For some of you that don't know me well, I'm BillBoost and I have a tumor. My tumor is called modding. Frequently I try and test things that others say can't be done. The car has many mods on it and is nearly done getting the latest mod. An intercooler and wiring harness/pcm change to 1999.
Pre intercooler engine mods:
Intense-Racing S1X cam
105# springs
SLP Headers (Required modifing front trans mount)
Gen V M90 supercharger
Northstar TB
GM LQ4 Maf sensor
Intense FWI intake
Mezier electric water pump
2000 alternator, tensioner bracket and ps pump bracket
PRG fuel rails with gauge
42.5lbs injectors
Being that an intercooler will allow you to run a smaller pulley than the nosedrive can accept (2.8"). I acquired a snout turn down tool and performed the turn down on the car before taking it apart. This project happened over two to three weeks you will notice that in the pics there are some changes and differences that I don't really mention.
2.7 fitting like a champ.
Turndown tool
Work beginning
The alternator positive post would hit the supercharger once the charger is 2" higher on the Wbody store intercooler. I needed to talk to a guy that runs an alternator rebuilding shop.
Being in New England aluminum corrodes quickly. I aimed for a good looking coating and hoped it wouldn't slow heat dissapation too badly. Krylon Wrinkle paint was chosen for it's texture. Due to cost, I chose this over a true thermal coating that claims true heat disipation. Please note that while Krylon claims no cooling properties some have noticed temps to decrease quickly. This aided in the decision to use the Krylon over the expensive one.
The ported lower intake manifold is swapped onto the engine. The size of this hole was determined by the core that partially sits into the lower intake manifold.
The intercooler sitting in place. Overall I used the paint on the supercharger, intercooler and lower intake manifold.
Charger in place for test fitting.
Here we see inside the supercharger inlet where I filled and smoothed EGR port. You can not run an EGR with an intercooler. The fins will fill up with carbon etc from the exhaust and ruin the intercooler.
Got an answer from the alternator rebuild guy that this one can't be spun to move the positive cable. However he pointed out that once I had removed the plastic cap on the back that the cable attaches it has a post/spacer. Cut the spacer and post clean and reduce how far it sticks out. Simple, effective and works like a charm.
Needed to figure out the routing of the hoses since they come off the intercooler on the passenger side aiming straight at the overflow jug. Pulley and belt on charger to give me an idea of about where it will sit.
Seems like this is the land of a million test fittings.
Pulled the rear rail to route plug wires and decided the 1999 wiring harness was going on tonight
Test fit #325, not fully happy with the routing of the harness under the charger.
We are looking at the BCS and injector #5 connectors. A little on the short side.
Cut the injector connector off, added wire via solder and heat shrink. It's time to measure how long they need to be, solder and heat shrink the other end.
Twist in line, heat with soldering gun (Weller 140/100 which will solder in high wind :Thumbs )
Slide the heat shrink tubing up
Use the overkill heat gun to shrink the tubing
Added loom to the bcs and temp sender wiring, test fit #326
Had a double connector here from the electric water pump turn on wire. Decided it was messy and a quick dab of solder would do the trick and leave one connector. As things have it..I would remove that one wire later.
Test fit #327, decided the wiring would fit nice around the T stat housing. Now which way will this fuel line fit?
Most likely over the charger
Happy with everything for fitment and location. Time to put on the cooler. Used some gasket maker where the pressure would be greatest. Below the gasket, on top of the gasket.
Put the cooler onto that sandwich and added gasket maker to it. Preparing for the next gasket. I made my own gaskets from standard paper gasket material.
Laid top gasket on cooler
Somehow the camera ended up on a poor setting. Gasket maker on top of gasket and added the hoses to the cooler.
Dropped charger on and bolted it down. Didn't notice camera issue yet. :D
Ok, something is up with the camera, camera man is becoming aware...
Getting better by steadying off the battery.
Found the setting. Let's get rolling with pics now. All the bolts on the charger housing look the same.
A little gasket maker is visible under the charger. The left or back cooler outlet is up against the bolt, leaving no way to support the nosedrive. Luckily it rests a good amount on the cooler and I have little worry.
Overall pictures at that point.
Here I forgot about pics and mounted the supply fuel line, map sensor rail and determined the bracket from SC to alt bracket works fine if you enlarge the alternator bolt hole in the bracket. Load the evap soleniod onto it and snap pic.
Things are painfully slow while making tons of trips to the store as my mind and plan keeps changing. Overall I'm happy at this point except that my buddy and I didn't get any maxifuse relays (stock relays) for this project. Which put the wiring at a temporary stand still until the next weekend when I could go to the junkyard again.
Need a place to exit the engine bay behind the bumper. Found this hole behind the battery.
With the hoses coming through that hole, I have concerns of them getting rubbed and chaffed. Not wanting to spring a leak, let's add some 1" hose as a buffer over the 5/8" hose from the core.
Battery out to illustrate the location. Upon seeing the hole, the thought of clean and tidy was in place.
Battery back in. Hoses held together and routed nicely. Thinking the overflow could become a resivour for the intercooler. Hmmmm
Adding the heat exchanger, bolting it to the lower radiator support
That tab needs to be cut.
Top brackets
There is actually clearance to the headlight bracket. Not the best pic of it.
Pump with brackets and flow detect kit attached
Bumper cover back near car for placement and test fitting. It's nice that I didn't care about the paint on it at this point.
And on
With pump bolted in place, I twisted the brackets to get it turned for maximum clearance and best overall placement.
And naked again. The line going up into the fender is the supply. The return line is tied to the bumper and will route to the top of the heat exchanger.
Neatness counts for a lot. Factory looking mods are my favorites, or mods most follks wouldn't be able to notice because they look like factory.
Wiring to the intercooler and flow detector.
Tucked away
Typical 96-99 SSEi should have two relays on the passenger side of the maxifuse center. AC and I forget. There are now four in my case. IC, Elec WP, AC and I forget.
Instead of having two spare fuses in the fuse block, all the spaces are taken. Both pumps suggested 20 amp fuses. Upon removing their inline fuse holders, they were routed through the factory maxifuse center for individual fusing.
Intercooler 20 amp fuse (Replaces spare fuse location)
Intercooler high power relay (previously an empty location)
Electric water pump fuse (Replaced spare fuse location)
Electric water pump high power relay (previously empty location)
Used the coolant bottle as a resivour (sp) for the intercooler and the highest spot makes this ideal for burping air out of the system.
It needs a new coolant container and some slight revisions, works great though.
Only one or two hints if you look deep that the wiring isn't from the factory.
Fresh electrical tape gives me away
Worlds funniest vids have nothing on me. Fairly unprepared. At the opening of the vid please notice the red light, this is part of the flow detect kit that I was able to locate. It's purpose is red = no flow to IC, green = you have flow. The sounds you will hear are the pump starting (light flips to green) and the coolant moving around in the res tank. The input is aimed toward the top of the tank (poor design, will be revised) and there is quiet a lot of flow from the pump (20 gpm). Note to viewers, only reason I wasn't jabbering in the vid is because my buddy was still sleeping and after painting the bumper and helping until 2am.
Looks like it's grinning doesn't it?
Newly painted bumper by Pete
What's the round thing on the car...a tire?? That thing seemed optional since the car was on jackstands for two weeks or more.
For the time it's back on it's feet. Intercooler res developed a leak. Somehow it's not a surprise as I overshot the size of one hole with a step drill and tried to goop it as a temp fix until I can pick up another.
Side note: 1999 and 1997 pcm's have some differences. I originally moved all the changed items from the 97 programming into the 99 and it would run for 5 seconds, and start sputtering and dying out when the icm handed the engine off to the pcm. Ken (99 ssei) had a TM issue and mentioned it which later led to me putting a stock 99 SSEi bin (tune) into the pcm. Presto the car runs after the hand off. I'll load the changes nearly one by one to see which one causes the running issues, then document it.