Widebody Turbo Swap - My Dream FB Build is Finally Happening!
#276
Hey John, welcome to the build thread!
Stock S4 turbo wastegate on a friend's turbo:
Ported to as large as possible with the stock flapper on the friend's turbo:
$65 worth of paint today...ugh.
Stock undercoating on the car, as clean as I could get it.
New undercoating done!
Stock fuel system on the car, old undercoating.
Some new undercoating down there - so much nicer!
Stock S4 turbo wastegate on a friend's turbo:
Ported to as large as possible with the stock flapper on the friend's turbo:
$65 worth of paint today...ugh.
Stock undercoating on the car, as clean as I could get it.
New undercoating done!
Stock fuel system on the car, old undercoating.
Some new undercoating down there - so much nicer!
Last edited by DreamInRotary; 05-13-15 at 07:13 PM.
#279
Believe it or not that's only two full cans of the undercoating to get to that point. I'll use the last can I have to do the spots where you can still see red and touch it all up under there. Needless to say I'm pretty stoked about it - she'll look like a new car with fresh undercoating and a fresh coat of paint for sure
#281
Examining and evaluating how to get the rear axle out somewhat safely
4x4 status, trying to get the rear axle out
Dad and grandpa helping strap down the car on the way to the scrapper
The shell weighed in at 1,200lb after weighing the truck and trailer at 9,540lbs with it on, 8,340lbs unloaded with just the bare half ton Chevy truck and car hauler.
So the front SE struts, front brake calipers, front wheels, rear wheels, rear brake calipers, and the rear axle assembly (complete) were all removed from the car before it was scrapped.
Current plans are as follows:
Undercoat the rear of the car so the axle can be installed
Rebuild the entire rear axle and its components
Repaint the rear axle
Install the polyurethane bushings in the suspension arms
Install the complete axle
Refinish/reseal inside of gas tank with $80 POR-15 kit
Install gas tank with new soft fuel lines
Be happy since the whole underside of the rear end of the car is essentially done for the mean time
4x4 status, trying to get the rear axle out
Dad and grandpa helping strap down the car on the way to the scrapper
The shell weighed in at 1,200lb after weighing the truck and trailer at 9,540lbs with it on, 8,340lbs unloaded with just the bare half ton Chevy truck and car hauler.
So the front SE struts, front brake calipers, front wheels, rear wheels, rear brake calipers, and the rear axle assembly (complete) were all removed from the car before it was scrapped.
Current plans are as follows:
Undercoat the rear of the car so the axle can be installed
Rebuild the entire rear axle and its components
Repaint the rear axle
Install the polyurethane bushings in the suspension arms
Install the complete axle
Refinish/reseal inside of gas tank with $80 POR-15 kit
Install gas tank with new soft fuel lines
Be happy since the whole underside of the rear end of the car is essentially done for the mean time
#283
DANGIT! Ugh, I'm sorry man - totally my bad. I was trying to cut out the whole suspension on the trailer and completely forgot to. That's my bad, I apologize about that.
Oil Pressure Regulator before hammer treatment - went from ~8.1mm to ~6.1mm diameter hole which should raise the oil pressure
Oil Pressure Regulator after hammer treatment - went from ~8.1mm to ~6.1mm diameter hole which should raise the oil pressure
Corrosion on the center iron, it's porous like a sponge from where coolant must have sat and ate through the nitride coating and rusted the metal away. Time for a new center iron I guess!
Corrosion on the center iron, it's porous like a sponge from where coolant must have sat and ate through the nitride coating and rusted the metal away. Time for a new center iron I guess!
Engine cleaned with a toothbrush-sized wire brush to double check all the components
Stock suspension bolt collection for the FB
Stock suspension bolt collection for the FB with new lock nuts and flat washers in place of the standard hex nuts and lock washers. This should help eliminate binding in the suspension components since there won't be as much pressure pinching the mounts together on the bushings.
FB rear axle control arms and Watts linkage all painted and cleaned up
FB rear axle control arms and Watts linkage getting ready for new bushings
FB rear axle control arms and Watts linkage with new Energy Suspension graphite-impregnated polyurethane bushings
Oil Pressure Regulator before hammer treatment - went from ~8.1mm to ~6.1mm diameter hole which should raise the oil pressure
Oil Pressure Regulator after hammer treatment - went from ~8.1mm to ~6.1mm diameter hole which should raise the oil pressure
Corrosion on the center iron, it's porous like a sponge from where coolant must have sat and ate through the nitride coating and rusted the metal away. Time for a new center iron I guess!
Corrosion on the center iron, it's porous like a sponge from where coolant must have sat and ate through the nitride coating and rusted the metal away. Time for a new center iron I guess!
Engine cleaned with a toothbrush-sized wire brush to double check all the components
Stock suspension bolt collection for the FB
Stock suspension bolt collection for the FB with new lock nuts and flat washers in place of the standard hex nuts and lock washers. This should help eliminate binding in the suspension components since there won't be as much pressure pinching the mounts together on the bushings.
FB rear axle control arms and Watts linkage all painted and cleaned up
FB rear axle control arms and Watts linkage getting ready for new bushings
FB rear axle control arms and Watts linkage with new Energy Suspension graphite-impregnated polyurethane bushings
#284
GSL-SE full suspension setup removed from the parts car. I used to dream of owning a full set of these, I'm so glad that I finally do!
Epsilon 3-piece 16" staggered Center Lock wheels 16in three piece
Epsilon 3-piece 16" staggered Center Lock wheels 16in three piece
Epsilon 3-piece 16" staggered Center Lock wheels 16in three piece
Epsilon 3-piece 16" staggered Center Lock wheels 16in three piece
#285
A quarter seemed to be a perfect representation of the size of the waste gate that I wanted to port in this turbo (well, the washer size at least).
Actual size of the port job when it was completed:
Hardened 1/2" washer fit the bill perfectly.
Fitment of the washer under the flapper, I made sure to remove the coating from the washer to make it easier to weld on.
After welding the washer to the flapper, and the flapper pin was welded to the body so it wouldn't rotate and expose part of the waste gate hole.
I welded the inside of the washer to the flapper as well in order to eliminate any potential small exhaust leaks through the bottom of the flapper to washer since I couldn't weld the exterior down there.
A trick I did to remove the rear cover bolt (since they all seem to break) where I just welded on a nut and used it like a bolt head. It's still orange/purple appearing in this picture because it's still extremely hot from the welding.
She came out just fine!
Note that this was all done for a local buddy on an S4 turbo. He wanted to have someone experienced do it for him in a timely manner so I said I'd help him out. It turned out really well and should be right at home in his car! It gave me some really good practice at it for whatever route I go with my turbo in my car.
Actual size of the port job when it was completed:
Hardened 1/2" washer fit the bill perfectly.
Fitment of the washer under the flapper, I made sure to remove the coating from the washer to make it easier to weld on.
After welding the washer to the flapper, and the flapper pin was welded to the body so it wouldn't rotate and expose part of the waste gate hole.
I welded the inside of the washer to the flapper as well in order to eliminate any potential small exhaust leaks through the bottom of the flapper to washer since I couldn't weld the exterior down there.
A trick I did to remove the rear cover bolt (since they all seem to break) where I just welded on a nut and used it like a bolt head. It's still orange/purple appearing in this picture because it's still extremely hot from the welding.
She came out just fine!
Note that this was all done for a local buddy on an S4 turbo. He wanted to have someone experienced do it for him in a timely manner so I said I'd help him out. It turned out really well and should be right at home in his car! It gave me some really good practice at it for whatever route I go with my turbo in my car.
#287
Slowly but surely
iTrader: (9)
np austin. was just something i would tried to use for a project i had in mind...i'm sure i can find some later on.
interesting mod welding a washer to the flapper on the wastegate to increase the size. i've never seen that done before and researched quite a bit on the FD forum. i've ported the wastegate as much as i felt comfortable but i'm sure it could have been bigger. thanks for the idea...will have to keep that in mind if i have boost creep issues.
interesting mod welding a washer to the flapper on the wastegate to increase the size. i've never seen that done before and researched quite a bit on the FD forum. i've ported the wastegate as much as i felt comfortable but i'm sure it could have been bigger. thanks for the idea...will have to keep that in mind if i have boost creep issues.
#289
Good question, I don't know If I find an aftermarket manifold and turbo that I like I'll go that route, it's hard to find an S5 turbo and manifold in good condition for cheap. Then the cost of getting another turbo to make it a hybrid is another added cost. When I finished it I could almost have bought a different aftermarket setup for a similar cost. Nick actually set me onto a killer deal for a GT45, Greddy manifold and an external wastegate on eBay right now:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mazda-RX7-GT45-turbo-setup-/281698984495?vxp=mtrIf I can find something like that when I'm shopping for turbos I'll for sure snag it up.
I saw someone else do it to an FC one, and this is the third time I've done it to date. My last build has this done to the turbo and has held up well so far.
Gas Monkey (I assume what you meant) does that? I love that show - must not have seen that episode though. Yeah, the other broken one is pretty screwed (haha get it, screwed ). This is Bailey's turbo actually, in case you didn't know that.
It's a "Hardened" washer from the hardware store, must be steel of some sort. I had the welder cranked up to get good penetration and as soon as I saw that edge melt I let off the trigger. It was done with a flux-cored MIG setup (no gas, shielded wire) and turned out better than I expected.
The metal in the bushings all welded to the bolts through them, so I had to cut each bolt at least twice to get it removed from the axle carrier - annoying!
After getting the first axle out, had to cut the brake line there since it was so rusted into the soft line union.
SE axles are finally free from their carrier!
Going to have to cut these buggers off, should be entertaining to say the least
C1M090 is stamped on the pinion and ring gears of the LSD rear differnetial
C1M090 is stamped on the ring gear of the LSD rear differnetial
C1M090 is stamped on the pinion gear of the LSD rear differnetial
Axle seal and wheel bearings are the right size, always a good day when you don't have to order more parts
Made my own OMP block off plate with some flat steel and shears - came out pretty well! Sealed it up with some Black RTV and she'll be good!
It sucks that I have to reflare my hard brake lines, but it's not that huge of a deal. I have yet to check to see if the differential is a true SE diff or not yet. I need to count the ring gear teeth and divide it by the pinion gear teeth to find out. Hopefully it's a GSL big bearing diff (the best one) but an SE one would be nice too. Someone has been in there before because it's been resealed so I'm not sure what the diff is at this moment - I'll find out tomorrow! I'm thinking I'll just check the backlash and throw it back in if it's good. If not then I'll consider doing a full rebuild of the differential while I'm back there already.
Tomorrow I can hopefully get my tires dismounted from the wheels so I can start the rebuilding process - yay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mazda-RX7-GT45-turbo-setup-/281698984495?vxp=mtrIf I can find something like that when I'm shopping for turbos I'll for sure snag it up.
np austin. was just something i would tried to use for a project i had in mind...i'm sure i can find some later on.
interesting mod welding a washer to the flapper on the wastegate to increase the size. i've never seen that done before and researched quite a bit on the FD forum. i've ported the wastegate as much as i felt comfortable but i'm sure it could have been bigger. thanks for the idea...will have to keep that in mind if i have boost creep issues.
interesting mod welding a washer to the flapper on the wastegate to increase the size. i've never seen that done before and researched quite a bit on the FD forum. i've ported the wastegate as much as i felt comfortable but i'm sure it could have been bigger. thanks for the idea...will have to keep that in mind if i have boost creep issues.
It's a "Hardened" washer from the hardware store, must be steel of some sort. I had the welder cranked up to get good penetration and as soon as I saw that edge melt I let off the trigger. It was done with a flux-cored MIG setup (no gas, shielded wire) and turned out better than I expected.
The metal in the bushings all welded to the bolts through them, so I had to cut each bolt at least twice to get it removed from the axle carrier - annoying!
After getting the first axle out, had to cut the brake line there since it was so rusted into the soft line union.
SE axles are finally free from their carrier!
Going to have to cut these buggers off, should be entertaining to say the least
C1M090 is stamped on the pinion and ring gears of the LSD rear differnetial
C1M090 is stamped on the ring gear of the LSD rear differnetial
C1M090 is stamped on the pinion gear of the LSD rear differnetial
Axle seal and wheel bearings are the right size, always a good day when you don't have to order more parts
Made my own OMP block off plate with some flat steel and shears - came out pretty well! Sealed it up with some Black RTV and she'll be good!
It sucks that I have to reflare my hard brake lines, but it's not that huge of a deal. I have yet to check to see if the differential is a true SE diff or not yet. I need to count the ring gear teeth and divide it by the pinion gear teeth to find out. Hopefully it's a GSL big bearing diff (the best one) but an SE one would be nice too. Someone has been in there before because it's been resealed so I'm not sure what the diff is at this moment - I'll find out tomorrow! I'm thinking I'll just check the backlash and throw it back in if it's good. If not then I'll consider doing a full rebuild of the differential while I'm back there already.
Tomorrow I can hopefully get my tires dismounted from the wheels so I can start the rebuilding process - yay!
#290
Some more shots that got missed, stupid phone didn't upload them to my Dropbox on the computer till today.
Carnage of tearing apart a rusty old axle
Carnage of tearing apart a rusty old axle
Having to cut off the bolts to get them out, this part really sucked
Having to cut off the bolts to get them out, this part really sucked
Brake lines were both cut since they were completely rusted into the soft lines. Looks like I'll learn how to flare brake lines now!
Carnage of tearing apart a rusty old axle
Carnage of tearing apart a rusty old axle
Having to cut off the bolts to get them out, this part really sucked
Having to cut off the bolts to get them out, this part really sucked
Brake lines were both cut since they were completely rusted into the soft lines. Looks like I'll learn how to flare brake lines now!
#293
Village Idiot
iTrader: (8)
Looks good! Are you refurbing the rear end housing like I did or do you have another not-so-rusty one that you're using?
I have a picture of my oldest son in his Gas Monkey sweatshirt posing with a flaming hot model at the car show this past winter. I took it with my phone and sent it to Gas Monkey via messenger and got a reply from Richard! Pretty sweet moment.
I have a picture of my oldest son in his Gas Monkey sweatshirt posing with a flaming hot model at the car show this past winter. I took it with my phone and sent it to Gas Monkey via messenger and got a reply from Richard! Pretty sweet moment.
#294
Moderator
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It sucks that I have to reflare my hard brake lines, but it's not that huge of a deal. I have yet to check to see if the differential is a true SE diff or not yet. I need to count the ring gear teeth and divide it by the pinion gear teeth to find out. Hopefully it's a GSL big bearing diff (the best one) but an SE one would be nice too. Someone has been in there before because it's been resealed so I'm not sure what the diff is at this moment - I'll find out tomorrow! I'm thinking I'll just check the backlash and throw it back in if it's good. If not then I'll consider doing a full rebuild of the differential while I'm back there already.
Tomorrow I can hopefully get my tires dismounted from the wheels so I can start the rebuilding process - yay!
Tomorrow I can hopefully get my tires dismounted from the wheels so I can start the rebuilding process - yay!
#296
I'm considering doing this modification to my differential next winter, and making it into a GSL style LSD rear end with another disc.
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-arch...g-soon-717591/
I picked my secondary color for the motor! It'll be that color gold for the front cover and rotor housings, with black irons. Kind of a pun on how much the rotor housings cost - their weight in gold almost.
#297
Village Idiot
iTrader: (8)
That's an awesome story! Feel free to post the pic up here - I'd love to see it! I just saw an interview with Richard lately and found out that he was a Fireman, EMT and Police Officer by the age of 21. Then he decided that he didn't want to work in that field so he left it and invested in an advertising business. After that he sold the business to fund his garage enterprise now. Pretty cool guy and an awesome success story in my opinion.
#300
I got the bearings and collars off easily enough, without scarring the axles at all.
I took this as a good sign! This is the bearing spacer that has a few grinding spots in it from previous owners - so the bearings were done a few times.
Right side bin rust
Left side bin rust - that's a hole all the way through it!
Cutting away the right side, I'll be welding in new sheet metal there.
Painting the axle carrier - that brown spot is a cardboard cover for the axle hole.
So, I got a whole lot of work done on the car today. I'm going to keep painting the axle and getting that completely done here soon. I want to be able to throw the rear end in with everything attached in a few weeks. So the next few things to do will be:
Cut out bin rust
Weld in new metal for repairs
POR-15 metal repairs
Finish up rear axle
Install rear axle
Test fit rear wheels
Start on front end work
I'm thinking of staying with the FB front end just for test driving and getting everything all set up. All I'd need would be brake rotors, calipers, bearings and struts to run the SE front end. Going to an FC would be a lot more money and more fabrication work = more down time.