I finally got my hands on a cherry picker and dropped the engine in the other morning by myself. This whole swap has been a 100% solo mission.
Attempting to install the Techno Toy Tuning 20v Water Kit presented multiple issues. First I noticed the lower water pipe was aiming straight at the alternator. So I cut one of the silicone elbows shorter on one side to tuck the pipe under the alternator. Most people who use this kit either route the lower pipe around the alternator, or over the top of it (with a 16v alternator mount). Since I am using the 20v alternator mount, I had plenty of room to run the piping underneath. This made the stock shape of the lower hose useless, so I ended up using the upper hose (as it is a straighter hose) on the bottom and a section of the lower hose for the top of the radiator. This gave it a nice tucked appearance when viewed from the top. By the way, the 20v alternator bracket will hold the 16v alternator perfectly, and lines up with the stock 20v pulleys fine. I deleted the 20v free spinning pulley and used the stock 20v serpentine belt.
Another thing I had to solve was the top alternator bracket. Because I'm using the 20v alternator mount, it was rubbing against the top hardline, so I had to grind a little area for it to fit. Another modification can be seen in this picture where the hard lines mount to the water neck on the head. I pulled out the stock stud and got a longer one. The mount wouldn't fit underneath the nut on the stock stud. It's hard to see but the mount is actually on top of the stock nut allowing it to fit, and then secured with another nut. Providing the water neck a devoted nut allows me to remove the water pipe bracket without breaking the seal on the water neck in the future.
With the silicone elbows in place on the back of the head, the heater control valve would not fit in the stock location. So I just moved it to the left and secured it using only one stock bolt for now.
Ran into some issues with the fitment of the stock molded heater hoses. They didn't fit in stock locations what so ever. It broke my heart, but I had to chop up my brand new silicone ae86 molded heater hoses. Each heater hose was used in an unintended position but it worked; it's a really tight fit. Another problem was the inlet for the heater core outlet on the bottom of the T3 machined block. I only needed 4-5 inches from one of the heater hoses to reach this port. I found it strange that the inlet on the T3 water block is smaller than a stock heater hose port. I just clamped it on so hopefully it doesn't leak. This hose is in a really tough location right above the bell housing and virtually impossible to get to once the transmission is installed. Here is the best angle I could get on the stuff going on back there.
Over all I am very pleased with the water kit. The heater hose situation is a little annoying, but it looks really clean under the hood. Soon There will be posts covering the harness install, custom mounting of various things, and the install of the earl's fitting fuel hose set up. One more picture for the "20v ae86 under hood" Google image searches:
****EDIT**** It is now September 2015, So i have some issues to report with the water kit:
First off, it is incredibly prone to leaking. I had to take the block off the back of the head again due to leaking which is tough to do when the engine can't lean forward. I had to use a sealant and order another gasket to get it to seal.
After installing two different Summit Racing Heaters (both of them leaking within a weak of usage) I came to a realization. I noticed when I shut the heater control valve it would leak right of of the valve. But when I opened it the leak would stop. Basically the T3 kit isn't designed for any kind of restriction through the heater outlet. Which is a very bad design. The heater outlet is a pressure line, meaning it comes from the water pump and it has to pass through to get to the next water channel. Heater cores are restricted by nature because the water must pass through small channels in the core. Therefore, the high pressure was blowing heater cores and refusing to stop when the heater control valve was closed. All of this cost me time and money and it was a huge inconvenience. T3 should have added a channel that would allow a bypass of the pressure to the next port for when the heater control valve is closed. The final consensus: Don't buy the T3 water kit. Buy Sam-Q or make your own.
First off, it is incredibly prone to leaking. I had to take the block off the back of the head again due to leaking which is tough to do when the engine can't lean forward. I had to use a sealant and order another gasket to get it to seal.
After installing two different Summit Racing Heaters (both of them leaking within a weak of usage) I came to a realization. I noticed when I shut the heater control valve it would leak right of of the valve. But when I opened it the leak would stop. Basically the T3 kit isn't designed for any kind of restriction through the heater outlet. Which is a very bad design. The heater outlet is a pressure line, meaning it comes from the water pump and it has to pass through to get to the next water channel. Heater cores are restricted by nature because the water must pass through small channels in the core. Therefore, the high pressure was blowing heater cores and refusing to stop when the heater control valve was closed. All of this cost me time and money and it was a huge inconvenience. T3 should have added a channel that would allow a bypass of the pressure to the next port for when the heater control valve is closed. The final consensus: Don't buy the T3 water kit. Buy Sam-Q or make your own.
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