Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Forced Induction I'm LIVID ... the saga begins!!!

Well, there has been a change of plans:

The transmission is at the house from Terry

So, I will be going to AutoZone this weekend and getting two new half-axles (GCK) since one had a split boot as noted earlier in this thread and the other will no doubt break on me with my luck

So, I will finish up the long block buildup (still need to clean the UIM, attach the DPFE to the head, etc.) ... all small stuff. I will then mate up the tranny to the block and get started on the reinstall into the Contour. It has been TOO long since I have driven the car and I would rather get it back on the road and break in the clutch/engine while fabbing up the turbo system vs. having the car down during fab and then have to break in later and then fit the turbo even later.

All I'm waiting on now is the custom fabed 304SS headers (16 ga 1.625" primaries collected into 2" collector at stock location) ... she's coming along mechanically and I hope to have her running by March 15th

Still waiting on the headers to arrive before moving on ... I want to do as much as possible with the engine out of the car, knowing where I have room to work and where not. Once she is in the car, I will fine tune my measurement. So, I currently working on the oiling lines. I have drilled the block and threaded in a 45 degree 1/2 NPT/-10AN fitting. The return line from the turbo will be -10AN ... pictures of the drain side of the turbo will follow. Here are pictures of the block location that was tapped and a reference shot showing the location with the stock headers to show clearance

3/4" hole drilled to accomodate 1/2 NPT (ID) fitting


-10AN return line installed


Reference picture of tapped location


In case you want to debate the tapping of the block vs. the pan, don't bother ... it's been done in this thread where I also posted these pictures on the subject matter of oil drain material used.

Now on to a questions:

1) What is the thread size of the oil supply galley in the head nearest the firewall (next to the DPFE sensor)? I search and only came up with a single thread and IIRC stated 1/4" NPT, but that seems rather large to me since most turbo supply companies cary mostly 1/8" NPT.

2) Also, what size reducer (oriface size) should I use to reduce oil pressure to the turbo?

that head hole is 1/4". i bought a 1/4" to 1/8" plug, then a 1/8" to -4AN piece, then an oil supply line from ATPturbo.com. they also sell the suggested oil restrictor for my turbo. i dont know that your turbo needs, sorry.

I used a soft phillips head bolt that I threaded into the oil fitting I installed on top of the turbo. Then I shaped the top to fit the A/N fitting shape, then drilled it using a 1/16" bit. The 1/16" hole seems more than sufficient for that engine oiling system to provide plenty of oil.

lol, i got pretty much everything from them.....good site, and great support too

For the oil feed, I used a Function7 billet aluminum oil feed flange with a built in restrictor and is -4AN, at the turbo. I have a -4AN steel braided line that runs to an earl's -4AN to 1/4" NPT adapter to back of the right head.

PS- I also have my block tapped in the same location for my return line, and it clears my MSDS headers fine.

Just a little followup on the measurements involved here.

Tom stated:

Originally posted by warmonger:

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I used a soft phillips head bolt that I threaded into the oil fitting I installed on top of the turbo. Then I shaped the top to fit the A/N fitting shape, then drilled it using a 1/16" bit. The 1/16" hole seems more than sufficient for that engine oiling system to provide plenty of oil.

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The Daymon followed up with:

Originally posted by Swazo:

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For the oil feed, I used a Function7 billet aluminum oil feed flange with a built in restrictor ...

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The Function 7 piece has an orifice of 1.6mm. Just thought everyone would like to know that 1/16" = .0625" = 1.5875 mm. BTW, I did these calculations before ordering the function 7 piece, but forgot to post them with regards to Tom's advice ... thanks guys!

I haven't been happy with my 304SS welding and then I realized something ... I have been using 308SS wire with plain 72% Ar, 25% CO2. I remember reading that a high volume of Helium should be used in the gas mix when using MIG on SS. So, I did some quick research and sure enough, MIGing on 304SS should use what's called a Tri-mix of 90% He, 7.5% Ar & 2.5% CO2.

So, today at lunch, I went by the local gas supplier and picked up a small bottle and let me tell you, this [censored] is expensive! $65 deposit on the bottle, $100 fill for a "small bottle" roughly 3' hight cylinder ... I will check the capacity tonight. That's a lot of money just to lay down a nice bead, but it must be done. Ar/CO2 with 308SS filler wire will cause a contaminated weld, which will weaken the weld and cause it to be more prone to cracking/failing. It's a compromise I'm not willing to live with ... I'm a perfectionist.

Now, I know you must be thinking "but you are only tacking this" ... well, if my fabricator comes back to me with an estimate that is too high for my liking, I'm prepaired to build these myself with my MIG, but I must first perfect my skills. This doesn't mean laying a "good bead", for me, this means laying down a "great bead" that is structurally sound and not contaminated.

I can't wait to get started on more practice this weekend! I just need to pick up some more Acetone for prep work ... I ran out