Nitro V8

36 minutes ago, phazed said:

I fancied one of those for the back of my 986. I just looked them up on the web and I’m struggling to get off the floor. Is there really that much to them to warrant the price? Saying that, having just paid a couple of vet bills it seems quite reasonable….

I have had mine for 3 years just not got round to fitting and was still not sure it was good until on. Very happy with look though. Like all my mods it is reversible if I change my mind!

Me neither.

Joe Toth ducktail installed

9 minutes ago, phazed said:

Off on holiday on Tuesday for a couple of weeks so will sort something out on my return.

I’m away as well next week so that works well. I’m sure we can sort out a suitable day for both of us. Have a good holiday.

15 minutes ago, Ninesomething said:

Does it sound good? Usually the better the sound the more power you think you've found.....

 

Long time ago I had a Kawasaki ZZR1100. It was plenty fast enough but we found out the factory had restricted them and the cure was a set of 750 carb tops that allowed the throttles to open fully. So I did it - only a few quid. It released 20-odd  horses which on a 125hp bike is a lot. First time I rode it my mind was blown. Backwards. Second time I rode it it it was good. After 3 or 4 rides it was just normal. 

Moral - it's never enough. Well - sometimes it's enough but it's never too much..

To be honest I can't hear the intake due to the noisy exhaust!

Can't say it feels any faster but have only put a couple of miles on it.

100 miles that will be ok and cost is reasonable.

25 minutes ago, phazed said:

Sounds like a good idea. Are you far from Surrey rolling Road?

A long way!

I'm in Worcestershire

20 minutes ago, phazed said:

All looks good. report back after an extended drive.

I guess the flow rate of the K&N filter is better than the 986? how does it compare to the 987 I wonder.

I guess any gains are incremental and quite possible not noticeable. In my experience, you can feel an extra 50 horses but not 5!

Really need to get mine on a rolling road and see...

Maybe we could go together?

Well after what’s seams like months of faffing around I finally got installing my home crafted intake.

I had accumulated loads of different parts, some of which I sold on to others who have successfully then used them for their own installs.

Firstly I want to say a great big thank you to all on here who gave advice and also shared their own builds on here. This is truly a great forum for how well people contribute and offer up their own advice and information.

Parts I considered but did not use.

You May not agree with my choices and I may well be wrong in some or all of them but I do like to do things a bit differently sometimes for better or worse!

987 airbox.

I bought a modded one of these and was going to use however changed my mind due to the following in no particular order

1) Looks an absolute pain to install. Bearing in mind I’m doing this on my drive way with arthritic joints and weak arm due to a ruptured biceps.

2) I felt the 987 airbox was restrictive where it transitions around the 90degree exit to the maf tube. It turns 90degrees but it also flattens out to a diameter of about 70mm.

3) I wanted to do something different.

4) I had already decided not use the larger 987 maf tube as this requires an expensive, specialised reprogramming that I am sure nets any real advantage.

74mm throttle body and 996/997 plenum/tube

After a lot of reading up on many forums including here I concluded that this only gives at best a marginal increase in power at high revs and this could be to the detriment of low end torque? 
The 68mm tb I believe is sized correctly for the runners and capacity.

I concluded that the biggest restriction was the 986 airbox and associated intake to tb

So what did I use.

The two main components were

1) A K&N sealed air filter 51-5000 also sometimes known as an Orion.

2) MRP performance MAF tube (BMW fit with 3” id)

3) Joe Toth air scoop

4) What else

a) 67 degree 76mm/80mm silicone elbow. From throttle body to maf tube (trim down by 50mm tb end)

b) 90 degree 80mm silicone elbow (150mm long legs)

c) 100mm long  80mm Ali tube coupler (from 90degree elbow)

d) 70mm long 80mm to 76mm silicone coupler (from Ali tube to air filter)

e) 6X 70mm to 90mm jubilee clips.

f) 1X 100mm to 120mm jubilee clip.

g) 90 deg 100mm silicone elbow ( for filter to side port cold air feed)

h) 135 degree 80mm Ali coupler tube (side grill to 100mm silicone tube cold air feed, not connected but pointing at so does not add ct as restriction and allows any rain ingress to drain)

Here it is all installed

Starts and runs fine.

Can’t really feel any difference but have only done a couple of miles. Got a road trip next week so hopefully will be able to judge then.

There were times during the removal and install when I wondered why I was doing it mainly due to the very limited access you have to work and my own physical difficulties. However I am very pleased with the result so far.

6 minutes ago, edc said:

Fair play but just seems at odds with your reasoning for not wanting to do the TB. With that you had some data and experience from both sides but presumably next to none on the filter. The existing OE airboxes are 'cold feed' from external already. 

The BMC will be cold feed from exterior and a very simple design. Plus I’m adding a bit of ram using the Joe toth intake scoop.

Just a different route, we will see if any good.

27 minutes ago, edc said:

Why the aftermarket filter you've chosen Vs the 987 airbox? I get that you may not want to do the TB but the 987 airbox can be done on its own. 

Just thought I would try something different.

No 74mm tb

Following loads of reading up and talking to various people inc Wayne at chip wizards I concluded the 74mm tb and 996/7 plenum gave little or no benefit and possibly a small loss in low rev torque.

I could be wrong and the only way of really knowing is a lot of back to back dyno runs with parts being swapped over etc.

I still believe the biggest restriction is the 986 airbox and tubing so that is what I am changing and hopefully upgrading.

I must admit I stuck with the same size tube as I didn't want the cost of tuning. Also there are very few who can actually tune for the bigger tube other than Chip Wizards up Burnley way which is quite a trek.

My view was that the biggest restriction was the airbox hence the route I am taking.

It's good to experiment a bit and try different methods.

I'm using a 3 inch MAF tube from MRP in the States. They do one that our standard MAF fits straight into from a BMW.

3" internal diameter is only 1mm bigger than standard so should not cause any problems.

Mass Air Flow Housing | Performance MRP

28 minutes ago, phazed said:

That is pretty poor condition, surprising. Did you cut up your airbox to remove it? I split mine in two at the seam and it came out easily. It was putting the 987 airbox in that was a pain!

@phazed Yes split it with a chisel. However I think because it was a hot day it flexed a lot instead of splitting at first. (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

I sold you the modded 987 box so pleased you got in ok.

I decided against this route and have gone with a BMC oval airbox which fits in easily. Capable of flowing enough for minimum 400hp so is easily good enough.

Just a different way of going about it.

I'll get some pics up when done. 

I’m currently in the process of replacing my 986 airbox with a BMC sealed box and piework.

I removed the original airbox, what a pig of a job that is! Anyway I took the Pipercross air filter element out that has been in for about two years and no more than 3000 miles and was quite surprised at the state of it.

On the atmosphere side the foam had bowed out and on the engine side the paint had started to come off from the meshing. The paint could then be ingested possibly contaminating the maf sensor and even fowling the throttle body butterfly. I doubt it would do any engine damage though as it would just get burnt up.

21 hours ago, Davey P said:

Stunning car mate, looks awesome in that colour 👍

Thankyou @Davey P
It does look better in photo’s, it is actually quite a few shades of yellow in person 😀

9 minutes ago, Liberty said:

Mine failed on emissions so had to fit a new exhaust.Is he sure you haven't got a little leak or something?I have no clue how it works tbh.Annoying if you have to do that every few years though and significant expense.Not saying she ain't worth it.

Apparently fails on Nox if there is a leak not CO2.

Lee seems to think they are only good for a few years?

Thanks for the positive comments 👍

Well MOT time again which is always a bit nervy with a 20+ year old car.

No matter how well you have prepared you just don’t know if there is something going to catch you out!

Something did! Failed on CO2 emissions but following a good old Italian tune up and some cat cleaner it just snook in so got a pass in the end. Lee at Cotswold suspects failing cats. They are 200cell items from design911 so for the price paid I think ok that they have lasted 3 years. I’ll probably go for the same again come MOT time 2025.

Whilst at Cotswold also had my long aircon pipe replaced as it had corroded causing aircon failure.

All good in the end, left with a lightened wallet as usual 😀

Big thanks to Lee at Cotswold and the very patient MOT station next door.

5 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

Ambient temperature please! Got to allow for heat expansion…

How remiss of me, I do apologise. 🤓

19.9 deg C and 56% humidity.

Right then

The results are in!

Aided by my eight year old granddaughter we today measured my 2003 facelift 986 s.

Dropped a plumb line down to the driveway from the centre of the front bumper and slightly to the side of my exhausts tips at the rear as my exhaust is none standard with the tips protruding 30mm out from the rear bumper. Not sure how that compares with standard?

Drew a line on the drive front and rear where the plumb bob touched then slid a tape measure under the length of the car and read the result.

4326mm excluding exhaust tips

4356mm including exhaust tips

29 minutes ago, phazed said:

The answer surely is that they are pretty much both identical cars.

I reckon yellow ones are slightly longer

Why don’t we just measure them and be certain?

Tape measure straight under the car, plumb line at front and rear one at a time (will take account of any drive slopage) and there you have it.

I’ll volunteer to do my 986s 2003. Be the weekend now.

@Sanky and @charlieboy2608

Thank you for advice.

I will start investigating once/if it stops raining!

The drivers seat heating does not work on my 986 and hasn’t since I bought it 3 years ago.

Not really bothered about it but I do like to have everything working as it should!

It would be good to get it working for next winter that is if we ever get a summer!

What have you guys found to be the most logical steps for investigation into a faulty heated seat? What to look for first?

Thank you