LittleBlue! 102 Posted November 20, 2018 Author Share Posted November 20, 2018 (edited) The wire and plug that hooks into the flex fuel sensor were delivered today. It is a perfect match. I was under the impression that it had the metal ends that fit in the J3 plug of my wire harness but it does not. Luckily, that sonic forum provides that information so I will order the rest of the parts/tools that I will need. Unfortunately, I had to order 25 so if you need some, let me know! Only cost $14. Total cost is still pretty low. Edited November 20, 2018 by LittleBlue! Shinobi777 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted November 20, 2018 Author Share Posted November 20, 2018 (edited) On 8/13/2018 at 9:50 AM, GammaRadiation said: Nice build. What kind of power numbers are you hoping for? I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Still no clue where it will end up. Edited November 20, 2018 by LittleBlue! Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted November 23, 2018 Author Share Posted November 23, 2018 (edited) I bought black exhaust wrap to keep temperatures under the hood low. The first piece I tried was the down pipe. I also used a black sealer spray paint. Not bad for a Chevy Spark. Edited November 23, 2018 by LittleBlue! Shinobi777 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted November 24, 2018 Author Share Posted November 24, 2018 I hooked the flex fuel sensor into the fuel line. I still need to put on hose clamps and wire the sensor. It's located just before the fuel rail. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted December 3, 2018 Author Share Posted December 3, 2018 I finished wiring the sensor to the computer and enabled the flex fuel sensor in the computer via hp tuners. I will still have to tune the vehicle but there is a baseline that will change based on ethanol content. I ordered a badge for the hatch. The ZZP midpipe I have been waiting for is finally back in stock so I ordered that as well. Should be here by early January. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 I finally was able to get the exhaust manifold to bolt on to the turbo. My uncle helped weld on the bolt threads and I'm really happy with how it worked out. I still have to move the radiator and hose a bit but I was able to fit the turbo in with the downpipe on for a test fit. The downpipe looks like it will work perfect with the midpipe I ordered and the rest of the exhaust. I will be wrapping the exhaust manifold for heat reduction and start working on the oil lines next. Shinobi777 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted December 18, 2018 Author Share Posted December 18, 2018 I heat wrapped the exhaust manifold. I'm still new to exhaust wraps but I think it looks better than the stock heatshield(not that it would fit) and is probably more effective. I plan on getting a turbo blanket as well in the near future. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 I was planning on moving the radiator more which I may still do but I'm thinking I will buy a reasonably priced radiator fan that is slimmer than the stock fan. I'm not worried about temps as much as gaining space. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted December 25, 2018 Author Share Posted December 25, 2018 (edited) Thanks to someone on this forum, I got a 3 day subscription for GM service manuals from AC Delco. I looked at both the Spark and the Cruze (both have the e78 ecu). Also, the turbo I am using is from a 2016 Cruze and has the plugs and wires. I believe I am now ready to wire the bypass valve and solenoid. The green wire on the turbo bypass valve goes to pin 32 on the J2 plug on the back of the ecu. The brown and yellow wire on the bypass solenoid goes to pin 63 on plug J2. The other two wires should go to a power source. Once wired and enabled, the bypass valve and solenoid should be controlled by the stock ecu based on the settings I set using HP tuners. It appears all relevant tables for the turbo are accessible in the spark ecu through hp tuners. It is just a matter of enabling them. Edited December 25, 2018 by LittleBlue! Ben&Jerry's and Shinobi777 2 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 (edited) My zzp midpipe arrived, my oilfeed and fittings arrived, my oil return and fitting for the oil pan arrived, my radiator fan also arrived. I started test fitting my midpipe exhaust and it looks great. I will have to cut a bit to fit and maybe even weld but all of the parts are here and it is easily remedied. I also finally have a welder so I have more flexibility. I installed my aftermarket radiator fan for more space and tested it using HP tuners. Here is a video showing how powerful the fan is on each setting and how much HP tuners can do. Edited December 28, 2018 by LittleBlue! Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 I had to shorten the ZZP mid pipe that I bought which was designed for the chevy cruze 1.4 turbo. I picked up a two bolt flange, cut the pipe to fit and welded on the new flange. I used a cheap wire feed welder with flux core wire. This is actually my first real weld since high school. I did a few test lines for wire speed beforehand. It's definitely not pretty but it works and the pipe fits great. I just have to get bolts, gaskets and work on finishing hangers and the exhaust is done. Link to post Share on other sites
kicks012 2 Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 Beyond excited to see the end result. I came across this while wondering how to tune my 2013's ECU. I have always thought about trying my hand at a turbo now that I'm past warranty... and after driving my new (to me)mini cooper s, the spark takes patience to drive. I am curious since the 13-15 sparks are just about the exact cars, would they all be e78 ECUs? Its hard to find definitive evidence of that. I have been very interested in some more modest upgrades lately. Good luck! Keep us posted! LittleBlue! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted January 19, 2019 Author Share Posted January 19, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, kicks012 said: Beyond excited to see the end result. I came across this while wondering how to tune my 2013's ECU. I have always thought about trying my hand at a turbo now that I'm past warranty... and after driving my new (to me)mini cooper s, the spark takes patience to drive. I am curious since the 13-15 sparks are just about the exact cars, would they all be e78 ECUs? Its hard to find definitive evidence of that. I have been very interested in some more modest upgrades lately. Good luck! Keep us posted! Thanks! I believe they have the same ECU but I will triple check. The computer is used by a wide range of chevy models and years. Hp tuners also has a vehicle list to check what they cover. I'll let you know here shortly. Edit: after looking it looks like yours may have an e83. It looks like 14 was the first year of the e78 for the spark. I'll look into this more and see what your options are. I've seen some comments on the hp tuners bulletin board mentioning e83. I posted a thread asking about 2013 spark compatibility. I'll let you know if I hear back. Edited January 19, 2019 by LittleBlue! Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted January 26, 2019 Author Share Posted January 26, 2019 Happy Friday! We're looking at our first real snow storm and possibly -25 ° F in MN this weekend so I'm planning on getting some work done on the car. I finally got my oil return line connected to the fitting that will connect to my oil pan. I put a hose clamp on after this picture. I've drained my oil and removed all of the bolts holding the oil pan on. It's holding on by friction or maybe the gasket but I will remove it later tonight or tomorrow to drill the hole for the return. My goal for the weekend is to finish the oil feed and return lines. My other goal is to start the car up by the first of the month. Time to get after it and get it done. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted January 26, 2019 Author Share Posted January 26, 2019 (edited) I bolted the oil return fitting onto the turbo. I had to grind one side flat to have the holes line up perfect. I will still need to find a downsizing connector to connect the return line to the fitting on the turbo. I also connected the turbo to the intercooler with 2 90° couplers I had left over and some left over 2.5" aluminum pipe. I have one clamp left and will need to order 5 more to finish the job. I'm going to connect the air intake filter with a 90° coupler and have it positioned right by the grille that already has airflow. I'm considering cutting a section to open it up for airflow. Edited January 26, 2019 by LittleBlue! Shinobi777 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 I finally was able to use a crow bar or cats claw? And I was able to hit the wedge into the seam and break the oil pan loose. I'll be drilling the hole and finishing the return line tonight. I also believe I determined the best (or maybe only?) Option for the source of my oil feed line will be the oil sensor switch which is right in front of the engine near the oil filter. I'll post some pics on that incase anyone finds use in it later. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 I connected the return line to the oil pan. I got lucky and drilled the perfect size hole. I was using a step up bit and checking size as I went but I usually never get it perfect. I drilled the hole high on the side with the deeper section. It looks like it should work great. I need to put the pan back on and cut the line to length. I'm hoping I can hook up the feed line today but I need to look for a T fitting for the oil switch and the feed line. And space is limited. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 Here is the oil switch where I will be connecting my oil feed. I'm going to use a T fitting to tap into the oil supply. This switch has always been an issue for space and was about as close to the turbo as possible without touching. I'm planning on having the switch repositioned with the T to allow for more space. I'll take another picture when it is all done. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 It doesn't look great but it works perfect and is out of the way of the turbo. The oil feed line screws right into the right side. I'm going to pick up gasket maker for the oil pan and the exhaust as well as a new oil filter and oil. I might actually get to start it up tonight. Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 5, 2019 Author Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) All of my oil lines are hooked up, I've put gaskets on all of the exhaust connections, everything is set to start. I have tried to start it but I'm getting a laundry list of codes in HP tuners. Nothing to concerning but one injector does seem to have a bad wiring connection. I'm going to work through these and the next post should be a video of the car running. Fingers crossed. Edited February 5, 2019 by LittleBlue! Shinobi777 and SpaceCowboy 2 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 (edited) Just as an update, I have identified the issue that is preventing the car from starting as lack of fuel. Specifically, it is a fuel pump issue. I have been traveling a lot for work so I haven't been able to focus as much on the car. I have dropped the gas tank and I'm beginning to troubleshoot the issue. I believe it is related to wiring. HP tuners has a feature that allows you to turn on the fuel pump so I plan to use that as I investigate the issue. On a positive note, I am getting oil to the turbo. Confirmed by a small leak on the return side. Once I get it running, I plan on changing the oil fairly soon and will use the gasket tube stuff I used for the oil pan which has no leaks Edited February 16, 2019 by LittleBlue! Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 18, 2019 Author Share Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) I pulled the fuel pump basket and noticed the fuel line was disconnected just after the fuel pump in the fuel basket. Amateur hour move on my part, I used too short of a line (stock after I cut it off the stock fuel pump) and it disconnected. I tested the wiring and the pump fired right up. I'm going to hook up a longer fuel line and hopefully the car should be getting fuel. Edited February 19, 2019 by LittleBlue! Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 (edited) It finally fired up! I confirmed the fuel pump was working and hooked it back up and gave it a try. The current tune is not adjusting for the injector size so it is running extremely rich. It also is clear I will need an oil restrictor on the turbo feed. It's not much but here is a video of me geeking out in excitement as it fires up for the first time since putting on the turbo. Edited February 23, 2019 by LittleBlue! Shinobi777 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 24, 2019 Author Share Posted February 24, 2019 I flashed a new tune to address the significantly larger injectors. It seems to have helped the idle quite a bit. I still haven't fully hooked up the exhaust since working on the fuel pump so it is louder than it will be when completed. Shinobi777 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LittleBlue! 102 Posted February 24, 2019 Author Share Posted February 24, 2019 (edited) With all of the codes in hp tuners popping up and the sound from the engine, Im fairly certain the 4th cylinder is not firing and it is due to an issue with the injector and I'm assuming it is related to the electrical connection. I'm going to pull the sparkplug and see if it is dry to confirm my suspicion and look to tinker with the connection. Unfortunately, pulling the injectors is a massive task on these cars. Edited February 24, 2019 by LittleBlue! Link to post Share on other sites
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