S14 project

[Harrythook]

So here we are, starting our S14 build topic. I am sure the prior owner is/was a member of this site so in advance please do not take offence with what is posted. Anyway here we go:
The car.


Our plan is to build the KA24DE that came with the car as a naturally aspirated motor to start. Once that’s in and running we will sort out any chassis problems, get her PA inspected (emissions testing sucks) and go from there. Vehicle has everything there for turbo install, which will happen after we have the basics sorted out. And the garage cleaned out (selling CRF250R, keeping quad)


Still in the process of inventory, we bought all/everything that the prior owner had for the car. The first step on the build is tear down of motor, and it’s a bit rough. Lots of stripped bolts, weak oil return fitting in oil pan, ect.. So everything that comes off motor is at machine shop, hot tanked and correct fitting installed in pan. Once I get parts back its helicoil time!

[Harrythook]

Teardown almost complete, Found cam caps installed backwards, #3 cap on intake side has broken bolt in head, timing not even close to correct. But my son keeps reminding me that we got a clean chassis to start on.
So the motor comes to work with me, gonna start from scratch like I wanted to. I can't bring myself to post the pictures of what I found, very sad that it was done this way.

[Harrythook]

Teardown almost complete. Broken cam cap bolt removed no problem, gotta love left twist drill bits. Head will be off today, stud kit to be removed and trashed (believe it was over torqued) and lots of cleaning. Waiting on front covers to come back from machine shop, have to check and adjust (mill) to match block deck height.
My thought is to assemble this motor then do the valve clearance check. I am worried that with the way this thing was assembled there is a strong possibility lifters/shims where just thrown in anywhere.

Anybody tell me whats wrong in this pic?

[Harrythook]

All I gotta do is bring home the right piston ring compressor (brought home a 92MM by accident) and pop the pistons and rods out to check the last of the last. The son learned a lot about bolt extraction, taps and dies, and fixing threads. Looks like bottom end was correctly assembled by a pro, which is good. Manley rods and weisco pistons by the numbers. Assembly by next weekend if all goes good.

[Harrythook]

Well motor is assembled, ready for paint and then into the car. This was a nightmare KA build, almost had to start from scratch again. All was going well until it was time to install the upper gear for the lower timing chain. Went to torque bolt and it popped the threads at 19 foot lbs. (my torque wrench displays the highest torque achieved). Just by luck I had the 12 x 1.25 helicoil kit at work with 2 inserts left. Lots of locktight and things went together, but if that head ever comes off its time for a new one. Searching already. Would like to find a complete motor this time.

The guys at BMS (machine shop) helped out a lot, well worth the money to have everything cleaned before assembly.

[Harrythook]

Clutch in place

On the hoist

Stuffing it in...

and there is a lot of RED there.
Thats what the son wanted, so be it.

[Harrythook]

Motor in, exhaust side done. Running into a bit of a problem with coolant hookup on intake side, everything is a mess there. Once again, all hacked up. A couple of pics from others as to where they have it (pics) would help.

Found a J30 low mileage Diff, still in car for a good price, so once running thats handled. Local speed shop was very nice to help out with the AN fittings and caps needed. Hope for making this thing burn gas this weekend.

[SoundEfx]

Nice progress and it's cool that the young ones are actually getting this opportunity. I would have killed to have that when I was younger.

You have to show us the finished product. You just have to....

[Harrythook]

Gotta figure out header pipe gasket, then get her running right. But its burning gas! The son made his first test lap around the hood, all smiles!

View My Video

[Harrythook]

[Harrythook]

Figured out exhaust leak. Motor has stock exh manifold to 3" pipe, 3 bolt connection. Found the pipe when bolted up was up against the floor, poor fit. I was about to make a spacer when I found (in the pile) a set of old BB chevy hooker headers. Sure enough, the collector bolt pattern was almost dead on. So I ran over to my friends at Injection Connection and picked up a set of collector plates and gaskets. Milled out holes a bit, and BAM, instant spacer. Front of car is normal now, but the beer can muffler has no baffles, sounds like s***.

[Harrythook]

Well, car is finally running right. So many issues, to start with the distributor was one tooth off. Normal thing, but when I when to take distributor out it seized in the upper housing. Actually broke it trying to get it out. Ordered new one, tried to install and stopped when it would not slide right in. Ended up "galling" the hole in the cover, so went to swap it out with a spare. Still would not install easy, did some measuring and found upper cover when installed was out of position due to milled head? So I shaved bottom of upper cover "a lot" and got things aligned, set timing and off the car goes. With a smiling man-child at the wheel.

Next up is fixing leak in radiator, then PA inspection. Pics to come...

[Harrythook]

Sooo, local emissions testing dyno is broken. Set back again!

Pulled rad, repaired and cooling system seems intact. Drove it for about 30 miles today, fun little car. Need to get it legal before the son gets cut loose. Tires mounted on spare rims, and J30 differential will be here Sunday. Planning on some interior work starting next week.

Need some suggestions on body kits, front/rear bumpers and skirts. Hood is handled, Seibon (waiting on aerocatch pin set).

[blkvrtswp]

Nice progress - hood looks great. Good luck!

[SoundEfx]

Nice work man.

Small question I always had with hoods like that with vents. Does water get in when it rains or when you wash it?

[Harrythook]

Small question I always had with hoods like that with vents. Does water get in when it rains or when you wash it?

Water gets in, of course. Coolant also gets out and all over windshield when you blow the upper radiator hose!


So the car is finally street legal. And loud, like loud enough that the kid is gonna meet a bunch of law enforcement people. Gotta work on that.

Progress made, grabbed a low mileage J30 differential and installed. Very easy swap, about 1 hour. Did change out gear oil to royal purple as suggested here in the forums.

The car has a vibration at speed (55 mph+) still. The welded diff was un-drivable on the highway, major shake and take the off ramp above 50 and you are all over. Unsure if its driveshaft / center support bearing or in the trans. Having one piece shaft built this week. Changing to white bunny clutch and flywheel, the super light flywheel / 6puck clutch setup is not traffic jam friendly.

Alarm system installed, interior 90% there, stereo good and believe it or not the AC works great!
Once driveline is fixed, its turbo time. I have 2 setups, unsure which to use. Option 1 is CXRACING Turbo Manifold – Top Mount with TiAL F38 38mm External Wastegate and Greddy type r BOV. Would have to buy new turbo for that setup. Option 2 is bottom mount T28 internal wastegate which is what I think was run on the car by prior owner. Gonna take it all up to PSI Proformance and get some advice, as I will have them tune the car once turbo is installed.
Couple of pics, more to follow.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Man, I'm not sure how I missed this thread but its all looking good!

I can't believe THIS happened:

And that's a good tip about checking the front timing cover after the head has been milled. How much did you take off the head? Have you done a compression check?

[Harrythook]

Head / block was done by prior owner. To note, the upper timing chain cover is married to the head, so if you have any work done (milling, ect) send the cover with the head. I had to do it free hand, and did a little improvise to get it right. Unsure if it was the lower cover or upper that caused the problem. Just one of those things that if you dont know the theory/basics of engines you would be stuck.

To note, I think this car is gonna be washed every day. Too much fun leaving self car wash with all the soap and wax on the road. 4th gear and no gas, still spinning....

[Harrythook]

FIRE!!
Bail out on the 240? No way.
My son saved the day by bringing the car to a controlled skid/stop as the car was filling with smoke. Thanks for the guy who was flashing his lights at us as we were on fire.

So never ever trust anything that was done by the prior owner of your car. Tonight, the battery relocate that was done by the PO (prior owner) failed big time. I am just as much at fault as I did not put in the circuit breaker and inspect his install, but now I know exactly how much of a failure the PO is. As in IDIOT, really?.

I am gonna be at the East Coast Bash at Englishtown Raceway Park next Sunday, with the remains of this meltdown and why it happened. As an instructional type of thing, not to bash the PO. Although I would really like to (deleted for legal reasons) him.

Car survived. Minor burns. Fire suppression is a good idea, saved our ride.

Drive video to follow (before fire).

[ItzGenX]

Wow yea, remote battery without a circuit breaker is a big no no. It sucks to hear about the fire. On my car, I have a 150A fuse mounted behind my quarter panel about 1ft from the battery. It has saved me once before when the starter power wire nut shook loose and shorted to the body of the car. The ring terminal welded itself to the car and had to be ground off. I am sure a fire would have ensued if the fuse wasn't installed on the line.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

That's some scary stuff.

[Harrythook]

Wow yea, remote battery without a circuit breaker is a big no no.

Yep, broke my own rules. And got lucky. Put circuit breaker in and rewired the mess, so its back on the road.

Bad news is I talked to tuner today. Frowning on everything I have turbo here. Started talking about $600 in injectors, well over 2K in turbo/manifold, ect. And $500 to do the tune.
Thinking the stuff I got here is getting installed, top mount. Gotta find a new turbo, the Chinese T28 aint gonna cut it. I will pay for the tune and if we upgrade will pay for re-tune. And then probably pay again. And again....

Thats half the fun, right?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Better than blowing it all on drugs!

[Harrythook]

Post by PapaSmurf2k3 » Mon May 18, 2015 9:00 pm
Better than blowing it all on drugs!

I think the drug of choice right now is forced induction. We shall see how that goes.

I think the car will be at ECB (Englishtown) on Sunday. I gave some of my stuff for the pits to the Clubloose guys, look for the black canopy with the snap-on lettering. As in Snap On Tools
Gonna try to find some people that are familiar with tuning there. Not people who think that Stoichiometry is at 4:20 after school, and injector latency is a brand or material of condoms. Just some people who have knowledge and a bit of time to share.

[Harrythook]

Short update on build. T28 installed then removed, need to get $$$'s for a correct tune. 800 miles on build, kid is tearing it up, runs great. For some unknown reason I have to replace the rear tires already, so I found a set of 5zigens on the cheap that will work.
Pics to follow

[PapaSmurf2k3]

ha I hope the original set was cheap and starting to dry rot, so no harm no foul?

[Harrythook]

ha I hope the original set was cheap and starting to dry rot, so no harm no foul?

One of the good things about working where I am, I get tires galore. Got 3 sets of 17's saved up and have provided quite a few more to the drifters to eat up. Long story short, in 6 months I have provided 60+ 235/45/17 tires with 6/32's or better of tread to be shredded. Life is good there.....

Progress made in updating exhaust, put the rear 5Zigens on and in the research phase of buying a Nistune license. Would like to find 2 more rims, 17X8 35 offset. Dont care about finish, just as long as they are not cracked or square. They will be refinished.

My dime at the gas pumps, I am always willing to gas it up when the roads are damp!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Looking good!

[Harrythook]

Nistune ECU installed, working on maps now. Should be turbo time by Sunday.

[DeXteR]

Keep up the good work.

I've got to ask: why didn't you just pick up an unmolested KA to restart the build from a fresh start when you ran into all the issues?