Wytbishop - 93' GS SE ZE - The Purple..I mean Black.. Beast

[wytbishop]

i confirmed the timing, it's good. So I buffed up the passenger side ground wire and added a 4GA ground on the driver's side. Installed the Optima battery and it cranked like a champion. Still didn't start, but it cranks.

I then went to confirm that it has spark and it did. So I then went to look for fuel...and nothing. The fuel pump was not coming on with key on. I jumpered the F/P pin in the data link and the pump ran so I knew it worked...but I was a little stumped. I went online and dug around and figured out after an hour or so that I had the fuel lines reversed. I must have moved the lines a little when I installed the new fuel filter because they really looked like they belonged where they were.

Anyway with the lines on the correct rails, the engine fired right up. Ran pretty well too. The HLAs were LOUD...but after several minutes they quieted down. One minor coolant leak from a hose I must've torn when I pulled it off. Fixed that. Permanently relocated the battery in the cargo area and called it a night. It was about 11pm and it was just starting to snow.

I woke up the next morning to about a foot of snow on the ground. I had to did the 07' 3 out there was no way I was going to be taking my baby out for a test drive in that. So it sits for another week hoping the weather will clear up. I bled the clutch and the brakes (the MX-6 slim brake booster appears to work flawlessly). I still have to tighten up the exhaust (I have a couple of leaks), replace a leaky differential seal and install my new headlights; do a test drive and make sure everything works. Other than that she's good to go.

The Purple Beast is now the Purple Monster.

[wytbishop]

I just Probinatored my spare ECU. Took me less than an hour. The keys are as stated numerous times, a de-soldering pump and a good quality, pencil style soldering iron. Easy peasy.

I'm heading down to get the car tomorrow after work. I have a list of things I need to do which should take me about half a day. So I ought to be home by early evening if all goes well.

Wish me luck.

[wytbishop]

Well I got it home no problem. The car ran like a champ for the 300km drive home. It's not perfect but it is pretty darn good. I was quite impressed with the top end power. Passing on the highway is effortless...and that's on the stock K8 Exhaust. I will definitely be fixing that MX-6 tranny I got and getting it in there before I do any more highway driving though. Spinning 3800RPM for 2-1/2 hours is ridiculous.

I have a few issues I'll be asking for some insight on, but in general I'm very happy with the result.

I promise I will post pictures when I get it looking nicer.

[wytbishop]

OK as promised. Pictures of the Purple Monster...

the engine is running very well. Needs a bit of tweaking to perfect the idle, but it's very strong.



A nice shot of the new headlights. I bent one of the brackets slightly when I was removing the bumper, so it's not sitting perfectly but I'm pretty happy with the fit. It really looks good with the Raspberry Metallic color.



A decent 3/4 angle shot. I just ran down to the parkade at work and snapped these...so they're not the greatest lighting wise.



I had the exhaust done this past Monday. I put in 2-1/4" from the collector back with a baffled resonator and the Magnaflow 4 x 9" oval with dual tips. the guy did a great job fitting up the EBAY header and Y-pipe which didn't fit at all. All the welds look really good and the craftsmanship is very nice. I am finding it a little too loud though. I'm going to stick in a pre silencer I think before I try to drive it to Vernon this summer.

Anyway...the engine is done. Now the suspension starts.

[Nd4SpdSe]

I am finding it a little too loud though. I'm going to stick in a pre silencer I think before I try to drive it to Vernon this summer.

I betcha it's the dual-tip, could try what many have and plug the one tip as a test.

[solo_ryder]

Come to Vernon eh, come hangggg out if I am in town. Wouldnt mind seeing the car, looks sharp

[wytbishop]

Thanks. It's going to look a lot better by the time of the meet in Kelowna.

[wytbishop]

OK so...updates.

Since the ZE install things have gone pretty well. Not perfect, but as well as can be expected. The engine itself is pretty well flawless. I have put 1500km on it and it has not used a drop of oil yet. I'm not getting great mileage, about 10.1L/100km (22MPG-ish) and I have a few things to look into on that front.

When I went to install the MX-6 tranny I had salvaged, I found that it wouldn't shift. No big deal I just stuck with my stock tranny and it's fine. But I really want that taller final drive so I opened up the MX-6 tranny to see if I could fix it. The problem was simple enough...the bolt that holds the shift knuckle to the shift shaft had broken and gone through the differential. So it's toast...not to be confused with Taoist...that's a whole different thing. I did manage to get the 5th gear set though and install it into my known good K8 tranny which I will be installing this weekend.

The plan for this weekend is...

Pull the original K8 tranny and toss it off a cliff.
Install the good K8 tranny with the tall 5th gear.
Install the new axles I got for $75 each...that's right.
New front wheel bearings.
New ball joints.
New outer tie rod ends.
Install the Eiback/ZX-2 set up from the old Black 94'.
Wheel alignment...maybe. I might just eyeball the wheel alignment for now as I will need to have them aligned again when I replace all the bushings and the rest of the suspension components in a couple of months.
I'm going to install the PRC solenoid system from the K8 to see if it helps regulate the FPR and improve the fuel economy. I'm also going to do some component testing in the fuel system to see if I can identify any obvious problems.

I'm going to thoroughly inspect the brakes while I'm in there. When the poly bushings are ready to go in I'm going to fix up the braking system as well.

Anyway, I'll try to remember to take pictures.

[nightfire]

I just Probinatored my spare ECU. Took me less than an hour. The keys are as stated numerous times, a de-soldering pump and a good quality, pencil style soldering iron. Easy peasy.

I'm heading down to get the car tomorrow after work. I have a list of things I need to do which should take me about half a day. So I ought to be home by early evening if all goes well.

Wish me luck.

Desoldering pump.... as in one of those eye-dropper like thingies? That's crazytalk... lol.

Why not just use desoldering braid? It's a little messy but who cares. Hose it down in flux cleaner afterwards and you're golden.

[wytbishop]

I dunno man, the pump worked awesome. Can't argue with results.

[Daninski]

We call it a solder sucker.

[onlytrueromeo]

I did an alignment myself to get it within ballpark for the time being. Camber is easy if you have camber bolts (which I recommend) and the back toe in/out is never really a problem - at least it's never been for me.

Front adjustment will be a PITA. I suggest getting it where you think it is, then driving the car t see if it squeals or pulls to one side, and make adjustments. They also sell DIY alignment kits where you put a multiaxis level on the wheel - not too expensive I believe.

[wytbishop]

Let me tell you a tale of woe.

When I installed my ZE a couple of months ago, I had with me a transmission pulled from a 94' MX-6. I was about to install it when I realized that the shift shaft was not connected to anything inside the transmission...a bad sign I thought so I installed the stock tranny and carried on. But my stock tranny is not in good shape and I have been looking to get it out of there for a while now. I have another K8 tranny that I had already inspected and found to be in good condition so I put the MX-6 5th gear into it and endeavored this past weekend to install it. At the same time I had intended to renew the drive shafts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings etc.

Sunday morning I drive over to the shop of the fellow I know who will give me the space and I begin to tear away. The first clue that I was not going to have a terrific weekend came while removing the transmission mount member. One of the rear studs snaps off right below the rubber isolator. This is a bad bolt to break as it noticeably affects the stability of the engine. I'm not impressed.

I continue on and remove the transmission by about 2pm or so. Swap over a couple of sensors and motor mounts, and wrestle the new tranny in and start reinstalling stuff. I reinstall everything I need to actually test the operation of the tranny, which is almost everything and it's about 4:30 when I start the engine, without the Y-pipe...LOUD!!, to find that I cannot shift gears and there is no neutral. Something is catastrophically wrong inside this transmission. Problem is I assembled it myself. So now I'm just mad. I call my wife and she picks me up....I'll deal with it tomorrow. While I'm waiting for her to pick me up I have the car about 80% disassembled again so I can remove the tranny quickly in the morning.

Morning comes and I have the tranny out by 10am, and apart by 11. I find that the fork selector is out of position and is not allowing the shift shaft to move from fork to fork. Perfect. I solve the problem and reassemble the tranny. I test and retest the tranny to ensure that it shifts properly on the bench and it does. Like butter. It's 12:30 and I'm reinstalling for the second time. the tranny slides into place this time like its going home...nestling in the bosom of the clutch housing. I whip it all back together again this time certain that everything will work beautifully. I button the whole thing right back up...even the exhaust. It's 5pm again, and a moment of deja vu washes over me from the evening before. I coolly disregard the momentary feeling of unease, that I had been in this exact moment of truth precisely 24 hours earlier only to feel the cold clutches of despair. I jump in the car and turn the key. She fires as if ready to do battle. I shift authoritatively into first...I SAID, I SHIFT AUTHORITATIVELY INTO FIRST!!! MOTHER F*%$#@!!!

So now it's 5 o'clock on holiday Monday, I've had two 8 hour days of removing and installing this transmission and the bugger still doesn't work. I stare into the eyes of the roughly 7 more hours it will take me to dismantle, remove new tranny, install old tranny and reassemble. I suffer a brief moment of total despair. And then I'm back to it. Out with the new and in with the old...isn't that what they say???

So anywho...at 11:30, I'm done, the old tranny is back in, the car runs again. I did manage to replace the old ball joints and tie rod ends. The wheel bearings were in such nice shape I am tempted to believe that they are not original. I left them. Axles are new. I installed the Eibach/ZX-2 struts I was saving from the old 94' I had. So it's not a total loss. I am simply not meant to get this tranny out of this car. More on the down side, the broken trans member stud causes the engine to rock a little, which I don't like and is going to be a whore to fix, and the bushing on the third link is toast as well and making my shifter feel squishy. And of course the alignment is now totally hooped.

But the best is yet to come. You know how when you've been through something long and arduous, like a 14 hour day in the shopfor nothing, and you're exhausted and the littlest thing just finishes you off? I get on the road home, with my squishy shifter and engine rocking and messed up alignment and not 5 minutes down the road the temp needle is in the red. ARE YOU FRICKIN' KIDDING ME!?!?!?!!!

I pull over quickly and pop the hood, the top rad hose is like melty hot and the lower rad hose is cool as a cucumber. As if to say..."Oh, by the way Charlie, you're not done yet bee-otch", the frickin thermostat sticks closed. I let the car cool for a while and head out again and magically it seems to unstick and run normally, but it did it again this morning and this afternoon. So I guess I'm changing a thermostat tomorrow.

22 hours in the shop and it runs worse than it did when I drove it in.

I'm done now. Thanks for listening.

/rant

[wytbishop]

On the upside, my dad picked up my new JDM bumper and lip from Corksport today and it will be here in a few days.

That makes me very happy.

[96mx-3]

thats rough for sure.. its stuff like that...that makes me flip out and stand back and kick something or whip tools around.. or smash a cd player for skipping lol ..