Been a while since I updated...
Super D NYE
I got a couple laps in, alignment felt funky, did a few more laps coming in and out of the pits, adjusting the alignment
and then the car started to misfire
Replaced the o-ring, went back out and the car felt good for a couple laps
and then the car started to misfire again, this time a spark issue. I thought the coilpack took a shit, but it turned out to be a broken wire in the harness due to the way I had the harness routed. I shoulda known better, but I didn't really feel like there was an alternative with the Skunk2 valve cover... I didn't have a way to fix the broken wire at the track so I had to call it a day. 3rd year in a row running into car problems at NYE
When I got home, I fixed the broken wire as good as I could. I didn't have a lot of space to work with so I had to do some not so legit repair work, but so far so good. I also re-routed the harness so it sits a bit closer to the header, but I wrapped it in ThermaShield to hopefully avoid any melting.
My matching passenger seat finally arrived after a little 15 month delay. I'd rather have a gias or stradia, but they're so damn hard to come by in blue
I swapped out the gt wing for a trunk spoiler, which makes me feel like less of a goober when driving around town, though I do love the gt wing look.
So the front end has felt funky at every event I've driven since doing the swap. I'm sure my eyeballed alignment was a major contributing factor, but things like the Volvo PS setup and old rack bushings had me questioning what the true cause was. I also wanted to dial out some camber so I could do some grip driving. So I bought some "stock" GK Tech LCA's to replace my 45mm extended LCA's, Ikeya Formula inner tie rods to replace the obscenely long Maxima tie rods, and some new rack bushings. Also I got some "high flow" PTFE 90? fittings since it looked like my lines may have been kinked due to the extreme angle they were routed at. Also, while I was down there I figured I might as well reseal the oil pan. Yay!
I always wanted one of these engine hoist things, but always did some janky shit in the past instead. So much less scary crawling around an engine knowing it isn't only being held up by a jack handle and a ratchet strap. Highly recommend lol
Pan, rack, and crossmember all ready for a nice cleaning!
The Voodoo13 tension rods didn't want to play nice with the GK LCA's so I had to introduce them to a grinder. After a bit of trial and error I got them trimmed down just enough to allow space for adjustment without there being a huge gap.
Took the car to the alignment shop and realized he was the last one who aligned it 7 years and 2 paint jobs ago haha
Going from 45mm to roughly 25mm extended LCA's decreased the camber by 2.5?. I should decrease it a bit more, but right now the wheel well clearance is way too perfect.
I kept the rear pretty conservative for good tire wear and streetability
Recently I noticed my clutch fluid levels randomly dropping, but hadn't seen any drips on the ground so I was baffled by where it had been going. While at the alignment shop, I noticed the fluid level was low again, after having topped it off the night before. Finally it dawned on me that it may be leaking inside the car, so I took a look under the dash and sure enough there was a stream of brake fluid running down the firewall. So once I got home from the alignment shop I ran to the part store and the dudes helped me swap it out real quick with the car still on the trailer before driving up to Redding for NorCal Allstars.
NorCal Allstars was pretty cool despite the torrential rain, throttle sticking issues, and funky steering problems. It was the first drift event ever at this track so they ran it very conservatively. I wasn't even close to the rev limiter on entry in 2nd gear and my gearing is basically like having a 4.6, so REAL slow.
When I got home, I did a nut and bolt check and realized my passenger side tire was sliced. When I turned to lock, I noticed the bumpstop had slipped so the brake line mount was slicing the tire while the wheel was rubbing on the brake line and inner tie rod, which explained why I was having such weird steering issues on the left hand entry at NCA.
I also noticed the back of the flywheel was caked with dirt, likely from NYE. Once removed, the engine vibrations notacibly decreased. I'll get a dust shield one of these days...
With the oil pan resealed and completely leak free this time, I was able to notice that the front main seal was leaking a little bit of oil, so I replaced it.
and then FINALLY accomplished my goal of driving to and from an event!
The drive was a bit nerve-wracking at first - sitting at 3700rpm to go 70mph takes a little getting used to. At the event, the only issue I ran into was the dipstick kept ejecting itself and spraying oil on the header. The motor isn't showing any signs of blow-by so I'm a bit confused. Might need to rethink my pcv setup, but in the meantime, a piece of wire does the trick!
I finally felt comfortable enough to do some tandem runs, which was a ton of fun. This car is way quicker in tandem than I expected. I just need to re-learn how to be a quick driver haha
