gramercyjam Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 I hear you about the cost of good fasteners and the availability of metric. When I got my car, the P.O.'s had just used whatever all over the car - it really "screws" up the car when they put the water pump on by jamming some SAE bolts into the block, jammed on SAE fender bolts, etc. etc. I've slowly been re-tapping/replacing all that crap. SAE nuts on new transverse link pins are a fast way to burn $50. On the push/pull welding technique. I do a lot of pulling mainly because when I push, I tend to rest my hand on the hot weld which is a little uncomfortable, and because it is easier to be steady and I usually get a better bead when welding thin stuff. When welding thick materials/short welds, I will push. The only problem I have with welding upside down is if your arm has to be directly underneath dripping metal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted May 17, 2004 Author Share Posted May 17, 2004 Well everything is out of there now, and I was looking at the bottom of the car yesterday and thinking how much easier this would be if I went with a fuel cell, because the spare tire bump is right in the way making it really hard to prep some of the areas. Just kinda thinking out loud... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramercyjam Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 I can hear the wheels turning from here. Nothing like a little rationalization to move the project along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted May 29, 2004 Author Share Posted May 29, 2004 More progress-- Completed the Jeromio style (he would say the Simon de Groot) xmember/diff mount. Used the Energy Suspension 2005 bushings and 1" ID pipe for the mount, left it hanging out on both sides so that I didn't have to cut the diff mount itself. Looks good, too bad it will still be months before I get to test it out. That's OK though, because I figure aside from fluid changes and adjustments I won't need to change anything major in the back for at least a few years if I do it ALL now. Plus it's not like I have a deadline. Haven't gotten into the stitch welding yet, because I need to sell some parts to fund the fuel cell. Parts will be going to brother in law or on ebay, just have to figure out which. I'd really like to sell him all my old stuff, but it doesn't look like he has the cash. Got my 4:11 on the way, Mat's sleeves too. Need to order up some different clutches for the diff and some rear wheel bgs and seals. Got 3" ARP wheel studs from an RX7. 280 stub axles. It's getting there. At least the pile of parts is getting bigger... Next project is going to be the poor man's toe adjuster http://hybridz.org/nuke/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=29645&highlight=poor+adjuster. Trying to figure out what type of metal to use. Could use 1/4" aluminum like Terry (but I'm still using a separate mustache bar) or thinking about using 1/8" plate steel, this way I can do the welding. Any opinions on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 I'm always a bit out there... weight, weight, weight. Try using .059 4130 steel sheet. There isn't a 1/8" thick fabricated anything on my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted May 29, 2004 Author Share Posted May 29, 2004 That could work John, but I think I want something stiffer just for my own peace of mind. Also looking to do a rear mounted sway bar too, and I don't know if .059 is strong enough to take the extra force of the sway bar. Just a little scary to trust it all to sheet metal (probably more my own mental hang up than anything else, but there it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 On that toe adjuster project, I got as far as jacking up my car. Some time this summer.... Are you completely re-creating the suspension uprights? I was planning on just joining mine together with some 12 or 14ga. For the undercoating removal - I tried the torch thing and it does work, but it is very scary. I didn't last too long. The key is just to try and melt it - I found burning it to be a bit too terrifying. If it's hot, it's easy to scrape off. Then you go back with the wire wheel or flap sanding wheel. I saw a post where someone used dry ice (which you can get at the grocery store these days). I'd like to try that myself. Wouldn't work for all areas though. For paint, I love that hammerite stuff from HomeDepot. The one odd thing is that it doesn't seem to work well over primer. For your stripped nut, I second the helicoil idea. I think it would just be the easiest. For fasteners, I try to grab as many as I can off of whatever junk car I'm pulling parts from at the pick and pull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted May 29, 2004 Author Share Posted May 29, 2004 Yes, the plan is to redesign the uprights. I don't think there's enough room on the stock uprights to make too much adjustment, plus I wanted them to be a little stronger for the sway bar. I also thought it would be good to beef them up anyway since Wayne Burnstein told me he's seen ITS cars cracking the uprights. I agree about the parts cars. I always grab as many nuts and bolts as possible. The captured nut thing seems to have fixed itself. I looked at the threads in the nut and they weren't that bad. The threads on the bolt were pretty bad though. So I took a couple of bolts from the strap holders (since I'm not using them anymore) and ran them in one at a time, and by the third bolt the threads were effectively "chased" and now it looks like they'll hold just fine, so that part of the project has been effectively dealt with. I have a good bolt to use there, so I'll just tighten it up and if it strips out then I'll tap for an SAE bolt. I don't have any undercoating on the bottom, just paint. For the interior sound deadener, I removed some with an air chisel and the bulk came off REALLY EASILY. I got that trick from an old post on floorboard replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Z-fried Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Just wanted to jump in on the primer selection. I do bodywork and the best method I have used starts with and acid etching primer. It goes on the bare metal and provides a superior bond (won't chip off metal) for the next levels of paint. Scuff the etching primer and then use a primer that contains a hardener. The hardener makes this primer waterproof. It's still best to sand and topcoat with a final coat of paint after this step. I use Chassis Black for frames and floorboards. I also topcoat the underside off my floorboards with spray can truckbed liner, it's tougher than rubberized undercoating. All of these products are available from Napa and are made by Martin Senour Paints. The acid etching primer and Chassis Black are available in spray cans. The primer with hardener is not because the hardener is a catalyst and has to be mixed shortly before spraying. You can only shoot it with compressor powered spray gun. It has three parts: primer, reducer and hardener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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