Lightweight Alumicraft Build(ish)

[acefuture]

Gonna use this thread to remind myself to take photos of the work I'm doing on this car, which I'm patently bad at. A close friend of mine has been talking about getting a car for some time. He's a fantastic driver and drives the piss out of his RZR but was looking for something that would be a bit more fun in the sand. I put some feelers out for an early 2000s alumicraft since almost every car in our group is and alumicraft and we know them very well. The day after I posted the owner of this car reached out and mentioned he may be interested in selling. Another buddy of mine was the owner of the car before him so I knew the car and it was perfect for what he was looking for. @Reece Pettersen was able to go pick up the car and we got it to my house over the weekend. The previous owner told us the motor was shot, but he hadn't put a wrench on the car since it overheated, so had planned on just replacing it. As soon as it got to my house I hooked it up to a battery and tried to crank it, wouldn't turn. Tried to spin the crank with a breaker and it wouldn't budge. So pulled the plugs to see if it would turn and still wouldn't budge. 

The plan of attack is to pull the motor, do a rewire, service the whole car, replace main consumable, and do a few odds n ends creature comforts and get the car in the dunes in the next few weeks. It's not so much a full "build" but more so a full prep. Over the summer I'll look into tearing this motor apart to see the damage and see if anything is worth salvaging. 

Some photos from the other day when I got it home

 

[Ripster]

great buy

 

[BRANDON LONG]

Will be a fun car for sure!

 

[L.R.S.]

Looking forward to seeing the updates. 

 

[Reece Pettersen]

Technically I hold title, so are you working on mine or Sky's car?! :classic_biggrin:

Blue Flame 2.0!  Shake 'n Bake. 

 

[Rockwood]

Nice ride.

I'm assuming the HG(s) let go and put water where it shouldn't and you'll open that motor to a bunch of rust.

 

[Reece Pettersen]

Nice ride.

I'm assuming the HG(s) let go and put water where it shouldn't and you'll open that motor to a bunch of rust.

The oil didn't smell too burt and no water in it, but it is locked up. I would guess 8lbs on a stock engine was a factor. 

 

[Rockwood]

The oil didn't smell too burt and no water in it, but it is locked up. I would guess 8lbs on a stock engine was a factor. 

If it's just in the bores and rusted the rings in place, bonus: just sleeve it. :biggrin:

I've had decent luck funneling a pint or so of Marvel into the cylinders to at least break up the rust for disassembly. 

 

[wesinls]

Congrats - wish i found that deal before you!

 

[acefuture]

If it's just in the bores and rusted the rings in place, bonus: just sleeve it. :biggrin:

I've had decent luck funneling a pint or so of Marvel into the cylinders to at least break up the rust for disassembly. 

Hopefully it did just rust rings in place and it won't be a complete throw away. We'll see! Meantime I'll stab a replacement in, and preferably go N/A

 

[Cookie]

The oil didn't smell too burt and no water in it, but it is locked up. I would guess 8lbs on a stock engine was a factor. 

8lbs on a stock motor should be good, lots of people running that set up for years with zero issues.  I run that set up and have 150 days of duning with zero engine issues.

 

[Rockwood]

Hopefully it did just rust rings in place and it won't be a complete throw away. We'll see! Meantime I'll stab a replacement in, and preferably go N/A

Does it currently have a ghetto FMU fuel setup, or AEM?

 

[acefuture]

Does it currently have a ghetto FMU fuel setup, or AEM?

There's a new AEM unit in there, but it came with parts from a stock computer and some other clipped wires of some sort. So i'm sure if the car had ever been run with the AEM

 

[acefuture]

8lbs on a stock motor should be good, lots of people running that set up for years with zero issues.  I run that set up and have 150 days of duning with zero engine issues.

Who knows if it was 8lbs honestly haha. The owner before, Nick, said he had it at 8lbs. But we don't know what it was run at after

 

[Rockwood]

There's a new AEM unit in there, but it came with parts from a stock computer and some other clipped wires of some sort. So i'm sure if the car had ever been run with the AEM

AEM should work with the stock harness, no?  

But yeah, given the couple of weeks you want it done by, NA is the easiest way to go, turbo can be sorted in the offseason.

 

[1newbie]

subscribed.  I wish (and others have brought this up as well) that AC would bring back something like this (even if it was a mig/dom/roller) for the people who want the handling of an AC, but cannot spare $200k+ for a new top of the line AC.  There HAS to be a market for it based on the threads here..........

 

[Travelah]

That's my buddies old car, its a wheelie machine! The motor was brand new. Last trip he took it out a few years ago was the shakedown run before season, but ended in a life flight home. Got a little airborne in a wheelie up olds and broke his back on landing. When the group was trying to get his car back either the fans didn't turn on or weren't turned on and overheated it.

He had a new jdm longblock built and switched to AEM just before that trip if I remember correctly. I don't think he changed the boost level from wherever Nick had it.

 

[acefuture]

That's my buddies old car, its a wheelie machine! The motor was brand new. Last trip he took it out a few years ago was the shakedown run before season, but ended in a life flight home. Got a little airborne in a wheelie up olds and broke his back on landing. When the group was trying to get his car back either the fans didn't turn on or weren't turned on and overheated it.

He had a new jdm longblock built and switched to AEM just before that trip if I remember correctly. I don't think he changed the boost level from wherever Nick had it.

Nice, yea it was from Walt. Looks like the fans were unplugged so could be the reason for the overheat. 

That makes sense, I remember he mentioning he recently switched to AEM but couldn't remember if it had been ran with it or not.

 

[Cookie]

One thing with the Fans, mine struggle to stay cool due the fans not coming on until 205, that being said they would also turn off at 205, and always had the temp cycling between 200 and 215, occasionally 220.  I finally put my fans on a switch.  215 is way too hot.

Then I think Kruat said you can change out the sensor to an 180 degree sensor, I have never had an issue since.  No idea why that sensor was originally 205 degrees.