Woody's build thread

[itsnotanova]

Sorry if you're waiting on me to pull parts. I needed to get this done so I can get my car out of the shop. Finished with the skid plate. I went ahead and added a rear attachment to help keep the pan from bouncing around and causing metal fatigue. It was real simple as there was already a tapped hole right there. I liked using that spot versus the side mounts as it seemed a lot more robust. I painted the pan red but it's not like anyone can see it. Overall I'm happy with the outcome because it should give me a little relief from worrying about hitting stuff. It also doesn't add much weight. It is easy to make one for yourself and all you really need is a drill, jig saw and way to bend the metal. I used a bench vice to do the bending.

[itsnotanova]

I got some new wheels for my boxster. They came on a wrecked boxster I just picked up. Oh the joy of owning your own candy store. The tires need replacing but the wheels themselves are in great shape. I was a little disappointed to see that they're Chinese made Victor wheels but I think they'll be fine for street driving. I'm hoping to start DE'ing soon and will use the stock wheels I previously had on my car for that. These new 18 inch Victor wheels were actually quite a bit lighter than the stock 17's I took off. I'm not so sure that's a good thing with these wheels though. Good for the street but probably scary for the track.

On that note about lighter is better. I switched to a Miata battery and saved 20 lbs. I've heard of people using the Miata battery and liking it. I don't have a stereo and rarely drive at night so I think I'll be ok.

I also started the process of putting an accusump in my car. A lot of spec guys are taking them out and almost giving them away. I got what you see in the pic for $100 but I could have only paid the guy for shipping because that's all he really wanted. I felt I had to give him something more than $20.

[itsnotanova]

It's been awhile since my last update and a lot has happen. A few months ago I had to remove the 3.4 out because green chunks were showing up in the filter and the lifters were very loud. I then installed a 3.2 motor I pulled from a flooded boxster. The 3.2 ran great and held oil pressure the whole time I was using it. It felt as powerful as the 3.4 it replaced. With the 3.4 out, I decided to let a friend look at it and see what he finds. He calls me back and tells me the lifters were soft and the tensioner guides looked bad but that was about it. I wasn't really looking forward to spending another $2000 in parts for the 3.4. I then decided to use the tensioners (along with new guides) and lifters from the 3.2 for the 3.4. The 3.4 had a new L&N pro, water pump and clutch disc. I figure I'll get the 3.4 back in and save the 3.2 for another day when I want to build a high horsepower motor. Guess which guides have 39k and which set has 55k? One from each set is missing from the pic

The 39K are on the bottom! That's what can happen to a motor sitting around with old oil. The O-rings inside the tensioners and guides were deteriorating. The chain ramps looked fine though. I'm guessing the soft lifters had lesson the power a lot as the 3.4 feels a little stronger than before. In the process of installing the motor I had cracked the oil fill tube and had to go back and replace it. I tried from the front but quickly decided to pull the engine harness forward and get the hose clamp from that angle. It's real easy to remove from that spot versus trying to reach in the engine bay

[itsnotanova]

I also finished installing the accusump. I bought the adapter from my friend who repaired the 3.4. He has the adapter and under drive pulley I use made and sells them mostly to the racing crowd. If you want to buy either the UDP or adapter, you can reach him at Mayo Performance Specialties (817) 540-4939 and ask for Chris.

I mounted the toggle switch next to the frunk/trunk release for two reasons. It was an easy location to run wire from the front to the back and it was in an easily accessible location that also wasn't in the way or might get bumped.

[itsnotanova]

I also finally got a set of lightweight seats installed. I had a customer who bought a car with them installed and wanted factory seats instead. We decided to trade and we both left happy. Him more than me. They look good until you start examining them and quickly realize they're Chinese knock offs. At first I would have given them a C- but after a few days I would bump them up to a C+. The seatbelt guides were painted a cheap silver so I took them off and covered them with plastidip. I have to warn anyone over 5'10 and 170lbs, they might be too small for you as I barely fit in them. I didn't weigh them or the factory seats before I did the switch, but I'd guess I lost at least 60LBs. They'll do for now