Mechanical Sympathy

Essentially I'm at lock-up stage, with the exterior complete (actually just remembered I'm waiting for a locking strip tool for the windshield). Doors aligned, glass in. Having stripped my Solex carbs for cleaning and found one of the grub screw threads in the body snapped out and filled with Silastic, I've decided to stump the cash for some new 40mm DCOE carbs and linkage in the hope they work out if the box and/or I can have them tuned. I do have some concerns with my engine and gearbox mounts (made/ordered a couple of years ago). I have a full fist (admittedly a small fist) of space between the head and firewall, and the tailshaft does not go fully into the back of the gearbox. I'll have to take some photos and flick them through to Jordan but I almost feel I could slot the holes 15-25mm and shift the whole lot back. I'll take some snaps later this evening to gauge opinions.

I spent a day with a few rattle cans of vinyl black on the door cards and roof lining, as well as fitting some new carpet and seat covers. By the time I got this far it was time to knock off for the afternoon and sit in the back with an icy Coopers. I have a set of nicely shaped KE50 seats for the front but the runners need a slight massage to accommodate them.

I should experiment with spacers once I get it registered - 27mm! haha Ah I was wondering why there was a difference. I bought them off eBay from a local guy who had them on his 240Z for the princely sum of $241 including useful tyres. The guards remain standard underneath. I won't be setting any stance records! I might black out the guard behind the flare to make it less obvious. The thing I liked about my KE35 in 1989 was that with 225/60/13 tyres and standard height I could run around the dirt tracks out behind Berrimah NT without getting bogged. While I won't be doing that with this car, I like comfort and ground clearance. My mates reckon I'm a boring old fart, drop it on its guts etc. A few comments and interest from my Rollaclub contemporaries beats dirty Facebook likes. Thanks guys.

Thanks Dave - they are indeed Performance Superlites in the seemingly less common / less popular 10 spoke configuration in 15x6 +24 with 205/55/15 tyres. 205 is plenty of tyre and looks wide tucked underneath the rear. But to be fair I'm taking some strategic photos - I think they're a little too positive in offset. I would like them better if they sat out more on the rear, and they sit quite close to the strut. My 13" staggered Jovites would be a much better fit. But the Performance wheels do look cleaner. I just might use both sets! Starting to get dusty while I procrastinate. Paint has been on a couple months now so I should have a go at buffing it soon.

Thank Mat! Employees come first in liquidations these days and I started work today so silver lined clouds prompted me to put in this burst yesterday. But as far a pics, it's all out of shape - I have to drill out snapped bolts in the bonnet latch and adjust door hinges. One flare bolt doesn't quite work, therefore one window isn't in and I might pinstripe over paint lines pending door alignment blah blah hah. If I don't do it first, someone here will be thinking it! Looking forward to working through the finishing jobs now; radiator, carbs, interior, fuel supply, intake and PCV, brakes, cert & rego

Firm I worked for 10 years folded in Jan. Had a few weeks panic attack and stopped spending anything on this car but things are working out vocationally. In the meantime I've only really been doing reassembly things that cost practically zero. Interior is coming along but I'll post pics later. Things are taking shape, but need aligning. Passenger door is being awkward for example.

I'd try a test spot with some turps or wax and grease remover on a cotton cloth. Metho would be too harsh I reckon.

I feel your pain. I have a neat set of 15x6 +26 (4" backspace) that I'd like to fit to my KE55 but that's just a few millimetres too close to the strut for my liking. In your case 13x5.5 +25 gives a 3.75" backspace. I don't have any experience with KE2x cars so I couldn't advise the optimal backspace, but I do use http://www.willtheyfit.com to compare various wheel and tyre combinations for offset and overall diameter. Maybe try give that a crack to compare wheels?

A KE55 already has the studs and hole in the correct position on the firewall. All you will need to do is enlarge the existing hole (approximately 20mm) to the size of your master cylinder (for my TA22 master, around 30-32mm). I've just gone through the process myself. Heading out at lunch to buy a cheap stepped drill bit enlarge the existing firewall hole. You will however likely have to remove the entire pedal box assembly to pre-mount the master cylinder for fitment first - much easier than working upside-down with a right-angled drill and/or die grinder. It will all be obvious once you have it on your bench. I don't know how much travel the SR20 master requires, but I seem to have adequate pedal/shaft travel for the TA22 master.

Same thing - the gasket on a K series engine is shared between inlet and exhaust. They are sometimes available as a two piece item (for cylinders 1 & 2 and 3 & 4) but the one-piece item is more durable.

That's great, I'm keen to see how it turns out. Please post a few pictures of how you go through the process.

Say what are you making there? Custom air intake? Are you forming it from fibreglass over a high density foam? I'd been considering doing a similar thing to recreate a 2TG twin carb filter box if I can't squeeze-in/cut/trim a carbon fibre one I have laying around.

I can only offer my own partially relevant experience. For my 2TG conversion I am using a standard radiator (in very excellent condition) and getting a new top hose connection fitted on the other side. I'm not keen on using an ebay alloy china job.

I can't tell from your photo - have you installed the KE70 booster? I tried to fit one, but it was too large and obscures the hydraulic clutch master cylinder mounting location..

That's bloody disappointing. I'm surprised that anything could oxidise under a 2 pac sealer, stored in a shed.

Oh hey what a coincidence - I saw your car there in the shed on Sunday, when I came with a friend came to check on the (siezed? and coil-less!) 1ZZ-FE. I noticed your gearbox on the day. Is that a 3A version of a K50 that you're putting behind the Silvertop. (edit: just re-read that it is) Treat it gently!

If you can get your hands on a 5K from a low mileage LiteAce van that would be your best bet I reckon. To be fair they're getting a bit harder to find than they once were. But not impossible. While it's no performance motor, the extra 20% power and torque would just about match a 4K with a cam - without the resultant poor fuel economy. You can save for and source all the bits, drive your car around in the meantime, then drop it in on a weekend. I'd throw some extractors on at the same time. By the time you do a service and put new fluids, gaskets, plugs, seals, filters, clutch etc. onto it you'll just about have spent your $1500. And that's all I'd do on a first car! Drive away!

Does the forklift have a 5K engine? I have also seen many forklfts have a 3Y engine. While they look very similar, they are not the same! If you can source a 5K engine from a forklift, you might consider using the whole engine to eliminate difficulties in swapping heads.

Thanks guys - I think the major tasks are just about done now.. Fiddly bits to go!

I got jacked off with the brake booster tom-foolery, so put it aside. The next big task I had to undertake prior to installing the engine was to fit the exhaust. I was lucky enough to get a complete exhaust system from extractors to tail-pipe with my engine, to suit a 2T(G) into a KE 3x/5x - saving me several hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately it has no bolted flanges along it's length so I had to drop the rear axle low enough to get it in. First I wirebrushed and painted the whole system in high temp enamel. While the diff was down I painted the entire underside of the car in black bituminous brush-on body deadener, and all over the rear axle and springs with gloss black rust-kill "reconditioning" enamel. Then bolted it all back together before I lost any bolts/nuts/split pins. Now there's really nothing holding me up from dropping in this motor except the need to go to work on weekdays.. It was a big mission (for me) to get this little pipe sitting there!

I can confirm an EP91 booster would make a great replacement for a KE70 booster. As a KE30/55 replacement it has the same issues as a KE70 booster - fouls on the inner guard (could massage), clutch cable flange (could trim) and the biggie, obscures the clutch master cylinder location. It is nice and short though. *iPhone upload rotator applied

Thanks Rob, good to know - in that case I suspect I have been given a KE70 booster.

Drove it out the shed, turned it around and backed it in. Flipped out the 4K/K50, wiped down the engine bay and rattle-canned it red (I ran out of my initial 4 litres of red). Currently molesting my pedal box after wrestling it out. Feeling a bit anxious about how far the dash has been deconstructed to get it out so I'll try and wrap that up asap. Through that process, and trying to convert my brake master/booster to KE30 I've discovered that there might be two sizes of KE30 booster and I have the large one - or it's not a KE30 booster I was sold. So I'm on the hunt for a "small" KE30 booster.

Do you mean the rubber channel that the glass runs through as you wind it? I believe it's called flocked rubber Bailey channel. It's available by the metre here from a chain called Clark Rubber. Howeber I'm sure it would be available locally.

It looks fantastic with those big wheels. Would you happen to know what diameter they are?