I haven’t posted too many videos lately nor any serious update on the project build. However, things are slowly moving in the right direction. I’ve actually been working on a lot of smaller projects. So many that I feel that I am stretched thin on the project. As some of you know, I am not one for secrets and have no desire to hold them simply so I can get any sort of credit. Hell, if some of you take what I’ve been working on and run with it, or improve upon it (which betters everyone with this platform), you may even make my life bit easier. I wanted to take a chance to give everyone an update on the various projects I’m working on and upcoming write-ups I haven’t gotten around to yet. Here’s a list and shortcuts to the various projects:
As of April 4, 2022
- Completed
- Not Completed
BTW, thanks for following the build and I hope I can help some you along your journey as I go along mine. Don’t forget to check out the YouTube channel and my Instagram or Facebook, as well. Now, let’s get to some updates!
BlackVue DR900X-2CH UHD 4K DashCam
One of the projects I actually finished quite a while ago, but haven’t gotten to the write-up yet, is the dashcam I wanted to install. I wanted a dashcam for a few reasons but one of the main ones was the ability to capture some of my antics when I visit Mexico. It helps that it also has some really cool video capture features, including uploading footage to the cloud as well as continuous recording so that you can go back and keep something that was caught inadvertently, such as a theft or an accident. Did some research and BlackVue has some quality products. I ended up gong with the BlackVue DR900X-2CH because of the many features it has.
In addition to this I made it a bit easier to install with a Blendview BBV-2000R review mirror mount. It made installation very easy and doesn’t require gluing or sticking anything to the windshield. It also allows for some adjustment when needed.
Last thing I wanted for this package was the largest SD card I could find that was compatible. After scouring the internet and doing some cross-referencing, I discovered that the Western Digital WD Purple QD101 in 256GB size would work well and would also give me plenty of room to have lots of video on file. They offer this SD card in a 512GB version, but it hasn’t been verified to work, so I’ll stick with the 256GB one for now.
My intent is for this to continuously upload everything to my cloud account. I’d need to have some internet service, and luckily, it connects perfectly to my Inseego MiFi-8000 mobile hotspot. I’ve also installed a constant-on USB power point in the glove box, so even when the car is off, it can be connected to the internet and upload, should the car get stolen. It can be well hidden within the glove box and still get powered without have wires hanging out everywhere. I have yet to really put it through it’s paces in regards to how it effects the battery of the car as well as how much data it will ultimately use being always on. I’ll report back with updates…stay tuned for the installation write-up…
Eastern Beaver PC-8 Power Point
So here’s something pretty cool. When I add accessories to any of my vehicle builds, I like to have everything powered from a central hub of some sort. This minimizes having a bunch of wires connected to the battery and fuses holders in all sorts of different locations. The issue is, I wanted to put most of the smaller accessories inside the glove box and would need something small enough to fit.
Enter the Eastern Beaver PC-8 Power Point. It’s pretty cool. It has both constant as well as accessory power points and places all the fuses you need into one central location. Plus, since it’s mostly intended for motorcycles, it’s very small and rugged. It’s a high quality piece from an American entrepreneur who, apparently, lives in Japan. Eastern Beaver has some pretty cool stuff, actually. Check them out. This project is also completed…so stayed tuned for another full write-up on it.
Glove Box USB Point
One aspect of this that I wanted was an always-on USB power point for any device I’d like to charge, even while the car is off. Surprisingly, it’s getting more difficult to to find cars that have that, as most have some sort of power-saving feature and turn off all charging points at some point when the car is turned off. It’s for a good reason, but having some place to charge things up, while the car is off has it’s benefits.
I went with the Motopower motorcycle charging plug as it was small and compact, but also had mounting ears.
Additionally, I didn’t want to have USB cables running all over the place. I wanted a charging point in the glove box, so if I ever went somewhere, I could charge my phone and store it away so it’s not visible. It also would serve as a semi-permanent power point for my wifi hotspot. This would allow my dashcam to continuously upload content to the cloud, so I’ll always have it. Keep your eyes open for an upcoming write-up on it.
N2MB 2-Step
One way to produce more consistent launches would be a transmission brake or 2-step. There’s been talk of it from time to time on various pages/groups/forums. Well, this idea I can’t take credit for as a friend of mine, Forrest Folmsbee, who also as a pretty bad ass, fast Explorer Sport, turned me onto the value of having a 2-step and shortly after (by coincidence, lol), Jordan Christensen of SHO and YouTube fame, actually brought up the N2MB 2-step controller WOT BOX to me and Andrew Bullock (current SHO record holder) as a possible option. Now, this WOT BOX is nothing new and has been around for some time. I just hadn’t heard about anyone using it in our application. After speaking with the folks over at N2MB, they said it would work and they produced a wiring schematic for me on the connection process. I’m currently in the process of wiring it up and will have a more detailed review and analysis coming shortly after.
As you can see from the image below, I’ve already made some tweaks and upgrades to the box. I’m excited to see how this may help with ensuring a good launch…or if it will even work at all, there is some concern that the nannies for the PCM may not even allow this to function. Only time will tell.
Dual In-Tank Fuel Pump
So I lied a bit earlier, LOL. I said I wasn’t one to hold secrets or care for notoriety. However, I think, just for this one, I’d really like to get that pat on the back. Call it selfish, but it’s been an expensive endeavor and could make a huge difference for all of us (if I can get the cost down), so maybe a small “attaboy” isn’t too far outta line for just one project, at least, LOL.
Anyway, this is a project I’ve been working on for A LONG time and some of you may know about it. One of the projects I’m most proud of and could possibly be a game changer. I haven’t posted any updates on it as there some things I’m waiting on, but the project is slowly moving forward.
A weak point of the platforms fuel system is the low pressure delivery side. Even with an upgraded Deatschwerks DW300c Low-Pressure Fuel Pump (LPFP), the low pressure side drops very low. With my current setup and fuel choice (e85), the system still sees dips of down to 60psi. The systems is happy above 80psi and actually functions in the 90-100psi range. For the time being, I’ve had to use a Boost-A-Pump to keep the system pressure even close to being happy. I don’t like this as it has the potential to overdrive the pump and could cause premature failure.
The reason I am “appearing” to over engineer this is because I want this to be as close to an OEM-style, plug and play (within reason) fuel pump as possible. The OEM system is a returnless, PWM-controlled fuel pump and I’d like to keep it that way. Sure, you can hack all sorts of larger pumps, doing a hybrid return-style system with a static Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR) and referencing boost, etc. I feel, if we can keep the PCM controlling this, that the best solution is a full PWM controlled system. It’s been a pricey endeavor and there are ways to make it a bit less expensive, once I get it to work, but it will still always be very expensive. When I complete the project, I’ll probably just release the recipe for it and let you fine folks find ways to make it cheaper.
So the real holdup on this project is not even the fuel module itself. I am 100% done with it and fitment is perfect. The holdup is controlling it…which is really the most important part of this project. It is highly doubtful the OEM Fuel Pressure Driver Module (FPDM) can drive 2 pumps, so tackling this issue has been a concern. There may be a few ways to handle it, and none of them are off the table, but for the time being, I am attempting to have a unit made by TorqByte that will completely replace the OEM FPDM and emulate all the PWM signals required as well as being able to drive both pumps without a Boost-A-Pump…
As you can see, it is a beefy unit. I’m currently working with TorqByte to see if we can program this thing to work…there’s a chance it may not. At which point I will have to address controlling both pumps a different way (I have some ideas). What I like about this setup is it’s relatively plug and play installation as well as the possibility of having the PCM control the entire system without the need for any Hobbs switches, external FPRs, etc.
Stay tuned…
Exhaust Manifold with EGT Probes
Here’s is a project that has snowballed a bit, but may turn onto something worthwhile. I’ve been working with a local fabricator, Alex, who is out-of-this-world talented. He is the one who made my entire exhaust system and it’s a work of art.
I’ve recently commissioned him to produce a set of aftermarket manifolds for the stock turbo locations. Since I will be using the larger Gen3R turbos from GearHead (I had the ATPs, but blew a seal and not really happy with them anyway), which have a stock-type bolt up, I wanted to stick with that. I believe there is enough turbo there to make quite a bit of power. Going full aftermarket larger turbos would be awesome and I know there are at least 2 SHOs experimenting with dual GT-550/660s as well as a few single turbo conversions. But for what my goal is, the stock frame will suffice.
As such, I’m looking to have some really nice manifolds produced in stainless steel. There are a few dilemmas with our platform that, with enough money and customization could be addressed, create some limitations. Most notably is the limited amount of space for the rear turbo. Short of really moving stuff around, banging the firewall away, or coming up with a very elaborate heat protection program, there isn’t any real way to get an equal-length header/manifold to fit. With lots of discussion with the fabricator as well as some hesitation, we decided that sticking with a log-style manifold would be best.. That’s not to say it’s impossible to get equal-length headers made, it’s just not within the scope of what I’d like to spend or have to customize.
Needless to say, the end product will still be outstanding and function quite well. We’re currently at the point of production of the flanges and now constructing the actual manifold.
BTW, for those folks who are interested in having a custom manifold made, Alex is open to selling the flanges without pipes so that you can take it to your local fabricator of choice to make any sort of custom setup you choose. The design and CAD work has been done here, so it may be beneficial should you choose to go a custom route. Or if you’d like to wait until he’s completed this OEM setup, he will have a fixture made to be able to reproduce them. Word of warning…Alex is not cheap. But the quality is out of this world and he has a reputation within the racing arena for doing a lot of high-end work for some major players.
So what’s up with the Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) probes? Well, for a few reasons, it’s actually quite difficult to know exactly what’s going on within each cylinder of a high performance engine. Especially since I have port injection methanol, there is no way to get a true indication of the temps going into the cylinder. Each methanol injector in the runner is actually injecting AFTER the IAT2 sensor, which sits on top of the manifold. I do have one methanol injector before the throttle body, but that is all that will reflect in the IAT2 temperature change reading. The next best thing is to measure temps AFTER they leave the combustion chamber. And even better than that is to measure each cylinder individually. That way, it can be possible to tune each cylinder to it’s maximum potential. The issue with only one EGT probe in a common collector is that you are not getting an understanding of which cylinder is falling behind the others and tuning that will force you to tune to the weakest cylinder. With a probe in each exhaust runner, you can tune each cylinder individually and really get the best tune. So I recently ordered a set of 8 K-Type thermocouple probes…one for each exhaust runner, then one for each downpipe, post-turbo.
And the bungs will be welded into each runner/downpipe.
Obviously, there will be a need to connect these probes somewhere and to read (even possibly datalog) them. That’s where the AEM 8 Channel K-Type EGT CAN Module comes into play. And connecting THAT to a pyrometer or logging device is the next step. I have a few ideas, but not sure what route I’d like to go…stand by for that.
GearHead Gen3R Turbos
So a few months ago, I started seeing the dreaded smoke out the exhaust issue. It began slowly but eventually got pretty bad. Turns out, the rear turbo seal went out. Not really a surprise as many of us know this pain. They were a pair of upgraded ATP turbos and, frankly, didn’t have many miles on them. I did beat them up pretty badly however. What’s interesting here is that I actually ran the world record for the platform (at the time) on the blown turbo…
That being said, I was never really happy with them. First, I was never excited about the customer service they offered. It was nothing too serious, just felt very impersonal. Not that I’m expecting to drink a beer with any of them, They were just very abrupt with many of my questions before the purchase. When I told them a seal went out, they sounded surprised. The have no repair kit available and wanted to charge me almost $900 for a repair…basically they just install a new center section. Nah…they were way too laggy anyway. I was NEVER able to tune out any sort of quicker spool and/or response out of them. Not without putting too much torque down and breaking something. I will admit though, they pulled like a freight train when they were in the upper range. So, instead, I started looking elsewhere. Well, Jordan turned me onto Matt’s Gen3R turbos. Very similar in size to the ATPs, but with a billet compressor wheel. This fact alone should allow for a small bit of additional throttle response and slightly quicker spool time.
Here’s a small comparison of the 2 compressor wheels side-by-side. Left is GH, right is ATP…
Will be interesting to see how different these will behave once I get them mounted. But before I do, there are a few small modifications I will be doing to them. Just as Jordan did, I will also be ceramic coating the turbine side using Jet Hot, who I’ve used for years and love what they do.
In addition to ceramic coating the hot side, I will be upgrading the wastegates to the TurboSmart ones. The ones that Matt provides on the 3Rs are the OEM wastegates (3PSI spring) and preloads them to another PSI. He states that they will hold up to 22PSI just fine, which I don’t honestly expect to exceed. The ATPs use a Garrett 0.5bar (~7PSI). The springs in the TurboSmart WG are 7PSI as well. However, after conferring with Matt on this change, he feels it wouldn’t hurt the turbos and may actually slight help in keeping the boost level up between shifts. He gave me the green light on the upgrade.
Stay tuned for the install and write-up on this…also looking to beat my own record with them soon…
Stiffen Control Arm and Upper Transmission Mount
One thing I wanted to try after getting the idea from Caden Leinen, was to stiffen up the other motor mounts a bit more. Tony DiCunzolo offers the lower transmission mounts and they make a huge difference. With that, I always wondered if there was an option for any of the other mounts. Caden introduced the idea of using some liquid urethane to pour into the existing mounts in an attempt to stiffen them up. So I ordered a new upper transmission mount, and while I was at it, some new lower control arm bushing housings. The passenger side motor mount can’t really be filled with anything as it is pretty sealed up/encased and there is no easy access to the internal damper. I will be using some 94A liquid urethane to stiffen these parts up. I’m sure I’ll introduce a ton of NVH, but…you gotta pay to play.
ATI Crankshaft Balancer Damper
I don’t have a bunch of information on thisas the project is in the very early stages, but I’ve got Ryan over at RMB Motorworks making a custom ATI crankshaft damper for the engine after seeing him do one for the 3.5L in the F150 version. Since I currently have a Ford Raptor crankshaft and the matching pulley for it, it’s a dead-on match. It isn’t a bolt-up solution as ATI doesn’t offer one for the platform/engine, but there is one that can be converted with some machine work. I’ll provide more details as they come in, but it will be a nice touch in keeping the motor running strong.
External Oil & Transmission Cooler
I’m also working on a better quality oil and transmission cooler setup. Haven’t nailed down which exact coolers I’ll be going with but they will both be a bar/plate design from Improved Racing. I’m simply waiting until I remove my front end so that I can get the amount of space I am working with and what will fit/function within the proper temperature requirement. Transmission cooler will go in front of the drivers front wheel and the oil cooler will be on the opposite side. For the oil cooler, it’s not the greatest way to achieve this, but I’m be using an oil filter sandwich adapter to pull the oil off to the cooler.
I haven’t gotten this far yet, but as for air flow…will likely entertain some standard NACA ducts. Something similar to this possibly in the front bumper corners.
I’m still a ways off from the project getting anywhere near completion, so it’ll be awhile before any updates…
Larger Methanol Injectors
I’ve also decided to up-size my methanol injectors. Looking at increasing the flow a bit more. I’m looking at going from ~1600cc of total flow to ~2200cc, with a big jump in the pre-throttle body injector. These will go in when I finally get to the motor installation. I’ll run what I’ve got for now…
RDU ATC (Active Torque Coupler)
This is a concept and design that was born from the hard work of Colin Bert and the shop AKD Built Performance. Looks to be an interesting piece and it is still undergoing some testing with Colin. This could give the rear end a bit more help in power delivery, making this platform a bit better at AWD.
I’m anxious to try it out. I’ll be buying a spare RDU to take apart. He looks to be making a Torsen LSD for the rear end as well, so I might wait for that to come out as well.
As for controlling this…that will be interesting. There is currently no way that I am aware of to tune the amount of lockup the RDU sees. If left at stock levels, it may be TOO harsh, so I’m nervous to install it before figuring out how to control it. Time will tell and I’ll keep you all updated…
The photos below are not from me, they are from Colin’s setup I believe, but show the work that has gone into this thing.
So, for now…this is the most up-to-date projects I been working on, other than my engine build…
Stay tuned…each of these projects will eventually get their own post as they become completed. Again, thanks for following the build and I greatly appreciate it!