Tomo Build thread, I can see the future and it is smokey

[Tomo]

Always good to know who the locals are.  Pm me for contact info if you wanna hang out and turn wrenches.

One day I'll be able to make it to some* kind of meet.

[Tomo]

So I got some work done this weekend.

Managed to get the exciter wire located and crimped. Found the prior missing VSS wire.

The intake tube is a cut-down from CX racing, was originally like 20 inches long. Got the heater lines installed, and have a line made from the PS cooler to the rack (which took unnecessarily long.)

Here are the pictures.





And here's what I'm dealing with for the radiator.  It sits on the rails, tends to want to "tip back" (though I think that's the weight of the fans and tubes) I want it to tip forward some. But there's nothing to actually run through the bushings to. I've thought i could drill into the rails and put in some threads, put angling them "forward" would be hard. Thoughts??





I couldn't find the rivet gun on saturday so I lost my help making sure I don't lose the heat shielding in the trans tunnel. But I'll get to that next weekend.

Only other thing, and if anyone has and advice/suggestions/links. I'd be greatly pleased. I need a Turbo 2 yoke-flange for the driveshaft.
I've figured it must be a 1310 Ujoint in there now. But i can't seem to find anything using the slightly larger bolt pattern of the T2.

In theory, with "that" completed I could attach the hoses, just plop the radiator in, bleed the brakes and drive.

[Tomo]

After some measuring, and thinking and reading. I figured that the U-joint i have is the conversion piece from 1310 to the 72 whatever.

So I put in an order for the Mazdatrix piece. Fingers crossed that its the right one, guess I'll try to swap it over this weekend.

Also have the remote bleeder coming in for the slave cyl, because the factory one is stupid.

[largeorangefont]

Make a bracket that hangs from the frame rail, or something else nearby to locate the radiator from the bottom at the angle you want. That is what I had to do for my radiator. I have a C shaped bracket lined with rubber that hugs one of the end tanks at the bottom of the radiator.

[Tomo]

If you see in the pictures I have a lower mounted cross bar, which is tied directly into the frame using the tie down loops. The radiator tends to rest against that at the lower sections.

Likely what I will do is try to make some kind of bracket to hold the bottom that attaches to the bar. Though the side tabs sit on the frame rails, not quite centered on them but close. Over all I wish the side tabs weren't there. Sorely tempted to just put in the 300+ dollars to get a Howe Racing unit the right size and work from there, but likely I should wait until things are better setup before going further.

[Tomo]

Well SHIT.

The other night I was working under the car and went to remove the brass fitting that runs out so you can bleed the clutch, as I got one of those there speedway kits. The fitting broke, it sheered. I know it still has the "second part" after the weird break in its hex form still in there. So I was thinking I'd send a socket in with extensions and get seated and take that off.

I hadn't really though how exactly I'd get the new fitting in there but, one step at a time.

The socket with extensions slipped and fell into the bell housing. Initially I tried to just take the trans off behind the bellhousing, but the bolts are too hard to get to the top ones even with the trans basically lowered to the floor engine tilted back. So....shit. I could try for the bell housing to engine bolts themselves but they don't look better.

So. now I think tonight will be...drop the cradle and remove trans. Put new remote bleeder on, potentially bleed trans out of car (lines are long enough), fight the damn thing to get the input shaft back in place, and lift the engine cradle back in. SHHHIIITTTT. Complete progress killer.

That aside. I managed to get the new Yoke Flange installed.... yay.

With the trans out though I can do the riveting I needed to to get some of the heat shielding to stay in place.

[digitalsolo]

I dropped a socket into the bell once.   LOTS of profanity.  I feel your pain. 

[scuter83]

magnet on a stick?

[Tomo]

Dropped the subframe, pulled the transmission. Kind of painful to have to strip it all down... I know this trans will kill me trying to get it remounted.

The slave it turns out used press fitting for the bleeder. This is why when I tried to remove it to install the remote bleeder, it sheared.

It seems to be some rare (I can't find anywhere that references it) AP Racing slave and master (master went because the wilwood unit etc.) Not sure if I can really salvage using it. the shear point is really deep in the press fit socket.

So, new slave time. Are parts store (autozone, advanced, etc) slaves any good? 

[digitalsolo]

I have actually had really good luck with AutoZone slaves.

[Tomo]

Ended up going with a GM factory from Tick.

It is installed, bleeder is on, and transmission is in!

I figured while I had the cradle dropped I would take care of the surface rust starting to appear between the frame and the sub-frame. So I sanded both down and blasted them with paint.

While I was under there, I couldn't help but wonder if any of you guys thought about putting in subframe spacers to get extra hood clearance. It's not particularly useful in my application, since I intend to do track related things. But you could easily get some space that way.

Getting the transmission lined back up was a challenge. The engine and trans are basically on the ground so I couldn't get a jack under it. Ended up using wood planks, slats, blocks to stack at various points to get it to the right height/angle then used longer bolts to draw it up. Not something I want to repeat any time soon.

[Heffe]

Hey, build buddy, more pics/updates, keep them coming!

[Tomo]

Haha thanks for the encouragement!


A few updates in words. a few pictures. And a promise for more pictures because I should.

For starters, I got the engine lifted back up into place and everything cozy where it belongs. I also got a very exciting box shipment in from California



PBM Angle Kit. It is currently fully installed, no pictures of the install process, but it wasn't so bad. While I was fussing with the hubs I put in extended studs. I used the JEGS ones that people here have posted as fitting.

Also since I knew it would be a new sort of "catch" point, or really just in the way, I decided to move the brake lines. They are now on the "back side" of the shock tower and closer to the tower itself. I just opened up one of the holes already in the fender well. I used AFCO Kevlar brakes instead of stainless braid. A-because they won't rub through things and I don't have to worry about them getting dirt into the braid, and B because I like them being a bit more discrete than flashing silver lines everywhere. Because I was shortening the lines I went ahead and did the line across the engine bay as well. I'll grab some pictures, looks great IMO, had some slight difficulty with the banjo bolts I was using. I installed a brake pressure switch since my factory wiring is missing, should be easy to power this one.

After tracing down some leaks I managed to get the brakes bled (got new speed bleeders too, was fun putting the rears in without taking the wheels off). So, clutch is done, Brakes are done, Power steering is filled and cooler located.

On to the last "hold up" of the whole thing. The radiator. I decided I really liked Akina's build. So I called up Howe Racing and I eventually sent them the dimensions I'm looking for and the fan model. They need to get back to me on an estimate but I know I will be happy going this route. Going for a double pass with both inlet/outlet on the right side. Fans will fit. no filler. Anyway here's the mock up!





I realize that in the fan picture there's no accounting for the endtank. Assuming the end tanks are a minimum of 1.5 inches there will be a very VERY small amount of overlap on the driver-side fan where it is on the end-tank. I'm happy with it.

Might have to get a bit creative with hoses, and one day I'll need to get a sick mandrel bent pipe like Akina's down the center. Then I'll start dreaming up how I want to do the extraction hood!

[Tomo]

Here are some crappy pictures of the control arms and knuckles installed.


This one shows the new relocated brake line.


And the new Sunroof Plug!! Which is a pretty darn good fit. I need panel bond now..and a stupid dual plunger gun.

[Tomo]

Will update later, but suffice to say. I got a nice thing in that I'm working on fitting 

And also that I have video of the damn thing actually running!!