Sirius 4G62B 1.8T into GK GSR - it begins

[GB_BB4C]

Just a thought, what temp sender do you have in the motor. If it's not one for the dash it will give a wrong reading.

[Shifta]

I have the Speco mechanical one from the gauge plumbed into the motor and also the standard dash wire is connected up to another electrical sender near the thermostat. When the car was at 90-95degrees on the Speco gauge, the standard GK guage was just past 3/4 so not in the red section but getting close. As soon as we were doing 60 again the Speco gauge came back around 80 and the standard GK guage was in the middle between Cold and Hot.......

[DanTurboLancer]

Hey SHIFTER, forgot to add, it might if you haven't thought about doing it already,
Be beneficial to use some form of heat sheilding between your turbo and spark leads,
And turbo and brake master...

Heat in spark leads is a pretty big problem.
EF, EL, AU Falcons where the leads were run over and mounted to the rocker cover have engine miss fire problems all the time, and its usually a good bet that it would be a lead short.

Imagine that effect with a glowing red turbo next to them.


And I never had a problem with brake fade from the brake fluid "Boiling"
But I did have a problem where the resevoir was actually melting.

Also without a vent above the turbo, my paint bubbled on the bonnet.



I see in your Signature you already have a Factory Turbo.
Perhaps you could take the one off your other car and get a sheety to make you up a copy.

Or Turbo Beanies can be found on EBay for cheap?
And then perhaps goto the lengths of heat wrapping your engine pipes and dump?

[Shifta]

Hey mate, thanks for the tips! I had planned on looking into that but have been distracted by everything else so will add it to the list. Copying the GH setup is a good idea and so is the beanie so I'll look at a combination of both. The bonnet already has vents so that's all good

[camB]

My GE apparently had a Jap instrument panel originally, but when I bought one with a tacho it was the "Aussie" version and needed new temp and fuel senders.

[Shifta]

Yeah not sure on the temp issue. Measured up the clutch fan and its around 13 inches and sits back from the radiator. The thermo I bolted up against the radiator is 11inches. Pulled the thermostat out and it's set to open at 82 degrees ( 180F ). Went for a drive tonight in the cool air and the car stayed at around 85-90 degrees and the standard GK gauge was in the middle. I guess what I'm not sure of it how hot is too hot? I measured up the radiator and I should be able to fit a 14inch single thermo comfortably so will suss out some bargains on Ebay. If that doesn't work I'll look at maybe custom mounting another fan in front of the the intercooler....

[A112H]

This is a bargain, not sure on quality but the price is right
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/THERMO-FAN-14-BR ... 483ce1964f

[woops]

Don't go cheap on a thermo fan. There is nothing worse then finding out during peak hour stop start traffic that your thermo fan has decided to pack it in. Been there, done that, not fun. Turning off the engine at traffic lights and watching the needle go higher and higher until you get some clear road.

Why don't you try a wreckers and find one off a factory car. I pulled one off a mid nineties sonata and the air that it flows is pretty good. It's a bit thicker then an aftermarket one but the blades and motor are much bigger too. I'd dare say that a used factory thermo is more much more reliable then a brand new low to medium priced fan.

[Shifta]

Thanks Jason, I was looking at that exact one today! I have half a plan. The radiator is out and I'm hopefully dropping it off at a radiator place in Lonsdale tommorow to get flushed. I also found a sigma shrowd in the shed with a 15 inch hole. I'm going to try the radiator when I get it back with the shrowd and 11inch thermo, and if still an issue look at getting a 14 inch one. Yeah, good advice woops, I'm off to UPI tomorrow so might have a nosey around.

Now, I have another problem. I couldn't get the car to make boost properly so I tried to adjust the Wastegate Actuator rod and it snapped in half . My mate can weld it for me but then it won't be adjustable so I'm gonna try and find one if possible ( and if it's cheap! ). Anyone reading this thread got an actuator and rod setup lying around? Before I snapped it off, I tried closing the wastegate permanently and it's only making 6-10 psi and inconsistently so I have a leak/issue somewhere. I removed the BOV from the equation and that wasn't it so when I get the radiator back and sort the actuator, I'll need to do further diagnosis....

[A112H]

Given woops' ideas and they do make sense, I have the factory fans from the Starion if you are interested? I think $50 if you collect if a deal?
For the coupe I am thinking of running a 12" on the engine side of the rad at 90c and running a 8" on the out side of the intercooler set at 80c.
These numbers are adjustable but from exp I think they should be sweet

Anyway these are the Stazza fans I have and wont be using

[Shifta]

Cool mate, I'll keep that in mind! Will see what the radiator place says and go from there - will send ya a PM if keen .

[DanTurboLancer]

I had the same problem with mine awhile back, I had the boost wound right up and it was only pushing 10PSI,
I found that the cheap Intercooler that old owner had fitted was causing the problem.
I think i read that you have fitted one that you got second hand off a mate, was it ok before?
Can you by-pass the turbo with a straight length of pipe?

Another problem i had with low boost levels even though the Turbo was wound right up was the Gasket between the Turbo and the Manifold was leaking.
You might be able to feel the air leak with your hand at idle,
but this particular case i couldnt, it was only after i removed the Turbo i found the dark tell signs of air leaking.
I think the turbo was lifting allowing the air to escape instead of flowing through the turbo.


Then general stuff, check the clamps are fitted properly and rubbers arent split, no pin hole leaks in pipes, intercooler hasnt got a hole

Was it running more boost than this before?

[Shifta]

Thanks mate, it ran 18psi before but there was still an issue - I would disconnect everything and it would still max out at 18. I didn't want to run any more than that so didn't investigate further - I figured the wastegate was creeping open or the BOV was leaking. The cooler is what I had on the old car so that is a possibility. I haven't got a pipe to bypass the cooler but I like the logic - might see if I can rig something up once I get the radiator sorted.

[DanTurboLancer]

Oh and the other question, the Turbo is off a Skyline or something common wasnt it?
Could you just try to replace the whole Vacuum pot and rod rather than trying to just get a rod?

Import wreckers might be able to help??

[Shifta]

Yeah that's what I was after Dan - the whole setup. Managed to sort one yesterday and it wasn't quite right so a mate modified it for me. I rechecked all the hose fittings, changed over one silicon hose, and we wired the gate shut properly - backed off just before 20PSI . So the leak issue is sorted and now I have a new actuator. My adjustable is only allowing me to run 10psi but that will do for now.

In regards to cooling, I had a couple of hours spare yesty so I did some reasearch at UPI. I grabbed a sigma radiator and went round the whole yard looking at various thermos. I almost bought a magna one that has it's own shrowd but in the end I found a nice 14inch one from a Pajero that was easy to mount. I dropped my radiator at Southern Radiators and I had a spare one that leaks so I bolted that one on with the fan and factory Shrowd I had and used that will sorting the boost yesterday. The thermostat opens at 82 and while cruising it sat around 86-87. At idle it crept up to 90-91. Seems better than it was so the thermo and shrowd have helped. I'll get the radiator back during the week and see how that goes - hopefully makes a difference. I might still get a lower opening thermostat later on as well just to make sure .

[DanTurboLancer]

can you show me a good clear close up photo of the Turbo actuator vac pot, and the rod as it goes into the Vac pot?

[Shifta]

Here's a pic of the old done, minus the bracket as we cut it off and welded it on the new one:



In related boost news, I moved the adjustable bleed valve into the engine bay to reduce the amount of hose involved. It made an extra 2psi so now runs 12psi. That will be ok for street use but I might look at a cheap electrical set up down the track. In regards to the cooling, I got my radiator back today flushed and pressure tested. Swapped it all over with the new thermo and took it for a spin - still sitting between 85-90 whether idling or driving. I guess that's not too bad if it never exceeds 90, but I'll order a new, lower temp thermostat tomorrow to see what that does.

[Shifta]

Thought it had been a while since updating the thread but didn't realise it was 3 months! Update on the car. Still only making 11psi - I haven't sorted a new adjustable boost set up yet. I'm getting the idle looked at by Steve Knight tomorrow so hopefully that will be sorted. Still having temp issues - I put a 74 degrees thermostat in and it was still getting hot so I took it out. Today I gave it a good hiding and it seems fine, but when the weather gets warmer it may still have trouble. Even with the temp and idle issues, I've been loving driving it lately - fuel injected turbo cars are so much fun to drive! The old 60's colts and my orig GH Turbo have been given a backseat as the GSR is just a great car to drive

[Shifta]

Idle is sorted - only took Steve 10mins to give it a quick tune once we got the right software for the haltech. Still not sure about the temp situation as with the cooler weather and no thermostat, the car maye be running too cold here and there! I'm thinking a small Adelaide cruise may be on the cards soon!

While at SKR, I spoke to a bloke who has the shed next door and he showed me his black GK GSR which is for sale. He wants $10k for it which in it's prime may have been a good deal but the paint etc is showing its age. Not sure if I'd pay it but having said that, the thing is an animal - 4g63 with a decent turbo and cooler making 240rwk. The interior looked neat and it had a few bonuses like a decent fuel set up and nissan diff. If someone was looking for a quick, well set up car then it may be worth chatting to him!

[Shifta]

Wired up my Hobbs pressure switch today and tested it with the water lines still in the washers. Hit 10psi and they come on so all good. Hopefully tomorrow I'll re-reroute the lines to some jets I'm hoping to put in front of the cooler somehow. I found all my adjustable boost gear ( swtich, relays, wires and solenoid ) but I seem to be missing the barb/bleed section. Anyone know a link to a good article on DYI electronic boost controllers?

Also updgraded the head unit for the stereo. The old unit was "brand new" from a swap meet but as always if it seems too good to be true, it probably is

[A112H]

Any news? How is it coming along?

[Shifta]

I hadn't realised it was so long since my last post! Ok since then, I rigged up the water sprayers and it all worked well ( probably too well as it doesn't take long to go through a bottle of the metho mixture when going for a strap! ). I cruised the car regularly until it ran out of rego and now it's sitting in the shed waiting for rego or more work to be done. I still haven't sussed the adjustable boost so it's still running 11psi. I want to do a Scorpion diff conversion but really not keen on paying the prices that UPI and Mitsi Bits want. If anyone comes across a wrecked GK Scorpion on the cheap, let me know! I'll be happy to take the whole car if needed.

In terms of the cooling issues, I never really found a solution. On a 30degree day with prolonged boost or even mild boost up a hill etc saw it creap up in the mid nineties and get close to 100. As soon as I was off boost or downhill, the temp would fly down. I asked Steve Knight and he didn't think it was much of an issue and said some of the Evo's he tunes on the dyno get hotter than that. I dunno. I now have a small aircon fan blowing through the intercooler, as well as the water sprayers and the main thermo behind the radiator. I had the radiator flushed and tested, flushed the motor, replaced the thermostat with a lower one, and have rigged up the two fan set up. The only other thing I can really do is go twin thermos attached to the radiator but whether that is better than the one big one, I really don't know. I guess I'll revaluate next summer or at the drags etc. I miss driving the car though and if I hadn't stretched myself so thin was too many cars and commitments, I'd keep it registered and drive it regularly!

[Shifta]

Nice Leigh! No worries about the centre as I was hoping to go L300 centre anyway....

[Shifta]

Progress! After a couple of months of not doing much at all but sit there, had a win today. A mate came round last night and straight away saw the issue with the adjustable boost. Can't believe I missed it. The original set up involved placing a T piece in the actuator hose and running the hose to a manual pressure valve which I was then venting straight into the atmosphere. What was happening was the pressure build up at around 11psi was enough to put 7-8psi of pressure through the L leg of the hose setup, therefore telling the Actuator to open the gate. The answer was to remove the T peice set up and run the two lines straight to the valve. When the valve is shut, No boost at all makes it to the actuator and therefore the gate stays shut and the boost is unlimited. With the valve open all the way, the car makes about 8psi - should be 7psi but the extra lines and valve is probably a factor. So basically now I open the valve to my liking and can run whatever boost necessary! Stoked to have the answer without buying a new setup .

Also thanks to vr4retrofit, I now have a GK Scorp diff sittin on the shed floor. Looks like that's next on the agenda...

[webby]

There's a couple of 2-way LSD's for the 10-bolt on yahoo auctions at the moment if you don't feel like running a welded centre

[Shifta]

Next stage has slowly begun. Started stripping the scorpion diff. The plan is to clean it up, paint it at all, remove the old one, and then slowly put it all back in. I'll need to source new discs and a few other bits and pieces along the way. No rush as the car is our of rego and it's winter. Might aim for a stint at Mallala in Spring .

[Shifta]

I heard there's a test and tune day in August at the Tailem Bend test track so a rough goal is to make it there. So time to pull my finger out. Progress is slow but I cleaned up the new stuff I had :



Over the next couple of weeks will source the rest of the gear. Anyone in SA got any cheap rear end bits for a GK Scorpion lying around? As far as I know, I still need :

- diff mounting arms
- 2 discs/rotors
- at least one (maybe 2 depending on whether the one I have isn't shagged ) brake calipers
- pads
- tailshaft to suit

and also a diff centre from an L300 ( SA model I think? )

I might put up an ad in the wanted area too. Happy to go to UPI to get the gear but if I can get it for the same price/cheaper and not have to go rip another diff out it would be a bonus!

In other news, just when I thought picking up Mitsi stuff at a reasonable price was getting hard to do, I came across a couple of pepperpots randomly during the week. They were advertised as Siggy Turbo so I got them a bit cheaper seeing they weren't

[pistorf]

In terms of the cooling issues, I never really found a solution. On a 30degree day with prolonged boost or even mild boost up a hill etc saw it creap up in the mid nineties and get close to 100. As soon as I was off boost or downhill, the temp would fly down.

I have had a similar problem with the 4G63 in my HJ Galant after I had the head off to replace some buurnt exhauast valves. It woul run fine for around 40km on the highway,then the temp would rise dramatically.When I would pull over,the temp would instantly drop down to wher it was before.
It got that bad that it pressurised the cooling system so much that the top tank on the radiator split.
After replacing the radiator with a new one,I was told that Sirius engines will run hot if the air is not bled out of the cooling system. there is a bleed screw on the thermostat housing.
My car took an extra litre of coolant and is running a lot cooler than before the head came off.
Might be worth a look.
Good luck with it.

[Shifta]

Hey pistorf - only just found your post now so apologies for the delay in responding! That's handy info to know for sure and I'll probably check it out today.

Update on the car - been distracted with my trailer the past few weeks so now it's time to get stuck into the Sigma. I got a L300 diff centre and will be getting it locked soon. I've got the diff mounting arms but still need all the brake bits. I've sent of my entry form for the track day so the clock is ticking.

On a side note, anyone got any spare Sigma Galant.com stickers? My car isn't that much of a show car or anything but I'd like to pay the site back for all the tips and help by displaying a sticker or two on the day.

[A112H]

I have a few stickers you can have, if you are heading to UPI North over the weekend stop in and grab them