Well, I didn't get it finished on time. Was hoping to bring it back to Edinburgh, but I am back here revising for exams without it. Really not mad about it though, things have went well and I'm really happy with how its turning out.
So anyway, catchup update. Didn't get a lot of photos as I was trying to get as much done as I could before I left.
Got custom HEL braided lines for the interior brake lines and clutch lines. Guestimated a lot of things for this build when I was ordering parts in Edinburgh, and pretty much all of them were sweet apart from the length of the brake line between the rear master cylinder on the pedal box to the back of the hydro. Re-ordered that 240mm longer. When the box was in I fitted the slave and ran the clutch line. Obviously got them in purple.
Got more welding wire to finish my Kyle patented gearbox mount. 5mm steel with half of a square tube for support. Bolts to the standard crossmember.
Sits in place nicely.
I hate electronic throttles, they are usually slow and overcomplicated and just a bit shit. Decided I was getting one of those high flow ebay ones and make it fit. I wanted a 2JZ specific one to avoid having to dick about with TPS mounting issues but the only ones they do four inch ones aimed at big turbo 2JZ's. Went for it anyway, its not going to hurt having a massive throttle body. It was pretty huge when it arrived, but I'm not going to have flow issues haha. Got a local engineering firm to cut my inlet manifold and TIG a 4" pipe to it. Flange was then welded to the pipe and I had a few vacuum ports added. Still need to sand it all down and give it a polish but I wanted to try start the car, so I test fitted it.
In the left of this photo you can see where I blocked off the hole left in the firewall from the standard brake system and mounted the front T piece. The line going from the front master cylinder to that t piece is the only line I didn't get a custom HEL line made for, it isn't seen inside the car and didn't want to pay £25 when that one made ten minutes to make.
Back to the throttle body, the TPS sensor ended up not being a bolt-up to the throttle body. The screw holes were in the right place, and the shaft was facing the right way, but the shaft didn't allow the sensor to come near the mount. Spaced the mount out from the throttle body and took a grinder to the shaft and all was good.
Parcel taped the air flow meter to the silicone hose for a test start. Here is where problems started...
When I was fitting the flex plate and flywheel I messaged PMC motorsport to see if I needed to use either of the factory spacers. PMC got back to me saying there were no spacers required and told me the measurement from the adapter plate to the face of the flywheel was 48.66mm.
Assembled it with no spacers, fitted the box and got underneath to try inhibitor wiring. Have seen a couple of forums saying different things, but this is what I have found to work. There is a 9 wire plug on the gearbox loom. Its called 'P1 plug grey', the two wires protruding from the two larger circles on the back of the plug, (you'll know what I mean) must be spliced together. Thats literally it.
Refitted vacuum hoses and looped the water pipe that goes through the standard throttle body. Don't want hot water heating my throttle body and therefore the charge air.
Tried to start it, could hear the starter hitting something and the engine wouldn't hand crank. Box off and found my measurement from the face of the adapter plate to the face of the flywheel, which I should have checked the first time, was 2mm short. One of the adapters is exactly 2mm wide, so I reassembled with the spacer on. Checked the starter engagement before I put the box back on and found it was meshing with the flex plate when not engaged.
Bit of head scratching, decided to space the starter back 3mm to put it the standard distance from the flex plate. Didn't want to use washers as it seemed a bit ropey. Took some 4mm steel, made up two plates that match the full surface where the starter mates with the engine.
My dad came into the garage and helped with lifting the box back in and we called it a night. The next day I put the middle section of the exhaust back on so I could test start it and not annoy everyone in a two mile radius.
Started straight away and it makes mad induction noises, but there also is a nasty intermittent noise. Comes for 30 seconds and goes away for 10. It sounds like something is pinging off the flex plate or that its knocking something around in the bellhousing. I'm 99 percent sure there is nothing lying loose in there, but it looks like the box is coming off again. Yay...
After that I refitted the front bumper on quick release rally fasteners, then had a big tidy of the garage for me leaving. Got all the parts i still need/haven't got to fitting yet boxed up and labelled. I couldnt help throw the XXR's on and see how it sat.
The ride height is off in the photos, the front is still high from getting the car towed in, but it still looks cracker. Still hasn't had a wash...
Flew back to Edinburgh that night. I have the vast majority of the parts fitted and I am 95% done all the niggly jobs that make projects like this take so long.
So in four weeks plan is:
-Get home
-Get propshaft
-Get trigger wheel cut for speedo
-More wiring
-Make exhaust
-Secure shifter
-Sand, polish inlet manifold
-Mount air filter and make heat shield
-Mount header tank
-Run catch cans
-Fit slimline front arches to avoid trouble with law, will look mad too
-Attempt to go easy on new clutch and flywheel for a while
-Big skids.