Sam's build thread

[Sydneykid]

yeah thinking about it the clutch/PP will come balanced together but they are not part of a kit with a flywheel so how they'lll balance out with the flywheel is an unknown. Thats good enough reason for me to remove the flywheel and do it right. Given that, instead of emery i'll get it refaced which'd be the right way to go yeah? Just a super light skim should be fine.
Of course the other option is to just retain what I've got. A oneyear old clutch that's done 40,000km which should last longer than the diff plates anyway...….its tempting!

A decision best made with the evidence in front of you, no pre judging.

Cheers
Gary

[sambb]

indeed.

I can get another ECS 14lb flywheel for a good price. Thinking I might grab that and get everything pre balanced and ready to go in. Then if the existing fly/clutch/pressure plate comes out in good nick I can either sell it as a single mass flywheel conversion kit or at the least have a spare flywheel to look at potentially lightening further down the track.

[simon k]

I can either sell it as a single mass flywheel conversion kit

*cough* dibs *cough*

[metalhead]

You can get it done Sam! I'm working on my diff at the moment, it had picked up a little play so I decided to rebuild it while it was still ok, and improve a couple of things while I'm there (stress relieve some parts, solid pinion spacer, improved bearing cap fit etc). What may be of interest to you is that I bought a new set of clutch plates as they're cheap and I figured while I had it apart anyway I should replace them - but after ~50,000km the plates look like new, and measure the same as the new plates - I think I'll just put them back in and leave the new plates on the shelf!

[sambb]

Yeah I'm kicking myself now that I never measured the old vs new plates. Once cleaned up they looked pretty schmick so they are definitely going to be kept as spares. Yeah I am starting to think i'll give it a crack before Bathurst. Sounds like we both have been busy. Its always worth giving the car a once over before the next season - I had to replace a tie rod that's was shagged, found a not so tight subframe bolt, and one of the aero fittings for the oil cooler was weeping. She's good to go as is - just maybe with a new box for Bathurst.
How's your power steering belt issue - that thing staying on now? I'd hate to be counting down to turn-in at Griffins and find I didnt have power steering like you did!

[metalhead]

Haven't done all the things I had planned for the power steering yet - but (touch wood) it hasn't thrown the belt since I fitted the underdrive pulley. I'm still waiting on my new clutch to arrive, but other than that no major jobs need doing, and I'll run on the current clutch if need be.

[sambb]

You should see Pete's car now. He's gone berserk. I'll get some pics of it up. He won't be ready for Bathurst but he's aiming for some pretty quick Wakefield times. bit worried he'll beat me actually

[sambb]

Ok I think I'm going to do the harness thing for tracking. Need harness bar advice though. I have 2 options. Fit one of those harness bars that bridges between the top seat belt bolt positions OR run off a bar welded or bolted in the strut brace position.
So does anyone know of a harness bar that fits our car and would you trust them? If I do the strut brace option, what diameter/thickness/grade of steel do I need? Can it be a bolt in if flanged correctly or must it be welded?

[Sydneykid]

CDS (or CDW) 38 mm OD x 2.5 mm wall thickness or 40 mm x 2.0 mm. The harness bolt minimum is M12 x 8.8, so that's what I'd be using for the bar mounting. Also can be welded of course.

I'm not a fan of harness (taxi) bars, get a decent hit in the B pillar that bends the taxi bar and the seat belt cuts you in half.

Is the angle not suitable for using the rear seat belt mounts?

Cheers
Gary

[sambb]

Ok that confirmed what I'd thought. I was thinking the harness bar could sheer off in a side impact and go through the back of your head in a multi impact crash. I'll cross that off.
When talking about the rear sea belt mounts did you mean the ones on the rear seat bases? Those are too steep I think. They have to be within 45 degrees yeah. That might be ok with a one piece bucket but it worries me what that angle could do to the oem seats' recliner/latching mech. The upper rear seat belt mounts are inside the seat backs.
Thinking of it I have seen rear harness bars that have spigots either end that slot into where the rear seats click into place and then bolt into the floor: YouTube