My *resurrected* KA-T

[MarkEmark]

It's been a while since I've given y'all an update...been busy with the end-of-the-semester crunch...

I apologize for the formatting of the text in this post; some of the pictures I used were ridiculously large...

Back at the end of summer, in the depths of my despondency, I wasn't even sure if I'd keep the car after it blew up after only 1000 miles on the freshly built, $3700 engine...

But I decided to keep it...she's my first and only car and I will have had her for 4 years this coming July.

So over Christmas break, I dropped off a spare block I got off of Foster (fiznat) at Precision Automotive in Simsbury...block got bored .020 over, surfaced, all that jazz, and rebuilt this time with CROWER forged connecting rods, not the crappy stock rods that apparently couldn't handle 16 psi from a small T3 @ 3krpm in 5th gear...

Anyway, the engine was ready by the time I got back for my spring break (March 10th)...so all that week, my dad and I were in the garage putting the engine back together/back in (I had the engine built only as a short-block). We had an uncharacteristically nice saturday (temps were 62 degrees in CT!!) so we were able to do it outside and benefit from natural sunlight.

While we were at it, my dad and I decided to move the oil cooler (for some reason I'm the only one I know who's actually running an oil cooler) from the front of the bumper, where it was wedged between the intercooler and AC condenser, to the passenger side of the bumper, where conveniently there was a huge air inlet. The oil cooler previously had been plumbed with just regular high temp, high pressure rubber oil lines and nipple fittings, but my dad said it was a failure waiting to happen and absorbed the (rather expensive) cost of upgrading the oil cooler lines to aeroquip, as well as the turbo drain line. Got a new sandwich adaptor plate (that fits in between the block and oil filter) that has an integrated thermostat from Mocal, with -10 banjo fittings already installed-before I was running a remote thermostat, which worked fine, but which also added a lot of unnecessary lines.

Also decided to FINALLY upgrade my T3 super 60, a turbo that wasn't exactly super (for my wants). If any of you remember, I praised this turbo for it's unbelievably quick throttle response and complete lack of lag, but lamented the boost drop-off and power waning past 5000 rpm. So I picked up another T3 super 60, brand new, internally wastegated still (yeah yeah, never got around to switching to external...too expensive, too complicated, yadda yadda yadda).

My old Super 60 had a .48 a/r stage 1 exhaust turbine and .60 a/r compressor, 60 trim. The NEW turbo is a .63 a/r, stage III turbine, 360 degree thrust bearing, 60 trim compressor, .60 a/r compressor. Got it brand new, including the external wastegate, from http://www.mjmturbo.com for $500. This was not an off the shelf unit either-the guy I got it from had it custom made with the *strange* internal wastegate discharge assembly so I wouldn't need to re-do the downpipe. MJM turbo happens to only be about 20 minutes from my house as well; the guy was very nice about it all (he just owns a warehouse, he doesn't actually have a sales shop) and very helpful...incidentally, he went to MIT and owns both a skyline GT-R and a twin turbo lotus esprit v8 (he's pretty talkative!). This new turbo is quite a bit larger than the old one...here are some quick measurements of the outer diameter of the wheels:

Exh - Old=49.75mm, New=56.25mmComp - Old=52mm, New=60 mm

We were just able to get the car up and running before my break ended, and I was only able to take it out for a short ride because of the notoriously stubborn KA cooling system, which requires many short rides, massaging the upper radiator hose, unscrewing the bleed screw, scalding yourself, etc.

While I'm down here in school in Chapel Hill, NC, my dad's been breaking the engine in up North, and has already put 500 miles on it (we followed the gentle, ease-into-it break in method because that's how I broke the old engine in before, and after it blew up and we disassembled the engine, everything seemed to have broken in VERY well).

I won't be back home until about May 10th, so I can only experience the excitement of a revived KA-T vicariously through my dad's frequent "update" emails.

The car also needs to be brought through emissions (because, despite having OBD II, since the car's a '95, it needs to pass the sniffer...). It already passed once turbocharged with 370 cc injectors/JWT ECU, so hopefully it can pass again, despite having even larger injectors, a different MAFS, etc.

Anyway, here's a quick specification list (just the engine/ancillaries):

-forged wiseco pistons and rings, moly coated skirts, .020 over, 9:1 CR-forged Crower connecting rods-PDM stage II camshafts/shims-All new valve train (stock)-1 mm oversized Ferrea "super alloy" intake and exhaust valves-3 angle competition valve job-Cometic MLS head gasket-ARP head and main studs-Clevite main and rod bearings-new water pump, oil pump, timing chains, tensioners, guides, etc-JGS style log manifold, ceramic coated, flange cut between individual runners to prevent cracking, heavily ported by yours truly-2.5 inch mandrel bent steel downpipe w/flex pipe and a magnaflow glasspack!-2.5 inch mandrel bent stainless steel turbo inlet -JGS tools 26 inch x 8 inch x 3 inch tube and fin aluminum intercooler -2 inch aluminum hot-side piping, mandrel-bent -2.5 inch aluminum cold-side piping, mandrel-bent -Multi-ply high temp, high pressure silicone and stainless clamps used throughout -K&N cone air filter -Alcohol injection programmed to come on at 6.75 psi -Northern Tools and Equipment 1.0 gpm alcohol injection pump -Callaway turbo alcohol injection nozzle -Walbro 255 lph high-pressure fuel pump -MSD top-feed saturated 50 lb/hr (525 cc/min) fuel injectors, balanced and blueprinted -Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator (34 psi @ idle) -JWT Turbo ECU, for MSD 50 lb fuel injectors and Cobra MAFS -Aurora 8.5mm plug wires -NGK Iridium IX spark plugs (BKR7EIX-11) -Front-mount oil cooler, -10 aeroquip fittings, mocal thermostat-Koyo 2.1 inch all-aluminum polished radiator -Turbo XS Engineering bypass valve -Ford Cobra MAFS (1993). 3.5 inch inlet, 3 inch outlet -Phat KA-T billet aluminum top-feed fuel rail, 3/8" NPT, with Pegasus Auto Racing fittings

I'm only aiming for around 300 whp @ 14 psi or so (I don't need anymore, nor do I want to take any chances with more).

Anyway, onto some pictures!

Side view of the oil cooler w/o bumper:



Three large openings in the nismo bumper; all functional: one for the cold air intake, one for the intercooler, one for the oil cooler...my dad says the oil cooler almost works *too* well...water temp never gets above 180 (and this is just a standard 50/50 antifreeze/water mix), and that when he drained the oil after an 80 mile ride, it "didn't even burn my hands"



Pic of the Mocal sandwich plate adaptor/thermostat, without oil filter on:



Pic of the oil cooler/fittings, as well as the fine stainless steel mesh screen over the oil cooler...



This is a terrible picture of test-fitting the bumper with the oil cooler mounted, but you get the idea how it completely covers the opening:



This is an older pic of the car w/o the oil cooler on it, but it shows the three huge air inlets of the bumper that are now all functional:







Next on the modification list: an electrically controlled exhaust bypass valve, similar to the one I posted a while ago made by ATP, but this one is electrically, not boost, controlled, and is also $80 cheaper ($199)...This will allow me to run quietly, cleanly, and emissions friendly around town, and then run like a bat out of hell with all the benefits of running just a downpipe when I get into the twisties in the mountains...



That's it for now!
Modified by MarkEmark at 7:26 AM 4/10/2006

[S14tat]

that setup looks very very nice, i always wanted to run a oil cooler but i never got a chance to do it. where did you tap the oil from? did you just intercept the feed line to the turbo?

also i am also considering the exhuast cut out. i can't seem to find anyone who runs one. so i would definitly like to get some feedback on how well it seals and everything.

edit: just saw yoru sandwich adapter. hmmm looks easy as hell to do, how much did that whole setup cost you?

[wild_maxx]

AWSOME D00D!!!

I am glad you kept your car because it is absolutely beautiful! The new setup looks good... and now if you ever want to boost say... 25-30 psi... you have the built motor to do it.

one question.... how the hell do you afford all this nice stuff while your a college student?

[fiznat]

Dude thats freakin awesome! I knew you were going to do somethin sweet with that block-- and there it is. I kinda miss it, now haha

When I get around to rebuilding this car, I'd really like to do something very similar to what you've got. Maybe one of these days you can take me for a ride

[david200095367]

i love the oil cooler. i want one too, where did u pick it up?

[Tictakman]

hey bud i just put a 3inch cutout on my 240, its awesome. im not runnin a ka anymore but an rb. i can send some pics/vids of it if ya want.

[email protected]

Zak

[S14tat]

yeah if you could send me pics and videos that would be great. my e mail is [email protected]

the reason why i didn't do this was because i've heard that it doesnt' seal right. how well does it seal and how is the reliability?

[MarkEmark]

I'd like some videos too...email: [email protected]

I'm sure they valves seal pretty well; the one I have in the link has a 4 year warranty. And if it does begin to leak, it'd only be a TINY leak such that you probably wouldn't even hear it (if you go to that site and watch the video, you can hear how it sounds fully opened, partially opened, etc...)

The oil cooler is a "tru-cool" oil cooler--it was, i believe, the cheapest part of the whole set up! I forget exactly where I got it from but it was very reasonably priced-apparently they're used by top Nascar teams because they're cheap and reliable....mine is around 11" x 6" x 1.5"

The oil cooler set up can be done for relatively cheap if you don't mind rubber oil lines/nipple fittings...which worked fine for me for almost 2 years..i think in my old set up, the sandwich adaptor was somewhere around $50, so was the thermostat, oil cooler was around $50, lines and fittings were maybe $25 or so (btw, I still have all the oil lines I used, as well as the sandwich adaptor, thermostat, and all associated nipples, if anyone's interested in buying)...

But in the new setup, the sandwich adaptor/thermostat cost me quite a bit because of the -10 aeroquip banjo fittings...i ordered it directly from mocal and it was like $150 or so...you can get them w/o the banjo fittings for cheaper though, but clearance was an issue for me and therefore necessitated the use of banjo fittings...all aeroquip fittings are pretty ridiculously overpriced, but they are the best, and you know they'll never fail.

As far as being able to afford this being in college, as I said, I'm lucky to have a dad who's just as (if not more so) into cars than I am...it was his idea to to re-do the lines in aeroquip, and he said he'd pick up the tab because he didn't want to see the rubber lines ever fail and cause catastrophic engine damage, so he did. As far as affording the other stuff, I was very lucky this Christmas...my grandfather, who usually gives each of his grandchildren maybe $100, is getting pretty old...so in the case of needing to go to a nursing home or something like that, if he had any unused money, the state pays for nursing home care with that money--if he doesnt have that money, however, then the state pays for the care itself, hence, he was trying to get rid of his money before it was too late...again, i'm extremely fortunate to have a really generous grandfather...incidentally, he's by no means wealthy, and is from a very humble background. Needless to say, the check for $2000 greatly helped with financing all of this stuff...I would have loved to have kept that money and invested it or something, but I needed a running car!

[S14tat]

so with the setup that you have left over, all i need to buy is the oil cooler? if you can link me to which oil cooler i need, and that i will have no clearance issue with the oil filter by using htat sandwich adapter, i'm definitly down for buyin that oil cooler hardware off you.

[MarkEmark]

so with the setup that you have left over, all i need to buy is the oil cooler? if you can link me to which oil cooler i need, and that i will have no clearance issue with the oil filter by using htat sandwich adapter, i'm definitly down for buyin that oil cooler hardware off you.

correct...please email me about this (or give me your email address) instead of getting off-topic!!

[email protected]

[hannibal]

Say it with me now; Crower! j/k

Looks great Marc! Congrats on your return to boost.

[Tictakman]

vid sent, lemme know if u want a better one..

Zak

[klattr1]

congrats on new setup...

thats good that your dad supports your hobby. about 90% of the time that Ive worked on my car, my dad would come out and say "god, what are you doin now?"

[Xedendau]

"[email protected]"

Whoa, you go to UNC? Me too! How come I've never your car before (I know the car has been down for a while).If you have your car down here, could I check it out?

I know I don't post here often, but I usually just e-lurk..haha..back to the story of your ressurected KA-T.

[MarkEmark]

"[email protected]"

Whoa, you go to UNC? Me too! How come I've never your car before (I know the car has been down for a while).If you have your car down here, could I check it out?

I know I don't post here often, but I usually just e-lurk..haha..back to the story of your ressurected KA-T.

haha yeah I go to UNC-Chapel Hill...car's not down here (I live in CT) because it blew up in the middle of August...not sure I'll take it down here next year because I'm living at those new apartments and they only have parking in a remote lot...a lot of my friends have cars, and I live in granville right now (yeah it sucks) so i've never really needed a car due to the excellent location....but i don't like keeping the car in a parking lot anyhow; she's used to being garaged

I know someone else on the boards said he frequently cruises on franklin street in a black s14?!? I've yet to see it though; in fact, i've only seen like 2 s14s and 2 s13s here since being here...

[virus77]

Looking good man, I hope everything goes better for you this time around.

[MarkEmark]

Thanks for all the positive feedback guys...

Dad told me today that he's averaging 28 mpg (!!!!!), in stop-and-go, around-town driving...that's pretty insane from a JWT ecu (notoriously rich), 50 lb/hr fuel injectors, and a pretty large turbo...

He's got 920 miles on it so far...I'm pretty pissed I'm not flying home this weekend for Easter, but it's kind of expensive (and a hassle) to fly to CT just for 3 days...

He's also taking it through emissions soon, and in CT, it needs to pass the sniffer under load (2750 rpm or so)...He put a 250 ohm resistor in the IAT sensor to trick the MAFS into thinking the air is hotter (thus requiring less fuel) to take it through emissions...and is going to bump the fuel pressure down a few more psi, and retard the timing quite a bit...gas up in CT is already 10% ethanol so he's hesitant to use methanol like we did 2 years ago when we got it tested. The EGR system is completely there and functional though, along nwith a high-flow cat, so I'm hoping it passes (also, now that the car is 2 years older, they give you higher limits on noxious emissions).

Only real problem with the car right now is that it's running TOO cool...173 degrees...partly due to the fact that the oil cooler is now right up front and apparently does a damn good job of keeping things cool; that, and I have a 2.1" thick all aluminum koyo radiator and mechanical fan still in place...

The thermostat is new too; I replaced it about 2000 miles ago with one straight from the Nissan dealership--perhaps they made a mistake and gave me a different temperature one? Wouldn't surprise me, as some of the people working there don't really know what the hell they're doing. I don't recall the rating on the thermostat though

I'll keep ya posted if it passes emissions...

[MarkEmark]

UPDATE: Car passed sniffer-emissions in Connecticut! Second time my KA-T has passed in CT...

Not bad considering i'm running fuel injectors that flow twice as much as stock, have a completely different ford Cobra MAFS, JWT ECU, and an engine that is very far from stock....

Here's some of the technical info:

CT emissions test done by Agbar Technologies using the ASM 25/25 procedure.All fuel used in tests from Longmeadow Sunoco - 93 octane.Limits: HC: 125, CO: 0.67, Nox: 1458

Initial test 2004 when MA was using MTBE gas (370 cc injectors, JWT ECU):HC 83, CO 0.43, Nox 1927 - Fail

Retest after lowering Fuel pressure from 34 to 29 psi, adding 10% methanolto fuel, retard timing 10 degrees:

HC 47, CO 0.32, Nox 1454 - Pass

Initial test 2006 (MSD 50 lb/hur fuel injectors, Ford COBRA MAFS, JWT ECU), MA not using MTBE gas anymore, now have a 10% ethanol mix, fuel pressure @25 psi, timing retarded ~5 degrees:

HC 37, CO 0.36, Nox 1695 - Fail - OAT 72 degrees, no fan supplied for thedyno test, but they're required to at 72 degress and above-this caused the engine to run very hot, increasing NOx.

Retest after setting fuel pressure to 31 psi, timing retarded 10 degrees, 10% methanol, hot wiring electric fan (to make sure it's always running), OAT 58 degrees:

HC 66, CO 0.50, Nox 1453 - Pass

Again, the car just passed by the skin of its teeth for NOx (5 parts per million from the limit).

Still, for how modified/fast this car is, passing sniffer emissions in CT is pretty impressive...

[MarkEmark]

Ordered the electric exhaust cut-out from Jegs...$199, lifetime guarantee.

Was planning on installing it when I got home, but it arrived at my house today, and my dad already installed the switch. He just can't keep his hands off my car



It's the top right switch, above the dummy switch.

Looks pretty trick and stock.

"What does that switch do?"

"Oh, that switch? Umm...you don't want to know"

[Surewin]

I'm confused, why is the compressor wheel on your new turbo larger? If both compressors are 60 trim T3.

How much boost were you running on your old turbo? I'm considering a T3 super 60 set-up, but if the turbo is just making hot air above 5K I'll look into something else.

[Craving4Boost]

that's some dad you got there...my dad likes to remind me everyday how my car is a "peice of sh*t"

[GEO]

^^^ The same.... "Its a piece of ****, your turned it into a Hot Rod" haha I always LOL

[S14tat]

wow thats cutting it really close in the sniffer. i gotta go back to get inspected in CT next year too. when i took the test last time, i barely passed the NoX but i'm running no EGR. you know whats interesting though?

lower timing causes higher EGT temp. wouldn't it be wiser to turn up timing for the test?

[nismofly]

hey thats right you still have to get emissions for a few more years...im glad im exempt

MarkEmark one of these days either youll have to come up for a meet/track day or ill go down there for a meet...ive seen you mention the area im from a number of times so im sure meeting up would be fairly easy as long as your home at the time...but id love to see your car, ive always loved how clean and thorough it is

[MarkEmark]

wow thats cutting it really close in the sniffer. i gotta go back to get inspected in CT next year too. when i took the test last time, i barely passed the NoX but i'm running no EGR. you know whats interesting though?

lower timing causes higher EGT temp. wouldn't it be wiser to turn up timing for the test?

I was talkin to my dad about this when I saw your post...

Retarding the timing does increase the exhaust temp but that's not whatcauses Nox. Nox is caused by high combustion temps in the cylinder, whichis lowered by retarding the timing which drops the maximum cylinder pressure due to lighting off the charge later on the compression stroke, or as the piston is moving down. If it's too retarded it will still be burning as itexits the exhaust valve.

Nismofly: I'm planning on visiting a buddy of mine who goes to Union College in Schenectady, NY when I get back from school (may12 or so) How far is 'cuse from there? Schenectady is a little under 2.5 hours or so for me.

Surewin: You're right, I'm not sure how it is that it has the super 60 trim yet is larger than my other super 60 trim turbo. I'm just assuming that since the compressor housing is larger on this one, to keep the same .60 a/r ratio on the cold side (I know a/r is completely different from trim), the wheel needs to be bigger. I assume the "sixty" trim comes in different sizes.

[S14tat]

ah i was wondering if high cylinder temp = to higher EGT. apparently they're not and it makes sense. so when its my turn to get smogged, i won't turn the timing up.

[nismofly]

Nismofly: I'm planning on visiting a buddy of mine who goes to Union College in Schenectady, NY when I get back from school (may12 or so) How far is 'cuse from there? Schenectady is a little under 2.5 hours or so for me.

youve still got close to 2 hours from there

but like i said, i dont know exactly where you are, but ive seen you mention simsbury and a couple other places i recognize

im from just outside hartford, windsor actually (i lived 2 mins from bradley airport)

ill be down there visiting for sure at least once this summer, and ill probably be hitting up lime rock once or twice, so itd probably be easier for me to come to you than for you to come to syracuse

[MarkEmark]

youve still got close to 2 hours from there

but like i said, i dont know exactly where you are, but ive seen you mention simsbury and a couple other places i recognize

im from just outside hartford, windsor actually (i lived 2 mins from bradley airport)

ill be down there visiting for sure at least once this summer, and ill probably be hitting up lime rock once or twice, so itd probably be easier for me to come to you than for you to come to syracuse

I'm only 25 min from Hartford and Windsor...(Somers)

I'm definitely hitting up lime rock this summer too...love going there...beautiful drive out too!

[MarkEmark]

Here's a picture of the electronic exhaust cut-out, installed...opens and closes in 2.5 seconds from a switch in the cabin....pretty trick.

[Craving4Boost]

i have the ATP cut out. i really hate the T pipe they give me..i like the Y pipe that qtp gives a lot better for your electric cut out. what size exhaust are you running when the cut out is closed? get some dynos on that