In reply to maschinenbau :
I also have a set of the same exact Jeep wheels for my RX7.
Mustangs have a good selection of cheap 17x8s. Takeoff tires are harder to find.
In reply to maschinenbau :
I also have a set of the same exact Jeep wheels for my RX7.
Mustangs have a good selection of cheap 17x8s. Takeoff tires are harder to find.
Just thought ... Ours are 15x7s off a Cherokee XJ. Maybe that's the difference plus the 1/2 inch spacers we ran on front.
I changed the spark plugs, because back when I was trying to make the engine run, I pulled a plug to check for spark and noticed it was very worn. Average gap was about 0.080", it's supposed to be 0.043". All better now. No idea if it made a difference for power, because I still haven't fixed the brake bias and I won't drive it on the street like that.
Bottom left is Cyl 1 (passenger front)
Cylinder 5 (passenger rear-most) was full of oil. That plug had like no torque and also a bit of ash deposit as expected. I've heard of valve cover seals being an issue on this engine, so it's something to keep an eye on. All other cylinders were dry.
There are actually a few 15 x8 In the jeep world. I will post a pic of the ones we run which give us a good bit of caliper room on the rx7.
I bought this Wilwood proportioning valve used (but never actually installed) for $20. It goes within reach of the driver using weld nuts and a simple bracket.
It's nice to be able to adjust it while driving. Just romping around the neighborhood, I was able to switch noticeably between fronts vs rears locking up first, and dial it in precisely.
After the valve, a simple brass tee splits the rear line into right and left sides, using the old lines I had previously installed.
Feels much better at stopping with this valve installed. I'm insurance, a plate, and a good heaping of confidence away from driving it out on the street.
I got the turn signals working and the car insured, so I'm just waiting on a nice day to drive it to the tag office. It still feels pretty sketchy on the road, but what do you expect from a $1500 car with a giant hole in the floor putting the exposed diff within arm's reach. It makes pretty terrible crashing noises over every bump due to the floppy, chopped-up, and unwelded nature of the body panels.
I also made an attempt at a hand brake, but I really need a crimping tool. Wire clamps keep slipping. The G35 handbrake cables mount to a nice little post on top of the tunnel.
I cut another 1/2 coil out of the front springs, and while doing so I welded a spring retaining feature to the strut. Spring was starting to walk off. Sorry for no pics of new ride height, but it looks a little better.
I went to a swap meet and found a mystery Butlerbuilt aluminum racing seat for $40, among other things. It has a Kirkey cover for some reason. I haven't really explored it yet but it fits me pretty well. That'll be a project for another day.
Some other little sorting things on the near-future sorting list:
Is this your focus project for the coming year or will there be therapeutic periods of Model A thrashing?
I have some NX Express solenoids and lines that I’d sell for challenge friendly prices.
The Rice Rod is so deeply tucked into my tiny new shed of a garage that it would take a whole day just to make space for it. I want Datsaniti more sorted and relatively comfortable on the street before I make that next plunge into another project. I'd be pretty interested in those nitrous parts though...
To get better sorted, I need to quiet down the chassis so I can hear important things. The overwhelming noises come from the hastily-done fender flares, which were flapping in the wind and crashing over bumps. Some of the tack welds have broken and the tires are getting sliced up a little bit. It's a mess. So I raided the ever-growing free sheetmetal pile.
This conveniently shelf-sized panel covers the giant hole in the floor under the rear seat.
Almost done
That random vertical slice was made to surgically remove the rear door crash structures. They've been hanging on and banging around inside the door shell, sometimes hitting the tire. This plunge cut removed the structural piece for good. 7 lbs gone.
Fully welded and partially ground the driver rear fender. Still needs inner panels. Also deleted the rear side markers and some trim/emblem holes.
It'll bondo out I'm sure.
Got started on the passenger side too.
If NoHome (Volvo P1800ES....Kinda) can make it smooth ....I've all the faith in you....
Proof Datsaniti is also a street car!
Some notes on driving on the street:
I came home and noticed the fuel tank was getting rubbed by a sharp edge. In fact the entire floor of the cargo area could use some stiffening. You can flex it by hand, and the battery is attached to it...so...let's raid the scrap pile.
The wet towels are to prevent me from exploding. They worked.
And made my way to the passenger rear fender, which is trickier because of the fuel door.
More wet towels to keep the fire out of the fuel.
I'm pretty happy with how this came out. Obviously still a lot of work left on these fenders, but they're shaping up. And I'm addicted to tin work.
Awesome.
In reply to maschinenbau :
ImI really proud of the work you've done on this, and the continuation of the improvements. Well done.
Looking forward to seeing it in person at the 2019 challenge.
More patchwork. The rear door gaps are much better now. Also found a big rust spot and patched that up too.
Used the tape trick to make a template
The hatchback had a splotchy rusty cow motif going on, so I brushed it and sprayed a few coats of primer on.
On the driver door, the bottom inch or two were completely rusted away. At the 2018 Challenge, the number sticker was holding it all together. Probably the single biggest rust patch on the list, so I tackled it first.
This patch is made from a metal shelf I picked up off a curb. The matching bead was formed by hammering around a screwdriver.
I'm still struggling with the e-brake cables. This like Rev 3 or 4 at this point. The swaged cable stop (aluminum) keeps slipping off. I might need to find steel or copper cable stops. Or tack weld the end of the wire. But the bolt does a good job of adjusting tension.
Also I finally patched the giant hole in the floor. Another piece from the free metal shelf.
Feels like I did more this week but I guess not.
That fuel door cut in looks fantastic. All the sheetmetal is starting to look great, but that is such a strong visual cue that something wild is happening. Good stuff.
This week's "after work" progress. Driver door welded, ground down, and primered.
Moving towards the back, I made some patches to fill the gaping hole in the rear door created by the fender flare. More pieces of metal shelf.
Welded in
Ground down. Still lots of gaps, but that's what seam sealer is for.
And primered.
Sucks working outside during that cold snap, and also in the dark, and also on the ground...but at least it's looking better. I miss my old shop.
I tried to drive to work this morning but only made it 1 or 2 miles before the engine died. I suspected fuel pump or just low on gas, because I couldn't hear the fuel pump whirring like it usually does. To be honest, I've only ever put about 3 gallons in at a time, and have never filled the tank, so I left her in the middle of the 4-lane street and walked a block over to the gas station. After 3 gallons and a few cycles of cranking, the fuel pump came back to life and I was on my way. I opted to go back home and switch to my daily driver since I was already late.
I'm curious about the fuel pump circuit. How would the fuel pump know to turn off when the tank is too low? The relay is controlled by the ECM. I only have 1 wire going to the pump module, the power from the pump relay. Level and temp sensors are not hooked up, so the ECM knows nothing about the gas tank level. The system is returnless, using a built-in regulator in the pump module. From digging through the FSM, I don't think there is a fuel pressure sensor on the engine. This is as specific as the FSM gets for pump module wiring. There must be something in item B27 that turns off the fuel pump if the level is too low. Does anyone know? Or is there some kind of ECM logic that detects multiple starts without resulting in a certain engine speed, so it kills pump relay?
Or could you just not hear the pump running because the vibrations weren't able to travel through fuel in the tank? Or busy, noisy road and late to work and you just missed it?
In reply to ShawneeCreek :
Very possible that the pump just doesn't make noise when it's only sucking air. I have an extra pump module in a box I'll experiment with.
system is returnless - with built in regulator in the pump module.
Sounds like the fuel pump knows the fuel pressure. Can it turn it self off if it's not getting over a certain PSI (so as to not overheat or something)?
also, what is the FPR (fuel pressure regulator - perhaps?) in your drawing there? Looks like it needs to be happy for the relay to close.
In reply to Robbie :
I think FPR on that diagram is fuel pressure relay - the output on ECM that controls the relay. Next time it happens, I'll check voltage there to see if the ECM is shutting it down, or if the pump does it itself, or if the pump spins but just doesn't make noise without fuel. I just thought it was weird.
Something similar happened at the Challenge. I lost power during an autocross run likely because of fuel slosh. I put a few gallons in and it ran great the rest of the day. Maybe I just need to fill my tank instead of putting in a few gallons at at ime
maschinenbau said:In reply to Robbie :
I think FPR on that diagram is fuel pressure relay - the output on ECM that controls the relay.
that makes more sense. duh.
The diagram does make it look like the pump has an integrated level sensor though.
In reply to Robbie :
I expect nothing less in my modern luxury sport sedan with crappy Datsun wrapped around it!
Pump/module has no sensors other the fuel level sensor. Fuel level has no effect on fuel pump operation, the ECM only uses the fuel level data for running evap stuff. ECM has no way of knowing fuel pressure.
The fuel pump should always be on while cranking, and will prime for a second or two when they ignition is turned on. The only catch here is that the ECM is only shuts down 2.5 seconds after the ignition switch is turned off, so if you toggle the ignition on and off several times, it will only prime the first time. Wait 4 Mississippis after you turn the ignition off before turning it back on if you want to prime the fuel system.
Source: I'm a Nissan tech
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