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04-17-2014, 03:21 PM
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#16
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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No problem! I'm just glad we sorted it out. I did however edited some of my posts, because all three were added now.
To be continued...
'talla
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04-21-2014, 06:28 AM
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#17
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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Moving on...
Both my Bella's together
Since my car didn't leave the factory with a CD-changer and amplifier, I had bought a second hand one
I've also added new floor mats
Then, I've decided I wanted a "Dukes of Hazzard" style horn, so I got one
Mounted
I've also added a bit more undercoating protection on the inner wings. These cars have no rust, because they are zinc coated at the factory, but I wanted to keep it rust-free for years to come...
Before...
After...
And a pic of our custom made exhaust. Downpipe is shortened a bit, so it had enough clearance with the bell housing
Removed pre cat
Removed main cat, with only a straight 3" pipe going through it
Mid silencer replaced with a home-made "S" pipe
And at the back, we couldn't get a 3" pipe to fit through and over the back cross-member. So I had a 2,25" stock pipe just before the backbox
At the back I have an original Supersprint backbox. Although it is for the 164 model, we have modified the inlet, so it would fit on a 166
And front connecting pipes to the turbocharger
Barely any space between the connection from the 1-2-3 exhaust manifold to the turbo, and downpipe
As for the interior. Color change from beige to grey was finally done, apart from that odd shape at the middle of the dash. That is a part of the dash, so it cannot be removed. I plan on putting some black vinyl on it in the near future, just so it doesn't stand out so much as with being beige in color
To be continued...
'talla
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04-21-2014, 11:21 AM
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#18
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Regular User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16
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Really nice to finally see the pics! I don't think they made it for the German market, but we got them, and pretty much all of them over here are rubbish by now due to hard driving and seriously poor maintenance - btw big hello from Belgrade Love the car, and the effort that has been put into keeping it on the road! How does it drive now?
It would also be nice to see that Trabant, it just seems wicked! You have to open a dedicated thread!
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04-29-2014, 05:16 AM
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#19
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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Cheers!
I will open a thread for the Trabant in due time, don't worry.
It drives really nice. The suspension on the car is superb. It might be overkill when you think about it - three control arms on each corner, but it sure makes the ride enjoyable.
So, next I had to replace my emblems. Of course, OEM ones are way to expensive for a piece of plastic, so I got an alternative. Stickers might look cheap, but these are in fact of high quality and properly thick. Best 10€ I've spend on the car so far
Installed
Then the oxygen sensor was replaced out of precaution, not necessity
Manual boost controller was next
Then I got a wideband oxygen sensor as well, so I could see what the engine is doing
Once I was going crazy with replacing electrical parts, sensors exc. I had to get an insert for the MAF, and also a crankshaft sensor. I know from experience that on Alfa's, faulty sensor can make you go mad trying to diagnose a problem. So I've decided to replace practically all the sensors on the car with new ones just to be on the safe side, and also for tuning purposes...
This car's engine is very quiet. The Italians made sure of that, since it was suppose to be a luxury cruiser. I don't like quiet. So going in that direction, the resonator chamber in the intake was blocked off
Next I replaced the gasket for the windscreen wiper cover, and the windscreen washer fluid hoses
Then I got connectors for the injectors. I was being methodical with the electrics - once you own an Alfa, you understand why
Next was the front speaker system which got uprated
Since I had a FMIC on both of my previous cars, I've decided to go down a different route on this car. I've decided to use a chargecooler system. So first item to get was a CC. 3" inlet / outlet
Difference between stock and 3" intake
Since this car does not have an oil pressure gauge, nor an oil pressure sensor, an universal one was installed. Some modification was needed of course, to get the sensor installed in the head, where the turbo gets it oil feed
Next on the list, was a bigger throttle body. Since my car uses a fly-by-wire TB, I basically had two options:
- A Ferrari 360 TB
- A Porsche Cayenne Turbo S TB
Both have exactly the same pin-out as Alfa, but have a bigger inlet. Ferrari TB's are getting rare and expensive, so I got a Porsche one instead... Stock vs. Porsche
Stock has 69mm inlet
Outside 75mm
Porsche has 79mm inlet
And 87mm outside
To be continued...
'talla
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05-12-2014, 03:07 AM
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#20
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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Next on the list were the vacuum lines around the intake manifold. Since we installed an intake manifold from a 3.0 24V, which has a completely different vacuum line plumbing and mounting holes on the valve cover, we used what pipes/lines there were lying around, so the car was drivable. Now I have decided, it's time to install these lines properly...
New vacuum line
Replacing the old vacuum line
Some more vacuum lines
Replacing this piece of spaghetti of lines (we had to botch something together, to make the car drive, this is what came out)
And installed
Then I got a special tape as used by the factory for wiring harnesses
Some more connectors for the engine sensors
I have also decided to use a 3Bar MAP sensor, so I could squeeze a bit more boost out if the engine. Since this car has no MAP sensor so to speak - with a nipple for reading manifold pressure directly from the intake. Instead, it only uses an old school altitude sensor which has a set value for every altitude and then it translates this into manifold pressure for the ECU. Anyways, this "technology" goes back to the 80's when Audi Quattro's used it for the first time...
Replacing that thing above, with a new 3bar MAP sensor. Now at least, my ECU will have proper manifold pressure readings, not just approximate set values
I've also got a special oil for the engine. Mobil 1 10W60 full synt. It's not cheap, by I know it's one of the best 10W60 oil's out there...
External 300lph fuel pump with cradle
Some more exhaust parts
Now we had all the parts, to make a custom 3" downpipe
This heat shield for the A/C compressor was in the way, so we removed it
We've removed this lot
And installed this lot
Everything installed, together with a brand new front O2 sensor and a wideband O2 sensor
We've also installed a bigger turbo of course! I had this unit on my previous AR145 V6TB, which had only done 5000km. The turbo was rebuilt completely before it went in the AR145, so it would have been a shame not to use it on this car. The turbo in question is a Mitsubishi TD05 Big16G (68mm compressor), where as the stock turbo is a tiny TD05-12B (58mm compressor). I know your DSM owners love that B16G turbo
On this turbo, we've also added a Forge Sierra Cosworth T3 wastegate actuator, which can hold 2bar of boost with ease (I've been running that much boost with this turbo before)
MAP sensor installed
Replaced connectors on all the sensors
And a bit of tidying up the cables
The engine was in this state after all that work
To be continued...
'talla
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05-19-2014, 12:15 PM
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#21
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Regular User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16
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Man, that is one mean, detailed rebuild! Love the effort that went into it!
How does it run now?
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05-22-2014, 03:01 PM
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#22
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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Thanks! Car runs very good now. But it still isn't the way I want it. I've got that tuning bug in me
Anyhu... back to the build. Wideband oxygen sensor & LC1 mounted and connected
Wiring went through the firewall
Quite a few cables
There was no other place for the wires to go in the cabin, without taking the engine out, except under the windscreen
Just behind the passenger airbag
I've also installed wires for three gauges, which were mounted on top of the dash (no other place for mounting in this car)
Tidying up the wires
Silicone around the hole, to prevent any water to come inside the cabin
Making an adapter plate for the Porsche throttle body, out of an old intake manifold
Drilled holes
Test fit on the manifold
And on the TB itself
Putting everything together, to see if it fits. I had an old coupling hose laying around, so I could start the car
Of course, there's always a problem with customization. TB is too wide, so the original expansion tank would not fit anymore...
The appropriate tank was from a Golf III, which is also one of the cheapest around
Test fitting
Port matching on the TB
Enlarged intake manifold entrance
I've enlarged the hole by 9mm...
Some more port matching
It looked like this before the very first start up with the new TB
And with mounted gauges. Some people would say they look "ricer", but frankly I don't care that much about that. I prefer function over esthetics all day long
To be continued...
'talla
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05-25-2014, 06:16 AM
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#23
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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Moving on... Replaced rear subframe bushes
Status before the first test drive
After the shortest test drive... ever. This coupler hose sucks, so back to the drawing board
In the mean time, I've replaced all the bolt inserts around the engine bay
Because the bolts were becoming loose
Replaced drive belt lid
And pièce de résistance. Proper silicone hoses and clamps!
We had to modify the T-pipe for the dumpvalve
And weld on the nut for the intake air temp. sensor
But we got the original expansion tank to fit, which is a great bonus, because it looks fairly stock now. The only thing that was in the way, was this bracket for the cover around the engine...
Status before the second test drive. I had a good feeling this time
After a successful test drive, I made three daylight pics of the engine bay. I think is looks pretty much stock.
Next on the list, was the remote central locking, which has failed on my car. I got a Chinese copy for silly money, and went to work on it
In the mean time, I have also installed the original rear subs, which I got with the original amp. There were two versions which left the factory 1) 10 speaker system which had an amp & two parcel shelf subs 2) 8 speaker system without the amp & subs. Getting from #2 to #1 is quite a challenge, because complete wiring harnesses are next to impossible to come by, and making one from scratch is not so easy. Because Italians haven't left the harness in the car if it didn't have an amp... Two thumbs up for the Italians!
I've also received a front mount radiator for the chargecooler system
Quite a big unit @ 597mm x 171mm x 70 mm
I've also got a "repair set" for the gear shifter. These plastics wear out over time, and you don't get that smooth gear change feeling. It was cheap so I had to have it! I also found a company which makes a bush for the upper engine mount for 30€, while the OEM upper mount is 120€...
This is the culprit. 160usd for this... they must be mad!
Bush was in a bad state, which was noticeable when doing hard acceleration. Engine was rocking back and forth too much for my liking
Fixed
To be continued...
'talla
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06-01-2014, 03:04 PM
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#24
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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Shifter repair set was next
The whole mechanics is made out of plastic. Which wears over time. Now, I have crisp gear changes once more
We also had to replace the brand new oil pressure sensor from an AR164, because it had switched polarities. So the pressure gauge would read from 8-0bar. So I got a replacement sensor for the RaidHP gauge. Now I have correct readings as it should be.
Now for the chargecooler system. I needed a filler neck with cap for my system. Since I couldn't purchase the only one I found on ebay, which was compact enough, because the seller didn't ship to my country, we had to make one from scratch. It's made from plastic and I think it turned out pretty good
We replaced the 1,4bar cap with a new 0,9bar cap. Since this system will never have such a high pressure, there was no need for the 1,4bar cap
Then, I turned my attention to the original amp and parcel shelf woofers. As I have previously mentioned, to get an original wiring loom for this car, is next to impossible, since everyone want's this amp'ed 10 speaker system in their 166. So I had to make a wiring loom from scratch
All the wiring goes through the car's ICS unit. This unit controls everything from trip computer, fuel consumption, radio, navigation exc.
I found the wiring diagram online, and went to work. It took me 3 days to complete this task... And I must say, it makes one hell of a difference in sound quality. But I will definitely not be doing this task any time soon! It was a real pain in the
I got the electric water pump and flexible wire hoses
We've also replaced the temperature switch, because my previous one had corrosion on all the contacts
We've also made our own gasket for the Porsche throttle body. Previous one we made, was from a thin paper. And it didn't last very long, because I got a vacuum leak after a month. So I got this Elring gasket kit, which has various thicknesses for various applications. Now I have no more leaks
Brand new 0,9bar cap and two brackets for the CC filler neck
Then I got 3" silicone elbows, pipes and W2 clamps for the CC system
We have also replaced the old fuel pressure regulator. Since I plan on using bigger injectors and an external fuel pump, I want the whole system to be 110%
And finally, the installation of the chargecooler system
Good thing I got an almost identical size cooler than stock. And even this one just barely fits
It's a tight squeeze
Home made bracket for the filler neck
Turbo pipes installed
Upper pipes were next
Just enough room for everything to fit
Front radiator for the CC was also installed with home made brackets
This is how it looked nearly finished
Very tight squeeze between the coil and intake pipe
We had to remove the original airbox and air filter, because it was just to big. So I got an universal one, which had the correct ID and was reasonably sized
It fits, barely
Now all I need, is an intake funnel which would go in front of the universal air filter, so I would have cold air intake. That's next on the list...
And finished
Of course, there is always something to do on a car. One of my upper steering arms had play, so we replaced both sides. And my front brakes didn't perform as they should, so we overhauled all four brake calipers, just to be on the safe side. And to top it off, I got the best dot4 brake fluid I could find
And that's it. This is the current state my car is in. It pulls really well with this CC system. Dumpvalve makes one helluva noise! Me like
And now, I will save money to get bigger fuel lines, bigger injectors, and a custom chip. I already have an external 300lph fuel pump and cradle. So, until next time...
'talla
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06-02-2014, 02:09 PM
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#25
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Regular User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16
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Do you know where you're doing your chip? How much do they cost in Slovenia? And what happened to Trabant?
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06-03-2014, 11:46 AM
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#26
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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I'm still deciding where to get the car chip tuned. Prices for a custom chip with a dyno in Slovenia are from 500€ - 1000€. Depends on the ECU, and how much work goes in to it. And since I have the rarest of ECU's, Bosch Motronic ME2.1, which was only in an AR166 from 1998-2003, with no upgrades or anything, I think I am in for a nice bill... I've seen many people give up on these ECU's, because they are damn hard to work on. It was an Alfa prototype ECU, which can memorize and adapt to various engine changes by itself. Also, it has multiple injections per cycle, which for it's time in a normal saloon, was almost unheard of. But they gave up on it after a few years. Confirmation about it's ability to adapt by itself was when I replaced the old altitude sensor with a MAP sensor. First one tells the ECU an approximate intake pressure via the preset value of the altitude, while the MAP sensor reads pressure directly via a vacuum hose from the intake manifold. Another thing was, when I added a bigger turbo and opened up the boost. ECU adapted to these changes instantly, without a chip tune. My AFR readings are spot on with this setup: 14,4-14,8 @ idle and 13,2 @ WOT..
Trabant is still in development. First I want my daily driver to be complete, and then we will focus all our attention on the Trabant. We have until May next year to complete it. I wish to participate in our annual drag race event here in Slovenia.
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06-09-2014, 01:53 AM
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#27
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Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Arizona
Age: 48
Posts: 95
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Keep up the posting on this. Love the detailed pics you are adding!
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06-09-2014, 08:10 AM
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#28
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Regular User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16
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I think SM chiptuning would do a custom chip for 600 (550 if you put on their decal), that could be worth a trip to Croatia (or Bosnia, Serbia, if you have someone to visit there), but I don't have a personal experience with them, so I can't say for sure how good they are. Maybe the best option would actually be not to chip, and if the need arises, go a Megasquirt way?
Hope you're making photos of the Trabant build! Aiming to pit it against monster Fica from Croatia or absolutely mental Yugo from Bosnia?
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06-14-2014, 09:13 AM
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#29
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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@Shaggy: Thanks! I will post updates as they happen...
@johnnny: I still have time to decide which tuner it will be. Thanks for the info though, I will count them in for sure.
As for the Trabant, I have some pics of the build so far, but as I have mentioned before, it is still in development. As soon as the 166 is done, my attention goes to the Trabant. But the car will definitely not be a record breaker. I will use stock internals for starters. I only plan on doing minor engine mods to it, because first I want to see what I can achieve with a set budget, before I start spending silly money on it. Mods I plan on doing are: head porting, FMIC, bigger exhaust, bigger injectors & pump, custom chip and maybe a bigger intake system. And that's about it... I am relying on the silly weight of the car, to make it at least half competitive. By my calculations, with a V6 engine and a roll cage, together with a lighter hood, thin plexi glass all around, removed unnecessary weight, different rear subframe (the heaviest piece on the car), slicks, and a bucket seat... I hope I will get the car to 650kg (1300lbs)... And with the mods I want to do to the engine, I am hoping for 260-280hp. So for a starting project, it should suffice...
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06-23-2014, 04:06 AM
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#30
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Regular User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 46
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I found another thing I can change on my car. MAF housing will be uprated...
Stock = 70mm
Not so stock = 82mm
In the meantime, I will replace the pipes that go to the turbo inlet to the same diameter as the MAF housing. So it will go from 63mm to 90mm
'talla
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