Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Recently there have been some downright amazing builds here. This build won't have the flash, power, and sweet parts of some of the greats here, but I hope it makes up for it in with lots of good use. I'm also about a year and half behind on making this thread so you Netflix users will be able to binge watch a lot of content here.

I had a silver 93 touring Rx7 for a little over 7 years. I developed that car into a great track car, and then it died a warrior's death.

I faced a decision to pick up the pieces and continue on the FD platform or go with something new. As you can tell by this thread I'm continuing on with my addiction to the Rx7. I may not be the smartest, and a glutton for punishment with this platform, but this is a hobby of passion which I have for the car for sure. So this thread will follow as I take a bone stock FD that I bought and get it up to the level of track and street duty that I would like.

The goal: I want to have a car that will perform as well as the last car on track, and be a nicer overall car if possible. My goal is to have it be about 80% track miles and 20% track miles. You might laugh at that, but the last car was over 90% track miles as it'd go to the track, come back and go on jack stands to get worked on, then go to the next track day. So I'd like to get some more street time on this one..haha.

The car:
I had been looking for some very specific things in prospective cars:
*I wanted a non-sunroof car so it had to be a base model or R1. Also didn't want the rear wiper or wing from touring cars.
*had to be a 5-speed with black interior. Knowing the platform, the cost/complexity of swapping tan to black is too much for my liking. I had the 5-speed swap parts, but it's also a major pain to do correctly so not worth it
*could not be yellow or blue colors. no go for me. Color preference was Red, White, Silver, and then Black in that order.

Ideally I wanted a red base model or R1/R2 car. Mods I wasn't overly worried about because I had base of parts I was going to use, but was more concerned with condition and trying to not find something beat to crap. The market had me feeling negative as it seemed to be a bunch of really ratty cars or people unloading 20k mile stock pieces for bigger money.

After almost a month of daily searching I found this car on a Friday night on Autotrader. It was at a consignment dealer in Richmond, VA. It was after hours so I called first thing in the morning. They couldn't tell me crap about it, history, etc. The car was a base-model 94 white with black interior and 5-speed. It was also stock except for a "$4K stereo" according to the dealer..LOL. It was everything I was looking for with the exception of red, so I'd make that compromise.

It just so happened that my former bosses-boss lives in Richmond and is a car guy. We had a good rapport so I called him and he went and checked it out for me that morning. He called to tell me it was exactly what I was hoping for in a stock survivor with minimal paint work (LF Fender), and for the most part hadn't been f'd with too bad. So I knew I wanted the car...the issue? The dealer wouldn't take a deposit and it was after 12pm on Saturday so I couldn't wire funds. They had 3 other people coming to look at the car later that afternoon, so my friend did me a HUGE solid and put up money for the car for me to hold it on my behalf until I could wire funds Monday.

I wired the funds, and then told my boss I needed a personal day and got the trailer loaded up. Left at like 3am Monday night on a cannonball to VA. Got to the dealer around 11am the next day, loaded the car, got lunch, and then brought her home to get back around 8pm Tuesday evening. SHHH, nobody tell Fritz I came and nabbed a white, black interior, 5-speed from his territory.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Back to overall goals for the car for a moment. I want the car to be able to get up to the same level of speed as the old car on a very similar setup. Then I can develop from there. My previous best was 1:38.7 at Mid Ohio with the old car, so that means I need to turn in the 1:39s at Mid Ohio on Nittos to fulfill that need.


The setup will consist of
Engine:
Same engine as the silver car. Simplified sequential twin turbo setup at 13psi (315-ish whp), 3" exhaust, custom intakes, PFS intercooler, Fluidyne radiator, dual aftermarket oil coolers, Apexi PFC ECU, water injection for safety

Drivetrain:
Stock trans and diff, but with bigger fluid pans for extra capacity.

Suspension:
Ohlins road and track DFV, 11kg springs front/rear. M2 aftermarket toe links and trailing arms, Tri-point front sway bar, Improved Racing adjustable rear sway links (stock bar)

Brakes:
AP racing front brakes with their 72-vane j-hook rotors, Sakebomb racing rear 2-piece rotors and spacer to use caliper on the bigger rotors

Wheels/Tires
SSR Comp 17x8.5 front with Nitto NT-01 255/40-17. 17x9.5 rear with 275/40-17 NT-01

Safety:
Custom welded in roll bar, ultrashield aluminum race seats, Schroth harnesses


so in the midst of buying this car when I got home my wife told me she wanted to sell our condo (which with 2 kids we had outgrown) and buy a house! Well at least I had already got the car! but that also meant I wouldn't be able to mess with it for a while.

The car wasn't perfect. It had a high idle, wouldn't make full boost all the way to redline, and while the car was "clean", the under hood, door jamb, and hatch area were shockingly nasty. I think the previous owner parked it under a tree or something regularly. I also lost my garage during the time of the move/transition so I couldn't really do much.

The first changes were that I was dog sitting for my brother and stayed at his place and borrowed his garage for a few simple but important updates. Coilovers, wheel, and R1 lip. Gotta look good AMIRITE?!

The rear coilovers were damaged in the past wreck so I had to have them sent to Ohlins and repaired, but they took care of me well. Good customer service. I had to roll the fenders on the new car to make sure I could fit both my street and track wheels.





Goodies installed:



You remember me saying the engine bay was nasty? Here's a good example of me just cleaning up around the shock tower when doing this work. Didn't have time for a full clean which happens later:



I also took the time to change the trans fluid in hopes of better shifting (didn't want to go into 1st)


Of course working on a 22 year old Mazda always has its pitfalls. I think some of the dirty issues may have also been related to critters with this car. I found a bunch of rusty hardware up front like a cat had pissed under the car or something cause that's the only time I've seen that. I also found this gem and a bunch of nesting in the front bumper so there was a squirrel or chipmunk too.



Removed the stock lip and aftermarket fog lights for my R1 lip from the old car.
Also swapped out shift ***** for my old factory one:


All's well that ends well:

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Next on the list of updates was that the rear window seal was Janky in the worst way. It had been broken and then someone put window weld or some goop in there.



In taking apart the rear to get it ready to fix I found another interesting surprise. As a part of the SWEET stereo install the previous owner had put dynamat like everywhere...annoying as crap:


This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't annoying and messy to remove. Also he put it over plastic seams of parts and things like the strut towers where the rollbar would go. At this point I've only removed what I needed to due to time and frustration.

I took the car to Harr's glass and they got the new seal installed without damaging the glass so I was happy about that.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Next up was the stereo...what a mess. So the dealer told me over the phone it was a "$4k stereo".......This car was a 2-owner car in that the original guy bought it and gave it to his son when he graduated med school and that guy kept it until this consignment lot sold it to me. My best guess is that this stereo actually cost $4k when it was done...in 1994...haha. THey used quality components, but the install was complete ****. It's been a while since I've seen a genuine Bazooka base tube and Clarion 6-disk CD changer.

Here's a great example of how the amp was mounted...or not...just behind the seat loose and they backed the seat up to hold it in place. Awesome wiring here is just the beginning.


Here's wiring leading to the back bass tube


In the back the bass tube wasn't hard-mounted either:


Here's the CD changer and the wiring with the amp out:



More dynamat in annoying places:



sweet rear speakers. Note the cardboard used to make a custom fit...LOL


wiring with the seat out:



also found bare wires:


which I just put heat shrink on to cover up

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

the fun of removing dynamat. once again - only doing what I need off at this point



Think you've got stereo install SKILLZ?! You've got nothing on this routing from the engine bay/battery to the interior.....


Found a random switch I didn't know what it went to


Needless to say...this **** had to go


Also pulled the stock tool kit from the rear as I wouldn't be using it and it's just more weight/rattle:


Removed the head unit as well. I haven't pulled the front door panels to remove the tweeters and door speakers, but I'll get to it.



The solution? going no radio for the foreseeable future. Installed 2 of the factory closing DIN pockets:

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

I also got a chance to put on the front brakes. While doing that I also put on the brake cooling backing plates in anticipation that I would run the cooling hoses like on my old car.



It was time to start prepping the old motor to go into the new car. I chose to go with the old motor since it was a known quantity to me. Not perfect (slightly lower compression on the rear rotor), but it's also taken 7 years of track abuse and I trust it. It's also supposedly a newer reman with the 2-piece factory apex seals in it which are better for my use. As best as I can tell the motor in the white car was the original 94 motor which is awesome to show that when not f'd with they stand up fine, but someone else can make use of it. I took it out and sold it. Would have been nice to keep a backup, but I don't have the space for now to do that.

So the "old" motor is going in the white car, but it was also nasty and could use a "freshening".


The plan for the motor is to clean up, replace external seals/gaskets, and overall make it nice and ready to go in the car. A couple of updates will happen with it, but I won't be opening the keg or changing anything power wise.

First is taking off the clutch/flywheel. Not an easy task on the FD with the 54mm nut! Thankfully the Milwaukee M18 1/2" impact took it off. The torque spec is 340-ish ft/lb and it's slathered with red locktite. Took some serious hammering, but it came off.


Once that was off, I could clean up the back of the motor, replace the rear main oil seal, and re-torque the engine studs. Thankfully most were very close to spec still (24ft lbs) and only one on the very outside gave me a heart attack with how far it turned.


tearing into the beast of complexity:


things were just overall grungy/nasty and it needed A LOT of cleaning:

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

examples of funk of crud/leaks over the years with the old car. I had never removed the motor in the old car and the previous owner had left me some crap to start with and it just accumulated over time. Now was a good time to try to de-grunge.

examples of grunge going on







I basically took off the components and scrubbed as best I could. I wasn't going for complete perfection here, but removing the grunge and making it so that whenever you touched something it wouldn't leave your hands greasy/oily like before.



During this time I also changed the water pump to an upgraded unit from IR Performance, new WP gaskets, new oil injectors/crush washers, new intake manifold gaskets, new rubber lines for the coolant lines, new rubber lines for the fuel lines, cleaned fuel injectors, new fuel injector primary and secondary diffusers, new fuel injector O-rings, re-wrapped the engine wire harness, and I made my own "hyper ground" wires.

Updated water pump. Mostly different on the inner cone design where it's supposed to not cavitate as bad at high RPM.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

I did get one new trick bit to add. Baconsports oil pan. It has an updated baffle plate up top, deeper sump with added capacity, trap doors to keep the oil around the pickup, and I like that it's welded not cast so it will bend if hit not crack and dump all contents.




at this point I removed the stock motor from the white car


Time to start tackling the dirty/grungy engine bay:





funky under the black cowl trim too

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Getting that portion cleaned up: Didn't pressure wash, just good old fashioned scrubbing and cleaner. Tried to minimize water use to make sure wires or old electronics weren't harmed. Probably the nastiest part though was the engine subframe which was caked with grease and oil.



back to the motor:
I removed the "rats nest" of solenoids. I run "simplified sequential" where I've removed the air pump, ACV, EGR, and some other emissions stuff that mean I run less of the solenoids, but it's still a mess. I was taking this time to remove them, test them (both hot and cold), replace any that are necessary, and put on new silicone vacuum lines.

here's what we're starting with:


testing station on the kitchen table. the wife loves this for sure.



all done. I ended up replacing 2 solenoids with other good ones I had


I cleaned up the lower and upper intake manifolds, removed any block off plates (for removed emissions stuff) and re-sealed with Hondabond HT which is my choice for just about everything that needs sealed up on this car.

I then put DEI gold heat barrier on the outside of the LIM and the underside of the UIM. This was a bit of a learning experience. The LIM I tried to do in one big sheet...that was a mistake and looks like ***. The UIM I used smaller strips which works better, but still not perfect. If you're trying to cover complex surfaces then use small strips and overlap. Luckily these surfaces are barely visible when on the car so I'm not sweating it as long as they help with the heat.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

one of the things I wanted to change from the old setup were the motor mounts. The old ones were polyurethane pucks that transmitted a lot of noise and vibration into the cabin of the car.

I decided to go with Excessive motor mounts. I liked their design better than just the standard "hockey puck" design that is common with most FD aftermarket mounts. To use them I had to modify the driver's side aluminum mount. I had to cut off the nub and file it flat. I borrowed my buddies band saw for the big portion and then just used a crap ton of elbow grease and metal files to do the rest.

grungy like everything else



cleaned up and ready to go





mount fitted

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

removing the old oil pan and oil pan brace. The new pan has a thicker flange which would take the place of a brace and also uses an oil seal to help with sealing which is always an issue on rotary motors.


I found this when I removed the old pan. The previous owner put so much damn silicone sealant on, that some got off and this was on the screen of the oil pickup!!!! You can see the texture of where it was stuck in the oil pickup screen! what a dope. Thank god there doesn't appear to be any long term damage. Hell, it lived thru LOTS of track time like that.


And here we have the crux of why rotary oil pans always leak. Here's a look at the dipstick with the oil pan off. Notice that in order to get the motor small enough and low enough that the damn oil level when full on the dipstick is like an inch above the oil pan flange/seal...no wonder it leaks.


Putting on the new fancy pan. Nice THIN layer of Hondabond to help the seal. Hard to see, but you can also see the oil pickup extender which was a nice piece that came with the new pan.


Initially this corner wasn't pure flush, and I was a bit worried because the torque spec on the main bolts is very light at 100 in/lbs


There were cutouts for the supplied hardware to fit into the pan, but not all lined up perfectly so I put some washer to help even the load:



once torqued that corner came down nicely. Also note that the motor mounts mount to the back of the oil pan on these motors which have a higher torque rating and also lead to oil pan sealing issues if not done at the same time.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

sent out the injectors and fuel pump to be cleaned/tested/serviced. Unfortunately they came back showing at full bore them performing reasonably close to one another, but at lesser flows up to 20% difference. Their recommendation was to replace them. The fuel pump also had the relief valve constantly stuck open. SWEET.

Here was a tough point. The fuel system I run in the FD is 4 of the stock 850cc secondary injectors. It's a compromise because the car runs too rich at idle and also has some low speed on/off throttle drivability issues. That being said, the motor/ECU are already tuned for it, and it has driven great on the track like that for 7+ years.

I've wanted to change fuel setups for years to smaller primaries and newer injector dynamics secondaries. However this not only means the additional cost/complexity, but getting the car retuned which isn't an easy task. The closest place that I'd trust to tune the car is in Indiana.

I was also working toward my first intended track day of May of this year and didn't want to risk the additional time to get the new setup going and getting it towed to Indiana to get tuned right now. Plus I was changing/doing A LOT on the car otherwise and didn't want to introduce one more variable if I could control it.

So I bit the bullet and bought brand new injectors. Sucks to spend the money on new injectors that I know are a compromise, but I also know this setup will work for now. Of course I get one and the pintle cap is broken on arrival..sweet



Fortunately I was able to swap one from the old injectors


Here you can see the harness re-wrapped in Tesa high temp tape. I didn't go crazy with it, just removed old/greasy tape, cleaned with electrical cleaner where needed and re-wrapped.


Also an example of my home made ground wires. I used 4 gauge grounding cable, copper connectors, and heat shrink.


Once I got those things put back together it was time to put the motor back in


next up the radiator went in


I also replaced the coolant hoses for the heater core along the firewall before the motor went back in.

next up was the oil system. I run what was originally the Crooked Willow dual oil cooler setup. As of this point the only original parts are the carbon fiber ducts (which are the best part honestly), and the stainless lines. I previously lost one of the original Mocal oil coolers during track use a couple of years ago, and I replaced it with a used Setrab unit a friend cut me a good deal on. Then when I wrecked I beefed the driver's side Mocal cooler, so that was being replaced with a new Improved Racing 19 row cooler this time. The previous owner had never run an oil thermostat which I wanted to change.

So I was going to replace the driver's side cooler and add in an Improved Racing 180 degree thermostat.

Here is the thermostat installed


I had to make new mounting brackets as the old ones were broken in the wreck and frankly junky anyway. Mine weren't going to be artwork either, but should at least do. I got some strips of aluminum and used my fun tool of the vise break


Here's an example of one of the brackets with the new oil cooler and carbon duct installed

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

next up was the fuel system. The factory FD's had notorious fuel slosh issues at anything below 1/2 tank. My old car the previous owner said he had a 99' spec tank installed with better baffles. It may be the one thing he wasn't full of **** on as it would drive all the way down to 1/8 tank without issue. I didn't want to screw it up, so I never even opened the tank...until I smashed it into a wall. I believe I pulled out one of the magic pieces, but it was bent and I was unsure how to connect it.

So, I'm going to try out an in-tank fuel surge tank setup system that was developed with one of the SCCA SSM national auto-x winning cars.

Here's the general setup. The fuel pump return feeds into the top of the tank, and the fuel pump draws from the bottom. The red check valve will let in fuel into the tank if the level is higher in the larger gas tank, and keep it in if the surge tank level is higher.


Going to install and of course the fuel pump access is grungy


Cleaned it up so as to not dump dirt/grit into the tank


Getting this thing installed in the tank is less than enjoyable. First of all, everything has to go thru the fuel pump hangar access, second it has to be done in pieces:


Can't even get the thing in there with the fittings installed.

To install it has brackets which slip under the factory fuel pump tray and then it's secured to the top of the tank with a bracket that goes around the vapor valve



Then I installed the new Rotary Performance Denso fuel pump. It's a tight fit for sure and there are plenty of forearm cuts and scrapes to prove that.

ROTARY_ADDICT-1

iTrader: (6)

Very nice

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

There are 3 main things I'm trying to differ on this car compared to the old one.
1. Can I keep the power steering?
2. Can I keep the A/C?
3. Can I keep the stock hood?

The old car had no P/S, A/C and had a vented hood and always ran cool at the track, but I didn't like the hood visually, the lack of P/S could make 30 minute track sessions a decent amount of work, and A/C...you know that's nice to have and all.

So on the P/S front I installed a cooler to help make sure it didn't boil over:


Got the turbo manifold freshly resurfaced


Got my HKS downpipe ceramic coated


Turbos installed


A good friend made me a custom battery tray for the Shorai battery I run. Also put in the efini y-pipe.


cleaning up the power steering pump before install




PFC installed with the TurboJeff bracket which is a great piece and much better than the typical install which is just flopping around or velcro'd behind the panel.


With the diff out, it was time to change the fuel filter because it's WAY easier with the diff out.


The underside of the car is surprisingly clean especially when compared to the engine bay


Diff in with the Greddy diff cover which just barely clears the subframe

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

intercooler installed, also made a bracket and installed the catch can


ran into my first issue with keeping the A/C. The hardline against the firewall prevents the primary turbo intake from fitting appropriately...doh. Had to rig it up with a silicone hose/coupler for now


I had someone I trust build a custom rollbar in the car that's welded in. Same design as the old car which held up quite well during "testing" so I trust it. Plus I don't like the bolt-in solutions since they come further forward into the driver's space and going thru the flimsy floor isn't ideal at all.

I had to paint the wheel wells to keep the back side of the welds from rusting. I didn't want to get overspray on the car so I got a little OCD on prep. Got a cheap-o car condom to use complete with sweet Engrish




Rollball picture of the front mounting plates. The fabricator was also able to help re-fit the interior plastics from the old car without needing to cut up the nice pieces removed from the new car. Makes for a nice install.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

intercooler and intakes finished installing


First startup went well. Couple of small coolant leaks that needed cinched up, but nothing major. Time for the first drive. I didn't have the boost gauge hooked up yet, so I had to rig something up to make it work for a drive.



Installed the shifter from the old car. It's just a cut down stock shifter, but I always liked the feel/throw so I've kept it.


First drive went well overall. front sway bar was clunky and some other minor gripes, but nothing alarming which is great. Still a lot to do for the first track day though.

Still getting the interior together
The fabricator also helped by modifying the aluminum seats to mount to my Atomic Rex seat mounts and put the seat back brace on. I also had someone powder coat the seats black to look a little more in place in the black interior





seat mounts installed with anchors for the belts


Driver's seat installed


Passenger seat installed with harnesses and fire extinguisher mounted


Close up of the seat back brace installed

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Had to modify the shifter panel a bit to fit the PFC commander like I had in the old car. Pains me to do it, but I like it mounted there where it's clean.


Installed with the Sparco steering wheel, and the new location for the coolant and temp gauge.



At this point I'm finishing getting the car ready for its first track day. Here are the rear brakes going on. Also put on sakebomb stainless rear brake lines and speed bleeders in the calipers.



I also came across the first of expected/unexpected issues. While driving the car and putting some street miles on it, it just died on me. Acted like it ran out of fuel. I got the car home and put a fuel pressure gauge on the feed line, but the car would die and fuel pressure was fine and couldn't find any leaks. Not a fuel issue. Long story short it ended up being a bad idle air sensor that was going apeshit. After the car died one time I could hear it buzzing really loud. Additionally I think the way the wiring harness was running was putting undue pressure on the plug/wiring for the IAC.

I ended up getting a used IAC in good condition and moving the wiring harness which seems to have taken care of the problem so far.

Additionally I have an annoying exhaust leak at the catback connection. I've made it a bit better by running a thicker metal gasket


We set the ride heights, and with the help of good friends I was able to borrow some scales and hub stands. We leveled the scales as best we could, set the heights on the car, then corner balanced.


Finished up with the SSR track setup


It came in nice and light even keeping the A/C and P/S. This is with a bit over 1/2 tank of gas without me in it.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Came across another last minute issue. After corner balancing I was heading to get the car aligned the night before going to the first event....I'm afraid it's always last minute with my schedule. I had put in the new CL brake pads. Well about halfway there I started hearing a knocking noise that had me pull over worried. I couldn't find anything loose, so I went on. At the alignment we looked under the car and couldn't find anything wrong either. As it turns out the CL brake pads are smaller than the Hawks I normally run and they were flopping around in the calipers making the noise. Here's a video. When the noise goes away it's when I push on the brakes and push the pads against the rotor.


This was annoying to say the least and not the end of it, but for now I put the Hawks back in the front and it got rid of the noise.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

At this point there has been a lot done even if it's not all captured in photos. Here's the rundown of the punch list up to the first event:

Get custom battery tray made
· Remove front bumper cover and fender liners
· Remove stock motor/trans
· CLEAN the engine bay
· Head shielding on trans tunnel
· Powder coat seats and ceramic coat downpipe
· Install motor and trans
· Remove radio and wiring

Motor refresh/install checklist:

· Spray in the fogging oil I never freaking put in there. Better late than never and should hopefully help during startup.
· Remove upper intake – remove and re-seal any block-off plates, clean IAC and throttle body. Obtain and replace the little throttle body coolant lines that are going to be a pain to do any other time.
· Remove rats nest –good time to replace the old silicone lines done by D-bag. Also will test solenoids and replace as necessary.
· Remove injectors, send to be cleaned and get new o-rings
· Remove turbos – will need to have Kyle port the wastegate on the new 99 spec turbos and may have him resurface the gasket surfaces while at it.
· Remove lower intake, install new metal intake gasket. Remove and re-seal any block off plates.
· Replace oil injectors and make sure air atomization lines are still there (haven’t verified previously) and oil lines are clear.
· Replace water pump with newer better flowing unit ***research if need sealant or just gasket?***
· Remove oil pan, scrape/clean all surfaces, install new pan with sealant. **remove silicone from mount holes, run tap thru holes**
· Modify stock aluminum motor mount arm to accept new motor mounts, and install with pan/brace.
· Replace primary injector diffusers – they get brittle over time and can break and kill a motor.
· Clean up primary and secondary fuel rails.
· Replace Fuel Pump Damper with new factory unit – these fail and cause engine fires – replace rubber fuel lines
· Remove the flywheel and clutch
· Replace rear main oil seal and re-torque the engine studs
· Reinstall flywheel and clutch – need to figure out how to torque them down and not break engine stand.
· Remove/install pilot bearing and seal, re-grease
· Cleanup and re-seal oil filler neck (either RTV or new o-ring or both).
· Clean up grunge around the motor
· Replace oil sender
· Apply DEI gold foil to LIM (turbo side) and bottom of UIM.
· Reinstall intake manifolds, fuel rails, and injectors
· Reinstall turbos (fogging oil) and manifolds. May need to change manifold depending on fit (trouble getting turbos on last time think a stud might be crooked).
· Test solenoids, replace any that are faulty
· Create ground wire for motor locations and install
· need to place coolant sender in TB coolant line **do this with motor out if possible**
· Replace silicon vacuum lines


Motor startup checklist:
· Change plugs, install new plug wires
· Mount/install the HKS twinpower ignition amplifier and hook it up to the coil harness
· Mount up the A/C
· Hook up the power/battery harness on all of the driver’s side engine/accessories
· Run the wiring harness into the interior of the passenger side – mount the PFC and attach the commander even if it’s not permanently installed.
· Mount the turbo manifold, tap the holes, put in the studs, mount the turbos with new gaskets. **see if you need more downpipe studs/nuts**
· Hook up fuel lines to motor
· Fuel setup install – line/fittings purchased. Need to fix fuel pump electrical connector, need to solder additional ground for fuel pump.
· Oil cooler install
· Install radiator and fans
· Install front sway bar (shares supports of radiator)
· Clean up the P/S pump, mount, hook up additional cooler,
· Install the y-pipe, air-pump idler pulley
· Install battery and tray
· Remove UIM, prime fuel system, check for leaks
· Install UIM vacuum lines and new gasket – torque
· Remove old diff
· Change fuel filter while diff is out
· Install diff, PPF, and driveshaft
· Install downpipe, midpipe and exhaust
· Install air pump idler pulley and belts
· Install shifter with oil in housing and new gasket.
· Bleed slave cyl
· Add oil, coolant, p/s fluid, diff fluid, trans fluid – new crush washer on diff/trans plugs
· Remove EGI fuse and crank to build oil pressure – check oil level and add as needed when the coolers get filled
· Fill p/s fluid and bleed with car off (key on)
· Add coolant, bleed, and start the motor….hope nothing blows up.


First test drive list:
· Remove exhaust
· Install banzai trans brace
· Install other chassis braces – need to replace or fix PPF/diff rear brace.
· Hook up front sway bar
· Install intercooler and duct.
· fine tune idle via PFC idle learn procedure.
· Remove rear suspension and paint/seal rear wheel wells.
· Reinstall rear suspension
· Install adjustable rear sway bar endlinks – make sure they’re not damaged.
· Tuck up and protect wire harness that runs above front wheels.
· Figure out where to mount catch can
· Install intakes
· Install front bumper,
· install fender liners
· install hood
· mount wheels


Track prep list:
· create/install updated ground wires
· Replace front and rear sway bar rod ends
· trim plastic below oil coolers and fit
· seal gaps around radiator/condenser – new foam on under panel?
· Install new exhaust gaskets at midpipe & catback to try to eliminate leaks
· Figure out power steering cooler mounting/lines – also figure out if using stock cooling line or moving.
· Figure out way to install intake heat shield/box.
· Install water injection and mount in trunk – need to test injection system and find issue and replace as needed.
· Remove steering wheel/airbag
· Install hub and steering wheel
· Install bigger rear rotors and caliper spacers – clean up calipers
· Install rear stainless brake lines and speed bleeders in rear calipers – bleed system.
· Install boost and coolant temp gauges
· Install M/C brace
· Remove factory driver’s seat
· Install interior plastics
· Install race seats and harnesses
· Get Nittos mounted on SSRs – check wheels for cracks –
· Mount SSRs
· Set ride heights
· Corner balance
· Alignment
· Road test
· install track pads

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

also...that sweet power steering cooler? damned if I didn't run the lines in a way that would push the underpanel away from the radiator...so it had to go. For now I'm just running upgraded Joe Gibbs power steering fluid in the stock setup. Same unfortunately goes for the brake cooling ducts, I used to run the hoses up to the front next to the radiator, and now the stock power steering line runs thru there...so no cooling hoses at the moment.

One last touch before I can be ready to set out on the first track day. Gotta keep the right mindset


Loaded up and ready to roll. People on my local forum wanted to know where the LS content was in my build...here it is. LS2 in the tow vehicle and it does awesome.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

First track day: NNJR at Mid Ohio. Not only was there a TON of stuff changed on the car to get it to this point, but this is also my first time back on track in a year, and it's the anniversary event of my wreck at Mid Ohio..haha. Just need to face that demon head on. That being said I'm not driving in the rain! hahaha.

Friday went well. Got the car up to speed over a few sessions. I was having a problem with the rear brake pads shuddering and holding more temp (100+ degrees) than the fronts. Those stupid CL brakes were hanging up. I swapped to my back up Hawks at lunch and the problem went away.

Saturday...it rained....HARD...and pretty much all day. I picked up a student in a Mini Cooper S who was running BFG R1's and had never driven in the rain at Mid Ohio..haha. We went out one session to prove we could do it, and then we were done for the day.

When you're at the track, you gotta go in style right?


Errr...except that's my steel trailer in the foreground...There's always some crazy money at Porsche Club events, but that guy was cool as crap. German guy that owns Spiegler brake lines out of Dayton.

Sunday I started having a problem with the car cutting power in left hand corners that were proceeded by a right hander. It started with places like under the Honda bridge and then got worse. Seemed like fuel starvation, but I looked at other things.

Found this bolt loose on the alternator. Wasn't the issue and I think normal shake-down crap.


I tried disconnecting the water injection and a couple of other things, but nothing to avail. Something with the fuel setup. I could completely fill the tank and it'd stop, but only for about 5-6 laps before it'd come back which was annoying.

Overall though the weekend was positive. I was able to put about 150 track miles on the car and the fuel issue was the only glaring issue and the suspension, brakes (after pad change), and motor otherwise were holding up well.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Track day 2 punch list:
*Nut and bolt check every major suspension and brake component
· Check for leaks clean up or tighten as necessary
· Figure out which pads to run – going to CL front/rear to try again
· Grind/file rear pads to ensure plenty of fit. Drill holes and run factory v-springs
· Flush all fluid with fresh Ferodo race fluid
· Modify fender liners to put mesh for back of oil coolers as well as opening for fender vent
· Test temp sender – test – found out bad – replace with new unit
· Figure out if removing fuel solution or what the next steps are for power cutting out?
· Put in water wetter
· Bleed cooling system and test temp gauge


I've been having a problem with my temp gauge. I ordered Speedhut gauges and put them in and the boost gauge works great. THe temp gauge is run thru the throttle body coolant line and was reading WAY low. I had to always look at my PFC for the proper temp which is annoying and takes my eyes off of the track. I tested the sender using boiling water and it was definitely off on the reading by like 25 degrees. I got a new sender from the company after a long back and forth. Got the new sender installed and the gauge is better now, but still reads about 10 degrees low. I can much more easily compensate for that on the fly, but still not ideal. It'll go back to the list of things to work on when I get time.

The big question outstanding for track day 2 was would the car run hot with the A/C? June track day would put that to the first real test. Temps were ok in May, but the ambient wasn't very hot either. To help as best as I could I did 2 things. Put in water wetter and made sure I'm running about 70/30 water/coolant mix. Then I opened up holes in the fender liners to vent the oil coolers better.

Rotaries utilize oil for cooling/temp control much more than piston engines, so that's why big dual oil coolers are important. I have great ducts from the bumper to the coolers, but behind that there are coolant/washer tanks and then a plastic fender liner. The factory fender vent is supposed to pull air from behind the oil cooler, over the fender and out the functional vent. I just don't think that was flowing enough for big aftermarket coolers, so I cut out the fender liners and put in stainless mesh. I also did the same for the fender vent side to help flow through the wheel well



Other things I changed up for the 2nd track day: The car is a bit squirrely under heavy braking. To fight this I tightened up the front shocks to keep it from diving as hard under braking, but then got a front end push, so I softened up the front sway for the 2nd event.

I also wanted to try to run the damn CL brake pads. I went back and forth with the vendor about the issues with the pads, but in the end they couldn't take them back because they were used. They made it up to me by cutting me a good deal on the Ferodo pads I wanted to try out anyway as well as a set of replacement AP rotors



I also got 3 bottles of Ferodo racing brake fluid to try in the deal. SO far it seems nice, pretty similar to the Motul RBF I used to run. The only goofy thing is that it's much darker than other fluids I've used so it looks dirty in the reservoir, but I can deal with that.


For the fuel issues I opened the tank and found that the feed line from the tank to the fuel pump was disconnected, so I put it back on. Used a fuel injection line clamp and clamped that sucker down.

I also modified the rear CL brake pads to use. They didn't have the provisions fo the stock v-springs so I drilled holes for them, and then filed the edges to make sure they didn't hang up in the caliper/carrier.


Also during the May event my intake temps got higher than I had experienced in the past, so I was also going to try out something different:


I don't intend to run 50/50, but my thought is to run a smaller amount like 15-20% meth to bring down IAT's.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

2nd track event. OVRPCA @ Mid Ohio. 3 day weekend with Friday being advanced and instructors. Start running Friday morning and the CL brake pads are finally working...but the fuel issue rears its head on the 2nd session...DOH. I tried messing with the ignition but I was just lying to myself. It was the fuel issue.

So I made a choice and towed it home at lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon messing with the fuel system. The same line had come off again. Previously I didn't think to question WHY it came off. I think there were 2 issues. One is that the bulkhead fitting was loose so that the line could move around. The 2nd is that the clamp wasn't wide enough and would allow the line to slip off.

The good news is that I was able to get it back together and working and back up there Saturday. The tank seems to be working and I could run and have fun.

Saturday was hot too with ambient temps in the high 80s touching 90 so I put to test the meth with the IATs and the cooling system. The meth mix did work and as expected and helped keep IATs steady. The cooling system ran right up against my personal threshold for temps, but didn't go over. So the A/C will get one more chance in July's event to see how it goes.

The fuel system troubles weren't completely over. While the system was working, it wasn't working as well as I would have hoped. Went out a session starting a bit under 1/2 tank, and couldn't finish the session without fuel slosh issues.



If I keep the tank on the top half it still works just fine which is a definite improvement from where I was before, but still annoying.

I was at least able to have fun with the car. Here I'm playing around in the A group. Once I cleared the e46 race car I was able to run some high 1:40s. That's good news to me as I know that I'm leaving some time on the table and there's a :39 in the car I just need to get it. Likely won't be until fall as the track slows in the summer when it's hot/greasy, but at least I'm on the right track.

Smokey The Talon

iTrader: (33)

Next event was Audi Club @ Mid Ohio in July. This was going to be the big test for the cooling system and if I could keep A/C. It was going to be sunny, mid-90s temp, and strong humidity. I also had some things I needed to fix/update as always.

After my last session in June I realized something when I came off of the track.


I had sprung a leak from my passenger oil cooler. Thankfully it wasn't getting on anything other than the car and I didn't put fluid on the track, but I'd need to remedy that before the next event.

I was also killing my LF tire hammering it into the keyhole and carousel and needed to flip it on the rim


I was also STILL having fuel starve issues and when I opened the tank I was having trouble keeping the fuel pump feed line connected. I think the barb I received just wasn't good enough at holding it.


Here was the fuel level at the start of a session, and then the fuel level after I had issues and came in with fuel starve. I just don't think it was working correctly because that line was coming loose (not fully off, but loose)



I want it to work better than that.

I'm also going to try out yet another catch can solution in effort to cut down on needing to empty that thing after ever session.

Removing the brake backing plates - I have my ducted plates on there, but nowhere to run the hose for the ducts currently, so I figured it'd get more flow if I opened it up.

-Change diff fluid, engine oil, and trans fluid.
-change brake pads
-bleed brakes
-put together better radiator ducting - block off all exits so it has to flow thru condenser and radiator. Best chance to keep from overheating.