TSG's Unified Fleet Thread

[thesameguy]

Called every junkyard I knew to call, nobody has any '08+ front bumpers much less an '08+ Aero bumper. I'm going to take a closer look at it this evening in better light, but I don't think there is a repair option. The entire bottom center section is ripped off - it's a fair amount of weight with a very small "connection" to the bumper, so I don't think there is an adhesive solution here. Because of the lower attachment and lower grille, there isn't a lot of room for fiberglass reinforcement. Bah.

On the upside, an entire new front bumper cover is just over $500. I'm *sure* it would have been a grand or more from the dealer. I also need a new lower grille, it's obliterated too. Another $60. The lower mounting reinforcement seems to have survived. There are two "supports" that I can't see at $40 each. The "guard plate" may be fine, it's another $30. At $110 total for things I don't know about, I'm probably better off just ordering them. Won't hurt to have new parts, and I'm sure I'll save shipping. I mean, what doesn't fit in a bumper box?

The guy who painted the Jag is good to go on this work, so I think I'm just going to pull the trigger. So much for that welder! Again. Although I guess I should be happy I have this cash sitting around rather than wondering where it's coming from.

Edit: Shockingly, I can 2nd day this for $60! Regular ground is $40.

Total: 820.18

Ugh.

[thesameguy]

[21Kid]

Looks custom. Nice FMIC Bro!!!!

Who looks that low anyway?


You know what you have to call the XR now, right?

Spoiler:

[thesameguy]

Oh, it's custom. That's for sure.

I am so angry about this - I'm not really angry at her. I know she didn't mean to do it, and I know she feels terrible. I am annoyed she was careless like this - "this is why we can't have nice things." I am angry about the loss of $800 (plus, what, another $300 for paint?) that I'd been holding for almost a year to finally get that welder, and I'm angry I gotta spend a bunch of time on this instead of things that keep getting delayed. I'm angry at the circumstances. My Sunday "work on the SPG at last" day started with "can you spend eight hours helping my friend with some video" and ended with "let's not get a welding machine and also spend next weekend tearing my car apart." I am seriously thinking I should have kept the Santa Fe, something she could crash into and over stuff, zfg. I love her, but I increasingly think she is incapable of driving a car. This whole thing sucks.

[thesameguy]

The XR's remaining noise is definitely on the exhaust side. It may be the flange between the manifold and the exhaust - it was REALLY loud this morning, but quieted down to an acceptable level after warming up... it didn't take long. I'm guessing one side of the flange (turbo or manifold) isn't razor-straight and is getting worse. I really hope it's the turbo and not the manifold. The turbo is fairly easily replaceable, the manifold borderline hen's teeth. I wonder if someone like ATP has a thick T3 gasket. Hmm.

[thesameguy]

Don't believe anything I say.

The XR drove fine on the way to work today. Took it out at lunch and things started great. About 20 minutes in boost went from a wastegate limited ~8psi to exactly 0. I looked around, replaced some unlikely but suspect vacuum hose, listened and felt with the engine running, found nothing.

Back on the road, no boost. Then boost. Then no boost. At around 0psi during a no boost moment there is a sound like someone capped off or opened up a whistle.... from normal turbo spooling sound to plbththth to nothing very quickly.

Upon arrival at my next destination I had a very high idle - 1500rpm or so. Initially I assumed the issue was pre throttle body since my idle was solid, but maybe things have changed. Or maybe not. This car has an extremely infrequent idle problem - about once every three months it does the 1500rpm idle thing - so today's event could be complete coincidence. A shutdown and restart always cures it, as it did this time as well.

After leaving my appointment, I hit the freeway again. First 10 minutes, no boost. Rest of the drive (about an hour), regular boost. I took some video which I'll throw up on youtube that I *hope* captures the "no boost noise." It's very exciting! But, no further idle problems.

I went by the house and did some emergency vacuum hose re-routing. I disconnected the hose to the vacuum tree and ran hose directly from the intake manifold to the brake booster. I tee'd into the FPR hose to run the WGA and BPV. I swear - I can't make this stuff up - I am now getting a DIFFERENT noise than I have ever gotten before... a whooshing sound. It *could* be the air filter, it seems about right, but it's important to document everything. This is for posterity. Boost for the next 30 minute leg of my travels. I don't know how much boost since I have no gauge now, but *some*, more than 0.

I have had various boost & idle issues with this car for 10+ years, but they come and go... like the idle issue, it's so infrequent it's not been worth tackling. Thing is, in '14 when I installed the RS500 intercooler and hybrid turbo, I assumed the past problems would be cured since it was essentially a complete intake system rework. But, they didn't. And, they didn't change when I installed the intake spacer over the summer & resealed the intake manifolds. All of the "big stuff" has been gone through, but old problems persist... and now have gotten much worse. I can't help but think the root cause is in something I did *not* change through all of this, like the vacuum system. So now I'm ruling that out. I'm grasping at straws!

Right this second, I have a weird noise and some boost. If that doesn't change, I'm happy to leave it that way for a while. I have other things to deal with, the XR can go slow for a bit.

[thesameguy]

Possibly more lies:

SPG is so close. What I think I am missing:

1. 8 gauge butt connector - Amazon will deliver that tomorrow
2. Rear tweeter install - should knock that out tomorrow or Thursday
3. Test the stereo (ain't no thing, I'm a pro)
4. Stupid damned rectangular nut for the passenger seat. No idea how to solve this.
5. Put the interior back together.

Then it goes for a drive. WHAT.

[CudaMan]

It's not really a whistle - it's a loud woooooooooooooo.

But but but...



Srsly, know the feeling on the bumper and "this is why we can't have nice things." I just had to replace the silver Z's side skirt after someone ran over a curb with it. [In addition to all the clips used to fasten it, there are a good 8 bolts holding it in place - ain't gonna fall off with cone contact at autocross, like the ND Miata is prone to do.]

Learn lots on solving that boost problem so you can help me diagnose and fix my friend's Supra this fall. The second turbo can't hold boost.

[Phil_SS]

Your girl does nice work. Very clean and efficient.

[thesameguy]

Oh, no, it came in dragging on the ground. That's post damage-ectomy, where I removed all the broken stuff.