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As for the fuel gauge, when the tank is full, it read about 1/3 of capacity; when empty is just above the 0 line. So there's some movement there; i was hoping the e85 might have self cleaned all the gunk out of the tank together with what i did with the pressure washer; i've been told to earth the wire and see if it jumps to 1
As folks suggest, definitely look at the grounding first, and shorting the sender connector to ground will emulate 0Ω and show you the "most full" needle movement the gauge can move, of course that should be north of full (north is still "up" there, right?). I had a similar problem and the ground/wiring etc. was all fine. It turned out to be the gauge itself, probably tired after so many years. Good news is you can calibrate the error out the gauge. Here's a thread with great suggestions form the collective brain trust here and then my whack at fixing it, which is still working for me.
spent the whole day metal polishing the front and rear windscreen, couldn't get over how well it works on glass! very similar to waxing and there is YEARS! of grime on the inside..
dashcam installed front and back, reckon i might even have enough cable to reach under the car for some fully sic videos hahaha.
Really need to figure out what im doing with this interior; most of it looks tired and needs respraying, been watching some videos on plastic/vinyl preparation so it shouldn't flake off like it has.
Interior drivers seat has been patched up and re foamed, was very hard to find fabric similar to the s5 black; it was a compromise but i wasn't willing to drop $1800 on re-trimming both. There is a higher chance for me to find good condition s6 seats here.
Boost gauge, radio, cigarette plug, CB radio all needs wiring; plus i am defiantly going to do something about *****ing **** power windows; there's a few threads about running separate relays and heavier gauge cable which will need a look in.
We have also been considering a speed sensor in the wheels for the cruise/launch/traction control; need to goto the wreckers and get some more merc/saab racing parts
Another thing i have noticed with the new bushes in the rear of the diff its alot noiser than i remember it, so i might look at some dynamat before it all goes full send.
Have some good news regarding the rebuild. It is all going really well here's some progress pictures:
There is a higher chance for me to find good condition s6 seats here.
Speaking as someone who has fitted FD seats to a RHD FB, I can assure you that unless you are five feet tall, you will need to fabricate very precise seat rails to get them to sit low enough. PM me if you decide to do it and I can get you some measurements, save you all the trial and error I went through.
Jon_Valjean -
i was under the assumption and impression that s6 seats bolt in? - i know thats a silly thing to assume !
more updates for the win! since my last post we have achieved much, in preparation for the local authority to clear the cars defect notice. lots of little things that they care about but most of us do not
interior has been tacked in, however not yet cleaned nor vinyl sprayed.
horn rewired
tacho wired
clutch master rebuilt and stainless sleeved for longevity
carbon canister from a n14 nissan pulsar in the nose
interior has been tacked in, however not yet cleaned nor vinyl sprayed
rear seats and seat back in
rear seat-belts in, all new bolts to suit (please note if you are doing this by yourself with no idea there will be alot of french coming out of the back of the car. Note: the seat belts will ONLY go in one way because of the way the ball bearing works to lock them. Lots of patience is needed and if you are swearing you have got it wrong. The belts are not marked in anyway which side they go in and i was carrying on like a pork chop by myself feeling like a complete noob when my mate downed 3 beers giggling while i sooked and moaned.
front headlights finally working properly, was the 'red yellow' wire that was broken in two places, now all working like new - electrical gremlins everywhere, if you have this issue where the lights wont go down, first port of call is to check the combination switch, and then the stalk
I found a set of yellow fog lights that need some love (give it that pure 80s look s5 styles), planning on putting them in the mouth or perhaps in the s3 brake grills as ive always hated the look compared to the s2 clean lines.
found the issue with the front suspension, quite hard to make out but you can see from looking at the struts they aren't perfectly aligned at the bottom, like 1mm out of centre which gets really nasty at the strut tower end, the 11deg out from the wheel alignment. Sent back to the supplier and already getting sorted as i type.
cruise control with standard switch AND stalk all working
OBD2 plug has been connected to the link directly, and i now have cool gauges on my phone its damn cool to have 2000 tech in such an old car !!!
launch control is complete, its setup through the link; you hold down the clutch down for 3 secs and then floor it on accelerator and it will hold what revs you desire ! '84 RX7 Launch control
Rear upside down suspension completed and due to be sent off shortly: (issues with clearing the rear skirt before)
Have been considering a vented 'hood' (or bonnet as we call it) for further heat management, my hood has a few rusty spots where the welds meet the braces, so it will need to be fixed anyway. Have been trying to do some research for before and after. If the thermos are running they blast hot air all over the car - im sure its not as much of a problem when moving. Looks pretty cool too
Last bits to get together were replacing the awesome rotorflow muffler with a piece of **** v8 one, my poor rotor sounds like a tin can - BUT its defiantly much quieter and doesn't go over 75db
got the car down to the local compliance office and there was a MINT rx2 sedan! - thought my day might of started well, unfortunately this was the best part of the day....
drove my car onto the hoist and the local inspector took one look at my turbo, and call his 4 other mates over to critic my car down to the last cable tie. Lots of arms waving, heads shaking and flashlight pointing....
end result was:
replace front brake lines, intended to anyway once the brake upgrade arrives
undercarriage needs degreasing...
missing split pin...
diff leaking two drops of oil...
now its easter and ill have to wait for another two weeks to get in; which all in all its a good result. I was praised for the work they saw considering the age of the car however most cars in this state don't pass on their first go.
Jon_Valjean -
i was under the assumption and impression that s6 seats bolt in? - i know thats a silly thing to assume !
Nah totally different. The passenger side isn't too much of a hassle, although you still need custom frames to bolt the rails to. The drivers is a pain in the *** due to the shape of the floor. I do fabrication and welding for a living and I think I put about 10 hours into getting them to work.
As per the instructions from the inspection station ive removed all the teflon fuel lines:
found some leaks around the fuel filter as well these washers came with the filter as well! might try some copper washers instead.
Also had to drop the fuel tank and we also noticed the super gasket we used wasn't sealing well, could of also been effected by the plate would of warped when it was welded. So it got the threebond treatment. Inspection of the tank with a now two fuel tanks of e85 have completely cleaned it out!, before there was this milky tar of brown smoo on the bottom, and now i can see the weld marks.
Whilst the car was up in the air, we inspected the diff housing and got a new set of rear wheel bearings fitted as they were out by more than the 0.7mm as suggested in the book, more like 3mm. Diff is looking good, and the oil is green in color; i am a bit concerned about putting double the power through it and these tiny axles.
brand new brake lines for the front, will be in the car for 10mins until i slot the brake upgrade on
rear brake lines, and middle joiner these braided lines are amazing! the pedal feel is quite solid already.
car is booked in for next week so fingers crossed it will be back on the road!
Nice progress. Laughed at the description of getting rear seat belts in. As you know, I forgot to label them. Can you do me a favour and label which is which when you take them out....save me swearing later !
chuyler1 - I'm not too concerned about the red hose kinked, its a vent/drain for the overflow so its not going to cause any issues really.
KYPREO - thanks again for your help with sending over the seatbelts! i have taped,labelled and pulled them out to make it easier for you to get them in again
Good news the car has passed inspection and i've been given the stamp to drive it again, the car already is on the hoist and had the fuel system changed back to teflon; i was running the in tank walbro for two weeks with no main feed pump with no issues. We converted the fuel system to a non return to make things even easier and put the fuel pressure regulator INSIDE the tank
While the tank was out again, replaced the pickup filter and fixed the fuel gauge finally - and now it actually reads a proper value! there could be some discrepancy in the dash, my auto elec thinks there's a voltage regulator that might need changing.
Here's a close up of what i did with the walbro 255 in tank pump (standard subaru power upgrade) note these rubber lines aren't in use of course.
I've also been doing some research into the next phase after engineering, the exterior and the paint job; Ive fallen in love with this bodykit and paint scheme and im working on a way to come up with something similar. Even if i could find a matching and unmolested bodykit from the states it would be in the thousands for postage. From what i can find this is a Pacifica Wide body kit. (im sure its made the rounds on here, i wish there was more photos or more information)
I've managed to find a local supplier for the hood/bonnet vent, rear imsa/group c wing, and front spoiler to house my precious 80s spec fog lights. I'm on the fence about flared guards, they look killer when done right and when spacers are used (or correct offset rims) but here in the nanna state of south australia, there is very strict rules about increasing the track width and i think im just in for more pain.
Replacement H4 globes have arrived from chinaland, so ill be giving these a review and run down soon enough.
I've started doing further research on clutches, trying to find something that is going to hold this power down and still be able to slip it - i think its going to have to be a twin plate.
Took a visit to the engineer about my suspension and brake upgrade, looks like we aren't going to have too much trouble getting it all stamped and legal
Also ordered some more nos parts, and stereo gear, switches etc..
Another quick update, got round to doing the window relay mod finally and its a MASSIVE improvement. Silicon spray in the tracks, and lithium grease on the gears. Followed this guide and put the relays in the doors very neat and tidy
not much to report on this week, still waiting on suspension + brake parts to arrive.
Cleaned up wheels and the workshop ordered some more stuff
been looking into power steering options down the road, trying to figure out what rack might fit under the car; we did find this suzuki rack from a r415 model complete with a power assisted motor on the bottom of the rack. Be nice to have it do two things, instead of a pump and fluid. Turns out this rack is slightly too long by 30mm and the arms are in the wrong spot. also the bulk from the shaft is hitting the engine. the Suzuki SX4 is a similar rack unit, however the mounts weren't 'as' flat as the swifts'. Going to need to speak to a fabricator and see what is possible there is alot of variables with bumpsteer and the like.
going off what arran has done with his car, it appears im going to need to alot more research. At least this rack was very cheap be it complete scrap now!
I think the Barina option is a good one. I priced up all the parts and it was a pretty cheap conversion (around $700 according to my spreadsheet). If you want power assistance, the Barina power steering was an EPAS system with a motor on the steering column itself. This is the same as the Opel Corsa, which is a popular conversion for rally drivers in Europe. As such, there are cheap aftermarket controllers widely available that are available to tune the level of assistance. You may find that the problem with a lot of the newer systems is that they will use CAN with proprietary control systems and it may not be possible to simply tune the power steering motor via the Link. For example, the Astra EHPS pump I have has an onboard computer with its own logic circuit to ramp up/down duty according to hydraulic system pressure. It works well because it only needs a power supply and it will do the rest itself, but it removes the ability to tune the steering assistance the way you want, without serious reverse engineering.
I briefly looked at the Barina/Corsa EPAS column but was concerned about potential space available under the dash for fitment and engineering issues (since it may require the column to be welded). As you know, I went with the Astra solution, but that is a EHPS system and only works with hydraulic power steering racks (not electro-mechanical ones). But, I'm sure with a good fabricator spending a bit more time thinking about it than I did you might be able to get the Barina/Corsa EPAS to work well.
but was concerned about potential space available under the dash for fitment and engineering issues
the very reason why i think the column EPAS wont work, nor have the space for it. Plus i think a motor that close to your leg might make some noise.
the computer for the suzuki rack can be setup in the LINK management, so we were hopeful then it would fit without re-inventing the wheel.
There is alot to contend with, as the linkages don't appear to be an issue, its the length of the rack, and the length AND position of the tie rods. It like you need a narrow car with a really small rack with the right position - and preferably electric..... not asking for too much right? Arran has done the conversion with the Barina/Corsa rack as you said, he doesn't have it assisted from what i can see. And i really want to get away from having a small astra pump in the nose i can avoid, its another thing to check, leak, make -10 lines for. I've Been in a S3 when the steering box failed we were traveling under 30kmph and turning right the wheel made a noise and a shutter and then no longer turned left! i cant imagine what that would be like in any other scenario.
On further research we have nominated a few other electric power steering racks that could be suitable:
Mitsubishi Colt
Merc Smart car:
Have heard some EK civics had electronic racks
T10 replacement bulbs arrived today, and i can happily say they don't have any issues with hyperblinking etc.. super bright 6000k to match the headlights; i also tried them in the indicators with no issues either
PHILIPS T10 ULTINON LED W5W 6000K WHITE REGO LIGHT PARKER WHITE BULB OzStock
Had a win at the local wreckers, salvaged 4 different types/brands of wheel speed sensors for the front, this should aid with alot of things including drive-ability changing down gears not just traction control. One of these should work and really easy to setup with the LINK ecu
we had a good look around for steering racks to suit, need further research on mazda 121, honda civic and some hyundai daewoos looked like they would fit well.
also managed to find a tiny air tank complete with mounting holes that is used for the FD secondary butterflies, which is something we have been working on since the start; it should provide additional torque at low revs which we will debunk on the dyno. Using the standard FD solenoid it works a treat and from 5mins of testing it appears to assist in the cold start
FINALLY after months of testing and retesting thus further waiting the brake kit and the suspension have arrived:
redrilled FD front brake rotors
4 piston wilwood calipers (smaller than fd ones to allow space and clearance for the 3 piece rims)
adapter plate to suit both wilwood and FD big brake kits
oversized cnc hubs
fresh bearing kit
16's are what i plan to use for track work; atm the caliper clips the inside of the wheel, im on the hunt for some spacers to suit. the 17's clear with no issues at all of course
little side project on the go; bits of interior - was going for the momo wheel but ive grown attached to the genuine mazda one
not much updates as ive been helping out a mate with an engine tear down, one of the studs was stuck proper and refused to budge, had to get crafty to separate the front iron. The stud was jammed in so hard it took 70t on the press to move him. https://photos.app.goo.gl/hrA7J9SvViHGXcNN8
Ugh this suspension stuff does my head in, clearance problems and stuff not fitting where it should...
the rear upside down coil overs rub on the suspension bush bolts... im gonna remove the spring and drive it around for a bit; figure out what im going to do..
overkill hubs and brake bracket, testing which side looks better - ordered braided lines to suit
ended up running a 10mm spacer for the front 16" 3 piece rims to clear the calipers, hasn't changed the track too far. and the studs were just long enough
tried out a few more options for LED replacement globes and they all hyperflash and cause issues, plus another set i ordered were not even as bright at the standard, another annoying pitfall. If anyone has actually got replacement bayonet globes that work let me know
left bulb, right led
junk ***** rubbish from ebay
figuring out how to mount the wheel speed sensor for the front, got a bunch of sensors from the wreckers. clutch plates from some honda transmission
Brake upgrade is now complete, after a set of braided lines made to suit and another round of bleeding (so many times now!) we are cruising! lines were 300mm longer than the standard item as they needed to be routed from the rear (calipers are now mounted on the front of the rotor.
replacement front shocks are in as well: KYB's (the scum and villainy that came out of the front originals was defiantly from the dark side)
Finished the retrim of the stock steering wheel, however the vinyl dye i used for the horn button is a bit bright and shiny, so eventually it will be re done. took days not hours to get the right fit on the wheel. This was my first ever use of the sewing needle since grade school! the suede feels nice and grippy and very comfortable
Vented hood/bonnet has been completed in gel coat, sourced locally - very happy how it turned out:
heavy duty single plate clutch has arrived, gone for the cushioned ceramic for drive-ability/noise, was on the fence about the twin plate i hope i dont live to regret it all brand new, with an 8kg flywheel instead of the 3kg im currently running
04-06-19, 04:50 PM
its damn cool to have 2000 tech in such an old car !!!
these washers came with the filter as well! might try some copper washers instead.
not asking for too much right? Arran has done the conversion with the Barina/Corsa rack as you said, he doesn't have it assisted from what i can see. And i really want to get away from having a small astra pump in the nose i can avoid, its another thing to check, leak, make -10 lines for. I've Been in a S3 when the steering box failed we were traveling under 30kmph and turning right the wheel made a noise and a shutter and then no longer turned left! i cant imagine what that would be like in any other scenario.
