I think I finally have an understanding of the PVC system and how it works on a turbocharged car. From what I’ve been able to read, there really isn’t a whole lot of difference between forced-induction and N/A as it pertains to crankcase ventilation. The biggest problem that seems to crop up with adding boost to a vacuum motor is that the stock PCV valve isn’t designed to be as strong and provide as tight of a seal. The general recommendation for the Neon seems to be to get the metal-bodied PCV from a late nineties Toyota Supra TT and use it in place of the stock Mopar one. A trip to Pep Boys netted me one of those.
While I was there I also picked up a new set of cheapie wiper blades, a couple 3/8″ NPT to 1/4″ hose barb adpaters, and a vacuum tee assortment. Using the tees, I now have the vacuum line connected from the intake barb to the MAP sensor in MegaSquirt and the blow-off valve. There’s another vacuum line that runs from the nipple on the compressor to the wastegate with a short stop at the boost controller. Both the EGR and the cruise control vacuum ports on the brake booster are plugged. A quick leakdown test indicates that everything is pretty well sealed up, so I’m feeling hopeful about that.
For the PCV system, I have installed the Supra valve and attached some hose to that. I need to use the brass nipples that I bought to construct a catch can and then I’ll connect the PCV to the catch can and the catch can to the intake manifold. The breather tube will get a small filter, but I don’t think I’ll bother with a catch can on that side.
As part of a smaller task, I adjusted the wiper arms to the right positions and added the new wiper blades. I don’t have any power to try to test the wiper controls yet, but hopefully I should be able to get that take care of without too much fuss. I do recall that I was having problems with all of the things off of the multi-switch in the past, but if I focus on it for a while, I should be able to figure it out without too much fuss.
At this point, I’m left with just a few tasks that need to happen before May 1:
- Finish up PCV system
- Exhaust
- Wheels & Tires
- Battery
- Base tune
The exhaust seemed kind of daunting before, but the more I think about it, the easier it seems. If I can get about four of the generic hangers, a couple more of the u-clamps, some flex-pipe, and just a bit more hard pipe, I should be in good shape. Right now, I have flex-pipe connecting the turbofold to the main straight. Nothing is needed on that bit of flex, but I want to put one hanger on each end of the straight pipe. The straight pipe currently has the start of a bend in it, and it’s in the wrong place, so I need to cut that bend out and then add a flex joint to make a turn to the driver’s side right before the gas tank. That will be rapidly followed by a turn back to the rear of the car and we’ll have to go up, over the suspension links, just like the stock system used to. Kind of makes me wonder if I kept any of that piping. I anticipate that I’ll probably make use of a lot fo flex pipe for that part, and at least two hangers in there. Once we’re under the trunk, I’ll put the Supertrapp muffler onto the pipe and use a hanger (or two, depending on how solid it is) to keep that in place. I’m considering putting a hole in the rear fascia and running the output of the muffler through there, but we’ll see.