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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:45 am
by cleantune
^Thanks. If you need a new coolant tank I highly recommend this one! It was a little over $60 shipped. If you're interested, there is a link to the product page where I got it in the description below the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4vEmBhcSak

In other news, hah......


Getting back to the oil cooler-

I'm thinking that using the GREX/Greddy thermostat adapter plate with -10AN hose and with the -10AN fittings that this sandwich plate comes with, may be TOO Large of a diameter for Our stock KA, belt-driven oil pumps to maintain oil pressure through the lines.....

Now this is where my amateur engineering background metaphorically KICKS me and tells me that the pressure is a result of some restriction and by freeing up this restriction we get more flow (better cooling efficiency). This is fine; however, Our Ka24de engines (some years) have oil squirters. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but these require a certain Pressure to operate properly.

Uugggh.... anyone have any Ideas on what to do?
Maybe -8AN hoses? -6AN? check valves? flow restrictors to build pressure? (with this setup, oil pressure went as low as 8-9 psi during idle and then went up to around 65-70 ish during WOT; without the oil cooler attached oil pressure at idle is 40's and then goes up to around 65-70 ish during WOT- I'll have to double check again, but for now this is what we're dealing with).

Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:50 am
by cleantune
Just wanted to check back in with a few updates:

The oil pressure thing- After some research, I found many people are using the -10AN hose size for their oil coolers on KA engines with stock oil pumps (SR motors too), and their oil pressures are within a normal range; some pressures are slightly lower due to the added flow of oil (increase flow, decrease pressure).

Since the cooler and sandwich thermostat have been removed, Oil pressure has been 15 psi under idle once engine is up to temp. The motor was rebuilt multiple times (bearing spun on one of these rebuilds) and since the oil pressure rises to around the normal operating psi under load. I'm thinking it must be a "looser" tolerance on bearing clearance or maybe enlarged holes for the oil flow, just as an extra precaution against future bearing failure.

The electric Oil PSI gauge is also plumbed into an extra port from the engine block, so even though the engine mounts are not solid, I'm guessing the engine vibration is probably messing with the readings a bit. In addition to this, the oil pressure sensor is at the end of a fitting that the oil feed line is T'ed into. So the feed line may be "stealing" psi from the pressure sensor. To solve this, I'm considering a remote oil filter relocation with a port for the oil pressure sensor, which should solve both the "pressure stealing" and false readings due to engine vibration.

I'll post updates when and if I make some progress on this, its seriously been waaay tooo looong haha :mrgreen:

Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:34 pm
by cleantune
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Finally got to start that project that was in that in that brown box picture posted earlier on here. It's literally been a year or so of just researching parts, options, materials, opinions, physics, etc. Just working on the rear hubs for now.

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After cruising through an Evo forum, I came across a pretty cool tool for pressing out wheel studs (credit to "Free Ride"). Its a 3/4" Forged Ball-Joint Separator (part# 99849; http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarte ... 99849.html), which works for pressing out old wheel studs as well. I ended up using a rag between the tip of the studs and the tool after the first stud. I kind of wish the arm that rests on the stud had a flat rubber platform connected to the arm by a ball joint, but the rag works well too and actually it works even without a rag.
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This tool pressed the wheel studs out soo smoothly and the "U" shaped base matched the diameter of the backside of the wheel stud really well.

Here's a comparison between the OEM s14 rears and the GM rears (part# 100-7708):
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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:51 pm
by aaronlee97
Another thing to consider if you're having oil pressure issues is running 0w40 synthetic. I've been running that and haven't had any issues. It's great for startup also since it's 0 weight and goes up to 40 when hot.

Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:38 pm
by adamky
Everything's coming along nicely. I really like that coolant reservoir bracket you made and the reservoir itself.

15psi is pretty low for oil pressure, but as long as it doesn't drop below 10 at idle, I would think you'd be okay. Do you get at least 10 psi per 1000rpm? Just for comparison, I'm running the Skullworks oil block with -8AN fittings and my pressure never drops below 30 psi. I also run 0W-40 Mobil 1 oil.

Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:43 pm
by cleantune
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aaronlee97- Thanks for the suggestion, I may have to give that 0w40 Synthetic oil a try. I've heard of a lot of people using this on our engines with great results!

adamky wrote:Everything's coming along nicely. I really like that coolant reservoir bracket you made and the reservoir itself.

15psi is pretty low for oil pressure, but as long as it doesn't drop below 10 at idle, I would think you'd be okay. Do you get at least 10 psi per 1000rpm? Just for comparison, I'm running the Skullworks oil block with -8AN fittings and my pressure never drops below 30 psi. I also run 0W-40 Mobil 1 oil.
Thanks! Hardest part was figuring out where to mount it as always; kind of wish the over flow fitting on our engine's rad cap was facing the other direction....a project for another day haha. The "blueprint" for it is on my photo bucket if you're interested- measurements may not be exact, but its a really good starting point for a cardboard mockup :mrgreen: .

The oil pressure thing is pretty weird, but it does raise about 10psi/ 1K RPM and "knock-on-wood" idle has been around 15 psi when up to temp. Thanks for that info about oil line size too, I haven't completely ruled this out yet as the cause for the low pressures.

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Finished up the rear hubs today, most of the silver is anti-seize grease I had been using between the washers; thinking it would allow the washers to spin a little with the lug nut- couldn't really tell though, it kind of just made a mess:
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OEM wheel stud fitment for comparison:
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How the backside sat against the hub and OEM vs extended (clickable thumbs):
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For installing the studs, after my many failed attempts ( including using a torque wrench with my knee on the hub, using the ball joint separator and hammering the backside of the stud ) I found the way that worked best for me was to:
1. Clean in and around the hub holes and knurl of the stud with WD40 and a paper towel or rag
2. insert the stud into the hub and while putting gentle pressure on the backside of the stud, turn the stud slowly until it feels like it catches a "ridge" left from the old wheel stud. Then stack the three washers on the wheel stud and spray WD40 in between the washers and the stud. Then screw on the 12x1.5 lug nut and spray WD40 the exposed knurls of the stud on the backside of the hub (close to the hub hole it is going through.
3. With an impact gun, using short "bursts" (3-6 sec between each) and while putting slight pressure on the backside of the stud with your hand start torquing down the lug nut, pulling the stud through the hub.

If one sprays some WD40 around the wheel stud a little bit before the stud is seated, one can gauge the gap better; when the stud seats, WD40 kind of "oozes" out of the seam.

Its basically just a matter of spraying WD40 on and around the knurls and replacing/ rearranging washers as the ones touching the lug nut are marked up.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:07 pm
by cleantune
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.... so its been a little over a year since this thread has had any activity, thought an update was in order. :D

To start, I still have not figured out why the lower oil pressure is present with the cooler during idle. The pressures are normal when engine is under load though. There could be some leaks in the connections where air is getting in or air is trapped in the top of the cooler (since it was mounted upside down and although the lines and cooler were filled with oil during installation, the oil was not allowed to circulate through the cooler with the inlet and outlet fittings on top, before it was flipped (to purge out any air).

The cooler is disconnected for the time being and knock on wood, the oil pressures are normal and higher at idle now without the cooler plumbed in[/i])

Still collecting parts for a 5-lug swap hah... little by little- taking forever.

I had been doing some research for a few years (on and off) about on track rules and requirements for chassis and in the beginning of October (2014), just decided to take a chance. I called a shop a few times and made an appointment- had to try to make it happen before the first snow storm here on the east coast!

Pic of the interior before the long nights working to prep the interior for the shop. Everything had to be stripped down as much as possible, but retain normal driving functionality for transport:
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..and let the stripping commence:

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The carpet was a pain, because I didn't want to cut it, but in order to do this the dash bar had to be unbolted and removed. Later, I saw the front portion of the carpet that wraps around the bottom center console mounts (of the dash bar) is actually perforated for cutting and removal/install.. ugh.

The sound deadening was left in place because the shop said they could work around it and the internet said its removal may not be a simple process. Another thing we had talked about was removing the windshield and possibly the rear window for better access. Renting a trailer was not part of the plan, so shieldless at highway speeds then?
... Hmmm, what would Jeremy Clarkson do?
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...ended up not doing this since it wasn't really needed- there was enough available room to work and the things that would require the glass removal were arguably not major and could wait until a later time if one so desired.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 12:02 pm
by cleantune
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So after many hours, days, weeks, months of research on rules and regulations as well as safety, materials and design, here is what we came up with:

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To say A LOT of research and planning was done would be an understatement I think, hah. Literally every detail was considered for this project. Some of these details included:
- Materials (steel or chromoly) and how it is welded (MIG or TIG)
- type of construction for baseplates (3D flat or box)
- angle of main hoop to match the angle of the door side of the rear quarter window (ended up not doing this because it did not comply with rules)
- how the rear down tubes mounted
-gussets (how many, placement, dimple-die kits, etc) or none
- retaining the function of the front OEM seat belts
- using a thinner bar for the rear horizontal strut brace to reduce some weight and positioned to allow access for the removal of the in-tank fuel pump
- keeping the function of the power windows (and just windows in general)
- retaining the rear "speaker tray" ( marked out where the front sections needed to be cut to gain access to the strut tower before fabrication began).
- etc. blah blah blah

(continued in next post bc my comp is starting to lag)

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 12:03 pm
by cleantune
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I figured if this fabrication work was going to happen, it needed to be safe and done right.
So steel or chromoly?

Supposedly a foot long piece of 1.5x0.120 SAE 1020 or 1025 steel is the same weight as chromoly tubing of the same size. The weight reduction with chromoly cages comes as a result of chromoly's higher strength to weight ratio- allowing one to use thinner walled tubing than steel, but retain the same strength as a thicker walled steel cage. The strength is mainly due to the carbon content in the steel (roughly 0.18% in steel and 0.30% in chromoly).
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To unfairly bring the two materials into comparison, stainless steel was favored in this application for a few reasons. Chromoly is essentially steel (Chrome and Molybendeum mixed with a low alloy steel). Although chromoly is stronger than stainless steel by weight, stainless steel has better anti-corrosion characteristics. In addition to this stainless steel is much easier to weld "correctly", so it is arguably safer in this regard because the normalization, bending and welding of the steel at the correct temp is less critical to ensure integrity of the joints. In addition to this, 4130 Chromoly (common chromoly material I had read about http://www.fbombikeco.com/what-is-4130-chromoly/) is not all equal in quality and strength.

DOM steel was selected for material because in addition to the reasons listed above, its tubing thickness is much more consistent throughout the length of tube, This steel is often referred to as "seamless"; however, contrary to popular belief this DOM tubing starts out with a welded seam. The tubing is then Drawn Over a Mandrel (DOM), which evens out the wall thickness and almost makes the seam completely disappear.

The tubing used was 1.5" x0.120" stainless steel DOM (I believe SAE 1020 or 1025); the horizontal strut tower brace was a little smaller at 1.25" outer diameter (not sure of the wall thickness)- since this is not a required structure to meet the rules, it does not have any size requirements.

....this is pretty much the short version of the materials "research" haha. Everything else was pretty much about following the rules with a few other details.... well kinda. :mrgreen:

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:44 am
by cleantune
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The guide lines for the layout were mainly just to keep the bars as far away from the occupant's heads and knees and of course safety. The design started out with the Main hoop, front down tubes a horizontal connector at the top of the windshield and the rear down tubes going to the strut towers (basic 4pt). We wanted to mount plates and have the rear down tubes going directly to the strut tower to ensure a solid base for support. The idea for gussets was thrown out in favor of a tighter fitting cage, which eliminated blind spots often caused by gussets.

The door bar style was chosen for its strength; basically two uninterrupted bars connected with a gusset. The single rear diagonal was chosen over an "x" for weight savings. We figured the driver had the diagonal brace on the main hoop to provide extra support above their head, so the rear diagonal brace going to the passenger side of the main hoop was, in way the extra support for the passengers head in a worst case scenario. The roof "V" was mainly just to have something there to protect the driver and passenger's heads, since the sunroof was removed.

The OEM front dash bar was retained, just because:
- it was not totally necessary to weld one in for rule purposes
- matching up the steering column and radio/ center console mounts and making sure the dash would clear would take a lot more time
- I was told there were stories of the welded in version crushing legs and feet in the event of a collision. I'm assuming this is just because it was not supported properly though. I think the proper way to do one of these would be with some kind of center support and/ or diagonal braces from the front down tubes to the dash bar.

Anti-intrusion bars were added to brace the firewall right behind the front tires too because some organizations started adding this to their rules. The reasoning is that in a front end collision, the wheel(s) are often pushed back into the fire wall, which can break ankles or worse. So this was just another safety precaution that was taken. The down side was that a few mounting points are now in accessible for some things like the fuse pannel and the blower motor was in the way on the passenger side. If we left it, we wouldn't be able to get it out without cutting it and the other option was having asymmetrical driver and passenger side anti intrusion bars, which would have made the structure weaker on the passenger side because the diagonal brace would need to be at a steeper angle.

So the blower motor is out, if any one needs one send me a pm and I'll give you a deal on it! ;)


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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:49 am
by cleantune
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The sound deadening removal started out easy, but ended up being a pain to do. I tried the dry ice pellets from a local ice shop, which I recommend, but in addition to this and a scraper its great to have an air hammer with a chisel tip and a wire wheel for an angle grinder. Dry ice is just frozen liquid CO2, so they don't leave anything behind when they melt. The pellets are so cold though, moisture in the air condenses and freezes on them; so a towel is a great thing to have on hand too- just for the little bit of water they may leave behind. The strange creaking and a sound like an electric motor was dying was pretty weird too during this process. I had to quick check the battery to make sure nothing had power- it was just the contraction of metal and whatever else the dry ice was sitting on though.

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Any ways, cleaned off the rust from the front dash bar and used some Eastwood rust encapsulator followed by some Rustoleum paint+primer rattle can paint to test out some colors.
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Also did this for the metal brackets that hold the inner door handles onto the inner side of the door. Lowes had the nylon anchor nuts to replace the OEM ones. The ones that worked were "Hillman Nylon Anchor Nut For 1/4" screw 0.375 x0.616 Square H# 881187, Lot# HO2187651". Pretty much any similar anchor with similar dimensions meant for that size screw would probably work though.


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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:25 am
by cleantune
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Dash has been cut and it fits, it FITS! Ended up just putting it in the cabin, marking the ends and cutting off little by little with an angle grinder and cutting wheel- pretty straight forward, just had to do a lot of planning and be super careful as usual. The fit could have been a little tighter in some spots, but the fit seems to be pretty good. I'm trying to figure out how to clean up the whole dash too. What do you guys think: flock it, paint it or wrap it?

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Also started priming the bare metal spots. The goldish-green color paint is Eastwood's inner frame rail paint- basically just a "rust encapslator". Then primed with rustoleum automotive paint over top of the eastwood paint. Had to double check that this was safe for use with Automotive paint- since many Rustoleum paints are oil based, which is a huge problem for automotive enamel or lacquer paints. Started removing some of the seam sealer with a "knotted" wire wheel cup on an angle grinder too; it made a mess though-little bits of seam sealer all over the place. Thinking I might just leave the rest in place.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 11:35 am
by cleantune
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Finally decided to begin working on the diff that was bought about 5-6 years ago. I had broken a bolt off while trying to remove the diff cover a year or two ago. Luckily after the cover was off there was just enough thread to get a nut on there after cleaning up the broken end of the bolt. With the nut on the threads, the inside was welded and with some heat from a MAP gas torch, it spun out. Just recently started working on this again. Its an s14 "pumpkin" Open differential (I think this will fit in some s13's too if the cover is changed).

The main reason for choosing this over the current VLSD was mainly because most of the aftermarket differentials offered are for "open" differentials and these offer much more predictable/consistent traction/slip than the current VLSD offers. The Main reason for this is that while both VLSD diffs and Mechanical diffs (in open differentials; might be offered for VLSD diff replacement too) technically do the same thing and while both have certain "optimal" operating temp ranges, the mechanical differential's "lock" and operating temperature range is generally greater than a VLSD.

So with the bolts "hand-tight" holding the cover on, the outer casing rust removal began and was followed by a wipedown with alcohol and then some high temp primer and paint:

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It was kind of a night mare to do because I had bought and used cheap wire wheels. I felt a few sharp pinpricks on my leg and when I looked down, the whole lower half of my sweat pants were covered in small 1 inch pieces of wire! They had been shooting off of the wheel and all over the place! Luckily, they were thick sweat pants, only a few made it through my jeans I was wearing under the sweat pants and I was wearing safety glasses.

Then with the diff project underway, did something I shouldn't have....

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One of the jack points didn't seem safe, since it started creaking/crackling once weight was put on it, so the tri-point subframe brace on the passenger side was removed to access the frame rail behind it. The point at which the jack stand was placed actually worked out pretty well, since this part of the frame was like a shallow upside-down "U" and the subframe would clear it during removal. *oh and those red jackstand pads in the pic below- I highly recommend them, they are like $8 at Harbor Freight and they really help save the underside coating (they are not made for these jackstands I'm using and they fit loosely, but they work).

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The subframe needed a little TLC, and the bushings seemed to be in bad shape; the pic below is of the topside, but the underside of at least one (or two) of these subframe bushings was cracked the full way around the inner sleeve. Also planning on replacing the camber bolts with regular bolts and centered spacers/thick washers; just to keep the suspension settings locked-in.

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Used a MAP gas torch to heat the link nuts up for removal (about 40 sec min). It's recommended that atleast the link ends near the subframe bushings are removed from the subframe to reduce the risk of them being damaged, while heating up the subframe bushings for removal.


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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:42 am
by cleantune
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New Poly bushings to replace the old factory rubber. I know, I know...red...ew, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the red was a harder compound than the black? Maybe not though; Does anyone know anything about this? Also, I figured if I was going to go through the trouble of the installation, I wanted it to be visually evident that bushings were replaced. The hardware at the bottom is from the SPL "lockout kit" (SPL_EL_S14) mentioned in an earlier post- to replace the camber bolts on the rear toe and camber arms:

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First time doing this subframe bushing removal thing; thought it would be a little easier... and I suppose it would be if I knew what I was doing, haha:

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The instructions said to cut off the top "bushing lips", heat the outer casing until the rubber started smoking (indicating the seal between the rubber and the casing has been broken), then hammer out the bushing; but these bushings have been in here for about 18 yrs, so with the rust on the inner casing kind of fusing with the rubber, this hammer out method wasn't working. So I did the removal like everyone else and torched it (after first cutting out the inner sleeve; found drilling holes around the perimeter of the sleeve was a good starting point for this).

The instructions also said to remove inner two rings, but to keep the 6 tabs on the bottom side to help hold the new bushings in place. This is where some confusion set in, since many instructional vids on the internet are for s13 subframe bushings and the way to do the s13 subframe bushings is supposedly different than the s14 subframe bushings.

So yesterday I got both fronts somewhat removed and was left with the inner sleeve of a plastic ring and what appears to be a metal ring or sleeve below it:

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The plastic sleeve was broken out and it seems like there is a metal ring or something left in there along with some residual rubber. Thinking I may need to torch these again, just to clean up any residual rubber and gain a better visual on this "second ring" that needs to be removed. This is a pic after the plastic sleeve was broken out:

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There also appears to be a little something extra underneath the 6 tabs too; maybe just a little extra residual rubber?
If any one has doe this on an s14 subframe before, please let me know if you have any tips. Progress is REAL slow right now because I don't want to damage anything that needs to be left in place.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:09 pm
by cleantune
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The "little something extra mystery" underneath the 6-tabs was cleared up with a wirebrush wheel. It seems like it was just unburnt rubber that was sticking to the rings/ sleeves that were in there. The 6-tab ring also has an internal ring a few mm in height that is part of it (sketch below). As of right now, I'm assuming that the bottom of the top bushing sits on the top edge of this ring and this will still allow the bottom bushing to partially nest inside of the top bushing.

Aright, so this subframe bushing project is interesting to say the least because without any prior knowledge as to what is in these four s14 subframe sockets, its a little like searching for a dull-colored object in murky water. This being said I'd like to "clear the water" for any one who has this on their project list (the instructions help a lot, but in my opinion, the b&w pictures were not the best for a reference guide). *I'm almost positive the S13 and S14 subframe bushings are installed differently too -just wanted to mention this.

First of all, the front and rear pairs of subframe bushing sockets' sleeving are different from one another (orientation described is as if the subframe was mounted on the chassis). The front sockets have multiple sleeves, while the rear sockets just have one sleeve.

Quick sketch showing the orientations and order of sleeves (the "bottom" is pictured on top):

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Front Top:

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Front Bottom (rusted space is where the plastic sleeve was before it was broken out):

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Rear Top:

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Rear Bottom:

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An "AvantiPro 2" (50.8mm) crimped steel wire brush wheel (purchased at Home Depot Motorsports, hah) on a corded drill was used to clean up the sockets. Only the rear sockets need to be modified to accept the new Energy Suspension subframe bushings (for this particular subframe). The instructions say to remove the two inner rings at the top of the front sockets, but to leave the 6-tab sleeve at the bottom alone. I found these 2 rings to be just one ring though, like in the sketch above. Before anything was cut I double checked the diameters of both the front and rear sockets, just to confirm that the front socket's inner diameter was in fact smaller than the rear socket.

I took a section of the ring wall out very carefully, so that the edges where the cut were made could be hammered in towards the center of the socket, pulling the ring/sleeve away from the rusty walls of the socket and allowing it to slip out. I wasn't too careful though, because now that "6 ring tab" on one side is a 7-ring tab; should still work though, since these tabs are just to help give some extra support around the edges of the lower bushing. A sawzall with a "normal" metal blade was used to make the initial cuts:

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Then a dremel with a reinforced cutting wheel to clean up the top cuts:

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Next a blunt top punch purchased from Harborfreight was used to help knockout the ring/sleeve wall section and hammer in the cut edges to collapse the ring/ sleeve for removal (first pic shows the "7th tab" that was accidently made):

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I'm almost positive the front "2 rings" (or sleeves) are just one ring/sleeve, but maybe they were fused together during the bushing removal process (the broken piece on the edge is some of the residual rubber from the old bushings).

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Double checked the bushing fitment by resting the bushing on the edge of both a front and rear socket- tight fit. Now onto the long process of rust removal, prepping and painting stuff! :mrgreen:

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 10:27 am
by cleantune
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Finally had a chance to mount the ring gear. There MUST be an easier way to do this than what we had to do....and maybe it is just having access to rubber vice jaw pads. The really difficult part is keeping enough pressure on the sides of the diff so it doesn't spin, but not enough pressure to crush the outside of the casing. We were thinking the reason there are no flat spots on the outer casing was so that they could fit the largest possible clutch plates inside the diff. There is a "key-hole" type of pattern at the top of the diff (bolt head side of the ring gear side)- if anyone from KAAZ is reading this, it would be great to have a socket with a male-version of this key hole pattern to help hold the diff in place while torquing the bolts.

The way we did it:
-tight-enough jaw pressure, with thin wood pieces between the vice jaws and the diff (the angled piece in the pic below hardly did anything) to prevent damage to the casing
- two strong-willed people; one to hold the ring gear with gloves to help it from spinning, and one to do the torquing

Bolt threads and sockets of the ring gear were thoroughly cleaned with alcohol. A rep from KAAZ also recommended a thread-stretch check to see if all of the bolts were good- done by taking two bolts and holding them so that the threads of each nest inside each other; checked all of the bolts, all the threads were the same (no stretch/excessive stretch had occurred). The bolts were prepped with red locktite; then torqued in rounds of 60 ft-lbs, 100ft-lbs, and finally 105 ft-lbs:

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More subframe work, this time the diff mounts:

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Will be saving the inner cups (laying on the ground) for use with new bushings:

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The inner sleeve also needed to be removed, so the "two-cut and tap" technique was used to collapse the sleeve for easy removal:

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The front diff mounts (closest to the driveshaft), needed to be modified as well. The rubber from the top cup washer, needed to be removed, so it was torched (OEM on left):

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 10:49 am
by cleantune
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More painting:

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Used up my supply of Eastwood paint (greenish-yellow paint shown on subframe in previous pics), so some Por15 "chassis black" was used for the rest of the subframe and I ended up just painting the whole subframe with this stuff. Stirring, instead of shaking cuts down on the amount of bubbles; although I did still manage to get a few when applying it with a paint brush, so the whole surface was sanded and scuffed down with 150 grit (to even the surface) and 320 (recommended by Por15 label) for a top coat of paint:

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There was a little delay with the front diff mounts. Both the top and bottom mounts of the front diff mounts included with the Energy Suspension kit have one tapered side. In general and from experience, the tapered edges fit really well in cup washers of similar diameter and the cup washers help prevent the bushings from "squishing" out the sides of the gap they fill. Now there is only one pair of cup washers from the OEM mounts and the Bottom flat washers are attached to the inner sleeves.

So with 2 pairs of tapered edged bushings and only one pair of cup washers, progress was slightly delayed on this while I searched for the best possible solution. I found one pic on NRR forums of the energy suspension bushings installed on an s14 diff and so I sent the guy pm and I was really thankful that he got back to me and shared what he had done.

So, since the OEM inner sleeve's diameter is too large to fit inside the new Energy Suspension bushings (and the corrosion resistant plating on them was comprimised), I opted to take that guy's advice and cut off the OEM sleeves, then replace them with the new Energy Suspension inner sleeves. Just cut off and grinded smooth (will be painting these parts as well):

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Eastwood's 2K chassis black (gloss) paint was used to coat over the Por15 because it is not a "UV stable " paint. I read that it just changes to a greenish/maroon color and it is out of the sun, but just for a little extra assurance, figured it would be a good idea.

They call this 2K paint a "2 part nano ceramic paint". There is a little button on the bottom that, when pushed, punctures an internal compartment that contains activator; then just shake to mix and spray. The spray is a super fine mist, which is great for the finish, but not so good when spraying outside in the wind- I must have lost like 1/3 of a can in the wind, so the rest was done blocking the wind with a piece of cardboard and the nozzle was held a little closer than the recommended distance. It didn't turn out perfect, but everything was covered well and that was the main purpose for the paint:

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2015 8:18 pm
by cleantune
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After many hours of procrastination...

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All of the parts were marked and kept in the same exact order they were taken out (shims, bolts, collars, etc). With the diff upside down it was a little easier to work on it on the floor since it was slightly tilted upward... I guess it might be the same way right side up too, hah, I dunno.

-pinion gear and bearing were pre-lubed with a small amount of synchromesh (Pennzoil), since they had been sitting for a few weeks covered in plastic wrap

-the outside of the bearings on either side of the diff were greased with high temp moly-grease and a light coat of this went on pretty much every metal to metal surface contact point with in the diff (inside of collars, shims, etc).

_The diff was placed in the diff casing with the "bearing covers" (if that's what they are called?), and the two shims on either side. The thinnest shim was saved for last and hammered in with a piece of regular, untreated piece of 2x4 and a non-marring mallet.

I decided to not lubricate the bolts for the "collars" because most FSM torque specs (I've read) are "dry" torque specs. Also no thread lock was used because it was not required by FSM and for ease of maintenance if/ when this diff needs to come out.The 4 "collar" bolts proved to be almost as difficult to install as the ring gear without the "proper" equipment; like a diff stand. It kept wanting to roll on me, so I ended up torquing the bolts in 3 rounds like this:

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^ basically sat on the thing and that breaker bar was resting against me.

Remember how teachers were always like "check your work"? So thought it might be a good idea in this case and I'm sure you guys would have done the same. Oh and please feel free to correct me if I'm doing any of this wrong. :mrgreen:

Checking "Runout" (turning outputshafts):
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within spec!:
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Checking "Backlash" (holding pinion still and turning ring gear/output shafts):
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hah, real tight, but within spec.
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Checking gear pattern (even coat of Permatex "Prussian Blue" on three teeth front and back and turning ring gear/out put shafts only; letting pinion spin on its own).
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^ A KAAZ rep said that most of the Nissans tend to be pretty consistent with their shims; meaning as long as everything is put back exactly how it came out, a shim adjustment usually is not needed. Oh and forgot to mention I checked these three things before I removed the OEM open diff; just so that there were some numbers for comparison (and the numbers were really similar).
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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 2:35 pm
by cleantune
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Next, had to figure out a way to install the rear diff bushings. Ended up just using a "squeeze clamp" and two pieces of wood and installed the Por15 coated center OEM "cups" the same way (after the rear diff bushings were in). The Por15 and paint on the inner cup and surface of the subframe socket along with the grease provided with the bushing kit made this task a fairly straight forward install.

Supposedly Energy suspension only includes the minimum amount of grease in each bushing kit for proper installation- I had some left over though and other types of synthetic greases can be used; petroleum-based and thinner greases tend to breakdown and run out faster than the grease included which would then lead to the "squeaking" often mentioned with polyurethane bushings. Grease included is STiiiiCKEEEY.

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* Just a quick tip for those who have not done this already: after the bushings "lip" clears the back edge, keep the bushing towards the back of the subframe and do the same thing with the inner metal cups; it'll save one the hassle of installing the subframe multiple times and making adjustments like I had to do. This is just to help out with the alignment of the front mounting screws. As long as one can get the nut started on the threads for the rear mount, it will obviously pull into place with some tightening.

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Basically just left the diff on the jack and lifted the subframe onto the diff, lining up the mounting points as the subframe was lowered.
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After moving the subframe on and off of the diff several times, finally got the rear bushings pushed back far enough to line up the front mounting points. I used some moly grease on the metal-on-metal contacts (even though its painted) and the included energy suspension grease on the bushing -to-metal contact points:

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Then I went to install the Energy suspension subframe bushings and found that the front "Top" bushing did not want to seat fully in the socket, so on to the rears and they seated fine; almost completely flush with the top of the socket. After checking how tall the gap was until the bushing sat flush like the rears, I took the fronts out and sure enough that 2nd ring was still in there and the same height as the gap the bushing needed to clear to be installed flush. :angry-teeth:

I thought about trimming the bushing, but that wouldn't be the right thing to do, so it needed to come out.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 3:15 pm
by cleantune
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The front subframe "sockets" had multiple inserts, while the rears were simpler. Basically there is an outer sleeve and then an inner sleeve with a bottom that protrudes a little into the middle of the socket (kind of like a cup with a hole in it's bottom). The instructions said "DONT remove the bottom 6 tabs in the front". The top insert/ ring for the rear curled over the seam between the inner and outer sleeves of the subframe socket. I wasn't paying attention and thought "oh that bottom ring must be a part of the 6-tab ring they said not to remove"; plus the first ring had a groove in it that made it look like a large ring and a small ring fused together.

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It turns out none of this was correct and this is really whats going on in the front sockets:

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^*the rears were just the inner and outer sleeve; except the bottom "lip" of the rear inner sleeve was solid, no slits that made up a 6 tab ring like the fronts.

...ugh, so lets just cut into that meticulously sealed and painted surface shall we?:

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Finally both out:

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Before the front bushings were installed (for the second time), the front socket bottoms were again prepped and cleaned the and then 2 coats of Por 15 was brushed on to the bare metal; allowing time to dry between coats and bushing install.

Rear Energy Suspension subframe bushing fitment:

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Front Energy Suspension bushing fitment:

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 5:58 pm
by adamky
Damn... I see now why the first part of your username is "clean".

Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 1:35 pm
by cleantune
adamky wrote:Damn... I see now why the first part of your username is "clean".
haha, Thanks man!

So its been a little while since the last update and within that time period there were many questions and "roadblocks" that came up, it was ridiculous.... and the waiting for stuff; either parts or paint drying- just totally destroys any time schedule for getting stuff done.

Anyways, the plan was to replace the bushings of the rear knuckles, lower control arms, and traction rods.

I figured the traction rods were the best option for experimenting with both the bushing removal and installation on the rear suspension arms; since they were arguably the cheapest to replace out of the three rear suspension components.
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The old rubber bushings were torched with a MAP gas torch over water-soaked cardboard to get most of the rubber and the inner metal sleeves out.

Then the outer metal sleeves in the bushing sockets were carefully removed - basically used a "junior" metal hacksaw (8" Husky hacksaw from Home Depot) and a dremel with a metal grinding bit, along with a hammer and some pin punches to help knock the sleeve out- the same method used to get the sleeves out of the subframe bushing sockets (cut a small strip the length of the bushing sleeve then hammer sleeve edges inward to collapse the sleeve on itself. [i]*Just made sure to make the cuts the bushing sleeve where there was the most material on the arm itself; just so that if I did accidentally cut too deep past the sleeve, the structure of the bushing socket would not be compromised [/i]

Was planning on just putting these components right back in with the painted subframe....

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...but the appointment I had made to have a small hole patched in the floor pan was pushed back due to an overwhelming amount of projects at that shop (I forget if I mentioned this in here, but during the sound deadening removal I found a soft spot in the driver side floor pan and I ended up putting a screwdriver right through it until there was about a 1"x 3" hole to the ground). So onto taking more stuff apart! **Oh and that long flat bar with the bolts sticking through it was used to hold the axles in place while the axle nuts were taken off (the bolts went through two holes on separate "tabs" (3 "tabs per axle end).

The hubs were sooo stuck on the rear knuckles; ended up using A LOT of WD40 (as a penetrating oil and lubricant and with the knuckle bridging two pieces of wood, hammered the **** out of the back of the hub.

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Rented a ball joint press/ remover from Autozone; I believe the part number was 27023. Used just the sleeve and hammer for removal, but would need the whole assembly for installation.

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Bushings organized by part numbers:

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 1:50 pm
by cleantune
Knuckle bushings removed. All three bushings on each were pretty much the same as the other arms.

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Everything was cleanerd with wire wheels, wire brush, and sandpaper then brake cleaner. Next 2 coats of Por15, scuffed surfaces and then 2 coats of high temp paint:

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had to wait until the next day for the second coat of high temp paint because if not fully dry, it forms s "dried-river-bed" effect on the surface:
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I tped a piece of sandpaper down on a flat surface (a sheet of thigh glass would work too; I've seen someone resurface a head like this too which is where I got the idea- although I don't recommend doing this on an engine if there are other options) and sanded off the por15 from the face of the rear knuckles where the hub would mount. Later these sanded surfaces got some light coats of high temp paint:

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I noticed the Energy suspension bushings have what looks like a relief point notched out of the one side of the bushing lips. I'm assuming this is to help the bushing flex into place a little easier when pressed into place in their respective suspension components.

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I didn't have a shop press and what I concluded from a call to a local shop was that the cost of installation was going to cost close to as much as new aftermarket arms. Now whether or not that is true or not, there is a budget here and I'm not really trying to buy huge expensive tools that will take up precious space in a small garage and that will only be used a handful of times.

After sanding the inner walls of the bushing sockets on the suspension components I attempted to press the bushing into the traction control rod, but it kept slipping out before actually making it into the socket. Capitalizing on the idea of that one relief cut in the bushing, I decided to make it a little larger, but not cutting into the sleeve; only just about as deep as the relief cut and only on the one side of the bushing lip.

I make symmetrical cuts across from each other until the bushing was able to flex enough to fit into the socket smoothly. This is was the result of that trial and error:

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Amazingly with this bushing mod, the grease supplied with the bushing kit and a vice they pressed right in. The inner sleeve went in as well.

I didn't know the bushings elongated when they were pressed in, so I had wrongfully cut the edges of the sockets of the traction rods- DONT do this! NO mods to the traction rods needed.
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I ended up with the bushings sitting off center in the traction rods because of my mistake. At this point they were super difficult to center them without removing the sleeve and I had some concerns because of how close some of my dumb trimming was to the welds, so new traction rods were ordered. Here is a pic of how NOT to install traction rod bushings:

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^if I hadn't cut the ends of the traction rod sockets down, the bushings would have been centered and fit great.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:32 pm
by cleantune
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Okay so learning from the "experiment" on the traction rods, I decided to apply this to the other arms. The only problem was using a vice was not going to work well for the knuckles or the rear lower control arms (RLCA); plus the vice did not seat the bushings all the way in their sockets. So taking a cue from "GallowayChicago" 's video on youtube, I picked up some hardware, a pack of disposable gloves and prepped the bushings with the six cuts (I had tried to do the minimum amount of cuts on the bushings and the 6-symmetrical cuts on the one edge seemed to work the best.
Video overview (just overviews process, pics below pretty much show the same thing):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62s6VKj6iM

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The inner sleeve goes in the same way the bushing was put in because it helps expand the bushing forcing the edge-cut bushing lip to push out of the other side:

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Lots of grease on the cut side before the inner bushing to ensure it can slide and "pop" out on the other side:

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I ended up ditching the cardboard because the grease was just eating it up and clogging the threads on the threaded rod.

Detail of installed bushings (on Knuckle; other bushing on other components were similar)

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:27 pm
by cleantune
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Picked up some MOOG ball joints (part # K9820) for the rear LCAs. I used the "ball joint remover/ press", rented from Autozone (part # 27023), to press these in. A shop press with some metal sleeves probably would have worked better, but this tool worked well-enough for this install. I had to modify the snap ring pliers by removing some material from in between the two "arms", so that they could open more; in order to be able to get the snap ring wide enough to fit over the ball joint and into its respective groove- it just barely made it, hah.
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Then onto another mess... the "hardly-adjustable" rear links. These had been installed with the OEM camber bolts and so the camber and toe links were all at different lengths; and on top of this, the jam nuts were so tight and encapsulated with road grime that it would have been a seriously difficult chore to try to make any adjustments...so they were almost completely dissassembled into their individual components for some much needed thread cleaning, anti-seize lubrication and paint touch up:

*the ends of these toe arms were used as an attachment point to hang the arms for painting, then they were removed and received the same cleaning and lubrication treatment as the rest of the threaded parts
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Had a cringe-worthy moment when scuffing the original paint on the links in prep for a few light coats of Duplicolor high temp gloss clear paint; especially since there seemed to only be a coat of basecoat on these; no clear. Pics after spraying:
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There was some surface "rust dust" on the inside of the links, so the inside of these were rinsed with brake cleaner (allowed to dry) and then the outside was caked with auto body wax in an attempt to plan for an easy cleanup if any "sprinkle splatter" from the Eastwood internal frame rail rust encapsulator made its way onto the outside of the tubing (in hind sight, masking with tape and plastic would have been a much better choice):
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These atomizing straw tips are expensive if bought separate from the paint, so a little cleaning system was rigged up so that the straw tip could be reused at a later time:

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*Also to tie up some loose ends, after reading through many web pages, forums and experiences, I am almost 100% certain , the low oil pressure for the oil cooler system (after the engine was up to temp and oil was circulating through the oil cooler) was due to:

Mainly the oil cooler being upside down, which would not allow for air at the top of the cooler to escape; resulting in low oil pressures at idle and inconsistent oil pressures when the engine load is rapidly decreased (such as braking conditions).

As I had mentioned earlier, the oil cooler itself was never purged of any air after it was installed. The tight clearances that were implemented for the cooler mounts, lines and fittings left little line slack to be able to do this. Ideally the cooler should have been mounted either on its side, with the inlet/outlet on the left or right of the cooler or even better with the inlet and outlet on top of the cooler.

To further expand on this, this suggested "pocket" of air at the top of the cooler would become less of a problem for oil pressures as the engine load increased (as oil pressures increased); which was something that was observed during the short period of time that this cooler was plumbed into the oil system. I'm not sure if this is correct or not, but, my reasoning is that by increasing the fluid pressure around this pocket of air, that air pressurizes as well and becomes more dense- if we are allowed to exaggerate a little, almost to the point at which this air pocket is like a solid part of the cooler. If there was a solid "bump" on the cooler wall, pressures should be normal as long as flow was not restricted....I think, right?!

I dunno, if nothing else, learned not to use an oil cooler in an upside down orientation.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 1:59 pm
by cleantune
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Finished up a few things on the project list! :mrgreen:

Had some help holding these while the rear bolts were torqued:
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The subframe was put together and bolts that were torqued were marked . I just set the replacement traction rods to the OEM length and left the lock nuts loose. The other arms I put to their shortest length before their mounting hardware was torqued; which was good because not all of them were at their shortest length. I had to remove 2 of the mounting bolts so that I could spin-in one end in of two arms (to make each pair the same length....I hope this is the correct way of doing this haha:

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...wait, auh maaaan seriously?! Forgot to torque the nut that holds the rear knuckle to the end of the Rear Lower Control arms. "Crow foot/ claw foot" wrench set (Duralast part# 70-033) to the rescue!!! -saved a whole lot of time that would've been spent removing the rear axles and regreasing everything. It was the largest size in the set too! 22mm : ]

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So the plan was to mount the subframe and then reinstall the rear brakes with the new 5-lug rotor:

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...alright, now the caliper.....

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.... Ugh, problem.

So after picking up that tool to pin in the rear caliper piston (pliers would've worked too), installing, and greasing all the pad hardware/shims, it was still a struggle to get the other caliper mounting bolt installed. I did manage to get the one side, but it was a TIGHT fit. Turns out the edge of that rear plate, used to mount the z32 ebrake hardware, was pushed up against the rubber dust bot around the calipers piston and was the thing causing the resistance during the caliper install.

So now the decision had to be made: trim the excess metal off of the plate, mount the OEM rear brakes and get it all driveable again, but possibly compromise the structural rigidity of the plate and ultimately the z32 Ebrake's function (whenever it was installed)....OR....... just commit to the brake swap?

The only parts I had for the swap were the 4 calipers, these ebrake hardware plates, and some old dirty ebrake hardware. Hmmm......


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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2015 1:09 pm
by cleantune
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Well, a weekday off from work allotted some time to make a really controversial decision. This dilemma started when I decided to "dig-out" the z32 calipers that were bought about 4-5 years ago (maybe longer).

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The bolts (4 per caliper) that hold the two halves of the calipers together and just this bolted joint in general are the main "problem". The FSM says "DO NOT REMOVE THESE 4 BOLTS" with big, bold arrows pointing to the four bolts that hold the caliper halves together. The reason is because the calipers can be serviced without splitting the z32 caliper (pistons seals and dust boots can all be removed while the caliper halves are still together). I had NO intention of touching these four bolts.

The other day though, I decided to "tickle" the temptation to remove these bolts by trying to turn the bolt heads by hand. Much to my surprise, two of the rear caliper bolts were loose! So I started thinking, "just find new rear calipers", but what if the rest of the bolts on the other calipers had been tampered with?! ... and was that bolt like that or .... had I broke these loose a long time ago?
Also, were the seals in between the halves ok?!

All of these uncertainties (and the day off from work) pushed toward making the decision.
Ugh, yeah... I know...still cringing looking at these pics. The split rears:
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...and the fronts (now both fronts are split):
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I have NO IDEA what these bolts are torqued to. I tried to test "break-away torque" (BAT) by slowly increasing the torque wrench setting until the bolts "broke loose", but later found that this is NOT a valid way to check for torque because :
1. the bolt may have been installed with thread locker (increase BAT)
2. it is unknown whether or not the bolt may have been installed with lubrication
3. oxidation or other corrosion (such as rust, etc) may have occured on the threads (increase/decrease BAT)
4. the threads on either the bolt or in the hole may have some burrs on them (imperfect threading; increase or decrease BAT).

The internet info on the torque spec for these is so wildly variable, its ridiculous- almost like guessing; and who really wants to guess with brakes?!

I've read anywhere from 14 w/red loctite to 60 dry....seriously, wat?!

Since the bolts are steel and the threading in the calipers for these bolts is aluminum, the torque spec is fairly critical IMO (the calipers only have steel threaded inserts for the bolts that hold the caliper on the front and rear knuckles, not for these "caliper half bridge" bolts). I've heard that with some other aluminum calipers (I think the EVO/STI brembos?), thread stripping during reassembly is fairly common, due to the way they are assembled from the factory.

So with VERY limited info on the physical specs of the materials (other than dimensions and thread size/pitch), the physics book is out and research is under way to try to find some valid proof that could lead to a justification of some torque number for these forbidden bridge bolts. :mrgreen:

*if anyone has any experience with this or has any other info to add please feel free to pm me
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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 8:29 pm
by Cute240sxGuy
Love this build !

Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:51 am
by cleantune
^ Thanks!

After almost a month of researching proper torque methods for unknown/ tested joint fasteners, starting to gain a grasp of how and why this stuff works.

Torque numbers have little meaning in an "unknown" application. The size and grade of a bolt, plating/coating on a bolt, and lubrication can alter a bolt's "torque spec". Proper preload is what torque specs achieve, but in order to figure out proper preload, the amount of bolt elongation must be tested. Often measuring the amount of elongation is impractical because often the bolt is inaccessible to measure elongation; for example in "blind hole" applications, like these calipers.

Pic for visualization:
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source:http://unalock.com/avoid-fastener-failure.htm

I'm not sure if the numbers are correct, but basically there is a usable range of preload (elastic range) and then once past this, plastic deformation or "necking" occurs (bolt takes on an hourglass shape). The elastic range is the tiny tiny amount of stretch the bolt can undergo, without permanently staying stretched (plastic deformation); the elastic range allows stretch, but the bolt will return to normal length. In this way, the bolt is kind of like a VERY rigid spring, holding the joint together.

Without measuring the elongation of a bolt for proper preload, there is a "bolt turning" method. This method was described in a textbook as "turning the bolt to snug-tight, then for hex cap bolt heads, 180 degree turn minimum from snug-tight position. "Snug-tight" was described in the text as "The full effort of a person using an ordinary wrench"....kind of vague right?! How strong is an "ordinary person" and how long is the handle on an "ordinary wrench"?

The threads of the caliper are aluminum and the bolts are 10x1.25mm zinc-coated steel, so since the bolt is physically stronger than its corresponding threads, obviously there will not be any stretch on the bolt; maybe the aluminum threads, but not the bolt. This being said, the aluminum threads stripping is a huge concern and I've read that some of the brembo 2-piece calipers have a tendency to strip out during reassembly.

I was also reading some articles that mention that lubrication, such as oil or threadlocker, can lower the torque spec in half and still achieve proper preload.

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Re: New Project: Mild build

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:40 am
by cleantune
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Still working on gathering brake parts together. R33 ebrake cables came in the mail the other day:
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S14 ebrake cable VS R33 ebrake cable:
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The two middle brackets were removed from the R33 cables with some pliers and a flathead screwdriver. Someone on another forum who had made a tutorial on this mentioned the brackets were kind of redundant, since these cables are bolted on the front on the chassis AND back end on the hub. I figured this is reasonable because the OEM cables only have 2 mounting points as well (bracket on the subframe and bolted to the chassis). The cable was threaded behind the traction control rod support that comes off of the subframe (how the OEM s14 ebrake cables are routed). Might add another bracket in OEM location, not sure yet though.

The ebrake anchor bolts were super dirty, but brake cleaner did an amazing job cleaning them up:
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The next problem to solve was the used ebrake setup I had purchased from someone online. Although there was a left and right side, they had given me a left ebrake assembly from one model z32 and a right ebrake assembly from a different year/model z32. So one of the anchor bolts had a thicker back than the other anchor bolt (thick=non-turbo z32; thin=turbo z32). The reason is that the z32 turbo has an extra "tab" on top of the 4-bolt hub bearing assembly to take up this extra space.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RCSAw0c3A8

So I decided to pick up 2 washers from "Home Depot Motorsports" and trim the edges to fit within the ebrake "plate" that sits behind the hub assembly:
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So one prob after another as usual haha. Since the z32 "tabbed" hub assemblies were not used, there isn't a "peg" to keep the anchor bolt from spinning. The N/A version has a bolt that screws in the back, but it won't fit because the s14 rear knuckle is in the way. I'm not sure if it matters if it spins, but I figured it would be good to keep its "normal" orientation. had to drill a hole out on the driver side:
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The anchor bolts are torqued TIGHT- I think the min is 159 ft-lbs! So this is the plan of attack to keep the anchor bolts from spinning while the nuts on the back are torqued to spec:
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