The main issue we ran into to get the engine started was the wiring. I ended up running a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP ECU, which was compatible with all of the plugs and sensors I had. Then, there was the process of deleting all of the things I didn’t need. I tried to keep track of everything, even down to writing on the pinout packet where each wire went and what it was for, so I knew exactly where to look.
The first start up test was promising. We got it to start, but then it immediately shut off. We thought it could be a whole bunch of different things, but long story short, it was the MAP sensor wiring that was wrong. The wire colors were incorrect for the computer we had (the downside to having a harness and computer that don’t match). A wire that should have been grounded was getting power. This was throwing off the TPS, etc. Once we got that taken care of it started right up.
I can’t comment too much on the tuning process, but all I can say is that ZZP was a great resource in that we could send the tuning files to them. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the pulls they needed to fully tune the car, so I ended up taking it to a somewhat local dyno guy and he finished up the tune.
The car runs amazing and I could not be happier to have this build. It has some pep to it, but does fall short. Because of the position of the coils the plug wires are being stretched slightly, so one of the plug wires may have come loose during the dyno. I do plan to take it back since we forgot to grab the dyno graph. With that in mind, it made 315hp and 195tq. I am slightly confused as to why it made less torque than stock. It could be the NA parts I chose to put on the car, but even with the smaller pulley it made less than I thought. It is pretty quick though and the torque is right there all the time.
I originally thought I was making more boost as well, but we were just reading it wrong so, sorry to all those that I told was making way more! lol. It actually made 7lbs of boost.
All in all this build was a fight in the beginning and great in the end. There were a lot of things I didn’t understand when I was starting out and I had to rely on others. And because the process took so long things were forgotten and it was like we had to start all over each time. Honestly, it wasn’t until my first event with it, on the partial tune, that I was really excited about it. It wasn’t until after that that I understood everything about the motor that I needed to. This was one of the biggest hurtles I had to overcome and I had to do it while I was growing as a person and fighting to be more productive.
It’s exciting to have an idea and it’s exciting to have your idea running and driving, but the parts in between will beat you down over and over. I could not have done this build without the support of my friends, family, and future husband. It stinks that it took so long, but I did move twice and buy a house (and renovate it) in the midst of it all. All I can say is that I’m proud I’m finally here and I can enjoy this car!! XD
Actual Post Date: July 14, 2020
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