ALK Awesome!
Just reading Part 3 of "Rex on Rails". FYI, when you have 150kW ATW and stock suspension the ALK makes a VERY noticeable difference. With that much power nose lift (plus some rear squat) and nosedive under brakes is very dramatic. You could almost measure it in inches when under power from a standing start; the road literally disappears below the bonnet line. Fitting the ALK alone fixed this almost completely on my car (pre DMS strut days), something I was not expecting to be so dramatic.
If you have stock power, the benefits of the ALK aren't probably going to be quite as noticeable.
Quinton Dolan
Australia
Oops - Wrong Cam Timing!
Just updating you with regard to the SSSleepy article (which is my car). I've taken the cams out in order to sell the car and I found that the exhaust cam was installed advanced by half a link! The guy I sold the cams to clocked 120kW ATW with a similar set-up to mine, so these cams look to be "the goods", considering I got 98kW ATW with incorrect installation... I'm now making about 98kW ATW with the standard cams!
Mike Glew
Australia
Pullin' Me Leg?!
One of my buddies told me over a drunken conversation that, in Japan, Nissan released a Skyline 4-cyl twin-turbo that produces over 1000hp. He since cannot prove his claim to me; can you put this argument to rest?
Jaredd
USA
Nissan certainly never produced a Skyline with a 4-pot twin-turbo making over 1000hp! The closest production Skyline to that is the 6cyl twin- turbo GT-R with 280-300hp. Just a few hundred horses off the mark!
Tricked Tercel
Your article "Fast Asleep" had a particularly interesting section on the Toyota Tercel/Corolla SR5. Do you have any other information regarding the car (eg Toyota engine code), the conversion or websites with that kind of information? Also, is the picture in that paragraph an actual shot of a successful conversion or is it just a shot of a standard Corolla that has been converted? Thanks!
Lewis Lee
Australia
Unfortunately, we've never seen anyone do a GZE transplant into the Tercel - and, yes, that pic is simply of a 4A-GZE in the front of a Corolla. Well spotted! For further info we'd suggest talking to specialist Toyota importer/wreckers - they should know what parts interchange with what.
Push Me, Pull Me
In your Mazda 6 test you mention that the tiptronic 'box works backwards, by pushing forward to change down. Surely that is more logical and should be promoted over the Falcodore method? I know it's a minor point, but if I were unfortunate enough to have to drive an automatic, I'd be rewiring the shifter so that it works the other way (correctly to my mind). Just a thought.
Mark Davies
Australia
The AutoSpeed staff is divided on this; is it best to push forward or pull back on the selector to engage a taller gear?
Interestingly, the Mitsubishi Magna and FTO require you push the lever forward to change up, while both the new BA Falcon auto and Mazda 6 are the opposite. Not even the car manufacturers can agree on the 'right' set-up!
Certainly, the in-car WRC cameras highlight the advantages of a system where you need to push forward to downchange; hard on the brakes and pressed into the harness, it looks so much more natural for the driver to push on the selector rather than moving against the forward weight transfer.
VL Turbo Squirter
I have read your article on water injection several times and have found it extremely useful. There are, though, are few things that remain unanswered for me to go ahead and do it. The main one is this nozzle (which I am having difficulty locating).
There are two connections - one for air and one for water. The hose for water connects to the tank, obviously, but how is it fed to the intake? Is it just gravity fed or does the boost pressure somehow force it?
Secondly, and mainly, where do I connect the air hose to? I have not yet looked but will there be a built in nipple off the intake side of the turbo? There is a hose which runs from there back up to just after the AFM; it seems perfect, but I don't know if it carries oil or something.
I would really appreciate any response as this is the only thing holding me back from doing this project. Thanks for all the great articles. BTW I am interested in this project because another VL Turbo had water injection at the drags and, along with nothing more than lots of boost and a big exhaust, he ran a 12.57 ET! Thanks again.
Samuel Lait
Australia
As quoted in "Water Injection"...
"The nozzle used is an air atomising design produced by US company Spraying Systems. The part number for the nozzle is SUE18A and it is available from agricultural irrigation and spray suppliers."
Note that the nozzle must be mounted on the atmospheric side of the compressor and it should be fed boosted air from (most typically) the intake manifold.
As you implied, the water that passes through the nozzle is also forced by boost pressure. As part of the system, therefore, you'll need a fluid storage container that is able to withstand internal boost pressures. Again, as quoted, "a custom tank can be made or a large pressurised radiator header tank pressed into service. Preferably the tank should be at least 5 litres in volume for each nozzle used. Note that the tank must be capable of handling the constant cycling of internal pressures up to the peak boost level. A low fluid warning buzzer should be fitted."
Further, instead of trying to mount the nozzle in the factory AFM-to-turbo pipe, we'd suggest making a custom pipe. As noted in Modifying the VL Turbo Intake the factory pipe is quite restrictive and you'd might as well make up a new one to suit; remember that you'll need some flexible joints to allow some movement between the turbo and AFM.
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