Joined
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83 Posts
Build Thread - 89T - Updated 6/27
Well,
I've been a member here since 2004 and I don't normally post much I normally just read, thank all of you for sharing you knowledge about these wonderful cars.
That being said. I work on a limited budget, but still want things to turn out nicely so I take all the time that is needed. I got this car in August 06 and drove it once. my initial plans were to make a nice car before i make a fast car. however the car had a faint knock and I decided to take care of that first and the right way to do that is to perform a full rebuild. The engine it self had 188,000 miles on it. So i will be starting with a nice engine. Prolly at around stock boost with a walbaro 255, adjustable fpr and safc for simple tuning at first. Then I plan on repainting the car and replacing and re-doing alot of the interior of the car before I do suspension and higher hp.
The current engine status is in a rebuild phase. I just got the motor back from fowler engines here in Columbus ohio. they do alot of high performance work on drag units and I heard alot of good about them before i decided to take the motor there. Initially I planned on doing stock pistons, rods, and a step undersize on the crank to fix the rod knock.
The block unfortunately for me was in to bad of shape to just hone it and get new rings. i had them bore it .020 over and ended up with wiseco pistons. Of course new freeze plugs and it was resurfaced + hot tanked. i also had new oil pump drive bearings installed.
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The Entire Bottom end was weight balanced including the crank, connecting rods, pistons and flywheel.
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The head was resurfaced .030, all the valves were completely resealed with new ehaust valves and a cold tank cleaning. I also have ARP head bolts and an hks 2mm head gasket. The cars previous owner did not really take care in what he was doing. The head was clear coated and then when I had it cleaned it turned black and most of it was not removed. I plan on taking the time to clean and remove all of it.
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The car it self has no visible rust, aside from a small dent in the passenger door and the front bumper it self was in poor shape. There is also a dent in the front cross member where the radiator mounts which was my fault when I was removing the engine to start with. With this (you will see pics below I plan to attempt a repair using fiberglass but if that doesn't work i will just cut another one out of the junkyard and weld it in.
I completely painted the bay using wheel paint which will be heat resistant and be more durable then the scratched up poor condition of it when i first got the car. its not the most professional job possible but there is little over spray and was cheep. I also have a new Brake master cylinder, and removed the abs system completely, with new lines run to both the front breaks.
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Below are old pics of the bay from when i pulled the motor.
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the tranny was (at least when I drove it in very good condition all the gears ran through fine. I've at this point painted it a flat black (which im sure will wear off around 5,000 miles)
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also, i don't have pics yet but im switching to an 2nd gen rx-7 oil cooler combined with oil filter relocation. I plan on either making my own, or buying a forward facing intake manifold to help support a front mount intercooler. Also I plan to do a simple water methanol injection setup to help stabilize and make my horse power consistent. Before i can start putting the motor back together I need engine main/rod/thrust bearings, an oil pump and a clutch.
stay turned for more pics to come, I definitely want opinions on things, but don't flame as it is worthless. If you don't like the way im doing something, say something and say why as i would really like to know.
Thanks!
Jack
Note - This is also on www.ohiosupras.org forums.
Well,
I've been a member here since 2004 and I don't normally post much I normally just read, thank all of you for sharing you knowledge about these wonderful cars.
That being said. I work on a limited budget, but still want things to turn out nicely so I take all the time that is needed. I got this car in August 06 and drove it once. my initial plans were to make a nice car before i make a fast car. however the car had a faint knock and I decided to take care of that first and the right way to do that is to perform a full rebuild. The engine it self had 188,000 miles on it. So i will be starting with a nice engine. Prolly at around stock boost with a walbaro 255, adjustable fpr and safc for simple tuning at first. Then I plan on repainting the car and replacing and re-doing alot of the interior of the car before I do suspension and higher hp.
The current engine status is in a rebuild phase. I just got the motor back from fowler engines here in Columbus ohio. they do alot of high performance work on drag units and I heard alot of good about them before i decided to take the motor there. Initially I planned on doing stock pistons, rods, and a step undersize on the crank to fix the rod knock.
The block unfortunately for me was in to bad of shape to just hone it and get new rings. i had them bore it .020 over and ended up with wiseco pistons. Of course new freeze plugs and it was resurfaced + hot tanked. i also had new oil pump drive bearings installed.
The Entire Bottom end was weight balanced including the crank, connecting rods, pistons and flywheel.
The head was resurfaced .030, all the valves were completely resealed with new ehaust valves and a cold tank cleaning. I also have ARP head bolts and an hks 2mm head gasket. The cars previous owner did not really take care in what he was doing. The head was clear coated and then when I had it cleaned it turned black and most of it was not removed. I plan on taking the time to clean and remove all of it.
The car it self has no visible rust, aside from a small dent in the passenger door and the front bumper it self was in poor shape. There is also a dent in the front cross member where the radiator mounts which was my fault when I was removing the engine to start with. With this (you will see pics below I plan to attempt a repair using fiberglass but if that doesn't work i will just cut another one out of the junkyard and weld it in.
I completely painted the bay using wheel paint which will be heat resistant and be more durable then the scratched up poor condition of it when i first got the car. its not the most professional job possible but there is little over spray and was cheep. I also have a new Brake master cylinder, and removed the abs system completely, with new lines run to both the front breaks.
Below are old pics of the bay from when i pulled the motor.
the tranny was (at least when I drove it in very good condition all the gears ran through fine. I've at this point painted it a flat black (which im sure will wear off around 5,000 miles)
also, i don't have pics yet but im switching to an 2nd gen rx-7 oil cooler combined with oil filter relocation. I plan on either making my own, or buying a forward facing intake manifold to help support a front mount intercooler. Also I plan to do a simple water methanol injection setup to help stabilize and make my horse power consistent. Before i can start putting the motor back together I need engine main/rod/thrust bearings, an oil pump and a clutch.
stay turned for more pics to come, I definitely want opinions on things, but don't flame as it is worthless. If you don't like the way im doing something, say something and say why as i would really like to know.
Thanks!
Jack
Note - This is also on www.ohiosupras.org forums.
