Another call to ProCharger yielded the information that whoever had told us the aftermarket sensor was compatible was wrong, and we’d need a stock sensor. Frustrating, but them’s the breaks. Once the new stock sensor was installed, we were in business.
Or were we? Turns out we weren’t out of the woods just yet. When we tried to set up the system, the included programmer started registering codes in the car’s onboard diagnostic computer, causing that most general or warnings, the check engine light to light up. Seems the sensor wasn’t the only thing that needed recalibration. A quick delivery to the factory had it sorted out and in working order quickly though.
And that brings us up to the present. The car isn’t totally done; before we got our hands on the car it had been lowered slightly, and now the intercooler dangles dangerously low. One speed bump taken too fast would be enough to rip it up. The demands of a high performance engine dictate that fuel pressure and temperature gauges be installed, but all that will have to wait until the owner’s pocketbook can afford.
Install time, not counting fabbing and modification: between 15 and 20 hours. ProCharger says this should only take eight to ten, but taking into account he unusual problems we had, as well as our lack of experience in this sort of project, that seems about right. If nothing else, as Tom pointed out, experience is the best teacher, and repeating the process would have the project time down to where ProCharger projects, which is pretty much par for the course for any sort of project.
Left to right: Matt Johnson, Larry Holiday and his son,David, who owns the car and Tom Heaney.
So there we are. The install is done, and all that’s left is to take it out and see what it’ll do. Once the weather settles down here a bit, (Missouri weather can, perhaps, best be described as eventful.), we’ll put the car though its paces. Check back then to see how this tale ends.