Jeffers_S13
07-04-2008, 13:33
We realised our <a href="http://www.sxoc.co.uk/vbb/showthread.php?t=327275">S15.3</a> (our ‘A’ car) was never going to be finished for the first round of the European Drift Championship, so in order that we could still compete and potentially win some points we needed something else to tide us over.
We wanted a car that we could leave at Scott’s that could be wheeled out as and when needed for use in the championship so that we could concentrate on the S15 and not worry about the ‘B’, i.e. ready to go, so we bought this :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/15032008574.jpg
The ex Ian Harrison S13.
However at the first test outing we realised it may have been a mistake…
We had spent several nights sorting out a fair few things with the car which I guess is standard drifter practice but which we weren’t particularly happy about.
Whilst it was out we actually replaced the seat for one of Scots own to lower him a little further. It looked pretty tired and well used so we’d already planned to spruce it up and attempt to bring it back up to EDC standards so we fitted a bodykit from EP Racing and sprayed it white with a black roof over the weekend before Easter.
Before painting the roof :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/18032008583.jpg
Finished :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/21032008599.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/21032008601.jpg
Believing the car to be otherwise good to use and not wanting to spend any more time than was necessary on it, we got the car running, set up boost up and then took it for a track test on Good Friday.
After 20 minutes of use the car had developed no pressure in the coolant system, the handbrake didn’t work, the clutch was slipping in some gears, the knackered shocks made it handle like a see saw and Scott said it didnt feel particularly powerful. As we began loading it onto the trailer to take it home it started to pour steam out the exhaust.
Once back at the unit, we left it running for a while, still no pressure and seemingly no flow through the radiator. So we pulled out the thermostat and found it to be rusted shut, we binned it and re-assembled without one to make sure it was that. Now we had flow through the rad but still no pressure, steam from the exhaust was intermittent. So, we replaced the rad, still no pressure and still intermittent steam and now a rough idle. We then pulled the plugs. Steam came out of No.3. We pulled the engine and took the head off, no visible signs of HG failure, so we can only suspect there is a crack in the head or possibly the inlet water jacket. Whilst removing bits and bobs, more and more questionable things were found :
Missing spacers on injector rail :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008629.jpg
Resulting in split/leaking injector seals :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008633.jpg
And misaligned injectors :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008636.jpg
Probably why it felt underpowered. But, worst of all, mix and match bolts used on the clutch cover, I wonder if the flywheel bolts were even torqued up !? :eek:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008637.jpg
After removing the clutch and flywheel we also found a totally fubared spigot bush and a left-over automatic spigot ring :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008620.jpg
As time was now short with only one weekend left for testing, we decided to cut our losses with the engine, in fear of finding worse or having even more issues, it sounded pretty rough and rattley anyhow.
After some mad forum and ebay scouring we sourced a low mileage engine from down south and also a new clutch as we couldn’t afford for it to start slipping after some proper use. The engine was collected on Easter Monday and fitted it in the evenings.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/27032008642.jpg
‘exctr’ has loaned us his clutch till we buy him a replacement, cheers buddy :thumbs:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008639.jpg
We also fitted a replacement turbo as the one that came off was waaaay past its best.
Play in shaft so bad it was rubbing on the housing :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/07042008683.jpg
and a cracked wastgate
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/07042008682.jpg
After sorting a few more dodgy things whilst the engine was out the way, the engine was re-fitted and running at 11:30 on Thursday 27th night, it ran like a dream, but still no coolant pressure ! so the only thing we hadn’t changed was the heater matrix. 5 mins later, heater matrix bypassed and hey presto we had pressure and all was well.
Then (in no particular order) the fabri-cage was welded in, engine kill switch sorted, extinguisher pull and kill switch pull mounted. Gauges have been got working, the shocks have been replaced, the rear brake lines have been replaced in favour of hydraulic handbrake set-up, also the rear calipers have been replaced with newer S15 ones, one of the rear calipers was seized and the extinguisher re-mounted to miss the new handbrake.
Much, much more work has been done. The car wasn’t the car we were led to believe it was. Had we known it would have meant 3 weeks worth of work and nearly £5k we would probably have built a car from scratch, based on a crash damaged 14 or 14a, as that’s what we have more or less done with this car now.
We wanted a car that we could leave at Scott’s that could be wheeled out as and when needed for use in the championship so that we could concentrate on the S15 and not worry about the ‘B’, i.e. ready to go, so we bought this :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/15032008574.jpg
The ex Ian Harrison S13.
However at the first test outing we realised it may have been a mistake…
We had spent several nights sorting out a fair few things with the car which I guess is standard drifter practice but which we weren’t particularly happy about.
Whilst it was out we actually replaced the seat for one of Scots own to lower him a little further. It looked pretty tired and well used so we’d already planned to spruce it up and attempt to bring it back up to EDC standards so we fitted a bodykit from EP Racing and sprayed it white with a black roof over the weekend before Easter.
Before painting the roof :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/18032008583.jpg
Finished :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/21032008599.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/21032008601.jpg
Believing the car to be otherwise good to use and not wanting to spend any more time than was necessary on it, we got the car running, set up boost up and then took it for a track test on Good Friday.
After 20 minutes of use the car had developed no pressure in the coolant system, the handbrake didn’t work, the clutch was slipping in some gears, the knackered shocks made it handle like a see saw and Scott said it didnt feel particularly powerful. As we began loading it onto the trailer to take it home it started to pour steam out the exhaust.
Once back at the unit, we left it running for a while, still no pressure and seemingly no flow through the radiator. So we pulled out the thermostat and found it to be rusted shut, we binned it and re-assembled without one to make sure it was that. Now we had flow through the rad but still no pressure, steam from the exhaust was intermittent. So, we replaced the rad, still no pressure and still intermittent steam and now a rough idle. We then pulled the plugs. Steam came out of No.3. We pulled the engine and took the head off, no visible signs of HG failure, so we can only suspect there is a crack in the head or possibly the inlet water jacket. Whilst removing bits and bobs, more and more questionable things were found :
Missing spacers on injector rail :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008629.jpg
Resulting in split/leaking injector seals :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008633.jpg
And misaligned injectors :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008636.jpg
Probably why it felt underpowered. But, worst of all, mix and match bolts used on the clutch cover, I wonder if the flywheel bolts were even torqued up !? :eek:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008637.jpg
After removing the clutch and flywheel we also found a totally fubared spigot bush and a left-over automatic spigot ring :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008620.jpg
As time was now short with only one weekend left for testing, we decided to cut our losses with the engine, in fear of finding worse or having even more issues, it sounded pretty rough and rattley anyhow.
After some mad forum and ebay scouring we sourced a low mileage engine from down south and also a new clutch as we couldn’t afford for it to start slipping after some proper use. The engine was collected on Easter Monday and fitted it in the evenings.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/27032008642.jpg
‘exctr’ has loaned us his clutch till we buy him a replacement, cheers buddy :thumbs:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/24032008639.jpg
We also fitted a replacement turbo as the one that came off was waaaay past its best.
Play in shaft so bad it was rubbing on the housing :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/07042008683.jpg
and a cracked wastgate
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/Jeffers_S13/07042008682.jpg
After sorting a few more dodgy things whilst the engine was out the way, the engine was re-fitted and running at 11:30 on Thursday 27th night, it ran like a dream, but still no coolant pressure ! so the only thing we hadn’t changed was the heater matrix. 5 mins later, heater matrix bypassed and hey presto we had pressure and all was well.
Then (in no particular order) the fabri-cage was welded in, engine kill switch sorted, extinguisher pull and kill switch pull mounted. Gauges have been got working, the shocks have been replaced, the rear brake lines have been replaced in favour of hydraulic handbrake set-up, also the rear calipers have been replaced with newer S15 ones, one of the rear calipers was seized and the extinguisher re-mounted to miss the new handbrake.
Much, much more work has been done. The car wasn’t the car we were led to believe it was. Had we known it would have meant 3 weeks worth of work and nearly £5k we would probably have built a car from scratch, based on a crash damaged 14 or 14a, as that’s what we have more or less done with this car now.