good man. keep it up youll be on the road before you know it.

 

Didn't end up getting much done today, mostly because I realized that the next step really is to put the intake manifold back on. The catch is that I ordered new vacuum fittings, and I would rather put them on before I install the intake. I did put the fuel rail back on and put the EGR block-off plates on (unfortunately I seem to have lost one of the nuts for the studs back there, so I'm going to have to try to find a replacement). I got a tap, it worked very well for cleaning out the threads.

 

well I have a new deadline for Monday...if the car's not operational by then, the apartment complex is going to tow the car...

 

Oh man well that sucks.

 

the intake is...on. It was a very, very frustrating process, especially torquing the bolts down. And to be honest, I'd bet that half of them are in the wrong place. There are two in particular--one bolt that's longer with a 13mm head (rather than 15mm like the rest) and one longer stud--that I have no idea where they're supposed to go. I didn't even get the long bolt torqued down.


Today's just been a big reminder that I was a f***ing idiot for thinking that I could actually do this in the parking lot by myself...

 

sure you didnt get one of the alternator bolts mixed up with the intake bolts.

 

I'm pretty sure. that was my original thought too, but if that wasn't the one, then I was missing an intake manifold bolt, and I did a pretty good job of keeping all my nuts and bolts and stuff in one place.

 

the long ones usually go on the ones that have the engine lift loop on them but i am thinking all the intake bolts are the same size socket/wrench, the ones where the alternator bracket goes has studs on the top for the brackets to mount to.

 

sure enough, it was an alternator bolt. I found the last stud under a piece of newspaper I had the intake sitting on in my apartment.

Still don't think I have anything in the right place though...

 

Didn't have much of a chance to work on it last night. I did get the throttle body re-installed, I found the missing bolt and got it in, and I started plugging stuff back in. The biggest thing i'm worried about is getting all the vacuum lines hooked back up properly.


I'm also looking into getting some exhaust work done. I need a bung put in before the tune anyway, so I've got a couple other issues I would like to have resolved. The shop that built my exhaust did a pretty shotty job, so I would like it to get fixed up a little bit. There's one spot where they sandwiched it down really bad so it didn't hit the floor, the tips aren't level, and I want to get a new muffler. I want my car to make just a bit more noise. I asked for a Magnaflow muffler when mine got built, but instead they gave me an Xlerator Performance one................I also figured it would be best to have my exhaust how I want it before the tune is done, anyway, so the tune is more accurate. I'm open to other suggestions on the muffler. Any recommendations? I'm also considering doing two Dynomax bullet mufflers in place of the one dual in-dual out muffler.