2nd 3.7 Litre 24 Valve Milano Project!

[junglejustice]

So, I sourced some fuel-grade, braided clear flex-tube and installed it between the fuel-cell and the filler-cap! (I had to make the hole in the rear deck-lid area a bit larger to allow more of a natural arc to that filler-neck tube...)

I also R&R'ed the filler-neck on the ATL fuel-cell again and clocked it some more - one hole off from the 180 degree spin I gave it before - so that the opening now points more towards the cap on the "C"-pillar/quarter-panel!

I used some reinforced body-trim rubber to protect the hose from the sheet-metal edges. (I normally hate the stuff on positive radius turns - it always pops off of cars and looks cheap), but on an inside turn or a hole like this, it seems to work pretty well!

I grabbed some T-clamps for both ends and it looks pretty good - can't wait to fill it with 22 gallons of race gas at 6-7-8-9 bucks a gallon!

I made a ground-cable for the battery negative and decided to try mounting it on one of the existing holes from the rear seat-belts (it's right there, already threaded and has a captured nut welded to the under-side of the frame already - should be a good ground in addition to the main ground strap running from the front of the LH head to the hood-latch cross-member, the direct ground running from the GoTech harness to the rear of the RH head and the OEM ground running from the rear of the tail-housing to the frame!)

Any way, it is interesting to note that somewhere around the time that I was still in diapers, the world standardized to a 7/16ths bolt for all seatbelt-mounting-points! IMAGINE THAT! SAE hardware on an Alfa...! Got over that quickly though.

I ran a nice long 7/16ths bolt up from the bottom (had to open up a hole in the frame that we'll weld back up later) and I locked it on the cabin-side with a 7/16ths nut! Slipped my battery-lug over it and locked it with another 7/16ths nut and spring-washer. We'll see...

[junglejustice]

Installed the Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator and VDO gauge. Flipped the bracket upside-down and mounted it straight to the fire-wall without an extra custom bracket (like we did before on Jes' car - we'll change it for him on his 3.7 as well!)

Ran hoses - not just fuel-grade, but pressure-rated EFI fuel-grade hose since we will be running at a constant 3-BAR pressure! Plugged off the vacuum-connector after taking the picture!

At some point I will likely upgrade the entire fuel-supply side of things with stainless-steel braided hoses, aluminium Army-Navy (AN) -connectors, bulk-head fittings (or not) and a continuous run of lines from fuel-rail to AFR to fuel-cell and back to fuel-rail with no breaks or clamps or such! I'll run dual race-pumps, activate dual-pick-ups, run dual coarse-filters (T'ed together with an in-line fine filter) etc etc.

That whole setup is about 1,000 bucks and yet MORE time to wait for parts and to put together and install... Right now, I want to see this thing run while there is something left of the year! Using EFI-rated fuel-grade hose with those trick fuel-clamps that we got, stock fuel-filter and stock fuel pump will have to suffice for now - it worked well on Jes' 3.7 before...!

I am also DONE trying to source an 18mm plug that I can tap or an 18mm to pipe-thread adapter for the Stewart Warner oil-pressure gauge sender (to fit that hole in the main oil-channel on the right hand side of the block...) Stupid SAE crap! Had some help (because I did not want to bollocks a perfectly good Canton aluminium sandwich-plate), but any way - we decided to drill and tap it for 3/8 NPT and called it good.

I bought a 90 degree fitting for the pressure-side of things and connected that end to the SW sender via a stainless steel braided brake hose! The extra 9 inches of line will allow me to mount it remotely too - it's tight on the right-side of the motor with the extractor plate, the alternator, the Accusump oil-lines and that MONSTER header in there...

[junglejustice]

Slooooowwww progress here...

Jumping around a bit - many things left unfinished and it all becomes a bit overwhelming!

Tried to fit the AN to -dash 8 aluminium 90 degree connectors to the ATL fuel-cell today and the one port interferes with the position of the filler neck! (Not too bad - I just had to undo the whole plate again and raise it a bit to screw the 90 AN fitting on and then bolt the filler neck plate back down again!

Went to bend one of the 3/8 steel fuel-lines and it kinked (even with the proper bending tool) - might call in some shop-help on this one...!

Installed the drilled and tapped extractor/oil sandwich-plate, but it interferes more with the alternator than what I recall...? Jes?

Made about THREE different brackets for that stupid SW oil-sender before I came up with something I liked! (I'll post a pic once I bolt it down - sorting the alternator position first!)

Lost my alternator adjustment hardware (during the process of sending the engine back to SA for the big-power rebuild...) Had to make a custom tensioner bracket to mount one of the idlers from a 24 valve aux. setup.

Started running the oil-cooler lines, but with the alternator position not completed, I couldn't finish that either!

One of the guys in the shop told me that it is important with a ribbed serpentine belt to have a spring-loaded idler/tensioner because sometimes the pulleys are out of round, or not installed or drilled centered properly or sometimes the belts have "bumps" in them, so you need the flexible length self-adjusting spring-loaded tensioner...?

Didn't follow advice on this one - I made a solid mount (fixed-adjustment tensioner bracket for it.) I'll post pics later after it's painted and installed!

Got a hold of two flexible exhaust connectors and we welded them to my down-pipes! I had the one end of the pipes "bumped" a bit to slide over the end of my header-collectors on each side. We welded a nut on each collector to match up with the two nuts welded to the sides of the two headers (quick-connect method with nothing but a strong spring - like a drum-brake spring - pulling the two ends in to each-other until the motor heats up and it seals up - good enough for a race car!)

Next up is an X-pipe and a 2-in/2-out center muffler and two side-exiting pipes from there - 2 1/2 inch all of the way from the header collector, to the down-pipes to the X to the muffler to the tips out on the passenger-side!

Started playing with relays and lost a bit of steam there too (have to re-live some ground already covered...)

Hate days like this! Got REAL dirty digging through old hardware and fasteners, but didn't get much done! Doing everything at this stage to avoid the wiring!

[Nikoror]

Quote:

Originally Posted by junglejustice Next up is an X-pipe and a 2-in/2-out center muffler and two side-exiting pipes from there - 2 1/2 inch all of the way from the header collector, to the down-pipes to the X to the muffler to the tips out on the passenger-side!

[junglejustice]

Fit? The pipes don't pass under anything - they're cut to go through the rocker - they come out the side of the Evo rocker panel! Also, they don't go over-and-under - they go side-by-side, so you have the length of the car to fit tips...?)

I dunno about using a "straight-through" with the X in it - they're too loud (if it is the same one I am thinking of) and for performance you want that X as close to the front as possible any way! One has to meet some basic db limits at some tracks!

I would like to save the bucks if I can! I'll look in to it! Part number please?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikoror ...btw 2x2.5" is overkill even for this engine

[Nikoror]

haven't seen a 3.7@8000, but saw what they fitted on the 75 of larini and the exhaust on the 155 v6 ti i don't get what you mean by cutting the rocker panel? cut the evo side skrits? check out the pics of the rice alfa. we may have 170whp, but we have 2x2.5"... very ricey

this is what i am talking about: http://photos-376.ak.facebook.com/ip...03376_9435.jpg
the pipe has to go above the frame rail to gain some reasonable clearance.... unless you plan to do some off-road racing and will change the rsr for some real man shocks (texas style)

[junglejustice]

The cars you referenced are 2.0 and 2.5 litres only... So 2x2.5 is good enough for you and not for me!? They go through the side of the Evo rocker...

Any way - two freaking days on one bracket - this is stupid! (Well, that's what it feels like!) Actually, I maybe only have about 4-5 hours in to it (with everything else I was working on the past two days...)

Got it working now - the esentric/isentric/cecentric-ce-section whatever pulley works well there... Finally! A 36.5 inch belt with 5 ribs lining up between the 3 pulleys!

[junglejustice]

...electrical...:mad :

Worst part of this whole thing....

I mean; some here may say that electrical is "pretty basic" - sure - if you are an electrical engineer, or if you have done it before...) Even for me now - I learned so much during this whole process (a ****ing relay used to intimidate me...)

And even then - between the instructions/diagrams for Stewart Warner and the diagrams for Innovate, the instructions from Painless (GM-based) and then also trying to apply sound wiring methodologies, keeping some of the OEM functions in mind (and with input from others around the shop who have their own simplistic ways of explaining things), trust me - it is a pain in the arse!

The kill-switch on it's own - fine - done. A relay on it's own - no problem. Then you try to relay-interrupt the line between the switch and the ECU, still keep a nice ignition-on function, as well as the proper elimination of "run-on" (discussed earlier) and all of a sudden neither the standard wiring for the switch (stand-alone) or for standard relay (stand-alone), applies - you require jumpers to the kill-switch (unexpected) and some additional ignition sources not detailed anywhere...

Any way - selected little green "condoms" for the back-lighting of all the gauges (so that any red warning lights would be more prominent.)

One also has to remember to ground the fuel-tank and the fuel-filler neck! (The levels of the plates on the top of the tank are insulated, so you have to ground each one!) Static electricity can build up and ignite vapors...

[junglejustice]

On a happier note; I did pour 5 gallons of 113 Octane in it yesterday! (4 actually - forgot to remove the rubber cap from the ATL Fuel cell breather )

Stay tuned (as they say...) No pun intended.

A local Alfa-club buddy stopped by (I've posted pictures of this special one-off body-kit once before...) Like it or no - the work was done FIRST-class! Jes - recognize the driver seat!? (Brad is a wood-worker/cabinet/fiber-glass/carbon-fiber boat-builder handy-type of guy and did a custom-widening of the driver seat, ordered fabric from England and tailor-made the covers!)

The matching passenger seat is not completed yet. What I like about it is that it is NOT just bling-**** haphazardly attached to the car. Custom pedals done right, blue Alcanterra suede stitched in to the door panels with a matching shift-boot, nice stereo, lightweight Team Dynamics 17" wheels etc. The car is VERY well maintained (brand new rebuilt 2.5 litre motor, brakes done, suspension done etc etc.)

It's nice to see an Alfa-owner maintain an Alfa and spend money customizing where others may have discarded or skimped on the basic maintenance in favour of shiny crap!

[junglejustice]

One job that I have been dreading was the fuel-lines!

1) I had never done tube-bending before.
2) If it was going to get done, I was going to need help, but the shop has been REAL busy as of late!
3) Budget is running REAL tight!
4) Can't fire the motor without this step...

What to do-what to do...?

Borrowed the bending tool, ordered the tube to be delivered and got to work.

Pain in the proverbial arse! (Not as bad as the wiring though. ) It' just real hard to get the angles right and the tool has it's limitations when it comes to changing direction (like and "S") within a very short distance! In and out, in and out.

[junglejustice]

In retrospect, the 1,000 bucks or so for stainless-steel braided EFI fuel-hose, fittings, pumps and filters is starting to look pretty good right about now! There is the cutting, bending and flaring of the steel lines (Off-set the cost of the braided hose and connectors, against the 2-3 bucks a foot of the 3/8 steel lines with the extra work...?)

Then again, taping the braided ends and cutting with a die-grinder and installing the A/N fittings all takes time too! (I've done it with oil-cooler lines...)

The back of the motor was a real PIA as well; consider doing this all with the motor out! (Also, in some areas where a single long section requires many bends to pass through a tight space, at some point all of the bends in a single section won't clear the area or clear the motor anymore! Crap - split it and add a joint!

I'm pretty happy. Cutting and flaring is simple - just time-consuming! (Also, a shot of the OBGYN bending-tool...) There's going to be some diamond-plate or something at the passenger's feet protecting the tubing etc.

[Rookie ROX]

JJ - What Innovate part/s are you using? I don't recall you ever mentioning it previously (or at least a search says so! :P)

That kit on the other car looks fantastic though, as does the whole car itself. It's uncanny that it's so similar to what I've been thinking of doing to my own car...

All those hours of frustration and just contributing to the few hours less till you can get it running!

ROCK ON
R~R

[junglejustice]

He really did do a nice job, hey...! (He took an after-market fiberglass body kit for a VW Jetta III, cut it down the middle and narrowed it!) He blended and custom-fitted the rest of it until it was all done!

As far as the air/fuel-ratio meter; we (Group 2), myself and Dawie (our engine builder and friend down in SA) have all been using the Innovate LM1 system for a number of years now! Little over 500 bucks and it works GREAT for tuning!

Well, they also sell a smaller version (only difference is that it does not data-log like the LM1) but it still provides direct input via a wide-band 5-wire lambda-sensor in the exhaust and displays the AFR on that nice digital gauge (on the far-right of my dash - the 4-cluster section on the right, where the OEM "ARC" used to reside...)

[jack_linguini]

Yeah. Brad's Milano is sweet. When I was at G2 for the tech session during the
Seattle ALFA potlatch, I salivated on that bumper.

[Rookie ROX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by junglejustice As far as the air/fuel-ratio meter; we (Group 2), myself and Dawie (our engine builder and friend down in SA) have all been using the Innovate LM1 system for a number of years now! Little over 500 bucks and it works GREAT for tuning!