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[quote="AL33NUT"]Ok lads,

Bear with me, cos it's gonna be a long rant. Picked up the car yesterday (S3 33 16v).

Engine swap done and I must say I have very mixed feelings  :? .  I swapped over from an 8v to a 16v and here's my thoughts (in a view to receiving any comments you may have):

ENGINE SWAP
Really lacking in low down torque as compared to the 8v. Engine feels a bit lumpy and a tad jerky (maybe I'm not used to driving it). Also, I don't really like the sound of the engine at the moment - think it might be my standard exhaust that's the culprit here. Sounds a bit too much like a Lawnmower and not a raspy boxer like I remember the 16v 33s sounding.

The engine was totally rebuilt so I'm still in the 'run in' stage. Maybe the engine needs to loosen up before I make judgement - what do you think?

GEARBOX
I also changed the gearbox to a low mileage 16v one. Needs some getting used to. I had a reconditioned (from about 10 years ago) 1.5 gearbox in mine which had a definate clunk in each gear. However, I needed to change it as it wasn't perfect. That definite cluck gave way to being 'hard to pull out of gear selected' when the car had been run for a while. It was also noisy although I installed some sound deadening foam around the lever to compensate. My thinking for the better condition gearbox was obviously to safegaurd th eold one failing on me with the more powerful 16v engine and a better feel in use. What can I say, the new gearbox feels ok but a bit loose and less definite.

STEERING RACK & NARDI WHEEL
My old steering rack was leaking and needed changing. I sourced a good condition rack from Alex (33 Bits) which was looked over by my mechanic and installed. Steering feels slightly heavier (maybe due to the heavier 16v engine) but more direct. The Nardi wheel is my favourite part of this revamp. I previously had a Momo racing wheel installed. The Nardi wheel feels much more appropriate for the car and very comfortable to use. Highly recommend them  :D .

KONI REDS
A few years ago I had all my standard struts changed to Konis. Unfortunately the mechanic I used at the time purchased Koni refills that were slightly too small for the strut sleeves. This meant I had a bit of play at the wheels. However, the fault wasn't readily apparent so I had to bear with it until now. Again, Alex supplied the Konis and these were installed. They are matched to H&R springs and Powerflex bushes all round. Handling is great from the short time I've driven it and I'm confident the crazy bump steer/ tramlining action is gone.

BIG BRAKES
Willwood big brake kit now provides the stopping force for the new set up. I also installed the bigger Master cylinder from the Alfa 75 to make sure pedal travel is just right. Pedal travel IS just right so I'm pleased with that. Braking is slightly noiser with the drilled disks and harder compound pads. However, braking power is certainly improved - happy with this.

OTHER BITS - Exhaust
Unfortunately I had to strip away my stainless steel 'Cat Back' system  :( . The bore for the 8v was too small for the 16v. I now have a standard system with an exit pipe that you could impale yourself on if you stand too close - not kidding! Add this to the fact that I really don't like the sound it makes then this ranks as the worst part of the revamp. My mechanic also thinks it's restricting the performance of the engine. I'll need to sort this out at some point but after my expenditure I think I'll be lucky to get beans on toast. Ideally I'd like a full system to allow the engine breath but wouldn't we all. Might also look at installing a cone filter with cold air feed at some point.

OTHER BITS - Clutch & Accerator cable
Clutch and acelerator cable were also changed. Didn't notice much difference here. Often times a new clutch can feel a bit jumpy (in my experience anyway). This hasn't been the case this time around.

OTHER BITS - Other bits
Cam belts, tensioners, Hydraulic tappets, etc were all changed as you would expect. Nothing to report here.

MISCELLANEOUS
I bought an OMP strut brace as part of the revamp. I've decided not to install it yet. I'll drive the car around for a bit and get used to how it feels before trying out the strut brace. I'm not fully convinced that I won't simply be adding unnecessary weight to the front end by installing the brace. I'll let you know how this pans out.

SUMMARY
I initially started off wanting to get a thicker antiroll bar and 16V cross member. I ended up with a semi rebuild my entire car! So far I can't say it was worth it just yet. Need to see what happens when the engine loosens up a bit I think. The best part of the build for me has actually been the Nardi Wheel matched to the corrected front suspension (struts). Hopefully I will be back on here ravving about the conversion but for now I'm cautiously optimistic. Watch this space I suppose.

To be continued...your advice welcomed.

AL33NUT[/quote]

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