TurboClunker (a.k.a. cheap-ass slaps a turbo on his LX)

[scottryana]

I would clearance the compressor housing and the manifold slightly before I would put a spacer on. Nothing too aggressive but hit both with a flap disc should give you enough clearance I would think?

 

[Heckraiser]

Just to lift my spirits: cardboard heat shield. Think it will hold up?

 

[Heckraiser]

I would clearance the compressor housing and the manifold slightly before I would put a spacer on. Nothing too aggressive but hit both with a flap disc should give you enough clearance I would think?

How much would you consider to be adequate clearance I was hoping there would be enough of a gap to run the heat shield under the compressor housing. I feel like having the compressor housing in such close proximity to the hot exhaust manifold would be a bad thing, but maybe it's not a big deal? How hot does the center housing of a turbo get?

 

[scottryana]

It gets pretty hot, 90+% of people don't run any heat shields on their turbos. The hot side is as hot as the exhaust manifold, the center is cooled by hot oil and the compressor side can have air 400+ degrees coming out of it. Of course you won't have that much hot air since it is not working outside of it's efficiency range and you are not compressing that much. As long as the turbo is not touching the manifold I would consider it ok. I would spend the energy making a heat shield around the intercooler blocking the hot engine compartment temps from the IC and maybe even the air intake.

How much would you consider to be adequate clearance I was hoping there would be enough of a gap to run the heat shield under the compressor housing. I feel like having the compressor housing in such close proximity to the hot exhaust manifold would be a bad thing, but maybe it's not a big deal? How hot does the center housing of a turbo get?

 

[Heckraiser]

Alright, well I'll try grinding the manifold first, then maybe the compressor housing if it's not enough and see where that gets me. I'm all for not buying more parts (a spacer) if I don't need to. I'd rather not grind on the compressor housing if it can be avoided.

The purpose of the front heat shield is mainly to block heat going directly to the IC. I might make one for the rear too, but I'm thinking louvers or something might take some of the heat out of the back side. I've got lots of scrap aluminum leftover from other people's projects, so heat shields are just a nice thing to play around with. Might not help a huge amount, but it certainly wont hurt.

 

[Lubany]

Интересное решение! Слежу за темой

 

[Heckraiser]

My sentiments exactly.

 

[wagonteeth]

I modified the stock nuts with some success. It was enough to clear the runner on cylinders 2 and 5, but #1 still needed to be ground down on the manifold in order for the nut to fit onto the end of the stud.

Big vice grip and 6" bench grinder was the way I went about it. Took about 5 minutes per nut.
Stock vs. molested
View attachment 1262862

Too late to help, but as your said, for posterity, another way to achieve this is to screw two nuts opposed (washer ends together) on to a stud, chuck the stud in your drill and take it to the bench grinder. I call it a handheld lathe. It lets you grind evenly on two at a time. Snug them down well and use light pressure to keep from unscrewing the nuts.

 

[Heckraiser]

Got the manifold trimmed and there is daylight between the log and the compressor.

to give you an idea of the area that needed massaging:

New crisis: I went to drill the hole for the oil drain and found my 45/64" drill bit wont fit in the chuck on my right angle drill. It has a 1/2" shank and the chuck is 3/8". Took a trip to every hardware store within a reasonable distance and couldn't find an angle drill with a 1/2" chuck OR a 23/32 or 45/64 drill bit with a 3/8" shank.

I got a replacement 1/2" chuck to install on the drill, but the inner threads are different sizes (even though it's the same brand drill). I've read some threads on removing the upper pan and I REALLLY DO NOT want to do that. Suggestions?

 

[Rivman1243]

Got the manifold trimmed and there is daylight between the log and the compressor.

View attachment 1265077
to give you an idea of the area that needed massaging:
View attachment 1265078

New crisis: I went to drill the hole for the oil drain and found my 45/64" drill bit wont fit in the chuck on my right angle drill. It has a 1/2" shank and the chuck is 3/8". Took a trip to every hardware store within a reasonable distance and couldn't find an angle drill with a 1/2" chuck OR a 23/32 or 45/64 drill bit with a 3/8" shank.

I got a replacement 1/2" chuck to install on the drill, but the inner threads are different sizes (even though it's the same brand drill). I've read some threads on removing the upper pan and I REALLLY DO NOT want to do that. Suggestions?

 

[Rivman1243]

Grind the drill bit shank down?

 

[scottryana]

Lol yep, just grind the drill bit shank down.

 

[Heckraiser]

I did think about that, but I'm worried if I do a poor job of it the drill bit will wobble and my hole will not be clean. I have never attempted anything like that. What would be the suggested method?

 

[scottryana]

Bench grinder if you have one, but a flap disc on an angle grinder to take a little off around the entire shank is not bad.

 

[Heckraiser]

I have a bench grinder and an angle grinder. I'm more concerned about how to get an even grind on it when I can only hold onto the bit with a vice grip. All the youtubes/googles either use a lathe, or are grinding the shank down on a bit that is already small enough to fit in a drill, so the spinning effect of the drill keeps the grind even around the circumference of the bit. I really do not trust myself to just eyeball it by hand in a vice grip.

This oil pan hole is really the only part of this whole project where precision is important, right? Or am I overestimating the severity of a wobbly bit going into my upper pan?

 

[aae42]

I have a bench grinder and an angle grinder. I'm more concerned about how to get an even grind on it when I can only hold onto the bit with a vice grip. All the youtubes/googles either use a lathe, or are grinding the shank down on a bit that is already small enough to fit in a drill, so the spinning effect of the drill keeps the grind even around the circumference of the bit. I really do not trust myself to just eyeball it by hand in a vice grip.

This oil pan hole is really the only part of this whole project where precision is important, right? Or am I overestimating the severity of a wobbly bit going into my upper pan?

on my truck it would probably be the least leakiest part....

 

[69fj4069]

Could you chuck the bit in a 1/2 drill or press to grind it down than put it into your 3/8 drill?

 

[Heckraiser]

in order to have the shank hanging out, I would need to chuck the fat end of the bit, which is 45/64 or roughly .71", so I would need an EVEN BIGGER chuck to accomplish that.

 

[ppc]

Take the bit to a macine shop and have them chuck it in a lathe and cut it down to size.

 

[Heckraiser]

I found this guy for rent, 1/2" 90* drill. This thing is a beast and was hard to work with, but it did get the job done.

As you can see from the picture, this apparatus is still pretty big, so I had to cut an inch or so off the end of my drill bit in order for it to fit between the engine and the frame rail.

The procedure for drilling the oil pan is well documented on the interwebs, but this is the basic method I followed.

1) DO NOT DRAIN THE OIL

2) make a spacer so your drill bit doesn't break through the wall of the upper pan and stab important engine internals. If you have some 3/4" or 1" hose laying around, you can cut a piece for this purpose. I didn't so I made my spacer out of wood.

3) drill a pilot hole so your drill bit doesn't walk, but DON'T GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PAN. This is to minimize the risk of shavings entering the motor.

4) Grease the snot out of your drill bit to catch shavings. This worked surprisingly well, the bit was covered in metal shavings. I stopped to clean and re-grease half way through drilling.

5) Go to town

6) Feel around in the hole with a magnetic picker-upper for any loose shavings. I did find a couple.

This is where I put the hole (looks like I need a new lower pan gasket, don't mind the mess, lol):