Feedback for my 2011 MS3
 

Hey everyone,

I've been doing a little research and would like your opinions & feedback on my plans for my 2011 with 75,000 miles (currently bone stock). I've owned it since 14,000 miles on the odometer and have babied it.

Here's my plan for the winter:

1. Intake valve cleaning
2. New spark plugs; sticking with OEM
3. Compression test & oil analysis (to find out health of engine; sounds and feels fine though and has not been bagged; warmed up and cooled down properly)
4. Shop that wants to do the valve cleaning recommended upgrading my injector seals? Please comment on whether it's necessary.

Early spring:

1. Cobb AP V3
2. Rear Motor Mount (not sure which brand; open to recommendations)
3. Autotech HPFP Internals
4. Corksport ECU & Battery Box

Early summer:

1. HTP 3.5" SRI/TIP
2. FMIC (haven't researched which brand yet; Cobb or Corksport)
3. Cobb 3" SS Downpipe (expensive and open to other suggestions); also, not feeling very confident about doing this myself, especially with all of the miles on my engine
4. eTune with Freektune; I'd like to install 1 - 3 all in one go to reduce the number of eTunes I need to do.

Wish list:

1. BNR S3 turbo upgrade if K04 dies
2. 3 - 3.5 bar TMAP sensor upgrade; DAMN! I just replaced it with a new OEM one :smashfreakB:
3. Not sure if I need to look into upgrading my BPV; doesn't look like it with the stock K04

Anyways, I'm new to all of this, but have been researching quite a bit. But if there is some glaring omission from my path, or you think I should look at something else, please let me know!

Let the roast begin! Especially since I'm still stock at 75,000 miles :facepalm:

Andrew

Welcome, Andrew. My comments are in-line.

I'm not a fan of aftermarket catted too expensive when you can turn off codes, and most states have self service emissions kiosks. If you're doing it to avoid drone, that's a different story, but then I would probably run a TP and stock upper cat.

Thank you for your insights Vansquish and CWP_MS3.

I'll skip the oil analysis and injector seals. I abide by the K.I.S.S. rule too.

I'm definitely planning to do the RMM and HPFP internals before any of the other mods and I'll look into the Versatuner too. I keep seeing it being recommended on this forum. I actually only wanted the AP for the gauges and Cobb OTS map for a stock engine (before I start adding any bolt-ons; obviously I'll work with an e-tuner after/before bolt-ons). I figure this would give me a chance to get accustomed to using the AccessPort.

Reason I wanted to do the Corksport ECU & Battery box is because I live in Canada and would like to retain the OEM battery size for CCA. Also, with the 3.5" intake, I read that the ECU needs to be relocated, though I'm sure I could just relocate it to the Fuse Box cover much cheaper. I think the other option was to remove the lower ECU cover, and I'm not sure I like that idea...

One question about the HTP 3.5" SRI/TIP. I know I will need a MAF calibration, but I assume that would be accounted for in the e-tune, correct? Sorry if that's a newb question.

Thank you for the recommendation for the TMIC. I don't track the car, nor will I be able to; there's no local track here :( So I think a TMIC would definitely be fine. I'm thinking the ETS TMIC, but need to do some more research.

I'm going to skip the downpipe now and just go with the catless test pipe. Looks like I keep both O2 sensors, so shouldn't have to clear or by-pass any codes. I'll do research on which one to go with.

If and when I go to BNR S3, I'll get a short style catted downpipe to fit with the test pipe :)

Please keep the comments & feedback coming. I really appreciate it!

Andrew

*EDIT: I have no idea how to link other forum members into a message...hmm :scratchchin: *

Its a pipe with 2 flanges. Don't over think it. Buy ebay, or better yet used ebay.

Personally, I think it would be better to buy for the future and get a full downpipe. So, if you think you're going to need it down the road, just do it correctly now and buy that.

Are there any big drawbacks if I were to go with a two piece downpipe versus a full one? I agree with your do it right the first time approach though.

The downpipe installation looks very overwhelming for a newb like myself...haha, don't know what I'd do if I broke a stud trying to remove the stock one.

Not sure if there are any members from Calgary, Alberta, Canada on here that would be willing to lend a helping hand. Otherwise, I might just pay a shop to tackle that one for me.

Freek will tell you that you needn't replace the MAP sensor if you're keeping the K04. I did, just to prepare for the future and because engineer. If you just replaced it, just keep the stock one. I also switched BPV because I thought I had a problem with my stocker, but I didn't. Again just keep it. Note that there might be some interference between the HTP intake filter and your BPV. As long as you don't care about some fin bending, though, it won't be a problem.

While my k04 lasts I'm keeping the stock DP and just switched the TP. I went for the resonated one because it was said to keep things quiet, but if I didn't care so much about the noise then I'd have gone for the straight pipe in a minute. There aren't really any downsides to a two piece downpipe rather than a one-piece. Truth is both work fine if properly designed/engineered.

I figured I might (might) switch the DP if my turbo goes bad. Then it would be much easier to switch the DP and the turbo together and it wouldn't really matter much what went bad during installs/uninstalls. Like you I always figured I'd just switch to an s3 if my k04 dies.

The only two RMMs I'd suggest buying are the CPE stage2 and Damond. Get the Damond if cost is a big factor, you are OK with slightly more aggressive vibes, or you think you might push past stock bottom end power levels. If you're a big NVH pussy like me get the CPE one.

Good luck and happy modding

I can confirm that CS's 3.5in intake fits like a dream with their battery box (I mean, it fucking better since they were both designed by the same company and to play nicely together). Just some food for thought but the battery box is a pain in the ass to remove. It's pretty tight with the ECU cables. I believe they made some modifications to the design to make it a bit easier but you may want to verify that. The metal rods for the battery tie-down are also a huge pain in the ass if you don't put zip ties at the bottom to prevent them from sliding out the bottom of the box. I cut my box up a bit to help with removal but its still a bit cumbersome but not enough to make me want to change the set-up.

This is all great info! I really appreciate it :)

So, I've decided to make the following changes to my mod path:

- I'll go with the HTP 3.0" full intake instead of the 3.5" as the 3.5" will be overkill, especially for the K04 and maybe even for the S3
- I'll buy a cheap TP off ebay as per the suggestion above
- If my K04 dogs out or I decide to upgrade the turbo, I'll go with a full downpipe

Going with the 3.0" intake, I'll avoid having to buy the ECU & Battery Box, which will save some money.

One question though; with the 3.0" intake, I need to remove the lower ECU cover. Is there any harm or danger to doing this? I'm just thinking it would expose sensitive electronics to harsh, atmospheric conditions. I haven't look into this though.

Enough people have run it that way, or with the ECU relocated to the top of the fuse box, that I assume it isn't much of an issue. I have a 3" intake on the way, myself, and will likely do the fuse box trick when I install it.

Always some risk but nothing to really worry about. You'd really have to take on a good amount of water to put the ECU at risk and in that scenario you're probably boned anyways. I ran my 3.0in intake for around 7 months with no cover and never had an issue. It saw rain, snow, 100+ degrees and -2 degrees and never had an issue.

I agree the 3.5 is overkill. There was a marginal bump in performance when I went from stock to CS's stock sized intake but the larger bump in performance came from switching to the 3in intake. It's tough to really say how much since I also installed a RP at the same time but those mods really made the car feel much more stout. With the 3.5in intake, you'll run out of turbo before you max out the efficiency of the intake.

It's better to buy 3.5in intake since you'll probs going to get an bigger turbo. And you don't have to buy multiple intakes. Just get the one with your goals in mind.

I bought an 3.5in intake when i had my K04 and now it's working well now since i upgraded turbos.

Sent from my Pixel XL

The new version of the battery box has a removable front, to which the ECU mounts, as well as a removable top. This way I think you actually don't even have to disconnect the ECU half the time when you remove the battery box. Also the installation instructions no longer have you remove the plastic pieces from the junction area of the main harness which would be a nice time saver as well as reduce worry about fscking the harness.

Those rods are a fscking PITA and I'm amazed I never thought of tie-wrapping them. For the one that falls so far I just keep the wing nut on it and lift it with a mag pickup tool before I put the battery clamp on it... that procedure gets quick after you've done it a few times.

The battery box removal (at least for the older v2 box... I think today's is technically v3) is a lot easier if you have a silicone intake, so you can bend and smash it out of the way as needed.

Do you think the Corksport battery box would work with the HTP 3.5" intake? Or would I have to ask Corksport or HTP about that directly? I think both companies would want to sell me their own intakes or battery trays. I wouldn't want to go with the HTP battery tray because I want my OEM battery size still.

I finally pulled the trigger! Waiting on my Cobb AP, Autotech Internals, and CP-e Stg 2 RMM :cool:

Off to a good start! RMM will make a big difference in drivability, and the AP/internals will set you up well for your future power mods.

I have Freek's 3.5' intake which is essentially the same as HTP. It's not what I run, but with my CS v2 battery box it did fit just fine. My note about the find (pleats?) bending was from experience, not reading. Anyway, that fitment was a little better than my JBR silicone 3.5" intake, actuallly (before I mounted the JBR without using their hardware). I therefore suspect with the current CS battery box it would fit fine, and it should be a little easier to install than with the old battery box that I have.

Note that you probably can't get a 3.5" intake to fit without extending one of the heater core coolant lines a bit. You can either use this kit or just go buy the equivalent parts from your favorite auto parts supply. 5/8" Hose Extension Kit - Hi-Tuned Performance Products This was the major bugaboo I ran into when I put my 3.5" on the first time.

I'd suggest to get the HTP with the flow straightener, not necessarily because you need it but because I suspect having it improves system reliability. That's a long story that would probably be better had in PM than in the thread.

Awesome. You're on your way.

Thanks again!

In terms of extending the heater core coolant line, is there a How-To for that? I haven't had time to dig through that forum, but nothing really came up on my Google Search. I'm assuming I'd just keep the coolant expansion tank closed and pull apart the lines to install the 5/8" extension. Obviously, I'd have an air pocket in the system and would need to bleed it. Will I lose much coolant during this process?

Also, the HTP comes with a built in honeycomb element upstream of the MAF sensor; is that all I should need for straightening?

Thanks again guys! This thread has really increased my confidence with proceeding to mod my car :)

Dunno about the coolant line, but as for the intake, the honeycomb is all you need.

Yeah, never heard of any squirrelly shit with the coolant hose... :/

Shit, we've broken a noob. He's read too much to the point where he now knows more than we do, and now we have no idea what he's talking about.

You just have to work fast. You might lose up to a pint of coolant, and it's not a bad idea to do the burping/revving procedure from TFM afterward. But when we did mine it wasn't really enough for the car to much notice. It didn't overheat afterward, and I just kept the overflow tank topped off. It definitely sucked some in and righted itself over the next ~week. Just make sure you always have a numeric coolant temp gauge while you drive the car that you can keep a third eye on. I use Torque on my Android phone for daily monitoring, but the AP would obviously be fine as well.

The coolant line extension is mentioned in at least one old thread, but I hadn't found it before I did my install either. Thankfully I was able to enlist some experienced help who knew about it. Here's one old thread with a picture of the fix and contains a link to the original discussion with HTP: http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...se-wtf-159751/

Yes. The honeycomb is the flow straightener, and I think last I looked you could get the intake with/without it which is why I mention it. As long as it's in there you're fine.

So my parts should be arriving on Monday! That's a pretty quick delivery, but I'm kind of...well...really excited, so it's going to feel like forever!! LOL.

For the heater coolant hose extension (which I won't need until I get to my intake), based on my reading, the normal coolant temps should be between ~180 - 220 degrees...Fahrenheit or Celsius?

Thanks again guys! I'm stoked...even just for the new tune on my stock engine.

Dats dat Fahrenheit, yo.

That's Fahrenheit. Note how it's close to the boiling temperature of water in Fahrenheit, which you can exceed somewhat because of the pressurization of the cooling system.

Don't forget to get the correct special coolant. The ones that say they mix with anything? Don't trust it.

Haha, I work with Celsius all the time, but I definitely should have thought of the boiling temps, lol. My goof!

So my AP arrived, gonna download the Stratified Tune on it and hopefully try to flash my ECU. I bought a battery charger to make sure I don't run out of charge. Should the charger be on full charge with the accessories on, or trickle charge?

Really sorry for the dumb question :(

Don't answer the question about charging the battery...I figured it out and installed my AccessPort. Wow! They make it really easy :)

So, I totally failed at doing my first data log; apparently WOT to me means 85%, haha.

Nevertheless, can I post my first one here for everyone to review? I'll redo it when I have some time; it was a third gear pull.

Your APP might not be WOT (100%), but your throttle position was. And Fuck You GenPu's and your stable BATs.

I share your excitement when parts are on my porch when I get home from work. I have a room full of parts that need installing.

Thank you for reviewing the logs. When I'm looking at the Throttle Position, I max at around 74%...not sure if I'm missing anything.

With that initial log, does everything seem alright? KR, LTFT, fuel pressure, and AFR look good as far as I can tell. Is it normal for spark advance to increase so much?

I don't understand why, but >70% throttle is WOT. This only applies to the throttle body position. The accelerator pedal position should be 100% for WOT.

There was no KR in the log I looked at.
Fuel trims zero out at WOT.
Ignition timing should decrease with load, increase with RPM. If you weren't knocking, don't worry about it. If anything, no knock means you can use more advance. This applies up to MBT or knock. The general consensus is, this platform is knock limited, so you won't reach MBT without an ethanol mix.

Thanks man! So looking at that log, everything looks pretty decent. Ignition timing definitely decreased when load increased and start increasing again as got closer to redline.

This tune certainly makes the car feel different. Boost comes on a lot smoother and more gradual in day to day driving in the city. It doesn't have the huge wall of boost come on at 3,000 rpm like the OEM map had. Acceleration also feels less jerky and the boost doesn't appear to be tapering off at the redline like it normally does.

Out of curiosity, what do your BATs look like? Also, please forgive my humble noobiness, but can I ask you what MBT is?

I'm assuming that if I'm only spilling out a pint when I do the heater core coolant line extension, that I could just top it off with distilled water?

MS6s and GenJuans have horrible BATs with the stock intercooler. My most recent example...51 degrees according to my vehicle display. 0-100mph test run. BATs ended at 140 degrees. I try to run between 17 and 18psi, but it was closer to 17 that day with the colder temperatures.

MBT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_brake_torque

Adding a bit of distilled water shouldn't change your mixture too much. But you might want to test your coolant to see what the mixture looks like before you add anything back in to make sure you have the correct mixture for your area. It's cold up there.

Some people say the acronym refers to Mean Best Timing, some say something else, but luckily everybody means essentially the same thing anyway. For example here's another thread discussing which it means... What is MBT? - evolutionm.net ...and actually their link to eng-tips has probably the best informed discussion.

My opinion is that you shouldn't put in distilled water because (a) you will change the mix and you live in the Great White North (b) it can't hurt having extra coolant on hand anyway and (c) you will be forced to learn which coolant the car takes if you put in the real thing (d) you might spill out more than a pint anyway.

Mazda FL22 green coolant ;) Good point about your note of having extra coolant around.

Thanks! I'll read up on MBT in the links you guys provided.

This. Wish I had done this. I'm on my third and final intake now.

or Zerex Asian is a good replacement that's a bit less costly and a lot more easily available.

Valvoline? ZEREX? Asian Vehicle Antifreeze / Coolant : Product Catalog - Valvoline®
https://www.amazon.com/Zerex-675130-.../dp/B0033QO022
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ZEREX-ZX0...-gal./40726453

Well...I have good news and bad news.

My compression test went swimmingly today. Everything looks good there.

However, since the shop was doing the compression test, I had them change my plugs for me (may as well). The technician noted that my spark plug from cylinder #1 was wet with fuel and says that means that that fuel injector is failing (leaking; not out of the O-ring) and I'll eventually throw misfire codes. He says I don't need to change it out now; it may last another 6 months to a year before it becomes a problem.

Nevertheless, since they need to remove the intake manifold to get to the injectors, they decided to save me some money, and didn't end up doing the intake valve cleaning. We can tackle that when we get to the problem injector.

So, I'm stumped...should I be replacing all four injectors? Or just the one? It costs ~$300 (USD) for one new injector :( Obviously this would be a great time to upgrade the seals, so I'll do that at this time, but I don't want to spend $1,200 (USD) on four new injectors.

Did you inspect the plug yourself and do you agree with his assessment that it was wet with fuel?

I'm interested to hear if anyone really believes their assessment of the cause. With that said, If it's not an immediate problem and it's believed that might actually be the cause, I'd try to fix it myself by (a) running top-tier fuel only for a while (b) running a few bottles of injector cleaner or fuel system cleaner (including doing some research online to determine what actually works). Do that regimen, pulling that plug periodically to see if you're improving the situation. It might work, it might help clean things otherwise, and it would be a lot less costly than injectors. If I could get it to the point that the plug didn't seem to be getting covered in fuel, I'd continue doing it for about as long as it took to get to that point again just for insurance. And consider adding some portion of it to your regular regimen...

@aackthpt;, I didn't get to see the plug when they first pulled it out, but the tech said it appeared to be wet with fuel.

Apparently he borescoped the cylinder and said it was NOT wet with fuel, but the injector did appear wet.

I have not noticed any performance or stuttering issues and one of the services yesterday was actually an injector cleaning service. I'll start putting in an additive to my fuel tank from now on. Any recommendations?

They actually gave me my old plugs back and the far right one (bottom in picture) has a weird bronzy oil/gas rainbow spectrum through the threads. I believe that one came from cylinder #1 .

The tech did stress that this isn't urgent, but brought it to my attention. What are your thoughts?

I'd say don't run an additive every time, but that's why I suggested to start running only top-tier, because it'd probably do most of what an additive would do anyway. Personally I haven't run top-tier most of the car's life but I have recently started trying it now that I've found out Costco is top-tier. One of the banned OG's (Raider) swears by Techron and has said he's blown out blockages in his EGR with the fuel system cleaner.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Chevron-T...10-oz/16647989 (note that you can get a bigger bottle)
But being that you would need injectors cleaned mostly a more specialized product also might work:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Chevron-T...12-oz/46683811
I've run Techron fuel system cleaner once in my car and once ran through Dura Lube:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dura-Lube...16-oz/19887509
after I read some experiments supposedly showing it has great solvent capabilities and doesn't have some chemicals that can hurt plastic components.... either way *shrug* I'm not going to endorse either really. I've seen too much "evidence" that things do nothing also... so I'm still skeptical at best. I only suggest it because it's cheap and it's probably not gonna hurt nuthin'.

As for the plug I'd say take some better pictures of the end of it from various angles. It definitely looks different from the others but that photo isn't great. I'm not all that expert in plug-reading or diagnosing engine problems so I don't really want to offer opinions on the problem... there are bunches of guys more knowledgeable than me in these areas on this forum.

You can get used injectors for about $100 or so

Sent from my Pixel XL

FWIW, I can attest that simply running through a bottle of Techron cleared up a blocked EGR code that I had thrown before I'd altogether unplugged/deleted the damn thing.

I did exactly that. When I have everything apart to fix injector seals, I have a 2nd set of injectors (bought for 100) that have already been sent off for cleaning (another 125).

Are you saying a used set of 4 injectors is $100?!

When you send them away for cleaning and testing, can they perform any repairs if they're not performing right? I'm just not sure what would cause these to leak and I'd be cautious about buying a used one not knowing if it works properly.

I was speaking to Alex from Stratified about this issue and he did tell me that IF this injector is indeed leaking, I should address it before proceeding with any mods. He also said to be sure to replace the other seal on them (looks like a blue o-ring with white inserts).

Has anyone tried out the Standard Motor Products FJ778 fuel injectors in our cars?

My path forward will be to use fuel injector cleaner every three to four fill ups, and then I'll pull that plug to check if there's fuel on it after my next oil change. If so, then I'll buy some replacement injectors; undecided on new or used at the moment.

@aackthpt;, I do always run top-tier in my car. Usually Shell or Petro-Canada.

I've attached new pics...if these aren't any good, I can take some new ones tomorrow. The cylinder 1 plug is the left most plug. You can see the ground electrode is black, versus the whitened ground electrode on the other plug (representative of the other three).

At $100 a set, it's worth the risk of potentially getting a bad injector. The set I got cleaned up well and tested fine. How long they last is still a question. A leaky injector could be as simple as trash keeping the valve from sealing that can be washed away by cleaning. Or it could be a bad seal. The labor cost of rebuilding an injector would be more than what the injector costs which means chuck it and find another used one.

All of your plugs look pretty bad. Mine are black around the ring, but the insulator should be white or tan, like so:

You're definitely right about the cost. I suppose if I'm going to get in there myself, I may as well learn how to clean my valves too. Not gonna lie...more than a little intimidated, haha.

I was also thinking they look bad after reading about plugs. I was on the rich ass stock tune for 76,500 miles if that accounts for anything? I'm on a Stratified Flash Tune now. Any reason my plugs might look like this?

Cleaning the valves is also on my to-do list. But I may leave it alone and install a small meth injection kit to slowly eat away at the buildup.

The only scenario I can think of right now that would give you black plugs like that is frequent cold starts without reaching optimal running temperature. Cold enrichment is a normal thing, similar to a choke on a carb engine. It runs very rich when cold and slowly works to stoich as the engine warms up. If not given the chance to get warm, the soot will build up.
That's just 1 scenario. I'm sure there are more.

Well, it has been an awfully cold winter here this year, so that may be my problem. My daily commute with my car is about 15 minutes with some freeway driving.

For the record, my compression test had three cylinders at 160 psi and the other at 155 psi.

I decided I'm going to go the route of getting a used set of injectors and will pay to have them cleaned and tested, as well as have the inner seals replaced.

Also, I'll be upgrading my rear shock absorbers with B8 Bilstein Sports as my drivers side strut is leaking oil.

The old girl is starting to show her age. Then again, so am I, LOL

I bought all new seals for my injectors, but be warned, it adds up to be quite expensive. And that's not including the actual injector seal at the head. I have a set of Toyota seals for there.

The guy that will be cleaning and testing my used injectors (these are currently non-existent, lol) said he has new seals and the white plastic seats. He will also be replacing the plastic strainers with stainless steel ones as the OEM ones often degrade over time and can clog these things up.

The seal kit he said he'd be using has brown O-rings rather than the OEM blue ones. Should I stay clear of those and just buy a seal kit through Mazda? I'm really sorry for all the questions. This was more than I was hoping to do.

I think I will use B-12 and a cleaning kit to do my valves instead of walnut shell media (too messy and I don't have the equipment).

I didn't even think about the strainer...because I didn't know about it. Guess I have more to buy.
I bought all new OE Mazda seals except the seal at the head.
Blue o-rings and 3 different plastic seals/seats/grommets...w/e.
Pictured below, 252 (#2-4) and 253.

Don't buy from JimEllis though. There are less expensive places for Mazda parts.

Well, I had a frustrating revelation this evening.

I sat down to take notes on the RMM and Autotech Internals installation and realized that the company I ordered through sent me the Focus ST mount instead of the Mazdaspeed 3.

I ordered the CP-e Stage 2 RMM, which has a transmission specific mounting bracket :grumpy:

I'm going to be adding an Oil Catch Can to my mod list and was going to go with a Damond Stg 1 OCC.

A local tuning company wants to sell me a Radium Engineering OCC (for about the same price than the Damond, but less since I don't have to pay for shipping or duties as they stock them). It looks like a quality item, but haven't seen anyone using one of these on these forums (the Evo & BMW guys use them):

Universal Single Catch Can

As long as it's baffled, and the piece is quality, I wouldn't worry about who makes it. I personally would say go DM, but I am a fanboy of their stuff lol.

At only 5" in height, that is a tiny OCC though. I think, not even sure how big the DM one is.

I ended up going with the Damond Stage 1...makes sense since everything is pre-cut for our cars :)

I'm going to be installing the autotech fuel pump internals tomorrow. One question I have is about using non-chlorinated brake cleaner to clean the pump up and new internals. Is brake cleaner safe on the rubber O-rings? Or should I avoid spraying any cleaner on the O-rings?

Thanks in advance! :)

I'd say you're fine using brake cleaner on the o-rings, given most brake calipers have rubber seals and dust boots.

Interested to know where you read to use brake cleaner to clean the pump. Never heard that before. USE GASOLINE to clean the pump, and motor oil to lubricate it before you reassemble. The pump is designed to come into contact with these two fluids but not brake cleaner which therefore may have an unpredictable effect. It might be fine since it's not long-term contact but since petrol is easy to come by, why risk it?

Also, when you use the gasoline to clean it, put it in a glass or metal container. A pyrex measuring cup would work, or a tuna can for example. When we did mine they put the gasoline in a solo cup and within a few minutes much of it had leaked out the many holes as the cup dissolved away and we scrambled for a can...

A lot of the how-to's and videos say to use non-chlorinated brake cleaner. However, I thought better of it and picked up a small can of gas.

Maybe I'll use an old cup I no longer want to use. LOL at the Solo cup...the thought had actually crossed my mind.

Well, hopefully everything goes smoothly tomorrow. As for torque specs, they seem to be all over the map for the piston...I've read 35 ft-lbs, 45 ft-lbs, 65 ft-lbs, etc. I. Thinking I'll just go with 45.

I would use the torque specified in the instructions for your set of internals. With that said, it is pretty tight and anything in that range probably works. I have CS and their instructions say 40 ft-lbs so I'm sure that's what I used.

It doesn't specify a torque setting in my instructions.

Also, my stock internals and sleeve are seized in my seal screw. I'm at a loss right now.

I got it all figured out...that did not go as smoothly as I hoped. I took my time, but my 18mm bit slipped a bit around the seal screw nut while I was torqueing it.

Anyways, I got it done and it looks, sounds, feels, and smells (doesn't smell like gas) like the job was successful. 5.5 hours...gawd I'm slow :(

Mine slipped off once during torquing too. That nut is strangely chamfered, and there isn't a lot of engagement length once you consider the entry chamfer of most impact sockets.

Don't worry about it taking time. It took me days if you consider when I started. I first tried to do it myself... I concluded that unless I wanted to remove all kinds of things I had to buy stubby wrenches to get the job done, so there was time to decide what to buy, order, wait for them to arrive. Then during the actual job there was time figuring out what was wrong since the manufacturer had put my kit together a bit wrong (one of the parts was in too far so you couldn't do an earlier assembly step). And even doing it with the experienced guys they kept saying "wow I forgot what a PITA this is". I'd say even working with guys that had done this job before it still took 2-3 hours overall. So don't worry about how long it took, as long as it is working properly then hells yeah! :unitedstates:

Thanks man! Much appreciated :)

I went the route of removing the battery box & ecu, air box, intake pipe and turbo inlet pipe. It made the job of removing the pump quite easy. One thing I noted about most installation how-to's is that they don't recommend loosening two 8mm bolts that hold the high pressure fuel line (hard line) in place. If those bolts are loosened (not removed), you don't need to fight with the fuel pump lining up with the hard line.

I had no issues with removal or install of the pump at all...just the actual internals installation, which probably took me 2-3 hours just on that.

I can see why it took a while if you removed the BB and intake. We didn't remove any of that when we did mine. And that's a good point about loosening the bolts for the hard line. That alignment was one of the sticking points of getting the job done.

Anyway, better to take your time and do the job right than to have to redo it I'd say. :)

I just downloaded the shop manual to look at the rear shock absorber replacement.

I decided to check out the hpfp removal instructions and it turns out that the 8mm bolt holding the high pressure fuel line is also the water outlet case bolt. Yikes, I had no idea, but I didn't notice any coolant loss.

Very lucky I only loosened it and didn't remove it.