I should - I only have the alternator to worry about. I think I have 12" between the face of the crank pulley and the back face of the radiator. My blower is about 10" front to back. I anticipate having enough room. One thing that I have kicked down the road is where I'll put the cooling fan. I do have flexibility with this but it'll need figuring out.



It's a good observation - I 'think' it's ok right now but it'd be wise to install the hose I have. My other options are to cut & reweld a pipe to the thermo-housing that's re-angled / resituated. It also brings up the thought on how does the coolant line run from the OEM thermo-housing to the bottom port of the radiator without touching a exhaust runner.

The thermo-housing and the blower coolant feed line dictated the path of the exhaust runners on the drivers side while the alternator and engine mount dictated the passenger side.

I appreciate the comments guys!

TCode has provided some insight and my 6-1 collector flange situation. Things got a little more complicated and expensive. I'll need a twin scroll flange with dual waste gate ports … which quadrupled my estimate for a collector flange...the good news is the collector flanges that should be considered are sexy af!!!

 

I'n not so much worried about anything touching more concerned about the radiant heat from the exhaust on the rubber belt. It will probably be fine when you are driving but once you shut off the car that is a LOT of heat focused on one part of the belt. I'm assuming you will be using a turbo blanked on the hot side correct?

 

To be honest I havent even considered the temperatures the runners and turbo hot side before this moment. So wrapping the headers and a turbo blanket is probably a must at this point. Two things to consider - the blower is water cooled - so this will assist (and I use that word lightly) with heat mitigation and my hood is vented where engine bay heat can dissipate.

It may be wise to look into a better heat-shielding on my coolant lines and possibly re-routing the line that go under the runners - I got a few OEM hardpipes I could mod and more fittings.

Im not sure how to gauge if the alternator belt will be exposed to extreme heat other than gauge that once everything is back together. Possibly fab a heat shield to cover it up.

I appreciate the comments for sure!

Here are the updated pictures:



I'm in a little of a holding pattern for about a week or so. I got a court date for a ticket back in November and I cant spend any money until I get this figured out. I'll need a 6-1 collector, and flex couplers to complete the header fab. Also seriously considering running individual O2 sensors on each runner - I am fairly sure the Link can take them. But I do have a handful of things that can get done in the mean-time. First is fabricating the fuel system. This piece will span the bottom of the car AN -8 (1/2") fitting on the tank end and a AN -12 (3/4") on the front end that'll take a fuel filter before being split into the twin AN -6 feeds. This line is a .59" ID. The return line will mirror this using a .42" ID SS line.

 

Looks amazing! I'm sure once you get it closer to finished it will all be fine and im just being too cautious.

 

Moving along nicely, Man!

 

An ounce a prevention prevents a pound of problems - I appreciate the extra set of eyes!

For sure! Thanks for the support!

I'm pretty motivated right now - I feel like I'm on the last few laps of a long race.

I did get registered for Pikes Peak ASA so that'll be my main goal - everything back together, headers fab'd, turbo up and going and retuned by late June!


Weekend update:
got the 525 into fuel basket, the feed line fabricated 100%, and the return line about 80% ... I ran out of tube. A little bit of a curve ball in that the return line is pretty thin (.035") and is difficult to weld (and/or I suck at it) so I'm gonna use 1/2" for each feed and return leg.

I think I'm gonna go with a Elmer Racing 6-1 collector ... its crazy expensive (F-word, everything is expensive), options are limited, and this is top-tier quality (CNC'd 304 stainless) and has the sized runners I need and is the thickness that matches my existing runners (schedule 10 1.5"). The collector also has the dual waste gate ports facing each side - which will make fabricating the WGs easier. The downside is it's a T6 flange - so i'll have to run a adapter...






Considered this one - it's my favorite layout but the runners are 1.25" and not 1.5" ...






My second options was from a guy in florida (monkey fabrication garage) who has a really nice 2-1 flange ... I could piggy back his Y-pipe'd pre-fab'd waste gate (which comes with 1/2 the v-band flange) onto this flange but then I'd be tasked with doing a 3-1 merge per bank...the deciding factor against this was the cost of the flange 2-1, the WG Y, and the the 3-1 for each bank (slight less expensive overall - but would be a pain in the nuts to fab everything and make it look good) and that these are 16ga thickness.




As always ... if I'm not seeing something feel free to chime in!

 

 

got about this far...it's rough, there are a few tacks that need attention. I'm trying to be as tight and precise as I can and I anticipate running at least 3 flex bellows on one bank (not sure which one yet) - ChrisDE was right - the pipe moves on your between the heat and the stress of it hanging off tack-welds. It was good to get the collector and T6>T4 flange mocked up where it needs to be.

I anticipated running the front two cylinders out in-front but I think it'll interfere with the waste gates (and I want the waste gates right off the collector as close as possible) so I'm going to tuck it close to the block and wrap up the back side and over the other two ports.

I have this feeling that I'm gonna run out of time - so, I'm happy to make small steps each day/a few days a week.

 

You need more speakers.

 

I collect speakers and AN fittings ...

where do I put the flex bellow to impact flow the least? along the side of the block? in-front? or am I over thinking it? can I get away with 3 installed on one bank or should I install 6 to equal out the induced turbulence on all of the runners?

 

Every time i look at your thread, I'm in awe of your fab skills. Any plans to make it so that the setup comes apart, as in you'll be able to remove the passenger and driver side headers separeately?

 

 

I don't know how I never ran across this build thread.

This looks to be flat out amazing. Subbing for sure.

 

Jeez James I left for 5 months and you birthed a metal medusa

But I too am wondering about design for maintenance. V bands are solid and look good

 

Thank you for your support - if you have any input feel free to chime in!

See how you are! Maybe spinning that bearing is the best thing that could have happened to me!

V-bands can be added...3 or 6? where do you think the best place to splice them in?

 

I I hope you also managed to sell that greddy kit to someone who is happy to have it. You guys would both be happy that way.

When I get a chance tomorrow I'll Mark up your photo of where I would put them. Either way you're worlds ahead of me with the front end being so open.

if I can think of anything else to make your life easier once it's installed I'll let you know too

I do have to say it would be a really beautiful thing to see this in 304 stainless with that blue tinge

 

 

Those welds are looking good. You are stacking them very nicely!

 

James I would do a V band strategically on straight runs over 4" or so in length looking at components on the engine and car that you might need to get to so you have good flexibility to get tools where you need them or to remove the majority of the system for any reason, and also one after each elbow coming from each exhaust port. You never know, and it's not like they leak like gasketed flanges do... I'm sure you won't miss that ONE BIT. I'm having terrible flashbacks thinking about those darn things.

Now to start a name... Colorado Compressor? Boost by Bealljk?

 

Thanks Conway! I got a little squirrely I might take my amps down and just try to slow down. The thicker material helps carry the puddle and not melt-through.

Do you think a v-band on each runner where they take a hard left / right and swing in front of the engine? That'd make it easy to bolt each header on and then bolt the remaining runners up.

I don't think it'd be wise to hang the turbo off the headers so I was going to fab a bracket that connects the T4-T6 plate to the block.

my fantasy football team name last year was Colorado Compression. I do like the moniker 'unknown performance' just bc I don't do much (if anything with the car scene in Colorado) and I think it has a good ring to it!