Swordsmith redux

[Swordsmith]

Tired of my long sig, I'll keep editing this front post and add build details underneath

2012 Sonic Hatchback LT
1.4Turbo
6speed M32 Manual Transmission (OEM replaced by Chevy)
Victory Red
Cruise Control and Connectivity package
Checkered Duck Tape striping
Checkered Duck Tape bowties
Ultragauge or bluetooth ELM and Torque app
Exhaust replace: DDM high flow cat and catback with resonator delete from BNR
Shark fin antenna replace
DDM shifter bushings
OEM belly pan
lower mount from TTR
Forge BPV
New horn
LEDs behind slotted fog blank
Flexfuel setup: Buick Regal sensor, custom alcohol proof fuel line, BNR E85 injectors
RainX latitude wiper blades
Smoked lights (leaving reflectors unsmoked)
Plastidipped spoiler and "diffuser"
Chevy window deflectors (smoke)
RainX washer fluid
Vermont Tuner turbo revamp
RS steering
Bypass bypass
Repair rear end and replace bumper after accident
Personalized license plate
Raised bump stop for clutch 5/16ths of an inch
UHaul Trailer hitch
Chevy emblem brake light insert for trailer hitch
20mm hubcentric adaptors, rear wheels only (I like the wide rear end look, you other fella's can't deny)
MFab Intake with heat shield, removed stock saxophone
MFab Intercooler with hard charge tubes
BNR EFILive tune

 

[Swordsmith]

Here I'll keep a quick list of the build history

Bought Trifecta full tune
Bought Sonic
Blacked out bowties
Installed Trifecta tune
Added Duck Tape stripes (partially as chrome delete)
Removed front plate
Attempted hiding front plate holes with plugs ugly
Covered front plate holes with Duck stripe
Drop in K&R filter
Ultragauge
Various locations for UG mount experimented with
Replaced second cat and everything back of that with resonator delete
Removed spare replaced with backup battery + air pump
Filled spare tire space with pillows, blanket
Chopped bottom out of SAB
DIY replacement intake tube for SAB (Spectre parts)
ZZP intake
Replaced OEM antenna with shark fin (painted black)
Installed Alcohol sensor out of Buick Regal
Installed E85 injectors from BNR
Got Trifecta alcohol sensing tune (blue pill)
installed experimental FX300 clutch from Clutchmasters
Installed experimental Red Pill
Much fussing with Red Pill tune, back and forth with Vince of Trifecta
Determined problem was faulty injector, possibly damaged by me during install, replaced by BNR no questions asked
Finalized mount for UG behind speedometer cluster, on fold down arm with velcro
Upper engine mount and lower transmission mount install, engine shook like a popcorn popper
Determined lower mount installed upside down, greatly reduced shake
Driver door lock button delete
Burned out clutch after 5K miles, sent back to Clutchmasters along with OEM clutch, adjustments and new higher stage pads installed
Dremelled out fog blanks and installed LEDs behind them for effect and possible CAI later
Got ELM bluetooth OBDII adaptor, Torque Pro, swapping back and forth between that and UG
Chevy dealer replaced transmission which was popping out of third
Chevy dealer service rotating tires mysteriously fixed squeak and hop issues (possible brake problem?)
Tinted rear, sides, left front stock
Smoked all lights, leaving the reflectors un-smoked
Plastidip bottom half of bumper, spoiler
Added window deflectors from chevy dealership
Burned out second Clutchmaster's Clutch. Chevy dealer installed OEM clutch, have been running Red Pill on it with no problems thus far. (June install, 5 months so far)
Added "40 cent screen" to ZZP intake
Replaced stock iridium spark plugs with copper, gapped to .032
After experiments showed those plugs were a problem when running E85, went back to the iridiums, gapped at .028
Replaced "40 cent screen" with "$12 honeycomb"
Experimenting with EFI tuner and Vermont Tune
VT turbo revamp
Redid the duck tape; turns out it only looks good for about 6 months. Cheap but probably not a sound option unless, like me, you are a duck tape nut
RS steering installed at a meet in Connecticut
MFab's Bypass Bypass also done at same meet
Got rear ended, looked fine... but turned out lots of damage hidden under the bumper. All repaired and a new bumper installed 100% covered. Note, they even redid my plastidipped spoiler!
Replaced leaking water pump
Bypass plug was out, replaced that
Replaced purge valve that was stuck open
Removed the TTR top mount. I miss it but it makes the car vibrate MUCH less, which was important for health of my wonderful GF.
Added 5/16ths inch bump stop to the clutch...3/8ths was too high to reliably engage switch.
Had UHaul install hitch rated at 2000lbs tow weight. Very happy with this
Most of a year spent tracking down problem causing stuttering only at high (above stock, but well below modded capacity) boost. Turns out it was bad spark plugs.
Spent about two months trying to clear CELs and get flags to trip for inspection. Turns out correct response was to stop clearing and keep driving, it eventually cleared itself (probably had to replace an O2 sensor first, but that was done about a month in). Been CEL free for about 45 days since then!
Removed ZZP intake, replaced with MFab intake, including heat shield. Removed felt saxophone at same time
Replaced stock intercooler and tubing with MFab including hard pipes
Replaced VT tune with BNR tune. Same exact system, but BNR version is getting about 30 more ft.lbs torque before they even do any fine tuning!

 

[Swordsmith]

will use this as pics page

DDM exhaust system by Solo Performance. Best shot of my car ever, makes it look inferno orange.

Relatively early shot before the new tinting, wheels, and smoke and plastidip (Nov 4)

ZZP intake

V SIN 16" wheels, Sumitomo touring plus LST tires

Hit 11111 miles, shows location of my UG mount

Removing the OEM clutch

Walmart roof rack - handy for large loads on short trips

I know all this would also fit inside but sheets of plywood don't

Alcohol sensor install

The missing belly plate. Does it help or just cost money and add weight for no reason?

Engine mount, lower transmission mount, about to go in (note, Transmission mount is upside down due to my own ignorance!)

Deleted the hated driver's side door lock button

April 17 shows tinted windows, lights, and plastidip spoiler and bumper base

 

[Preloader]

Awesome!! Much needed build thread. My build thread also helps me keep track of dates of when I installed mods. Also it is somewhat of a Saloon where the builder can be found or asked a question.

Be sure to toss in pics (of the car).

 

[sx sonic]

Bout time ;p

That's quite the list you got

 

[AustinK]

Here you will post pictures

 

[Preloader]

Hey Sword, did the shop have to add a pedal stop to your clutch pedal?

I've blown out 2 slaves with my stage 4 due to overextension.
You had any issues with yours?

 

[Eric Smit]

travsonic had to add a stop with his clutchmasters twin disc.

 

[Preloader]

I remember that. But did he find out like I did? Or was he so boss that he had the foresight to see clearance issues?

 

[sx sonic]

I remember that. But did he find out like I did? Or was he so boss that he had the foresight to see clearance issues?

He was a Bauss, no blown out slaves for the Trav man

 

[Eric Smit]

I remember that. But did he find out like I did? Or was he so boss that he had the foresight to see clearance issues?

the clutch shop installed it right after the install at their own recommendation.

 

[theenico]

Trav's is a true twin disc (different flywheel, two discs sandwiching a steel floater, and then the pressure plate). Those setups do not like a lot of travel. It's a totally different animal.

Pre's and Sword's setups are virtually identical except for the rigid disc in Pre's clutch. I don't want to side track Swordsmith's thread too much, so I'll go back over to Preloader's here in a bit.

 

[sx sonic]

On "thee (the man) nico's" heels steps. How is the clutch enagement sword? I believe you confirmed yours had a similar feel and to stock, only better and more holding force, just looking for confirmation on how it feels, because I hate grappy clutches and plan an upgrade in the future.

Thanks and sorry for the crappy wording, I'm drunk and signing off.

 

[Swordsmith]

The original aftermarket clutch was indeed very smooth just faster and presumably more holding force (not something I could feel myself). BUT it burned out in only 5000 miles or so. I sent it back in along with my OEM clutch, allowing Clutchmasters to improve their build. They sent back what they said was a stage 4 compared to the stage 3 I originally got, although I don't have any details on it yet and am not sure what that means.

The new clutch went in, but the transmission, which had been having trouble going into third, started popping out of third constantly, so I didn't get to drive the new clutch very hard. Seemed smooth enough, while I was cruising around doing the 500 mile break in, and then getting the dealership to replace the tranny.

Got car back from dealer and had a new problem, (more on that later) but did have third. Driving my GF around on some errands though I found I was having a hard time doing smooth slow starts, I was getting substantial hop. I figured it might be the new clutch giving me trouble, perhaps it was too grabby for me and I woul dhave to learn how to operate it properly. I also developed, unconnected I thought, a rhythmic squeak when braking at low speeds, which I thought was the right rear brake dragging or something.

Took the car in for oil/lube/servicing at 15K miles, along with complaining about the new tranny problem and the brake noise. Didn't mention the clutch since it wasn't OEM. Dealer rotated the tires and did the rest of the service, and reported being unable to find anything wrong with the brakes. BUT the noise was gone, and on top of that the clutch is back to being smooth as silk just like the original. Did they screw something up while putting in the new tranny and then fix it after? Or did the new clutch just need more wear in and this was coincidence? Did my non-chevy mechanic screw up something in the brakes while putting in the new clutch, and the dealer accidentally fix it while rotating tires?

I haven't tried hard pulls since the tire rotation, but before when I was testing torque I was also having some trouble getting a solid launch without a lot of hopping, I'm hoping this means shaving a significant fraction of a second off a quarter mile.

 

[Preloader]

opcorn:




Would love to no what "burned out" on the stage 3. Also did you send back the flywheel, or was that not an integral component to the failure.

 

[Swordsmith]

The kevlar pad on the original experimental clutch was what burned up, and it burned up good, black and gooey. If you remember reading one of my transmission problem posts, I reported a few instances where the stick acted like it was moving through glue, that's likely because things were melting and coming apart inside the clutch! At any rate later I suddenly stopped being able to get in gear at all using the clutch, although my mechanic, more experienced at such things, was able to use rev matching to move the car into the garage to do the surgery.

I sent back the entire thing, but the flywheel didn't seem to be the problem, minor adjustments and a new better pad is I think all that was changed although I can't swear to that. At any rate the overall weight of the new clutch is the same as that of the first version.

 

[Swordsmith]

Hey Sword, did the shop have to add a pedal stop to your clutch pedal?

I've blown out 2 slaves with my stage 4 due to overextension.
You had any issues with yours?

Nope have not heard of this problem, I guess it's buried deep in your 300 page build thread? I will have to look into it though, for sure.

 

[Preloader]

Alright, thanks for the info.

Did you pursue Clutchmasters to cover the labor costs for the 2nd install, being that it wasn't your fault that the first clutch failed?

Fortunately, I'm doing all the labor myself, but if it turns out I had to remove my trans 4 times because of incorrect parts, I may want some compensation.

 

[Swordsmith]

Added a bunch of pics as edits to the third post.

 

[inm]

New horn

Might be a silly question, but do you have a video of what the new one sounds like?
Also where is the horn located in our little bastards? I'm to get rid of the little "it slipped" fart.