Olsen Spec Projects

[olsenmotorsports]

Not a conversation to walk into the middle of!

Realized that as soon as I hit “reply”

 

[Boosted1]

For me, the content is good. I like it. I like seeing the tools and workspace as much or more as the vehicle being worked on.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

For me, the content is good. I like it. I like seeing the tools and workspace as much or more as the vehicle being worked on.

Thank you for the feedback!

We used to do pretty much all DIY style stuff. But the ratings were horrible. The stuff we put up does really well.

It’s the internet I can’t explain it

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Took today and got the RS5 ready to go to Florida. Actually didn’t have a choice as transport is picking up tomorrow.

On the list is all preventative maintenance. Car has 14k on it. LOF service, spark plugs, pads and rotors, air filters, and cabin filter. Also I needed to get a battery tender whip on it (car mostly sits and I hate dead batteries), and needed to hard wire in the radar detectors.






Tore down the rear rotors - was a fair amount of rust so I mitigated that and treated it with ACF 50.



Cleaned up the brackets and used some ceramic paste on the contact surfaces of the pads to the new springs.



New rotors, pads, and sensors installed.



As you guys know I am a clean freak. I have this 5x4 stainless table that I put casters on. It is perfect for cleaning cars. Just roll it under and start spraying stuff. Helps a lot to contain the mess.



Went through a couple bottles of brake clean on this one.

More to come……

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Moving on to the front….



I love my little Matco 1/2 stubby for brake jobs. It packs a punch and is low profile enough to get in almost everywhere.



Used my 45 degree pry bar to get the calipers off. I think SO actually markets this for this exact purpose but I find this little guy to pretty darn handy. Find a ton of uses for it in tight spaces.




Pads pushed back and starting to clean everything.



While that was all going on I drained the oil and did a quick visual inspection of the undercarriage. Car is actually very clean.



Front brakes all done up and everything is new again….. I paint all my rotors on my personal cars so I dont get those post car wash rust. I know lol. But I am ****!


New air filter and sock



While the car was warming up i did a full scan - reset the brakes - adapted the parking brake motors, and looked at some live data to monitor oil level.



Quick brake bleed and everything was buttoned up and good to go!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Time to get the battery tender whip installed



I just decided to do a quick and dirty piggyback with ring terminals off the factory charging points.



These Astro suction cup-magnet dealios are a game changers. Most of the new stuff is all aluminum, and of course the lights are magnetic so we are always fighting that lol. These little guys are super cheap and super handy.




Battery tender all wrapped up and ready for hibernation.




Moving inside. Got the cabin filter swapped out. What a great spot Audi (said no one ever). It is buried up against the firewalls vertically. Fun times.




Also I needed to to a direct wire for the radar detector. Love these little remotes as you can tuck them away.



Ran the control wire up to the mirror and installed a blend mount to hand the display off of.

That’s all I got done today. I hate working on my own cars so that is why I waited till the last absolute minute!

Thanks for following along!

 

[jake28]

The ratcheting break pad spreader is on the list of tools I never knew existed but totally appreciate. I always thought a rusty 3/4” chisel was meant to do the same task.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

The ratcheting break pad spreader is on the list of tools I never knew existed but totally appreciate. I always thought a rusty 3/4” chisel was meant to do the same task.

Ha that works too! Before I had the correct tools I always used to slam a couple flat baled screwdrivers in there and pry away.

One trick that works really well is taking the grub screw off the rotor while the caliper is still mounted. Pry the rotor away from the hub and that forces the pads back enough you can usually sneak new ones in without having to do much else….

 

[zmotorsports]

As you guys know I am a clean freak. I have this 5x4 stainless table that I put casters on. It is perfect for cleaning cars. Just roll it under and start spraying stuff. Helps a lot to contain the mess.

Tim, I have a similar setup. I don't have a specific table however, but I do have a 4' by 4' stainless steel drip pan with a 2" lip that I fabricated about 25 years ago. I place it on the floor, a table, or now I can use my AGA Lift table, and spray undercarriage areas down as needed before and/or after a repair. The filthy mess drips down into the pan to avoid having to clean up the mess on the floor. Then, I usually have a couple of absorbent pads that I use around during various jobs, so I soak up the wet, dirty mixture with the already slightly soiled absorbent pads to clean the drip tray, then it's nice and clean and ready for the next use.


I also was able to get caught up on some videos yesterday while having my morning coffee. I watched one of yours where you were sealing the engine case. I had to chuckle to myself when I saw you break out the silk string to place around the perimeter of the case half. I had a coworker about 30 years ago who "dabbled" in aircraft engines, mainly on air boats, but he had some experience. He knew I was building a lot of VW engines at the time and informed me about the process and even brought me a copy of the service recommendation from Continental pertaining to the silk and anaerobic sealant. Upon reading through the process, I immediately bought some silk string using the part # included in the service bulletin and have used it on all my VW engines from that time on.

Yesterday after seeing your video, I had to run out to the shop and snap a couple of pictures of my old box of silk string from Continental. This is quite old but still works.





These were my "go-to" items for sealing up VW cases for many years. I did a lot of VW engines during the 90's and early 2000's for sandrails and cars and these products were used on every one.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Tim, I have a similar setup. I don't have a specific table however, but I do have a 4' by 4' stainless steel drip pan with a 2" lip that I fabricated about 25 years ago. I place it on the floor, a table, or now I can use my AGA Lift table, and spray undercarriage areas down as needed before and/or after a repair. The filthy mess drips down into the pan to avoid having to clean up the mess on the floor. Then, I usually have a couple of absorbent pads that I use around during various jobs, so I soak up the wet, dirty mixture with the already slightly soiled absorbent pads to clean the drip tray, then it's nice and clean and ready for the next use.


I also was able to get caught up on some videos yesterday while having my morning coffee. I watched one of yours where you were sealing the engine case. I had to chuckle to myself when I saw you break out the silk string to place around the perimeter of the case half. I had a coworker about 30 years ago who "dabbled" in aircraft engines, mainly on air boats, but he had some experience. He knew I was building a lot of VW engines at the time and informed me about the process and even brought me a copy of the service recommendation from Continental pertaining to the silk and anaerobic sealant. Upon reading through the process, I immediately bought some silk string using the part # included in the service bulletin and have used it on all my VW engines from that time on.

Yesterday after seeing your video, I had to run out to the shop and snap a couple of pictures of my old box of silk string from Continental. This is quite old but still works.





These were my "go-to" items for sealing up VW cases for many years. I did a lot of VW engines during the 90's and early 2000's for sandrails and cars and these products were used on every one.

Amazing I love it!

It is a super controversial topic (the thread that is) but we find it works really well for us. Nothing worse than having a leak on the case right?

Man those old bugs leaked oil so bad, I bet with the thread you never had a weep!

I have never built a VW engine, with the exception of an old 356 4 cam engine. That made my head spin setting up all those spider gears. Was the first and last one for me lol. Just a time ****!

Happy new year bud

 

[zmotorsports]

Amazing I love it!

It is a super controversial topic (the thread that is) but we find it works really well for us. Nothing worse than having a leak on the case right?

Man those old bugs leaked oil so bad, I bet with the thread you never had a weep!

I have never built a VW engine, with the exception of an old 356 4 cam engine. That made my head spin setting up all those spider gears. Was the first and last one for me lol. Just a time ****!

Happy new year bud

Tim, I agree, sealing debates involving various chemicals and processes is one of the hottest debate topics there are, next to the old Ford vs. Chevy debate of course.

I would be lying if I said not a single one of mine ever leaked. But in the sand racing and sand sport arena back in the early 90's through 2012 when I was most heavily involved, I did have great success using this method compared to other builders that I talked with who were sticking with the same old technique laid out by VW and then wondering why theirs leaked profusely.

VW's in general leaked if you looked at them wrong, and having them in a highly detailed, painted, chromed and polished sandrail chassis was NOT what I wanted my workmanship to be associated with, so I took any advice and practices from other industries I could find and tried to remedy the leak situation to the best of my ability, and the Continental technical document and process helped the most, or should I say gave me the best chance at not having a leaking VW as possible.

During my VW building days, I was mainly focused on the 2180, 2276 and 2332 displacement engines, using **** cranks, Pauter rods, Mahle cylinders and pistons, then topping off with either IDA's or IDF's and usually a Turbonetics (T3/T4) turbo setup. I would then build either a swing axle or later came the 091 bus style transaxles followed by the Mendeola's as horsepower was increasing and Mendeola's prices were coming down somewhat to be within reach for the average duner. I really enjoyed building those cars either in piece format as my clients upgraded their cars, or better yet, from frame up when a client wanted a completely new car built. I used the Rhino cases on quite a few as I was flipping the ring & pinions to run in a mid-engine configuration but also welded gussets onto the back of quite a few to more or less bridge the gap between the VW transaxle cases and the cost of the Rhino cases.

A few cars also received a small dose of NOS, but I tried to steer my clients towards turbo alone and not introducing another hard to control power adder into the equation. Most were not racing for anything other than bragging rights of the fastest to the top of the mountain so I tried to explain the cost of such bragging rights where no money was involved to aid in offsetting the costs. It was fun times and occasionally I do miss that industry, but many people these days simply don't understand the gamble with building that kind of powerplant when they aren't willing to control so many of the variables that I was insisting they do. Things like paying close attention to fuel being mixed and not allowing to sit for months at a time, consistent cleaning of air filter elements, cooling system maintenance, etc. Many clients did a good job of maintaining their hi-performance cars to the highest degree, but that started changing around 2010 and later. With the introduction of side by sides into the sport, many people were expecting to treat their highly tuned and built cars like lawnmowers. Putting them away after a trip and not doing anything do them until the next trip several months later then expecting everything to run the same as it was previously. I quit working on snowmobiles in 2009 and sand toys around 2012. That's when my son and I got completely out of the powersports arena as I grew tired of dealing with the new blood coming into the sand sport in particular.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Tim, I agree, sealing debates involving various chemicals and processes is one of the hottest debate topics there are, next to the old Ford vs. Chevy debate of course.

I would be lying if I said not a single one of mine ever leaked. But in the sand racing and sand sport arena back in the early 90's through 2012 when I was most heavily involved, I did have great success using this method compared to other builders that I talked with who were sticking with the same old technique laid out by VW and then wondering why theirs leaked profusely.

VW's in general leaked if you looked at them wrong, and having them in a highly detailed, painted, chromed and polished sandrail chassis was NOT what I wanted my workmanship to be associated with, so I took any advice and practices from other industries I could find and tried to remedy the leak situation to the best of my ability, and the Continental technical document and process helped the most, or should I say gave me the best chance at not having a leaking VW as possible.

During my VW building days, I was mainly focused on the 2180, 2276 and 2332 displacement engines, using **** cranks, Pauter rods, Mahle cylinders and pistons, then topping off with either IDA's or IDF's and usually a Turbonetics (T3/T4) turbo setup. I would then build either a swing axle or later came the 091 bus style transaxles followed by the Mendeola's as horsepower was increasing and Mendeola's prices were coming down somewhat to be within reach for the average duner. I really enjoyed building those cars either in piece format as my clients upgraded their cars, or better yet, from frame up when a client wanted a completely new car built. I used the Rhino cases on quite a few as I was flipping the ring & pinions to run in a mid-engine configuration but also welded gussets onto the back of quite a few to more or less bridge the gap between the VW transaxle cases and the cost of the Rhino cases.

A few cars also received a small dose of NOS, but I tried to steer my clients towards turbo alone and not introducing another hard to control power adder into the equation. Most were not racing for anything other than bragging rights of the fastest to the top of the mountain so I tried to explain the cost of such bragging rights where no money was involved to aid in offsetting the costs. It was fun times and occasionally I do miss that industry, but many people these days simply don't understand the gamble with building that kind of powerplant when they aren't willing to control so many of the variables that I was insisting they do. Things like paying close attention to fuel being mixed and not allowing to sit for months at a time, consistent cleaning of air filter elements, cooling system maintenance, etc. Many clients did a good job of maintaining their hi-performance cars to the highest degree, but that started changing around 2010 and later. With the introduction of side by sides into the sport, many people were expecting to treat their highly tuned and built cars like lawnmowers. Putting them away after a trip and not doing anything do them until the next trip several months later then expecting everything to run the same as it was previously. I quit working on snowmobiles in 2009 and sand toys around 2012. That's when my son and I got completely out of the powersports arena as I grew tired of dealing with the new blood coming into the sand sport in particular.

you know it is funny that you mention that. Getting the most power out of something is NOT our business model. I found that it just doesnt make the money. It gives bragging rights, but things become unreliable. We focus on making stock better, but reliable. Nothing worse than having someone stuck on the side of the road waiting on a hook.

Now we just stick to cam profiles and bigger jugs, basic stuff that really cannot bite you in the behind!

We are playing with motec a lot though. It is amazing how many drivability things can be fixed with proper sensors and some electronic throttles!

 

[zmotorsports]

you know it is funny that you mention that. Getting the most power out of something is NOT our business model. I found that it just doesnt make the money. It gives bragging rights, but things become unreliable. We focus on making stock better, but reliable. Nothing worse than having someone stuck on the side of the road waiting on a hook.

Now we just stick to cam profiles and bigger jugs, basic stuff that really cannot bite you in the behind!

We are playing with motec a lot though. It is amazing how many drivability things can be fixed with proper sensors and some electronic throttles!

Sounds like we are in agreement on several topics. Many of my clients were ONLY thinking of being the fastest but once we had some conversations, I was able to convince them that being the fastest all the time is nearly impossible and it comes at a HUGE cost, not only immediate costs for parts and materials, but the ongoing maintenance. When I started asking them how much time they were willing to devote to the car between trips, THAT is when I could see the realization hit them that this is going to costly in time as well.

This is where I tried to differ myself from other shops in the area. I didn't want to just build something for a person and send them on their way. I wanted to form a "partnership" with the client in devising a plan for what they really wanted and then on how we could achieve that by working together.

I lost a lot of business to those who simply couldn't understand what I was trying to do, but more importantly, I gained a very loyal clientele that appreciated my honesty as well as what I was bringing to the table. When I closed my business down in 2017, after being in business for 20-years, I had a lot of my clients ask if I would continue to do work for them. At the time I had absolutely no intention of working on stuff for other people as I was getting burned out and had enough of dealing with entitled people that simply didn't get it. The whole shift that I saw in the powersports industry really ruined me as far as wanting to wrench for other people.

With the wife and I finding our forever home and me being able to build my forever or dream shop, working on stuff for other people was not something on my list of things to do going forward. I just wanted to work on my own stuff, period.

Well, after a few years of getting the new shop built, setup and organized the way I wanted it I was able to build a few of my own projects that had been on my "wish list" for a while. The LS swap into my Jeep being one and helping my son build his new Jeep another. However, after getting some of my personal projects crossed off the list, I realized I missed working on such a wide range of things for other people.

Wouldn't you know it that is when the good Lord was listening, because I received a few phone calls from past clients who had been burned or soured by those working on their stuff. They sought me out to see if I would once again do work for them at the time I was thinking I had some time on my hands, so it was a win/win opportunity.

I like the kind of work I do now on the side and eventually I still have a few cars that I want to build for myself, while including my son and grandson, but for the time being if I can provide a service to a small group of clients that are appreciative, and make a few bucks on the side, that is a winning combination as far as I am concerned.

Reliability and dependability are paramount in what I am trying to accomplish with each project. Seems like those seeking only speed are failing to realize one important factor that took me a while to learn, there's always someone faster.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Sounds like we are in agreement on several topics. Many of my clients were ONLY thinking of being the fastest but once we had some conversations, I was able to convince them that being the fastest all the time is nearly impossible and it comes at a HUGE cost, not only immediate costs for parts and materials, but the ongoing maintenance. When I started asking them how much time they were willing to devote to the car between trips, THAT is when I could see the realization hit them that this is going to costly in time as well.

This is where I tried to differ myself from other shops in the area. I didn't want to just build something for a person and send them on their way. I wanted to form a "partnership" with the client in devising a plan for what they really wanted and then on how we could achieve that by working together.

I lost a lot of business to those who simply couldn't understand what I was trying to do, but more importantly, I gained a very loyal clientele that appreciated my honesty as well as what I was bringing to the table. When I closed my business down in 2017, after being in business for 20-years, I had a lot of my clients ask if I would continue to do work for them. At the time I had absolutely no intention of working on stuff for other people as I was getting burned out and had enough of dealing with entitled people that simply didn't get it. The whole shift that I saw in the powersports industry really ruined me as far as wanting to wrench for other people.

With the wife and I finding our forever home and me being able to build my forever or dream shop, working on stuff for other people was not something on my list of things to do going forward. I just wanted to work on my own stuff, period.

Well, after a few years of getting the new shop built, setup and organized the way I wanted it I was able to build a few of my own projects that had been on my "wish list" for a while. The LS swap into my Jeep being one and helping my son build his new Jeep another. However, after getting some of my personal projects crossed off the list, I realized I missed working on such a wide range of things for other people.

Wouldn't you know it that is when the good Lord was listening, because I received a few phone calls from past clients who had been burned or soured by those working on their stuff. They sought me out to see if I would once again do work for them at the time I was thinking I had some time on my hands, so it was a win/win opportunity.

I like the kind of work I do now on the side and eventually I still have a few cars that I want to build for myself, while including my son and grandson, but for the time being if I can provide a service to a small group of clients that are appreciative, and make a few bucks on the side, that is a winning combination as far as I am concerned.

Reliability and dependability are paramount in what I am trying to accomplish with each project. Seems like those seeking only speed are failing to realize one important factor that took me a while to learn, there's always someone faster.

I would like to get there at some point to where you are. But for right now i have to run a business.

Dreams!

 

[zmotorsports]

I would like to get there at some point to where you are. But for right now i have to run a business.

Dreams!

Agreed. You have an amazing business that you've built and should capitalize on that. I'm staring down the barrel of retirement and don't have to wrench for other people at this point in my life. I do it now because I am still passionate about it and yes, the extra money is nice. I feel blessed that we have worked ourselves into the position we have in life and can be picky about the work, or even not do any if the mood strikes me.

It has been my dream as well, for several decades now. Funny thing about dreams, sometimes they materialize and come true when you least expect it. I think the key is to have a plan and work the plan and it appears you have a great plan going.

 

[Nolift911]

Great updates - love the detail.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Back to work today. Today was a crazy day. First media day of the year. So that was all going on so I was filming for about an hour this morning. Also friday I am headed down to FL for ten days to relax, get some vitamin d at the beach and hit the books to get my inventory closed for the year. In the meantime I also have an engine to build. We are behind about ten days with bleed over from last year so it is a frenetic pace to say the least.

Picking back up on the 993 Cab. That car is coming back from paint on the 9th. Awesome 4 week turnaround - then clear bra immediately and we can assemble. I needed to ge the bottom end built as my other two engine builders are flat out (we have 6 engines going on at the same time)



If you are a Porsche tech these little pocket tech handbooks are the bees knees. They are not published anymore but I think you can find them used online… I use this to grab all the pertinent info I need instead of breaking out the FSM.



I loathe ring filing…. With a passion. Until I found the ABS Products ring filer. Makes short work of it. And It is accurate and repeatable. Expensive bit of kit but well worth the investment IMHO. How do you guys do it?



They also make a jig to get the rings 1” down and centered in the bore. Makes measuring the gaps precise and repeatable.



I use the dual stepped feeler gauges. IIRC these are stepped in 5 thou increments (maybe 4 I cant remember) but I use it as a go no go gauge.

Pretty happy with that. Right on spec and way below tolerance.



On to pistons. I always set my installed circling on the left side of the piston and insert my pin from the right to the left.



Rings installed. I like to use the wiseco piston ring compressors - haven’t really found anything better unless someone can recommend!





All 6 jugs are built and ready for the next step of setting deck height…..



Here is a sneak peak at one of my engine assembly drawers - This one has all of the tools associated with Air Cooled engines only…..

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Great updates - love the detail.

Thank you very much for the kind words and the feedback!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Moving on with the 993 engine - we always take apart the oil pumps on these air cooled engines and inspect for damage - it does have serviceable bushings internally that all the shafts ride on and those need to be inspected as well as the housing as it is magnesium.



Been doing this for years and I have only seen one pump fail - it is a testament to how reliable these old engines are - Mag isn’t what I would have spec’d if I was designing it but having said that it is a good pump.



I begin by disassembling the pump - You are looking for debris or the signs that debris has been in there - but this one looks in fantastic shape. No excessive axial play in the bushings etc - it is just dirty



After ultra sonic cleaning the gears and housing we vapor hone the gear sets. That process removes and surface staining and makes everything super smooth. Vapor honing doesn’t remove and material, just cleans.



I put a little lube on the bushings and shafts - just a light film almost imperceptible that it is even there - I also replaced the bushings in the housing but forgot to document that here. Those are NLA so we have them made up in batches when we need them.



On reassembly pre oil the gears before you button up the case - there are no gaskets etc on these nor is there any sealant - just the flatness and pressure of the studs seals it up. These pumps stay submerged in the bottom of the case in oil



All buttoned up and ready to install into the crankcase. I am waiting on engine bearings from Porsche and those should be landing tomorrow so I can seal this bad boy up.



Also yesterday my engine hardware plating showed up and I got started on the Olsen Shuffle (that is what we call sorting plating - mind numbing process lol)

Today hopefully bearings show up and we can get the case all sealed up!

 

[Boosted1]

Great updates as usual. Interesting to see the P engine assembly. I've done several different OEM engine builds, but never a P engine.

 

[zmotorsports]

Excellent work as always Tim. Thank you for sharing.

I like that you mentioned you like the stepped feeler gauges and use them as a "go/no-go" tool. I have mentioned the same thing before and prefer the stepped feeler gauge blades for certain tasks, running overheads (valve adjustments) is one I absolutely like them for.

I also see that you use the CMD Press Lube #3. That has been my go-to press lube for 35+ years and I don't think the formula nor the packaging has changed in all that time. Maybe one of the few chemicals I can say that about.

I have a question. You mentioned that once the car comes back from paint it will immediately have the clear bra installed. Do you not wait until the paint finished off-gassing and curing? When I went to a PPG paint seminar years ago they advised at least 3 montsh, but highly recommended 6 months before installing a clear bra on a fresh paint job. Just curious as I know most urethane paints require an amount of time for the solvents to fully flash and the paint to cure so it needs to breath.

Thanks.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Excellent work as always Tim. Thank you for sharing.

I like that you mentioned you like the stepped feeler gauges and use them as a "go/no-go" tool. I have mentioned the same thing before and prefer the stepped feeler gauge blades for certain tasks, running overheads (valve adjustments) is one I absolutely like them for.

I also see that you use the CMD Press Lube #3. That has been my go-to press lube for 35+ years and I don't think the formula nor the packaging has changed in all that time. Maybe one of the few chemicals I can say that about.

I have a question. You mentioned that once the car comes back from paint it will immediately have the clear bra installed. Do you not wait until the paint finished off-gassing and curing? When I went to a PPG paint seminar years ago they advised at least 3 montsh, but highly recommended 6 months before installing a clear bra on a fresh paint job. Just curious as I know most urethane paints require an amount of time for the solvents to fully flash and the paint to cure so it needs to breath.

Thanks.

That is a great question. No we do not wait. The paint is fully cured as it is baked in a multi step process at paint. 72 hours after it leaves the booth it is fully cured and can be clear bra’d. We have been doing that for 4 years with great success.

We like clear bra immediately as it is cheaper (car is tore apart) and cleaner. Also it doesn’t scratch while we are assembling which is a huge plus!

If the paint shop doesn’t properly prep and bake (most dont) then yes you need to wait 6 months.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks, I was just curious is all based on my painting experience, but I didn't use an oven so that is more than likely the difference. Thanks for the quick response Tim.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Great updates as usual. Interesting to see the P engine assembly. I've done several different OEM engine builds, but never a P engine.

Tbh all the same stuff. Hunks of metal turning around with some backwards washers and bolts!

Thanks for following along!

 

[Nolift911]

Lots of Stomski goodness in there...




I have found this invaluable as well in the Porsche ownership experience...love it!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Lots of Stomski goodness in there...




I have found this invaluable as well in the Porsche ownership experience...love it!

The STOMSKI stuff is good. But I really wish it was tool steel instead of aluminum. Good tooling ideas, just not made for a production environment

The tech books are the best. I have everyone published!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Updates on teh 993 Cab. It is back from paint! I need to get going on this engine for it!



All my critical engine internal seals and bearings showed up from Porsche (more on that later). We only use OEM parts from PMNA. Yes I am well aware that you can get them for 1/4 of the price from different sources, but in our testing there is a difference. So that is where we buy from.



First off had to get my studs in the engine block. Just a little dab of Blue Threadlocker, less is more here.



All the case studs are in. These you have to be careful of setting the height on as they are not sealed holes, so if you just hit the stud setter with the gun you will run out of threads on the nut side and they will be visibility different. For these blocks I made a jig for this. It is basically a stud setter and then a gauge block sleeve that floats under it. Clutch the screw gun to 4 and send them. Makes short work of it. Not a big deal if you are one and done, but we do 4-5 a month so that tooling really pays off.



Same with the head studs. Install them with a gauge block sleeve so you get the perfect height every time. These just spin in by hand if your prep is good, same deal just a dab of blue on the threads.



Other case done with all the studs and hardware and its time to prepare the surface.



This customer purchased our protection package so we ceramic coated the block All the rest of the aluminum on the car got done as well.



Got my crank all jigged up and started stretching rod bolts. FML Porsche. One of the bearing boxes (2 per box) only had one bearing in it. We missed the overnight deadline of 3:30 (this was around 4pm) so I was dead in the water.

This project will have to be completed when I get back from Florida on the 20th….

 

[olsenmotorsports]

The 993 I was building the above engine is back from paint! So excited.



Remember this is what it looked like back on December 6th when it showed up….. nice little 52k mile donor car.



Rolling out of the trailer. It is a green with no metal in it so it changes color based on light. (Metal flake reflects light so colors look more consistent)



FML It was cold out today so I didn’t take too many photos outside.



Our team can really lay some paint and quickly as well. Clear bra is scheduled for Tuesday on this one. So we are paint correcting Monday to get it ready. Im kind of bummed as I just finished paint correcting the bronco for clear bra, that was supposed to start tuesday, but customers take priority so I have to push off another month.


Engine bay all color changed as well. Nicely taped up with no overspray on the harness etc. Prep and patience of prep is key here



Front trunk is color changed as well. The front is just single stage

Excited to to get this one back on the road for the customer! They are very pleased with the progress. We will be done in three months, and they have another similar project at another workshop that has been there a year and a half. Unreal how long some of these business’s take.

 

[GRN96WS6]

Reading this thread, my bank account just let out a cry superb work.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Two more engines also came out of cars today, along with the 930 SEMA car getting worked on, metal shaping going on etc. Complete chaos



An old SC engine. These are pretty normal for the condition that we get them in. Makes for great before and after media



Out of the car and split to a case in two days work plus everything cleaned. My engine builders are pretty fast at these. This one had a hard life. Someone converted it to a 3.4 but didn’t know what they were doing on the tuning front. Detonation killed this thing.



The pistons were just destroyed. Some people SMH. Didn’t run right, we are the third store to look at it.



Another one coming out - We aren’t really known for water cooled stuff even though we can do them. Unless it is top end work we turn them all away as the cost of it just isn’t worth it. Engine work costs more than the car is worth.

This one jumped timing. Pretty common.

 

[LXCam]

This one had a hard life. Someone converted it to a 3.4 but didn’t know what they were doing on the tuning front. Detonation killed this thing.



The pistons were just destroyed. Some people SMH. Didn’t run right, we are the third store to look at it.

“Aah it’s false knock, let’s just turn those off n let’r eat”

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Updates on the 930…. Haven’t shared anything on that in a while. We ran out of time before paint to get the side skirts made - Long story but we had to be at paint at a certain date. So we needed to put off making them.



Last week Alex started bending up material



Just some simple flat stock to get the profile established. Then he rolled the bottom piece to start getting some shape into it on the English wheel.



After the wheel it was power hammer time to tip in the edges for the trim.



Then the end caps for the rear were made and everything welded up.



Finished shape is complete and fitted. Just needs to make the trim pieces to cap everything off.

This kid is a freaking weapon. I wish I had the time to just sit and watch him work. What an inspiration he is.



Also the motec system showed up. We waited almost 9 months to get this one. Worth the wait but damn that is too long.



What an amazing harness. Fully kitted with auto sport connectors, bulkheads etc. I am excited to get this thing on the dyno as it is my first time playing with electronic waste gates and drive by wire on a 930 turbo. Going to freaking rip!

Thanks for following along with our projects!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

“Aah it’s false knock, let’s just turn those off n let’r eat”

actually no knock sensors on these old terds. All you need to be able to do is READ a 5 gas analyzer and a wide band. Pretty simple,

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Reading this thread, my bank account just let out a cry superb work.

Ha you can finance anything!

Thank you for the input and kind words! Appreciate it!

 

[LXCam]

actually no knock sensors on these old terds. All you need to be able to do is READ a 5 gas analyzer and a wide band. Pretty simple,

A quick side track Tim. I was heavily involved in the modern hemi scene from day one. We were doing everything n anything possible upfront with no real tuning ability, just methods for tricking the ecu.

One thing that many thought is we suffer from false knock. The very first weekend that Diablo released their tuner they gave us the ability to disable the knock sensors and this was literally before a track event.

No ******** racing on Sunday sold a whole bunch of engines come Monday.

And no, I was not one of them

 

[olsenmotorsports]

A quick side track Tim. I was invoked heavily in the modern hemi scene from day one. We were doing everything n anything possible upfront with no real tuning ability, just methods for tricking the ecu.

One thing that many thought is we suffer from false knock. The very first weekend that Diablo released their tuner they gave us the ability to disable the knock sensors and this was literally before a track event.

No ******** racing on Sunday sold a whole bunch of engines come Monday.

And no, I was not one of them

Oh man I can't even imagine! Give a bunch of gearheads the MOAR POWER easy button what do you expect!

First time i ever heard knock i had so much green behind my ears you would of thought it was moss. Im on a test drive, come back man this thing sounds like its got marbles clanging around in a jar when you get on the gas and its loaded at low RPMs??? The look on my foremans face was hilarious... That's knock son

 

[zmotorsports]

Tim, I am glad to see you using ARP fasteners, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Been using them myself for over 3 decades now and have found nothing else that even comes close to quality and constancy. Great choice.

I am also not surprised to see you using threadlocker sparingly. I DESPISE seeing things fully "slathered" in various chemicals. More is not better when it comes to anaerobic chemicals, or even aerobic chemicals for that matter.

I didn't build enough VW engines at a time to justify building a tool or jig for installing case and cylinder studs, or hell, I didn't even think about honestly. But I did install them all to the same height for consistency just as you are. In sandrails especially, EVERYTHING is right out in the open for the world to see.

I often had people ask me why I got out of building street rods and into sand quads and sandrails so heavily. I would joke with them and say "anyone can build a car and hide their flaws with interior and piling filler over ****** bodywork, but in a sandrail and sand quad, there's no hiding substandard workmanship or quality, It is right out there for the whole world to see".

I do miss those days of building sleds and sand toys, but I am also kind of looking forward to retirement when I can have the time to build a few more hot rods while I'm still above ground.

Updates on teh 993 Cab. It is back from paint! I need to get going on this engine for it!



All my critical engine internal seals and bearings showed up from Porsche (more on that later). We only use OEM parts from PMNA. Yes I am well aware that you can get them for 1/4 of the price from different sources, but in our testing there is a difference. So that is where we buy from.



First off had to get my studs in the engine block. Just a little dab of Blue Threadlocker, less is more here.



All the case studs are in. These you have to be careful of setting the height on as they are not sealed holes, so if you just hit the stud setter with the gun you will run out of threads on the nut side and they will be visibility different. For these blocks I made a jig for this. It is basically a stud setter and then a gauge block sleeve that floats under it. Clutch the screw gun to 4 and send them. Makes short work of it. Not a big deal if you are one and done, but we do 4-5 a month so that tooling really pays off.



Same with the head studs. Install them with a gauge block sleeve so you get the perfect height every time. These just spin in by hand if your prep is good, same deal just a dab of blue on the threads.

The 993 I was building the above engine is back from paint! So excited.

^^Tim, I'm not personally a fan of green. HOWEVER, that car is going to look amazing. Especially with the contrast of the matte black hoses and cables laid over it as that color as the canvas in the engine bay.

I've also done enough color changes on vehicles to know and appreciate the amount of time that goes into making them look like they came from the factory that way. That is not for the faint of heart, or wallet for that matter.

Oh man I can't even imagine! Give a bunch of gearheads the MOAR POWER easy button what do you expect!

First time i ever heard knock i had so much green behind my ears you would of thought it was moss. Im on a test drive, come back man this thing sounds like its got marbles clanging around in a jar when you get on the gas and its loaded at low RPMs??? The look on my foremans face was hilarious... That's knock son

I had experience with the death knock as a young kid, watching my oldest brother experience it as he played with cams, compression and figuring out how timing and carburetion played a role. IT was on his dime, but I learned from it and have spent a lifetime making sure to avoid it as well as directing my clients away from it. I would tell my clients that I was ok with pushing the envelope and building power, but you MUST respect the laws of physics as they simply cannot be broken, bent yes. I also have made a career of pushing some vehicles to the extreme, whether it be sandrails, snowmobiles, race cars or now Jeeps, but I would also explain that if you are going to push vehicles to their limits, you need to know where those limits are.

Even when off-roading now in our Jeep, when climbing my way through an obstacle or working through a technical section, I feel I am very aware of the strains and stresses on certain components of the vehicle as it progresses through the obstacle, applying power and removing power as the Jeep responds to tell me how it's doing. Sounds strange and maybe I'm not explaining it well, but I'm sure those of you who are around vehicles enough, can tell what's going on with the vehicle at certain times or situations and know what I'm talking about.

 

[plain2car]

(olsen)Tim, love following along! you are a very talented "mechanic".... . I really love the color... is that a factory color?? and curious of what the name is...
thanks!!

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Tim, I am glad to see you using ARP fasteners, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Been using them myself for over 3 decades now and have found nothing else that even comes close to quality and constancy. Great choice.

I am also not surprised to see you using threadlocker sparingly. I DESPISE seeing things fully "slathered" in various chemicals. More is not better when it comes to anaerobic chemicals, or even aerobic chemicals for that matter.

I didn't build enough VW engines at a time to justify building a tool or jig for installing case and cylinder studs, or hell, I didn't even think about honestly. But I did install them all to the same height for consistency just as you are. In sandrails especially, EVERYTHING is right out in the open for the world to see.

I often had people ask me why I got out of building street rods and into sand quads and sandrails so heavily. I would joke with them and say "anyone can build a car and hide their flaws with interior and piling filler over ****** bodywork, but in a sandrail and sand quad, there's no hiding substandard workmanship or quality, It is right out there for the whole world to see".

I do miss those days of building sleds and sand toys, but I am also kind of looking forward to retirement when I can have the time to build a few more hot rods while I'm still above ground.
















^^Tim, I'm not personally a fan of green. HOWEVER, that car is going to look amazing. Especially with the contrast of the matte black hoses and cables laid over it as that color as the canvas in the engine bay.

I've also done enough color changes on vehicles to know and appreciate the amount of time that goes into making them look like they came from the factory that way. That is not for the faint of heart, or wallet for that matter.




I had experience with the death knock as a young kid, watching my oldest brother experience it as he played with cams, compression and figuring out how timing and carburetion played a role. IT was on his dime, but I learned from it and have spent a lifetime making sure to avoid it as well as directing my clients away from it. I would tell my clients that I was ok with pushing the envelope and building power, but you MUST respect the laws of physics as they simply cannot be broken, bent yes. I also have made a career of pushing some vehicles to the extreme, whether it be sandrails, snowmobiles, race cars or now Jeeps, but I would also explain that if you are going to push vehicles to their limits, you need to know where those limits are.

Even when off-roading now in our Jeep, when climbing my way through an obstacle or working through a technical section, I feel I am very aware of the strains and stresses on certain components of the vehicle as it progresses through the obstacle, applying power and removing power as the Jeep responds to tell me how it's doing. Sounds strange and maybe I'm not explaining it well, but I'm sure those of you who are around vehicles enough, can tell what's going on with the vehicle at certain times or situations and know what I'm talking about.

ARP is the go to fasteners here as well. Although I’m very much curious to have a go at P1 (P1 Manufacuring), commonly used by the nitro teams (they also make TF / FC engine blocks). Their hardware looks pretty good I have to say.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Greetings Tim.
Back in October I asked you a question about your surface treatment of aluminum and you shared the process and product that you use when you're treating the aluminum. I have far amount of as cast aluminum on a project motor I'm building, and I purchased the Starke Aluminum coating.
Do you have any lessons learned or the dos and don’ts with the aluminum coating and any insight on the application.
Thank you for sharing!
Greg.