So I installed the AEM water/methanol fail-safe gauge and system this weekend. It includes a flow meter and a gauge/fail-safe module. It works by comparing commanded injection percentage to actual measured flow. To calibrate it you go out and drive with the USB connected to a computer. You do pulls with various throttle input so that it can collect data points on flow vs. commanded pump output. You then go in and set an upper and lower threshold where the fail-safe system is triggered. When the fail-safe module is triggered the gauge will flash and it also has a positive and negative output (1.5 amps) that you can set to either shut off or turn on when triggered. I currently have my positive output running to a relay that will cut the power to a boost bypass solenoid which routes high pressure from the manifold to the bypass actuator on the supercharger which will cause it to enable bypass and pull boost.

I used the dash bezel piece to hold the AEM failsafe gauge which displays water/methanol flow in cc/min and will flash should it trip the alarm condition

Installed AEM's inline filter while I was as it.

Here is a picture of the flow gauge module. It is hard to see because of the wires I have it zip-tied to so it won't swing around in hard corners.

New water/meth pump with sleeve installed this time.

Bypass solenoid that fail-safe system actuates.

These are switches I had installed previously for a cooling fan setup that didn't end up using. The switch on the right is still not connected to anything but the switch on the left can route power to the bypass solenoid in a situation which I want to override the fail-safe from bypassing boost.

 

Had the threshold set a little too tight today and tripped the alarm condition. It actually works pretty good. Override switch works too.

 

Pretty neat idea with the boost cut

 

Thanks man. Just figured the function is pretty much there anyway I just don't use it with my ECM. Just took a couple relays, the solenoid and pigtail, and some vacuum line. This way I don't have to mess with the ECM at all to get the desired result. Yes I could maintain higher power during a meth injection failure event if I tied it into the ECM to direct it to a different timing map but with my trifecta only ECM I'm not even sure if that is an option. Also this device isn't to allow me to make the most power possible without detonation/pinging during a injection failure event, it is meant to protect my engine until I can get the issue corrected.

 

Subframe is out with front suspension components removed and everything else getting ready to drop the transmission for Quiafe LSD install this evening.

Also going to be installing adjustable Koni front inserts. Will be taking the YYZ springs off the FE5 TC Cobalt strut housings to the left and chopping up the FE1 struts on the right for the Koni inserts. The FE5 struts are not very old, maybe couple years, so I am not going to ruin them.

 

I got around to disassembling my strut assemblies to wire brush and paint them yellow.
I first marked the springs because I want to get everything back together the way it was without confusion.

I tried engraving the tops and the cups below them so I can get the same pairs back together after I wire brush and paint. The wire brush pretty much wiped off what was left behind by my junk engraver so I used center punch marks for identification.

Here you can see the center punch marks for aligning the spring cup with the strut top. The thought is this will allow me to properly align this part during reassembly.

Drilled a small hole to drain the fluid. The fluid in an aftermarket housing I tried to use smelled rank.

I just barely cut off the top as little as possible to still have full ID and to be able to remove the strut shaft assembly. As long as it doesn't prevent the strut from reaching the bottom I see no reason to remove more material. Leaving more material will help the tube strength around where the Koni nubs keep the strut tight and centered in the outer tube.

Strut cut and innards removed.

 

Now it was time for paint prep.
Rust removed and ready for rattle can.

Hanging to dry

One of my old struts was an aftermarket universal strut of unkown brand that was installed on my car after someone hit the front wheel in a parking lot. Absolutely no way to make this housing work as you can see here what the end looks like after I cut it off. First of all the tube diameter is different the whole way down and they also have this strange end that was threaded on. Just no way for it to work which is a shame because I ended up cutting up one of my FE5 TC Cobalt strut.

 

yellow, so you know its real

 

Yellow because Konis are yellow. Got the idea from seeing pictures like this online.

 

35mm long M12X1.5mm thread bolts arrived that I anticipate using to pull the strut into the housing. Once this bolt bottoms out I will switch to the ~25mm long bolt, that was provided with the Koni inserts, to finish pulling in the strut.

 

YOu plan to dyno it or run it down the track?

 

I dyno'd it once on a Mustang dyno but the results were funky and I think we messed up in how we set up the dyno because the torque curve looks nothing like it feels in real life. Also I made more torque than WHP which doesn't generally happen on supercharged Ecotec. However, I do have plans to run my car on a different dyno after I get it back together again and see how those results turn out. Based on how the car pulls to redline I'm pretty damn confident the Mustang dyno calculated and induced too much load or something along those lines. My whole build is set up around high RPM power and the curve below just doesn't make sense. Anyway here are those results

Also, I will probably drag race it at some point or another just to see what it can do though I have built this car for autocross which I intend on participating in as much as possible.

 

Used a punch to make identification marks prior to prep and paint. 4 dots

4 dots not so perfectly matched here to indicate which top hat it was paired with. Probably not necessary but I wanted to put everything back together just like they came apart even if the parts are interchangeable.

Drilled out the previously bored drain hole to 1/2". Because I left as much material as possible on the top end of the strut housing, my 35mm long M12 bolts were just barely long enough to reach the threads. On one of the inserts I sort of rammed the Koni into the strut housing to get it seated in far enough so the 35mm bolt would reach.

This is what is left sticking out when the strut is fully inserted and bottomed out. As you can see not even close to running into the top lip. I don't see any reason why you would cut off more material than the very minimum required to remove the old strut innards.

Applied red Loctite because I don't think I could ever get this back a part without damaging something anyway. Also damn sure don't want it coming apart on it's own.

Torqued the bolt down to 55 ft-lbs

Rubber boot installed that was provided with Konis.

Top hat bolted onto top of Koni strut with spring compressor still holding the spring compressed.

Indexing marks I made with auto-punch and tire marker paint which works shitty on tires but pretty good in the shop.

One done!

Both done.

 

Also received in my Exedy chromoly lightweight flywheel and ClutchMasters clutch/pressure plate/TOB.

 

you got a little blood spatter on the floor there.

 

Lol that is paint.

 

tell it to the judge

 

I think it is from when I painted the red vise you can see in the other pictures. I rattle can paint all the things.

 

So it looks like I lucked out timing-wise by swapping a Quaife LSD into my F23 transmission. My old differential bearing on one side was about to eat itself completely up.
Notice the rollers. No bueno

Race too. Who knows how many miles I had left before self destruction.


To swap the Quaife LSD from the F23 I bought that was originally in a Cavalier I paid a transmission shop $300. He also replace the axle seals. Just brought him the two fully assembled transmissions. Ended up being a little higher than I was hoping for but I have much more peace of mind than if I would have broken into the transmission myself. Hopefully he did good work.

 

Transmission is in and subframe, suspensions components, mounts and everything are torqued down to spec. I wrote all the torque specs on the wall in my garage with a sharpie because I am tired of looking them up every time I work on it. Discovered the bottom bolt hole was stripped on the rear trans-to-mount. First time doing helicoil and it worked well, torqued to 44 ft-lbs. I was just thankful it was the bottom hole which is the most accessible. I plan on filling the trans with RedLine D6 ATF, installing the electrical box, install new fender liners as well as my bottom side shrouds and hopefully taking it for a drive. Although I will need an alignment AGAIN. This is the 6th time I've had to have it aligned in 2 years lol.

 

Looks great. Might have been a good time to do a front brake upgrade.

 

I have LSJ front brakes sitting in a box in my garage I just don't want to throw off the balance too much as I think it is pretty good for how I use it. In autocross they never get hot enough for me to have brake fade anyway.

If you want me to be honest with you I think people have gotten carried away with thinking they need the biggest brakes possible for better stopping power when the primary advantage of bigger brakes is more mass and surface area to deal with extreme heat which a majority of people never encounter unless they track there car or do extended spirited driving.

I still have drums on the rear as there really isn't a thing wrong with drum brakes until they get hot then they're worthless.

 

Well I got the car completely back together last night and all seemed fine until on my way to work this morning I was decelerating in 4th gear and the transmission is making a grinding sound. Of course nothing can ever go right for me the first time even when I put my faith in a shop to do it right. If I have to drop that damn trans again I'm not going to be happy. This fk'n car is cursed.

 

Rig all set to go to trailer the car to Autocross for the first time and the first event of the season.

 

Well brand new CarQuest axles are no good.