Fruitbooter's S15 Spec R

[JaseYpk]

looking good mate! you're putting a lot of work into her!! it'll be well worth it though

 

[spoonman]

Ive got wire wool and some autosol metal polish to make the exhaust look a bit better. :thumbs:

TBH there is going to be things that let it down anyway, I mean I havent bothered getting new discs or refurbing the calipers so they will look crap, and im sure a few other bits will let me down.

Im only doing all this for piece of mind anyway so I know its not going to fall apart in a few years. In time ill get nice new brakes and coilovers and even a new exhaust at some point, but for now im just glad its rust free :nod:

Calipers are easy to paint:thumbs: and whilst you disks are off attack the mating surfaces of the hub, disk(bothsides) and wheel with that metal scrubbing fitting for your drill, ensures even wear so your hub/disk/wheel are sitting correctly, scuf the disk in a star patten with 60grit. and it will all look at good as the rest, nothing letting you down there:nod:

 

[eiden88]

Or at least properly underseal the chassis before selling their cars!!

Precisely!!!

 

[Fruitbooter]

Package from US

Inside -

Energy suspension bushes for the subframe, diff, control arms and all arms that attach, should stiffen the back end up a tad :nod:

I re-fitted the fuel lines and ran the braided brake lines along the old path -

Could do with some more of the white push in clips that the old lines use as the new clips that come with the lines are some weird screw in types that cant be screwed in anyway on the car?

I gave the box sections and chassis rails etc some treatment with Dynax S50 which is a top rated cavity wax from Bilt Hamber -

The end makes sure of complete 360 degree coverage -

Sprayed inside all the sections until it came out the holes

Fuel tank was fitted along with the freshly painted straps

Ive got some copper grease so coat the bolts with to make sure nothing seizes

Gave the battery a charge ready to start it up for the first time since December :|

Good news! It started up straight away after it cleared its throat a bit and got its breath back in to life!

Let the engine warm up and checked everythign else still worked.

 

[Fruitbooter]

I then fitted the heat shields -

Does look good if I do say so myself although the heat shield are not perfect they do look better than they did!

I then got stuck!

The bushes are the hardest thing ive come across...I thought that fitting a half full petrol tank on your own was hard but nooooo! These bushes are that much of a perfect fit you just cant get them in...after about 4 hours of off and on trying I got one in lol but now I need to try a different method which Craig has told me about to get the rest in.

Thats the only thing im waiting on now before it can be put back onto the road...lets hope I can sort them soon

 

[DeanS15]

you need the old threaded rod and block of wood trick mate, put the rod through the wood, then the bush, then the housing and then another block of wood the other side. tighten a nut on the rod and it will pull through

 

[eiden88]

It actually does look good mate :thumbs:

 

[Fruitbooter]

you need the old threaded rod and block of wood trick mate, put the rod through the wood, then the bush, then the housing and then another block of wood the other side. tighten a nut on the rod and it will pull through

Cheers yeh Im going to try something like this, will use washers instead of wood though.

At first I was using the longest bolt I could find and some sort of washers that were not the best but worked, only thing was the bolt wasnt long enough so reached the end of the thread before bush got all the way in. Also im scared of the bush splitting as it bends and folds quite alot with all the force :|

 

[LuPix_S15]

Nice updated dude!!


Lookin' real good there and I'm sure all the effort will have paid dividends from a long term perspective :thumbs: Can't wait to actually see the car in person and see you driving her lol!!!

 

[Fruitbooter]

Well guys ive had it, reached a dead end now I cant fit the bushes

Ive tried and tried and tried, ive been here now working on it since 10 and I havent got a single one done.

Ive tried the correct method using threaded rod and washers etc.

Ive got 2 bushes in and when I tried to fit the gold inserts it just pushes the bush out at the other end and the edges bulge out and wont go back..

Think 2 of them are wrecked no idea..couldnt care less atm

Going to have to save up and buy bloody apex arms now..what a waste.

 

[Fruitbooter]

Oh and because I havent got any bushes in the hubs either I guess im gonna have to look for some standard hubs with bushes already in as I cant fit them either!

 

[Fruitbooter]

Heres the situation

Piks from craig and how to do it -

I used the same method with threaded rod but for some reason when you tighten it when putting the gold insert in the bush bulges out the other end like it struggles to go through easy? Ive put loads of greese in btw I just dont get it

Mine -

I just done get why they wont go in smoothly!

As you can see im scratching the arms etc doing it...

Its so annoying because if I could just get all these in everything would be complete..

 

[craig8585]

How's the work getting on now then? I guess you've had more luck with the bushes since the last update

 

[Fruitbooter]

How's the work getting on now then? I guess you've had more luck with the bushes since the last update

Yeh this is due an update but I still need to sort loads of photos out first...

Sorted the bushes, It was the metal sleeves that were the problem :nod:

Everything bar the brakes is done now, just waiting on some new rear hoses as I got sent some front ones then I can bleed the brakes with hopefully no problems and then I just need to lower the car onto some bricks which will keep it high enough to allow me to tighten the arms with the ride height set.. then I can take it for a well deserved drive :thumbs:

 

[craig8585]

If you have polybushes you can tightem them up with the car in the air AFAIK, as the inner metal sleeve rotates within the bush. I thought it was just the rubber bushes (originals and adjustable bushed control arms) that needed it doing with weight on as they are fixed to the inner sleeve..? I forgot to do this on mine but as the suspension only travells around 2" anyway I wasn't too bothered!

 

[Fruitbooter]

Now that you say that I think you're right, it makes sense for the metal insert to turn and allow for any movement..I’ll have to have a closer look nearer the time.[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[LuPix_S15]

Keep up the good work dude!!


Really need to see this on the road soon haha

 

[Fruitbooter]

Well ive run into another problem which is holding me up

I cant get the passenger side hub nut on, and thus cant finish and drive the thing!

I think whats happened is ive damaged the thread on the shaft when knocking it in with a hammer (silly me) Its not that damaged but its enough to stop the hub from going on...

I looked into getting a die but one in that size is to expensive for 1 job really..

I tried to clean the grooves up at the start with a tapered needle file but nothing

I then tried to get rid of the first thread or two using a bigger file and filing it at a 45o taper...only problem with this is with the wheel studs in place its hard to get a decent clean taper all round..

So now what im having to do is take the bloody shaft out and someone i know said he will try and clean it up on the lathe or in a vice for me..if that doesnt work then I will have to buy a new shaft from somewhere? Are S14 shaft the same?

Another problem is ive already filled the diff up now as I was almost ready to drive so Im having to undo the shaft via the 6 bolts that join the shaft and the input bit to the diff together..that way I should be able to get away with removing the shaft and keeping the oil in the diff..

I really hope I can get this bloody nut on :annoyed:

 

[sliding-r]

Take the shaft off as you mentioned and take it to a garage or engineering shop to fix the thread mate.

 

[tooley]

Dude i did the same thing s13 drive shafts will fit 100% buy one of them! i have a spare one if you need it!