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Calvin Wan’s Drift FD3S Period Correct Refresh By Rotary Extreme
C.Wan FD3S Refresh – Update 25
It's incredible how many things are dependent on each other when designing and building something. This weekend was fun making the SS braided lines because they were not as easy as replacing the old section and keeping it the same length. I really like how everything was originally routed with the time allotted when you’re maintaining a racecar during events, it's doing things the most effective way in the shortest amount of time possible. Since I have time, I wanted to see if I could route things a little cleaner.
To make things easier for writing here are some acronyms: Wastegate (WG) and A'PEXi GT Reservoir Tank (AST). You guys can tell me how I did.
01 - Middle Chassis Brace
02 - Seal Floor Paint Chip
03 - WG Coolant Hoses
04 - WG Vacuum Fittings
05 - WG Vacuum Lines
06 - Boost Solenoid Vacuum Lines
07 - Clean AST
08 - Install AST
09 - AST To Engine Hose
10 - AST Upper Hose
11 - Test Fit Radiator
12 - AST Lower Hose
01 - Middle Chassis Brace
While I was installing the exhaust I forgot to put on the middle tunnel chassis brace. So since there are pictures showing it missing I just wanted to document it that I got it installed.
02 - Seal Floor Paint Chip
Back when I was installing the transmission, one of the adjustable arms on the transmission jack made contact with the driver’s side floor near the transmission tunnel while I was lifting up the back of the transmission. It was on the opposite side, so I did not see it. It looks like C.Wans car had some previous battle damage and I added another small dent under the car in that area. On the inside the paint cracked and when I checked the crack the paint chipped away. I peeled off a little more in hopes that it would stop peeling but it kept going. Basically, the body shop did not scuff or prep the floor properly. Under the chipped paint was smooth untouched original paint. It looks like they might have sprayed a primer, but the primer did not hold at all. Prep is everything. So, I scuffed the area that needed touch up and a little more so I could seal it properly. I masked off the area to be painted and had the shop vac on to suck up the overspray. The paint code is “UC” Crystal White, and when I sprayed it, it was way whiter than what the car was. After painting I installed the driver side footrest and wiped the excess paint away that was above the footrest.
03 - WG Coolant Hoses
All I have to say is Thank Goodness I made some drawings of how the WAG and AST lines were routed. The wastegate coolant lines were PTFE – lines SS braided hoses and were in great shape. The original heatshielding was falling apart so I put some new DEI heatshielding on. With the WG installed I could replace the rubber section going from the hose barb to the nipples on the engine side. I was able to replace the old coolant hoses with a spare L-shaped coolant line I had that was intended bypass the TB and go from the back of the engine up to the nipple behind the front thermostat housing. The upper WG had a 45-degree elbow and pitched it closer to the LIM and crossing over the turbo heatshield. For the replacement line I cut the 90-degree section off and used it to pitch the line towards the strut tower and away from the turbo heatshield. I wrapped both ends of the DEI fiberglass heatshield with silicone tape to prevent the ends from fraying. I also wrapped the exposed braided section and the part of the rubber coolant hose with silicone tape that will be touching the metal fittings on the turbo oil feed line. For the bottom WG coolant hose, I did the same thing as the top hose and replaced the straight rubber coolant hose from the barb to the engine.
04 - WG Vacuum Fittings
The 4AN fittings were nicked at the 37-degree flare mating surface that go onto the WG spring housing and I was worried about a vacuum leak. I got 2x 4AN Male to 1/8 NPT and 2x 4AN 150-degree swivel hose seals built to JIC standards from ACE Race Parts. The threaded 1/8 port on top of the WG near the spring tensioning bolt was fine and when I installed the 4AN to 1/8 NPT I added some Permatex thread sealant as a backup. The other 4AN to 1/8 NPT went into a 90-degree adapter that screwed into the bottom side of the spring retainer housing. This 90-degree adapter was not fully secured due to the square edge of the adapter hitting the housing edge as it was screwed down. I shaved and rounded out the edge of the 90-degree adapter to get another rotation out of it. I used some Oatey FASTape which has a rating of 500F and is a little thicker than Teflon tape. I also put some Permatex thread sealant on the end and when screwed in, it felt secured. I test fit the 150-degree fittings to make sure the 90-degree adapter was at the right angle.
05 - WG Vacuum Lines
As noted in the previous update, the fiberglass shield wore off on the WG vacuum line and it looked like the down pipe cooked the ss braided hose. I’m not sure how many of you guys have worked with 4AN SS braided lines but they are a pain in the **** trying to get the hose end over the braided line by hand. I replace both WG vacuum lines with new ss braided lines, installed the DEI fiber glass heatshielding and wrapped both ends with silicone tape to prevent them from fraying. From under the car, I pushed both WG vacuum lines up around the WG cooling lines and secured the 150-degree fittings in place.
06 - Boost Solenoid Vacuum Lines
I finally figured out an easier way to install the hose end over the 4AN SS braided line. I use a fuel line clamp to hold my hand against and to also hold the braid from enlarging as I push the fitting on with a socket that fits over the hose end piece. I also wrapped silicone tape around the fitting and held it lightly in the vice as I tried to screw them together. I used some Redline Assembly lube to help pressing on the fittings as well. The EARLs 4AN fittings are crazy on how they hold they hose in place. There is the initial barb but above that is a locking thinner barb. This upper barb digs into the rubber hose on the inside creating a solid seal. But I feel it’s a double-bladed sword, since it digs in so deep, it cuts its way through as the line gets older and brittle. You do not want a lot of movement with this type of fitting over a long period of time. But since I replaced them all, were good for another 20 years easy. On the boost solenoid vacuum line side there is a T-fitting. Originally the line from the WG was in-line with the line going to the intercooler hot side pipe, and the branch off the T-fitting went up to the boost solenoid. This configuration allowed the lines to sit closer to the turbo heatshield. Since I was making all new lines, I switched it up and made the WG line go in-line with the T-fitting up to the boost solenoid, and the branch off the T-fitting now goes to the turbo outlet pipe. This configuration pulls the lines up away from the turbo heatshield. I installed the DEI fiber glass heatshielding and wrapped both ends of the heatshield with silicone tape to prevent the ends from fraying.
07 - Clean AST
The AST and everything connected to it was dirty. I removed the AN lines and the big rubber hose on the bottom. There was some gold reflective heatshield on the bottom that was still in decent condition, but I removed it to replace it with the newer higher temp silver reflect-a-cool. I cleaned everything up and gave it the 0000 ss wool finish. There was some pitting and oxidation on the inside of the reservoir where the radiator cap makes a seal. I cleaned it up with a small wire brush. Last I installed the new sheet of reflect-a-cool on the bottom. I thought this thing was so cool so I found one on ebay and got an APEX’i GT radiator cap to match. I will be keeping my ABS so who knows if I’ll actually install it.
08 - Install AST
The AST ended up being more drama than I expected on the install and hose routing. The AST tank was at an angle, the top AST hose needed support, and I needed to test fit the radiator to see where the lower AST hose will be. OK, let's get started. I inspected, cleaned, and wrapped the big radiator return hose with the DEI heatshield and installed it loosely onto the AST. The AST bolts to the same bracket that the boost solenoid is on and when bolted down it sat at an angle. I cut a small spacer from a nylon standoff and placed it under the bracket where it bolts to the shock tower. Now that the AST looks better I set the angle for the lower coolant return hose in the correct position and tightened the clamp.
09 - AST To Engine Hose
The AST to engine return hose originally went over the engine like a rainbow, super fast and effective install..lol. It was cool to see the hose was an ERAL's 3/4 inch hose with a 250 PSI working pressure, should be safe for the 13-16 PSI of the cooling system. On the re-install I put the 90-degree part of the EARL's hose on the left engine 3/4 nipple on the rear iron and then fed the line past the A/C bracket. I used a leftover harness clamp to hold the coolant hose against the A/C bracket. To get it across the front safely I made two 90-degree aluminum elbows. Part of the hose was curved so I positioned that curving away from the engine, later I will make something to secure it. For the last section to the T-fitting I used a 3/4 silicon hose I had in stock.
10 - AST Upper Hose
I wanted to clean up the AN hose fittings for the upper and lower AST ss-braided hoses. The upper AST hose had a 150-degree rubber hose, a brass fitting, and some clamps. I found a 6an female to 150-degree hose end and a 6AN male flare to 3/8 barb. The barb was a little long so I cut off the first barb since the clamp will fit behind the second barb. I cut a small curved section of the rubber hose to help angle the front AN fitting a little more inward. I replaced the upper AST line with new 6AN ss braided lines, installed the DEI fiber glass heatshielding and wrapped both ends with silicone tape to prevent them from fraying. I made a bracket to support the middle of the upper AST hose from vibrating against the corner of the LIM heatshield.
11 - Test Fit Radiator
So in order to get an accurate length on the lower AST hose I had to test fit the radiator to find out where the dang return nipple and endtank will be. The original radiator has held up well but I need to modify something to make it better. I will replace the cross bar that has a raised middle section with a flat one and make new bracket to hold the top of the radiator to where I need it to be. The radiator return pipe fits between the oil cooler hard line and soft line at an aggressive angle which applies more pressure then I like. I cut off the return pipe so I can set the radiator position better for the top brackets. Next was to install the LRB undertray since this is how low the radiator can go. I put a spare fan shroud on the back of the radiator to make sure everything would be accurate as possible when making the brackets to hold the radiator. Another thing I am doing is centering the radiator. It was offset to be used with A/C but since there is none I can center the VM-kit.
12 - AST Lower Hose
Now with the radiator in place I can make the lower AST hose. This one was a little tricky since I wanted to make the routing visually appealing like everything else. The length of the original hose was fine, I just needed to cut it to have the AN fitting with the 3/8 barb on the end. I had to swap the 45-degree and straight AN fittings on the AST to get the angle I wanted for the lower AST hose. I replaced the lower AST line with new 6AN ss braided lines, installed the DEI fiber glass heatshielding and wrapped both ends with silicone tape to prevent them from fraying. I will need to move the nipple on the endtank and that will hold the lower AST hose safely in place.
Thank you for reading this build thread and let's pray for the people in the Thailand Myanmar earthquake!!!
pictures
01 - Middle Chassis Brace
02 - Seal Floor Paint Chip
03 - WG Coolant Hoses
Last edited by rotaryextreme; Mar 31, 2025 at 10:50 PM.
Calvin Wan’s Drift FD3S Period Correct Refresh By Rotary Extreme
C.Wan FD3S Refresh – Update 26
As usual - This is taking way longer than expected. Once again this depends on that shows itself again. From the VM kit to the interior, it's a juggle between things to make forward progress. When Over the next few weeks I will be working on the VM kit and It's an involved process since my kits are not cookie cutter kits. The process is the radiator and support brackets are made. Then the radiator necks, drain plug and other peripherals are modified. Thats all reinstalled, and then the front IC support frame is made that holds the fuse box and the brackets for the IC. The IC core is test fitted with the hood and fenders aligned, then the IC brackets are made to support the IC core. The IC piping is next, then the PS cooler gets installed. Then its time to make the turbo intake set-up. Once all that's done everything comes back apart to paint the brackets, flush the KOYO core to clean it and get any debris out, and sand the koyo core for a natural satin look. Next the IC core is also blown out with the air compressor to get any debris out and then sanded for a natural sanded look. Then everything is put back all together. OK on with the show.
01 - AST Hose Bracket
02 - Radiator Upper Brackets
03 - Radiator Lower Brackets
04 - Radiator Welding
05 - Radiator Test Fit
06 - Front IC and Fuse Box Brackets
07 - Intercooler Teardown
08 - IC Quick Test Fit
09 - Dash Scratch Repair
10 - Dash Installed
11 - Shifter Install
01 - AST Hose Bracket
Earlier I made a real quick bracket to hold up the upper AST line from hitting the LIM heat shield. I revisited the bracket and made a nice new one that is stronger and holds the AST hose in a better position.
02 - Radiator Upper Brackets
In the past the top radiator brackets were welded to the top or front of the cross bar and shifted to the right to make room for the AC Compressor on the left side. For C.Wan’s car I did something a little different since there is no AC and the top neck was already modified. I made some top radiator brackets from some angled aluminum and placed them on the front frame cross brace support brackets to put the radiator at a lower and centered position. I did have to cut a small section on the cross brace to clear the lower radiator neck. Then I put the cross brace on top of them and bolted it all down.
03 - Radiator Lower Brackets
Now that the top brackets are supporting and centering the radiator, I needed to make the lower brackets that set the height and provided side to side support. In the earlier kits there was a lower cross brace that went between the tow hooks, it had 2 holes for the bottom radiator alignment post to slide into. The aluminum brackets would crack at the tow hooks and when the car was cross strapped down on a trailer the lower bar would bow, and the bottom radiator post would pop out. I created the lower brackets to hold the radiator and allow the frame to flex, also the car can be cross strapped down and the brackets act like a spring system. To set the lower height, the bracket goes from the stock upper radiator support bracket down to the radiator side panel. Then there are brackets that go from the tow hooks to the side panel to provide additional support for side to side and the weight. I also put a bracket behind the other 2 of the 3 bolts to make sure the tow hook sits flush and that the tow hook bolts are not seated at an angle which would cause side load and gall the threads. With the radiator fully seated, I marked where I will need to relocate the nipple for the AST return line and the new position of the lower radiator neck.
04 - Radiator Welding
I welded the lower neck back on with an extension to reach the lower radiator hose. Next, I cut off the nipple, drilled a hole in the new location, welded the nipple back on angled 180 degrees from the original angle, and welded the original hole shut. I used my pressure test kit, and a spray bottle filled with soapy water to check the welds for leaks. I did find some and re-flowed the area and all was good. The last thing to do was to cut off the angled parts of the side bracket that went over the radiator. This was used to bolt the IC duct to, but my fab skills have gotten better, and I will make new ducting between the IC and radiator. I left a curve and the top of the side brackets to give them more strength. I cleaned up the cuts with a table sander.
05 - Radiator Test Fit
Now that the radiator has been modified, I needed to do I final test fit to make sure everything is OK before moving onto the IC brackets. I replaced the 2-piece upper hose with a single new 90-degree hose I had in stock and the lower radiator hose fit great as well. The position of the AST return line to the radiator checked out as well.
06 - Front IC and Fuse Box Brackets
Once again, my sample brackets were made for the radiator shifted to the right, so with some minor tweaks I made all new front IC brackets to match the centered radiator to the IC core. The bracket that goes all the way across supports the IC and takes most of load off the front upper hood latch support bar. In my older kits and most new aftermarket kits, the front of the IC is bolted to the hood latch bar and the engine TQ transfers the movement through the core to that top bar. People start having issues with latching the hoods. So now I have a frame that supports the IC and the IC itself appears to be floating in the engine bay. The 2 smaller brackets hold the fuse box and provide additional strength to the hood latch top bar. Dependent on where the IC ends up sitting, I may redo the front IC brackets and see if I can tuck the fuse box up a little more.
07 - Intercooler Teardown
Since the IC will be supported by new brackets and at a new angle, I had to cut the brackets and pipes off. I sanded the front and back end plates, and where the pipes were cut off with a belt sander. Once the IC is completed, I’ll used compressed air to get any debris out of the core.
08 - IC Quick Test Fit
To properly set the angle of the IC I need the hood, but I wanted to do a quick test fit to get an idea of what needs to happen to support the core. The back of the IC is limited by the radiator upper water neck. The front of the IC is limited by the hood. The IC pipes are easier to work with since the angle is more adjustable. The IC will be supported by 2 braces that will go from the back cross brace that’s hold the top of the radiator to the front cross bracket that holds the fuse box. Once the IC is set, I will see if I can get the fuse box up a little more.
09 - Dash Scratch Repair
There was a nasty tear on C. Wans dash and I wanted to fix it using the Tear Mender kit. First, I had to fill the tear with the fluid that glues the stuff together. Then I had to apply several layers of the black rubber paint to cover the tear. As soon as the black rubber paint started to dull, I had to tap it with my finger to flatten it and to give it a tiny bit of texture. Once I was satisfied with the repair, I gave the dash a wash with some soapy water and brushed it clean. I noticed one of the vents had a misaligned sidewall, so I took it apart and fixed it. The dash looks much better now, you can still see the imperfection where the tear was, but it’ll look better once installed.
10 - Dash Installed
To get the dash installed you have to lower the steering column, remove the E-brake, and shifter. I slid the right side of the dash past the roll cage first and then the left side since it was smaller and more flexible. It was fun crawling under the dash on both sides screwing in all the mounting screws. I really should have cleaned the windshield before I installed the dash, unfortunately I didn’t notice the overspray on the INSIDE of the front window until the dash was installed. I spent an hour at the least cleaning the front window, making sure I didn’t damage any stickers or scratch anything. There was overspray on both sides of the front window, maybe 3 dots per square inch on the outside, but a lot more on the inside just above where the dash sits. The left lower side behind the stickers was the worst and since I already installed the dash, I could not clean it as good as I wanted to too. There was a spot on the upper right side where it looked like there was a hole in the masking job. Anyways I did my best and the window looks a lot cleaner, I’m sorry C.Wan that I didn’t catch the overspray earlier. The dash scratch repair looks great through the window though!!!
11 - Shifter Install
C.Wan has an RE-Amemiya shifter which has a different upper bushing then factory. I did order a factory rebuild kit, but I only ended up using the shift to turret gasket. The turret needs to be filled with approximately 3oz of 75W-90 or an equivalent like Redline MT-90. The shifter turret and transmission have separate chambers, so you need to siphon the old fluid out of the turret from the top. When I had the transmission out, I already cleaned the old fluid out when I removed the 5th gear lockout. With the fluid installed, next I installed the brass bushing for the bottom of the shifter. Several RX7 shops sell this piece for like 40 bucks, I bought the marketed RX7 brass bushing and then I bought the miata bushing off Amazon for 9 bucks and verified they were the same. The brass bushing is made by DEWHEL, 20mm outside dia, 15mm inside dia, 14mm high. 1990-2015 NA/NB/NC miata 5 spd trans and 2006-2019 MX-5 5spd trans, I think a reference number is B09Q5GDJY8. Next is to the grease the pivot bushing and the fulcrum assembly on the shifter. I cleaned all the old grease off and used some high temp synthetic grease. I put the bottom spring and then the bottom bushing in, put the gasket on and dropped the shifter in. Make sure you feel the notch on the shifter lines up with the pin on the transmission shift assembly. I bolted the shifter down with the 3 bolts, then I ran the AEM AFR O2 sensor harness through the transmission cover plate and bolted it down.
Hopefully I can get the dash dialed in next weekend and get power to the electrical system to verify gauges.
I hope to be done within the next 2 months I still have alot to do! - ill make a note to myself here...lol
Not in sequential order.
Finish VM kit with ps cooler and turbo intake then tear it down, flush rad and IC, then satin finish the aluminum and paint the brackets and re-install then make intake for turbo, hook up pre and post turbo silicone lines for pri inject air bleed and oil injectors.
Put dimples in the LRB undertray for the radiator fan exhaust.
Finish interior Dash, and center console, modify door panels to work with cage.
Redo release handle on driver side door.
Install fuel pump relay to batt, reinstall power disconnect (disconnects all power, bat and alt from car).
Install pwm fan controller for the oil cooler fans, wire back in the harness connectors for the factory fans.
Swap right front control arm, reinstall apexi coil-overs.
Install front hood, fenders, bumper.
Wire in AEM gauge to use with FC Tweak software for autotune.
Install all the fluids..
probably some more stuff will pop up.... but yeah... still alot to do.
Last edited by rotaryextreme; Apr 10, 2025 at 05:45 PM.
Anyways, back when I painted C.Wan's interior pieces, I bubble wrapped them for safety. Who would have thunk the bubbles would have left circle on the paint making it look like an octopus had its way with it. So, the one day I had this weekend to work on the car went to rework – lessons learned.
01 – Octo Paint Damage
02 – AC Panel Painted
03 – Gauge Cluster Painted
04 – All Dash Panels Painted
05 – Left Kick Panel Connections and Emergency Power Disconnect
06 – Right Kick Panel Connections and APEXi PFC GND
07 – APEXi EL Meter Harness Labels
08 – Mirror And Feet
01 – Octo Paint Damage
After I painted the gauge cluster panels and let them dry for a few days, I wrapped them in bubble wrap, and there they sat for 2 years. This weekend I wanted to install the panels, but I discovered the damn bubble wrap left circles on the paint making it look like an octopus had its way with it. I scuffed the top edges of the gauge and AC panel, but it just made it look shinier. I was able to save the lower section of the gauge cluster but after the repair the color was slightly off. Thankfully the center console that was wrapped in yellow bubble wrap was ok.
02 – AC Panel Painted
Thankfully I had one can of SEM paint prep degreaser and one can of SEM satin black. I took apart the AC panel, masked off the carbon fiber sections, degreased it, then painted it. When I degreased the part, I used some class 100 cleanroom wipes that are 100% polyester and do not leave any lint or fibers behind. I let sit for a few hours and then partially assembled it back together. I have a spare black AVC-R and if it works when connected I will swap it out.
03 – Gauge Cluster Painted
I did the same process for the gauge cluster. I took apart the AC panel, masked off the carbon fiber sections, degreased it, then painted it. I also took the plastic cover off the gauge cluster to clean all the dirt and dust behind it. The cigarette lighter is a little tricker to get out, you have to turn the metal part until the open section lines up with the orange retainer prongs, then push the metal part down until the open section is behind the orange prongs, push the bigger prong in and the cigarette lighter assembly should push right out.
04 – All Dash Panels Painted
After painting and reassembling the panels, I grabbed the 2-piece steering column panel. It was faded and the finish was wearing through on the edges. This was one of those things where you just gotta do what you gotta do. The last thing I would want is C.Wan wishing the panel matched and me thinking I should have painted it when I had the chance. So now all the panels gave a fresh coat of paint and are matching. I was surprised that 1 can of SEM paint covered all these pieces, but you will need 2 cans if you want to paint the center console too.
05 – Left Kick Panel Connections and Emergency Power Disconnect
I was able to get to the dash connections this weekend, although I did not get to apply power to check the gauges, I still got a fair amount done. The left kick panel area has the fuse box and several relays. I was able to connect everything except a missing box (that we are looking for) that has a black connector going to it. Next, I needed to route the emergency power disconnect (EPD). This disconnects power from the battery and alternator at the same time removing all sources of power completely from the car. The power cables had a little bit of the bolts exposed where they were screwed on at the disconnect so I covered it with silicon tape – damn I love this stuff. I cleaned the EPD cables where they reside in the cabin and secured them against the side wall with a cable clamp. I routed the EPD cables through a hole in the firewall at the wheel well to be routed into the engine bay later. The body harness that goes to the rear of the car is also secured with a cable clamp near the fuse box. The last thing we need is loose cables flopping around while C.Wan is doing clutch kicks.
06 – Right Kick Panel Connections and APEXi PFC GND
While putting the APEXi PFC back in I noticed that ECU was completely isolated from ground. The aluminum brackets are held on by double sided tape and there were rubber washers between the brackets and the mounting locations. This means the only ECU grounds would be the ones in the harness plugged into the ECU. On the stock set-up the ECU housing is also grounded, so I made a separate ground wire for the APEXi PFC chassis and grounded that with the other ground wires from the harness to the chassis. The right-side kick panel area had so many connections going through the firewall so it took some time to sort out. First, I routed the APEXi sensors harness to the APEXi EL Meter, then I secured the pulled back un-used connectors from the engine bay. This left the remaining front harness that goes to the dash and body harnesses. With the PFC in place, I was able to make all the other connections and secured the harnesses with zip ties.
07 – APEXi EL Meter Harness Labels
The harnesses from the APEXi EL Meter to the APEXi gauges had tape to identify which connector goes where, I replaced these with labels and Kapton tape to secure the labels. There is a pigtail that splits into 2 on both harnesses and as I was putting on the labels one of the pigtails came loose and fell off. I reconnected it and put Kapton tape at all the interface connectors to prevent them from coming loose again.
08 – Mirror And Feet
I reinstalled the mirror on the windshield, and test fit the passenger footrest that comes in a 2000 Type RZ. The footrest is made for RHD but if you turn it upside down it will work for LHD with some minor bracket fab work. The driver side floor panel is a custom panel with a cool 5ZIGEN scuff plate.
