The Journey Begins

[scotty-2-forty]

Well, I got the camera back. Pic 1 shows Lenny the ever goofball superior crew chief of WrighTouch Racing and lead mechanic of Speed Injected (my old biz) having the time of his life yankin' out the ole KA. I promised him I wouldn't post the pic, but who could resist with a face like that! ...

PIC 1

... Notice the eyebrows and Navan grille? Yeah, got bored one day and found those on http://www.silviaparts.com. I'm not much of a non-performance driven parts adder, but I do like these. Very high quality fiberglass reproductions shipped directly from Japan via USPS ... I got them about 4 days after ordering; excellent customer service from Francisco.

Pic 2 captures simply a bittersweet moment between man and machine. Oh, you can't see me ... I'm the one behind the camera with a tear in my eye ... Yeah, I'm a sensitive guy ...

PIC 2

I have since torn down the engine and am awaiting pickup from the machine shop. Everything looks good, except that I need desperately to find an ACT Extreme pressure plate. I am having my local clutch shop custom fabricate a double-sprunghub ceramic 4-puck with a much beefier spring housing. If you are selling a pressure plate (must be ACT Extreme), please let me know asap; preferably by Monday. ... <<EDIT>> I found a pressure plate locally at Nipponparts. <<END OF EDIT>>

Anyway, more updates to follow soon.

PS - When are the pic-posting privledges going to be restored??

[WDRacing]

The privilages are in work I believe. Thats an admin thing though, I'm just a lowly moderator. I have a pic to meail you though, another man vs machine, it involves me and a big pry bar vs an RB20...

WD

[WDRacing]

Well I would but you have that option turned off...whats ur email addy?

WD

[scotty-2-forty]

[email protected] ... what else?

[scotty-2-forty]

Well, didn't get to do much today (my day off). I've been waiting to find a beefier pressure plate so that I can send all the stuff out for balancing. I'm ditching the JunkMasters Stage III; need the reliability and gripping force of the ACT. So today, I ran down to NipponPower and picked up my ACT Xtreme pressure plate.

Then headed over to my clutch builder and picked up my custom clutch disc and machined JUN flywheel.

After that, went to pick up my valve cover from the coater; I had it ceramic coated for heat retention.

Then went to the shop and organized everything for the machine shop pick up. Unfortunately, they won't be able to pick up my stuff (block, crank, pistons, rods, flywheel, pressure plate) until Thursday. That's okay ... I've used this guy for years. I'll wait. He's 70 miles away, and his wife does the pick-ups and deliveries. He was a NASCAR crew member for 10 years; I'm not at liberty to name for who ... gotta protect my sources . Should get everything back in about a week-1/2.

Go here for pics and pardon the mess as I will be updating it gradually.

In one of the pics you'll notice my old shop (now Garry's) showing the dyno in the background; it's the flatbed lift with the silver porsche on it. That's my car in the center, and the WrighTouch Racing Eclipse (red) just barely out of view on the right. GAWD! ... I love the smell of race fuel!!

Hopefully I'll be complete by 8/30, my birthday ... nice gift eh? Anyway, more updates soon.

[WDRacing]

Keep the updates rolling, I'd send you those pics, But I need to bring them to work. My friggin Dialup here is far to slow to load them.

WD

[scotty-2-forty]

Pic and info link updated ... go here.

[scotty-2-forty]

Well, finally the block (& stuff) has gone to the machine shop. I spent some time removing (ahem, "cutting out") the battery tray ... not pretty. Some rust below it, not bad but definitely worth nipping in the bud soon.

Really didn't get much else done except spending $300.02 for new timing chain, cam chain, guides and tensioner. PS - The top smaller guide on the head is now not necessary according to Nissan, for those who don't know already. This is in combination with the top "cover" plate.

Looking forward to Monday to start wiring up the E-manage and MSD; Tuesday planning on installing the VLSD. On a bad note, the process by which the ceramic coating on the valve cover is polished embedded the tiny polishing balls up into the windage tray ... I can't seem to get all of them out; even drilled holes in the tray but no luck.

Simply put, I'm not using this cover; looking for another. If you're selling a KA24DE valve cover, I'm buying ... email me, thanks!

[Nathan]

I might still have the old one if I didn't throw it away, I'll take a look tonight (valve cover that is)