Lagging it...

It has yet been a while since I've followed up on this blog.  My car has been running smooth, looking great, and handling awesome.  However there are still quite a few things I want done but haven't had the time to save up for parts due to the holiday season.  Not to mention a speeding ticket that I recently got is going to hold me back a bit, but that's neither here nor there.

Engine Management
Here's the deal, I know for a FACT that my current tune isn't putting out my setup's potential, or close to it.  A couple reasons is this, my wastegate duty cycle is restricted to 68%.  For those of you who don't know what that is, all turbos have a wastegate to let off excess gasses that the turbo produces.  Whether it be an external wastegate or an internal one, most if not ALL automobile turbos have one.  How this is regulated is through a boost control.  For those interested, please click here for more information:

http://www.perrinperformance.com/pages/show/113

What Jon at HB Speed did was replace my restrictor pill to a larger diameter hole so I can hold more boost.  This allowed him to put 18lbs of boost through my turbo.  However, since my wastegate is only open 68% of the time when I'm in wide open throttle, there is a lot more potential for my current setup.  So a re-tune is definitely warranted, but not until I get the parts that I want so I can make the tune worth while.

Transmission
Arco has repeatedly told me that my clutch has been stiffer.  I believed him, but I didn't think it was a big deal until two other friends confirmed that it is stiffer than normal.  This prompted me to search for an upgraded aftermarket clutch.  I originally wanted the ACT HDSS clutch, which is their performance street clutch that can hold up to 400lbs of crank torque.  But I'm opting for the Exedy Stage 1 to try and balance off cost and performance.  The clutch should hold me until I can afford a PPG gearset.

Plans for Summer
For my build this summer, my goals are as follows:

TGV deletes
Intake
Better Intercooler (Still debating on TMIC/FMIC)
Swaybars + Endlinks
Short Shifter
Fender Cowls
Anti-Lift Kit

I'm also toying with the idea of a catback, but who knows.

Once those are done, then I'll concentrate on the reliability stuff like forged internals and stronger gearsets.  Anywho, more to come.  Be prepared for some canyon/autoX/track day adventures!

Rotella T

I finally changed my oil.  The change was done at approximately 77,000 miles with Shell Rotella-T Synthetic 5w40 and Purolator Pureone.

The process itself was very simple.  However, I managed to get myself into trouble by putting more oil than what my engine can handle.  Thankfully, Arco helped me fix my issues by draining the extra oil from the oil filter.

While changing the oil, I noticed that the used oil was black and thick (a very good indication of probable oil starvation).  Arco pointed out that the oil that left the oil pan was not the amount that went in.  So, in theory, my engine could have been starving for oil because I haven't changed it in around 12,000 miles.  We also noticed that when we drained some of the new oil, it was still pretty dirty.  The oil that leaked from the oil filter wasn't as thick as the used oil, but it was almost as black.  To remedy this effect, I'm going to change my oil again in 3,000 miles.

Overall, my impressions were satisfactory, but not impressive.  The car is definitely smoother, however I feel like I had better results with Castrol Syntec.  I'm not sure if it's because I haven't changed the transmission gear oil yet, or if it's because my car still has some of the old, burnt oil lingering in the engine.  I'll definitely do another review of Shell Rotella T on my next oil change, and when I do my Gear Oil.