Anyone who's installed an APS Turbo with engine in the car help me out. On the LHS turbo, I can't get the nut started on the front stud closest to the motor, I can feel the end of the stud with my finger, but can't for the life of me get my hands in there to get it started.

I only have the lift for a couple more days and if I can't get this thing done by then I'll have to ship the goddamn car off to have the rest of the turbo installed which will royaly suck a$$.

 

Upon looking in the bill of materials, does that special wrench it comes with have anything to do with it? Although I find that if you can't get your hand on the nut, don't think you'd be able to get a wrench in there...

 

The wrench doesn't help, I can't even use it to get the nut started. I honestly can't see how anyone with normal sized hands can get in there, and now I'm at a complete standstill with time running out. There's no way I'm sending the car out because I can't get one bolt started, there has to be a trick, maybe zero2prove, kyle@sgp, phunk, or peter could chime in with their expertise.

 

Yeah, too bad i'ts a sunday... i wish you luck man!

 

I'm about to give up; I tried test-fitting the RHS turbo.....couldn't even get it in place. I've never been so mad at myself in my life.

To all you guys who think you can do the install yourself cause the APS instructions make it sound so easy; save yourself a shitload of time and frustration and have it done by a pro. I'll more than likely need SPG to pick up where I left off, which means either money spent to ship the car or my time spent to trailer it down there myself. This is a complele cluster-F**K and it makes me not even want a turbo anymore.

 

ccartwright: I really wish I could offer more help to you. But the little I have to say about this is not going to do you any good.

I have installed the APS only on an engine on a stand. The process of doing that is probably more difficult then installing a greddy kit with the engine still in. The APS kit is a nightmereish tight fit. I attribute this probably to the fact that it will fit both RHD and LHD vehicles. I cant even imagine the frustration you are probably running into right now trying to get those turbos on, especially with those intrusively routed oil lines in the way.

Talking to Tuan of GRD, unless I misunderstood what he was saying, his mechanic has always lowered the engines out of the Z's at least a bit before doing the install. Call him up tommarow to verify this.

You could always try cutting a wrench to fit, but if you cant even get the nut started with your hands then this will not do you much good. Each Greddy turbo has 1 of 3 nuts that is very hard to get to, but if you break you fingers in the right spots and put them up in there you can thread them on by hand then use a cut wrench (about 3.5") to tighten it, and then we end up using a prybar for the final torquing of that nut since the shorty wrench doesnt give you enough torque.

One thing I will say is... have pride in yourself for at least attempting the install. Take a breather and try again. I am one impatient mechanic myself and I am the guy you will hear cussing and throwing tools across the shop when something isnt going my way.. but I dont give up... I say ****, I throw the wrench, and I walk away and handle office business.... go back out there a hour later with a clear mind and then I manage to get it. Even if you dont finish it, at least you tried.

This experience may be very dissappointing to you, but if you get it finished or have a professional finish it for you... you will say that it was worth every moment you spent on it. Your engine with that APS kit on there will perform far beyond your expectations.

 

Thanks Charles. I just got finished trying for the third time. Everytime I try, and give up, I have to pull the three nuts I CAN get on, OFF, pull the turbo, then scrape off the Permatex. I can't believe what an unbelievable PITA this is...I'll call SGP tomorrow; they supposedly do their aps installs motor-in.

 

To get The right side turbo to fit check instuctions you have to hit the top of the motor mount and bend it down witha hammer.Then wiggle it and it should go right in.
Good Luck

that is the top plate/shield

 

not sure your exact situation, but one of those long little nut and bolt grabbers are very flexible and may help you get it started. you can't get much twisting force from it so you wouldn't have to worry about cross threading it either. if you can't even see it try little mirrors too. kind of funny but a drawer in my tool box holds all these "special" tools.

 

Okay.....either by a stroke of good luck or the grace of God, I got it. BUT, I couldn't get it as tight as the others, but the turbo itself is rock solid on the manifold. I think it'll be good enough to hopefully make it to Houston in a week or two, to have it all looked over and tuned on the dyno.

I still haven't even attempted the RHS, but I did hammer down the heat shield on the engine mount some more, maybe I can get it on there tomorrow.

Thanks for the replies everyone, they're greatly appreciated!!

Chris

 

Sounds like your having fun with this. I am not nearly as far as you. I only have in about 3 hrs on my install. I had trouble with my test-pipe to exhaust bolts. I had to cut 2 of them off so that cost me about 40 minutes. I have the test pipes off, radiator drained, oil drained, bumper and impact beam off, upper and lower plenum off, washer fluid bottle off. I was hoping to get to the headers, but was attempting to take off the coolant lines off the radiator for some more room, but need my buddy with small hands to come help out for a bit.

I know this is going to be a b*tch, but when it's over and installed, you will be stuffed full of pride that you did it. On the other hand, you can chalk it up as another install you wouldn't do again.

I swore up and down, I wouldn't touch my manifolds after installing headers on the car. Now, here I am 3 months later taking them out.

 

Wow, I commend you guys on this. I really wish I could have done my own TT install but I don't have the credentials nor the tools to do so. Trust me when the job is done, you will have much more pride in your setup, and you will learn alot about your motor!

Good luck!

 

Have you guys considered removing the motor mounts? I read thru Crawford Z's instruction manual of their header install and it mentioned removing the motor mounts for easy access to the headers and creating room in that tight area. just my 2 cents....

 

ok sorry im so late on this but i can help on the r/side install; Do not install in parts as instructed for the turbo and manifold!, asemble it as a unit on the bench, manifold turbo and down. remove the motor mount top bolt on r/side and lift engin( not to much or you will bend the uper cowl at the itake manifold) remove the small brakit ubuv r/side of trans.you will find the fule lines seem to be in the way no mater what you just have to work around them and be carefull, i have don this with and without the trans in,you may think it will not go past the starter ears but it will in fact after you have dun it a few tims it slides up in place very easy, its fast and much easyer than installing as parts. the asembaly will slide up in place from underneth with no problem. you will have to go from under neth the car to on top, back and forth to secure the exoust manifold nuts you will see what i meen when you get there.starting the farthest back nut on the manifold is best and it is not easy to get started and after you get it started only thred it a few threds(this is very important!!) then go to the top of the car and start the rest. And dont beet your self up the L/side is hard and it will not go in as an assembaly. it sounds like you did just fine. good luck and i will check in on you in a few days! sorry a bout the spelling but im in a hurry and tired.

 

Hmm...I already have both manifolds on and really don't wanna have to pull it off again! Plus I don't have an engine hoist on hand, so I think I'm gonna try doing it with the manifold on the car first, then if that doesn't work at all, I'll give your method a shot.

I sure wish I'd thougth of that earlier in the install! Actually I did, but didn't think it'd fit because of the motor mount being in the way.

 

Ziv, are you doing yours on stands?

 

Yes, the car is on stands. I had a heck of time getting the headers in when I did them, so I kind of know what to expect. I am clearing more room this time before I get to the manifolds. I am feeling pretty confident at this point, until I read your post , except I only have about an hour or two a night to work on the car (working till 8:30-9:00 every night is making the install take a while).

 

Well, manifolds are the EASY part lol. Do the LHS turbo first, because it's harder than the right side.

I got the RHS turbo, oil pan and a few water hoses on tonight. On the RHS turbo, the back two are obviously easy to get to, but the front are a little harder. I ended up using a 20'' socket extension on the front bolt closest to the motor, to get the nut on. And on the front outboard nut, from the top of the engine bay, I just twisted my right hand backwards and used my thumb and index finger to get the nut started. A little FYI for you do-it-yourselfers.

Hard part is done!!

 

i am so happy to hear you are making good progress. Believe me, it will ALL be worth the effort, and more...once completed. You will look back on this experience and be like...damn...that wasnt too hard.

 

You're probably right about that. But the other day I was about to push the car off a cliff. Well, I'm glad I got my little nervous breakdown out of the way early on, now I can hopefully enjoy the rest of the install. I just hope it doesn't pop when I first start it