Progress update on my VH41 R31 Skyline

[Mettler]

Yo, thought I'd post the pics up on here for those that are interested.

Well, I'm ditching the extractors that have been made so far, and completely remaking the entire setup with port matched laser cut flanges, and doing it MYSELF!

My dad lent me his mig and I've been going nuts doing the things that have needed doing for a long time. I've chopped out the spare wheel well and box sectioned it up with tack welds, and etch primed it. Gotta put sealer all over it yet. I also need to chop the semicircle for the exhaust tip to stick out on that side, slowly but surely getting there however!

I've also pretty much fabricated the passenger side exhaust, just gotta mount it up properly at the front.

Here are a series of pics of where I'm at... many of them are gratuitous manual conversion shots, showing my flywheel & clutch assembly etc.

I start fabricating extractors this weekend !

Enjoy fellas, it's not gonna be too much longer until we hear the first R31 coupe in the world with a Quad Cam V8 roar!!!

[Mettler]

Oh and yep, that is a power steer cooling circuit!

[hannibal]

Hmm, power steering?!? Never heard of that on a street car before.

Nice looking work!

Is that a RB25 (or Z32) transmission/clutch/flywheel with a VH41 bellhousing welded on? I barely know what I'm looking at, but I'm what fork/lever?? did you use?

Also did the spare sit vertically in the R31? I cant see how even a donut could fit in there.

[djslaviero]

Hi, mettler, i have a few questions about the conversion that i hope you could help me with, as i have been following your build with great interest.

1. i want to put the VH41DE in an R31 Skyline Sedan and was wondering if you have diagrams on the engine mounts that you used/made?

2. what brake booster did you end up using?i was going to see if the one from the Y32 Cima would fit from the halfcut when i finally got it.

finally, i want to get some extractors made up as well, are you planning/willing to sell a set the same as the ones you are making up?

thanksDan

[Mettler]

Hmm, power steering?!? Never heard of that on a street car before.

Nice looking work!

Is that a RB25 (or Z32) transmission/clutch/flywheel with a VH41 bellhousing welded on? I barely know what I'm looking at, but I'm what fork/lever?? did you use?

Also did the spare sit vertically in the R31? I cant see how even a donut could fit in there.

Heh, power steering will be nice to have with 245s on the front !

The flywheel is my own design/make, lightweight aircraft 7079 grade alloy with a wear plate insert. The Bellhousing is the factory auto bellhousing, chopped & welded to fit the W57 Toyota gearbox, fork, thrust bearing etc.

Clutch kit is obviously aftermarket.

Spare wheel was that yellow spacesaver you see in the photo, and yes it sat vertically, held in by straps. No longer, dual exhaust system is far more important

[Mettler]

Hi, mettler, i have a few questions about the conversion that i hope you could help me with, as i have been following your build with great interest.

1. i want to put the VH41DE in an R31 Skyline Sedan and was wondering if you have diagrams on the engine mounts that you used/made?

2. what brake booster did you end up using?i was going to see if the one from the Y32 Cima would fit from the halfcut when i finally got it.

finally, i want to get some extractors made up as well, are you planning/willing to sell a set the same as the ones you are making up?

thanksDan

Hey mate, great to see another R31 enthusiast!

I can't supply diagrams as my mounts aren't yet perfect... I've had to redo them, the fabricator who first mounted my motor, mounted it completely wrong. 15mm to the driver's side, and at an angle... not right whatsoever. Not only this, he used little metal tube spacer things behind the plates because of a boss that stcks out of the block.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Have designed a gap around this boss, and made proper plates that bolt right up against the block. Will be sitting the motor where it's perfect, and then welding the joining pieces in to finalise the mounts. Once this is done, I'm gonna model them both up and correct any errors, and start producing VH into RB engine cradle mounts.

At this point you'll be able to buy a set of engine mounts off me for cheap !

The Y32 Cima brake booster is massive, you won't be able to use it. The cima is a much wider car and the booster sits further over, out of the way.

Mitsubishi Colt & other similar models of mitsi run a small enough diameter brake booster, with the correct bolt pattern at the back to bolt it up to the nissan firewall. Only one thing, you need to break off the spacers on the inside of the firewall, because the studs on the mitsi booster aren't long enough to fit right through them. The spacers are only tack welded, so no worries there!

[djslaviero]

Buying a set of mounts off you would be excellent! any idea when you be up to that point?I'm still at the stage of sorting out the suspension and brakes first before slotting the motor in. wanna make it handle and stop before putting the go in.

besides the engine mounts, what other custom pieces are required for fitting the engine/gearbox? i can do the wiring its just getting the engine in and secure that troubles me. did you just modify the gearbox mount that was originally on your car?

p.s. i'm using the auto that comes with the motor, with a possibility of converting to manual later.

[maxnix]

Oh and yep, that is a power steer cooling circuit!

Wonder how much temperature drop that will get after the radiator? PS cooling is a great idea, but I think it needs its own cold air flow to be really effective in minimally sized and thus heat stressed Nissan PS pumps.

Thanks for the pictures!

[defrag010]

The R31 uses the same chassis components as the M30, right?

I just got a new M30 and I was looking into getting another VH for it, and if your mount kit crossmember will bolt in I might want one too!!

[Mettler]

I fabricated around 90% of the passenger side headers this weekend... and did it without a welding mask. Though I avoided arc eye by closing my eyes, my face is burnt and puffy around my eyes now dammit!

On the bright side, I did a damn nice job! The runners will be close in length, and there's good clearance all round.

I had just the bellhousing on, and had the hoist all hooked up, and was raising the motor to weld on pipe, then dropping it into the bay to get under and measure, etc. Motor went in and out like 15-20 times !

Wonder how much temperature drop that will get after the radiator? PS cooling is a great idea, but I think it needs its own cold air flow to be really effective in minimally sized and thus heat stressed Nissan PS pumps.

Thanks for the pictures!

Yeah man I think you're right, I had a few other people look at it and point out that I may be better off mounting it in front. There's room for it there, I was just being lazy as I didn't want to try and bend one of those banjo fitting lines to suit going around the radiator... probably a better idea to go this way though.

The R31 uses the same chassis components as the M30, right?

I just got a new M30 and I was looking into getting another VH for it, and if your mount kit crossmember will bolt in I might want one too!!

It does indeed... but you need an RB crossmember for your M30, don't know if the VG one is the same. You can always refer to my pics above to see if it is in fact the same.

So yeah, keep me posted on that

[Mettler]

Just when everybody had pretty much forgotten... I return triumphantly with another monster update !

The news ? The car is just about ****ing finished! Oh yeah, over a year's worth of pissing around and building up my parts inventory, learning new stuff here and there, and even innovating one or two things... and the GTS-8 will see life in only a few weeks time! I feel like a proud dad...

The rear guards have been flared to fit those monster 275's under, a symmetrical exhaust outlet cut into the other side of the rear panel, etc.

Photos from the exhaust shop where things are being finished off. I made about 70% of the exhausts, headers etc... but then cut myself pretty bad with the cutoff wheel (almost lost my thumb) & dad had to take his welder back home that same weekend too, so off to Pit Stop to get it finished... and look how ****ing tough it looks now on those wheels! So stoked, R31s kick ***! 8)

[ultrapulse]

Cool car Mettler. Always liked the r31 and dont see too many 2 door ones round. Keep up the momentum so I can see it cruising around hammers

[Ozzie]

Nice work there un-zudder!

Definitely a lot of experience you have earnt for yourself there....

When something goes wrong, I have no doubt you will be able to track down the fault and fix it in no time.

I want to hear that thing running!

[SuperHatch]

Looks excellent man, very impressive...

edit: I can't spell...
Modified by SuperHatch at 12:59 PM 12/11/2006

[Mettler]

Cheers guys!

Cool car Mettler. Always liked the r31 and dont see too many 2 door ones round. Keep up the momentum so I can see it cruising around hammers

When I'm up & running, I'm paying you a visit!