Where to take your car for work in SoCal.

[m sprank]

Time to time? Ha ha. I just modified the wastegate mount on my 68HTA. Time to go see if the mod worked.

[socalsleeper]

Sounds like fun. I just built an engine 2.0 wrx we're planning to run a vf39 se how that works out.

[m sprank]

Cool. Ordered a EVO16G for my 5EAT, should be here for a June install. Have a set of 1000cc top feeds showing up this week. Wastegate mod is in prep of the fueling upgrade. Trying to hit 22-23psi at 7000rpm in my SpecB (e85 tune).

 

Just installed a stage2 set up with EL headers in my dads 2002 WRX (bugeye). Seems like a lot of fun. Now I need to convince him to upgrade the turbo. Let me know how the VF-39 works out. It would be an easy, cheap swap in his car.

[socalsleeper]

E85 is what I want to do to my car. But Vf36/20G. The wrx motor is for a 02 bugeye wagon plan is to drop in on Saturday I think it will be running by that next weekend.

[m sprank]

20g e85 is FUN, Bryan (itsme) runs one. I have only driven it on gas, but he has an e85 tune too. The bugeye should be a blast too. Hope all goes well with the swap.

[SBT]

Just got back to SD from the Middle East and I'm looking to add some hp to the 05 leggy. Any new shops in the SD area? I only have the one car so leaving it in LA for an extended period isn't happening.

 

Welcome back J. Glad you made it back safe and sound.

 

I still recommend the team up at HB Speed. Link here

[socalsleeper]

20g e85 is FUN, Bryan (itsme) runs one. I have only driven it on gas, but he has an e85 tune too. The bugeye should be a blast too. Hope all goes well with the swap.

 

Well other than a bad injector o-ring the install went just fine. Bad part is it won't start because the map is dumping a ton of fuel into the cylinders. Sti intercooler too so it looks like a JDM swap with a sliver manifold.

[m sprank]

Sucks about the tune. Glad it wet well enough though. I am now planning another tear down of the SpecB.

 

1000cc injectors sitting on my bench. GS 38mm v-band EWG uppipe in shipping. Tial EWG in shipping, Perrin fuel rails, ancillary hoses, radiator hoses, oil catch can, wideband, slew of gauges and other goodies on order.

 

Gonna go for broke and try to get every ounce out of the 68HTA. Looking for 450WHP on the Dyno and 12.3 or less in the 1/4 mile on e85.

 

Also doing a VF-39 swap on LALGT's car this week. Gonna be busy.

[socalsleeper]

Sounds like a good time. I'm going meth too so a big snail is not the plan right now.

Sounds like you know what you doing too. It is so hard to find a good wrench now a days. People are hurting for cash and now everybody car fix cars(or break'em). Having shinny tools is not the half of it.

[m sprank]

Tell me about it.

 

Your tools are shiny? Most of mine are scratched, (or have my name etched into them) lol.

 

Looks like the VF-39 is going in tomorrow. Gonna get an early start.

[socalsleeper]

You see that was the problem. My shop was dead so my tools stayed way too shiny. Hence the career change but I'm still a Porsche certified technician.

[m sprank]

Tools too expensive to stay shiny. Especially if you make payments to the guy in the truck who stops by ever week. I dont turn for a living anymore either, but I try to use the tools I kept.

[SBT]

Tools too expensive to stay shiny. Especially if you make payments to the guy in the truck who stops by ever week. I dont turn for a living anymore either, but I try to use the tools I kept.

 

1/4 of the weight to ship my HHG to SoCar was tools, presses, cabinets, and parts...

[m sprank]

I left a LOT in Temecula when I left for NY. When I left NY, I left ALL the wood working tools and almost everything else too. I got back with my entire life fitting in a single POD. It was sad.

[LosAngelesLGT]

I left a LOT in Temecula when I left for NY. When I left NY, I left ALL the wood working tools and almost everything else too. I got back with my entire life fitting in a single POD. It was sad.

 

Having seen the quality of gear you prefer that IS sad:spin:

[m sprank]

C-ya in the morning.

 

Turbo, CAI, check FMIC and replace a coupler.

 

If we can save your inlet tube and there is no tear we will be golden. If not, off comes the manifold. Then you will be kicking yourself for not having injectors, lol.

[Jim_KT]

I'm looking to have someone install my Killer-B reinforced oil pickup after nearly a year of ownership (oil pickup). So you're saying that Yimi is a no go? That's interesting as I have had great results with them. If not them, who would you recommend?

 

I am very resource (time) limited otherwise I would have had this installed last year.

[m sprank]

I have had zero luck wit local techs. But I hear decent things about HB Speed.

[m sprank]

Well things went well, just took WAY too long.

 

Car is up and running nicely and on its way for a full tune.

 

Darn oil return line was soooo dry and hard and crusty that I coud not get it on for the life of me. Had to use a new piece of hose and install it with the turbo already in place. Good Times.

 

Because other members told him it was OK to reuse all the OEM hoses he had none. I get chastised for having a collection of spare hose around. Yeah who's laughing now, huh?

 

My spare hoses and barb fittings came in real handy when his old dry, hard, crusty coolant hoses all leaked at the worm gear clamp site after releasing the clamps for the first time in 60k miles.

 

Damn Subaru for giving him the wrong size crush washers for the oil supply line. I missed it and the "fountain of oil" at start up was NICE. Good thing I had the RIGHT sized washers (extra on my shelf) ready and waiting. No leaks there when you use the proper washer. Way to go Subaru.

 

Then the damn intake. He brought a used Perrin picked up off the forum. Wrong filter for the MAF housing. Tried like hell to make an adapter but not enough metal on the MAF housing. As soon as I clamped down the filter it all fell apart. Had to rape the Typhoon (known scaling) from my car (I now have no intake, lol).

 

But another member is now happily driving a stage 3 LGT. Came out very nice in the end.

[LosAngelesLGT]

^he makes it sound so painless. This is going to have its own thread and I am still writing things up and getting responses from people.

 

If you have a 6 year old car and think it is acceptable (or easy) to reuse original hoses, DON'T. Everyone who said that was a good idea - thanks for the continued leaks that I have finally stopped (with replaced hoses/clamps that are a lot easier to install when the DP / FMIC is not in the car). Total cost of new hose and clamps $10. Total cost in time during install: 10 minutes;). Total cost in time POST install: 2 hours:mad:

 

If you want a stage 3 car with fmic you should have a collection of hoses for rerouting stuff every time you work on your fmic or want to make maintenance easier. You will think of a smarter way to route things for maintence every time you work on something. Don't make it so that going to the parts store for $2 of hose when you want it is more of a hassle than tossing on the old crappy hose.

 

If you walk a turbo into a dealer and set it in the parts guys hands and explain exactly what car it is from and what you are doing - no promise you will get what you need. Parts guys are idiots. ORDER FROM A VENDOR. Forced Performance on MSprank's shelf to the resQ. Hard to imagine that the oil hard line gaskets were the wrong ones after the extensive conversation I had in person with parts in hand.

 

If you are going to buy something used on the forum, make sure to install it before you need it. Make sure it works. Just because 10 members on the forum swear it is great and the F/S thread is great and the mfr says it is what it is - doesn't mean crap.

 

Suffice to say, on reflection, I owe MSprank a couple of days slave labor and at least another $100. (NOT A JOKE FOLKS)

 

Lastly...

 

Find a good friend to get you out of trouble when you do something stupid. I won't be happily driving a stage3 car till yours is on the road:mad: but the car is happily stage 3.

 

EDIT: EVERY SINGLE TIME MSPRANK HAS TOLD ME SOMETHING AND I HAVE NOT FOLLOWED, HE HAS HAD TO SAY "TOLD YOU SO". IF HE GIVES YOU FRIENDLY ADVICE, BE A FRIEND TO YOURSELF AND TAKE IT!

Edited May 24, 2010 by LosAngelesLGT

[m sprank]

It is far more important that you got home safely than the fact that my car is minus an intake. It has not been that bad sharing a car with the wife. She is more upset than me. Since my car was going to be torn down anyway, oh well.

 

Certainly glad my assortment of "extries" came to the rescue again.

 

I told you about the hoses. Not that I don't love the forum but... I told you so.

 

Dealers are numbnuts in general.

[Naylor]

need a local shop to order a timing belt/water pump kit. any recommendations? one of the vendors wont have them in stock until august.

[socalsleeper]

Fred Beans should have that instock. Alittle extra for shipping and you can over night that thing. But you will be close to dealer price at that point. Plus you should replace that tensioner too. Not to expensive but if it goes out that is bad news for your timing.

[Naylor]

unfortunately, that's the vendor i'm talking about...great guys, btw. If I could wait I would go with them.

[m sprank]

Hmmm. I get all my OEM stuff from FBP. The local dealers are a RIP OFF. Maybe try another online OEM supplier.