jasons LSx/2004r FC Build Thread

[digitalsolo]

More progress...

Bolted the torque converter to the flexplate
Installed the starter
Redid the battery cable for the relocated battery and ran it through the firewall to the battery (well clear of headers)
Ran battery cable from starter to alternator (need to finish alternator side, at which point I'll have power in the chassis again)
Hooked up starter lead for ignition switch
Hooked up CKP sensor
Built new spark plug wires for passenger side
Found better couplers for the induction system
Got PCM back from VATS removal and installed it in the stock location.

I have Friday off, so I'm going to hit it hard through the three day weekend and see if I can get it ready to fire.

[digitalsolo]

We are heating coolant...

[jasons]

  That old motor fired before you got the key all the way forward!! 

I've watched it 8 or 9 times and it doesn't get old.

Man oh man.

[digitalsolo]

Running through the list (mostly for my own benefit:

Radiator hoses - Done
Install cooling fan - Done
Build throttle cable bracket - Done
Fill fluids - Done
Get driveshaft built/installed - Done
Install bushings on endlinks - Done
Finish tranny cooler hoses - Done
Fabricate air induction system - Done
Wire cooling fan
Wire oil pressure sender
Install/wire water temp sender
Install shifter
Build exhaust system
Install pinion snubber
Install camber bar
Install brakes
Install endlinks
Modify gauge cluster for electric speedo
Wire voltage/tranny temp gauges
Bleed brakes
Wire transmission kickdown/lockup
Bleed cooling system
Swap throttle body cam
Check tranny fluid pressure
Bolt check
Test drive
Misc. crap I'm forgetting.

[zbrown]

Very nice! Could do it in your sleep by now

[digitalsolo]

Just about, haha.

Did a bunch of little stuff yesterday, it's amazing how much time the little stuff takes. 

Finished the sway bar endlinks and installed them.   Put all the brakes (new front calipers, new pads out back, all new lines) in and bled them, also cleaned some rust off one of the rotors.    Filled/bled the cooling system, replaced the very nasty looking spark plugs, adjusted the coilovers, cleaned up some wiring, installed and wired the coolant temperature sender and the oil pressure sender, installed the driveshaft and topped off the transmission.

Next up is getting the shifter installed, swapping diff mounts, adding the snubber and then building an exhaust system.   I need to get my FC mobile first, since I need the other bay of the garage to build the exhaust. 

[digitalsolo]

Made some more progress today.   Put in the HVAC system, tweaked a little bit of wiring and got that all tested/validated.   Doesn't sound like much but that's ~1.5-2 hours of work.

[digitalsolo]

Okay, today was "build the exhaust day" and that I did.   I think it came out very well, EXCELLENT ground clearance the whole way, courtesy of the Ronin tranny mount.   It is built in 3 pieces, with a front half that ends forward of the rear subframe, then two separate pieces that connect there and run out the back.    All v-bands with an x-pipe.    Here's some pictures:











Sounds really good.   Also, now that I have a MAF, induction system, fresh spark plugs and O2 sensors, the car seems to start/run much more smoothly.   

[N2v8fcs]

What mufflers & tips are those? 

[digitalsolo]

They are Magnaflow mufflers and tips.

I've been making lots of progress on small stuff.    Yesterday I finished the shifter work, dropped the diff and subframe and replaced the camber bar, front diff mount and added a snubber, then reinstalled.    Today I finished the wiring for the oil and water senders under the hood, and installed the breather setup/finished the PCV system.   I will probably go out and wire the cooling fan and finish the wiper motor wiring later tonight, once it cools down outside.   That will finish the engine bay, other than swapping throttle body cams and hooking up the throttle valve cable.

Once the speedo gear gets here, I will put in the VSS setup, finish wiring that, reinstall the driveshaft and exhaust and set the car down.   Then I need to finish the fuel pump wiring and test it, finish the gauge work, do a bolt check and it should be ready to start test driving.   

[jasons]

You are getting mighty close to finishing up this build.
Nice work Blake. 
Can we see that breather set up? Sorry, I'm dying to see some pics. 
-Jason

[digitalsolo]

LOL, sure, hold on.

I just wired up the radiator fan also.   Only things left in the bay now is reconnecting the wiper motor wiring and swapping the T/B cam + hooking up the TV cable.    It's looking good I think. 

[digitalsolo]

Okay, sorry for the delay, dropbox wasn't working right, then I fell asleep.   

Here's the 99% completed bay.   Just needs the throttle body cam swapped and the TV cable hooked up.    I also need to figure out why the driver's side headlight motor is smoking crack. 

[WannaBeFast]

Blake - you need to start a bussiness making awesome daily drivers because you are an RX7 factory my friend. 

[digitalsolo]

Ha, these jobs don't pay quite as well as my real one, they just keep me busy and provide a little side cash.    I couldn't be a full time mechanic/fabricator, I'm not nearly good enough at it.

I think the 1 in the spring, 1 in the fall build schedule is about all I can handle.    I am considering doing custom harness work on the side for people though, since Greg seems to be a bit overloaded on stuff currently.