Newbie here...

[tejohnson]

Hi all,

I have been curious to ask who has been doing customizations in the area. I have a completely "Stock" looking 99 Grand Am SE (coupe) which I have played with over the past few years...

It all started with a leaking LIM gasket, and pretty much went to hell in a handbasket. Here are some pics from my top end rebuild:

http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/PhaseOne

It the major things at the time was port and polishing on the upper and lower intakes, head, and throttle body, headers, hi-flow cat, and 2.5" exaust...

Almost two years later, this past August, the resulting HP & Tq took it's toll on my transmission. I ended up snapping my differential pin sending a spyder gear rolling down Marrtown road with my transaxel fluid:

http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/transmission

I have since been working towards a reinforced transmission from a GrandAm GT (3.29 gear ratio)... WHile waiting for a completely custom Limited Slip Differential from http://engineered.net/ I have pretty much had the time to fab a custom Turbo setup from scratch:

http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/PhaseTwo

I am just about done tackin up the manifolds... The IC piping, vacuum line, and relocation of the coolant lines will be about the last few steps...

Soo.... I have been looking for folks and shops whom do custom work in the area... I have pretty much given up at this point locally. Anyone on here good with a TIG ;)

As to the fuel/engine management in my car, I play somewhat of a role providing services to a company called Digital HorsePower, Inc. out of Chicago (A web site for tracking bugs for their PowrTuner software). Their web site is: http://digitalhorsepowerinc.com/ In short, the PowrTuner allows me to create completely custom calibrations for the GM PCM. I have already made changes to accomodate my 42.5# fuel injectors, disabled the EGR, and a few other things...

Lookin forward to hearin from folks....

[narfdanarf]

kudos

[Feedman]

So is this the S/c model?

8)

[Don juan futon]

That's what I was wondering because he said IC piping, but nothing of forced induction. And porting and polishing, exhaust, etc. is nothing nearly enough to play a role on your rear diff. Just be sure you set that bad boy back up right though. Backlash and your contact patterns may play with you all day, but you don't want to take any chances.

[daveb91]

Grand Ams are not S/C Grand Prix GTPs are. Unless he was putting on a aftermarket kit.

[Eagle513]

Read on to Phase 2.

Custom Turbo set-up. Doesn't say which turbo, just by way of ebay.
Check it out.

[Don juan futon]

Ahhhh I see

[ShortysTRM]

I still want you to bring that Grand Am to autocross. There's one this Sunday. I think you're the same guy from swvrscca.org's forums..?

[tejohnson]

lol, yeah.... I am the same guy... Gotta get runnin first...

I was helping someone troubleshoot today, and i'll be damned if we didn't blow his head gaskets... Bad fueling, STFT and LTFT were between -100 and 99.6!

I have a 99 Grand Am SE (Which is FWD). Yea, you can get a Limited Slip for a GM FWD, rather than a stock Open Diff.

The turbo is a hybrid T3/T04E (.50/.70 AR, "O" trim):

Turbine Wheel:

Exducer: 2.54"
Mayor : 2.89"

Compressor Wheel:

Exducer: 2.23"
Mayor : 3.31"

Turbine Housing:

.70 " DIVIDED TANG FLANGE "

Absolutely everything is custom by me (As in all the plumbing).

[xjoewhitex]

welcome to the site 8)

[tejohnson]

thanks...

[tejohnson]

Inching a bit further this evening...

http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/PhaseT ... o_IMG_1558 (http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/PhaseTwo/PhaseTwo_IMG_1558)
http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/PhaseT ... o_IMG_1559 (http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/PhaseTwo/PhaseTwo_IMG_1559)

Gotta get them all welded up now....

[Feedman]

Looks niice. That looks like my old mani. You may want to brace the turbo, so the mani won't crack and leak.....


Good luck with everything....Have fun making your d/p....lol.....I know I did.... 8)

[tejohnson]

In the gallery there is a picture of the beginnings of my brace/heat shield ;)

The piping is a whopping schedule 40 (about 1/8" thick) which is a bit overengineered... And the DP, well, it is just gonna be a PITA... Thanks!

[tejohnson]

Well,

For those interested, or whom actually care, I wrapped up the Turbo install this evening. I also fired it up for the first time in months, and let the turbo break in at idle for about a half an hour. I scanned the entire event, and I also got a few more pics ( and video ;) ).

You can see them here:

http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/PhaseTwo

The scan is here:

http://groomlakelabs.com/grandamp/scans ... rbo_ga.csv (http://groomlakelabs.com/grandamp/scans/first_light_99_turbo_ga.csv)

Video is here: (Beware 25m!)

http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/video/ ... rbo_ga.avi (http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/video/first_light_99_turbo_ga.avi)

Seems there is a bit of a vacuum leak, and above 2k rpm it seems to detonate... Of course the puter needs some serious tuning.

[Jay]

resembles the blair witch project..
lol kidding

good job, looks nice
whens the smoke test?

[tejohnson]

resembles the blair witch project..
lol kidding

good job, looks nice
whens the smoke test?

Lol, thanks, I was thinking of making "Danger to Manifold" flash in red during the tiny idle revs for S&G's, but decided against it.

I have to change the plug gap and retune the PCM. Hopefully I can drive it around a lil bit on sunday.... Gonna do a a little easy 100 mile breakin for the turbo while I get the tuning right. Also have to fix that vacuum leak by replacing the UIM gaskets. I'm sure you heard the hiss...