K20 project off to a good start

The most commonly used metric nut in the shop is a DIN6926, non-serrated flange nylon prevailing torque nut.
http://www.metric-threaded.com/browse.aspx?category=Metric Nylon Insert Flange Nuts&id=2196

Bernice

I have been very satisfied with Fujilock nuts. Spring retention. On rare occasions the springs have removed plating on the threads of the bolt.

iu

Paul
 
Good pick on the brakes. One of the first things the new owner of the k20X did was to improve the brakes after a couple of last lap track days. I was running the wilwood brake kit from Matt, but they just overheated too much.
 
Shifting more brake bias towards the rear of the exxe cures cooking front brakes. Track driven exxe benefit greatly from changing the stock rear calipers to front calipers in the rear.
Someday I may try to source the 38 mm rear calipers but I already had some rebuilt stock ones from MWB on the shelf so I will go with those for now. I got the rear suspension in and the brakes on. I did not bolt in the control arms at this point since I will be taking them out when I put the engine in soon, but wanted to get everything lined up and the calipers on. Used a set of the Plaia mounts and plates from Obert's.
Plaia mounts.JPG

Rear suspension and brakes 01.JPG

Rear suspension and brakes 02.JPG


I got the fluid reservoirs installed.
Reservoirs.JPG


Next up is to install the parking brake mechanism so I could roll the car if I needed to, then it is time to put the engine in!! :p I will definitely need help for that job so I will put it out there to any local Xwebbers that might want to help when I am ready. I have to install the interior sail vinyl so I can put the rear window in, than the engine install can happen.
 
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It took me a while but I got the rear sail vinyl and rear bulkhead vinyl installed along the the rear speakers. Then I had to wrestle the rear window into place. That was a total PITA as I was using a new upper seal. Getting the window in place with the seal was such a struggle :mad:, but finally worked it up high enough so I could get the lower seal in place.
Rear vinyl 10.JPG


Now it was time to finally put the engine in! Darin (@darwoodious) who is in the process of doing his own K20 swap, and Gerald (Roobus) who has a K20 swap that was done by MWB, were both nice enough to drive down to Olympia today to help. Darin's experience with putting his engine in and out was invaluable as he had some good tips as we were negotiating the tight fit into the engine bay.
K20 engine install 01.JPG

K20 engine install 02.JPG

K20 engine install 03.JPG


I can't thank these guys enough :rolleyes:. We got the clutch line bled and the slave cylinder installed, then lowered the car over the engine, then hoisted the engine up into the bay. We had to do a little modification of the subframe as it was interfering on the parking brake pulley cover but managed to do it without having to take the engine out again. Anyway, here it is in place.
K20 engine install 07.JPG

K20 engine install 04.JPG

K20 engine install 05.JPG

There is still a lot to do, but this was a milestone :D.
 
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That is looking nice Rodger. Good job.

It took me a while but I got the rear sail vinyl and rear bulkhead vinyl installed along the the rear speakers. Then I had to wrestle the rear window into place. That was a total PITA as I was using a new upper seal. Getting the window in place with the seal was such a struggle :mad:, but finally worked it up high enough so I could get the lower seal in place.

Now it was time to finally put the engine in! Darin (Darwoodius) who is in the process of doing his own K20 swap, and Gerald (Roobus) who has a K20 swap that was done by MWB, were both nice enough to drive down to Olympia today to help. Darin's experience with putting his engine in and out was invaluable as he had some good tips as we were negotiating the tight fit into the engine bay.



I can't thank these guys enough :rolleyes:. We got the clutch line bled and the slave cylinder installed, then lowered the car over the engine, then hoisted the engine up into the bay. We had to do a little modification of the subframe as it was interfering on the parking brake pulley cover but managed to do it without having to take the engine out again. Anyway, here it is in place.



There is still a lot to do, but this was a milestone :D.
 
Car looks great.

But I am going to call foul on the rigging used to lift the car.

running the chain like that between the two bumper mounts. Are you aware you were pulling the two points together with over twice the force you were lifting with? And hooking in the middle of a link with the hook.

Now for the jellos part. You are doing some great!! work. looking great wish I was able to do that type of work.
 
"There is still a lot to do, but this was a milestone :D."

Indeed it was. Looks fantastic.
 
Yes, utterly beautiful despite the rigging! Spreader bar with tabs next time! Also props to Darwoodius and Roobus for coming to the barn raising. I'm 12 hours away but I'd have been tempted just to see all your work. I like how you color coordinated your hoist and car (it's the little things)!
 
Yes, utterly beautiful despite the rigging! Spreader bar with tabs next time! Also props to Darwoodius and Roobus for coming to the barn raising. I'm 12 hours away but I'd have been tempted just to see all your work. I like how you color coordinated your hoist and car (it's the little things)!
Oops! Thanks to you and Rod for pointing out the hoist issue. Fortunately, the back end of the car doesn't weigh much with no engine or suspension. We did use a spreader bar and hooked all the way around the chain when we hoisted the engine. I'm still learning to be a mechanic. :oops:
 
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Now that the engine is in, it was time to start connecting the car to it. This is where I find out what mistakes I made earlier.:oops: First off was the clutch. When we put the engine in, I knew that getting to the slave cylinder to bleed the line was almost impossible, so at least I was smart enough to bleed it before we put the engine up. What I didn't mention in the install post was that we couldn't pull any fluid through the bleed screw. I took the hose off of the slave cylinder and the banjo bolt was covered in what looked like mud! WTF!? So I took it apart and found that it was full of muddy water. I knew that the clutch worked fine when I bought the RSX so I never thought that the slave cylinder was not working. What I forgot, is that after the body shop pulled the engine, they pressure washed it to get a lot of the grime off of it. They must have not covered the connection to the slave cylinder and forced water into it. Fortunately, it cleaned up just fine and the bore was not rusted. I reassembled it, then it bled just fine.

There was still too much pedal travel, though, before the clutch release arm would start to move. Turns out that when I moved the pivot point of the clutch pedal per Matt's K20 installation guide, I didn't think about the distance from the pivot to the cup in the master cylinder was now longer. Ugh. I was worried I would have to pull the pedal box or master cylinder to get at it. I got on my back and crawled under the pedal box and was able to remove the push rod. I had an extension welded on to it and with trial and error got it to (hopefully) the ideal length.
Clutch push rod modify 01.JPG


I got it back in by removing the pedal height adjustment screw which allows the pedal to move up the most, and now had good normal range of pedal movement. I was happy for a few minutes, but as I was testing the pedal, I kept hearing a clicking sound about 3/4 of the way depressed. Now what? When I sent off my pedal box parts to Bernice to make the bushing, I did not have the master cylinders back yet from resleeving. When I was putting the master cylinders on, I had to disassemble it to get the brake master push rod on the brake pedal pivot stud. Turns out that when I put it back together, I put the large hook for the clutch spring on facing the wrong way and that was hitting the bushing as I pushed the pedal. Looking back at the pictures I took of it when I got it back from Bernice showed that of course, she had it the right way. Removing the clutch spring and reinstalling it with the pedal box in the car gets my vote for the most pain in the butt thing I have tried to do yet. Thank goodness I remembered a thread on the Forum about putting coins in the spring coils to stretch it out, otherwise there is no way I have enough strength to pull it onto the lug on the clutch pedal. Here it is back together and the clutch pedal movement feels good and quiet. I used to have a rubber boot over where the push rod goes into the master cylinder, but I gave up on trying to get that back on. Oh well. :( Enough is enough.
Clutch push rod modify 02.JPG

Clutch push rod modify 03.JPG
 
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Rodger,

If memory serves, I was able to bleed the clutch from inside the car but literally sitting in my driver seat, reaching my right arm and through the engine compartment hole with a small ratchet and hose that I ran back into the car and into a jar. Wasn't the most comfortable position, but it all but eliminated a second person. I used a replacement (for stock) slave for the k20a2 six speed.
 
on the last pic. ?? is there a jam nut missing for the return stop?

Love the quality other people do for the looks/cleaned/painted look. I have been a make it work type of person I need to learn/force myself to do better on that part of working on the car.
 
Stacking coins between the open spaces in the spring works. Made a tool to install the clutch spring.

There is no possible way for me to even begin to putting any where near the force required. Like a lot of things, the proper tool makes all the difference. And yes, this same tool was used to install this clutch spring.


Bernice
 
There should be a M12x1.5 (slight odd thread for M12) jam nut on the brake switch and the clutch stop. Could have been removed for now.

Details matter, this can be the difference between working for now or stays working for years and years and years.


Bernice




on the last pic. ?? is there a jam nut missing for the return stop?

Love the quality other people do for the looks/cleaned/painted look. I have been a make it work type of person I need to learn/force myself to do better on that part of working on the car.
 
Stacking coins between the open spaces in the spring works. Made a tool to install the clutch spring.

There is no possible way for me to even begin to putting any where near the force required. Like a lot of things, the proper tool makes all the difference. And yes, this same tool was used to install this clutch spring.


Bernice

Brilliant! And the clean shop, the nice background music - so different than my messy, dirty, heavy-metal setup :)
 
on the last pic. ?? is there a jam nut missing for the return stop?

Love the quality other people do for the looks/cleaned/painted look. I have been a make it work type of person I need to learn/force myself to do better on that part of working on the car.
Yes, there is a jam nut. I just took the picture before I put it on. You have sharp eyes.
 
Stacking coins between the open spaces in the spring works. Made a tool to install the clutch spring.

There is no possible way for me to even begin to putting any where near the force required. Like a lot of things, the proper tool makes all the difference. And yes, this same tool was used to install this clutch spring.

Bernice

Damn, you are clever. I wish you lived closer. I'd love to just hang out at your shop and learn.
 
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