OK - -

Headlights done - Check
Plugs - Check
Cap and Rotor - Check
3 new belts Alt/Air/AC - Check
New LED's in Fogs - Hella 181 - H3 Bulbs converted to LED - Check
Wipers Front and back - Check
All turn signals - reverse - brake lights 1156 and 1157 CHANGED TO Colored LED -
LED - Interior Light - CHECK "FREAKING BRIGHT"

_____________

Fuel Filter - Next week - ran out of time yesterday
Plug Wires - 2 weeks - need to order from Banzai Racing Magnecor Plug Wires 8.5
Silicone Upper and Lower Rad hose- Soon
Cusco Type ST strut tower bar - banzai racing - Soon
New Suspension Bushings in the spring when it gets warmer -

Thats it for now...

 

put in a remote starter

 

Today I made a dual purpose cage/bracket for my weber 50 DCO/SP to adapt a GM TPS and mount a secondary fuel rail and stand off injectors... I also managed to get a mild sunburn while inside a 20 degree shop :O

 

Came into this thread late.

3 months ago: bought '85 RX-7 S and noted that the loosey-goosey steering was going to have to go.

2 days later: Flooded it. ATF treatment. Started

4 days later: Flooded it again. Rinse, repeat.

1 month ago: Addressing steering - changed inner and outer tie rods. Changed both pitman and idler arms with Moog units. Changed LCAs with new OEM units. While I was doing all of this surgery, I replaced the stock sway bar with a RB 1.125" sway bar. Also did fresh polyurethane bushings all around. This had some affect on steering, but not nearly enough...still 3+ inches of slop. Tried to start it after a 3-week break. Flooded. Doggonit!

1 week ago: Changed oil, plugs, and got a new steering box from Mazdatrix and took it to the shop that was doing my alignment. I'd had enough of being under the car for awhile so I figured I'd let someone else spend 2.7 hours doing what would undoubtedly take me the better part of a day. It needed an alignment anyway.

Much better! About 1/2" play in the steering. Feels very sharp now!

Yesterday: Delighted in the fact that the car actually started today without flooding. Warmed it up to operating temp and did a compression test using a piston tester (yes, I know it's not ideal, but it's what I have). Delighted to see nice even bounces on the needle with the schraeder valve depressed. Hit 95 and 92 PSI on front and rear rotors respectively. Pleased.

Next, some interior work.

fm

 

Took it to the family mechanic, having them replace the rear wheel bearing, install my moog idler arm, bleed the brakes, and change the trans and diff fluid. Tired of working on it, thought I would let someone else do it for once...

 

Jacked both my '79 and the parts GSL-SE up to put concrete stepping stones under the tires. They were starting to sink into the yard...
Still amazed at the chassis rigidity of these things, even after owning one or more for around 20 years. I jacked one up using the left-rear jack point,and the left front tire came up enough to insert the block as well.

 

Thinking about getting antique insurance on my SA and finding a new DD.. I'd love an RX-8 but that won't happen, probably something more along the lines of an NA Miata.

 

The day started off at 3 degrees F and by lunch it was up to 28F with no wind and bright sun. With that in mind I drove home and installed my car's xmas present. I got the 85 electric LED headlights. Specifically the Truck-Lite Phase 7 bulbs which are a drop in replacement. It took about half an hour out in the driveway to make the change. Attached is a pic of the finished product. I started out doing this to save a little power and it wasn't as much as I had hoped it would be. Only about 16 watts saved on low beams. But that doesn't matter so much as these headlights are amazing. The original halogens suck pretty badly.

After changing out the headlights I drove it to work.

 

Ordered a replacement Fan Clutch for my '85 on the 15th, It arrived Wednesday, got the old one off, and went to put the new one on, it was heavier and bigger than the original, and when I went to fit it into the fan, it wouldn't fit, or line up, so I call the Customer Help line, turns out, they shipped me a TOYOTA clutch, No Wonder it wouldn't fit!, now I've got to pay for shipping after It states that you get free return shipping before I get a refund, Don't Deal with these guys, not worth the hassle, and as it turns out, having to reef on the fan loosened up the clutch enough that it doesn't run continuously, so I have some time to hunt up a local one.

 

Looks good. I'm assuming they are significantly brighter than the stockers. No wiring upgrades required since they use less wattage?

 

I like to think of my SA as a light weight fast version of a Miata.

 

I already have a light weight fast version of a Miata :P

http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC08924.jpg

It's actually WAY more fun than my SA is but I can't DD it lol.


To be on topic I did drive my SA yesterday to the bank and it smoked more after sitting for a week than it did after sitting for 5 whole weeks.. I don't get it.

 

Check dafuq me out. New panhard. Smb muffler and resonator.

 

I needed practice welding before i start making my intercooler piping, so I fabbed up a heat shield for my turbo. I have to drill the mounting hole and a cut out for the oil feed line then polish it.

 

Yesterday I had the engine bay steam cleaned. After that, no start...just clicking.
Push started it and got it home.

Today, I pulled the starter, tested it, and it was fine. Did various testing on the wiring. Corroded positive battery terminal. Cut the corroded mess off, put new terminals on and it turned right over.

fm

 

I dig man. I've been thinking about getting an MX-5 as well... but I'm gonna try and hold out for a Subaru BRZ.



I practiced my bridge porting today.

 

I drove a NA Miata a few years back. First thing I thought, this interior is eerily similar to an S1/2 RX7. Second thing, wow, this thing handles awesome!

 

car runs and drives perfect, had a bit of fun tonight though...

coming back from visiting my dad and my sisters, merging from the 15 onto the 91, i jump on it and SNAP. no gas pedal. ****...

coast to the side of the road, pop the hood, turns out the little brackets that hold the throttle cable had come loose, didn't have my tools with me, so i put it back into place and *****-footed it home, tightened the little bracket and viola. now i have another problem, however, where my throttle return spring gets caught on a lip of the bracket at about 3/4 throttle. going to just grind the lip down as it serves no visible purpose.

needs new shocks and bushings all around, but those are not immediate issues.

 

I could have sworn I responded to this but I don't see it. Yes, no wiring upgrades. Light is white instead of yellow, very even and wide dispersion of light on low beams with an extremely sharp cutoff on the top. I adjusted them over the weekend. Don't yet know if I have the vertical quite right but nobody has flashed me yet. Then again with this car I might never know because I won't be driving long distances at night on dark lonely highways at high speed.

 

Over the weekend. I mentioned adjusting the new LED headlights on the 85 GSL EV and drove it about 30 miles. Just lunch and a little shopping. The biggest thing wrong with the car is the rear brakes howl after they get slightly warmed up. The pads are essentially new but I think they are not the best pads. One more thing...

On the 85 GSL-SE I am still putting that back together after replacing the right shock and spring. All I had to do was put the brake caliper back on which I did. When I went to attach the new stainless flex hose I found it wouldn't fit. The hose set looks just like the one I put on the other car about a year ago. The problem is the end that connects to the hard line wont fit through the bracket. For those who have not done this the bracket has a 12 point 17mm fitting on one side with a 16mm hole on the other. You push the end through the fitting and align the nut end with the 12 point and then slide a big spring clip on the other side to hold it to the car. Then attach the hard line to the fitting. The end of the fitting is 16mm and the hole on the bracket is just slightly undersize. On the original end the OD is 15.6mm so it slides right in. I ended up turning down the outside of the fittings so they fit the car rather than opening up the hole in the bracket. So the right front is back together again. I also replaced the flex hose on the left front and since I had the wheel off I was going to replace the rubber bushings on the control link with polyurethane. What is it with that spacer on the control link? It has glued itself to the bolt and I cant get it off. Bolt and spacer now on order. There goes another week! I suppose I better put a charger on the battery.

Happy New Year everyone!

 

Thanks

It really does, you should try an 1800 pound one on R-comps lol.

 

Although I don't have an FB, I did put some fuel stabilizer in both of my 79 SAs.
They are going to be on jack stands for the next few months.

 

messed around with the GoPro Hero 3 yesterday, not a bad little camera.

 

not today, but last night i fixed my throttle return spring sticking issue, removed my rear wiper because it was an eyesore, and i could never really figure out how to use it. going to start looking for shocks, needs them badly. i know for the front i have to get the replacement cartridges, since no one seems to stock the full units anymore...

 

In my never ending tinkering, I put dual DCOE 45s on a couple of weeks ago. The manifold is for a 4 port, but I cut an adapter out of 1" thick aluminum. It's definitely too much carb for a stock S4 13B 6 port. Running with all the jets makes it bog from richness.

Being Christmas weekend, I wasn't able to do some proper test and tuning due to all the morons on the road. I got it running pretty well last week. The throttle response is really great.

Interestingly, it takes about as long to warm up from stone cold as the single wrap around 45 DCOE. The carbs came with the start up assists on the back, but the manifold flange is cut too big and they won't fit. The 48 DCO and IDA would warm up faster.