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full build thread, including repairs and updates

CDV Delete and Review (RRM / Road Race Motorsports)

Date:       2 Comments  

Review of the CDV Delete from Deyeme Racing

First of all, let me preface this with saying I am no car expert, but I have learned a lot the past 18 months with my Dart. The only thing I can offer is my personal experience, and I hope it helps somebody else out there. My inbox, as well on FB, has been blowing up with people asking about this, so here we go:

I did this installation during the afternoon, after installing the flex rear engine mount, which came in the same box from @DeyemeRacing . I guess I’m their poster-boy this week – lol. I had some prior issues, which is relevant to the topic, so I’ll explain. I bought the Dart last Feb 14 – and the night I brought it home, my clutch sunk to the floor and stayed there. Looking back on the situation, it actually stuck a tiny bit a few times, but I didn’t know enough to recognize it, as it was very subtle. The following week, the Kia dealership, where I purchased the vehicle, replaced the Master and Slave cylinder, as well as the clutch. They tried to blame my driving on the clutch going out – yeah – on the first day I owned it. Anyway, you don’t mess with a Amish guys’s kid – needless to say, a year later Chrysler reimbursed me for everything. Woot Woot!

As time went on, after the replacement, I had 2-3 issues over the next 8 months, where the clutch would stick momentarily, and then pop up. Couldn’t get any video, but I took it back in one time, complaining of the same issue, they couldn’t replace it and claimed to bleed the clutch. It did feel better, and I know they bled it b/c the green outlet nipple was missing (no cap.) As time went on, I would try to analyze the clutch, and I realize that many, if not all, of the “jerky” launches I had in first gear was due to the CDV sticking, ever so slightly, then releasing a moment later, causing a less than perfect launch. I have been driving stick for over 25 years, so I’m pretty confident in my ability to drive any stick, even bigger trucks. If I needed to move quickly, such as WOT, the clutch would stick momentarily. I also noticed (as others did) that on my WOT launches, I would grind third gear. It happened about 5-6 times since I’ve had the car, no more, but it was odd to me.

I also agree with others about the 1-2 shift point. Let me tell you what – this freakin sh!t fixed everything!!  Buy it and get out of here! Go!

What are you still doing here? Ok fine:

Does this feel like a new clutch?
No.

Does this feel stiffer?
Yes, but that may have been accomplished by simply topping off the fluid levels. The clutch feels tight and consistent.

Did I have to re-learn the clutch?
No.

How long did the install take?
2 hours.

Did it change the way I drive?
No.

Does it make me happy?
OMG – Every single launch was perfect, even in slow, city traffic. I have not opened it up yet, I’ve only driven 10 or so miles in city traffic, but A LOT of clutch holding, launches, downshifting, etc. Shifting into second gear was perfect every time. I had no jerkiness, no sticking, no issues, and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t double clutch much in this car, but I do rev match to downshift, and there were no issues there, either – smooth as butter!

This fixes the inconsistencies of the CDV. I really think many Darts’ CDV’s stick a little bit, but so slight that you don’t always notice, until it’s gone. I didn’t have to adjust anything, and driving it was as easy as driving any manual. Also, keep in mind, I never really had issues launching, but looking back, I can see where it was less than consistent. I would say, that if you haven’t done a bunch of mods, this is NOT the easiest installation. The biggest difficulty was bleeding the system.

Two issues I had while doing this installation was removing the CDV without pulling the pushpin completely out. I dropped the pushpin, and it’s very difficult to see in there, so be careful of losing it. The other issue was my air compressor wasn’t powerful enough to use the brake bleeder tool. That fluid drained SOOOO slow. I ended up using a friend to help, so one could pump the clutch and the other monitored the fluid. The biggest thing, is DO NOT LET AIR INTO THE SYSTEM. Make sure fluid stays in your supply tank. I’m not sure if I read it wrong, but I bought 3 quarts of brake fluid, but only needed less than one. It was taking so long to bleed, I ended up topping it off and replacing only what I needed. I’m going to see how it does, as I haven’t opened the other two bottles, but by looking at the tank, I don’t think you could even fit more than a quart in there, but I could be wrong.

I will give more results on the power / racing side on my personal build thread here. I will surely beat my 7.16 second 0-60 now that my clutch responds properly.

If you are in Chicago, New Star Transmission will install it for you for $140 + parts, if you don’t feel confident in your abilities. PM me for details, or google them – ask for David.

OEM CDV:20160530_233527

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How to Build and Install a Custom Front Wind Splitter / Front Lip / Diffuser / Chin Spoiler

Date:       1 Comment  
Custom DIY Front Splitter / Chin Spoiler / Front Lip / Ground Effects
IMG_20160428_003030The Mopar lip kit is fine for most people, in fact, it looks quite nice. The problem I had is the cost, and the fact that everyone has that one option. I have done a ton of research on splitters, lips, spoilers, etc., but I am in no way a car, or racing expert. Use my instructions as a guide – then put your own flavor on it. Not everyone will like this style, but you can see what I struggled with, and why I made the decisions I did. I hope you like it, but if you don’t, you can build yours any way you want.Before you ask, a front splitter is designed to produce extra downforce at high speeds to the front wheels for better handling and traction. These are often used in conjunction with rear spoilers in race cars, and won’t have much of an impact on driving below 80 MPH. They usually fill the bottom portion of the car from just ahead of the front wheels to a few inches beyond the front of the car. Oh, and they also look freakin’ baddass!Typically, a front splitter should fill in the entire space in front of the wheels, and should not have any spaces or openings. My Dart has the Aero package, which means it is already covered under the entire bottom. It also means the aero panels protrude down past the fascia. If you put a flat piece of material under the whole thing, it can’t touch the sides b/c the oil drain area sticks down too far. A splitter should also be flat if possible, so I omitted the center area in the splitter, and left it as is. This also reduced the weight of my entire splitter to less than 3 lbs.Now the question everyone asks (go ahead): What’s it made out of? Alumalite. “Alumalite is a strong, aluminum composite panel made of with a high density corrugated polyallomer (CPA) core that will not swell, corrode, rot, wick water, or delaminate even under prolonged water exposure. Factory-baked polyester painted aluminum faces add high gloss brilliance and rigidity.”There are many ways to do this, and the cheapest would be plywood, and then covered in polyurethane resin to make it waterproof. The problem with this is weight. ABS plastic is also pretty expensive, and also heavy. I looked up what the professional racers use, and most of them are using some form of alumalite. It is incredibly strong and lightweight. It can also be bent, if needed, and is completely waterproof. The best way to describe it is two, thin aluminum sheets, separated by a corrugated material.
20160310_143825So then I researched, “Who else would use Alumalite,” and I found they use it to make signs! I reached out to some local sign companies and confirmed this. All you have to do is ask them for scraps. I needed something that was at least 72” x 26” – I ended up finding a piece for the price of a 12-Pack of Anti-Hero IPA (although he is my buddy, and did the graphics for Dartlene Orangina)
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20160310_194934The first thing I needed was a template, and a way to line things up. The easiest way to do this was to start with the Mopar Front lip. When tracing the lip, you have to be careful, and take into account the 7/8″ rise in the middle of the fascia. If you press the lip flat and trace it, along with the holes, once you hold your trace up to the car, you will find the outer edges and holes are too wide. Be careful to trace the piece while keeping it’s shape, holding the edges up.
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20160313_171527I followed the front angles of the car, but I wanted a little more aggressive appearance. I also knew that I wanted to wrap the thing in carbon fiber, and if you’ve done any wrapping, you’ll know how difficult it is to wrap around a curved edge. If you want to try this method, you’d have to cut along the top edge, and use a separate piece for the front / bottom. I used cardboard to create my original template, so I could mess with it, as well as hold it up to the car for rough placement. I was concerned the cardboard would bend, but the final material would not, so I also had to keep in mind the upward arch in the middle if it is attached flush to the fascia.
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20160417_134353Now that I had my template, I dry fitted it to the car to make sure. Then I traced it onto the alumalite, and cut the front shape and the inner circle, leaving a bit extra on the inside, which could be trimmed. As it was, I had to adjust the holes a little bit after the final cut, as I was using the same holes to secure the aero panel and the Mopar front lip, if you had one. The 4 screws in the rear connected perfectly to the cut splitter, but it had to bend up too much in the middle to work, so I needed spacers. I took some brass tubing I had lying around, and cut it into (4) 7/8” pieces. Then I sanded and painted them black. Washers were used above and below the splitter and spacers, and I found some wood screws that matched the thread of those metal clips in the aero panels. Lock washers were put on the very bottom to secure it.This is without the spacers:
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Spacers:
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Underneath the spacers:
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Then I wrapped the splitter, easily terminating the ends of the wrap on the bottom, as no one can see that, unless the car is on a lift. For extra credit, I guess you could wrap or paint the bottom, too.
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Rough mockup:
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After I had the flat shape, I added my side fins, using simple nut and bolt connections on either side. I lined up the outside to the shape of the car, and the back to the wheel well. I originally was going to bend the alumalite into the fins, but I wanted something that looked a little better and wasn’t as thick. The edge of alumalite looks a like cardboard, so it needs to be covered, wrapped, or filled in. I found some thin aluminum and could easily cut and bend it as needed. Then I simply drilled a couple of holes in the new “L” shaped wings, and bolted from underneath. Shazam!
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I mounted the splitter using the 8 holes in the bottom fascia that connects the aero panel. The rear 4 were factory screws, into the factory holes, and the front 8 were factory holes, with longer, wood screws that matched the thread size. I later painted the silver bolts black, as well.

Finally, the last step was the rods. I already had replaced the grilles with mesh that had medium sized holes. I painted a couple washers black, and used them in front and behind the grille to secure it, and then bolted it to the splitter. I was able to do all of this without removing the fascia, but it was a bit tricky squeezing in and securing the nut on the backside. They are adjustable, so you can make them ultra-secure. I’m not saying you should stand on this thing, but it is very secure, and has lasted, so far!
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I later added a lip underneath the splitter, to give it a more “lowered” look – I think it makes it more aggressive, but certainly works without it:
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StreetGlo Pinstriping / Glow in the Dark

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Latest mod: upgraded the wheel pinstriping to streetglo pinstripes. The front has the upgrade, and the back is regular 3m pinstripes (yawn.)

Before:20160531_210553

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Added some more “invisible” striping – invisible by day, glows under lights) – only on front tire:20160524_004645
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Experimenting:20160531_211854
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Custom Silicone Apollo Ram Air Intake with Heat Reflective Tape

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New Custom Ram Air Intake – I was going to wait until i installed the amazing heat reflective tape I found, but since it’s a bit unusual, I’ll update that in it’s own post. Currently, I have a K&N typhoon CAI, and I installed the HPSI Ram air tube last summer, and I was playing around with a ram air intake system. I found a 45º silicone coupler, and was able to match it up with a universal K&N Apollo filter I found for CHEAP on ebay. I plugged the hole on the new Apollo, and get the temp readings from the same bung on the K&N. The Apollo sits right in the RAM air tube, just like the HPSI intake. This filter is quieter than the K&N, so you’re not always hearing that much turbo “flutter” sound that some have thought to sound like actual turbo flutter. Now the blow off sound is more pronounced, as I drilled out the Forge plate a bit more, and this is now pulling air from down below and through the front grill. Since I’ve put in a open mesh up there, I’m hoping to get as much air flow as possible.

I also like the large K&N heat shield, and I wanted to keep that as well, for more heat reflection. I removed it, and used a sawzall to cut the bottom out, to make room for the filter down there. I was still able to bolt it on from the top.

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*heat reflective tape information below*
Next up – custom RAM air is now finished. Here is a better view of the Apollo filter joining with the HPSI Ram air tube. I pressed two small holes on the top of the tube, and used tie-wraps to secure it to the metal frame bracket. This gave me a better, more solid, connection, and I didn’t have to spend all the $$ on their intake. As mentioned earlier, this is a K&N typhoon intake, with some Yoderian Wizardry. I forgot to take a pic, but I also cut off the top / front of the factory air tube, just inside the front grille, This allows for actual air flow, much like the newer 2014-16 models with the plastic tube.

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I wrapped the intake with reflective heat wrap. This stuff is 56% more efficient than the cheap ebay gold stuff. I did some research, and this is what many of the racers use (because #racecar not) I purchgased 1 ft (1ft X 15″) which was $33.00 plus shipping, and is called Aerolite-Shield. You can find it at Earls Indy

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Front Wind Splitter

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New Yoderian Front Wind Splitter / Chin Soiler / Front Lip √ No protective lip, yet, in these pics:

This includes support rods, wings, and carbon fiber wrap.

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I later adjusted the splitter, dropping the nose a little bit, making it perfectly flat:
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Optima Battery Upgrade

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Made it to 63k miles, now I need a battery replacement / upgrade.

Normally, a battery is not much of a car mod, but in this case, it was quite the upgrade. I have needed a battery for a while, and I thought I’d make it through the winter, but I didn’t want extra strain on the alternator, so it is time. I pushed it one day too far, as I had ordered a new Optima Red Top battery, but the car shit out on me the day it came in! [doh!] The stock OEM battery is $120.00 @ AllMoparParts + shipping, and is rated @ 600 CCA. Optima does not make a battery specifically for the Dart, so I had to improvise a little bit. I found a universal Optima Red Top that fit, and was rated @ 900 CCA – 300 over stock, and only $100 more, found locally.

The terminals were a little farther forward, so I had to bend the battery connections a little bit. Now all of the extra ground lines are tied to the same post, so I need to do some cleanup. Admittedly, the engine bay was a bit of a disaster, anyway, and I was waiting to swap the battery before I cleaned everything up, re-routed the non-factory wires, and tidied up. I’m going to add posts on the front of the battery and separate the main lines from those, and re-solder some of the ground lines, as one had come off when I was pulling cables around. This battery is a beast – all of the small issues I had (random cylinder mis-fires, random CELs from the Unichip, and strange DRL switchback behavior) are all gone. The unichip uses 100% of the electrical system in the Dart, so it makes sense how much better it runs now. Since I put so many leds & add-ons that this was a needed upgrade.

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The strange looking white bar in front of the battery is an LED strip used for resistance to cure the “park light out” error. It will be mounted and moved, eventually.

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LED Lighting, switches, interior controls, Carbon Fiber Wrap

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Wired in switches for all the LED lighting – 3 are used, one is a secret weapon that hasn’t been installed, yet. These switches are simple, on/off, and they are soldered on the back side, sharing a common ground.  Several of them are wired to constant power, for use at car shows, etc.

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LEDs were added to the glove box, cup holder, and backseat cup holders:
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I also carbon fiber wrapped my steering wheel pieces, although the bottom piece is still not perfect, and may need to be redone.
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I had to disassemble the HVAC controls, pull off the knobs, wrap the piece, and then assemble.  20160125_110531 20160125_110549 20160125_110608

Used red gap trim for the controls: 20160125_151328 20151226_212404 20151227_190127 20160128_094111 20160125_154452 20160125_195853 20160127_005524

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Tow Hooks

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Got a couple of tow hooks for 3 reasons:

1. Easily pull up on to a tow truck in a pinch and not scrape up my wheels & underbody.
2. Protect my front and rear bumper from idiots running into me while parallel parking – instead their car will hit my tow hooks.
3. Look pretty cool and match my dragon eyes (headlights)

Tow hooks installed:

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