Gracias Brother!!

 

started installing my Wilwood pedals and the M/C for the brakes and clutch. Intalled a 2 piece drive shaft and slowly getting finished to get it on track.

 

ioTus,
Nice bit of work you did. I'm preparing a less ambitious EFI setup. Just a stock S4 EFI setup on a GSL-SE block. Got most of the bits, but I'll need high impedance injectors because the wiring harness I have is from an '88. I'm sure there are some little bits I'm missing, which I'll find in short order.

Taking a break from the car while I sort out the mess left over from the rear axle removal last Friday. I need to take stock of what I need to put the new axle in (which control arms and links to buy or fab, etc). Mounted a sweet 8' power strip above my work table. Putting another one on a wall in another part of the garage. No more hunting under the table for power!

fm

 

Hey I have an '88 harness as well. A somewhat ambitious EFI swap if I choose the MegaSquirt and not the stock low impedance harness and S4 ECU, which I'm saving for the REPU. I kinda don't want to though as I prefer carbs, but the 6 port is already in there and the old Nikki setup on a cobbled manifold was kinda gutless... I do have a weber 45 DCOE and an RB upper manifold. Nah I've already sort of comitted myself to the REPU S4 EFI swap, so that just leaves me with the MS for the FB.

If one or the other don't work out, I can swap in the weber and call it good? Sorry, that's an open ended j9fd3s type question.

 

Installed a Subaru 80watt subwoofer/amplifier on the SA... I can't sugest it. It doesn't fit under the seat like I wanted and the sound it produces is VERY small.

 

Figured out that a very common aftermarket stainless steel turbo downpipe will work out replacing the hideous free flow pipe I had on the back of my garrett. Also picked out some simple pieces to finally make my wastegate dump pipe with. Now if I could figure out the best place for me to get my carb rebuild kit from.

 

a)i'm sure we've got a box of high impedance FC injectors
b) i stumbled upon a box of GSL-SE efi stuff, so if you're interested...

i <3 my weber...

 

j９fd3s、I'll be in touch.

Nothing done in the garage last night, but hope to get back to cleaning up the rest of the mess and installing another power strip. Maybe pull the seats and prepare to clean the carpets while I'm waiting on rear suspension parts.

fm

 

FM - Thanks! progress is being made, but sweet jebus its like 2 steps forward one step back.

Spent the remainder of my money on hardware to get the EFI manifold installed only to realize that the Haltech uses "standard" GM connectors for the fuel injectors - not the "whatever the hell" connectors that the cleaned/balanced S5 injectors have. So I can't install everything until i get the right connectors (the primaries are buried under the VDI manifold so you cant reach them if you install everything.)

*SIGH* i will be missing the car show this weekend that I had been planning for all year.

It's SO frigging close. The entire assembly is sitting on my floor looking gorgeous - and I just can't plug it in yet.

Anyone have suggestions for "standard" fuel injectors? That or the exact type of injector plug that the S5 injectors require? I was thinking i could build an adapter, it looks like the stock injectors use either Denso NIP-F1T or NIP-F2B, but i can't tell from the pics.

http://connectorsfast.net/shop/index...tegory&path=33

 

On the 85 GSL-EV: Yesterday evening I pulled the faded red vinyl covered panel between the left rear shock mount and the door for cleaning and repainting. Only had one clip get stuck in its hole and tear out of the panel. Used the SEM Vinyl cleaner product and most of the green went away. Not sure I am going to paint it now. I need good light to make that determination so later today when I get home I can take it outside and compare. Ill try to take a before after photo. I pulled this because I have a rust spot on the wheel well that needs attention. It is actually a hole now so I better work on that. The plan is to strip back the paint about an inch around the hole and remove all the rust. Then bandaid over it with 8 oz fiberglass and structural epoxy. (Epoxy is quite a lot better for this than polyester resin.) One layer on each side. Then paint it with rust inhibiting primer on the inside and primer and then flat black on the outside in the wheel well. If you paint it black it will disappear.

I drove the GSL-SE into work today. I still don't know where that hose I found floating around is supposed to go. I blew into it and it does not pass air in that direction. I plugged the end of it with a bolt and had no real problem driving into work. Crossing my fingers that it will start at noon for a lunch drive.

 

Doug,
Before you paint the rear panels, have a look at which shows how you can restore faded plastic/vinyl using a heat gun.

fm

 

Found out that I won PAX at the last autocross. I think that's a first for me, even though I've had FTD several times.

Also, looked up info on my rear Bilstein shocks for some guys in another thread (Fungus Mungus).



.

 

'Grats Kentetsu!

Watching your videos is my inspiration to get into auto-x!

 

Good show, Kentetsu! I might get a number at an event this year. Haven't since '95 when I was F Prepared.

I'm at the airport to pick up my sister and drive her to my brothers house in the country. She's gonna freak out, like in the old days. (I'm 54 and she's older and much more, shall we say, skittish.)

 

Thanks guys. One of the major (for Michigan) News agencies showed up at the event and did a really nice piece for us. They put a camera inside the car (showing me), one on the hood, and had a big camera shooting external shots for one of my runs. They combined that with an interview with forum member Perfect_Circle who drove up and stayed with me for the event.

They haven't posted the video online yet, but we're seeing what we can do about that. I'll post it up if it ever happens.

 

Wow! I would LOVE to see that!

 

Sounds like me lately. Whole car's together and could run, but I have to hook it all up and get it going or it never will.

Got the wiring routed through the firewall today, ECU covered up, and just have to finalize wiring now!

 

Today, I decided to try and locate and fix my oil leak by my FMOC. Changed out the crush washers on the fittings, fired it up, and it pissed oil twice as fast....



I now have the typical cracked 1st gen oil cooler fitting.


luckily my brother hasnt used the spare SA oil cooler I sold him a while ago, so i temporarily borrowed it back from him and so far im leak free. Now i just have to order a pair of weld on -10AN aluminum bungs that ill have welded onto the inlet/outlet when I have the crack welded as well.


So ultimately, I found & attempted repair a leak, failed, then attempted replacement, WIN!!!!!. will have cracked cooler repaired and upgraded at same time, Double win!!!!

 

Lindahlish - NOICE! Damn you ARE going to finish your TII swap before I install my EFI intake :P

So I had been planning on installing the EFI system before Old School Reunion on Sunday June 9th. Welp - it literally came down to a round injector plug not fitting a square harness plug. EVERYTHING else is done. That's OK. I got my new 3" collected header in the mail, and I should get the exhaust system done BEFORE installing / tuning an EFI setup. I'll just have to re-tune it afterwards anyhow.

I had the GSL-SE fuel pump installed, so I had to swap out the non-return Mallory FPR for the Aeromotive return-style unit. It works GREAT! Super precise. And the GSL-SE fuel pump is WAAAAY quieter. I didnt think it was running at first.



MECHANIC'S NOTE: Check, double check, and TRIPLE CHECK your fuel line connections before calling it good. Also - check this with the pump running and NOT THE ENGINE.

I had to tighten down the fitting on the high pressure side of the fuel pump @ the filter - was a slow leak but caught it right away. All other fittings were good. Took her out for a spin and gaddam she pulls hard. Harder than usual actually.

The obnoxious rattle in my exhaust seems to have taken the day off - she even SOUNDED better than usual!

I figured, shoot, while i'm on a roll, why lose momentum? Mounted the polished FD alternator:



And the Atkins 6-rib pulley kit (non-underdrive):



The belt they sent is about an inch, inch and a half too short. Will have to see about swapping it for a longer one - the FD alt is bottoming out on the water pump neck just below the alternator mount.

A note - the FD alt is almost a direct bolt on to the S5 water pump mount. I had a GSL-SE alt on there before, and this dropped right on.



Thats all for tonight. Lots to do before the show on Sunday!

 

Nice work IoTus! This evening I went to work on the rear shock tower plastics that were faded to nearly white. I had previously tried in vain to "re-dye" the plastics several months ago using RIT dye. No go. Cleaned all that garbage off and figured I'd end up painting it. Then I found that link on Youtube showing how to restore faded plastics with a heat gun. Figured I'd give it a try.

Although it's not perfect, it made a huge improvement. I snapped "before" pics, but no "after" pics yet. Will do that tomorrow and post. There are uneven spots, but I managed to get the worst out. The faded white parts are now maroon again. The best part? No paint to scratch/flake off when you put something in the hatch that bangs around. More scratches? No problem. Have heat gun, will travel. Pics to come tomorrow.

fm

 

Interested in seeing those pics.

 

Thanks for the link. The kind of surface damage he was repairing with the heat gun is a little different than the sun faded color on our interior parts. His damage was from weathering. Ours is usually UV color shift. And there is no texturing on the jet ski parts which would be lost when you melt the surface. I am not willing to risk one of my unobtanium vinyl covered panels in this way when a known to work method exists.

On the GSL-EV: Yesterday I painted one of the panels and it came out better than I expected. You can't tell it is painted. Looks like a new piece. That burgundy SEM paint is close in color. I applied just two light coats. I need to pull the other panel off the car so I can take a before and after shot with them side by side.

On the GSL-SE: Drove it to work as mentioned and took a little drive after work. The idle is still rough but that has not changed.

I went looking for my mechanic that I used in 1985-89. Had his own shop at the time and had worked for several of the car dealers but the one that made him of interest was the Mazda garage. He was really good with Rx'es. Lots of people brought their cars to him instead of the dealership. He did an Arkay turbo upgrade to my 82 GSL. I think he is still in the area but I haven't found any contact info for him. I did discover he is 72 years old now which surprised me but shouldn't. Thinking back I would have guessed he was in his 40's and working back made him 44 in 1985. Memories and expectations are odd things.

 

I will give it a try on the shock tower covers. Those are beat up anyway so will require some mechanical prep work to make them look good anyway. And they are thick enough to not just go away.

 

Oh man this has been the week from hell.


First i had to give up on the EFI (for now) so as consolation i ordered the atkins pulley kit to AT LEAST get the f"ing alternator installed before the car show. The belt they sent is too short, the alternator bottoms out on the engine block. The next size up is too long. I just can't get a break this week!

putting the shitty rattle-can-black s3 alternator back on to make the car driveable.

I'll just have to park the car in the back corner of the car show so nobody notices it. so friggin dissapointed - and broke - from trying to get this blasted thing working the way i want.

I've learned from all this that even though the parts technically bolt together doesnt mean they'll work.

 

lmao! i've learned this too, i'm putting an FD engine into an FC and nothing fits...