Back in July I decided to remove my GTM TT kit due exhaust leaks on both manifolds. I wanted more power and change to a good quality turbo kit since i was dropping the motor. I called up AAM and told them i wanted 750WHP and room to grow from there. they offered sponsorship so I pulled the trigger and ordered the following. Stage 2 TT kit, Twin pump fuel system (twin walbro 485’s), -8 fuel line and fuel rail kit, flex fuel set up for Ecutek, 1300cc injectors.
this is sort of a DIY but not so much because AAM has instructions. I just wanted to pass along different things I went through during install that were not in the instructions. I will first explain the removal of engine on jack stands then explain my twin turbo install.
alright so
(semi) engine removal on jack stands
I wanted to remove the motor while still connected to the sub-frame similar to what most shops do since they have a lift. when I lowered the motor I had plenty of room in the wheel well to work on the exhaust manifolds and everything else in the AAM install manual. I was able to purchase most of the materials from harbor freight except some hardware which was available at Lowes. when removing the engine I wrote down everything I disconnected, bagged, labeled, and took video at the end of each day explaining everything I did. you can never be too organized!! it wasn't hard its just all about taking your time and again being organized. Please reference the service manual when removing the engine and make sure everything is disconnected before removal. This is not a complete DIY on engine removal this just explains what is needed for lowering on jack stands. You should always refer to the proper manuals and safety guidelines before performing any of this work to your car. I am not responsible for any damages.
materials
-harbor freight cherry picker
-harbor freight jack stands that get the car 2 feet off the ground
-6400LB lifting strap to go around transmission
-trailer safety chain
-2 chain link rings (dont know the proper term)
-2 long 10.7 grade bolts to lift engine from forward part of the lower plenum
-washers many sizes GRADE 8
OPTIONAL- safety options extremely recommended
-6 inch L shape steel to bridge the load to both bolts- I had to make this
-U-bolt to keep chain centered on L shape steel
-ratchet strap from the back the trans to the rear brace to prevent the engine from swinging forward and hitting the radiator fans when lowering/ unbolting subframe from the frame.
AAM Twin turbo install “tips”
the following notes are things that might be common sense for some but was a learning experience for me. I will refer to certain steps from the AAM instruction manual.
Step 12. when bending the water pipe on the drivers side ensure that after exhaust manifold installation that the water line as far away as possible from the manifold.
Step 17. try and get a good clearance between the heat shields and manifolds because the heat shields do vibrate a lot. mine were a little close so i could hear them tapping the manifolds between shifts.
Step 19. when installing the banjo fittings on the turbos keep in mind you will have to take some fittings that are already on the turbo off and discard.
-make sure that none of the line fittings are contacting the turbo when tightening. when tightening my driver side oil feed line the 45 degree AN fitting was contacting a plug on the turbo causing a small leak. i had to pull the turbo down with the engine installed to get to that feed line (not fun).
-make sure to set your waste gate actuators preload correctly. I found a chart from the borg warner EFR turbo manual that shows the adjustments and what they do (ill attach below). I hand tightened until the waste gates were seated (pretty much until a sharp rise in torque is felt), Marked each nut with a paint marker, and tightened the nut a full 5 revolutions with a wrench (5 is mid range on the chart). its very important to have both turbos. i did not set mine before install, when I started the car up the passenger side waste gate was rattling.
Step 25. make sure to have vacuum lines from the bypass valves and the turbo waste gate actuators.
Step 29. had to use a tap, if you do use grease to catch all the metal shavings
-My 13 has a water line that runs across the front of the engine, I had to put washers under that water line bracket to gain clearance for the turbo oil feed line. there might be other solutions for this issue but that is what I did.
Step 51. now this was a pain in the butt, on my car I had to carefully bend the ac lines so that the drivers turbo intake pipe could fit. I had to bend them a lot so I was nervous on breaking them. after I bent the ac lines I still had to have the intake pipe positioned in the rubber coupler cockeyed for it to fit. since it is not a pressurized pipe I did not worry too much.
Step 63. I installed the check valves at first but experienced an extreme vacuum in the PCV system. after I would shut the car off i could hear gurgling, I opened the oil cap and it would suck enough to suck a golf ball through a garden hose. after talking with AAM I decided to remove the check valves. I'm going set up a catch can system soon and change up the PCV system.
Step 64. for this step I disconnected the injector harness and turned the motor over.
Other recommended checks
-boost leak test on the system. requires two boost leak testers (one for each intake) I purchased one from Z1 and one from boostleaktesters.com.
-pressure test on waste gate actuators to ensure they open at the same time. I did not do this test but I was lucky that I adjusted my actuators right.
- make sure all oil lines are tight
-make sure water lines are tight on the T's connected to the heater hose
I'm sure I'm missing some info but if I had the info in this write up before I began it would have been a cake walk. If you have any questions please ask away.
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