Duncan's Race Car - The Most Overdue Build Thread On Sau

[Duncan]

Took the engine out yesterday, and since there have been a few discussions about it lately I thought I'd share how I did it. I'm no mechanic and had no hoist this time; no doubt others will do it faster or slower, this took me 5 hours. Probably would have gone a little quicker but I had a stripped nut on the LCA ball joint and the exhaust was damaged and jammed where the tree hit the quarter panel.

Disconnect battery (thanks Ben!)

Drain radiator, front diff, sump. I've got an old blanket that I chucked under them all because the coolant in particular never co-operates and who wants to lie around on old car fluids for the rest of the day?

Back off alternator and power steering adjusters, take belts off

Remove airbox, AFM, intake pipes including BOV return balance pipe. Hose pliers like these really help to not damage stubborn hoses (and hands)

Remove radiator with shroud on, fan and fan belt out the top

Remove blow off valve pressure feed, main earth, boost solenoid (boost solenoid goes out with the engine)

Remove fuel lines and throttle cable. Block fuel lines with 8mm bolt and label them to save trouble on re-install!

Remove brake and clutch vacuum booster line and any other vacuum lines eg boost controller or MAP sensor pressure

Remove starter motor and alternator wiring

Remove injector (etc) wiring on top of the engine and move out of way. These bent nose pliers are handy with both nissan breather spring clips and those nasty little spring clips on injectors

Remove oil cooler lines. I have a connection where they run under the chassis rail from the engine adapter plate to the thermostat that makes this much easier. Removing lines from an adapter plate on the engine is somewhere between hard and impossible depending on space.

Then on to the stuff where I wish I had a hoist....

Remove Zorst mid pipe and rear pipe. For me that includes the wide band 02 sensor in the front pipes

Remove LH driveshaft (I did actually forget this step until I was trying to lift the engine....)

Remove RH driveshaft. This can be a major pain but it went OK for me this time. I removed split pin, undid hub nut with rattle gun, removed washer. Then undid 19mm bolts holding lower control arm ball joint to the upright and removed the shock and sway bar (seems like a lot of undoing but it makes removing the hub end of the cv easier). Removed hub end of the cv. Then, using a large pry bar I pried the diff end out of the diff housing. After it had moved a little, I backed out one of the diff cover bolts so that I could keep prying (the lip on the cv is pretty small.  

Remove starter motor (14mm stubby ratchet, use a piece of rope looped around it to pull from below if it's too tight)

Remove front drive shaft

Jack under the gearbox cross member, remove cross member bolts and drop as low as possible without putting strain on the ATTESSA feed

Undo 8 bolts holding engine to gearbox. With the rear of the gearbox low you can run a set of long extensions (1 use 4x 3/8) to get a 14 socket above the gearbox to the top bolts. All the rest are straightfoward.

Undo engine mounts.

Attach lifting crane, lift out of engine mounts, then pull forward until the (extended) sump is about to hit the sway bar, then up higher to clear the sway bar (by now the input shaft is out of the spigot bearing), then forward until the balancer just clears the radiator support, then up and out.

While still on the hoist, remove clutch cover, clutch, flywheel and engine plate, then bolt onto engine stand and job done.

[BK]

Pretty much do the same thing, but mostly pull box after that too for some reason.

5hrs is a cracking effort Duncan 👍

[WantGTR]

5hrs, well done.

[Duncan]

Did f**k all on the race car this weekend because a couple of other jobs pushed in

The tractor 3 point link needed sorting so I could mount the slasher up properly (it had been running cat 2 pins on a cat 1 linkage for probably 30 years, really not OK when it is not to complex to run adapter bushes). Anyway, all converted across and ready to kill tall weeds again next weekend.

Then, I took the stagea for a zoom over to a neighbour's on Sat night, about 1hr each way. I was about 5klm out of Crookwell when I noticed the dash clock had gone really dim. Checked the volt gauge and it was down to 9.4v...got worse as I got closer and by the time I arrived it was down to 8.5v and missing like a bitch.

Anyway, got a lift home and went back to pick up the car this morning. I figured the charge light globe had failed causing the alternator not to charge because it all went bad pretty suddenly. After pulling the dash apart and checking the globe, it was fine which was kind of annoying. Chucked the old race car alternator on it, and it started charging fine, so something in the alternator had died suddenly. Kind of annoying but the car has over 400,000klm on it and as far as I remember the alternator was original.

Anyway, the only thing I did on the race car was put in place a better engineered solution than the traditional jack stand.

One M10 rivnut in the firewall,

Add chain and voila, gearbox is not going anywhere it shouldn't while at the panel shop

[MBS206]

Duncan, do you have more info on the QuickJack?

Where did you get it from, and do you have pics of it WITHOUT the car sitting on it?

From your under car pics, clearance looks good for being in the middle, BUT, is there any supports going left to right to join each section?

[The Bogan]

31 minutes ago, MBS206 said:

Duncan, do you have more info on the QuickJack?

Where did you get it from, and do you have pics of it WITHOUT the car sitting on it?

From your under car pics, clearance looks good for being in the middle, BUT, is there any supports going left to right to join each section?

I'm also looking at these things

Costco have them for $1900

https://www.costco.com.au/Automotive/Car-Accessories/QuickJack-Car-Lift/p/8513217

[Duncan]

They are basically a pair of electrically powered hydraulic platforms. You can run them either along or across the car. I run them under the sills as that doesn't block anything you really need to get to.  It is clear under the middle, but note that to get under the car you need to go from front or rear because the jacks are in the way...

They lift the car about 500mm off the ground so it is higher and more stable than a jack and stands. And once they are in place, much quicker to raise or lower.

However, I got the 12v 3t (BL-7000SLX) set and they are mega heavy to move around. Assuming they are stored away, you need to drag them to the car once it is in place, then drag them across the floor until they are even front to back and side to side under the sills. Then hook up 12v source and the hydraulic lines, put rubber blocks under the jack points and you are ready to go. I haven't weighed them individually but the website says 110kg for the 2 platforms + motor (even the 1500kg ones are listed at 82kg)

Considering the cost and the fact you are still lying on the ground, I wouldn't buy them unless you are regularly working on cars, and you don't have space for a hoist. A hoist is about the same price and way more versatile.

[Neil]

On 14/02/2021 at 9:39 PM, Duncan said:

Did f**k all on the race car this weekend because a couple of other jobs pushed in

The tractor 3 point link needed sorting so I could mount the slasher up properly (it had been running cat 2 pins on a cat 1 linkage for probably 30 years, really not OK when it is not to complex to run adapter bushes). Anyway, all converted across and ready to kill tall weeds again next weekend.

Then, I took the stagea for a zoom over to a neighbour's on Sat night, about 1hr each way. I was about 5klm out of Crookwell when I noticed the dash clock had gone really dim. Checked the volt gauge and it was down to 9.4v...got worse as I got closer and by the time I arrived it was down to 8.5v and missing like a bitch.

Anyway, got a lift home and went back to pick up the car this morning. I figured the charge light globe had failed causing the alternator not to charge because it all went bad pretty suddenly. After pulling the dash apart and checking the globe, it was fine which was kind of annoying. Chucked the old race car alternator on it, and it started charging fine, so something in the alternator had died suddenly. Kind of annoying but the car has over 400,000klm on it and as far as I remember the alternator was original.

Anyway, the only thing I did on the race car was put in place a better engineered solution than the traditional jack stand.

One M10 rivnut in the firewall,

Add chain and voila, gearbox is not going anywhere it shouldn't while at the panel shop

One day you will drill a hole in the firewall so life is easier to get at the starter motor bolt.

[Duncan]

Ha! That day may yet be saturday  top bellhousing bolts too.

[MBS206]

On 2/22/2021 at 7:08 PM, Duncan said:

They are basically a pair of electrically powered hydraulic platforms. You can run them either along or across the car. I run them under the sills as that doesn't block anything you really need to get to.  It is clear under the middle, but note that to get under the car you need to go from front or rear because the jacks are in the way...

They lift the car about 500mm off the ground so it is higher and more stable than a jack and stands. And once they are in place, much quicker to raise or lower.

However, I got the 12v 3t (BL-7000SLX) set and they are mega heavy to move around. Assuming they are stored away, you need to drag them to the car once it is in place, then drag them across the floor until they are even front to back and side to side under the sills. Then hook up 12v source and the hydraulic lines, put rubber blocks under the jack points and you are ready to go. I haven't weighed them individually but the website says 110kg for the 2 platforms + motor (even the 1500kg ones are listed at 82kg)

Considering the cost and the fact you are still lying on the ground, I wouldn't buy them unless you are regularly working on cars, and you don't have space for a hoist. A hoist is about the same price and way more versatile.

Unfortunately most of us are not gifted with high enough garages to fit a hoist in.

Unfortunately my Skyline is no longer on a hoist, as my mate is selling his house. Car is currently at another friends house until my garage is re-arranged. These looked like an interesting way to lift the car up a lot higher than normal (I was spoilt by having hoist access )

I'm wondering how much extra use I'd really get compared to just four jack stands. I think most of my under car work is finished (Just need to redo the fuel tank lines, install tail shaft, and drop the exhaust off again to fully weld it once I'm happy with how everything is sitting. Maybe I just go with leaving it on car stands?

The extra height of having the car up is nice when leaning into engine bays, and inside the cabin and boot.

[daneprostamobrown]

On 13/12/2015 at 7:49 PM, Duncan said:

there was a question elsewhere about the oil filter/cooler/thermostat system and I realised there were no pics in this thread.

I have a large oil cooler where the a/c cooler is factory. Upside down to help it drain if I need to. Custom bracket bolted to the radiator support and I'm about to add another bracket between the bonnet catch support and the bottom (top?) of the cooler because I'm not happy with how much it can move when bouncing over ripple strips

http://www.hgeconsulting.com.au/oil-setup1.jpg

Removed the factory oil/water interchanger, mostly because they are impossible to clean once a set of bearings have been through them and they are $400+ to replace from Nissan. I now have a Stagea mount which angles the fitting nicely to an Earls relocator. Dash 10 Teflon braided lines.

http://www.hgeconsulting.com.au/oil-setup3.jpg

Remote filter locator in right guard between the intercooler hose and the BOVs

http://www.hgeconsulting.com.au/oil-setup4.jpg

Earls thermostat behind the reo under the headlight. This required a whole heap of fittings and strange angles. It also has mounts for temp and 2 pressure senders (currently factory and aftermarket gauge, I am changing the aftermarket gauge sender across to the haltech sender but the same basic setup.

The thermostat requires a lot of fittings but I think it's worth it considering the range of ways the engine is used; driving to events, cold mornings, endures, hillclimbs etc.

Close up

http://www.hgeconsulting.com.au/oil-setup5.jpg

Slightly better perspective of location

http://www.hgeconsulting.com.au/oil-setup6.jpg

Setup has been excellent, no signs of running either too hot or cold even in the most challenging times including 40o+ 20min rally stage

BTW, anyone thinking of doing braided lines, make them up yourself. They are straightforward with instructions and care. The much bigger trick is working out how to mount and route everything because fittings take up a huge amount of space.

sorry to bump this, but did you have these original photos? I am about to put a taarks block adapter, grex thermo filter relocation in my RS4S stagea in the void infront of the front diff and a 21 row pwr oil cooler where the factory SMIC sits. thinking of utilising 2 m6 sump bolts and some 4mm bent steel plate but thought these missing photos could provide some insight into other good options. 

[Duncan]

hmm, my website has obviously disappeared along the line somewhere, this thread must be kind of hard to follow now.

Here are the oil setup pics, the temps have been good in both hot and cold weather although they do creep up on long runs on hot days like Bathurst last year which was 35 ambient, 20min session.....might go for next size larger core next time

[Neil]

Updates are a bit thin on the ground buddy.

[Duncan]

actually I need to ring the panel shop and see how bad the news is....last i heard they thought a boot floor and beaver (hehehe) panel were required...

I do have a little wiring for the demister and rain light, and to assemble the new engine, but I did the weed spraying instead

[No Crust Racing]

On 10/5/2021 at 8:54 PM, Duncan said:

I do have a little wiring for the demister and rain light, and to assemble the new engine, but I did the weed spraying instead

Shit this sounds like me. 

Race car sitting there, but chopped wood or some other rural shit instead. Having a property is not a good thing for people who want to go racing. 

[Duncan]

The race car and rural work is never the problem....problem is the day job that pays for the racecar takes up too much time!

[No Crust Racing]

True true.

I do miss the bonuses/commissions from my last role that made race car spending much easier to stomach, but I don't miss the stress 

 

[Duncan]

yeah exactly. Neil went one step better when he escaped the big smoke, his only day job now seems to be flogging skyline bits on facebook (when it's up)

[No Crust Racing]

Doing well if he can find them for sensible money to then on sell them lol 

[Neil]

Dan, I am the proverbial hoarder, so I brought tons of stuff up here. Some weeks I make more money than the wifey. Some people are happy to pay stupid money for stuff.