AZ Drifter's '80 FI Project Log

Good work and still another method...

I dunno how ya got away with using the SAME belt though... I think I just needed to go a bit bigger. I did list the GATES number in the old post... But that's neither here, nor there.

Thanks for posting, John... See ya in a few weeks???
 
See ya in a few weeks???
Our Cali trip this year was for the Japanese car show. Hopefully we will make BFI next year. I am about to drop the hammer on that Allison exhaust, so the car may be kinda ugly still if I keep spending my paint money on other stuff :mallet: When I finally do show up out there, the car will be completely transformed from the last time.

I went with the lower power alternator, which I believe has a smaller pulley than yours. After reading the Alternator FAQ, I found that the additional heat and rotating mass of a 100 amp unit would not benefit a car that frequents the autocross and often sees 6500 rpm.
 
Building a Home for the Allison Exhaust

I replaced the old insulation from the trunk/engine access panel and cleaned up some rust on it. This is the "Second Skin" brand heat insulation called "Thermal Block". Very light, very thin, very pricey. We will see if it's worth the expense.

I also cleaned up and painted the exhaust brackets, and insulated the exhaust compartment with Thermal Block.


The trunk bottom is now coated with bed liner to prevent future rust and reduce vibration-related noise. Removing the false floor freed up a bunch of space. I just hope it doesn't turn the trunk into an oven. The new exhaust will be ceramic coated, so that should also help with the heat.


It's not the prettiest job, but it just needs to be functional. Rust is the enemy, so extra armor is necessary with this beast.:sigh: The trunk floor won't scratch at this point.
 
It's not the prettiest job, but it just needs to be functional. Rust is the enemy, so extra armor is necessary with this beast.:sigh: The trunk floor won't scratch at this point.

I feel the same way about mine, I'm loosing the battle. My access panel is missing the lower inch and the ridge on the car it's supposed to bolt to is also gone, rust rust rust. It's still a great car though!
 
There was a discussion here a while ago about the theory behind the heat shields but I can't find it :(. However, I THINK they are intended to be uncovered thin aluminum to reflect the heat back into the muffler area. They are intended to reflect as much heat as possible and then the insulation behind them provides an additional barrier for heat xfer into the trunk.

Might be too late for you, but putting the insulation behind the heat shields might be more effective.
 
front trunk cable works nice on mine, adjust it? I think the catch is somewhat adjustable, it doesn't "pop up" though, you have to grab it and lift, I use the corner but wiggle while I do so not to bend the hood (like my kid did!) the middle of the frunk lid has a raised bit I read was for lifting but it's in the middle so not ideal, anyway.......

+1 on the MTL, liquid gold (and priced to match)
 
After weeks of ordering gaskets, testing shim clearances, ordering different gaskets, testing shim clearances again, and ordering more shims, the head went on today. This allowed me to start mounting the Allison's exhaust. Take a look at this comparo:


First problem was the heater hose, which runs into the header.


That was solved with an elbow, a coupler, some hose clamps, and some heat wrap.



Heat wrap was also applied to the pipe running back from the water pump, since the header pipe parallels it for a while.


Thought we were good to go, but the center exhaust stud is now too long. I marked it and found an appropriately-sized bolt.



Took all day to just get the head on and solve the header riddles. Aside from the fitment modifications necessary to the hose and center bolt, it looks like everything should work properly.
 
Well done John,

It's amazing what crops up for challenges when you start modding things. I don't mean that as a negative.
Looks like you took care of that issue nicely. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks, Bob! I finally got the X back up and running last night. Today we took a three hour round trip with the Allison exhaust. Sounds nice puttering around town and winding out through the gears. At highway speed (3500 rpm or so) the drone sets in, and it's pretty unbearable. Earplugs will be required for driving from this point on. I got the Magnaflow muffler and catalytic converter, which is supposed to be the quietest version. On the plus side, I was able to pass in shorter passing zones thanks to the increased torque. There should be a measurable improvement in autocross times.

In other news, the heat insulation from Second Skin Audio is amazing. The stuff is literally the size, shape, and weight of a piece of cardboard, and it is keeping my trunk completely cool. Since I took the upper floor out of the trunk, I can now fit my racing helmets back there. Awesome upgrade if you want to try it. The alternator is charging at about 14 volts even with accessories on. The gas gauge works now. Things are looking up. I hope to recover most of my hearing. :sad:
 
John, congrats... about the drone...

which is actually a "resonance" in the plumbing... much like the resonance in a trumpet... which when played right, is tunable. (Pun intended)

So's ya gots this BEAUTIFUL Allison exhaust system and while it works, it drives you literally bonkers. Cutting it up or replacing components is probably NOT something you wanna do.

May I suggest something you might try?

EXHAUST TIPS.

Buy a whole bunch that you think will work and experiment with them as they SHOULD either improve, or move the resonance noise to another (higher/lower) RPM, or eliminate the problem altogether...

They could also possibly do nothing but look great, or look OK, or look terrible.

In any case, all you will spend is a few bucks and time... returning ALL that you don't want after you clean them up a bit.

HTH!
 
front caliper rebuild

when removing the piston from the caliper(most suggest compressed air) do not have a finger or thumb in the way of the piston, as it will launch like an ICBM missile, of course pinning your digit for about an hour before you can remove it. use a piece of steel or aluminum stock to keep it from launching out and sticking in the wall or the fender of your ride.
looking good!!!
sidenote to ol rascal.
wassap??
mikemo
 
Bob, thanks for unlocking the thread.

After months of daiy driving and autocross, the rear wheel bearings started protesting. While I had everything apart, I swapped in some new control arm bushings. Pics to follow later.
The new bearings seemed worse than the old ones in terms of slop, so I spoke with Matt at M-B. He explained that they would tighten up once the nut was tightened on the end of the stub axle. Sure enough, they are nice and snug now that everything is assembled and torqued.
 
heater box

below that foam looks like an a/c evaporator. it has smaller fins then the heater core. and you could probably could have left it out, unless you do have a/c whereas the heater core would vertical and the evap horizontal. and I don't remember seeing a foam filter in any of the heater boxes I have opened, or any shop manual I have opened.
mikemo
 
New bearings and the lock nut, thanks to forum member catterar for lending the tool :)
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New seals on the axle stub and hub
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Pressing in the hub
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Everything painted and fresh synthetic CV joint grease
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Everything's coming together. The nut on the end of the axle stub was torqued, and now the bearings are snug.
20160614_102546_zps6ljkxrni.jpg


New bushings going in
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Looking clean and tidy
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I took her for a test drive, and the bearings are silent. As a bonus, the car tracked straight with no weird handling surprises. On the other hand, the transmission is now clunking in neutral, so one of the busted parts in the case must have shifted. Rather than risk grenading the trans, I am looking to source a replacement. Seeing how it's 105 degrees F outside, I won't be driving anytime soon anyways.
 
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