Build thread

[speedjunkie]

I picked up the engine from Geoff yesterday and tore it down last night. It was the easiest engine I've ever taken apart. Everything was loose. The exhaust bolts, the front hub bolt and flywheel nut, the flywheel came right off, even the 18 engine bolts were somewhat loose.

In short, two apex seals broke on the rear rotor, only the corners of them though. But it was enough to gouge the housing in two places and the rotor on two faces. I forgot to take pics of the rotor but here are the seals and the housing.




I haven't done much with the car the last couple days but I'm thinking about cutting the sideskirts tonight still. I need to adjust the bumper a bit again since I added fiberglass to the mounting tabs. And I might have to cut the oil cooler ducts a little because I REALLY have to mash the bumper back in order to bolt it in.

[speedjunkie]

I've kinda stopped working on the car because I'll be heading to Africa in a couple weeks and I have a lot of things to do to prepare for that. I guess I'll continue work when I get back around Late August early September and hopefully finish it up in time for SevenStock.

I did take the passenger fender off and drop it off with Tom. He's going to weld the cracks in the lip and the crack on the mounting tab and said he'd have it done within a couple days. I'd really like to get more done but I have too many other things to do for the trip and I'm still working on door stuff.

[speedjunkie]

I got the Fumoto drain valve last week but it wouldn't screw in because it would hit the tranny housing, so I ordered the adapter to extend it out and I got that a couple days ago. I screwed it in but the threads aren't exactly the same because it's NPT on the tranny. That's part of why it wouldn't work. Last night I took it out and realized the adapter itself was hitting the tranny housing too, so I used a grinder and removed material so it would work. I threaded it in again and it still wouldn't work, so I wasted all that time on money and ended up just using the plug again anyway. I added a quart of gear oil to the tranny last night to see if it would leak and checked it tonight. It looks good so I added another quart just to be sure there is enough in it to cause it to leak if it's going to. I'll check it again tomorrow night and if there are no leaks I'll go ahead and fill it the rest of the way.

I picked up my fender from Tom the other night and installed it last night. It still needs to be painted but I want to drive the car one more time before I leave. Mike Kitchen is coming back to town from New Mexico this weekend for Andy to do some tuning and I'd like to drive with him since his car was never road worthy while he was here lol. I can't drive at night though because I'm not putting my headlights back in for it haha. I'll put on my old bumper and probably leave the sideskirts off. It's not optimal, but it'll do. I also want to check out the seats I modified and get the foam recovered if they're comfy enough.

[RX-7 Chris]

DO you want to have a meet before you leave?

[speedjunkie]

I would like that, sure. I'd kinda like to have an impromptu one this weekend while Mike is here at least. And I met another FD guy with a V8 swap on Carson yesterday. I'll invite him too.

I'm gonna try to get mine back on the road for a quick drive at least once this weekend hopefully.

[RX-7 Chris]

Send me a text when you get something planned.

[speedjunkie]

I'll let you know. If it actually happens lol. Mike is at the house now. He'll be here till Monday I think.

[speedjunkie]

Well I wasn't medically cleared to go to Africa right now, so I'm back home taking medication trying to get rid of a condition that shouldn't have stopped me from going in the first place. I should be home for at least a month, possibly two.

I test fit the OMP seat and rail in the car today. It fit FANTASTIC. There's only one problem, I can't get to the rear bolts to bolt the whole assembly to the floor. It's always something.

I put the stock seat back in and drove the car for a while tonight. It sounded strange so I did some looking in the engine bay when I got it home. The air pump delete pulley has a bad bearing. Some of the ball bearings have fallen out. This is the second one I've fried. IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING.

[RX-7 Chris]

Maybe that's a sign that the job isn't meant for you.

[speedjunkie]

No it's a sign we shouldn't be going through a process and with people that have nothing to do with us. Lol

[speedjunkie]

Friday I went to Whisler Bearing and got a couple replacement bearings for the idler pulley and swapped them out. It sounds so great now that it's silent again lol.

[Shadowden]

What kind of bearings did you get? Wonder if ceramic would be a good application.

[speedjunkie]

Whatever they had haha. They were a slightly different part number but still had the same dimensions. I just got the bearings from Pineapple this afternoon too. I'm going to keep these on hand just in case.

[speedjunkie]

I got the racing seat in the car today. It was a real PITA. I can't say it's completely installed, I wasn't able to get the left side rear bolt in because that side is pressing against the plastics, and the door closes into the seat. There is a little more space on the tranny tunnel side, but not much. I also don't have the bracket to mount the seatbelt latch so I don't have a seatbelt right now lol. I plan to get a 6 point harness anyway. Honestly though, at this point I'm really planning on making a seat from scratch, out of thick aluminum. I will try to use the stock seat rails if I can, but I'm not entirely sure my butt really can fit between the rails all the way to the floor lol. I guess it can because it fits in the stock seat all the way to the bottom, it's just the foam on the sides that starts hurting my hips after a while. I sit lower in the stock seat, I can't get the racing seat any lower. I also am forced to remove the steering wheel to get in and out of the car with the racing seat. lol





I also have a surprise coming in tomorrow.

[$crillaTor]

Did you ever get your headlights figured out?

I think I am going to get these: http://www.sakebombgarage.com/rx7fd3s/l ... rline-hid/

They are doing a group buy right now. $200 off the price listed there. I have a coupon code from them for it. I'm trying to see if I can get the price lower if we can get a few more in on the buy. So friggin expensive but very awesome.

Any other FD guys sick of their crappy headlights?