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Bessie II - Enlight's '05 6mt Matte Blacke Wagon


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I'm not 100% clear on what you mean, when I tested resistance in the communication line between the control panel and control module their respective plugs were both disconnected, but the plugs attaching to the BIU were untouched.

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I was just looking at the diagram you posted earlier and was assuming you tested the hvac by isolating it from the BIU where the connection I circled in red is disconnected. Keep in mind I never played or troubleshooted the HVAC unit before. So I have yet to actually see all of these connections. (But I have removed that thing multiple times though to install audio equipment and my Nexus 7).

 

 

Also, is the 'AUTO A/C control module' part of the HVAC unit (B283)? My guess, from looking at the diagram, it's not.

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Ah, gotcha. I followed the manual's diagnostic procedure which did not involved having to disconnect the BIU though I did think about checking it out. The Auto A/C Control Module (B283) is indeed part of the HVAC sytem. I attached a picture of what it looks like mounted on the blower motor.

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Edited by Enlight

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was tired of smelling exhaust fumes in the cabin so I decided to cover up the rear vents which were designed to prevent wind buffeting. When I took off the bumper I saw that one of the flaps was stuck open - in fact this happened on both sides at the same location. I flap trip is attached by adhesive tap and some tabs that I broke. I had some CLD I ordered from Sound Deadener Showdown before they closed shop. Half an hour drive seems to confirm that the problem is solved.

 

I also installed the HKS ES Premium mufflers which are much more mellow than the STi quad tips which didn't sound great on video (too tinny). I don't love the fart can look but there are worse offenders out there.

 

As for my fuel pump leak, the problem is only half fixed. I no longer see wet spots under the car but the top of the housing still gets wet. I take it the flanges were properly fixed but the fuel line connections, where I had some difficulty getting the welder iron to, could probably still use some work.

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Edited by Enlight

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  • 3 months later...
  • 7 months later...

Here are the results I received after a long road trip from New York to Tennessee and back. Hit up many great roads in Virginia (Skyline Drive), W. Virginia (RT-250), Tennessee (Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway) and others. Oil got low but never below the line, but it seems like that's not enough for these engines. I guess I still had to get bit before I could learn my lesson. There's still no noticeable sounds coming from the engine but the report isn't looking good. I will start checking it daily and see if that stems the tide. I'm preparing some funds in the bank account but I'm not sure whether I'm up for undertaking this work myself.

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Quote

Check out the increases in copper and lead. The increases are big enough they can show a serious problem/failure with the bearings. If you're also noticing symptoms of a problem on your end, such as low oil pressure or a knocking sound, we'd go ahead with a close inspection. If the engine runs well then hopefully an additive or leaded fuel can help explain the increases we're finding. Fuel is down to a trace amount, which isn't cautionary, and the oil held up well (see viscosity). Let us know how the engine is doing - if it runs well, try 1k miles before checking back.

 

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On the upside, I'm in a place where I can catch this before it shrapnnels itself. I'm strongly considering getting one of Rallispec's Street Spec packages and, being that they are only 2 hours drive from me, having them install it in order to extend their warranty from 30-days to 12-months.

 

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So far I've gotten a written quote back from Prime Motoring and a verbal estimate from EFI Logics (written quote pending). What I'm getting back right now is from 10-16k for all labor, short block, supporting parts, replacing old parts (side feed to top feed, oil pump, fuel pump, etc), and tuning. This is for both Spec RA and IAG Stage 2 options. These numbers did come as a bit of a surprise to me based on numbers I've seen thrown around elsewhere. That being said, these are reputable shops that have lasted 10+ years so I'm not inclined to think they are throwing around wild numbers. I believe they included all parts and labor that would comprise a final product they felt they could stand behind. I also learned that these shops have at least two months of backlog.

Given all this information, I think I'm beginning to lean towards what I initially hoped not to do... replace my own short block. One of the main reasons I set out to have a shop perform all the work was so I can get my car back on the road in time to record fall foliage. If the wait time is 2 months that possibility is gone. Further, I might be able to complete this work before 2 months passes. I may even be able to make one last 500 mile trip to gather fall foliage footage before I put her under the knife. This might even make for some content.

It may be time to brush up on @Max Capacity's build thread.

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With some planning and the right tools, you can do this in 4 or 5 weeks. Depends on the machine shop schedule. 

I was lucky, the machine shop did most of the work. I took them my old long block and new ej257 and engine gasket set for the year of the car and all the supporting parts needed. They gave me back a complete long block, oil pan, timing covers installed. 

I took apart as little as possible before pulling the engine. So it was just bolt the intake system back on and other parts.

I still have the engine hoist and stand that I bought back in the early 2000's for the race car, civic. Having the right tools is important.

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305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

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Your experience with the quote and mindset was the same thing I went through a couple years ago. I contacted a best local shop to see what kind of options I had to refresh my motor, it’s getting older and I’ve wanted to add a bigger turbo for awhile now. But I was told about $10k and figured I’d do it myself eventually.

When I am ready, I’m hoping to do exactly what Max said. Give the machine shop my extra short block and my old motor, a gasket set, and anything else. Pay them to assemble a long block and I’ll plug it back in.

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Just chiming in to say I just finished reading all pages of this thread and I think your dedication to keeping this car alive is honorable.  I think you and I feel pretty much the same way about our cars.

I really like what you've done and will continue to follow your journey. Best of luck with the new engine, I feel your pain!

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11 hours ago, TMBLKDG said:

Just chiming in to say I just finished reading all pages of this thread and I think your dedication to keeping this car alive is honorable.  I think you and I feel pretty much the same way about our cars.

I really like what you've done and will continue to follow your journey. Best of luck with the new engine, I feel your pain!

I appreciate that. This "build" thread isn't the most exciting on these forums, nor is my car a real looker, but it's been a real journey. I've learned a lot working on her over the years and have some emotional attachment. My old cat who is now passed also used to hang out with me in the cabin when I was removing the dash to get at some rattles.

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20 hours ago, NORULZleggy said:

Follow Max link, You just need a 257 short block and it will hold up. I see no need for a Staged block unless your tracking or dragging the car. Tune is key. Drive these car like you love them and they will last.

I've gone to a few AZP Installs HDPE track days before and will probably continue to do so. I'd also like to get involved in autocross. I'd like to raise the RPM limit as a little insurance against mis-shifts. I once downshifted a little too early and send the needle to 7,500 for a second. Do you have any recommendations?

On 10/6/2022 at 8:52 AM, Max Capacity said:

With some planning and the right tools, you can do this in 4 or 5 weeks. Depends on the machine shop schedule. 

I was lucky, the machine shop did most of the work. I took them my old long block and new ej257 and engine gasket set for the year of the car and all the supporting parts needed. They gave me back a complete long block, oil pan, timing covers installed. 

I took apart as little as possible before pulling the engine. So it was just bolt the intake system back on and other parts.

I still have the engine hoist and stand that I bought back in the early 2000's for the race car, civic. Having the right tools is important.

I've begun looking at engine hoists and stands on Craigslist. Removing and installing a longblock is well within the realm of possibility for me. The plus side of getting quotes from these tuners is that I can work off of their recommendations, which is actually a service I would pay for in itself. I'm beginning to look for machine shops in the area. Head Games Motorworks is fairly close to me and they just specialize in heads, they may have a recommendation for a broader machine shop they work with. Ideally they could assemble a longblock themselves.

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Beautiful cat! You must be missing it. I have one also who likes to sneak in the car while I work on it. And yeah, it's nice to have an engine hoist. I did get one eventually and have used it for my rebuild in 2020 and to change a clutch in late 2021.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still wrapping my head around the fact that I have a short block waiting to be installed. I started up Bessie today and heard a loud knocking for the first time, it lasted for about 3-5 seconds then went away. Granted, she has been sitting for over a month since my trip back from Nashville so the oil had probably drained out of the heads. I've decided against making one last trip to record fall foliage roads with her. She will be sitting until she has a new heart.

Instead of sending my existing long block + new short block out to a machine shop, I'm thinking of removing my current heads and sending them to Headgames Motorworks for their Pocket Port package. They will also take care of all the difficult work of setting valve lash. All the work that will remain for me is assembling the refreshed heads to the short block.

I am building my list of new parts which will include a new 11mm oil pump. I'm not sure whether I should keep or order new oil cooler, intake cam gears, and VVT solenoids. I'm browsing Craigslist for engine hoists and stands.

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You will still need to check the valve gap after the heads are torqued. Bench setting is a good starting point.

Get the ARP head studs. For sure go with new oil cooler/hoses/VVT.

Read up on oil pumps. Street car has no need for larger pump. Water pump preference for me is the WRX cast wheel version.

#4 cylinder cooling mod.

Just put mine back together after killing it in April this year.

Find the right shop in your area to refresh your SB and heads.

It's not hard. Just tedious bunch of steps. Clean it all. New gaskets yada yada...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Still assembling parts for the upcoming build, I'm waiting for Black Friday to snag up some deals. While vacationing in Portugal I picked up an Eberspacher S3 coolant preheater. These types of units tend to be used more up north in diesel applications to help with starting. The company also makes gasoline (petrol) versions that run off of the fuel tank. This is admittedly overkill for my application, but I was really curious how much a 2618 forged engine's lifetime could be extended if startup wear was reduced. This coolant preheater will get coolant to 165-170°F. Here is a thread I started on BobIsTheOilGuy forum that had mixed receptions. I hope to share long term results when it is all installed.

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I thought I'd post up one of the estimates that I was quoted since this would've been helpful to me. My goal is not to disparage any builders or complain about prices, it's simply to provide information for people to properly plan and budget their build. If you feel the need to criticize the prices quoted, kindly take it elsewhere.

That being said, after I overcame the sticker shock of what I saw below I decided to undertake this build myself, only outsourcing the head refresh and tuning. Instead of paying MSRP for all the parts this would let me slowly hunt for deals to assemble my parts list. The cornerstone of the build is this new IAG Stage 2 Tuff block I paid $2,800 for. The estimate I received has been invaluable to me as a road map for this build.

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Yesterday, I spoke with another IAG Certified Engine Installer (just 30 minutes from me) to discuss the list and the only changes he suggested were purchasing the IAG fuel lines (as opposed to Torque Solutions) and purchasing the new GrimmSpeed v2 GESI Catted Downpipe. He said my current Invidia catted downpipe would most likely still throw an error. Whether you will need this downpipe comes down to how "compliant" your tuner has elected to be post-EPA enforcement. I will also be swapping in OEM top feed TGV's and removing my deletes.

Last note: something I often see mentioned on the forums is purchasing a new oil cooler and cleaning the pan thoroughly when rebuilding after spun bearings. Something less mentioned, but equally important (as I'm learning) is replacing the AVCS solenoids (LH+RH) as well as the intake cam gears (if not disassembling and cleaning them). I found a YouTube video detailing the process here.

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Edit: After reading some more, it seems like AVCS cam gears need special tools to reassemble so it might not be a good DIY. Outfront Motorsports offers the rebuild service.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Picked up used ID 1050x injectors off of Facebook Marketplace for $300 and then dropped them off at SouthBay Fuel Injectors to have them cleaned and bench tested for $80. Glad I had this done as they noted that they were quite dirty and asked whether they ran ethanol. I'm not quite sure what to make of the dynamic average flow rates as they went down after the cleaning, but there's a lot I don't know.

flow.png

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