keep the larger line pressurized. Also, I'm running two pumps partly as a safety net just in case one fails. I thought about just running one pump, but I figured at least if I had two, I might avoid engine failure. Also, I'm going to wire in indicator lights to let me know if one fails or if there isn't any/enough pressure in the lines. I'm really not looking forward to wiring it all up, but hopefully Brian helps me lol. I need to see if he will get on this forum too.

I thought about doing Aeromotive Stealths since they're smaller, but I read about some reliability issues some have had, and I haven't heard anything bad about 044s, and since I didn't feel like waiting for the new Bosch/Paul Yaw pump coming out, I decided to jump on these. It's going to be a HUGE PITA to fit these pumps in the tank, and hook up to the surge tank and all that, but I figure once it's all in there I shouldn't have to remove it again for a good while. As long as everything works lol.

I had planned on getting a Hyperion surge tank cover but he doesn't make them anymore. Now I'm planning on getting the tank-in-tank surge tank from HPP. I just have to pay for it still, and I'm trying to find all the parts I'll need. I have a feeling it will be a while until I have all the fuel stuff finished. I thought about sumping my tank but I don't feel like doing all that fabricating and I'm trying to keep the car looking fairly stock as far as all that goes. I want to keep the hatch area cleaned out and looking good haha. I know sumping the tank wouldn't change that, but I don't feel like removing the tank or anything either to do the fabrication.

Ok cool! Have you been deployed?

[FDEEZ]

Yup, been deployed for a while. Almost done though, so I'm happy.

As with you, I've been through several iterations of my fuel setup. You'd be surprised on how much the factory hard lines under the FD can flow if you decide to retrofit them. My version 3.1 fuel setup consisted of -6AN lines going from each fuel pump, to separate fuel pressure regulators, to separate -6AN lines going to separate fuel rails. So 2x fuel pumps, 2x pressure regulators, 2x fuel rails. So double redundancy on everything when I ran nitrous (and the nitrous setup had its own standalone fuel system as well). Version 3.2 now consists of a y from each pressure regulator to a single -6AN going to a fuel rail. Just wanted to clean it up a bit. Version 4.1 will probably consist of a Fuel Safe racing fuel cell.

If you sump your tank, your hatch area won't be impacted. For example, the Competition Engineering Fuel Tank Sump Kit would be welded on the bottom of the tank (forward-facing). Therefore, no one would see it unless they got underneath your car.

You won't be disappointed with those Bosch pumps. It's just too bad they weren't available when I completed my fuel setup several years ago. Good luck...and don't be worried about the wiring. Just make sure you supply your pumps with enough amps and you'll be g2g.

[speedjunkie]

Sweet! It'll be good to have you back.

What did you do to retrofit your hardlines? I was thinking about getting some larger aluminum tubing and making the feed hardline to the front, with fittings on both ends. I'm not about to do two of everything haha. Do you still have the rotary or did you swap? Wait, do you have the white one with the LS swap?? I'm trying to remember if we've met, it's been a while since I've seen your username lol.

Yeah I know sumping won't impact the hatch area, I'm just saying I don't feel like doing the work lol. Also, why would you put the sump on the front of the tank, and not the back? I would think you'd want the sump on the back because of the fuel sloshing to the back under throttle.

044s weren't available back then? I really wish they had the new pump out already. Brian said he'd help me with the wiring, so I should be good.

[FDEEZ]

What did you do to retrofit your hardlines?

The hardlines are practically the same ID as -6AN. You can either weld an -AN fitting to the factory hardline or flare it. Be careful when flaring though, since the factory stuff is pretty brittle. Last option is to use "fuel injection hose clamps" and NOT traditional "worm clamps" to either braided hose or whatever hose you decide. Fuel injection hose clamps are pretty stout and are what I use on a few areas of my current setup (outside of the engine bay).

Do you still have the rotary or did you swap? Wait, do you have the white one with the LS swap?? I'm trying to remember if we've met, it's been a while since I've seen your username lol.

Yup, we met. Let's just say my car has "reliability" mods

Also, why would you put the sump on the front of the tank, and not the back? I would think you'd want the sump on the back because of the fuel sloshing to the back under throttle.

Correct, the sump would be welded at the back of the tank. However, I was talking about mounting it "forward-facing" a.k.a reverse-mounting it.

044s weren't available back then?

I completed my project back in 2006. Since it was so long ago, I don't remember exactly. Either the 044s were backordered, not available at that time, or not a proven product (bench tested enough for me to purchase).

[speedjunkie]

Yeah that's why I'm thinking about doing 3/8" aluminum lines. I think that's the size anyway haha, I don't remember for sure.

OK we met at the First Saturday car show, right?

No I would weld it to the back of the tank if anything, no way would I weld it to the front haha.

Oh OK. I figured the 044s had been out longer than that.

[FDEEZ]

Yup, I met you and a few of the club members at that First Saturday car show before I left for my deployment. I drove that quiet white FD Rx7.

[speedjunkie]

Yeah I thought that might have been you lol. I forgot what your screenname was.

[speedjunkie]

Alright, after thinking about it and seeing the fuel line again tonight, I decided I'm going to look for a local business to bend the fuel line that runs from the rear to the front along the bottom of the car. I really don't want to go through so many tubes trying to get the bends right. Screw that. I'm thinking about checking out this place, has anyone heard of it?

http://www.springsautoandtruck.com/portfolio-view/custom-welding-fabrication-and-tube-bending/

Also, I got the new starter last night just to get it home and discover it's not for my car lol. I swapped the solenoid from the new starter onto mine but when I tried to start the car it sounded like the battery was just about dead, even though it's been on the tender and it has a full charge. So I took the starter back tonight and ordered one through NAPA. While I was under the car last night I noticed some coolant on the floor, right at the back of the engine. Uh oh.

[D Walker]

Dude I have SS and Aluminum lines on hand and could bend/weld whatever you want, just cmon by and I will help you out.

[speedjunkie]

OK sweet! I'll pull the fuel feed line from the car and bring it by, that way you can use it as a guide. I'm planning on putting the larger line in the same place and the same track running along the bottom of the car because they say it will fit there. I need to make a new cover for those lines too because the stock plastic one is broken in a few places. Anyway, I want to run 8AN lines and fittings to each end of the aluminum hard line so it will need to have a flare and fitting on each end too. I was also thinking about modifying the stock return line to put a fitting on each end of that as well. Eventually I hope to do hard fuel lines on the engine too, and coolant lines going to the wastegates, but I plan on bending those myself since they don't need to be perfect.

Will you have a few minutes on Saturday to take that flywheel off my hands? I don't plan on staying long but I'll be in the area, and I don't want to take time from you and your wife's time together.

[speedjunkie]

I got the new starter tonight and put it in. Tried to start but it's so sluggish now, so I hooked up the battery charger and set it to 150a for starting. Still really sluggish. I turned it over by hand and it doesn't feel like it's seized or anything, turned over OK. I think I'm gonna try to pull start it this weekend, and if I can get it started I'm going to run it for a bit to warm it up and do a compression test. This is really starting to tick me off.

[speedjunkie]

Zico came over today and helped me with the car. We were going to try tow-starting it, but decided to try some other things first. He hooked up the battery charger and apparently did something more than I did because it got 16-17v and it had so much juice the engine almost sounded like it was running already while it was cranking lol. We removed the plugs and cleaned them and heated them up with a torch, we verified spark, we tried ATF through the vacuum ports, we tried starter spray, I put injector cleaner in the fuel tank...we're really not sure what to do next, but I'm going to pump all the fuel out and put new fuel in, and then maybe try tow-starting. The main reason we didn't try it today was just in case it didn't start running, we didn't have enough people to push it back up the driveway and into the garage. And I still think there is an electrical/component problem somewhere. The battery, alternator, etc.

My in-tank surge tank came in today...


The elbow fittings in the lower left of the picture are for putting into the bottom of the fuel pumps and then run a hose from there to the fittings on the Russel filters in the first pic. However, the problem is they put the pumps up higher, so I got O2 sensor adapters (already installed) and I'm going to get an elbow to screw into that, which will be an M12. That should let me have the pumps sit lower.


In this pic you can see just how much their fittings add to the height of the pump, and how little the O2 sensor adapter adds to it. I still need to get the M12 elbows.


And here is another pic of the O2 sensor adapters installed.


I have the relays for the fuel pump wiring, I got the $211 worth of wiring a couple days ago, teflon coated so it can go in the fuel tank (I looked for good quality wiring that WASN'T teflon coated for outside the tank, hoping it would be cheaper, but they didn't have any, so I just got all that in teflon coated also), and I have the warning lights I'll be wiring up to let me know if the pumps fail


And if possible, I need to find locking spade connectors like these so I can replace the crappy wiring that came with the connectors for the relays.


Now I need to order a fuel filter with -8 ends, a Y for two -6 coming out of the tank going to a -8, any other fittings I need for the swap, and I need to talk to Don about making the -8 size fuel line to go from the tank to the engine bay. And I'm still waiting for the AEM coils and harness from Ludwig Motorsports. They said it would take about a month to make everything so it should be here within the next week or so.

I found this buss bar at OEM Parts the other day (I love that place), and decided to cut it into a couple pieces and replace the homemade bar I made a few months ago for grounding electronics.


I have one on each side of the car, behind the kick panels.



I also put the Adaptronic back in, but I don't have everything hooked up all the way yet. I'm still trying to figure out why the car isn't starting before I fully reinstall the new ECU and the fuel and ignition upgrades.

[FDEEZ]

Great progress!

Your starter problem has got me curious. Have you hooked up a "remote starter switch" to help troubleshoot? I'd start there if I were you. That way you can bypass everything in the starter system & check if the car actually fires.

Also, with all those attempts at trying to start the car, the car may be flooded by now. Have you tried deflooding it?

Last, if you haven't already done so...I'd bypass the clutch safety switch. I'm all about keeping it simple...and the CSS is one variable that I don't like to worry about.

After all that, then I'd start looking at troubleshooting the MAF/MAP, fuel trims, fuel pressure, etc. at cold startup.

Good luck!
FDEEZ

[VRx8]

have you tried the battery from your SUV? I think with that high of a voltage the ECU might be protecting itself and not doing anything.