3.4L Motor Swap Underway!

[Overdrive]

insite, any updates here for us dedicated readers? :dance:

[insite]

hi guys, just checking in. i did get a chance to do some work on the 15th; i drilled out & time-serted the broken studs in one of the heads. i took pics, but my PC died. new computer is up and running. been travelling a lot; hope to be back to work on the p-car this weekend. cheers.

kev

[insite]

okay, update time! let's dive right in. when last i posted, i had an issue with some broken head studs. let's start there. these things were completely welded in place; no way to extract other than to drill.

a couple of notes:

1. if you ever have to do this, BUY A GOOD AC DRILL!!! i picked up an awesome Rigid from Home Depot for around $60. it will do a much better, faster job than ANY battery powered drill

2. get good bits! i recommend Irwin cobalt bits.

3. step up SLOWLY in size, or your pilot hole will 'walk' and come uncentered as your bits increase in size. step up in 1/32" increments to be safe. if you're GOOD, you can try 1/16" increments.

4. use a pilot hole guide to center your pilots. i will post the link to the one i bought when i find it. it basically threads onto the protruding stud & lets you dead-center a 1/8" pilot hole.

5. if you have to use a tap, buy some tap sockets. they will let you use an extension from a ratchet instead of a t-handle; this will give you more room.

6. when you get up to the larger sizes just prior to helicoil insert, bolt on the manifold if you can. it will help keep the larger drill sizes centered.

7. use lubricant when you drill & when you tap.


drill pilots:






step up:






step up more:






tap:









helicoil:








result:











this obviously took awhile. FYI, helicoils are awesome. they come in 1/2" deep inserts, but you can stack two, which is what i did in this case.

[insite]

okay, now that we have the exhaust manifolds on, we have a few problems to solve.

first, the new motor has one variocam actuator with damaged wires. i'd planned on removing the actuator plug & swapping with the one from the old motor, but it turns out you have to remove the valve cover to do this. my solution was to cut off the plug and install some heatshrink tubing. i then soldered the plug back on w/ more heat shrink & some silicone over the penetration.

[insite]

another problem we need to solve is to wire up & plumb the VarioRam valve & its vacuum actuator.

usually, this is done by ADDING a vacuum actuator & running new wires from the actuator to the DME & to a 12V power supply. we are going to do it differently....

since the RoW program i'm using on my DME eliminates the secondary air injection, i am going to use the secondary air injection vacuum actuator to run the VarioRam valve. i installed blocker plates over the secondary air holes on top of the case. i then cut off the vacuum canister bracket from the secondary air stuff i removed from the car. i installed it OVER the blocker in its factory position & used longer bolts.

the vacuum actuator also clips to this bracket. i then ran the vacuum line that USED to control the secondary air valve up to the VarioRam valve.

next, i had to wire it up. good news! use the secondary air plug. all you have to do is move pin 37 to position 59 on the dme plug. much easier than running wires.

[insite]

another issue we need to solve is the airbox. the factory airbox plumbing is too narrow for the 3.4L. also, the MAF housing is too narrow. it needs to match the 3.4's diameter in order for the DME program to properly set the air/fuel mixture.

this solution is more or less copied from Cloudsurfer's setup. thanks to him for all of the help here; it took out a lot of guess work for me.

here's the factory airbox setup:











now here's the cloudsurfer setup:






from the airbox by my hand, here is a list of what i used:

1. BMC DIA airbox
2. 3.5" - 3.25" silicone reducer with a 3.5" stainless steel silicone joiner inside
3. 3.5" 90deg silicone elbow
4. BMW 540i MAF housing w/ boxster MAF installed
5. 3.5" silicone straight segment - I ELIMINATED THIS PIECE!!

6. 3.5" - 3.25" silicone reducer (note: there should be a 3.25" stainless steel silicone joiner inside. i couldn't find one, so i used a 3.25" stainless steel BISCUIT CUTTER from kitchenworks.com!!)

7. 3.25" 135deg silicone elbow that's been cut at the proper angle for the throttle body.

[insite]

another thing to deal with is the brake booster line. on the 996 manifold, it's on the wrong side. to deal with this, i cut off the hard line that runs up the firewall from under the car. it's possible to cut off the flexible section, exposing a barbed outlet.

to this, i attached some 16mm silicone vacuum hose that i routed underneath the manifold & up to the inlet. originally, i'd flipped the inlet upside down so it pointed downward instead of upward. it turns out that it won't clear my intake plumbing this way, so i put it back into its stock position.












oh yeah, i forgot to mention that the engine is in the car.......and that i've started it.

[schoir]

Originally Posted by insite

okay, update time! let's dive right in. when last i posted, i had an issue with some broken head studs. let's start there. these things were completely welded in place; no way to extract other than to drill.
....

this obviously took awhile. FYI, helicoils are awesome. they come in 1/2" deep inserts, but you can stack two, which is what i did in this case.

Insite:

Really, really excellent photos!

I went through something similar when installing headers in place of the stock exhaust manifold on a 10 year old Boxster. 4 of the 6 exhaust manifold bolts on the passenger side sheared off, the rest of them came out in one piece. I was able to drill in the center of each bolt until there were just threads left, at which point I was able to back some of them out and tap out the others.

Have you thought about installing studs onto the cylinder heads, instead of using bolts? After less than a year, the factory bolts that I used to install the new headers on my Boxster are already rusting, so I have sourced coated studs, phosphor bronze lock washers and brass nuts. I plan to replace the bolts with studs in the spring.

Thanks for taking the time to document your project so thoroughly!

Regards, Maurice.

[insite]

Originally Posted by schoir

Have you thought about installing studs onto the cylinder heads, instead of using bolts? After less than a year, the factory bolts that I used to install the new headers on my Boxster are already rusting, so I have sourced coated studs, phosphor bronze lock washers and brass nuts. I plan to replace the bolts with studs in the spring.

i did think about using studs. i opted for ample amounts of anti-seize w/ the factory bolts. this has worked well for me in the past.

these particular bolts were by far the worst i've ever had to work. the bolts really somehow became part of the aluminum head. glad that's over.....

[schoir]

Originally Posted by insite

i did think about using studs. i opted for ample amounts of anti-seize w/ the factory bolts. this has worked well for me in the past.

these particular bolts were by far the worst i've ever had to work. the bolts really somehow became part of the aluminum head. glad that's over.....

Insite:

I did the same with my new bolts... I actually think that I have more anti-seize compound than bolts in there at this time! LOL!

I hope I don't have a problem when I go to remove those then 1 1/2 year old bolts in the Spring. I don't want to go through that experience again!

Again, thanks for the excellent documentation and photos you are providing to the community.

Regards, Maurice.

[insite]

i used anti-seize w/ my other motor with very good results. they backed out easily even after some corrosion.

this replacement motor was particularly bad; i think they degreased it & then didn't rinse off all the degreaser. it then sat on a shelf in a warehouse for EIGHT years....PLENTY of time for nastiness to ensue.