As promised, before and after pics. Again, far from perfect...there are places that are uneven (the lighting exaggerates this effect), but under normal lighting, the shock tower cover looks much better than before.

Before heat gun treatment:



After heat gun treatment:



fm

 

Welp - when you're on a roll, why quit? To cap off my perfect week from hell - here's a great one!

So my buddy and I installed the standalone CO2 actuated 6 ports - and guess what, my rattle in the exhaust magically went away! HMMMMM - that must mean one thing - a leak in the 6 port actuator ducting.

ALSO - was a great indicator of WHEN those 6 ports were actually opening! Any time i heard that rattle it meant the actuators were getting backpressure - and that is: as soon as you apply the throttle regardless of RPM. Like seriously - they would be opening at 1300 rpm. This clearly illustrates that the stock backpressure method is NOT optimal.

My power band also smoothed out AMAZINGLY well with the rpm switch actuation precisely at 3800 rpm. I mean she pulls HARD now!

SO - 2 days before the car show I decide to investigate why my 6-ports were rattling. Step one - clearly - would be to make sure the bolts are tight! So i'll just take this 12mm socket and tighten down the banjo bolt for the actuator line.......... and proceed to snap the head of the bolt off. *shakes head* WOW.

WOW! I mean... really!??! REALLY?

The brilliant thing about the GSL-SE intake manifold (sarcasm turned up to 11 here) is that the only way to actuate those puppies is through internal routing of the manifold - into the pots throuh those banjo bolts. This was resolved in later models by having the pot itself have the nipple. (yes i just said pot and nipple in the same sentence)

However the upper manifold for the Dellorto will not bolt onto the S5 manifold - totally different shape. So..... SOL for that.

So I donno - wire open the 6 ports? Really not sure at this point. Seems like my only option.

I was really hoping to show off the CO2 system at the show! This is just like NOT my week. I've been planning for this show all year - and every dollar I've spent attempting to pimp this beast out has been in vain! EFI injectors dont fit the harness - Polished alternator bottoms out / Serpentine belt is too short.

LOL! It's actually quite comedic at this point. I mean wow! I feel like a tool! Oh well the show will be great fun and instead of totally pimp I'll go for the old-school-i-dont-give-a-f*** tuner style

Will post pics from the show on Monday!

 

Stripped down the carb got rid of the vacuum dash pot, the vacuum choke and did the mechanical secondary mod. Holy crap she's actually quick now lol

 

First I would like to relate something. A few days ago I let a friend drive my GSL-SE. His comment when we got out was "I understand now why you like these cars so much."

Didn't do much today. Changed the lube in the LSD on the 85 GSL-EV. If I felt really rich I would have used the AMSoil 75-90. I did some research and that stuff is remarkably good. The next three choices are the Mobil 1 product, Castrol synthetic, and Valvoline synthetic. The Castrol was what I ended up with as all the local auto parts stores seem to carry it. I used the Lucas in the GSL-SE when I changed it a month or so ago but that was before I did my research. Anyway that was the last of transmissions/differentials that needed to be done. The stuff that came out still looked like gear oil unlike the stuff that came out of the GSL-SE.

Ill be patching rust around the left rear wheel well on the EV tomorrow.


Make it a good weekend by taking your 1st Gen out for a drive!

 

buy fuel clamps for your fuel lines, they will extend the life of your lines,

 

Different from the ones I'm using now?

 

New gaskets for wastegate, 90 degree bracket, and dump tube came in. Thermal material to fab my turbo blanket out of came in. Also picked up some new carbon picks/scrapers and a block stand to start modding to put my 12a keg on next weekend. Will update some pictures in my lame build thread soon.

 

Started cleaning up a rust spot in the left rear wheel well on the GSL-EV. I took a before picture and I will post that with the after pic once done.

I pulled the rear control links off (I think that is what they are called) in order to replace the bushings. The spacer tube was rusted on solid and I knew this so I bought new spacers. The brackets that are on the car were rusty so I cleaned those up and I am waiting for the paint to dry so I can flip it and do the back side. I again took some photos and will post tomorrow when I have some after shots.

I am a little tempted to tie the rear sway bar up and take it for a drive to see if it feels a lot different. The FSM says in a couple of places (if equipped) when talking about this so it must have been an option at some point although I can't imagine anyone asking to not have it.

It was a good day as I got to drive one of my 1st gens.

 

I threw a clutch master and slave in the white car. Then installed them correctly.

 

like this. they clamp better, tighter, equally distribute load on the hose, and doesnt cut into the hose the way the other styles will
http://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/.../52fseries.jpg





...And today I sucesfully traveled a total of 450 miles in my Rx7 round trip to beat the hell out of it at a not so local autoX event. Out of curiosity, who measure various car temperatures after each AutoX run? i was just pointed my raytek at random bits shortly after i got of the course (average time ~90 sec runs) and my front rotors were 480 degrees and rears were abt 200. This sound normal/reasonable?

 

I'm cheating on my 13bt already...with a 26b...N/A, t, or tt doesn't matter...and there's a guy in NZ who has a 4 rotor in his S3!

Haven't even started the 13bt yet and already aiming twice as high...I'm ro-tarted

 

Sarge, I say yes, it does. The rear brakes, and I e only ever had drums, do very little of the work.

 

converted my craptastic auto choke on my racing beat holley to full manual.

 

it was an option in 79-80, but yeah try without it, see what you think

 

Brought her home with a new exhaust straight pipe system... I can't get the idle up. BECAUSE it's a Cali car I can't adjust the fuel intake without some super special tool and I think she's running rich, because now I have a backfire (running rich?). Idle in drive is under 600. IF I let the air intake out ALL THE WAY she won't stall in drive.

I'm open to suggestions. I'm probably going to try to fab a tool to adjust the fuel intake. I'm thinking I'm not gonna get things right until I remove the rats nest... Good thing my hubby's van is reliable and we CAN exist on one vehicle.

Good news... NO EXHAUST LEAK! AND NO Transmission leak!!!!!!!!

I might could use a new distributor cap. I HAD everything in balance for when she had a big ol' exhaust leak. Now I feel like I'm starting all over again with my hands tied. Adjusting the Idle mix was easy when I could watch the exhaust diminish as I got it right. Now, no visual. Stab in the dark on Idle adjust and only half the carb adjustment...

I have printed the tutorial for rats nest removal and am studying and contemplating...

 

The little metal cap over the mix adjust is fastened by a screw on the bottom; pretty much impossible to take off without removing the carb, stupid easy when the carb's off the car.

Years back in a fit of frustration, I broke the cap off of mine by working it up and down with a pair of pliers, which allowed access to the mix screw with a simple screwdriver with a notch cut in the blade. I later took the stub from the can off when I did a carb rebuild.

No smog inspector has ever noticed it missing.

Not recommending, just informing.

 

Put the rear control links back on the GSL-SE this morning. I wimpped out and didn't take it for a drive without the rear sway bar.

First picture is the point on the car where the right side bracket mounts. One bolt and one stud. The rust is from the bracket and rubbed right off with a paper towel and degreaser cleaner (I used Simple Green). Didn't want to touch the camera when I had that cleaned up and didn't want to stop to wash my hands.

Second shot is the brackets after I had degreased them and removed all the rust scale. Just a little surface rust left and the primer will kill that.

The third shot is in primer.

Fourth shot is after painting and ready to put back on the car. I probably should have waited another day too let the paint get really dry but that would mean I couldn't drive it to work tomorrow!

Last shot is right rear done and ready to put the wheel back on and go for a drive.

And then I went for a 30 mile drive. Another 1st Gen Grin was generated.

 

I've actually read that it's a more responsive rear end without the sway bar back there (to a certain power limit). I'm actually tempted to take mine out since the bushings are all shot anyways.

Still trying to find my AFM and intake setup for the turbo engine...grrrrr

 

20 years ago many who autocrossed successfully in stock or street prepared did so without a rear sway bar. ... and I drove a little over 100 miles this afternoon. The car looked particularly good today, I thought.

 

Well my TII engine will hopefully run first, have to get a full custom driveshaft made and that will take another week or two...hopefully your EFI problems get solved soon man - I'm pullin' for ya!

Thanks, I thought it was something like that!

Spent my night reorganizing and going through RX-7 pictures and projects over the year and a half I've owned the rotary - bringing back some memories and making me realize that I've accomplished things already that I never thought I would only a few months ago...

 

Yesterday

Ive been working really hard on restoring a cool set of SSR EXC mesh lately, and since they're nearing completion, thought I'd do a little mockup. (it was early and overcast, dont doubt the shine!)

Then, I rummaged through a few boxes of parts and stumbled upon some unopened MSD Blaster 2 coils. Having heard mixed opinions on their effectiveness, I decided I'd throw them on and drive the car to work for the afternoon.





I also grabbed the modified air cleaner lid off of the racecar, and swapped it for my stock one.

Man, what a difference both of these things made in my car. Of course, better flow for the intake yielded obvious results,(and sounds awesome now) but what surprised me was the difference the coils made high in the rpm range. The car is deceivingly smooth up past 7k now. Ive also never been so thrilled by the sound of my car...the full exhaust and these other changes have made it sound quite sharp.

and being that it was a windows-down kind of day in central California yesterday, I decided to throw on some track rubber to make the afternoon commute that much better.






My buddy Brian taking the wheel.



It was an awesome day of driving, and I cant remember enjoying my car more.

But if its not one things, its another....

On the way home I noticed a rattling/knocking noise when the clutch pedal is depressed.. First thoughts are clutch/throwout bearing issues..so now on to dealing with that before I order tires for the SSR's..

Oh well, thats why its a project..

rxtex

 

Love the wheels....mesh wheels and fb's are made for each other!!

 

Found my MAF BOV and intake setup! Hiding in a box that I didn't think to look in. Hopefully with this and some work tonight I can get the turbo 13bt running!

 

Got the mindtrain header and presilencer. On with the straight pipe. Might throw on a muffler its a little tingy....

 

Ordered a distributor cap and got a rotor cap at O'Riley's. Think I'll keep it and do them both at once.

I made a tool for this: notice the cross head screw beneathe the straight brass one... with the little dimple for interference to tampering (the PO already destroyed the cap for me)


Got the span with the coat hanger, wire connector and pliers... but it bent under demand


Tah-Dah I can adjust the fuel intake! Good ol' cheap shower curtain hook and dremel and a hammer.