mini project: 80 "GLI" by 2mAn

9 minute(s) of a 152 minute read

almost dropped off my watched topics! figured i would update whats going on...

STILL waiting for my wheels. this dude is a damn flake, im totally pissed about it ... still got the toyos waiting for the wheels.the block is finally on its way up here, which is good because i need to have the car ready for brendon. i have almost everything.... but.....

8/7/09

as usual, i take a step forward, then i take two back

good news:motor is here in seattle was supposed to get it today & didnt. also got a tracking number for my wheels so now i know for sure that they are on the way over here. should be getting them next week.

bad news: my switch today busted and while trying to replace it ( on my lunch break) proceeded to burn the wiring stupid move of course, so i wasnt able to pick up the motor and im about to go and try to fix it.

this really got me thinking.... ive wanted this car to be a diesel since before i got it and stuff like this tells me that i should be driving a diesel everyday. im strongly considering getting this 85 golf from my buddies shop and making that a 16v with megasquirt.

i dunno, im confused and frustrated because a small quick fix turned into a freakin headache. oh well, goin to fix it now.... 

ps this is why im always intimidated by electrical ****

8/12/09

also according to the tracking number i got from POTtingHEAD a package weighing 63 pounds just arrived in portland, oregon. its supposed to get here tomorrow, the tires are already at the shop so once they arrive they are getting mounted, though i want to see how much each of those wheels weighs.... the wheels i sent were 23 pounds each! so thats 92 pounds for all 4. these wheels are already 28 pounds lighter and the wheels have two tires on them. according to my receipt from onlinetires.com the two toyos i ordered weigh 27 pounds. ok lets do some math here... 63lbs (4 wheels + 2 tires) -27lbs (weight of the two tires) = 36lbs for 4 wheels and we'll divide that number by 4 and we get 9! do these 14x6 speedlines really weigh 9 pounds each? if thats trueim gonna be so f'ing stoked!

8/14/09

I GOT MY WHEELS!!!!!!! ...... well two of them so far he sent the wheels out in two boxes, one box that has the wheels with the tires and the other the two wheels without tires... i didnt know this and so that ~64lbs was the two wheels and tires... quick math says the wheels are actually ~18lbs each which sounds right, 9 was insane! 

block is in my apt, ill be picking up the last of the gaskets tomorrow, along with one more cylinders piston rings... this is looking good, like i might be all done before the end of september!

ive had the car for less than 2 years and this will be the third motor that ive put in the car already 

8/15/09

okie dokie, its getting close to crunch time...

picked up a throttle body from a passat with an auto transmission

also got the motor inside and situated on the "work desk"

trying to get rid of a few distractions, help me out here people

the BVH for the 1.6

weber dcoes plus a 16v manifold

ive had this schwinn since 97... i was BSing with a kid who i bought the front wheel off of and apparantly ive owned this bike as long as he has been alive!

and the parts dept behind the bikes

ill be happy when that area is all clean. hopefully this swap will be done before septembers over. i want to drive the car down to bonelli in november so id like some time to work out any issues i may have

8/21/09

ok! so i found this great thread for anyone converting to megasquirt. i just cut n pasted (ok, stole) his stage one list and update his prices to what i spent or what it will cost...

These are the parts i already have (paid for):

1 x 1.8L PL block, rebuilt by me & sorta free 

1 x Scirocco Intake Manifold ($50, Vortex classifieds) 

1 x 16v Throttle Body with TPS ($35, Craigslist) 

1 x Bahn Brenner 16v fuel rail ($75, Craigslist)

4 x 1.8t injectors. ($40, Vortex classifieds)

1 x Scirocco Exhaust Manifold & TT Downpipe ($180, Vortex classifieds) 

1 x Intake Air Temp sensor & Wiring harness done by Brendon (Ralley_Tuned) ($120)

1 x Megasquirt ECU. ($200 special deal @ Waterwerks, thanks Demon Rally!) *

1 x Wiring and Tuning done by Brendon ($XXX, cant reveal this sorry )

These are the parts i still need to get, and need your help/ advice about:

4 x Digifant "Fuel injector Holder" (6.70 ea from GAP, or $8 a piece locally @ Fine Tuning) 

4 x Bosch injector pigtail plugs (also see mouser.com for these: plugs for $1.19, and pins for .24 each

1x Coolant temp sensor ( i know i need to get one from a saturn, but i cant remember which one)

I also havent gotten either of these, but how crucial are they to getting this setup done? i know the FPR is gonna be needed but do i have to jump straight to the badboy right now? no stock parts will suffice?

1 x Aeromotive ( maybe AEM?) Fuel Pressure Regulator $180 

1 x wideband 02 sensor $205 (great deal, click here )

1x dual input knock sensor kit. "KnockSense" ????? i dont think ill need this but ive heard its a good tool to use to maximize efficiency so it will be something ill get once its all running

the rest of this stuff is things that i want to get ahead of time to keep the downtime to a minimum. im not sure which pieces im going to need exactly. is there anything i need to be looking at specifically? it looks like a -6AN hose is the size to run? yea?

Assorted fuel hoses and fittings from Jegs, summit, and 034 

- Jegs Elite Series hose fittings -

1x 90* -6AN hose fitting

5x straight -6AN hose fittings

2x -6AN to ORB fpr fittings 

1x -6 AN ORB plug

6ft Jegs Pro-Flo stainless braided hose 

2x vw hard line(14mm x1.50 inverted flare) to -6AN adapters -

adding that up, ive got ~700 into it so far with most of the big stuff out of the way and that is not including the wiring and tuning which could be done by yourself if your not an electrical idiot like me... my dads a (retired) electrical engineer, he'd be so disappointed in me 

8/29/09

got some news...

got two more tracking numbers from mr potting and each package weighs 17lbs... i think we now know how much each wheel weighs. not bad i guess. its an 8lb drop per corner vs the chrome 15s i traded the douchebag for, so thats nice. plus my out of pocket cost for these speedlines for just over a hundred dollars is nice. 

im tempted to throw the two wheels i have on the front and lower it more, but i think i can just wait a few more days.

i havent done much on the motor, but i think im pretty motivated to get some work done this weekend. 

should be some nice updates coming up soon

9/4/09

happy birthday to me!!!

nearly 2 months after the deal i finally have my speedline wheels, they are lighter than the 14" alloys i took off. ive got about an inch of coil left in the back (though it still needs to go down more in the back ) and ive got maybe an inch and a half in the front. alignments off so i couldnt take it out and get good pics... im still very happy!!!

i have the weekend off so i should hopefully get the bottom end ready

9/7/09

ok another update

-block is getting closer to completion

-aligned the car so it drives fairly straight. im officially "too low" as my exhaust will scrape any speed bump and ive already hit the oil pan on a grove in the road. time to be more careful.

also decided to take some pics since it was "nice" out

i cant wait til i get my new ball joints and ball joint extenders! soon hopefully!