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Brera 2.4 from Serbia

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66K views 375 replies 50 participants last post by  BobanR 
#1 ·
Hello from Serbia.
After six turbulent months, it appears to be the right time for me to present my project to you. It's nothing new, or something you haven't seen before, but still, I'm really proud of it.
I have gone down the road that James(jbsmith1) and Pete (Clogz) have taken before. Before i say anything or insert an image, I really need to thank Pete for unselfish help throughout this ordeal. He was always more than happy to answer all the questions i had. Pete, you're da man! I know that James is not active on the forum anymore, but thanks for all the knowledge shared.
The car in question is '07. Brera, 2.4 with 210hp...originally :) It was in decent enough condition when I got hold of it, and I never planned on doing any modifications to the engine, or even suspension at the time. These are from the day I first got the car and few artistic ones from a few months after that:
 

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#2 · (Edited)
There were few things that annoyed me, for example some damage on alu trim. I googled "brera interior" wanting to buy a new alu trim and then just fit some Prodrives...that was all I wanted. Somehow, landed on James's thread and started reading...big mistake. To shorten it, I've spent several days just reading on his and Pete's threads. I now know that i was doomed from the get go.
Next thing I knew, I was bugging Pete for an advice and started on the project.
First things first...turbo...
It was Adam and TDi Turbos that did their magic and supplied me with GTB2260VK hybrid that was simple plug and play option. I've opted against VKLR one to avoid oil and water pipes fitting(for the time being).
Adam also provided the pictures. :)
 

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#3 ·
While turbo merging took place, i was busy getting all other parts:
KW Variant 3
Prodrive 8C alloys 19''
Michelin Pilot Super Sport 235/40 ZR19 Y96
Tarox Sport Japan rear discs
Tarox Strada 112 rear pads
Phaeton Front Discs 365mm
AP Racing CP5575-804S4R2
Ferodo DS2500 Front pads
Goodridge braided hoses
Quaife LSD
Sachs Performance Clutch
AIRTEC FMIC 600x400mm 60mm core
Mocal oil cooler
PowerFlex all around
Novitec front diffuser
+ some more parts that i won't be fitting, like front Tarox discs and PerformanceFriction pads.
 

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#4 · (Edited)
Everything except that FMIC was plug and play, or so I thought... :)
We started on the car...and did a good job when everything is taken into account. It took us two weeks to fit most of the things and finish all major hardware installation...from turbo and FMIC to PowerFlex and LSD . At the time, coilovers and few other items were not installed. This was part one finished...
 

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#5 · (Edited)
While this was taking place, mapping needed to be secured. I have contacted Gregor, known around here as TribesMan :) . Not only that he knows thing or two about mapping, he actually knew everything i have asked. And i ask a lot of questions...mostly dumb ones, but even so, he provided all the answers. For all of the knowledge, and all the patience, i take my hat off.
I had requested a map that will create a car for daily use, but one that won't be ashamed on the track also. That is what I got...
It was a bit bumpy, since I had only road to create logs. No dyno, and more important, no experience whatsoever on my side. My first log runs produced more problems than information. First, clamps i used were not even close to the ones i needed, and then my custom made hose was impaled on AC compressor and blew. That was a minor sat back. Soon i got new hoses and some T clamps, and was back on the road creating logs.
 

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#6 ·
Around that time I started to get annoyed with the black smoke at the exhaust in high revs and when I gun it. Not much smoke, but enough to prevent me from enjoying the car completely. Since we did quite a lot of work, and there was more on the way, I decided to take the car to get custom exhaust fitted, and after that to take the car to Alfa Romeo garage. I needed to have intake manifold cleaned, coilovers fitted and car completely checked.
This created more problems. After exhaust was fitted and intake cleaned, smoke was still there, even worse than before, but I've also experienced power loss in high revs. I've created new set of logs, everything was the same, except 0.7 slower time to 4500rpm. Gregor suspected some kind of air leak, and again, he was right...
I got the car with EGR blanked and DPF removed, but it seems that EGR part was not done properly. Blanking plate was poorly made, and leaked all over. Once we did that, smoke that appear when I sink the pedal was gone...for a while.
 

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#7 ·
Around this time, i decided to have the car detailed...and then some. Even tho mechanically everything was not perfect, I wanted it to look as good as it can...
 

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#9 ·
While beautifying was going on, decision was made to de-swirl intake manifold. I got one from 2.4 166, cleaned it, painted it and installed it.

After that, smoke was almost gone. I did few more log runs, just to check where we are, and even tho there are few more things planed, Gregor created another map. That was the one. Finally, car run like it should from the beginning and if I was normal person, I'd give it a rest here...So, here are things planned for the near future(next couple of weeks)...
1. Thermal wrapping - turbo, exhaust and some piping in engine bay
2. Installing APs, since those are still sitting in my room
3. Fitting custom stainless IC hoses (this would have been finished by now if ASH have not been so unprofessional)
4. Engine and injector cleaning
5. Installing engine guard
6. Moving oil cooler away from FMIC

Plus few cosmetic improvements...

That's it for now...there should be more soon :beer:
 

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#17 ·
Congratulations and welcome to the club.
 
#20 ·
Thank you sir. It's great club to be in :)

Looking awesome. The interior looks great in gloss black was that painted?
It was painted. Picture doesn't give it justice, it really looks stunning. I'm not big fan of shiny and glossy stuff, but once it was on, it looked perfect.

Wonderful car,

Would be nice to see it in flesh next time I past trough Serbia :)
Thank you. Please, just PM next time you go trough and we'll arrange something for sure

A new toy arrived yesterday :) It'll be fun fitting it
 

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#21 ·
My new IC hoses are finally finished. I opted for non-polished version, because those welds look great and should not be covered.
No more blown hoses from now on. I'm a bit scared of vibrations being transferred, but silicon parts should be long enough to prevent that. I should be installing them some time next week, and hopefully test everything. Getting there...
 

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#22 ·
Awsome! Thats a crazy amount of work you have got done, good to hear Pete has been helping out on the details too. You must be pleased with the results, car looks great.
It's good to read there's a plug and play route to the 2260 turbo that save alot of work trust me!:)

So what about alittle water/meth?
 
#23 ·
Hey James, I'm really glad to see you back on the forum after such a long time. I do hope you still enjoy your car. I now know how great it feels to drive it :biglaugh:
As you can see, WMI is almost up and running. Just few more wires to connect and that's it.
I opted against drilling intake manifold and went for EGR blanking plate instead. Also, i'll try to run dual tanks.
Unfortunately, i have mistakenly ordered one for petrol engines, so my WM injection will start a bit early, at 11psi. If it floods the system(as Pete suggested it might), i'll just order another controller.
Pete has been there for me from the begging, saving me both time and money :) Also, his OCD inspired index page helped me a lot through out the project. So easy to navigate through his thread :)
 

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#26 ·
Thanks its good to be back after a rest from modding, and great to read how others are modding there engines and proud to be of some inspiration to others.
Yes this group of mods combined will get you to the holly grail 300+hp/500lbft everytime as shown by me Pete and Coxy1 so yes welcome to the club you've done a great job.

Just checked my w/m start/full psi ramp, start=7psi Full=22 on AEM controller with 320mL jet, that start psi means I can cruise at 70mph-ish without the boost bringing on the pump and flooding with low revs, I think thats why Pete is running a higher start value, its all trial and error so see how you get on.
Yes double tanks look good and leaves the center ready for a nos bottle!:thumbup:
 
#24 ·
that seems a strange place to inject the w/m, there is casting inside egr port in the manifold ?
I think most fit further upstream to give w/m and air a chance to mix a bit.
I think your getting a bit close to the point your almost in 1st cylinder runner ?
also supprised you have lost spare wheel well, you could have had a custom tank made to fit well in ally ?
love the car and your attention to detail.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Looks like I didn't explain it properly. I'm just taking pressure reading from EGR blanking plate. Hose you see there is connected to the controller, not the pump. I'm injecting WM much earlier in the system, just after IC hose.
I was thinking about custom made tank, but it would further prolong WMI set up. For now, i'll run it this way, maybe later i'll have tank made.
 
#27 ·
I really do hope that all major work is done, except for the brakes. This time arround I have:
- Moved oil cooler away from FMIC
- Wrapped exhaust, turbo and few more things
- Installed WMI
- Had injectors cleaned and re-calibrated by specialist
- Stainless IC hoses installed
Only major thing left to be done are front brakes.
I'm really looking forward in running WMI and creating some logs with it on and off. I'll see how it goes with this controller, i hope there will be no need to start injecting above 11psi.

Now to contradict myself... Center spot is reserved for battery only, in case i need more room under the hood... There may be new turbo coming if i get bored during the winter :biglaugh:
I hope i'll be smart enough to stop with this modding thing, but... :vs_lol:
 
#29 ·
Problems with injectors

Getting there, but this is painfully slow process :furious:
Looks like that my "professionally" calibrated and cleaned injectors, were not done properly. I now have bigger corrections than when i sent them to be calibrated. When I made a trip to the shop, they shown me Bosch EPS 200 table for testing injectors, and tried to explain to me that only piezo injectors do get new codes, and that it is not possible to produce new codes for solenoid ones.
Now I'm not sure if I'll try to get new codes for existing ones, and see how that goes, or go for refurbishment (in a different shop this time :irked:) or go for the new ones.
If i was to go for new ones, looks like Ducati Corse injectors are the way to go.

I have tried WMI, and it works perfectly. Even tho I've used water only, intake temperature went down. I couldn't test it more, since cops parked at the side of my test track, preventing me to continue with the logs :paranoid:
 
#33 ·
...

I have tried WMI, and it works perfectly. Even tho I've used water only, intake temperature went down. I couldn't test it more, since cops parked at the side of my test track, preventing me to continue with the logs :paranoid:
lol brings back memories of my test hits at an old aerodrome I used to use! I remember thinking I'd blown the engine several times with the nitrous only to be relieved to find I'd just tripped the limp mode at over 100mph!!:rambo:

It's the mountains of Yorkshire that cause WMI to start too early at 7psi....not everybody lives on the flatlands....;)

:thumbs:
lol hi Pete I was hinting at your cruising speed being alot higher than mine!:thumbup:
 
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