Saabretooth

I wish I could post an audio clip....

Day 3 Car still runs nicely, with the normal irregular idling as expected. Now the MSCF is on due to the fueling I'm sure. Car still makes good power across the rpm range. I suspect if I went back on to stock rear exhaust instead of the Quad pipe, I'll get even more response as compared the current one. Car warms up as it used to now and water temp is running at 90 degrees again. The noise is amazing though, and its like I only have 4 gears, 1,3, 5 and 6. I can skip gears now with all that torque and its not even complaining. The tuner is busy prepping for race overseas and can only schedule me for end of next week. Hope to get a dyno done pre and post tune.

Day 2[/size][/font][/color] Car starts up very rich. Takes a much longer time to warm up. Water temp takes longer to reach 90. stays mostly at 80-85. and I am in 35 degree climate. Oil temp is at 2 bars most of the way, where it used to get to 3 bars after a drive to work. Throttle response used to be gradual, now it feels exponential. Almost like a small turbo got installed. At 2500rpm, the car is raring to go. Must be the cams. Haven't gone past 4000rpm yet.

Day 1 The engine note is much more mechanical. I could hear it more pronounced than before. On start up As expected, the ECU is hunting, and getting used to the new AF mixture. After about 10-15mins.... it settled down more. The idle is not as rough as you'd expect with wilder cams. After settling down, it would just hunt after every 8-10 secs of idle First drive Its like the 1st gear is no longer required, the torque on response is much better. It feels light and very progressive, no kick in the butt feel. That saying, I'm only letting it run in, and make sure that all the parts are well installed, and if there are any leaks or errors, I can head back and get it fixed sooner rather than later. On the Move I didn't push the car beyond 3500 rpm, It does most of its daily driving thing way below that. I feel the response better at 2000rpm onwards. Below that, its just like its on auto cruise mode. Some say its loss of low end response, but the 1st gear just climbs up too quickly and I have to shift it into 2nd fast. At the first traffic light, the MSCF light came on, but after 10-15 secs it went off. It was fine during the drive, but the MSCF came on again when I parked the car back home. Might get it checked tomorrow. The car is going in for a dyno tune this week I hope. Not going to rush the car into anything more crazy than just daily driving and checking that all the parts work together well. Will I get 300hp? I don't know, but I'd be happy with 285-290hp or so, and have a huge area under the curve.

Haha, specs as in the the lift and duration...etc ... LOL not a Renault car though the RS270 is an amazing car....

So, just to summarize.. I installed the following parts last week, on top of the necessary additional parts to complement the fact that I had to remove the heads and replace cams. Installed: - 4.5L Plenum from Germany - Reprofiled and nitride hardened cams (Renault Specs) - 1.3mm skimmed heads - 78mm ID throttle body with fabricated adaptor - remounted ECU on the firewall. Picked up the car, and it sounded more raw. not a good thing in these parts as it does attract the cops a bit. With the cams, there is a slight hint of ECU doing a bit of searching at idle. On the go, the torque down low is awesome, makes first gear almost redundant, and I was just taking it really easy. ECU is still adapting and making adjustments, it feels lean sometimes, and rich other times. Hopefully the Dyno tune I scheduled for this week will get it spot on. Didn't really push the car cause I just want to make sure the install is perfect and there are no leaks or cracks in any of the piping. Didn't want it to go too lean either and burn any valves. Man, the engine sounds RAW! I've already got CF2s, Equal length pipes matching up to Quad Novitec exhaust installed perviously..... as it is, but now, it sounds a little like a rally car. Will need to get the car to an engine detailer soon before I take more pics of it.

Yes, like that, Thought it'd be more complicated than just plug and play.... I probably was over thinking it....

I've been exploring installing an oil catch tank on the Busso for some time, and then I came across this interesting product, Crankcase Pressure Reducing Valve. Or Reducer for short. Its a japanese thing, and the Japs are crazy about Alfas more so than probably any other non-italian country. http://maekawaengineering.blog84.fc2.com/blog-entry-455.html In any case, that's the kit for the V6, except that I am exploring the oil catch tank inbetween. Its a one way valve so that the air moves runs in one direction only. much like how our heart and blood vessels work. Cheers.

Would like to find out what type of data logger should be used to tap into our ECU or OBD port to do datalogging? I want to monitor how the car performs with all the new hardware and also the tune, so I can tweak it up to make sure that I am within safe parameters across all open loop situations. Thanks

Thanks. One of the mechs suggested that I put back the old manifolds with the punched out cats. I'm thinking not to as I don't want that pulses to affect any other the other work I've done. I've also got access to larger exhaust valves, but I am keeping that option off the radar, as I'd like to still have usable power in the lower RPM range. No porting of the heads either, as the stock 3.2 is big enough to accomodate. Unless I am building a race car and would need it to be bench flowed. which I don't. Its more of a fast road, occasional track day machine. I was even offered ITBs, but that would definitely be an overkill for my application, and the db levels will alert the authorities to what's not allowable underneath the bonnet. Will take note of what you mentioned and keep an eye out on how the car performs once its out of the workshop and properly dyno-tuned.

On the same note, As I am setting the car up for high torque and higher hp, I also want the air flow to be smooth through the manifolds. What would the difference be with the stock CF3 manifold with punched through cats vs the CF2 manifold? My guess is that the chamber with the punched through CATs will create an irregular pulse phase as the exhaust gasses move, creating a slow down in air velocity. thus lower hp, and probably a bit more heat in the chambers. What would you say Smaky?

Which is true to the extent that you have you explained it. I've only taken off about 1.0 to 1.2mm, increasing the compression to about 11:1 from what I read, from internet and other spec sheets of the GT. Together with the re-profiled cams, I am looking at about a 10-20, or if optimistically 25hp gain on the current 265hp (with CF2 manifolds) that I have. (this includes the 78mm Throttle Body and 4.5L Plenum which is going in at the same time.)

Thanks, I've only gotten them changed out at 42,000 to the one with the GTV one with the metal impeller. The idlers and so on have been bought and will be changed together with the rest of the items required to go in with the skimmed heads

ah, there it is! these dang smileys....

There's supposed to be a smiley somewhere there to show my hate is not that serious. .. Just a little only. ...

Currently i have enough patience in the tank to not hate you yet..... Hope that EB gets the email and sends out the gaskets out as soon as possible. Workshop is irritated that they have a wasted hoist space. they see a lot of Alfas daily (especially the 159s.)

Realised that ebspares forgot to pack it in during shipping. Getting them to do an express delivery. It's the 24v gasket set.

Not so much of a rebuild, but the workshop recommended that I replace the cylinder gaskets since the top is out. Was he being conservative or was I taken for a ride?

Just found out that even after ordering the whole set of gaskets...etc. I was short of cylinder gaskets, which the workshop had to get as well. So please add it to the list, anyone who is doing this in the future

Don't need one.... I'd like the NA set up and want to take it as far as sanely possible. ....and getting it approved here will take an arm, a leg, and probably a testicle or two... I am rather fond of them so I wouldn't like to part with the my appendages..

I can wait... but the workshop can't! Slight delay... needed to order cylinder gaskets too.. which I didn't. So the workshop will be getting a set for me. edit: I did actually order the gaskets, they forgot to ship them at the same time. EBspares finally got them in on express last week. Finally got the car out today.. Woohoo!

Didn't think of that!!! now you make me want to go back to the workshop again to take shots...

Me too... The workshop is packed to the hilt today when I dropped her off. At lunch, she was still on the hoist. Engine Bay is dirty, but I'll still take a pic when its done.

She's going in for the skimmed heads, re profiled cams, 4.5l plenum, 78mm throttle body, and customized intake piping in less than 12 hours..... and then a dyno tune this Friday

Thanks Smaky. Did some reading and research, managed to dig this up as the 147 and GT run on CAN. https://sites.google.com/site/canopenerdevice/