Kyle's nasty ugly hardcore S14 build (ALL PICS FIXED)

[SX APPEAL]

Yeah an auto one will work fine, thanks man.

[SX APPEAL]

Mini update:

School and work have been taking up most of my time lately, but I did manage to get out and work on the old problem child for a few hours the other night, with mixed results:

As I may have mentioned before, when I tried to install my SS lines with the Z brakes a while back, the fittings were completely rusted solid. after working with PB Blaster and a torch for a while I finally just bit the bullet and cut the fitting off the hardline, this is what I was left with:



Next, I bent the line straight out so I could get enough room to slide the new fitting on and the flaring tool on over that:


Re-flaring the cut hard line:


The result:


Now I was finally able to install the SS line and new rotor/caliper



Sorry for the crappy picture quality, camera phone, bad light, shaky hands lol.

So everything was hunkie dorie until I went to bleed the system last night, bought new speed bleeders for all four corners, highly recommend btw, but the rear bleeder screws were COMPLETELY seized, well that figures. So getting them ripped out of there by any means necessary is today's project, wish me luck.

EDIT: I no longer recommend the check valve speed bleeders. Gave me nothing but trouble, just get a friend to help

Oh and just a little preview of coming attractions:

[SX APPEAL]

Bringing this thread (and this project) back from the dead lol.

As some of you know, I've had a few major set backs with the S14 lately, but I'm getting back on track now. Circumstances have forced me to accelerate my plans a bit. The motor is getting pulled back out (long story don't ask...) and I figured if I have to pull the f**ker out of there again its not going back in without being bomb proof. Enter wiseco pistons, eagle rods, ARP everything, the works... More on this in the coming weeks. Turbo is a GT3076 whetted to STI 550's and the Enthalpy ECU.

First phase of the project went well last night, I assembled my engine hoist lol. First time I've ever owned my own, always borrowed one before. Should be tearing into it in earnest by this weekend, stay tuned...

[240life]

awsesome

[SX APPEAL]

Progress in the last few days, engine is back out, fully disassembled, block and head are at the machine shop. Pistons, rods and my turbo manifold have arrived in the mail. Now its just kind of a waiting game until the shop gets back to me (they said they're about 3 weeks backed up...) and I can order my bearings and see how much money I have left over for fuel lines and a few other accessories. Couple of gratuitous 3:00 AM garage shots:

Well, as you would have guessed, lost the gratuitous 3:00 AM shots... FML

So instead, here's a couple other pics I have from roughly that same time, may have even been the same night.




Roommates moved out, took the microwave with them. This worked rather well...

[fiznowler]

I will get your goodies coated for ya this week. I been busting a** on my s14 as well. Made a bunch of progress I need to update my thread I kinda let it die when i put my project on hold.

[SX APPEAL]

Hey fiz, any word on the coatings? Still haven't gotten my stuff back from the machine shop, but thats probably a good thing seeing as how my tax return hasn't come in yet and I just paid rent lol. How's your S14 coming?

[SX APPEAL]

Well the machine shop STILL isn't completely done with my stuff, though they did say it would probably be done by yesterday...

Anyway, trying to get some of the other little stuff taken car of while I'm waiting on the engine.

Mounted the intercooler. Second hand Greddy V spec, fits very nicely



Only required a little bit of hammering the frame rails and trimming to the bumper



I love using quality parts, all the mounting tabs line up with preexisting holes in the chassis, no drilling of fabrication of brackets required



With the bumper back on



Test fitting the charge piping



Found a decent mounting spot for the oil cooler, just need to fab up a couple of brackets



Koyo radiator with the Isis cooling shroud installed, this really does package up nicely



One last little project for the night, installed the JGS trans mount



Hopefully more updates including engine assembly and installation will follow next week. If not, my Tommy gun and I are taking a trip down to the machine shop

[SX APPEAL]

Also got new (used) seats for a steal:

[SX APPEAL]

Finally got my parts back from the machine shop the other day, here's what I've got done so far:

Bare block, can't remember but I saw someone on here painted theirs aluminum silver and I thought it looked bitchin so I copied it.





ARP Main studs installed



Crank installed, check out my shiny new polished journals lol



The rest of the rotating assembly installed, sorry no pics of the assembly process, mostly due to struggling with rod and piston assembly. Big thanks to Wiseco btw for including snap rings that CANNOT be used with snap ring pliers! My poor bloody nubs (where my thumbs used to be) really appreciate that...



Head studs installed



Test fitting the head



Cams and timing components installed



Second time around with BC cams, please let everything work this time...



Just for fun...



Few more accessories installed



Thats where it sits right now, will have more pics tonight

[SX APPEAL]

More pics, while I'm waiting for my valve cover, front cover and intake manifold to come back from powder coating (Hey fiz, ya out there buddy?) Been mocking up various components to make sure everything will drop in nice and easy.

Valve cover & intake manifold will be gold too, so I couldn't resist...



Getting my oil plumbing all figured out:


And of course, could help but throw the snail up on there to see how it looked:







I'm really liking how the turbo and wastegate package up with this manifold, originally I had planned to just run an open dump, but the dump tube I have has just the right angle that it meets the downpipe just before the flange, so I think I'm going to take it to a muffler shop and have them cut and weld it together, should be pretty clean. Hope to make more progress in the coming days, for now enjoy.

[fiznowler]

You will have them hand delivered this weekend. I kind fell off the earth for the past month with so much stuff going on. I have been working on mine up until last two months or so. I got the 300zxtt steering rack installed got my battery relocate kit mostly installed, tt frontmount installed, pulled my dash and deleted a bunch of junk out of the engine bay. I am sorry bout the delay on your parts getting coated. I haven't even had a chance to touch your old hatch I bought off ya. It is still sitting in my yard where I dropped it off the trailer.

[SX APPEAL]

Bit more eye candy, I really like the idea of having the engine bay be prettier and shinier than the actual exterior of the car.







Thanks to Matt aka fiznowler

[SX APPEAL]

Getting a few more of the little details ironed out such as turbo coolant lines, heater hoses, PCV system and the like. Also had some fun with gold foil heat shielding

[badbob2121]

Nice, engine is looking good!

[SX APPEAL]

Thanks bob, btw if you happen to come across any S14 side skirts in the stl area, since I'm closer to that side of the state anyway (Rolla) let me know, I just got my kouki lip installed and I'd like to get some skirts to go with it, something pretty subtle, similar to what you just put on your S13.

Anyways, couldn't really get anything done on the engine today, waiting on fittings and hoses in the mail, but here are a couple pics of said lip. I just love the way the flat black intercooler looks peeking out of the flat black bumper





That's it for today

[S13_RB25]

Just read it from the beginning and man this thing has come far. Loving the KA-T, nice work bro!! Keep the updates coming

[SX APPEAL]

Thanks man, still waiting on parts in the mail (story of my life lately) So here's a few more pics of me tinkering with trivial things while I wait lol.

Got a few things rearranged in the cockpit, sorry for the crappy pics.


HVAC controls moved, gauges mounted where they used to be. Fan switches replacing the ashtray and starter button where the lighter was.

And still had some more gold foil left and couldn't help myself...




Any more of that and it'll be a lunar lander haha

[SX APPEAL]

Guess I could do an update at this point. Engine is in the car, haven't got it running yet though. Still working out details with intercooler piping, sensor/fan wiring, battery placement, that kind of thing. Gotta say I'm pretty disappointed with a lot of the parts I've bought. The JGS trans mount came with brackets that weren't anything like what was pictured and don't resemble anything that would work in a 240sx, but I made the mount itself work. Their engine mounts aren't much better. While the materials seem to be of good quality, when installed correctly, they place the engine about 3/8" too far back, so the trans crossmember doesn't line up and the driveshaft wont fit. Luckily they can also be installed incorrectly, by removing the small screw that keeps them from being rotated, which in my case allowed me to place the engine exactly where it needs to be and everything lines up perfectly, go figure. And of course I'm still struggling with the exhaust, as most of my stock hangers are nowhere to be found and the cheap Isis system doesn't fit perfectly. But enough of my bitching, on to the pics.

Edit: Sorry, can't find these pics anywhere

Thats all for now. I have a lot more time to work on it now that classes are out for the summer, so the updates should be coming more quickly.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

That sir, is pure sex. I love the black and gold scheme.

[SX APPEAL]

Update, nothing extremely major, just cleaning up all the little detail work. Oil cooler, turbo coolant lines, wiring, catch can, and cool a** Driver name decals

[OutToWinPAHC]

looking good

[laxands13]

Looks awesome! the gold and flat black look so good.

[SX APPEAL]

We're getting seriously close here kids...



...and yes I'm quite aware that most of the pictures in the first two pages of this thread don't work anymore, I'll get that fixed at some point. In the mean time, here's something to use as a before and after:

[pepesilvia]

so i gather that you havnt even started this car in two years?

[SX APPEAL]

That is correct, school and lack of money. And squandering what little money I do have...

[fiznowler]

I have finally started working on mine again. You will get it running soon enough!

[SX APPEAL]

We might actually get to have that MO meet we keep talking about sometime this spring lol

EDIT: FIXED ALL THE PICS, now I'm going to bed...

Or if you're too lazy to go back and read the whole thread, here are the critical before and afters:



And a few more from the other night:

Charge piping had to be modified (bought it from another guy's setup which was similar, but not identical. Hot side:

BOV location, should I worry about water or rocks or anything messing it up? Eventually I will be building new splash shields and fender wells, but not immediately

Cold side, note the blow-through MAF setup and the sweet Braille 21lb battery


Piecing it together...

[fiznowler]

Yeah that would be awesome! My buddy is tearing into his S12 again hard and heavy. Car looks solid man! What else are you lacking at this point? I need some of that gold foil where did you pick it up and how much was it?

[SX APPEAL]

That'll be pretty sweet, does he have a thread or any pics of that?

Got the heat foil here: Chasebays
that's a 2"x15' roll for $37.99
You can also get it here Enjuku
this is a 2' wide roll, sold by the foot for $39.99

Turns out to be about the same cost either way, actually a little cheaper for the 2" roll. (360 square inches vs 288) Personally I'm glad I got the 2" wide roll, the sheet would've been a lot harder to work with. It's impossible to smooth out large sections of this stuff without it wrinkling since it doesn't stretch at all, so small strips are easier to work with.

As far as what's left to do on my car:
clean up the trans harness -car was auto-manual swapped by a previous owner (not the cleanest one ever done)
get my exhaust figured out since the Isis doesn't fit, I'll probably just take it up the street to the muffler shop and have them hack the Isis to fit correctly
headlight wiring
interior gauge wiring
fill with oil and coolant
Pray to God that it starts on the first try...