Finally...

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GT_Indy
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Re: Finally...

Post by GT_Indy »

Rettax3 wrote:Down-pipe and dump-pipe assembly is finished. I have some hesitations about this not having a flex-joint of any kind in the dump-pipe, but I'm hoping the 1.5-inch pipe itself has enough flexibility not to bugger things up. I'm also not crazy about the fact that the turbocharger needs to be removed to get the dump-pipe out from under to remove the down-pipe assembly, but this is a compromise for ditching another joint in the assembly that could eventually leak, and still keep everything tucked-in tight, with as little extraneous piping as possible.
Downpipe1b.jpg
I've got it routed well away (relatively) from the ABS and master-cylinder, I think it will be fine with just the header-wrap. Still might need a turbo blanket though... I'll likely also insulate the bottom of the ABS unit, so long as it can still dissipate its' own heat.
I hope it stays cool, a Beretta member showed me their car that caught fire because the turbo was near the abs unit.


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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

Post by Rettax3 »

Rettax3 wrote:Car is officially a five-speed Z-26! Yay! My Master Cylinder looks like it is leaking. Boo!
I wasn't too interested in risking going back in after this thing later, so while I had it out to install the AN adapter fitting, I just replaced it with another spare I had, which is newer and seems fine. I did take it apart, and aside from being really dirty inside, it looks really good (OE in 1988) -so with clean fluid and the air bled-out, it would probably work good and be leak-free again. I will keep it around as a spare still.

The steel line went in fine, the bend is a little tight near the turbo but 3/16" bends easily without crimping if you are careful. I used a 30" brake line, and cut off maybe 2.5 inches total from the ends to re-flare in 37-degree. Lots of bends in it to let it flex with the minimal engine movement this car should have. The downpipe fits nicely, I would say maybe three or four degrees off of perfect for the dump-pipe (I had to work the outlet-flange bolts in a little), and I welded in the O2 Sensor bung before wrapping the pipe -it came out pretty good I think. I'll try to snap some pics soon.

The turbo is back in and bolted down -the return-line for the oil is the last thing for me to attach and it will be done.

I also reclocked the external waste-gate,as the manifold pressure inlet sat right below the upper radiator hoses, so now I have room to attach the line and not worry about it rubbing into the coolant hose.

I also rethought my intake bypass-valve return-line routing, and ordered another hose elbow for it.

I am hoping that I'll get more time in on the car next week, but I have a lot of work to do on the house while the weather is nice, and work is still keeping me busy too. :good: More updates as they happen... It is pretty close to a first-run engine test...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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woody90gtz
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Re: Finally...

Post by woody90gtz »

You've got to make it to a Berettafest some day. I need to meet your evil genius. Haha


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

Post by Rettax3 »

Here are some pics from today. I swear it looked like the DP cleared the ABS components of the Master Cylinder better than this... But it will be okay I'm sure. I will use a thermal insulator on the bottom of the module just to be certain. The heat-shield and electrical harness conduit I fabbed is visible here too.
Ugh, I'm still going to have to deal with the heater-core supply hoses.  I'll probably use that quick connect there, but I would rather ditch it for a straight hose nipple.
Ugh, I'm still going to have to deal with the heater-core supply hoses. I'll probably use that quick connect there, but I would rather ditch it for a straight hose nipple.
The clutch hydraulic hard-line looks closer to the turbo in this shot than it is.  The other side by the cold-section is actually closer.
The clutch hydraulic hard-line looks closer to the turbo in this shot than it is. The other side by the cold-section is actually closer.
From these shots, that pipe just doesn't look that big, but it is. I thought it cleared the transaxle better than this too -it must be a subtle angle-change after the dump-pipe was welded on and everything was all bolted together. :fool: This will also be fine...
3.4 Downpipe Upshot3a.jpg
I'll be pinning the VSS harness away from the DP using the bolt-hole there on the transaxle.
I'll be pinning the VSS harness away from the DP using the bolt-hole there on the transaxle.
Straight out and down, clears the sway-bar just fine.
Straight out and down, clears the sway-bar just fine.
Here is a shot of the alternator in the A/C Compressor bracket. This small spacer seems to put the pulley dead-square to the other pulleys. I'll know for sure if the belt squeaks or not...
Yep, even the lower radiator hose is purple silicone!
Yep, even the lower radiator hose is purple silicone!


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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GT_Indy
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Re: Finally...

Post by GT_Indy »

Do you think the heat from that down pipe is close enough to the brake and fuel lines under the car to cause them to get hot and the fluids might bubble?

I hope it works, I second a thicker heat insulator between the abs unit and the pipe, I seen a beretta that was turbocharged that had a fire because the abs unit melted onto the downpipe. It was kinda scary and I only saw the aftermath after the car was sitting not being used.


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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

Post by Rettax3 »

GT_Indy wrote:Do you think the heat from that down pipe is close enough to the brake and fuel lines under the car to cause them to get hot and the fluids might bubble?

I hope it works, I second a thicker heat insulator between the abs unit and the pipe, I seen a beretta that was turbocharged that had a fire because the abs unit melted onto the downpipe. It was kinda scary and I only saw the aftermath after the car was sitting not being used.
No, from my experience with my '90 Turbo 'Retta, the lines are well enough away from the exhaust and will have no problems from it. Besides, DOT-3 fluid isn't supposed to boil until 400 degrees, and the fuel is constantly being circulated from the tank, except for that short time between shut-down and cool-down, and even then it is supposed to remain under pressure. Thanks for the input though. :good: I never even had thermal-wrap on the '90's DP, even when I upgraded the original T-25 setup to this same T-04 (2.5 inch pipe on that car, 3 inch here) and there were no problems with the DP. Of course, the '90 does not have ABS... The ABS module will not melt from the heat as is, but since it is an electronic component, I am less than 100% certain that it will be happy with the heat, so I would rather take a moment to add a thermal barrier for it (hopefully I won't trap its' own heat in and cause damage). The shift-cables on this car seem to be farther away from the DP than they are on the '90 Turbo, and although I started fabbing a heat-shield tube for them, I may not bother installing it -that is just one more thing to rattle under the hood if I don't need it. I'll see how it all looks when I am done with the exhaust.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

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Not much done on it lately -work and a 'few' other projects have taken a lot of time, I've gotten lazy with the heat too -cold doesn't bother me as much, but the heat just makes me want to sleep. I did get the AFPR (Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator) installed and the fuel-lines done too. Basically, for the high-pressure supply, I cut the donor engine's fuel hose at the hard-line swedge, which gave me over a foot of good fuel hose with a quick-connect on one side already. Then, I put another quick-connect on the other end. The return-side from the engine to the AFPR I am much happier about -I cut the donor line in the steel tube section after the first 90-degree bend, double-flared it, and replaced the AFPR's hose-nipple connector with a 5/16 inverse-flare fitting -perfect fit, and that hose's quick-connect plugs straight onto the LQ1's fuel rail. Out of the AFPR has very little pressure, so it is just 5/16 fuel hose clamped to the hose-nipple from the AFPR on one side and a quick-connect fitting plugged onto the car's return line on the other -done.

The turbo's bypass valve return-air pipe is routed, but I still have to weld a 1.25-inch nipple onto the 3-inch intake pipe that exits the MAF before entering the turbocharger's inlet.

Even slow progress is progress, I guess.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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GT_Indy
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Re: Finally...

Post by GT_Indy »

Any Progress is progress. lol.

I always feel like the motor swap is the fast part, all the little things after are what takes the longest.

I agree with the weather, Hot weather makes for slower working, Cold weather is great except plastic and metal breaks easier for me in the cold. So I try not to work on cars at all during the winter. lol.


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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

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Took a break from taking a break from the car. :D Installed the rear-bank spark-plugs (sooooo easy! They should all be like this... :good: ), new ignition wires, and got into the vacuum-lines. Nothing too bad, except that I don't have any ports on the upper-deck (pressurized intake section between the turbo and the throttle-body) to run to the bypass valve's control side. The LQ1 I have has a 3/8" and 1/4" vacuum-port tree next to the EGR pad (right in front of the brake master-cylinder), and two 1/4" ports on the other side of the intake, plus the brake booster hose. That is all. One of the 1/4" ports is normally dedicated to the stock FPR, but I will eventually have to tee into it for the secondary AFPR too. I will be using the other one for the EVAP purge line. The last 1/4" port has been tee'd to a freshly-bent steel line that supplies manifold pressure to the waste-gate, bypass valve's operating side, and will also supply the boost gauge. That leave's the car's HVAC line and associated vacuum-accumulator to be plumbed-in, probably from the 3/8" port with a check-valve installed inline.

I finished all of the ground connections, except for the battery cable itself. I also welded-up the intake-pipe connecting the MAF coupler to the turbocharger's inlet elbow, and got the piping for the bypass valve's return-line done -it just needs the band-clamps installed and the intake will be ready to go. Last on the list is the EGR block-off plate -I just have to drill the two mounting holes in the plate and cut it out, paint it, and put it on.

I didn't get the cooling system done today like I hoped, but that will happen next time I think. Too bad the heater-supply is at the front corner of the engine with the water-pump, like the other 60-degree engines: I got spoiled with them being in the right spot at the back of the engine like my GTU's 3800SC. :pardon: So I still haven't found the perfect Beretta swap engine yet...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

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First test-start: It runs!! :Yahoo!: Bwahahaha! 8) Still have to build the exhaust after the down-pipe, and complete the coolant lines, so I can't run it much yet, but I wanted to hear it before I pulled the upper intake plenum off to ditch the quick-connect fittings that many of us love to hate and block-off the TB heater line. It sounds... pretty smooth, honestly. The T-04 sucks-up a lot of noise at idle-loads, so I'm able to hear some stuff going on. A valve-lifter or two were taking a minute to wake up, but they seemed to pump-up okay. I was very worried about the injectors surviving their long wait, but they seem good. Once I clamp-down all of the intake piping and eliminate the vacuum-leaks there, it should rev-up even better. I'm glad I was able to make such a short-run of the intake piping. I can hear the turbo even off-idle, so long as my Flowmaster isn't too loud, this should sound pretty good, especially at 7k RPM! :D


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
EPfiffner
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Re: Finally...

Post by EPfiffner »

Yesss! Congrats man, you've really been busting a$$!

Almost burnout time!!


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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

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Thank you! This has been a really long time in the waiting. I am actually pretty excited about it.

I got the exhaust-pipe done out to the muffler today. The car is very loud with just the turbo and a Flow-Master 3" in, dual 3" out muffler. I do believe the "Twin Dual" (haha!) Z-26 resonator tips will help tame it down a little. I had hoped for something a little quieter than my GTU, but I didn't want a restrictive exhaust, so I guess I can't have it all...

I angled the bend over the rear suspension beam a little further towards the center of the car, the bends were a little less extreme that way, and I have enough concerns about the suspension clearing the 3-inch pipe without cutting corners, as it were. Here are some shots of the pipe tack-welded during fitting...
Built bend-by-bend, ready to go.
Built bend-by-bend, ready to go.
Tacked-up for fitting.
Tacked-up for fitting.
Up-and-over!  This is why MOST of my cars end up with side-outlets...
Up-and-over! This is why MOST of my cars end up with side-outlets...
Out with the old, and in with the new!  Not always a fan of that attitude, but c'mon, how restrictive would the original pipe be?? It can be seen that I redesigned the bend-angles a little, I like how this one clears everything underneath.
Out with the old, and in with the new! Not always a fan of that attitude, but c'mon, how restrictive would the original pipe be?? It can be seen that I redesigned the bend-angles a little, I like how this one clears everything underneath.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

Post by Rettax3 »

Video! If it works... Let's try.
Witch-Z Exhst Vid2b.MOV
Exhaust-note porn!
(1.16 MiB) Downloaded 4016 times
I got most of the rest of the exhaust done today -I still have some clean-up work to do, a few mounts (3-inch thick-wall aluminized tubing is heavy!), and will likely paint at least the weld-joints to slow any rust that might get bad ideas.. :x

The right-side exhaust-tip assembly had to be modified to turn it into a 'right' side, it turned out pretty good except for the lack of scalloping on the bottom edge of the rear bumper-cover on that side. I decided to live with it rather than cut or heat a perfectly fine bumper-cover, so that tip sits several millimeters lower than the left -oh well, it still looks good and sounds good -those tips saved the volume-level on this car! :good:


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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woody90gtz
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Re: Finally...

Post by woody90gtz »

Sounds weird on my phone... I'll have to check it out on the pc.

You gotta be itching to drive it.


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
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Rettax3
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Re: Finally...

Post by Rettax3 »

Yeah, the vid sounds a little strange -likely from 1. four outlets at different distances from the mic, and 2. a few spots in the piping that still need to get welded-up across the top. I do believe that I am hearing a light misfire too though... It also has a faint hesitation off idle, especially when cold. I haven't pulled the intercooler back off to install the new air filter -I am borrowing a same-style short-cone from my '90 Turbo 'Retta. I have to install the IAT sensor in the center of the new filter, currently it is just hanging next to the MAF -certainly good enough for now, but I would love to blame this setup.

I've gotten more miscellaneous clean-up work done in the engine-bay, but it is getting close-ish to a first drive -I am deliberately NOT rushing this thing, but yeah, I want it on the road pretty badly... I've waited for over a decade, I can wait another couple of weeks.

I filled the cooling system with distilled water and pro-grade flush solution to clean everything out, and to find any leaks before wasting actual glycol in the system, and yep, the original 60-something thousand-mile, 23-year-old water pump is leaking! Yay! I have a brand new Gates sitting in a box waiting for it (I currently have five cars that use the same pump, so I got a couple of spares :roll: )... Should be as easy as it would be on a stock 3100 (fingers crossed)...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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