Project Supracharger

Looking at the graph of AF ratios, can you explain how water injection makes a difference. I can only see an impact from water?

If you want technical information of other 'impact' then swat up on "Daltons Law", or simplest way to think of it is; water to cool the charge and methanol to increase fuel octane.

The repair-studs and idler-pulley you've made for me arrived this morning, they're 'little works of art'.

You've been itching to contribute and now you have, with the fastest and hottest parts of the build.

Thank you.

I filed the hole at the back 1mm larger for a little wobble clearance, that's hard steel.

Components pre-assembly;

Pulley, sealed double-race self-aligning bearing, Allen bolt, circlip, shims and washers found and filed to suit.

Assembles to resemble the existing.

It'll be straight swap and centre the pulley onto the belt, yet I've learned not to start tinkering with experimental things at the final hour of daylight, especially when I need to use it in the morning, just in case.

I'll give it a spin after the manifold refit.

I've allowed this self-aligning bearing around 5° leeway between the shimmings, each, any and every which way and I'm optimistic that it'll automatically align the idler-pulley?

The speeds will be far greater than it's spec, but the Peugeot one I'm using now seems happy running 4 times faster than it's rated, so I'll suck it and see.

Look's good, finally glad I could be of service.

Not long till mapping now then. I assume your hoping to use the methanol this time? Second pump needs to be sorted!

I'm not sure how to wire in the second pump to operate in parallel and waiting for an answer on the Aquamist site, yet as soon as I have the info, that's a standing up job I can get at.

The wires are run into place but it's the footwell necktrickery I'm not up to and hoping to find a volunteer?

Other works are awaiting arrival of a new O.E. exhaust-manifold gasket.

The Aquamist answer has been had and the pumps are now wired, just need to decide whether to go with the automatic FiA2 or the mappable MF2 driver?

Now also tooled up with studs and exhaust gaskets and the weather looks to be good for giving my spine some torture this weekend.

I would go with the automatic injector duty flow setup. The aquamist unit isn't the top of its game for nothing!

I've both MF2 and FiA2 drivers to choose from, the MF2 is fully mappable and the FiA2 is fully auto, however, the FiA2 works better with high impedance injectors and I have low.

It's the later model FiA2 I have which has improved low imp response, yet my neck ache tells me it would sooner I made the correct decision the first time.

So I'm waiting for a definitive answer on the Aquamist site.

It's all stripped out and found to be blowing on 1 & 6, also found the centre band of the engine mounting is beginning to fail, so I'll replace that whilst I'm in there.

Have also been busy with the grinder here and there on a few bits and pieces, to make a little more clearance and easier to work on.

I'm surprised by the poor standard of my previous attempt at this job, no doubt due to me being in the Land of Fairies from the amount of Opiates I was popping.

This time it's being done without them which is a painful option that's slowing things down, but it'll be a proper job with belt and braces.

My very own torture chamber, under for neck ache and over for back ache.

I keep swapping between the two and have a cuppa, a fag and a sit down on the bench in the Supercharger Research and Development Workshop.

My new extending 17/19mm wheel wrench was the perfect tool to undo the mounting bolts.

There's one thread I'm not happy with and it took a lot of looking to find a drill stubby enough with a chuck large enough for the 10.8mm bit, that combined would fit into the space between head and wing.

I cut most of the shaft off the bit with the angle grinder and it just fits in.

Bit marked at Mr T's max depth of hole.

Tapered and bottom tapped then reamed in a couple of mm to flush face blank-shoulder of the 12mm end.

Noz's sexy M12 1.25 to M10 1.25 repair stud is the Mutts nutleys.

A good rubbing with wet and dry wrapped around a steel plate to clean and even, especially at the repair, then sliced a chunk out of the centre.

It didn't twist, but closed the gap up a couple of mm?

OE studs removed and replaced with cut off stainless steel bolts,.

These utilise around 5 or 6 mm more of the thread that's available in the hole and they don't have a blind centre that could be thinner than the manifold and now the correct length for the job.

Engine mount replaced and it's bracket modified a little to give clearance for the insulated manifold.

Whilst in there I also swapped in a steering link that was in better order.

O.E. gaskets ready and waiting on the stronger fixings, all perfectly matched to the ports.

A light wipe of HT RTV to the face of the manifold only, then using a screwdriver prised open the new crack to spread it's legs and get it on the studs.

Secured with the special jiggly washered nuts, all Copperslipped-up then each, 1 lb at a time, instead of the stock 28 lbft, torqued them down to 34 ftlb.

Well and truly nailed on with boots, belts and braces, blow now you bar steward!

I'll rewrap the mother of backaches mummy in the morning.

Pictures aren't working mate

Did and done it as I've always been and done it before.

Working for me.

They're not working in I.E. but O.K. in Chrome?

broken in firefox

Links broke on IE

Pictures aren't working for me either, I'm using Google Chrome

I've reloaded the pics in IE and think they're mended.

working for me in chrome

working for me in chrome

I'd loaded them as normal in Chrome, but IE hadn't recognised the links, reloaded in IE and they're mended now, you bad dad!

If it warps again you might consider slitting the manifold. This will allow a lot more movement of the runners without inducing huge forces on the flange and studs. The convex washers are a very good move!

Return of the Mummy.

Using coffee flavoured instead of cornflake gasket this time.

I then got carried away and forgot to take anymore pics.

It's now all back together and on the prowl again.

The new engine mount has cured the cold-start rattle Gremlin.

The steering feels much better with the new shaft and a tweak on the tensioner.

Yet the damn exhaust manifold still has a puff at the back somewhere. Testicles!

This gay Gremlins final showdown will have to wait for another day, I've neither time nor inclination to go through that again before mapping.

Thanks for the input Chris.

Tested the self aligning idler pulley and it failed miserably, spitting the belt off the front before the engine had even fired.

I've realigned the supercharger pulley to the face of the crank pulley, it was only a couple of thou out of line in that plane but now is spot on, I'll check the nose up/down with the top of the block when I change the plugs.

,

If it warps again you might consider slitting the manifold. This will allow a lot more movement of the runners without inducing huge forces on the flange and studs. The convex washers are a very good move!

Zooming in on this pic reveals the cause I didn't spot, the "stainless steel" has rusted away above no 6 and there's not quite enough face for the gasket ring to seal on.

Bin that manifold with extreme prejudice!

The conversion bracketry and induction are custom built around this thing to within a gnats knacker.

It's not my best friend at the moment but I'm pretty sure I'm stuck with this one or a new one the same, or go back to the beginning and start over.

Is a return to a reliable stock exhaust manifold no longer an option then David? I don't think you are doing yourself any favours wrapping it, either.

Not even a stock one will fit in there and the insulation is a necessary component.

After the initial issues, all has been well until I proper clonked the bottom of it down onto a kerb-stone in Dan's car park, which bent the whole thing including my monster bracket, moving the exit flange by around 10 mm and cracking the weld on number 5.

It's tolerating the wrap without complaint and only the face of the flange has oxidized, which is the coolest place on the manifold and would be the same temp there without the wrap.

I've just emailed my trail of disappointments with this bunch of banana's to Autobahn88 HQ in Japan, I wonder how their response will compare with DBA's?

I've yet to see the OBX manifold I recently bought, but the logistics and costs involved to adapt this one to fit, I suspect would weigh more than a new 88?

I'm not up to much today, I've burned too many bridges in my back and need to let it calm down.

I discovered that the ribbed 4" pulley wasn't running true and have swapped it for the previous 4" shoulderless unribbed one which is fine?

I've fine tuned the idler pulley/bracket and it's now running straighter than before and will be even better after I've fine tuned the chargers nose up/down.

Also had a good hunt for the blow and can find no sign of it at the top or end of the manifold, listening through a hose it sounds to be somewhere lower down, underneath/behind? but I'm not grovelling about under there today.

Here's a conundrum for you?

I've found that pinching the closed circuit oil-breather pipe from the valve on the n.s. cover, stops the tickover timing-spike and pressure builds up in the pipe too.

It's plumbed to after t.b. and just before the supercharger where at tickover because the bypass valve is open, the vacuum is the same as after and located there drip lubes the rotors.

What could pinching this pipe effect to stop the mystery timing spike?

Pinching the pipe raises induction vacuum a little and drops the revs a little, but when left alone doesn't seem to be functioning with any stutter that could affect the MAP sensor?

When I pinch this pipe, why doesn't the pressure breath out of the open pipe on the other rocker? (Plumbed to before the t.b. butterfly as stock.)

The T.T. closed-circuit oil-breather valve is plumbed to after the t.b. for tickover vacuum and where it gets boost as well.

Mine is plumbed as N/A, after t.b. always vacuum.

Does the closed-circuit breather-valve work differently on a T.T?

Today I had access to the Workshop and attended to the play in the n.s. rear wheel bearing, it was rolling smoothly and managed to nip the bearing up a bit which has taken out the slack.

Whilst there I had a good look/feel/listen at the manifold from underneath and it's cracked at the back where the rear 3 primaries join the secondary, just below the engine mounting bracket where it can't be got at on.

Gave it a test on the way home and the left-kick traction-loss is now cured, I can write straight number 11's now.