Operation Risotto - K20 Swap X1/9 Project

Week 7, 138 Hours Total

Spent some time today organizing small parts.
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Removed the doors. The hinge screws were super tight, and luckily I was able to get them all out without stripping any using an impact screwdriver. I started with a dead blow hammer, but had to switch to the 3lb. lump hammer.
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Pulled the door brakes.
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The motorcycle jack came in handy for this job too :p
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Pulled a bunch of small trim trim off.. Getting close to fully stripped.
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Those door hinge screws can be a nightmare to remove. They are often so corroded in place drilling them out is the only option.
Overall, this exxe body is in pretty good condition.

Bernice
 
I had mixed success with an electric impact tool with the screw head. On 1 door (6 bolts) I had to drill out 1.

However I was lucky, while drilling out, the remaining part of the bolt warmed up and spun out.

I have a task coming up where I need to remove both doors, so fingers crossed for anyone who has to do this. WD40 or equivalent plus heat plus impact tool all help

I replaced with the hex head screws I got from eurosport. Time will tell if they come out cleanly or not but they have to be better than the stock bolts
 
Alex(Tenerife) said:
I had mixed success with an electric impact tool with the screw head. On 1 door (6 bolts) I had to drill out 1.

However I was lucky, while drilling out, the remaining part of the bolt warmed up and spun out.

I have a task coming up where I need to remove both doors, so fingers crossed for anyone who has to do this. WD40 or equivalent plus heat plus impact tool all help

I replaced with the hex head screws I got from eurosport. Time will tell if they come out cleanly or not but they have to be better than the stock bolts
Click to expand...
WD-40 is "Water Displacement - 40th try" it is NOT a penetrating oil. It was originally formulated/designed as a corrosion preventative for missile parts.

"WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, 40th formula. That’s the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed the product.

The first company to use WD-40 Multi-Use Product commercially was Convair, an aerospace contractor, to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion. The product worked so well that several employees snuck cans of WD-40 Multi-Use Product out of the plant in their lunchboxes to use at home."
wd40company.com

History

The company that was founded on a blue and yellow can with a little red top
wd40company.com wd40company.com

If penetrating oil is needed, apply/use a product specifically designed as penetrating oil to loosen corrosion, not WD-40.


Bernice
 
Started cutting out rust areas.

Nothing outrageous, but a few places certainly in need of patches.

The right rear wheelwell is the only one with rust. Not sure what the deal is. I'm thinking maybe the antenna gasket leaked?
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Cut out the lower area on the outside first...
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There's a tiny hole below where I cut. I'll probably just drill it out slightly bigger and fill it in.

The rust on the wheelwell was isolated to the outer skin inside the well. I cut out the lip (both front and back) and I'll patch it.
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The right door sill was one of the worst places on the car.
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The upper section was only rusty on the outer skin. The inner looks great. I cut a small section first, then opened it up further. The diagonal line is where I cut into the inner layer slightly on the first cut. I also cut the lower section out:
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Interesting that there's zero rust on the backside of the lower piece I cut out..
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Finally, I got into the front right fender and there are two holes.
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More to come.
 
I've had a bit of a side project going on as I take breaks from the "real" work. These things need to be done sooner or later, so it certainly isn't an unwarranted distraction.

I decided to try my hand at dashboard repair. When I took the dash pad out, it was in pretty rough shape.
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Much of the vinyl around the cracks was super brittle.
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The first step was cleaning the dash pad with IPA.
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Once clean, all the brittle plastic must be removed. In this case, it was quite a bit. Using a Dremel, I cut away the foam into a V-Groove. You can see there are still large pieces of Vinyl chipping out.
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Also consider; the foam around the cracks is raised up. It has to be cut back far enough so the dash pad has no raised areas. You can see the gap here before and after.
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Between cutting back the brittle skin and/or high spots, the final cuts ended up looking like this.
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Even after all this, I had to go back and open up another two cracks that formed when cutting.

The next step is filler. I bought a plastic welding kit and some PolyVance FIberFlex plastic filler rods.

The plastic forms a sold base for the repair. I may have overdone it a little, as I had a few high spots. They sanded down relatively easily with 80 grit on an oscillating sander.
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Once filled, spray the surrounding area with adhesion/cleaning spray. I had an older can of SEM 38343 Vinyl Prep & Cleaner.

Next step is the PolyVance Padded Dash Filler 2050-9. This is like a flexible Bondo.
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In about 15 minutes it's ready to sand. I had to apply a few layers to fill the smaller areas left after sanding. Working around the vent was tough since there were areas that were non-existent in the opening.
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After getting the dash in decent order, I sprayed it with SEM 42013 High Build Primer.
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Once I sand the primer, I'll need to fill a few more smaller spots. It's about 90% complete now.

I ordered some SEM 39853 Texture Coating but it got lost in the mail. :rolleyes: It's supposed to emulate the texturing on a dash. It won't match the original texture, but I plan to isolate it to the top surface only, so hopefully it won't be terribly noticeable.

Once I get another can of texture, I'll update the thread with the final result.

It certainly will look better than what I started with. Hopefully it lasts a while.
 
Did a little test fitting of the coolant parts I've accumulated. I need to get the routing straight in my head so I can make the necessary modifications, and maybe find some hoses that will fit.

The upper intake adapter and the upper coolant housing should have all the fittings I need. The K20Z3 has a totally different upper coolant housing than the more commonly swapped K20A2. I think in this case, the housing routes the coolant in a way that might be easier to manage than the K20A2. The thermostat housing will need a new hole drilled and threaded.


On the Upper Coolant Housing at the rear of the head:
  • The 1-1/2" fitting will route to the passenger side underbody coolant radiator pipe.
  • The 3/4" fitting pointing downward at an angle will route to the heater core.
  • There is a very small hole drilled into the housing. I will find a fitting that connect to the upper expansion tank port.
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On the Coolant Manifold Adapter next to the Intake Manifold:
  • The 3/4" fitting pointing toward the front of the engine is meant for the bypass hose. As I mentioned in a previous post, it fits perfectly.
  • There is a small threaded hole drilled into the face. This could also be used as the upper expansion tank connection if there is an issue with the one on the upper coolant housing.
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On the Thermostat Housing at the lower front of the block:
  • The 3/4" upper fitting closest to the block connects the bypass hose to the Intake Coolant Adapter.
  • The other 3/4" upper fitting connects to the lower expansion tank fitting.
  • A new 3/8" NPT hole will need to be drilled and tapped on the bottom. A 3/4" fitting will be installed to route to the heater pipe.
  • All other holes will be plugged.
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I installed the intake and cut a piece of hose to see if the elbow would fit under the Intake, and it looks like there will be plenty of room.
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The previous owner purchased a fuel rail with a gauge and regulator. I installed the injectors and the rail to see how it fit. I don't see any way to install the gauge on the rail without an elbow. Not a big deal, but you would think they would include one.
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I added the injector connectors in the wiring harness and it looks like I need to shorten wires 3 & 4.
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All in all, I'm pleased with the cooling parts I chose. It looks like the plumbing will be much simpler than some of the earlier K20 swaps using external thermostats.
 
Don’t really have anything to offer here, except props for a sweet build and thanks for taking the time to post.
Can only imagine what the thing will be like to drive..

Love that you’re logging hours as well.

Keep thinking of that great quote:
“One man’s rice is another man’s sustenance”!
:D
 
Good on the cooling set up..

Question is, are those steel coolant pipes from the power train compartment to front cooler (radiator) ok?


Bernice
 
NYTransplant said:
That's a very good question. I'm not sure how you can tell. Pressure test? Borescope?
Click to expand...
Pressure test...

IMO, replace the pipes with stainless steel pipes from Brown & Miller racing.. essential cooling system item that can wreck havoc when least expected.. Keep in mind the oem steel pipes are decades young.
no idea how much longer B&M will be making them per order.
Not a "catalog" item, by inquiry only.

BMRS Home

Brown & Miller Racing Solutions - Professional Race Hose & Fittings. We offer PTFE Hose, Smooth Bore PTFE Hose, AC Crimped Fittings, Custom Fittings, AR Reuseable Fittings, Smooth Bore Crimped Fittings, Smooth Bore SBR Reuseable Fittings, Rigid Tube, Tube Bending, Quick Disconnects, Adaptors...
bmrs.net


Bernice
 
I was very happy with the B&M coolant pipes. However, I would not have replaced them, had I not damaged mine. There was nothing wrong with them internally or externally prior to my off-roading.. I would say use a light and perhaps a camera and look in each end. The condition of them really does depend on how the cooling system was maintained, not the car overall.
 
B&M is not far from me just on the other side of Charlotte. Maybe 45 minutes.

I'm hesitant to pull the old pipes out without testing them. Mainly because of the removal and reinstallation of the cover. First off, I know it's a big job. Second, it's structural. The underside of the car is super solid and I don't want to disturb it if I don't have to. If anything is going to be the deciding factor, it's the fact that the pipes have been sitting without hoses on them for a few years. Lots of oxygen exposure.

What's the opinion of a pipe inside the originals? I've seen a couple posts on that. Is the flow restricted enough to affect cooling efficiency?
 
NYTransplant said:
B&M is not far from me just on the other side of Charlotte. Maybe 45 minutes.

I'm hesitant to pull the old pipes out without testing them. Mainly because of the removal and reinstallation of the cover. First off, I know it's a big job. Second, it's structural. The underside of the car is super solid and I don't want to disturb it if I don't have to. If anything is going to be the deciding factor, it's the fact that the pipes have been sitting without hoses on them for a few years. Lots of oxygen exposure.

What's the opinion of a pipe inside the originals? I've seen a couple posts on that. Is the flow restricted enough to affect cooling efficiency?
Click to expand...
It doesnn't have to be a big job if you are prepared to cut the new pipes just enough so that they can be slid in.
 
lookforjoe said:
how the cooling system was maintained, not the car overall
Click to expand...
Second this, my car got new coolant in the early 90s, was in storage for over 25 years, bar the journey from the Netherlands to France in the early 00s then in storage until 2022. There was a bit of rust on the outside ends, and different size of what looked like blocks of salt, I assume from reactions with differen metals, but the interal condition of the pipes was spotless after 10 cm or so (and a good flush). Probably because they were full of coolant all that time.
 
NYTransplant said:
Are you saying the old pipes will slide out and new ones will slide in if I cut the angles off the tail ends? I assumed they were welded in and I'd have to cut the entire cover off to replace them.
Click to expand...
Coolant pipes are held in place inside the housing with clamps, they will not simply "slide out". There are nee 100 odd spot welds holding the housing to the bottom of the exxe. All of them needs to be removed to gain access to the coolant pipes.

If you're not too far from B&M racing, it might be possible for them to make the coolant pipes in to sections (bend first then cut for splice) with a splice (T-bolt clamps & silicon hose). This way the pipes can slide into the pipes on the body once the ends have been cut off. This would negate the need for taking apart the coolant pipe housing. Memory notes the seamless SST used by B&M racing is smaller diameter than the oem pipes.

exxe coolant pipes, mod.jpeg



Pressure test the coolant pipes, snake camera if possible (plumber's aid) if they are in good condition leave the alone. Their condition depends strictly on how well the cooling system has been cared for. If the cooling system has had coolant changed with the proper coolant, the pipes should be good.

Not a "fun" project,
Bernice
 
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