Coolant Reroute Options
 

So I've read some posts, and searched quite a bit but can't find any product reviews for the FM coolant reroute, or the Qmax coolant reroute.
I'm looking at getting the reroute done before I turbo my car(again). I have a full FM turbo kit going on a 97.

The only thing I found appealing with the FM reroute is the turbo lines being right there.
I saw one post where Deezums says it's a shitty copy of Qmax and more money and more problems.

Both have a bleed valve, both have a spare 1/8 NPT.

Does anyone have experience with both? pros and cons?

Maybe I'm just looking into this too much, any reroute will be better than the OEM routing.. but I'd rather do it once and do it right.

I have the Qmax installed, and another friend that has been running one for 2 seasons and has had no issues. Really nice piece, I love the orange, I installed mine with engine on a stand and it was painless -- we did my friends while it was in the car, and while it was tough, it wasn't impossible. Realistically I think that will be an issue no matter what just based on the location, but the Qmax has recessions to be able to get tools on it near the firewall. Can't speak to the FM one, but I have seen some people run the Kia neck successfully as a superbudget option. Definitely one of those pieces that you can do for very little money if you dont care about aesthetics and it will likely function exactly the same, so I agree with that sentiment.

That said,
1 vote for Qmax

https://revlimiter.net/blog/2017/09/...oute-shootout/

https://www.miataturbo.net/build-thr...3/#post1551137

Couple people posting about the QMax

QueMacks is hands down nicest kit.

I, like others, have noticed that unless it's sweltering hot outside, it does make the car quite cold-blooded.

That aside, it's still the only reroute on the market i would buy in 2021.

Another one posting about the QMax
https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-pe...2/#post1592226 relevant as OP is in Ottawa which is a cooler climate

Yeah, that's the one where I read criticism of the FM one, but nothing to back it up.

Thanks for that!
Read both and didn't see anything about the FM reroute.. Based on RevLimiter's review I'd be tempted by the Qmax, going to need to find out how to delete the water neck and retain coolant lines for the turbo.

thanks for the help and info so far!

I used a freeze plug and placed the QMax plate over the top. For the water lines, I ran a hose behind the cam timing plate from the TB to the mixing manifold.

Qmax could be literally perfect if they got rid of the design flaw. Bypassing the thermostat in such a way does not increase the cooling capacity of the car under any conditions, it just breaks thermal regulation sometimes for no reason other than misunderstanding how a thermostat regulates temeprature.

The miata is open bypass, going through the trouble of maintaining proper bypass location only to shit all over it by drilling a fcking hole in the thermostat is fucking dumb.

There's also nothing about it any different than a DIY reroute when it comes down to it. If I were to do it again that's what I'd be doing since it seems the design flaw is there to stay. IOW, absolutely nobody is solving their overheating issues by swapping a proper DIY to a qmax.

So, Qmax is better than no reroute, and DIY reroute without the bypass is better than Qmax. So, I guess my question should be reformulated to what is the best bolt-on reroute solution. Based on what I've read here though, I may just go with the qmax.

Overall thermal capacity is unchanged with any reroute; the goal of a reroute is to get better coolant flow to the back of the head. IMO they all work about the same, but they are a ball ache to install with the motor in the car and the Qmax is the least achey in that regard.

My biggest headache putting reroute on engine in car was cleaning the 20YO gasket off the head.

iTs nOt A dEsIgN fLaW iTs A fEaTuRe

- E, probably

The excuse given is the bypass relieves pressure before the thermostat opens. That's literally retarded, as the miata is open bypass and the low pressure suction from the pump through the heater core, turbo lines, and whatever the fuck else is what keeps there from being too much pressure. Have we all seen a miata water pump? It's a pinwheel in a cast iron hallway. It ain't generating significant pressure against a dead head in the first place.

You could delete the heater core and cap it's lines and you still wouldn't have a problem with pressure, might cavitate sometimes but I highly doubt even that. Remote thermostats are fine, as of the post the day before, I bet they are a touch slow the first time they crack open, then they are indistinguishable from any other reroute.

Next time my reroute is off I am filling the retard hole with silicone. Probably going to have to let it cure before reinstalling, but whatever. If you drive in the cold (like 50's or less) then you probably should, too.

This seems very important to you.

Just more parts that don't work as expected I've bought from suppliers that should know better.

If it were Tom from FFS or even Corky and his racer reroute this thread would look a lot different.

There's still nothing on the supermiata site about the qmax overcooling and the need to block the radiator off. Strange.

Be patient. I'm expecting 949 racing branded Qmax radiator block off panels to be announced any day now. Site will surely be updated at that point.

You're really just experiencing Miata ownership.

Attempting to assist others in a less painful miata ownership...

@deezums @twopointwo Check our updated instructions for the note added about overcooling. https://supermiata.com/Supermiata_Qmax_Instructions.pdf

A link to these instructions is found on the main product page: https://supermiata.com/supermiata-qm...mx5-miata.aspx

Will it be anodized orange?

Does a bear poop in the woods?

That is still not in the copy for the product description.

I'm sorry for what I started here.

My main question/worry was about the comparison between FM's offering, and Qmax.

"But the big difference is the turbocharger. We worked with the engineering department at Colorado Mesa University to map out all the cooling factors of the Miata engine, and discovered that a water-cooled turbocharger will increase the temperature of the coolant flowing through it by as much as the rest of the engine put together. To make things worse, this very hot coolant is mixed right back into the engine coolant, with no chance to cool down at all. Obviously, we decided to address this. We dropped the amount of flow into the turbo - they really only need the water cooling when the engine is off and they use thermal siphoning to get it - and plumbed it back into the water heading into the radiator so that it's cooled before going back into the engine."

The above is from the FM website. Reading it seems that the FM version would be better for a boosted vehicle.

No need to be sorry - this is a good discussion. Folks have questions, good to clarify what's up.

Regarding the overcooling thing, with the old m-tuned reroute without the bypass you'd see a real big cooling system pressure spike (measured with pressure sensors) until the thermostat opened, usually accompanied by a temperature spike. I experienced this on my personal turbo NB. To solve that problem, i drilled a small hole in the thermostat as recommended by M Tuned... creating a bypass. Solved the spike problem, but when it was cold out I had to block off part of the radiator to maintain sufficient coolant temp. It's a tradeoff. If you're not concerned about the spike, run a setup that doesn't have a bypass. For us, keeping cooling system pressures more even and optimizing the setup to work when driving the car hard is priority. Thanks for the feedback to those that are concerned about other customers as it sparked an improvement in our instructions.

I can't refute FM's study with hard data, but I do find it hard to believe that the turbo can put as much heat into the coolant as the rest of the engine put together. Either way, the QMax has been proven on turbocharged street and track cars time and time again and works great, including our own at well over 400whp, so it's largely a non-issue. If you have an FM turbo kit with FM lines and the FM reroute, maybe it's more plug and play - I haven't played with one to see, but maybe that makes more sense for your particular use case. But from what I see that choice makes sense only from an ease of use improvement, not from a cooling standpoint.

I have -6 cats for a reason. I research and ask questions with my head held low now. :P

Thanks for the answer! It definitely clears some things up. Here in Ottawa in the fall it definitely approaches and goes under 50f or 10c. But in the summer months it'll be 95f... So I need the system optimized for street/track duty at both of those temps.

Autocross isn't a worry as much since by the time the car gets too hot, it'll rest in the paddock awaiting the next run for a solid bit.

Yup. Note that the FM will have the same style bypass, so you'll still have the same overcooling at low ambienttemps. a piece of cloroplast works great and easily folds and tucks behind the driver seat. It's what I had to do in winters in Utah and Oregon to maintain coolant temps with my M tuned reroute.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck with the project :skid:

Read literally: The differential temp of the water going though the CHRA is roughly the same as that for the engine coolant inlet and outlet.

BUT; the flow through a CHRA is so much less that the flow through the engine. Heat flow is water flow times temp difference. Don't confuse temp rise with heat transfer.

DNM

I had to "massage" my egr pipe with a hammer and a block of wood, with my qmax...not something I expected to do with such a costly part. FM claims no egr issues... something to consider.

Voice of experience: unbolt the PPF from the transmission, and use a jack under the tail of the transmission to push it upwards. This will pivot the engine forward on its mounts, which creates a surprising amount of space to work back there.

Something we didn't encounter on the several cars we tested it on, but there's quite a bit of variance in OEM EGR pipes. That note is now on the product page so nobody is surprised by it. I expect FMs is similar in that some cars will bolt right in and some won't.

This makes me not want to buy FMs stuff.
No way a turbo CHRA sheds the same BTU output of the engine. DNMakison has this on lock.
What really bothers me about the above is the last sentence. A CHRA has VAST temp swings depending on the EGT and amount of flow occurring. They need major coolant flow anytime boost is being created. Reducing total flow through the CHRA seems like a very bad choice to me.
I would prefer to have additional cooling of the CHRA after the engine is shut off but this a MINOR thing and although "thermal siphoning" does work it works slowly. If it was really important we would all use auxiliary coolant pumps (real common on late model cars) to help cool our turbos and I've not seen anyone do this.

And here's Super Miata's answer to multiple questions I had regarding their bypass of the thermostat itself. Rooted in physics and completely rational!
In fact TurboFan just sold another Qmax set up with that post. This is the way I'll be going...

Bingo! The laws of physics ARE the only ones that really matter...


And finally the single best tip on install I've heard of, Thanks Joe!

OP- this is a good thread, best "differences" thread I've seen yet regarding reroutes.

Threads like this one make MiataTurbo the only forum for me.

^ there are plenty of turbos that aren’t plumbed for coolant at all, which doesn’t seem to have any adverse effect on their performance or lifespan.

Good Point
 

^^ This is true. ^^

But I figure Mitsubishi put the water ports on for a reason. The same one that Subaru had when they plumbed to those ports. I don't have any comparison, but I know that I don't take any care on shut-down procedures. And I use good oil. I suppose that OEM has to figure in the longer oil change intervals, and possible lower grade oils that are more prone to coking.

DNM

OEM manufacturers also have to warranty it and make sure it can last through Junior borrowing the family Subaru and racing his buddy's 335i on the highway.

I've got experience with the BEGI spacer, M-t00ned and the QMax on the NB with 3-4 different EGR tubes at this point and I can echo this statement. The variance in these factory parts is shocking. Some tubes are perfect, some tubes vary just enough to be a hassle but its nothing that can't be dealt with fairly simply. Good on you guys for updating the info.

The fact that you worked for BEGI taints everything you post online and makes me want to put you on global ignore.

I never worked for BEGI...
I worked for Corky Bell when he had Cartech Engineering and Japanese GTs. BEGI was 20 years in the future at this point.
Miata's were 7 years in the future as well.
Back then Cartech was the only turbo shop that had a clue. Everyone else was lost, I don't think any of his competition survived.
I couldn't stand Stephanie when she was 7 years old, she just got worse as she aged.
Corky was a poor "business man" but an excellent engineer.
I was an 18 year old newbie and didn't know anything then.
I cannot understand why my far distant past should create such a dislike in someone I don't have any history or interactions with.
I have no animosity towards you and I cannot fathom why the reverse apparently exists...
I'm guessing your hatred of BEGI is overwhelming.

In regards to this thread Corky's "re-route" and MANY of his Miata mods are the "bottom of the barrel" and should not have been produced.
Complete trash! his fueling mod is one of the worst things I've ever seen.

The single most common Miata turbo manifold is a Corky design and although it doesn't have the flow paths it needs will continue to be sold for years.
It might be the most copied aftermarket manifold in history...

I would purchase a Q-max reroute before using a free BEGI re-route. Corky's design is flawed.
I'm buying a Kraken set up and I've never even spoken to Corky about what he might have stashed away. Kraken's stuff is far better IMO.
4 years ago I tried to purchase BEGI's MSM upgrades for a customer. Stephanie was just too much.
I could not work with her. BEGI is gone now as well. This is a good thing.
Ended up buying a "big enchilada" from FM with the Hydra. This set up and the teething problems I encountered with it soured me to anything FM related.
Only "good" thing with the FM set up was their support. They finally got it right but...
Both my customer and I now wish we'd gone MKTurbo and a MS3. It would have been less expensive and made more power.

You could say that, and I appreciate your clarification.

:likecat:

It's not the turbo that is being "helped" with the coolant flow in the CHRA.
It's the oil...
CHRAs will run between 400 and 900 degrees F without cooling depending on load.
Anything over 250 degrees degrades oil, Synthetics can handle a bit more but nowhere near what a CHRA runs
So every single time an oil molecule gets run through the turbo it gets overheated and damaged a tiny little bit.
If you reduce the feed (restrictor) the oil molecule spends more time in the CHRA on each pass.
The coolant passages are needed to protect the oil.
I'm guessing they reduce the thermal load on the oil 75%...

An aluminum CHRA cannot be used without cooling flow. The heat will mess with the alloy.

When I started working with turbos 37 years ago getting 50K out of a turbo was rare. They would always die from being "coked" up on the exhaust side of the CHRA, they almost never actually broke.
Take apart, soak CHRA in carb dip overnight, new bearings-seals and a re-balance fixed them up fine.

The modern ball bearing CHRA with water cooling has an almost indefinite lifespan. 300-400K miles are extremely common on turbo diesels, replacing the turbocharger is a very rare job.
I've seen 10+ blown up EcoBoost V6 Ford trucks in the last 4 years, the turbos are never the problem, everything else hooked to the turbos is trash...

Having an uncooled CHRA is fine but you will need to do oil changes more often and use the best oil you can purchase.

Intentionally reducing this coolant flow as the bit from FM reads is NOT an option IMO.

When you see a change in the automotive world that ALL of the OEMs add it has already passed the "is this added expense worth it against our bottom line" test.
Cooling the CHRA is one of these changes...

DFI is another: everyone adopted, everyone has problems with dirty intake valves (because of NO catch cans), Mercedes and Ford have already added port injectors to solve this issue, all the others will follow...
Soon all the gasoline powered new cars will have two injectors per cylinder, one direct and one port. Tuning will become more complicated but will yield better results.

EO2K, I'm glad to get our issue straightened out. I really like this forum and would prefer to be helpful without stepping on other's toes

This is one of the best things I've read on this forum :laugh:

Aftermarket has fixed that with proper catch cans and WMI ;) (hanging out too much with VAG guys)

WMI? water/methanol/injection?
See that's not fair, spraying an oil dissolving fluid on to the intake valves is "cheating" from the OEMs viewpoint.

The Ford Ecoboost engines have yet another problem.

That is by "Ford Tech Makuloco" and basically says "no liquid cleaning" of the intake valves.
His videos are GREAT. I will never do a Ford "internals" video because of him. I check if he has a video on ANY Ford issue that is new to me.
He IS a technician and a wizard...
Fords warranty solution to this problem is to "replace heads" and they have completely overlooked the ancient BMW solution to this issue ("fancy pants" intake bead blaster with walnut shells).
Sadly this requires technicians that understand that you cannot use this equipment when the intake valves are open. The average dealership wrench now-a-days might not be able to understand.
The "A" guys will but the "C" or "D" techs will end up filling a cylinder with a brown non-compressible media...

I believe the best long term solution is a catch can (FTM says this as well) but normal consumers will baulk at draining the catch can regularly, not know what to do with the resultant slimy mess, and this will effect sales of this engine package.
The final "solution" will be to include port injection with DFI. This is an expensive fix for an OEM and it is being adopted currently.
The Mercedes 4 cylinder it is applied to makes 400+ hp as sold new with a warranty!
Strangely Ford and Mercedes engage the port injection exactly opposite of each other...
"Two men say they're Jesus- One of them must be wrong" --- Dire Straits

I advise my customers to AVOID the EcoBoost set up like COVID...
The current 5.0 appears to be a good motor and I have seen multiple vehicles with the 5.0 at 150k+ with no nasty issues...

To those that dislike the "cold nature during normal operation" aspect of the Q-max...
The re-route is SO good that normal operating temperature being too cold is an issue.
Hot digity damn!
Sign me up!
It's EASY to block off a radiator, it's a bitch to get to the point of having to block off the radiator on a Miata.
This aspect ALONE is one of the best reasons to use the Q-max...

One final note for EO2K...
I almost bought that used Q-max that you put on your "Rambo Miata"
Had I'd seen TurboFans reply before it was put up for sale I would have.
It looked like a damn good deal.
I can buy the required hose CHEAP although I don't believe it's "made in America" any longer.
You "sniped" me out...

Sorry for the massive thread drift, back to the regular scheduled programming...

While we're thread drifting...

My understanding is that intake valve deposits are primarily from exhaust reversion rather than PCV crud, and that OE's have come a long way in preventing the problem with less cam overlap, etc. Basically by designing DI heads specifically for DI applications.

I know way more people that have issues with the Ford 5.0 consuming oil by the gallon than I do people having issues with the EB motors. My n=1 with my 7 year old 3.5EB is that it has been absolutely bulletproof.

All of the wounded EcoBoosts I've encountered had 100K+ miles on them.
The owners LOVED the trucks. Big power and excellent fuel economy. Better than anything else in their "class".
The most common issue I've seen is leaking coolant connections at the turbos. This is often misdiagnosed as a freeze plug issue or a coolant leak from something else.
The fix is to replace the coolant connections AND the steel tubing that goes to them. Just replacing the connectors is a "band aid" as the tubes get "distorted" with use.
This requires removing the turbos and then the tubes. It is a PIA to do and the book times for turbo r+r is 5+ hours PER side.
There are a bunch of torque to yield fasteners which "should" be replaced.
If your DIYing it you might re-use some of these but if your doing it professionally it's not worth the possibility of having a "come back", getting to re-do the entire job for free, and having an unhappy customer.
By the time your done with the job it's nearing $1500 to JUST fix the leaks. You don't do anything to the turbos themselves...
This is BS in my book. I feel sorry for the customer when I find one of these.
This symptom is noticed first with the coolant fans going into "maximum overdrive" and the fans will be louder than the engine. It sounds like a Cessna aircraft.

Another thing I've seen is the heater connections at the firewall being "melted" by the excessive heat from the right turbo. They are located directly above it AND the firewall wraps up and above them. Makes for a nice toaster oven environment.
Ford fixed this by moving the connections 18" outboard and placing them over the right fender well. This is not a mod that can be re-created in an early truck.

Then you have the intake valve BS.
Most of the post 2004 vehicles no longer have EGR valves as the OEMs figured out adding overlap will effectively add reversion at a level that negates the need for the EGR valve when operated below 3K rpm.
This also requires a compression increase as the overlap reduces dynamic compression. This improves efficiency and eliminates an expensive valve and it's required hardware. Better power, fuel economy, reduced cost, reduced warranty claims; more better all around.
What the OEMs DO NOT state is that this set up will significantly increase NOx emissions when operated above 3K rpm and the reversion effect reduces. The emissions certifications test "normal" operation and do not include WOT operations.
This works fine as long as you have fuel cleaning the intake valves. When they changed to DFI they were probably surprised at the new issues they created. From the quick research I've just done it seems most of the EB installations do not have EGR valves.

Then you have an internal water pump.
These are never a good solution in my book in any engine. Chrysler had a bunch of V6s that had internals in the late 90s, what a PIA!
An internal water pump is an "accountant" decision, not an engineering one. The question they needed to answer is "will it make it past the warranty coverage?"
The answer is yes...
The 5.0 has an external water pump.
If your EB water pump leaks you will have NO indications you have an issue until you notice the coolant is low, the fans are on maximum overdrive, OR your oil pressure drops because the bearings have failed due to contaminated oil.
It's a bitch to replace as well, effectively a timing chain job.
Bad Ju-Ju...

I am a turbo lover, just not on my "appliance" cars.
Honda replaced the K24 with a 2.0 turbo and is already in class action lawsuits over the new engines.
4 cylinder Accords are one of my most recommended cars, just the K24 ones however.

I also said the 5.0 "appears" to be a good engine but the jury is still out IMO.
Your post on the increased oil consumption is a negative in my book. Thank you for your comments. I will watch closer and ask oil consumptions questions more often because of this...

I do apologize to any EB owners I might have offended. I just don't think I'm going to see many past 200K with no problems. I see GM and Toyota trucks all the time past this mark.
I've got one customer with a 2000 T100 Toy with 550K, a five speed, never had the engine opened up, on the original clutch. He bought it new.
It's slow and boring but drop dead reliable.

You need to remember I'm looking at these from a technician's viewpoint, not an owner's viewpoint.
I want to be able to effectively repair a vehicle and not see it back a month later with other issues.
I don't want to do $1500 repairs that just fix what should be an inexpensive problem.
I want to avoid multiple repairs in a short time on a single vehicle. This ALWAYS ends up with a customer believing you are screwing them over.
It's so much better to advise a customer to "eject" from a possible black hole and replace the T.R.U.C.K. or C.A.R. unit instead. I've never had a complaint regarding this, most people say "Thank you for being honest and not ripping me off".
I want to repair the truck and then work on all the other vehicles the customer, their families, and their friends own.
I have a nearly 100% "kill ratio". Once I fix something for a customer they do not take any of their vehicles to anyone else.
It's the DEAD season in the automotive repair world and I'm busy enough to not have time to work on my own projects.

Sorry guys, I type too much...

Too much thread drift. I'm out.

Thank you for the detailed response. Very helpful.

Very detailed response, and I've got just a few things to say to it as long as we are deeply off topic...

Vast majority of newer trucks, regardless of make/model, have issues just as bad (if not worse) than the EB pickups. The added complexities to meet EPA economy demands has really taken a toll on reliability of pickups overall. You don't see many newer 2015+ 1/2 ton pickups making it over 100k miles issue free... Ford has the issues mentioned above which I won't deny plus others you've missed. GM has active lifter issues and major converter/transmission woes (I could rant for a while on GM topic but will save the typing). Dodge has the same active lifter problems, air suspension issues, typical FCA electrical issues... I sold my 2018 Silverado recently due to incredibly inflated sellers market, and don't have any intention of buying a newer pickup again any time soon. If you talk to techs at each dealership, you can easily understand why. Cost of ownership passed the 60k+ mile range (warranty period) is definitely something to be worried about.

On the flip side, I've owned 3 1999-2007 GM's with the older/simpler powertrain designs. All of them had well north of 180k miles on the original powertrain and needed nothing more than very simple and affordable maintenance to keep happily running. They were slower, lower payload, lower tow rating, and lacking of features compared to their newer models, but dead reliable work horses. I'll likely go back to one of them if I end up needing a truck again.

This is something I hear very little mention of, so I'm glad you pointed it out. All modern Ford V6s - every Taurus, Ecoboost whatever, explorer, mustang, edge, etc have this internal water pump design. Book time to replace this water pump is over 12 hours labor, plus parts. It's absolutely absurd. I was a service advisor at a little auto repair shop for a bit. It's interesting to see the "innovation" in many Ford products. Much more advanced than GM stuff, and unfortunately often much harder to fix, though usually superior assembly quality.

Usually.

In some hope of getting this thread back on track,

show me a more beautiful piece of reroute!


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0e1e6a1bc.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...431bc7d24.jpeg

I agree FULLY with everything you've said +10
I'm a little bit more focused regarding early 2000s trucks. 1999 to 2004 with a gen3 small block ONLY. This avoids the dreaded DOD crap and the 5.7 vortec with the fuel "spider"
Even better, make sure you purchase a "Flex Fuel" capable one. They have 30lb injectors rather than 22lb ones. this makes modding the truck easier.
I prefer the cast iron ones. 5.3 is fine but 6.0 is better.
I know exactly how long the original powertrains live...
300k is super common for both engine and transmission. I haven't seen any rear ends fail and the AC components last a shitload longer than pretty much anyone else besides Toyota.
I have a shop that specializes in automotive AC work and MOST of my recent experience is involving these system.
Because of this I don't see many of the issue that seem to plague more modern vehicles.
Chevy trucks from 2010 up will ALL need condensers, 2010-2013 with old style compressors will NOT need a compressor EVER. I haven't sold a one...
2014 and up 50% will also need a compressor 1 out of 2! Variable displacement compressors are much more economical but fragile as eggs.
You can tell by the "stretch to fit" belt melts and "cotten candies" the front of the engine with impossible to remove black goo.
You have to get this crap OFF of the main drive pully. It takes 30+ minutes...
The belt is cool, works great normally and can replace the belt AND tensioner (these are BAD) on an earlier truck but the mess is "special".
I sell 25+ condenser jobs a year and I am a one man shop.

I'm currently starting a "rebuild" on a 04 Tahoe Z71 5.3 that I purchased from a friend for my son. $1000 with random misfires which have turned out to be burned exhaust valves or a weird camshaft problem.
It will get TSP "2.5" porting and rebuild of the stock heads, a TSP low lift cam (wimpy cam) with supporting hardware, and a retune on a 245K short block with no other work as long as the bores look good. I'm expecting 400lbs ft and nearly 400 hp
$2000 worth of parts. It is "flex fuel" capable and will NOT require an injector upgrade!
His will get one of the stretchy belts.
I will post info about this in a thread I'm planning on compression testing.
The only indication I have right now of cylinder head troubles is a strange unevenness in the compression test on a single cylinder.
These have NO external timing marks and I will show how to index and mark the balancer for a leak down test as well.
I'm dying to see the leak down numbers.

Early 21st century Chevy trucks and all their variants are an excellent choice for a daily beater.
It's my most recommended truck for "big truck on a budget".
These can make one of the best "young driver" vehicles available today.

Did it again, sorry, wanted to show my "support" of something as I'm prone to be bitchy about many modern vehicles.

Also, squirt some black spray paint onto the PPF from the transmission side before unbolting. This will serve as a guide to re-align the two later.