This should to flow a little better...

[Dr. Diesel]

Funny how things happen sometimes.
I've had this idea swirling around in my head for a while, and finally started working on it.
I tried arc welding aluminum with special rods, and didn't have any luck. Brazing went ok, but was really ugly. (technique was definitely suspect!)

So I gave up and took the manifold and pieces to a friend whose nephew is accomplished at aluminum MIG welding. I'd seen a bunch of his work, and it was good.
While explaining how I wanted it all put together, his son wanders over. Upon seeing what I had, he immediately offered me the use of his TIG welder to do it myself, noting that he "never uses it anymore."

... never?

I asked if he wanted to sell it. After a few stunned-looking blinks, he replied yes. So now I'm the very proud owner of a new TIG, and the rest is history!
 


After 5 mins of chasing a puddle around a piece of aluminum, then finding I was able to stick a piece of aluminum plate to cast, I tackled the manifold idea.

Brickyard! Do you remember this badboy?






It's an ADG 1.9L n/a manifold, with a couple mods.

I removed the side inlet and capped it.


then cut off the front face.


The inlet pipe is close to the valve cover for hood clearance, and therefore had to be removeable. Two 3/8" plates became flanges, and the cone's taper 'bells' out through them to match the shape of the manifold's cut front face.
This manifold, the matching exhaust manifold and head are now enroute to Extrude Hone for dolling up.
Should flow a little better!

[Baxter]

 :lol:

[myke_w]

awesome! keep the pics flowing!

[cyrus #1]

Those are pretty nice looking welds for a first timer!    I love what you can accomplish with the right tools.  :twisted:

[Dr. Diesel]

thanks! it was a little difficult to stick the thin metal of the cone to the thick flange plate, but it appears quite strong. I'm very happy to have this machine!!

[gigaz2]

that looks amazing taking in account that you only had 5m experience with TIG!

I have one of those headers around and already consider them pretty good as they are.
that setup looks like a 1.6NA one, but without the filter in the middle.

[jtanguay]

awesome job!  this will make a really nice torquey machine for sure  :twisted:

[Dr. Diesel]

that's the plan! I've decided to try a GT2554R ball bearing turbo, which little diesel voices in the back of my head tell me is too big to spool as fast as I want. Several of the Garrett recommended 'performance distributors' have assured me that the spoolup time of a ball bearing turbo vs a similar sized journal bearing turbo is quite noticeably shorter. So I'm counting on that to make up for it's bigger size. If it does end up sucking, I'll jam that on my gas rabbit, and steal it's new K14 to put on this car. Or use nitrous on race days to wake it up. hehe
I'll git her done one way or another.

[Benjamin]

the gt2554r will give you power rated to 200hp on the flywheel.

http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/catelog/Turbochargers/GT25/GT2554R_471171_3.htm

if you pick a turbo from gasoline what makes 200hp, and you replace it on a diesel, it will perform you 150hp.
I think the cause is a diesel need more air than a gasoline



Greetz, Benjamin

[Dr. Diesel]

I really don't give a pinch of schizen about HP.  
I know that if I can keep the fast spoolup of the T2, and reach an efficient 25psi, my rabbit will be damn near unbeatable in the autocross.
I've spent hours on that garrett site running the calculations to try and find the perfect match. There are too many unknowns to be accurate. Filling in 75% of the equation variables with assumptions is utter crap. I took apart my VW T2 and measured it's wheel dimensions, A/R etc. None of the new GT turbos are a direct match. One of the models will have the same turbine A/R but different everything else. Another model will have the same compressor trim, a similar turbine diameter, but different everything else.
Etc, etc, etc.
None of the Garrett recommended distributors seem to know enough to make a good recommendation. Garrett doesn't want to talk directly to customers. What a load of bunk this whole process is!
I miss the good old days when a K24 was the solution to every problem. :lol:
But after falling in love with the superior spoolup of the T2, I'm on a wild, pipe-dream goosechase trying to maintain fast spoolup with better boost than the old trusty T2 is good for.

[zukgod1]

Wouldnt it be nice to have the spool up of a k14 and the flow of a k26?

[jtanguay]

Wouldnt it be nice to have the spool up of a k14 and the flow of a k26?

vnt my friend.  Tintin spiked his turbo to 30 psi just by blipping the pedal.

ball bearing turbo's are the next best option, and at least you don't need to worry about the vanes sticking.

[carrizog60]

will that setup require mods on the turbo?
will it fit as it is?

[gigaz2]

an external wastegate?

[Dr. Diesel]

The GT2554R has an internal wastegate, quite similar to our familiar T3. With this intake manifold, you'd either need to flip the VW TD exhaust manifold upside down, use an aftermarket 8v gasser manifold (I'm using the ATP manifold) or make a custom one. (which I might have done if i'd found this TIG machine a couple weeks earlier) In any case, you'd need a custom downpipe, coolant lines to and from the turbo and custom oil supply/return lines.

While I'm waiting for everything else, i started working on a rear strut brace. Aluminum is a must now, so off I went to a local metal store and found some cheap offcuts that fit the bill.
It's easy enough to put a couple exhaust clamps around the tops of the strut towers, then weld a bar between, but then it's permanent. I wanted something that could be removed entirely, without any cutting, and conceivably placed into another similar chassis.
Came up with this:

I welded some steel to the clamps, and the bar bolts to that part making it easily removeable. I've got one diagonal brace done, which is welded to a plate through which the bumper bracket bolts pass. The left side will be identical. You can see the allen bolts attaching the forward ends of the brace to the underside of the crossbar. After completing it's friend on the left side, i'm going to go from the top center of the crossbar up to the upper seatbelt attach hardpoints on the B pillars. It'll be like an X from upper B pillar down to the opposing bumper bracket, with the very solid crossbar in the middle.
Before putting just the one diagonal brace on, there was a little flex in the bar if you grabbed it with both hands and wailed on it with your bodyweight. Now, no detectable flex at all. Once the other three diagonals are in, the whole arse end will be like a rock.