July 2016

Interior Button Up

I started the suspension work and all of my ball joints are being, ummmm, uncooperative. I decided to let them all soak in PB Blaster for a while.
I went to town on the interior and finished up the cowl install.  All wiring is complete throughout the car.  I added a wire off the fuel level sensor and ran it back to the trunk so I can get fuel level with a multi-meter.
I'm going to move the battery up to the passenger floor this fall.  I'll probably get a group 31 beast and go constant loss.
I need to hard mount my ABS computer back in the trunk as well, but it's connected.
I braced the cowl with angle aluminum.  A run at autocross speeds will tell me if it's adequate, we'll see.
Rather than paint the door interior, I decided to use up some of those stickers that have been coming with every package I order. I like it :-)

Petty bar back in and cowl supports attached

Another angle

Rear view with 949 Racing decal +5hp

Driver side with padding

Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of my 6pt harness mounting points.  The lap belts have eye-bolts in the stock location.  The submarine belt eye-bolts are through the floor and backed up by 2"x4" 1/4" steel plate running longitudinally down the car.  They aren't going anywhere.

Front Suspension

Here's what we're starting with. Stock bushings, Megan EZ Street coil overs, Hopefully good stock ball joints, worn out stock brake pads, old brake lines, questionable hubs, dirt.

After soaking in PB Blaster and some persuasion with a 32oz BFH my ball joints popped free.  All six were nice and stiff with good boots,  Somebody re-did these in the not too distant past.

Next came the cussing part.  Those awesome reinforced front sway bar mounts I installed, the long bolts wont clear them for removal.  I tried every trick I could think of to wiggle them out.  Who sells something like that?  Since these don't come out without removing the radiator support brackets, modification must occur.  After some work with the die grinder, the long bolts wiggled out, barely.  I'll paint my grinding after the long bolts are back in.

I had to remove a fair amount for clearance

The rest was pretty easy.  Well, I guess I should mention my one screw up.  My ABS sensors were a pain to get free from the knuckles.  The left side eventually wiggled out.  The right wouldn't budge.  I decided to put a socket on the end and tap it out.  That was a brain dead move.  After a couple of gentle taps I started to wonder, how soft is the sensor body?  The answer, really soft.  I mushroomed it. It's never coming out in one piece.  Upon seeing the price of a new one, you don't want to know, I checked it with the multi-meter and decided it was just staying in there.

and we're down to this after some cleaning

I pressed out the old bushings, which were actually in good shape, using the shop press and a homemade bolt jack setup.  Right in the middle of the job my 15 year old oil-less compressor decided it was time for the graveyard. It made a horrible grinding noise followed by a small, but smokey electrical fire.  So long old friend.  I now have a nice cast iron v-twin belt dive compressor.  Sooo quiet.....and so much $$$$ I didn't want to spend, but I can't live without a compressor.
After some control arm touch up with Rustoleum, I installed the Energy poly bushings.  It was an easy decision to add zerks to all of these so I can re-lube them with Super Lube from a grease gun rather than removing them annually.  It took a bit of effort, but well worth the the time investment. I put some Shin-Etsu grease on the boots to protect them, good stuff for rubber parts.
Now, do to my piss poor planning, I'm stalled waiting for new alignment bolts from Mazdaspeed Motorsport. No problem, Packwood National Tour is this weekend and Pro Solo is the following weekend. I'm not running the Pro Solo, but I may go up, watch for a while, and do some hiking at Mt. Rainier. I really need to get out of the garage for a while.

Front control arms ready to go on.

Packwood National Tour

As usual, I had a great time up at the Packwood National Tour.  I got my ass handed to me by some really well prepared ES cars and great drivers. The 94R and 99 Sport handled the MR2s.  My car on minimum setup and the 6 speed, not so good.

Read the rules...... Dummy

So, I was going through the rule book for some clarification of a non-related topic when, right there in front of me, I see where ABS components including computers may not be relocated. Crap! I already routed my ABS computer wiring to the trunk.  After a couple of hours of reworking wiring, it's back in the stock location behind the non-existent passenger seat. I've got a plan for weather protection.  I'll box it similar to the ECU with a NEMA enclosure while maintaining the stock mounting points.

Back to Suspension

I completed three corners without issue.  Both front and the left rear calipers were bad and had to be replaced.  The right rear caliper is good, but the rest of the right rear is a mess

Xidas installed and ready to rock

The left rear was fairly painless.  I went at the wheel well with a sledge while I was in there to make wheel room in the back.

Before, nasty

After

Right Rear Woes

I guess I should have seen it coming.  I was bound to run into a trouble spot sooner or later. I'm fortunate it's been pretty easy up to this point. Right out of the gate I found the outer CV was all sloppy. Not sure how I missed it when I did the dif. work.  It'll need to be replaced.  My left rear axle came free with a couple of pops from the slide hammer. Right Rear, not so.  I beat on the bastard with the slide hammer for an eternity and heated it with the torch, no luck.

Nope, not working

 Next I decided to pull it off, axle and all, and move on to more extreme measures.  As soon as I tugged it, the CV came apart, no surprise there. I soaked the spline for two days in PB Blaster then went at it with the 20 ton press.  The axle nut is back on with some gap so the whole thing doesn't blow all over the garage if it releases.  I loaded the press and heated it up with the torch for damn near 20 minutes, no joy.

Not budging

I've got a bottle of Kroil on the way.  The stuff worked miracles on stuck parts when I was in the Navy. I'm not hopeful.  The dilemma is do I take a chance on a junk yard part that won't press out or just fork over for a new assembly. I really wanted those funds for my battery relocate. I'm anxious to set the car down on it's wheels and get some weight numbers, arghhh delays