SuperDorifto's Overbuilt Kouki KA-T Build

[superDorifto]

Sup NICO!!

Its been a LONG time since I've had anything to post on the boards. My last s14, was totalled by a little old lady running stop sign way back in 2007. Since then I've had a Lexus SC300, which sucked...and a 2004 GTO, which did not suck. All to find myself back with another 240, this time a 97, and begining another KA-T build. The main difference being that I know have a job that pays well enough to afford to do things right the first time.

My plan is to over build a bit, and shoot for a solid ~350 at the wheels

Turbo:

- Disco Potato - currently scoping the usual places to find a good deal, don't need it for at least a few months, so I'm in no hurry

Engine management:

- megasquirt II - plan on using it to run speed density, and ditch the distributor in favor of COP (most likely LS1 coils)
megasquirt is already buiilt and waiting for me to start loading the firmware and whatnot...most likely going to get it up and running on the NA engine to work the bugs out before I through the KA-T under the bonnet (LOL Topgear)

Quick bottom end parts run down:

- clevite bearings (already bought)
- ams sportman rods
- supertech pistons
- 11mm ARP head studs (already bought)
- ARP main studs (already bought)
- new oem oil pump and timing assembly

- I still need to pick a machine shop at this point, I have two canidates, one run by a local 240 forum member and Carlquist, who build my friend Fiznat's KA-T back in the day.

Parts I havent picked yet or things that are undecided

- clutch
- have not decided if I am going to use stock valves/cams/springs yet
- size and position of my intercooler
- exhaust
- manifold (really want to go bottom mount for certain reasons that will become clear)
- injectors/fuel set up (most likely going with the AMS set up, but I might seap a few things around)

But enough about the pipe dreams....heres some pics!

I've had this Kouki for a few weeks now and have fallen back in love with s14s.
The original plan was to keep it as a 2nd summer daily driver along side the GTO...that all changed last week. I sent the GTO on its way, and have decided to focus all of my attention on making this car exactly what I want it to be....

That being said, some people are going to HATE what I do to this car - some people will love it, I don't follow trends, I don't give a **** about hella flush fitment, or slamming the car so low that it can't be daily driven without fear of scraping every single speed bump. I am building this for me, my way.

I do plan on systematically attacking every system on this car, fixing whats wrong, improving whats left, and overall making it a better car than it ever was when it left the factory.

Working as an engineer for a company that makes jet engines, specifically the external systems (air, fuel, lube, and electrical) for the last few years has given me a new appreciation for what a, "clean" enigne can and should be...

Basic plan of attack is going to be to replace every nut/bolt with AS Spec 12 pt fasteners, and generally clean up the routing of all of the harnesses and tubes, and add redundancy where possible.

I'll have pics of the car up hopefully next weekend after I get the new skirts put on...untill then you guys will have to settle for the only decent pic that I have of it right now...a pic of my fat a** filling up for the first time, and pics of the goodies that I have been accumulating for it...

Enjoy:



Upcoming project - still may powder coat, haven't decided yet:





For the long ride home everyday:

[D-UNIT]

Looking very good.... the car and the parts I mean hee hee! My engine cost about $2800 oversived valves and all including bottom end and head machining! And from what I researched Eagles' new rod alloy can handle 800hp. I can't wait to see your build.

[superDorifto]

the ams are good for 600ish, I plan on keeping it under 400. Trying to build in that factor of safety to keep this thing from exploding prematurely.

[neverlift]

nice I like the plan, but please get diff wheels, I dont care about flush just not those lol its ruining it for me, visually. But man thats a nice starting point for a project.

[superDorifto]

They came with the car..I'm not a huge fan, in that angle they look pretty terrible, but not so from any other.

If money was no object, the only wheel on there would be a set of TE37s...since I actually have to buy a house at some point, I'll settle for some grids, or a set of Varrstoens.

The only thing that turns me away from the Varrstoens is the ridiculous stretch/camber that is needed to make them fit. If they cam in a normal 18" size i'd be all over them.

[neverlift]

yeah they are not the ugliest wheels, they are huge here in town, old z's and almost every 5 lug 13 or 14 has some lol .Give me a better angle

my wife liked it though.lol she was like zomg is that a 240 she almost got slapped.

off subject, wtf ever happen to dave chappel(spell check lol)?

[superDorifto]

he decided that he liked money more than pursuing his "art."

Comedy Central paid him a couple mil for a third season, and he cracked under the pressure and forfited on his contract. He claimed it was to project his family from the media, but that sounds like after the fact justification to me....

I haven't heard of him doing anything for years now...like a godamned ghost.

[neverlift]

ok so my buddy wasnt too far off

[superDorifto]

Stopped by Accurate Auto Machine in Middletown CT for chat about my KA-T

Got a quote on the machine work for the KA...very reasonable considering. If everything comes back in spec, which I'm expecting it to, I'm only looking at ~$300 including a hone, new valve seals, oversizing the head studs for 11mm ARP studs, and helicoils in the head to keep the godamned valve cover bolts from stripping.

Ended up talking to one of the guys in the shop, and he is building a VH42 for a future 240swap. He said he's on NICO, so hopefully he'll poke his head in to my build thread.

This will be the 3rd motor that I've had pass through this shop, I highly recommend them to anybody in central CT. They're a bit old school, but if walk in knowing exactly what you want they'll do the work. Bad news for the SR guys tho - they don't do the cryo work for the valve guides.

Dropping off the block and head this week.

[D-UNIT]

you're not going to have the crank , pistons , rods balanced? Its a really cheap way to make the KA butter smooth! I even had my clutch and flywheel balanced. 7400 rpm and no vibrations can be felt , even in the shifter! 350Z shimless buckets fit too = no shims flying out at extended high rpm.

[superDorifto]

I would rather do it, but its all a matter of timing really. TO balance everything I need to drop everything off together..rods, pistons, clutch, flywheel and crank.

I haven't even though about what clutch I want to use...most likely buying rods an pistons next week. One of the guys at the machine shop I'm using has his own build thread in the VH engine section... he is building one hell of a V8. I think right now he has it bored out and re-sleeved to make it a VH50...

hopefully he'll poke his head in my own build thread once I drop my KA block/head off this week.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Ah so you're Will!!!
I'm still rocking Foster's old KYB AGX + Eibach Sportlines on my 240, and his meth injection is sitting on a shelf in my garage. Good to see you back on the boards.

[superDorifto]

Its good to be back.

I don't know what Foster has told you but most of it is prob true.

Just went to check out Fast Five with Foster actually...he claims he didn't like it, but I think we both know he's a closet ricer. LOL

Why is the meth kit on a shelf? needs to be keeping the charge density up...and the knock way down. I'm trying to get him to purchase a 240 this weekend, going to look at a 98 kouki on Sunday...with any luck he'll start posting again too.

I remember helping him install those agx's like 6 years ago...def built to last.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah I saw he sold his subie.
The meth is sitting on a shelf cos I guess I haven't gotten around to putting it on yet... bigger fish to fry and whatnot. Hell, I might rig it up to spray my intercooler or something... maybe both IC and injection.

[superDorifto]

When I bought my new kouki like a month ago I stopped by his house and knew that he would be back in a 240 before the end of the summer. Foster took the pic of me pumping gas up above, and you could see him salivating as he drove it back from the gas station.

Im trying not too let my build get outta hand.

I really want to make a solid 350, and be otherwise completely bullet proof. I've been working at Pratt and Whitney doing external system design for a last few years, so I kinda know the direction I want to go, but by no means have the path locked down.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Ah cool, I applied at Pratt and Whitney in the CT area about a year ago... they just got back to me like 2 weeks ago. By that point I had already taken another job.

[superDorifto]

Their HR process is so convoluted. It takes forever to get an interview and the criteria that they judge people by makes almost no sense.

What kind of position were you applying for?, If you dont mind me asking.

Also, just picked up a CF hood with AeroLocks for a fellow NICO member in NJ....god driving to NJ sucks. No I need to strip the old paint off and re clear this b**** - My Sunday roject for the week has been found.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I think I was going for design engineer? I can't remember exactly to tell you the truth. Definitely in the Engineering field though. Is there an R&D facility in CT? That sounds familiar too.

[superDorifto]

I'm doing project engineering right now, which is right up my alley. They have a pretty significant engineering department in East Hartford and Middletown, I don't know the exact number, but I think we have close to 5000 heads in engineering in CT.

My Department supports both military and commercial engines, I've been working on their new commercial offering since I started working here through a local outsourcing company. Does the outsourced situation kinda suck....yes, but I get to do really interesting work and I am making a comparable salary for my efforts.

They do some testing here too.

[superDorifto]

I took a trip down to Jersey on Saturday. Picked up a Carbon Fiber Hood with Aerocatch Locks already installed from another NICO member off the exterior forums...only problem is it has a layer of sparkely white paint where that lovely CF used to be.

I did a bit of research, and with the amount of conflicting information I found, it looks like stripping is out of the question. The only safe route is good old fashioned elbow grease. I spent a good 2-3 hours today letting the orbital do its thing. For anyone that has to do the same in the future, go slow, take your time, and pay attention. It is very apparent once you break through to the original CF topcoat.

I have my fingers crossed that I am not going to find a huge flaw filled with bondo, but then again buying any used body piece can be a crap shoot.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You really should never find too much bondo with carbon fiber... it doesn't really dent, just cracks.

[superDorifto]

So far so good, it just takes for ever to sand...the 220 grit is eating through the paint/primer, but the CF resin is killing disks faster than I can replace them. The sanded patch above took around 3 hours and used 3 full sheets...I figure I'll need about 20 more to finish the initial strip...

Then 600 grit...

Then 800 grit...

Then clear...

Then wetsand/polish.

I still feel like I got a pretty good deal (Paid almost nothing for the hood), but this little project is goonna take a legit ~20 hours to complete.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

All that just to see the carbon fiber? I'm one of those people that would paint over it anyway, so this seems odd to me haha.

[superDorifto]

All that just to see the carbon fiber? I'm one of those people that would paint over it anyway, so this seems odd to me haha.

Didn't Foster tell you?...I am a closet ricer. I love CF and functional aero, even if it makes a car look like it has a CF park bench strapped under the rear bumper....

I try to escape it, but I just love certain things that are tacky by their very existence...I am alsoo putting these wheeels on the car once they are refinished...






Believe it or not...the lips used to be polished aluminium instead of just black brake dust. I had them on my SC300 for a few years, and did not take the best (any) care of them.

I need to drop them off to get re-coated and polished, but with the right spacer I think they are gonna look great.

Not the greatest size for a 240...18x9 +42 (for the longest time I thought they were +50s LOL at least thats what they were in the auction that I won), but with the right sized spacer I think they will look pretty good.

I'll be honest, one of my favorite s-chassis cars was NOB's s15 with these wheels in red...bout pooped my pants when I saw that years and years ago, the love for these wheels however has stayed strong tho...




Granted my faces are considerably flusher with the rim than his, but I think the rareness/coolness factor will still win out...Hell, I have NEVER seen anyone else with these rims IRL. I check ebay, panda garage, and RBmotoring (or whatever they are calling themselves these days) every week or so to see if I can snage a pair with a deeper face to make this set complete...no luck, the vers 1s have been outta production for years. In almost 5 years I have never seen another set of 18s come up in any offse.. Lots of 16s and 17s tho...

[superDorifto]

you're not going to have the crank , pistons , rods balanced? Its a really cheap way to make the KA butter smooth! I even had my clutch and flywheel balanced. 7400 rpm and no vibrations can be felt , even in the shifter! 350Z shimless buckets fit too = no shims flying out at extended high rpm.

Wait...shimless buckets???..how do you adjust lash?

[D-UNIT]

The head shop has to either cut down the bucket stem or cut down the top of the valve stem. Just like on the VQ35s' the buckets come out of. Its kinda tedious but nothing special. Any machine shop should be able to do it. I would have had it done but I found out about it after my head was done.

I would rather do it, but its all a matter of timing really. TO balance everything I need to drop everything off together..rods, pistons, clutch, flywheel and crank.I haven't even though about what clutch I want to use...

I had my clutch and flywheel balanced at a later date than my block. I was in the same boat as you ( decision , decision). All they did was attach the flywheel and clutch cover together and spin it up to 10,000rpm. They drilled some divots in the cover, charged me $75 bucks and it was done. Race balance haha. Oh yeah lightweight flywheel FTW!!!

[superDorifto]

I did not know that. I thought that they had to be able to weigh every part of the rotating assembly to "balance" the engine. Its kinda Interesting, but underwhelming that they just spin the thing, I thought it was more involved.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I did not know that. I thought that they had to be able to weigh every part of the rotating assembly to "balance" the engine. Its kinda Interesting, but underwhelming that they just spin the thing, I thought it was more involved.

Well if you think about it, they don't need to weigh/match sets of tires or anything... they just add weight where needed to smooth everything out. This is essentially the same thing, except removing weight where needed (by drilling holes in the flywheel).

[superDorifto]

Looks like I'm gonna need to change the title of this thread...just pulled the trigger on a Knight Supercharger Kit. Pics will be up as soon as I get a lovely big box in the mail.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

What do you want to change it to?

Twin charge that b****!