Boxster Journey into TT5 (NASA Time Trials)

white_fly said:

Absolutely love this build. I wonder if a more effective fan could be found than stamped steel radiator fans. Maybe a helicopter compressor inlet or something?

Thanks!  The helicopter compressor is a great idea, unfortunately I've hit a big snag with the fan idea.  I was going to use an Audi 01E transmission (which has the output shaft) but I can't find a good solution to make the shift cables work.  I'd love to buy the kit below which converts an 01E transmission to paddle shifters (how cool would that be!) but I can't afford to spend $5,000 on it.  So I might start with a Boxster S transmission.  Still chewing on it.  
 

http://www.mme-motorsport.com/en/products/audi-01e-paddle-shift-conversion

I feel the fans are overcomplicated and over rated.... But I am not an aero expert either.

Box4VIR said:   ... I was going to use an Audi 01E transmission (which has the output shaft) but I can't find a good solution to make the shift cables work.  I'd love to buy the kit below which converts an 01E transmission to paddle shifters (how cool would that be!) but I can't afford to spend $5,000 on it.  So I might start with a Boxster S transmission.  Still chewing on it. 

Just hit up Angry', he may have his saw blade prototype available. He is using a 986 Shifter with an 01X Audi 6MT:

AAZCD (Forum Supporter) said:

Box4VIR said:   ... I was going to use an Audi 01E transmission (which has the output shaft) but I can't find a good solution to make the shift cables work.  I'd love to buy the kit below which converts an 01E transmission to paddle shifters (how cool would that be!) but I can't afford to spend $5,000 on it.  So I might start with a Boxster S transmission.  Still chewing on it. 

Just hit up Angry', he may have his saw blade prototype available. He is using a 986 Shifter with an 01X Audi 6MT:

This looks right up my alley!  A sawblade assembly..made by "Anger" I'm in!  Unforuntely I can't him, the search on Grassroots just does a Google search (unless I'm missing something) and after a dozen searches I can't find him.  Can you send me a link to one of his posts by any chance?  

In reply to java230 :

I definitely am not an expert either, I'm trying to find the article but apparently a properly designed racecar (which this is NOT) generates 40% of its downforce from its flat bottom and diffuser and only 25% from its rear wing.  If you have fans that effectively (BIG assumption with my design) increas the airspeed under the car by 2X than I would think the effect would be pretty significant.  But yes you're probably right because my design A) won't be effective B) probably won't be reliable.   But then again nothing I do is effective or reliable haha.  

In reply to Box4VIR :

The saw blade was just to rough it in. It may not pass tech with all those pointy carbide tips. I sent you both an email. Hope you don't mind, but neither of you seem like serial killers or telemarketers, so i figured it might work out.

In reply to AAZCD (Forum Supporter) :

I'm in! Thanks for the email intro!

In reply to Box4VIR :

As AAZCD said, I'm using Boxster shifter base and cables to shift the 01X behind the LT1 in my Corvair's backseat area. Here's what my final prototype shifter looks like:

Did you google "01E cable shift" yet? There are a couple different DIY's out there, I think from the GT40 kit world. Have a look, they might inspire some ideas. And hit me up via email. I'll give you my cell number and we can talk through it or whatever. I can send pix of what I did and why.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to AAZCD (Forum Supporter) :

I'm in! Thanks for the email intro!

In reply to Box4VIR :

As AAZCD said, I'm using Boxster shifter base and cables to shift the 01X behind the LT1 in my Corvair's backseat area. Here's what my final prototype shifter looks like:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WG7dDjCx_pI?rel=0

Did you google "01E cable shift" yet? There are a couple different DIY's out there, I think from the GT40 kit world. Have a look, they might inspire some ideas. And hit me up via email. I'll give you my cell number and we can talk through it or whatever. I can send pix of what I did and why.

Thanks so much for reaching out over email amd for sending me the video!  I have googled it and found a lot of DIY solutions like the one you have but unfortunately no kits.  I'm already managing so much complexity and problem solving I'm hesitant to add this one to the list when there's an off the shelf Boxster trans that should work.  How much time do you have in that problems it looks like a super complex problem to solve but your design looks really put together.  I'm shocked there's not a kit since these transmissions are so widely used in midengine swaps.  

In reply to Box4VIR :

Figuring it out took 4 hours.  Cutting, turning, drilling, tapping, welding took another 56 hours. But I'm a zero-budget hack. A real shop could duplicate my design in 4 hours. 

anyone else getting some speed boat vibes?  Next step it's of your the fab shop to weld all this stuff up.  The trunk is gonna need some hacking up...

what is GRM's thoughts on the blowoff valve?  I have 1 40mm blow valve currently but I also don't have a lot of piping and have a small pressure drop water to air intercooler.  Is it enough?
 

I started actual fab work on the first turbo. As I talked about in one of the previous posts the exhaust is (hopefully) pointed just below the wing to "charge" the wing and increase its downforce.   Currently the wing is carbon fiber which probably won't work out.  I imagine it'll melt or catch fire considering exhaust is only about a foot long. 

to give you an idea of this will look the turbos fit a couple inches below the trunk and the "exhaust" will come out of the back of what used to be the rear window where it meets the trunk.   

Well after way too much work the "exhaust" is on.  The turbos sit at slightly different angles so cutting and welding the "exhaust" up so they're even was a chore.  I need to install some ports for O2 sensors and a wide band next.   
 

in other news I sold my carbon fiber wing which surely would have caught fire and I called Ninelives up to see if they can make me a side mount wing, and they can!  Kinda like the image below.  I'll hang it from the outside of the flares, I'm still not sure how I'll get supports out there that are strong enough since the flares are no where near strong enough for a wing.  One of these days I'm going to take an easy way out with a design   

it's been a few weeks since I posted an update but I have been making progress.  And by progress I mean making AN lines, there's around 15 AN lines total required...what was I thinking.  I've also tackled the turbo support problem, the turbos are relatively high and sit pretty far back so I had to find a way to support them.  I bought some cheap sailboat turn buckles off eBay and they seem to work great.  The hardware in the picture is all being replaced, it's put together with left over bolts from past projects (always a good sign) 

over the weekend I made a quick oil cooler mount by cutting up a radiator shroud, it's not the best looking setup but the shroud does allow a fan to be bolted on easily.  I can't decided if it's better to have a fan or not since I'll typically have airflow at 100mph plus.  I also can't decide if I should use this for the trans cooler or the engine oil cooler.  It'll be ducted from the trunk lid but I'm not sure if it'll get enough airflow to be the engine oil cooler.  Thoughts?

I took a break from engine work and started on the trunk.  I had to ditch the lexan trunk since it probably would have melted so I'm back to the old steel trunk.  I was able to pull about a third of the weight off of it by skinning it and cut the first of two holes for the turbos.  There will be a hole like this on each side.  I think its going to look pretty good once cleaned up and wrapped:cheers:

This is really an interesting  build  .Have a few questions ..........do you have a rough estimate on the weight of the engine and 

associated hardware ? Engine characterics -torque -horsepower and rpm operating range  ?

I have a 996 with a Ls6 and curious how this package compares .

Thanks 

dave215 said:

This is really an interesting  build  .Have a few questions ..........do you have a rough estimate on the weight of the engine and 

associated hardware ? Engine characterics -torque -horsepower and rpm operating range  ?

I have a 996 with a Ls6 and curious how this package compares .

Thanks 

The engine is 390lbs and the turbo setup is another 50lbs so around 450lbs total.   Which puts it around the Porsche 2.5 engine weight    Total the car is 2500lbs wet and will be tuned to 750hp.  The setup (injectors/fuel system, turbos, block, etc) could go much higher but the rods are limited to 800hp. While this is very much a custom build the tuner has built this setup many times and with reliable 750-800hp.  If I were do to it again I'd probably go LS.  This build ended up being really pricey, I could have bought an LS may times over.  Plus an Ls would be much much more reliable.  This thing is so complex I'm worried I'll always be chasing something.  

Thanks for the info .Weight is less than I thought it would be .Not so sure your costs are much higher than doing a reliable 800 horsepower ls .The ls bellhousing adapter -flywheel and clutch are pushing $2000.00 .Plus  the ls really should be set up for a  dry sump oil system which is not inexpensive . 

Once dialed in it will be a good ride and different .

Stu,  I followed along with BoxsterLS376's build from the start to the end.  https://986forum.com/forums/show-tell-gallery/54328-boxsterls376-introduction-ls3-conversion.html

and Vlad's: http://986forum.com/forums/show-tell-gallery/56050-v8-conversion.html

Those convinced me that although LS swapped Boxsters could be fun, it was not the easy, economical swap that it appeared to be (and that Renegade was a lot more hype than product). I honestly think that your build is the best for putting that kind of power to the wheels other than the fact that it will eat a 5-speed transmission every time you do a hard launch.

dave215 said:

Thanks for the info .Weight is less than I thought it would be .Not so sure your costs are much higher than doing a reliable 800 horsepower ls .The ls bellhousing adapter -flywheel and clutch are pushing $2000.00 .Plus  the ls really should be set up for a  dry sump oil system which is not inexpensive . 

Once dialed in it will be a good ride and different .

How about an accusump instead?  It's a lot cheaper than a drysump and it still removes most of the oil starvation issues.  

Box4VIR said:

dave215 said:

Thanks for the info .Weight is less than I thought it would be .Not so sure your costs are much higher than doing a reliable 800 horsepower ls .The ls bellhousing adapter -flywheel and clutch are pushing $2000.00 .Plus  the ls really should be set up for a  dry sump oil system which is not inexpensive . 

Once dialed in it will be a good ride and different .

How about an accusump instead?  It's a lot cheaper than a drysump and it still removes most of the oil starvation issues.  

No personal experience with either -I would think there is a crossover point where the accusump won't keep up -long high speed sweepers 

I made some progress on the trunk yesterday, I'm really excited about how this is turning out. The factory humps in the trunk really line up perfectly with the turbos which was super lucky. I can't wait to see it all together with the exhaust. 

I finished the oil circuit including the oil coolers for the trans and engine oil and its...well.... its really complicated.  I'm worried about the oil pressure drop through this system.  I might need to add a booster gear pump, we'll see...

It may not look like it but I'm getting close!  I've been in wiring hell mode for the last few weeks, the challenge I have is that I have three different harnesses to work with 1) the Porsche harness 2) the Audi engine harness and 3) the stand alone engine harness.  I'm in the process of trimming down the Porsche harness but for the moment have the entire harness, relay box and ECU mounted into the rear fender well.  The Porsche ECU now lives in the taillight actually...why not.  The stand alone is all wired up and in the cabin and I should have everything connected to the point where the car will start ("should").  The pictures below are from various states of the painful process.  The electronics shown in the second photo now sit behind an aluminum panel I made to protect them from the heat and hide the terribly mess.  

Here's how it sits now (except the intercooling piping is connected and now shown here).  I'm finally done with the AN lines thank god.  

I'm also still working away on the trunk.  Its getting closer, this trunk project has been fun so I'm taking a break from the wiring time to time to do something fun.

In reply to Box4VIR :

Will your trunk have louvers (horizontal) or a vertical grill (speedster like) covering the turbos?