Building AAZ motor; meet Harley

[CrazyAndy]

No, the battery is where it always has been, the tray.  I don't have the money for a full silicone setup right now.  Heat wrap will have to do until I have some more disposable income.  I still haven't been able to buy the air box you linked me to.  4 tires and a tie rod for Mr. Mk3 means no hoses, air box, or exhaust for Mr. Rabbit.  Such is life.

[JASGTi]

I take off for a bit and you go and get all fancy on me!

[CrazyAndy]

Remember when we were talking about engine part ideas two and a half years ago on page 1?  Well, she finally left her dungeon for the first time in 3 and a half years! 
I went up to the barn to finalize some things and get her ready for towing on Sunday.  Saturday involved finishing all except 1 wire for the auxiliary relays. I found a good relay signal of of the fuse panel inside, incidentally off of a relay slot!  Now all I need is to wire the fuse supply wire for the AWIC fan and we're in business.  After that it was getting the serpentine belt system running.  After 45 minutes digging through the O'reilly's supply of serpentine belts looking for the right size, I found a belt that would juuuust work.  Put on the tensioner pulley again,cranked baaaaack the tensioner arm, and installed the belt.  Did a 15 second idle test (the oil light goes out right as it fires up!) and found the pulley is wobbling a hair; might just be the pulley itself, but the tensioner arm doesn't bounce and the belt stays straight as an arrow on the other pulleys so I'll run it for now.  I ran some tubing and an adapter for the wastegate control; gonna run it on stock boost for break-in right now.  Finally I hooked up the rear trans mount with some new hardware so now the engine is completely secured.
Sunday was doing the final bits: getting the alternator wiring hooked up, making a fuel filter bracket, getting her back on the ground, and installing the hood.  It all went like a breeze, with the holed flat iron doing more duty as a filter bracket, the alt light plug and original positive cables in a ring terminal going on the alternator (the alt light now ALSO goes out right when it fires up!), one vehicle jack, and a friend's hands for the hood.  I then went off to rent a truck and full-car trailer; I won't drive it until the exhaust is on, it's at my apartment, and it's legal and has a better intake cover than a doubled-up piece of house filter.  About an hour later I came back with said truck/trailer, did a 14 point turn to turn the truck/trailer around, and loaded it up, finding out in the process that what I thought was reverse during the shifter adjustment was actually first and I can only select reverse by manually selecting it on the transmission.  Oops.  But that was the only hiccup in the towing journey, and I took it to the exhaust shop for downpipe modding, a 2.5 inch straight pipe, an alignment and a state inspection sticker which I know will be rejected anyway but I need it to at least get her on the road for a bit.  I should hear from them tomorrow, and I will pay the price but not count the cost.
























Now what will I name her . . .

[CrazyAndy]

Well after today I'm exhausted . .. and so is my Rabbit!  The exhaust shop is done with it.  They had to do quite some modification to the downpipe, but it doesn't hit the steering rack nor does the straight pipe section going over the rear axle!  I also got them to give me an alignment, as well as a Virginia State inspection sticker that, wait, PASSED?  Wow; after 3 and a half years, she's still looking good.  Now all I need to do is get her some new registration tags, and she's legal and coming home!

[410]

That exhaust looks awesome! 

[libbydiesel]

Aww, they're holding hands in that last pic...

[RabbitJockey]

how does she run???

[theman53]

My question is does it sound like a buzz saw? My hybrid turbo definitely had some whine to it.

[Gizmoman]

Congrats Mr. That's the way to stick to it.
Let us know how it scoots.

[RabbitJockey]

how does it run andy?

[CrazyAndy]

so far, I'll have to let you know, but she has healthy idle that's for sure.  I admittedly haven't heard much out of the turbo since I've only let it idle about 3-4 times for no more than 40 seconds a time.  I heard it a bit on throttle blip but nothing else.  I'll remove the turbo intake 'screen' and observe how fast it spins at idle; I kind of have a feeling it isn't spinning at idle at all.  I'm going to order a filter assembly and wait for it to arrive before breaking it in at all.  I don't trust the safety screen I made beyond those few idle times.  I still need to wire the gauges and final relay anyway.

Warning:  This next update really doesn't deal with the engine at all, more doing things with interior parts I saved up.

Got the rabbit hauled home this Saturday!  I decided to mark the occasion my installing some of the trunk carpeting that I had hidden under my bed for the better part of a year and a half.  The bottom and rear pieces fit okay, and are sure better than nothing at all, but I'll need to remove the speaker trays to fit the side covers.  I'll also glue down the upholstery I got cut for the trays as well.  As far as mechanical stuff to do, it's what I mentioned above left to do, as well as evacuate some of the old oil washing up in the coolant reservoir.  Don't worry, it's not the new motor doing this; the old motor leaked oil into the coolant due to the cracked head bolt hole near the galley, and try as I might to clean it all out of the radiator and heater core it just didn't get it all.  No worry, that's what mityvacs are for, right?

[RabbitJockey]

ur alot more patient than me, i'd already need a new set of tires if i were you haha

[JASGTi]

Congrats Andy.  One day I may just be Crazy enough to swap out my old tired 1.6

[RabbitJockey]

did you drive it yet?

[CrazyAndy]

Drove it for the first time today in years!  I got the rest of the interior in, and got the boost and EGT gauges hooked up (need to switch/check the wires because it isn't reading) as well as the signal wire for the oil temp sensor routed.  I threw fuses in the accessory relay circuits and started her to break the cam into the lifters; went good, so I checked the oil level and condition and then took her out for a short run around the block for a couple miles.  She sounds GREAT!  The turbo comes in halfway up the rev range and sounds like a hellacious tractor on steroids when up-shifting, winding down and whirring all the way.  Smoked a bit at half throttle pulling out, so I will need to fiddle a bit with the screws.   The best part about it was that it didn't overheat at all, the needle going steadily to mid range and staying there all the time.  The worst part wasn't even the engine; it was the shifter!  It has no idea where it is at all.  1st is far into reverse, 3 is where 1 should be, and and 2 is in 4's place.  Where reverse is, I don't know.  I need to change the oil, and rebuild the entirety of the old shifter system, but after that it's just minor tuning and watching for leaks (slight one at the oil pan and maybe small exhaust leak at the extension flange).  So glad this thing is this close to back at last.