Street Build 98 GST Revival Street Build

[kyler021]

I can help you here with ECM Link tuning if you have a WB and a MAP sensor wired and logging.

Thank you Justin ! I appreciate you offering to help. I'll update the build thread once I finish up the piping and all that. I should have everything you mentioned all good to go minus a calibrated WB sensor, but I can look up some videos on that in the meantime.

Kyle

 

[kyler021]

Well I don't really have a good update, but this past week has been non stop schoolwork and all that jazz. It's nearing finals week so I've been dealing with all that stuff.

On Monday, I replaced the sway bar bushing. I had noticed there were some deep cracks in the oem bushings so I replaced them with Energy Suspension Poly bushings. I also replaced the Felpro (Fail-pro) exhaust manifold gasket. I noticed there were some black marks on the gasket near the 2 bottom nuts in the center. I should be getting started on the IC piping here as soon as I can get a better Intercooler. The mounting points on the IC I have sheared off the top so I'm not gonna use that one unfortunately. Once I have the IC mounted I'll get started on cutting the piping. I also have the mounting bracket for the IC on order.

Kyle

 

[Justin DuBois]

I had chronic exhaust manifold leaks, no matter the gasket, until I sanded flat the cast iron manifold flange. Don’t know why I didn’t check that sooner.

 

[kyler021]

Intercooler mounted!

Will hopefully complete the piping this weekend. The hot side seems easy, because it's like 3, 90-degree angle pipes. Cold side will be a different story though so we're gonna see about that.

 

[kyler021]

Forgot to add this to the update, but I bled the clutch fluid as well. I also changed the rubber hose that's on the master cylinder because it was kinked. I'm not sure if this was causing a shifting issue or if my synchros are worn out, but hopefully this might fix a 1-2 shift issue. I'm not counting on it but hey, I'm trying to be positive here .

 

[kyler021]

Alright! Finally got the intercooler pipes on and everything went smoothly for the most part. Used a miter saw for the pipe cutting and a DIY bead roller with a vise (Amazon bead rollers suck by the way). I also started it up and it actually ran the same as it did when I had it running with nothing hooked up... It goes super lean and dies. I give it some gas, it acts like it's dying and then it'll rev up. I'm assuming this is a tuning issue hopefully. Maybe I messed up one of the settings in the ECU, who knows.

@Justin DuBois If you're still up for helping me tune, I can post a log once I get home. I can also post screenshots of all the settings I have saved in the ECU, like inputs and stuff like that.

Also, does anyone know of a speed density intake that has the PCV nipple already on it? I've searched multiple places and can't seem to find one with a nipple on it.

 

[jesse12345]

Do you mean for the throttle body elbow? If so I bought mine on stm tuned.

 

[Justin DuBois]

Alright! Finally got the intercooler pipes on and everything went smoothly for the most part. Used a miter saw for the pipe cutting and a DIY bead roller with a vise (Amazon bead rollers suck by the way). I also started it up and it actually ran the same as it did when I had it running with nothing hooked up... It goes super lean and dies. I give it some gas, it acts like it's dying and then it'll rev up. I'm assuming this is a tuning issue hopefully. Maybe I messed up one of the settings in the ECU, who knows.

@Justin DuBois If you're still up for helping me tune, I can post a log once I get home. I can also post screenshots of all the settings I have saved in the ECU, like inputs and stuff like that.

Also, does anyone know of a speed density intake that has the PCV nipple already on it? I've searched multiple places and can't seem to find one with a nipple on it.

View attachment 792011

lets see the log

 

[kyler021]

lets see the log

So, I think my fuel pump is either dead or the in-tank connector repair my grandpa and I did, did not work. I think that's why it's dying. Last night the pump wasn't working, I banged on the top hat of the fuel pump hanger and it started working again. So I'll work on diagnosing that.

I am not sure if you'll be able to do anything with the log right now until I fix that issue, but here's one log I took today.

I also have my current settings attached. I really appreciate your help!!

Edit: Mod list would probably help too
Evo 560cc injectors
Walbro 255 pump (non-rewired, will get that done next credit card bill)
Evo 3 16g turbo
Front mount IC with hard piping
ECMLink
AEM wideband, mechanical boost gauge and AEM oil pressure gauge
AFPR
Intake pipe
4Bar GM style MAP sensor
GM IAT

 

[kyler021]

Do you mean for the throttle body elbow? If so I bought mine on stm tuned.

The turbo intake pipe with the air filter on it, I currently have the Injen that has the PCV and vacuum nipple already on it, but I wanted to switch to a speed density one to clean the bay up a bit.

 

[Justin DuBois]

Log shows what you are describing - no fuel after initial start.

 

[jesse12345]

Ohhhhh okay gotcha. I don't know why I read that so wrong. You just want one that eliminates the maf. I do actually have an fp one but it's 4 inch so it might be way overkill.

 

[kyler021]

Log shows what you are describing - no fuel after initial start.

Welp, I narrowed it down to my "repair" or the pump itself. Ordering that in-tank connector from STM now.

Ohhhhh okay gotcha. I don't know why I read that so wrong. You just want one that eliminates the maf. I do actually have an fp one but it's 4 inch so it might be way overkill.

All good man! And yeah that may be a little too big for my setup . I'll probably just deal with this until I can find a good deal on one. Not trying to pay 200 bucks for one on STM

 

[kyler021]

I did some more diagnosing today. Seems like it's definitely the wiring repair we did. I swapped in the old pump, tried to fire it up, and no whine from the fuel pump. It's getting power at the fuel pump hanger, just not to the pump through the in-tank connector.

 

[kyler021]

Fixed the fuel pump! I also got it to stay running. The problem was that I had the coasting offset at 190 and an idle speed of 900... the coasting FC offset should be at 0 with an idle rpm of 900. I also adjusted the TPS.

Tomorrow I'll adjust fuel pressure and look into calibrating my wideband again, although I am pretty sure it's either really close or dead on.

It ran, but ran super super lean... I don't even think it registered on my wideband. Here's a log:

 

[kyler021]

Getting this car to idle has proven to be even harder than I thought. No matter how many idle tuning and AEM wideband calibration videos I watch, I just can't seem to get it. I can't get the car to stop running lean, I've been slowly tweaking things to see if anything makes a difference and if anything, it may have gotten worse . Unfortunately, I need to get the car idling properly to do all the other stuff I need to do like adjusting fuel pressure, burping coolant, adjusting the ISC etc. Even information on calibrating the wideband is all over the place I'm not sure what to believe. I figured getting the cruise and WOT tunes would be tricky but damn, even the idle tuning I'm not understanding .

I feel like I need to take a break from the car but I know it'll hurt going outside and looking at my unfinished shitbox.

Kyle

 

[DogWhistle]

Getting this car to idle has proven to be even harder than I thought.

I feel like I need to take a break from the car…

There’s two schools of thought on taking a break:

1) Your time away gives you a clearer head and fresh perspective to possibly remember something you over looked.

2) You take too much time away and the job seems very hard and makes you not want to tackle it again.

Give it a few days of reading others’s posts in DSMTuners and see what they ran across for problems and solutions.

Would suggest you start a new post dealing with only the tuning issue. Tucked inside your Build Thread, fewer people are going to see it.

 

[kyler021]

Give it a few days of reading others’s posts in DSMTuners and see what they ran across for problems and solutions.

Would suggest you start a new post dealing with only the tuning issue. Tucked inside your Build Thread, fewer people are going to see it.

Thank you for the advice man, I appreciate it. I want to learn as much as I can but I don't think I've been more nervous to make changes to my car . We're gonna see how far I can get with this.

I'll create a post about the tuning issue tonight or tomorrow. Really excited to drive the car, even if it's just up and down the street.

 

[chrysler kid]

Check the simple stuff first since you did all the mods at once there may be something mechanical you missed like a boost leak

Did you set the base fuel pressure with the car running and the vacuum line pinched for the fuel pressure regulator?

 

[kyler021]

Did you set the base fuel pressure with the car running and the vacuum line pinched for the fuel pressure regulator?

I just went out and did this with the vacuum line off. I set it to 43PSI with the line off the regulator and the car running, so that part should be all good.

As for the boost leak test. I am going to go get all the parts needed for that this week. I originally thought that I needed shop air, so I wanted to get it running enough to take it to the shop that's local to me. But I figured out I can just use a bike pump so I'll just do that.

Just for curiosity sake, I put the Evo fuel maps I downloaded into the direct access section of my ECU. I figured that may be better since I have evo injectors (It may not matter but I wanted to see if it would help). It did the same thing with the lean idle so honestly, I think chrysler kid is right. I most likely have a boost leak somewhere. Will keep you guys updated. I'm predicting a leak in the throttle body area.

My AEM wideband is a pain to calibrate. I may end up upgrading to a X-Series wideband, also partly because one of the LEDs on the display is now dead . I've grown to dislike AEM after working with it on Link.

Thanks for reading!