A to Z

12-19-2024. Dash center plate painted up.

12-17-2024 Turbo Project Update: I managed to get my exhaust piece welded today and then I painted it with VHT 2000-degree flat black paint. Then I unboxed my new Carburetor, a Mikuni HSR 45 that has been modded by John at v-performance to work on my turbocharged setup. I also got the bottom gauge cluster mounted in my dash center panel. because of a few scratches, I will have to mask off everything, wipe it down and give the backing plate a couple coats of black wrinkle paint. Pics follow:

12-16-2024 Turbo Project Update. I was able to go ahead and use a pressure setup and set my Water/Methanol switch to 3 psi for when to start spraying the mix. I also took the piece of exhaust I needed to tie back in to the exhaust system with a flange and got it welded. Now I have to install and mark where to clock the other flange and get it welded. I already have the gaskets, so After the second flange, a coat of high heat paint and install and exhaust is done.

after complete I can also then take it to a shop and they could reinforce with a bead. No one wants to do mobile welding anymore.

The sheet metal, being pretty thin this isn't going to allow for a very deep weld. just tack welds. Additionally, in talking to a pro body and paint guy, he stated that 1-1.5 inch strip of 3m panel bond will be stronger than the metal itself, and so he recommended that. This isn't butt welds, but lap weld with a thick overlap. Where a weld would be 1/4 of an inch wide, the panel bond will be over an inch wide.

12-15-2024 UPDATE: Today was one of those days where it felt like it was hard to get a lot done. Everything wanted to fight me...irritating. I started with removing the bolts from the driver's side motor mount, and carefully jacking under my oil pan with a wood block on top of the jack. I then installed 1/4" thick of grade 8 washers, along with grade 8 bolts and nuts. I worked on my exhaust, finding I only need a 5 inch piece to close it back up, and so I cut some old pipe I had, and it was tough, but I was able, with duct tape, to hold both flanges up and mark them and the pipe for reference to weld them on. I finished clearancing between the turbo and the brake master cylinder, and then cleaned up the area with brake cleaner. The master cylinder needs to be bled again. I also pulled the front wheel off and cleaned up the cut-out area a bit and got a 1-1.5 inch border of clean steel I can use to Panel bond cut and formed pieces of 16 ga. steel. I was able to cut to fit a new intake hose piece, and it sits well....not 100% straight, as the turbo no longer lines up perfectly with the intake, I did what I could. Pics:

2-12-2024 Dash Center Plate Project Update: Go the triple gauges set up and got the majority of the wiring behind the panel done. When completed I will be able to carry it out and with a few connections have it installed. Getting closer.

12-11-02024 Dash Center Plate Project Update: My 2 upper gauges I bought from Mx Tow arrived, and I got them in the plate and tightened down. See pic.

Because the hot side of my turbo is right next to the brake master cylinder, I have purchased 2 items to keep the heat off of the master cylinder. The first is an exhaust blanket made by Heatshield Products with a continuous temp acceptance of 1800 f and then I also ordered a roll of 1" thick "Lyrufexon Ceramic Fiber" which has a tolerance up to 2400 f. Cheers!

I'm not willing to cut the tower...I already have! So why continue? Well, I guess because it was hell getting it in, and a little more clearance work can get it done at this point. I talked to my welder. When done the metal on the shock tower will basically look like a "c" channeled frame does when clearanced. I have some "Lyrufexon Ceramic Fiber" I can put between the brake master cylinder and the hot side. It is cut to fit, is 1" thick and has a rating of 2400 F. I will just have to make it look decent once installed. I understand what you are saying....but I am so far into going this route, that I am on the path and just have to finish it out. The mere thought of taking it out makes me weak just thinking about it. It is in, and tightened up and will function, just needs some more creativity.

As I mentioned, the welder will do it the best way. Another crisis averted.

I appreciate your concern. No one else even asked about it. As I stated, the strut tower is going to be reinforced. the amount cut didn't completely cut it, and hasn't changed the ride height or anything, but will be addressed before leaving the garage. I have a guy I know and he is a mobile welder. He welded my coilovers, so with some thick plate and some sheet metal, he can come in from under the fender and build bracing and close it up. Will be perfectly safe and actually strong once done. The closeness to the brake master cylinder, I have worked on, and I will be putting a layer of high-temp insulation between them as a safety precaution, cut to fit, and is rated to 2400F. Attached is a drawing I have made. The welder is an active drag racer and his input will of course be taken to make it stronger that it was being just thick sheet metal spot welded together with bends from Yokohama. It will be stronger than it was. Even though it is just a cruiser, I wouldn't leave it weakened. It will be better than before.

12-07-2024 Turbo Project Update. Pearl Harbor Day. REMEMBER. Boy, today was a L O N G one. I started by porting the waste gate my hot side/turbine housing. I used white lithium grease to mark it, and then went out porting it until I was at a spot where I needed to leave enough for the foot to seal. then I got ready to clock the wheels, so that my oil drain would be right at the bottom and oil feed at the top. This is when the trouble started. My turbine would not bolt up to the J pipe. there was no room. So, I made a big mistake. I ASSUMED the T3 housing would be the same as the original RayJay housing....not even close. So, a decision had to be made....make a new J pipe or make all of this work I have done to install it...work. I went ahead and started cutting the inner fender to get the turbo to fit. unbelievable trial and error, fit, refit back and forth, after what seemed forever I was able to the put the turbo on, get it clocked. I ported out the oil drain hardware, as I have read that the 10AN kit that is sold tends to be just a hair to small and the oil can't drain fast enough, and will back up in the turbo. So, as the pics below show, I was able to get all of them ported out, and I assembled the drain line with thread sealant, installed it and then dropped the turbo back on. So, with 10-15% of the turbo in the wheel well now, and more needing to be cut, especially into the strut housing, I had to think it over, and I decided, I can have the mobile welder come over and weld up and reinforce the strut tower and all will be well....I also came up with a way to have the carb come back "in" completely to the engine compartment on an angle, and will sit right behind my snow performance water methanol pump, and the coil and electrical. It really took a along time to get the complete turbo in, I had to grind on the turbine housing and the brake master cylinder to get it to fit, and then a bit more so I was able to get the turbo blanket on as best as I could for now. I will get some high temp insulation to put between by brake lines and the turb as soon as I can. So, crisis averted. And when it is done, I will have it all cleaned up and will look very presentable. Pics follow. Cheers!

12-04-02024 Dash Center Plate Project Update: My switches came in already, So I went ahead and drilled out all the holes and mounted the switches in. I like the look with the waterproof covers that screw on. The big holes will need a little adjustment here and there but coming along pretty good! Pics follow