Part 1 (7-29-02)

After purchasing the Bullitt, I missed the boost surge I had from my previous car. After some research, including joining the Incon list, TDC looked like the only viable and available kit on the market for the 4.6 modular motor.  That said, I talked to the sales guy at the time and spec'd out the kit I wanted. Essentially their Stage 2 Outlaw kit with the smaller stage 2 std 60-1 turbo. This gave me bigger injectors 42# vs 36#, bigger fuel pump 255L vs 190L, and better grade wastegate. This way, I can always upgrade to a bigger turbo later and everything else will be in place to support it.

They have a reputation for some lack of customer support and being slow to deliver. So far it's true. I finally received the major part of my kit July 18th, almost 2 months late. The shipment was not complete and the balance of the parts are shipping today, 7/25. On their defense, when you do finally get to talk to Scott, he is a great help.

First impression is the parts are well made. The headers are very good, with a very good hi temp ceramic coating. The major parts are done well. The wastegate valve only came with a turn down dump tube. They are sending me parts to route it back into the downpipe. This will require some fabrication and welding, not a problem for me but for some who can only bolt things on, it is a concern.

This is a tight fit system. It requires re-routing of the hydrobooster hydraulic lines, 2 brake lines and a fuse box. Some wires will need to be cut and lengthened. This install is not for the faint of heart.  I am installing a tube K member and Canton Race oil pan so having the K-member out makes the install much, much easier. Install would be very tight indeed with the K member in. The kit also provides motor mount spacers to raise the engine.
Actual parts installation in the next segment.

Part 2 (8-1-02)

This installment of the TDC install covers some of the major parts fitment. This install will take longer than a normal one as I am adding a D&D tubular K-member and coil overs, a Canton road race oil pan, SPA digital gauges, Autometer gauge cluster, Oil cooler, a better quality cooler for the power steering, and some of my own heat shielding, while I'm at it. TDC supplies a cooler for the power steering, but I am installing a more efficient compact unit do to space constraints.

The headers went on fine. The drivers side is more difficult to get at the nuts. I decided to use the factory studs with new factory self locking  nuts, rather than the supplied studs and nuts, which were a bit smaller and may have been easier to get at.. This would be quite a stinker if the stock k-member were in the car. Instructions say it's doable though. The cross  pipe is mounted up temporarily until the turbo and downpipe are put on, so pipes can be moved around as needed. The external wastegate nestles in nicely in the right hand fender corner as does the remote oil filter.

The relocation of the large fuse box, where the turbo will reside, went well. It relocates to the inner fender well on the drivers side. Ford was nice enough to have plugs on all the major wiring harnesses, which made it a snap. Only wiring that will require modifying, will be the alternator wires and the O2 sensor wires, which will require lengthening. TDC does not supply the wiring extensions, so you are on your own. I will buy some O2 harness extensions, readily available from various vendors. The alternator wiring I am studying to see if I can avoid cutting factory wiring.

The Brake lines were a job. You have to relocate the proportioning valve. TDC supplies 2 custom bent lines to extend the PV to hear the front of the car. You have to move and re-bend the factory lines back to the new location. A tubing bender is a must here. On the passenger side, you have to reroute all the brake lines over the frame rail to get them clear of the header on that side. Again, a bender helps here.

The hydraulic lines to the hydrobooster for the brakes must be replaced and rerouted. TDC supplies all the lines and fittings to accomplish this. A new water neck assembly is provided to replace the factory one on the block to the lower radiator hose. It changes the angle as well as providing ports for the remote filter. A steel U-pipe is provided and you have to cut the factory lower radiator hose and add in this u-pipe to clear the left header and exhaust components. I may get some silicone hose for this instead of cutting up the factory hose.

The oil pan has to have a hole put in for the turbo drain. I plan to weld in a stainless fitting into the Canton pan rather than punching a hole and trying to thread it as the instructions ask you to do. I will be more confident in the connection under road racing conditions.

Overall, the kit and placement of parts has been well thought out by TDC. I have only had to drill one hole and part fitment and quality, so far, has been very good.
Next installment, we get the turbo in and the IC mounted, I hope.

Part 3 (8-12-02)

Here is the link to pics for this weeks install:  http://community.webshots.com/album/46649628cceDvK

Round 3 of the TDC install includes install of the D&D tubular K member and Canton road racing oil pan. I am taking advantage of the car being apart to add these and coil overs, so all the install is taking additional time..sorry.

Missing parts continue to plague the installation of the kit. I discovered I'm missing more fittings to complete the hook up of the power steering/brake booster hydraulics. One little fitting really brings things to a halt.  My screwup delayed getting the oil pan in so I could install the k-member. I had ordered the wrong fitting for the turbo drain that needed to be welded into the oil pan. The pan is in and the K-member is in. Hoping for a lot more room with the tube k-member, to my dismay, the right hand header touches the  k-member, :-( Have to figure what I'm going to do there.

I had to take off the short turbo inlet pipe connected to the turbo. They just had a round hole in the flange into the Garrett rectangular turbine inlet. This was cutting off about 30% of the opening into the turbine. I ground out the flange to match the inlet.  I hope to bolt up the turbo and downpipe next weekend. Then it's to the myriad of details including: 

Fabricating the wastegate piping back to the downpipe
Finishing up all the wiring re-routing
Finishing the hydraulics including mounting PS cooler
Installing coil overs
Finishing oil hose installation, filling with oil and priming
Install chip on EEC
Finish routing battery cables
Fixing clearance problems and making up heat shields

Still missing:
Cat converter
High temp steering boots
Hydraulic fittings for the steering rack
More to come!

Part 4 (9/18/02)

Sorry for the delay in these postings. Having to travel a lot and only really getting to work on the car a day and a half a weekend slows things down. Let me say that on this kind of install, leave yourself plenty of time to do it as problems will come up and bite you as you will read below.

The car is assembled. There are a few details I will go back and upgrade, but I wanted to get the car on the ground for the Fun Ford Weekend in Ennis TX 9/20 and also the first annual Bullitt National event.

The list of things to complete from part 3 is done. I am STILL waiting for the catalytic converter, or the car is going to Nationals with the straight pipe. The exhaust is set up for no cat, so I will have to cut and weld the “Y” pipe to accept the cat. I plan on using tri-clamps so the cat can be pulled quickly for racing yet be easy to R&R and not leak. Tri-clamps are the only way to go.

Disaster loomed when I went to start the car 2 weeks prior. Installing the chip on the EEC and starting the car proved fruitless. The car would not run. Pull the chip and the car started right up, coughed and belched a lot due to the 42# injectors, but ran. TDC promised to send another chip, as soon as their broken chip burner was repaired. To date (9-18-02) I have still not received the chip. In discussions with Dennis Reinhart at Reinhart Automotive, I went to a backup plan and had him send me out a Diablo chip. Plugged it in and the same symptoms and no starting as I had with the Autologic chip from TDC. Now I am 4 days from having to leave for FFW, and the car won’t run. We decided the code in the EEC was the culprit seeing 2 chips showed the same problem. I had to FedX the EEC out for a reflash and hope to get it back today and HOPE the car runs tonight.

Another modification that I made has to do with the fuel pump. The Walbro that is supplied is not a direct fit in the fuel pump can assembly, as it is taller and fatter. You have to modify the top assembly. There have been arguments that the higher flow pump will overwhelm the fuel pump assembly-can check valve, which allows fuel in to the pump in the tank. The argument is the pump will flow more than the check valve can flow under high HP applications, causing starvation. Steeda makes a twin fuel pump assembly, but it requires modifying the fuel pump can as well and you have the potential of starvation under cornering. Not good for a road racer like me. The answer is the new Cobra fuel tank and pump. Ford factory makes a dual fuel pump assembly for the Cobra which works perfectly for the EEC-V and the pulse width modulation the EEC does with the fuel pump to modify fuel pressure. The installation of the Cobra tank and pump is a direct bolt in to my Bullitt and I would assume the GT as well.

The last installment will cover the results, impressions, any last problems and opinion on the whole kit experience. Final pictures will come as well.

Brian Hood