pics Part 8 - Cruise Control - Oh Yes I Did ?!?!?!?!

 

pics Part 9 - Radiator Fans

 

pics Part 10 - Intercooler Fit Check

 

Looking good! Nice work, I'm about to retrofit cruise to mine too, got to be done! Basic human right in 2021 .

 

I agree with you, especially if I'm going to drive 200 miles in a straight line... lol

You have the IGN-1A coils too?

I hear if your single turbo CC is bad because of how the turbo kicks in, but its more manageable with the twins in sequential.

The cable looks like its pulled tight around the PS reservoir but it's not, It has a little play so everything should be good.

Good luck with your retrofit.

 

Nice customization and fabrication work!
I especially like the IC frame. The stock front cross bar is very flimsy and not the best place to support an IC without additional support.

Regarding the cruise, I personally would have left it where it is and deconstructed the ignition brackets to fit differently. I still might do that one of these days...

 

Thank you on the frame, yes I went away from the upper hood latch support because when the IC was bolted to it - it would tweak due to engine tq moving the piping and IC. I would see the IC front plate tweak as well. I have seen this on many VM kits. And the VM kit rear cross brace in front of the engine is beefed up since it provides support for the whole vm kit. I was very lucky to support Clavin Wan because he is a professional driver / drifter / stunt driver and my kit was abused properly at an accelerated pace so I was able to do updates to my kits as issues came up. I think it may have been Goodfella who called it a floating intercooler because you do not see any brackets holding it in place since I have right angled bars welded on the bottom. When I get to the intercooler I post that in the build process. I can legitimately say my FD kit has been track proven and that is why my radiator and IC brackets look the way they look.


I 10000000% agree with you on playing with the ign coil configuration - and I tried it.

BUT.........

My FPR and gauge and the stock fuel lines ate up some room.

The the P/S reservoir, A/C compressor, the steering shaft, and the battery fuse box harness all come through that area.

It had to fit below the Greddy Elbow and clear the gas purge baffle under the Greddy elbow.

I tried 2 on top 2 on bottom, I tried a Z pattern, an L pattern and an offset pattern and then you have to run the spark plug wires that would look like spaghetti if not done right - everything just looked like a hot mess with all the stuff I had going on in that area.

Without P/S its a piece of cake, but you will have to pull the IGN harness through the fender more or extend it.

So in the end I skipped the hassle and just moved my CC.

So to save you time, make a replica kit out of foam blocks and straws and popsicle sticks... you have the kit you know what I mean.. hahaha

Or make a custom backing plate. I do not know your configuration, but good luck bro.

 

Day 81



I got a lot done this weekend ( thanks to my 4x10 / 3 day off work life balance - woot woot !! ) and I'm going to take next weekend off to get away from the car since I have been giving my life to it all summer. Enjoy the pics.



Part 1 - Oil Cooler Parts

Part 2 - Fit Check Oil Coolers

Part 3 - Front Oil Cooler Cross Over Line

Part 4 - Reinforcement Bar Fit Check

Part 5 - Throttle Body Cruise Control Bracket Fix

Part 6 - Anti Sway Bar Brace

Part 7 - Mocal Oil Thermostat

Part 8 - Making An Oil Cooler Line

Part 9 - Right And Left Oil Cooler, LRB Under tray Side Panel

Part 10 - Oil Cooler Lines Support Brackets

Part 11 - Power Steering Cooler

Part 12 - LRB Bottom Under Tray Fit Check

Part 13 - Cruise Control Extension Harness

Part 14 - Intercooler Fit Test Again



Part 1 - Oil Cooler Parts



The last time I made an oil cooler kit for the FD was like 7 years ago. I tried to make some robust brackets things got complicated quickly. Now that I have more experience things are easier to make. I already had all the parts to make my oil cooler kit and it was time to build it. I have no idea what 25 row coolers I bought but they are not a name brand. I bought a lot of black nylon braided oil cooler hose, probably 30ft and all the no name brand AN fittings in black. Personally, I always use Earl’s in all my kits but a customer of mine (Colten G.) requested black everything. I made the lines for him and when he installed them a line leaked. Im sooooo sorry Colten, congrats on the house !!! Anyways I started to inspect all the black swivel style fittings and many of them were loose / had slop where it is meant to rotate if needed after its tight. I can totally see that being a reason for a leak. I decided not to use the all the stuff I bought and I went with recycling my Earls fittings since I know 100% for sure they will not leak. I pulled all the ends off and found some left over SS braided line from previous kits. I had a lot more fittings then I realized and in the end I just needed to order one 180 degree fitting.



Part 2 - Fit Check Oil Coolers



I tried to use the sample brackets I had from the old kits, but the coolers were not sitting right. I wasted 5 hours trying to make them work, switching them from side to side and drilling new holes in them. I gave up on them and made some from scratch. I would loved to have had the Banzai racing oil cooler brackets, but they are 75$ EACH oil cooler and you need two sets. I’ll keep the 150 plus shipping and make my own thank you very much. I made a bracket for the inside of the cooler with 1 hole top and bottom so I can angle the core and the outside bracket has the 2 holes top and bottom for more rigidity. I did a quick fit check with the re-bar to make sure everything cleared. Now I can start to make the lines.



Part 3 - Front Oil Cooler Cross Over Line



I have seen a lot of guys routing the oil cooler cross over line in the front of the car. I could have easily just left the braces out, but I decided to modify them to work with my set-up. The re-bar support brackets are held in with rivets so you just have to drill them out. I cut a 90 degree section out of the front and welded a flat bar in place that I bent to fit. I cut a corner off to match the angle of the oil cooler line and welded another flat bar in place. I also tapped the corner to screw a clamp to hold the line. I placed a clamp in the center to hold the line from bouncing around. I use a garden hose to route all the oil cooler lines to make sure fitment is good then I cut the SS line to match the garden hose length – works every time.



Part 4 - Reinforcement Bar Fit Check



I mounted the re-bar back onto the car to check the front line and fitment was good. I verified there was not any pressure being applied to the line and that it would not be rubbing against the inside. I also verified that the line was not rubbing against the horns. I took the rebar off and swapped the garden hose for the SS line and it fit like a glove.



Part 5 - Throttle Body Cruise Control Bracket Fix



The TB comes off… again. While doing more fit checks I noticed the CC (cruise control) bracket on the TB (throttle body) was sitting lower then I like, and it was rubbing against the top power steering hose. The screws I used were the same length as the stock ones but I swapped the Phillips head out for hex heads. I think it was because I had more leverage with the wrench it felt like the bolts were going to strip out. I bent the CC bracket to have the angle to clear the PS hose and to also have a nice soft bend to the CC motor. I decided to drill through the TB body where the CC bracket goes since there is nothing on the other side from stopping me to have a longer bolt. You can see the difference between the bolt lengths in the picture and after I tapped the hole I was able to tighten the bracket down with the longer bolts without any issues.



Part 6 - Anti Sway Bar Brace



I have seen pictures on the RX7club of people showing the welds holding the nut in the frame cracking where the factory anti-sway bar mount bracket bolts to. This is what the Racing Beat anti sway bar brace and RE-Amemiya anti-sway bar brace is supposed to fix. I used to sell a replica RE bar but several years ago I stopped selling replica parts for a few reasons. It disrespects the person who put time and money into the R&D and takes away from their sales. I also felt it when another company who is famous for copying parts and putting their name on it did it to me, the same company used banzairacing dot com to redirect business to them – dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty. ( now its a dating site - lol). Anyways, I had this part lying around so I figured I will use it. RE-Amemiya, sorry I am using a replica part, thank you for your hard work and dedication to the rotary community – please forgive me. I am no longer selling replica parts.



Part 7 - Mocal Oil Thermostat



Mocal 180 degree oil thermostat. I remember seeing pictures (over 10 years ago) where the bolt head was referenced to install the mocal thermostat. Example would be the bolt head is the return side and the other side is the supply side (currently this is the set-up). But at one point the thermostat was assembled with the bolts screwed in the other way towards the supply side throwing everyone off . You can gooooogle mocal oil thermostat bolt head pattern and you will see pictures with the bolt head on the side saying “from engine” which is the supply side. So it you went by bolt head pattern you have a 50% chance of installing it wrong which would fall under Murphy’s law giving you a 75% chance of installing it wrong. I believe this was between 2006 and 2008 because I took over Rotary Extreme and I remembered seeing the different bolt patterns and I had to update my drawings because of it.



Wrong way See link. https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...il_cooler2.htm



The Mocal A0T2-4 Oil Thermostat is the latest one as far as I know and they do reference the bolt head in their drawing ( return side) but the only way to 100% install it correctly is to look inside and verify the large spring for the supply side and the rod for the return side. I put notes on mine so that I wouldn’t have any brain farts since I am installing it upside down with the spring on the bottom vs the drawing with the spring on top. The system is pressurized so I do not think gravity will be an issue of operation. The bracket that comes with the oil thermostat is a little flimsy and I would be afraid of it popping out so I made my own bracket to hold it in place and to mount on the cross bar in between the frame rails.

I used two 90 degree and two 45 degree fittings to connect from the engine to the oil thermostat and then the other 45 degree runs off to the right side oil cooler. The open fitting is for the 180 degree I ordered to go to the left side oil cooler. As you can see, I made the lines with the garden hose to verify fitment then I made the SS lines with no worries – and yes they fit like a glove and do not rub against the lower radiator neck.



Part 8 - Making An Oil Cooler Line



We all have different ways of cutting oil cooler lines and putting them together, but this is how I do it. I make my measurement and put tape around the hose. You must center the line in the tape so that when you cut the hose it will keep the SS braids from separating. I use a Dremel with a cut-off wheel, it makes a nice clean cut, but I have to rotate the line to make it all the way through. Once you have it cut you have to clean the inside to get all the rubber shaving out. I spray water through it and follow up with a blue shop towel. For assembly I use RED LINE assembly lube, I coat the end of the hose and the inside of the barrel fitting and press it on the hose. Then I coat the inside of the hose and the part of the fitting that goes inside. Make sure that no SS braids are folded towards the center where you’re AN fitting will make the seal. That is how I make my oil lines, this line is on the supply side coming from the front cover to the oil thermostat on the side with the large spring, opposite the return side with the rod that bolt heads are on that go to the line going to the oil filter pedestal. Sorry, I had to take up space to get to the next page on the word document – 30 sec you’ll never get back from your life.



Part 9 - Right And Left Oil Cooler, LRB Under tray Side Panel



Time for the right side oil cooler. Luckily I have two 150 degree Earls AN fittings that are for the outside of the coolers, I used one 150 degree for the right outside and a 45 degree where it goes to the oil thermostat. I made the sample line with the garden hose to make sure it would clear all the obstacles. I checked the LRB under tray side panel and it cleared as well. I cut the SS line to length, put the ends on it and guess what – it fit like a glove. I made the left side oil cooler line using the same process as the right side except I do not have the 180 degree fitting yet to complete the job, so the garden hose is still in there waiting for the fitting. It also fits nicely in the channel and sits just above the A/C condenser line.



The LRB under tray was designed on an RX7 with the automatic transmission cooler on the right side and the single oil cooler on the left side so there is a cut out on the right side only to clear the transmission cooler line. However, it lines up perfectly for routing the oil cooler SS lines. I put the left and right side panels back to back, draw the channel and cut it out. I also rivet on a small panel to strengthen the right side panel.



Part 10 - Oil Cooler Lines Support Brackets



I made some support brackets to hold the oil hoses coming off the engine to prevent them from bouncing up and down. I decided to put the bolt holding the clamps at the bottom for easy access and to keep the bolt and long metal part of the clamps away from the A/C line that crosses over behind it. Since I have the right side cool SS line made I was able to cut the channel more to clear the hose. I also made a bracket to hold the SS line as it crosses the frame rail. This stops it from rubbing against the coolant reservoir. I have to wait for the 180 degree fitting to finish the left side oil line, left side LRB panel line clearance, and support bracket so the line does not rub against the windshield fluid reservoir.



Part 11 - Power Steering Cooler



Since you have to hang your Power Steering line low for a VM kit I decided to provide a power steering cooler upgrade with my kit. Without too many exact details, the lower line is smaller and you get that to the PS cooler with a 180 degree fitting. The top hose that goes to the PS reservoir is larger and you use a reducer to get it to the PS cooler. I place it right behind the VM kit where the air sneaks through the gap between the IC and radiator and is used to cool the PS cooler. I am using the CC bracket to mount a hose clamp to hold the PS line away from the pulleys. It also sneaks right under the CC cable. I'm using the supplied springs to hold the cooler and when I paint the brackets I can cut the plastic rod and reassemble without the springs.



Part 12 - LRB Bottom Under Tray Fit Check



Now that I had everything underneath taken care of it was time to slide the under tray on. I do not know why but the under tray was pulling the side panels inward and so I drilled some holes on the bent tabs to bring them in closer. I had to open the area for the right side cooler ss line to go through without hitting the side panel. The before picture on the right side is bad, after the new holes the tray sits fine.



Part 13 - Cruise Control Extension Harness



I finally remembered to extend the cruise control harness. I used about 3.5 feet and used 4 different color wires to make the extension easier. I used splices and then shrink tubing, then I put wire loom over it and taped everything in place. I had to un bolt the fuse box and the power steering hose clamp at the cruise control front bracket to snake the CC connector to the front. I hope it works and that the signal is still strong and not noisy.



Part 14 - Intercooler Fit Test Again



Now that I have everything in the engine bay I can test fit the intercooler core one more time to verify fitment. The 2 big obstacles I have are getting it over the Greddy boost solenoid and away from the plastic nipple on top and then making enough room behind the IC for the HKS pri turbo intake filter. I'm happy with the angle as it sits on the cardboard honey comb, now I have to make the IC brackets to hold it in that position. As usual once I have it all together I will have to take everything apart for paint and then put it all back together again. All the brackets and ducting will be that refrigerator epoxy gloss black used on the FPR bracket and the radiator, intercooler and piping will be the glitter silver paint. I'm getting antsy.


Enjoy the pics.

pics Part 1 - Oil Cooler Parts

 

pics Part 2 - Fit Check Oil Coolers

 

pics Part 3 - Front Oil Cooler Cross Over Line

 

pics Part 4 - Reinforcement Bar Fit Check

 

pics Part 5 - Throttle Body Cruise Control Bracket Fix

 

pics Part 6 - Anti Sway Bar Brace

 

pics Part 7 - Mocal Oil Thermostat

 

pics Part 8 - Making An Oil Cooler Line

 

pics Part 9 - Right And Left Oil Cooler, LRB Under tray Side Panel

 

pics Part 10 - Oil Cooler Lines Support Brackets

 

pics Part 11 - Power Steering Cooler

 

pics Part 12 - LRB Bottom Under Tray Fit Check

 

pics Part 13 - Cruise Control Extension Harness

 

pics Part 14 - Intercooler Fit Test Again

 

Day 82



One thing about a project car is trying your best to do everything right and somehow you still manage to miss something. Well better late than never they say.



Part 1 - 89-91 FC Turbo Thermo Sensor For The Fan

Part 2 - The Last Oil Cooler Line

Part 3 - Cutting Up Some HKS Intakes

Part 4 - Intercooler Support Brackets

Part 5 - HKS Intakes Finished Up

Part 6 - Intercooler Ready For Piping

Part 7 - BBQ time



Part 1 - 89-91 FC Turbo Thermo Sensor For The Fan



Thanks again to Dale's Thread All about fan control and the fan systems. I got my FC thermo switch to give the fan system an earlier trigger point of 97C instead of the FD's thermo switch at 105C. The part number is PN41-18-840 and its from the 89-91Turbo FC. Same connector as well - thank goodness. It was buried under the pressure chamber and the temp sensor. I had to take all that off just to get to the clip on the fan thermo switch to un-plug it. My old thermo switch had a composite tip, the FD replacement was solid and now the FC replacement has a different metal tip material as well. I put everything back together and I had a washer left, apparently I used it as a spacer to give the pressure chamber more space so it does not hit the back of the alternator.



Part 2 - The Last Oil Cooler Line



I got my 180 degree Earl's fitting in and I was able to finish the last oil cooler line. I made the marks to cut out on the under tray side panels and then took the garden hose line off. I cut the panels and made the new SS oil cooler line and put it all back in. I made the supporting bracket for the left side line where it crosses under the frame and through the under tray side panel. I also installed a few more clamps between the oil cooler lines to keep them secure. I installed one more clamp for the PS hose where it goes to the bottom pipe to keep it from bouncing against the SS oil cooler line.



Part 3 - Cutting Up Some HKS Intakes



So.... Earlier on I tried to fit the pri turbo HKS intake pipe and it was not even close. Somehow over the course of modifying things I ended up with some more room for the filter. I looked at my multiple piece pri intake set-up that had 2 silicone elbows and a pipe in between and thought..... there's a lot more room in there - let me try that HKS pri intake one more time. And by golly it was doable this time around. I had a vision, duhhhh, just cut the HKS pri intake pipe and rotate it to fit...seriously why didn't I think of that before. Since I am not using the emissions and stock bov's anymore I wanted to cut those off. I saw someone else do the same thing and they did a really nice job. Mine are not blended in but I was able to get the additional room needed to route the Turbo outlet piping to the Intercooler core. Make sure to pull out the metal rings when you cut the emission pipes off. They are glued in and it would suck for it to come out and jack up your turbo.



I made it through the sec turbo intake and went to cut the pri turbo intake and disaster struck. The blade got jammed at an angle and broke. Crap - now I had to finish this cut by hand, luckily it was the last one. Off to Harbor Freight in the morning. I was able to use my cut-off saw to cut the pri turbo intake in half. I went to test fit it, made my marks, added the intercooler, the second intake and the piping - whew - it all fits. Time to weld the pri intake up and bolt it back in place to finally make the intercooler brackets.



Part 4 - Intercooler Support Brackets



I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. I clamped my brackets in place and set the intercooler down on top and drew my lines to mark the locations. I checked the clearance from the hood and it all looks good. I took it all off, taped the brackets matching the marks I made and paced it back on the frame to make sure the brackets are flush with the frame on both sides. I set the intercooler on some brackets on the welding table so that I do not accidentally get ground arcs or burns on the tube and fins. I set the intercooler back on the frame and then drew the holes using the mounting points on the frame and then I drilled out the holes on the intercooler bracket side.



Next was to make the mounting bracket for the hardware. Once you have the ducts installed it will be difficult to bolt down the intercooler to the frame along with the top of the ducts because they all use the same mounting location. I made a bracket with the bolts welded at both ends with a little tab to hold it in place to get the nuts started on the inside.



Part 5 - HKS Intakes Finished Up



The next morning after my Harbor Freight trip it was time to finish up the HKS intakes. I cut 4 once inch squares and rounded the edges. These will be used to cover the holes from the pipes no longer being used. The disc sander left some gnarly marks but I softened them up with the wire wheel. I will also have to take the wire wheel to all the aluminum so it is more rough for the paint to stick to. So after I cleaned up the pri turbo intake it started to look back at me. It looks like a catfish. I cannot un-see it now. I clamped on the caps with my special vise grip I use for my aluminum pipe jobs and tacked them into place and then I welded them all up. I bolted the pri intake up again and I was happy to have my HKS intakes back in action. I did have to take the filters out because the old ones were falling apart and leaving dirty grimy foam fragments everywhere.



Part 6 - Intercooler Ready For Piping



Finally I have my intercooler bolted in place and now I can start working on the IC piping. I wanted to get some additional 2 inch piping and silicone couplers to build the optimal path for the turbo outlets to the intercooler. I looked at a few pieces and it was just way cheaper to just buy one of those random universal intercooler piping kits. With the intercooler core and intakes in place I can now install the R1 strut tower bar. This will help me understand the clearance I have when I start to route the piping.



I'm really happy to almost be done, but I still have to figure out how to get 2 HKS BOV's in that area plus the AST. Then when it's all done I have to take it all apart for paint. I really had to modify a lot to make it all work but I think when it's done it will be totally worth it.



Part 7 - BBQ time



I ended the day with a BBQ. 15lbs of marinated chicken, some New York steaks, corn on the cob and some hot dogs.



Hey, are YOU coming to the BBQ? The one where I put my meat on your grill !!! HAHAHA / JAJAJAJAJA



pics Part 1 - 89-91 FC Turbo Thermo Sensor For The Fan

 

pics Part 2 - The Last Oil Cooler Line

 

pics Part 3 - Cutting Up Some HKS Intakes

 

pics Part 4 - Intercooler Support Brackets