[Project] Starting My Xu5T Build

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

not a fan of the zip tie thingys for the fan tom?

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

I'm not so keen on them, as they leave the fan cowl hard up against the rad water tubes, over time they could chaff away at the tubes until you get a leak.

 

Plus the fact I don't have any plastic ties, but I did have the stuff to make the brackets for nowt!

[welshpug 1,657]

a pug owner that doesn't have cable ties?!

 

know what you mean about the chafing, has that happen on a Suzuki SJ and it boiled right over before we knew it

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

Allen isn't on about normal cable ties, I've plenty of those, he is on about the type specifically for securing fans to radiators.

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

normal cable ties, I've plenty of those

 

Good! That's what we like to see.

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

Well, it fits, sort of....

 

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

It seems the gear link bell crank is going to need some attention, although with the pedal box fitted, there is plenty of room around the turbo. Exhaust looks like it is going to be fun to make though....

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

Said it before and say it again, amazing build and cant wait to see it running!

 

Gotta be said though, what is 'gear link bell crank'?

[welshpug 1,657]

the thingamajiggy on the subframe, aka Bell crank.

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

The Linkage Post?

[phil withers 0]

Stand more chance of ever running with a cog box strapped to it buddy !!

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

All in good time mate!

[Alastairh 47]

Nice work Tom

[M@tt 77]

tom remind me again, are you going to run the boost pipe out of the turbo to the intercooler by going up by the pedal box and down the drivers side wing, over/around the engine mount?

Edited February 19, 2009 by M@tt

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

That is the basic plan Matt yes, I was looking at taking it around the side of the cambelt cover and sneaking it past the eng mount, but now the engine is roughly in the car, it looks like there will be plenty of room to take it more or less straight forwards over the cam cover towards the front of the car.

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

And so out it comes again......

 

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Here is the mischievous bit of gear linkage getting in the way- with a slight bend down this should be sorted.

 

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

I've also started thinking about the exhaust, and today picked up a couple of 2.5" stainless 45degree bends. I'll need to expland the first one to fit snugly inside the flange, but otherwise this mock up looks promising.

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

I also nipped back to work tonight to use the monster steam cleaner, the gearbox before looked like something I'd dug out of the garden, looks much more presentable now, and also a damn sight nicer to handle without getting blathered in cr@p.

 

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

[sonofsam 5]

Instead of bending that linkage, I knocked out the ball joint pin and rewelded it on the underside of the linkage, wich gave me just enough clearence!

 

Great looking Turbo project Tom

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

And back in it goes! This time with flywheel on and gearbox on to get it to sit in the right place so I can see what is what. I was going to take the gear linkage bell crank off and bend it in the press, but my trusty hammer was to hand and a few well placed belts later and now it is no longer a problem!

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Mr Welshpug was right about the air intake pipework so I've started to modify this, it will now come up and over the cam cover so it doesn't intefere with the battery. I did consider a small red top battery and leave the pipework as it was, but seeing as I can cut and weld the pipe for nothing, or spend £100-odd on a battery, I opted against the battery. I've made a start on some ally pipe to come down towards the front of the car, but I've now run out of 2 1/2", and also this now needs to wait really to see what else ends up where.

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

My next dilemma is intercooler placement. I can either carry on with my original plan, with the rad leaning forwards, which will allow the cooler behind the grille, but unless I lose the bonnet catch and go to pins (which will ruin the stealth approach, so isn't an option) the intercooler will sit partially behind the rad- not good.

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

So my other idea is to have the rad stood upright, in the bracket I've fitted. This will then allow the intercooler down in front of the rad. Again there are options here, if I cut off the end tanks and rotate them 90 degrees then I could get it behind the black grille in the lower valance, but this would mean moving the no plate, so again ruled out for the stealth aspect. So the other idea is to have the intercooler down there, with the air flow across it being down to up, rather than forwards to back. With some ducting from the aperture in the front valance that is already there, I think I should be able to get some good airflow up over the intercooler.

 

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

And if I paint it matt black, and with the no plate fitted again, it will be pretty hard to spot I reckon

205T by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Opinions welcomed on this one as although I'm leaning in one direction I'm not sure.

[M@tt 77]

i tried that ball swapping thing on mine after reading it somewhere on here but it caused all the gear rods to impact on each other and not work.. I left the ball where it was in the end and just bent the lever slightly

[welshpug 1,657]

having a play with the welder is far more satisfactory than spending £100 on a battery in my eyes

 

my thoughts on the intercooler, either down behind the lower grille with the end tanks rotated through 90deg (I doubt the numberplate will restrict airflow too much)

 

or mounted above the radiator if possible, not sure how far through the slam panel the catch comes though, the combination of rad intercooler and catch may cause ground clearance issues.

 

keep up the good work Tom

[taylorspug 7]

The catch can be bent if that is an issue though, ala MI conversions with chopped fan cowlings. The rad ends up sitting directly below the catch so the bonnet wont shut. Putting a approx 30 deg kink in it (kinking the bottom towards the engine) solves the problem. Juts makes the catch a little harder to unhook from the slam panel, although i wouldnt say thats a bad thing with 205 bonnets...

[Cameron 16]

Just read this through, what a great project.

[sonofsam 5]

I fitted an intercooler with out any of this radiator dropping malarky & with the standard fan cowling!

God knows why you lot love those cossie coolers

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

They'll flow enough air to support 200bhp, they are cheap, I'm tight, they are cheap, they are cheap. I think that sums it up. Oh, and they are cheap!

[sonofsam 5]

Fair enough, although I only paid £20 for my MR2 'cooler wich is good for 230bhp so I've been informed,

and has superior end tank design! You get a free fan when you buy one too

 

I just feel having to duct air to a FMIC defeats the whole point of it though doenst it?!

 

Your call, but personally I would have a rethink on 'cooler choice.

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

I've got a cunning plan, fear not baldrick

 

All will be revealed in due course!