Project GC8 AKA USDM STi Killer

[mdost03]

Looks awesome Shawn! Can't wait to see how it looks after it's completed.

[DoughtCom]

Another update
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs449.ash2/72212_10150273606795162_528050161_15410286_6329408 _n.jpg

For the first time in a few months, she's back on the ground and I drove her 2 feet! I'm really hoping my O2 sensor fixes my problems today so I can get an alignment and drive it to Deadmau5!

[DoughtCom]

A lot of you might or might not know my Evo died on Friday. I was leaving MAP to pickup a coupler for this project when I went to shift from 3rd to 4th and, what I believe was, my shift fork in my transmission broke. I managed to limp it back to MAP and they confirmed it's most likely toast so now I have no car. Luckily my wonderful GF can loan me her's for a while.

The reason for this intro is my Evo is going to cost me $2300 or so dollars to fix, which unfortunately brings this project to a halt for this year if I can't figure it out today. I will be working on it until 5PM today and then officially calling it quits as my time and money have now officially run out.

So if anyone is bored today and wants to lend a hand for an hour or two let me know.

All of the hard work is done, the car is put together, rolls, starts and works. The only thing left to do is figure out why it doesn't run well or drive well. The best way to describe the way it runs is it acts like an intercooler pipe blew off.

It's hard to start, once it warms up fully it idles, but as soon as you give it ANY gas over 10% throttle it acts like the fuel or spark shuts down, basically it just stutters. If I kind of spike the throttle to get the RPMs up to 4-5k I can slip the clutch and get her to move.

On tap for today is:
1.) boost leak test, have to make a boost leak tester because the turbo is UNDER the intake manifold basically.
2.) data logging to see what exactly my car is doing, this is where I'll need help because I know nothing really about tuning.
3.) looking at my FPR, because here's the weird part I can swap the feed/return fuel lines and it runs the exact same, not right.

If none of those things pan out... not sure where to go next as my Evo is now taking priority.

-Shawn

[mdost03]

Sorry to hear Shawn, if I was closer I'd be willing to lend a hand. Hopefully you get it figured out.

[turbotalon1g]

shit man, sorry to hear.

I'll hit you up soon and try to give you a hand.

[cmspaz]

He no longer needs help, the fix is 2 minutes under the hood.

The problem is acquiring the part.

Stemming from sourcing different components from different cars (Legacy GT motor, STi everything else) a fatal design flaw occurred... it ended up without a fuel pressure regulator. The STi unit is on the fuel rail, but the Legacy one is actually on the return line itself at the strut tower. Having looked at pictures of STi engine bays for guidance, we figured that nothing more than the fuel dampeners went on those lines and left them unimpeded. Oops.

Unfortunately it looks like the part is dealer-only, and being that it has hose hookups at both the outlet AND inlet, nothing from any other car I've seen (or that we looked at at O'Reilly) would work. I suggested cutting off part of a fuel rail with the regulator in order to provide an input tube, but that's in no way, shape, or form ideal.

[DoughtCom]

Well said, Spaz. I still have a major issue with not being able to read/write to the ECU. But it really seems like this should fix my symptoms I'm having with the engine running like shit.

Another note, I found a major issue with the PS valve cover. The seal had a chunk missing from it. So I took the whole thing off and re-sealed it with some red RTV for the time being until I can get a new seal and it seemed to smoothing some things out, that was a major boost/vacuum leak and it holds boost now.

I'll keep you guys in the loop but I'll be sourcing a FPR as a last move this week.

[A//// Guy]

Sucky on the evo!! :(

Its 2300 to replace a fork? Why not just yank the tranny and throw a new fork in and not rebuild anything else?

Hopefully the FPR issue is all whats wrong with the subi!

[turbotalon1g]

awesome to hear its a simple fix, hopefully not too pricey from satan.

[ylimert01]

iff you need a fuel pressure regulator lmk..sned me a pm and I will fill you in on the details.