Spring Update

[spyderturbo007]

Just thought I would post what I have planned this year. I'm bored at work today and don't have anything to do.

I got the Spyder uncovered and out of storage on Saturday only to find that I had a battery dead enough that it wouldn't start the car. I expected the battery to be dead, since I don't start the car over the winter. I leave the battery on just to keep the security system on while she sits. It has a 24 month replacement, so I just went and picked up a new one from the parts store. So I get the new battery installed and she fires up first try. Woo Hoo, things are looking good. Well, almost.......

I take a look at the SAFC and see that the voltage to the ECU is 12.2v. Something isn't right. I decided to go get my logger, which I left at the freakin' house, just to be sure. Get home to find out that I forgot to charge the Palm over the winter so now I have to load pocketlogger on the palm again. Damnit. Then I realize that I got a new computer and forgot to download and install the desktop software. Anyway, I get the logger all fixed up, grab some lunch and go back over to the storage garage.

Plug in the logger and see the same 12.2v. Crap, now I need to have the charging system checked. I run the car down the road (about 2 miles) to AutoZone only to find out that they don't test charging systems. Dirtbags. So I decide to call Advanced and order a new alternator. I didn't want to drive the car too much because I was too lazy to get another battery and didn't want to get stranded with the car.

They were able to get the alternator ordered and I picked it up on Sunday.....$202 down the tube. Anyway, I get the car to my parents house, since I don't have a garage at my house, and start yanking out the old alternator. It took about 1 1/2 hours to do the swap and we were all ready to fire it up. Works like a charm!!!! Consistent 14.1v on both the logger and the SAFC.

Now it's time for the rest of the stuff. I checked for leaks and didn't find any, then decided to take a look at the FT's. Everything was fine last year, but I noticed that the the LT and ST were running about 8 - 10% higher than they were before and my idle was down to 650rpm when the car was warmed up. I dialed down the correction on the SAFC and had them back to 0 in no time. Oddly enough, the idle came back up to 750 when I got the FT's taken care of. I never thought there would be a correlation between FT's and idle. I guess it's time for a PCV valve. That should bring them back to where they were last year.

Took her out for a spin at 23psi and had forgotten how fast she really was. Holy crap, I think I started giggling. Anyway, the tune is solid, drops to 8 degrees as the boost hits and peaks around 21 or 22 degrees. No dips, or big flat spots. Nice! Time for a beer.

Today I decided that I was going to order everything for the timing belt job. I had it done about 5 years ago, but I have only driven the car about 4k in the last 5 years. I wasn't sure it was necessary, but better safe than sorry. Picked up the timing belt, balancer belt, idler pully, water pump, tensioner bearing and the BS tensioner. Got everything from Extreme MotorSports for about $325. I was a little shady about using non OEM belts, but Sean assured me that I would have no problems with them. Apparently they use Gates belts on their race cars and he promised that he had never had a problem with them. Now that I'm having the water pump replaced I can finally get rid of that damn antifreeze drip. Apparently the o-ring where the water pump meets the water pipe is shot and I get a very slow drip when driving. That's probably what took out the alternator.

I also decided to pull the trigger on a cat back, which should shut some of you guys up around here. Everyone used to pick on me all the time for refusing to upgrade the catback.........for those of you who wern't around back then. I talked extensively with Sean Glazer at Extreme and he was helping me pick an exhaust. I wanted something as quiet as possible and as inconspicious as possible. I had hear a lot about the Thermal R&D, which he said wasn't that quiet. He told me that quietest exhaust was the Greddy EVO 2. He also said that the tip was smaller than most of them, coming in at 4". He also told me that the tip was located at the bottom of the muffler, thereby hiding the muffler under the car more. All that sounded good to me, so I pulled the trigger for $615.

Thank god the wife didn't give me any crap when I told her what I spent. Not that she has any room to bitch, since I have to spend about 10k putting new windows in the house this summer. Anyway, I was out the door $945 later. I called my mechanic and told him everything was on it's way, since there is no freakin' way I'm going to do the timing belt myself. That and I did a bunch of computer work for him over the years so I have about 12h of free labor that I'm going to cash in.

Everything should be installed and running in about 2 weeks, depending on when the parts arrive. Hopefully I don't hate the exhaust. I'm just so afraid that it's going to be really freakin' loud and I'm going to have to rip it off and put back the stock cat back. If so, I'll post it in the classified section before sticking it on ebay.

Wow, my fingers hurt, so I'll stop for now.

[Thor06]

Nice man. Another thing you can do to keep it quite is either leave in the cat or get a new high flow cat, or put a resonator in there. You'll like it dude, trust me .

[spyderturbo007]

Thanks Thor I plan on keeping the high flow cat in and was told by Sean that it would bolt right up to their cat. I just realized that I forgot to ask if there was a bung for the rear O2 sensor. Crap!

[scottsee]

going from 2.5 to 3in ehhh? I'm going to have to take back what I said a couple years ago..

[BoostedSpyder]

yes there is a bung.

you will love the exhaust. even with no cat it purred. sounded like a V8 most of the time. it's not highpitched loud, but rather very rumbling loud. very deep low tones. you will see...

[spyderturbo007]

Originally Posted by BoostedSpyder

yes there is a bung.

you will love the exhaust. even with no cat it purred. sounded like a V8 most of the time. it's not highpitched loud, but rather very rumbling loud. very deep low tones. you will see...

I'm guessing that you used to run the EVO 2? I'm just glad to hear that there will be no bumblebee associated with this exhaust.

Originally Posted by scottsee

going from 2.5 to 3in ehhh? I'm going to have to take back what I said a couple years ago..

Yep, finally going to replace the cat back......I'm courious to see how much airflow I'll pick up with no changes other than the exhaust. Seeing as I did the exhaust pretty much last, as opposed to doing it first. We've all been hearing forever that the exhaust is such a huge restriction, I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Hummm......That could be a pretty interesting poll.

[spyderturbo007]

Damnit!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I was taking her to the garage last night and jumped on the expressway. My wife was following and I decided to give it hell when I pulled out. The tach hit 4k or so and guess what.......my clutch is smoked. The tach went right through the roof.

I guess it's time for a clutch.

Hopefully I can have one overnighted so my mechanic can get all this work done by Friday. He isn't open on the weekend and I leave for business trip on Tuesday.

[spyderturbo007]

Yikes!!!!

Well, I just got off the phone with Extreme MotorSports and ordered everything I need for the clutch job.

-Hyperdrive C2 Clutch disk with a 6-puck Pressure Plate

-Hyperdrive Metalfly Lightweight Flywheel

-Stainless Steel Clutch Line

-Clutch Fork and Fulcrum

All for the low, low price of $882.87 Damn, I'm going to hit the $3,000 mark in not time. Maybe the wife isn't getting new windows for the house this year.

[gthompson97]

Originally Posted by spyderturbo007

Maybe the wife isn't getting new windows for the house this year.

DSM > house upgrades.

[BoostedSpyder]

DSM > happy signifigant other

my GF let out the truth about the Spyder after it was gone:

too loud, smelled like exhaust way too much, too loud, not enough things to hold on to, and i was always tinkering with something on it [everytime i walked by it i was drawn to grab a tool of some sort, DSMitis i call it]

god i loved that car.

and yes i was the very happy owner of an Evo 2. best. exhaust. ever.

but i would really go with the ACT 2600 and a Fidanza Flywheel. just my opinion though.

[spyderturbo007]

Originally Posted by gthompson97

DSM > house upgrades.

Yeah, that works for me, but try and tell that to my wife.

[spyderturbo007]

Originally Posted by BoostedSpyder

but i would really go with the ACT 2600 and a Fidanza Flywheel. just my opinion though.

That was what I had in mine initially, but after talking to Sean at Extreme, he convinced me to go with the Hyperdrive setup. His explanation was that the additional leverage needed for releasing the clutch wasn't directed at the thrust bearing.

Sounded good to me, although I can't find any information here, at tuners, or talk about the Hyperdrive. I guess I'll be the first.

[WaFFeL]

I'll tell your wife that car upgrades far outweigh upgrading anything else .

[spyderturbo007]

I was hoping I wouldn't have to post something like this, but here it goes:

My mechanic, and friend, I've had for 6 years is never going to see my car again. I'm also planning on asking the 8 or 10 customers I've gotten him never to go back again.

They FU$KED up my car so bad it isn't even funny. Let's see where do I start......

1.) Apparently they didn't put a support on the jack when they jacked up the motor to work on the timing belt and caved in my oil pan.

2.) They didn't tighten the alternator properly which caused the belt to jump and shread.

3.) The shreaded belt from the alternator took out the PS pump belt, so I had to replace that as well.

4.) They screwed up my perfect paint job, not horribly, but bad enough.

5.) They stripped the stud on the transmission that bolts to the passinger side motor mount.

6.) I found 2 bolt holes in the tranny that are missing bolts.

7.) Apparently they bent the transmission spline when doing the clutch installation.

Needless to say, the car is basically undrivable from a stop. It shakes violently when I try to pull out in 1st gear and when I try to downshift. I am so freakin' pissed off I can barely think.

Nothing like taking an absolutely perfect car to a mechanic and getting back one that's so fu$cking screwed up I want to puke.

A$$HOLES!!!!!!!!!

[WaFFeL]

Wow im sorry to hear that man...all those mistakes sound pretty amatuer too...