Build thread

Postby **RX-7 Chris** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:14

I bet it does take a week but probably not any longer.

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:14

Yeah I kinda figured on about a week since most stuff does take that long but I though since it will be palletized it might take longer. They're going to ship it through Ray Crowe at Malloy Mazda, still not sure how that works haha.

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:14

I just talked to Ray and he said if the engine ships tomorrow, which is most likely will, it should be here by Tuesday because it's 3 day shipping. He said the shipping usually costs over $800 but it's $290 to my door. Awesome. I should have this thing running by next weekend.

Postby **RX-7 Chris** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:14

cool that would be good.

chickenwafer · Postby **chickenwafer** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:14

Let me know if you need a hand man!

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:14

I can't wait haha. I should be good to go Dave, the only thing I'd need help with is actually dropping the engine in, and I have roommates and others that can help so you don't have to waste your time driving down here haha. Thanks for the offer though.

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 9:14

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 9:14

Alright, now that that's over lol, I'll post about last night.

In the C Springs meet thread I mentioned the BS about how I wasn't going to get my engine until Monday. Well we went and picked it up last night.

Within a couple hours or so I had this...

Here are the ports, HUGE MANG!

Then by the end of the night (around 1 or 2am) I had this...

I had other things powdercoated too, like the coolant filler neck and water pump housing, etc. and I got those back a few days ago. I also painted the water pump and throttle body, I'll post pics of the TB once it's all back together.

Today I worked on fabbing a bracket to mount my coils back in the stock location. I was going to use the stock bracket but I want it done in black oxide and Finishes Limited is closed today. I already have them doing the pieces from my throttle body and there is a lot charge of $60 each time you bring them stuff. I wanted to get the coil bracket to them so I wouldn't have to pay $60 just for it but since they were closed I decided to just make my own bracket. I'll take pics of it tomorrow. I also got my bolts to install the Racing Beat flywheel and take off the ACT ProLite flywheel. Hopefully tomorrow I can get ahold of an engine hoist again so I can put this in soon.

I should be getting the throttle body stuff back on Monday, but I still need a couple things before I get the car running again. I need new engine mounts that are thinner so I can keep my strut bar, because now I have an oil pan brace and that adds 3/16" so it will push the engine up into the strut bar. I also need a new ignition/starter harness because 1. my oil level sensor wire broke before and I lost the connector, and now I have a new oil level sensor and 2. I cut off the negative ground wire for the battery since I have my battery relocated to the hatch and I think I cut the wire back too far and removed the ground wire for the whole harness LOL. I already have a line on a new one but the engine mounts I still have to find.

I removed a couple of the pulleys tonight also because I got some aluminum polish and wanted to clean them up, but it didn't work so well. I'll try some other stuff first before putting them back on though.

Now, what I was trying to post when I lost everything was about doing a hard install for the relay box in the front (pics below), putting in the new SPA gauges (well, two of them at least), moving the EBC to the DIN slot under the stereo, along with installing the tuning cable connectors into that same panel. I had to fabricate that panel. I was also posting about getting my fenders back.

Here is the relay box, finally mounted to the crossmember...

I don't have any pics of the gauges installed yet, but I decided against the pod idea I had, mainly because I couldn't figure out a way to mount the wires cleanly on the A pillar. I ended up getting a two gauge pod for the A pillar, similar to this one...
http://www.corsportusa.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=126&products_id=636
...and I got a Tri-Power two gauge pod to match it for the center speaker spot...
http://reganrotaryracing.tripod.com/tripower.htm
I'm still waiting for my dual EGT gauge from SPA, should be here in a couple weeks or so.

Now for the DIN panel. First I cut the gauge holes out of the panel and cut a blank to mount the cables into.

Then I did a test fit...

Then I superglued the back and the front, and sanded down the excess superglue on the front to try to get rid of the cracks and then painted it with rattle can truck bedliner...

And here is the finished product, along with the new LED Commander (RX7store ended up sending me another Commander the very next weekend LOL, so now I have two but I'm selling one and sending them the money)

I got the fenders back and I'm not super happy with them. They are about 50% if what I wanted. As a matter of fact, I'm going to get Simon's stock fenders and modify them myself, but first I'll try to modify these more to my liking. Furthermore, these fenders don't even match EACH OTHER that well lol.

And here is a pic compared to Simon's stock fender...

That's all I can remember right now.

EDIT: Wouldn't you know, I copied this just in case and it went through just fine LOL.

Twisted_grip · Postby **Twisted_grip** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:14

Does anyone make thinner engine mounts? You might have fab one up.

Twisted_grip · Postby **Twisted_grip** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:14

Looks nice so far!

chickenwafer · Postby **chickenwafer** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:14

Relay mounting picture is wrong, Eric, haha!

Wow those fenders do look like ***. Are then Shine fenders? I would just roll and pull your stockers for sure.

That DIN plate for the EBC and computer connectors looks amazing! Did you use any body filler on it? It looks seamless...good job!

Motor is coming alone too! She'll be up and running in no time. Can't wait to see her again!

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:14

Dammit! And I specifically checked to make sure it was the right pic before I hit post. Oh well, fixed it.

No, those are the stock fenders that I had modified by...well, someone who apparently doesn't know what I want even when I show them the rear fenders and say "make them look just like that, except a little smaller".

No filler used, just super glue and then sanded it down. It is definitely not seamless though. You can tell in the pic when it's on the table that it's still not quite right.

Yeah I've been jammin on the engine. This coil mounting bracket is kicking my *** though haha.

Postby **RX-7 Chris** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:14

Lookin' good.

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:14

Twisted_grip wrote:Does anyone make thinner engine mounts? You might have fab one up.

I just now noticed I missed your posts the other day haha. Thanks! I haven't found any engine mounts that are slimmer so I'm getting some and I'm going to have to find a shop to machine them down on a lathe or something. Simon still has a set of my old mounts that I got about 6 years ago and never installed, then traded them to him a couple years ago for some other pieces and then I might get them back now haha. I already bought a set of mounts from someone else though, along with a new ignition/starter harness.

RX-7 Chris wrote:Lookin' good.

Thanks!

As an update...

I modified the stock coil bracket to remount the coils in the stock location and I sent those pieces and a few others to get done in black oxide as well. I'm hoping they'll be done soon since they were supposed to be done this past Monday already.

And I just ordered a set of stock NGK spark plug wires through NAPA. I had to call two different stores because the guy at the first place wouldn't not stop saying how well the NAPA brand wires are and help me with WHAT I WANTED instead of what HE wanted me to have. That really gets on my nerves.

I still have to finish rerouting the power wire from the battery to the starter as well. It's already run and all, I just have to wrap it really well where it goes through the tranny tunnel so it doesn't wear away the shielding and ground out on the body. If I can find a bulkhead connector that I can use for power wire I might do that instead.

I also polished the pulleys with aluminum polish and they came out REALLY nice. Other than the nicks and scrapes they look brand new.

I also swapped out the ACT Prolite flywheel with the Racing Beat aluminum flywheel. Supposedly the ACT flywheel is 9.6lbs but somehow it's heavier than the RB 12lb flywheel LOL. I had the RB on there before but when I was home on leave in October and replaced the clutch I put on the ACT because I had noticed before that the friction plate on the RB was pretty worn already. I got a new friction plate and replaced it so it's good to go again.

Oh and I keep forgetting I used this opportunity to swap out my stock OMP to the newer stock Mikuni OMP that I got for when I installed the OMP adapter to run 2 cycle. I couldn't use the Mikuni then because my oil lines wouldn't reach the way I needed to connect them and the original OMP still fit, so I just left it.

I get the feeling there is more but I can't remember it right now.

chickenwafer · Postby **chickenwafer** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:14

How much were the OEM plugs from NAPA? Did you gets 9's all around?

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