Doesn't get any more JDM than this!

[junkyard racer]

Glad to see you are over here, Dave

[Mazdabater]

Hey man, since your over in japan you ever gonna swing buy panspeed/r magic/re amemiya? If you do what would be the chances of getting to buy some merchandise lol

[soldave]

Swing by? I might be in the same country but mainland Japan is still a 2hr flight away for me. Might be able to source a part or 2 though... new or used. What kind of thing are you looking for?

[soldave]

What do you think of these for on an FC? Could get the full set of 4 for about $150

[junkyard racer]

I think those wheels were on the car when Justin got it. I am almost certain he has a pic or two.

[soldave]

Got my wideband in today which was a bit of a mission but luckily had someone who knew exactly what they were doing, and knew how to do a good job (i.e. not ghetto-rig like I do with everything). I have to learn the "do it once, do it right" mentality. Wideband results: well I haven't looked at it much when driving yet as it's not fitted where I want on the dash, but at idle I'm at 10.9! That's like your standard Okinawa tune(!), or rather what happens when you get 12V to your fuel pump and not 9, and when you've bypassed the fuel resistor relay. Picking up an old skool 5-knob SAFC to do a bit of basic fuelling tuning to it in the next week or so.

So that's the good. On the bad side the cursed FC continues to throw up more issues than an emo teen. I found today my clutch is slipping when at WOT. No burning smell but it's undoubtedly slipping. Think I'll replace with a Centerforce Dual Friction clutch; they're well priced and I loved the same clutch when it was in my Evo. Am a big advocate of brand loyalty.

[mazdadude7]

I would love to have the spacers from your car if you deside to sell them. Let me know Thanks

[soldave]

PM sent

[soldave]

Well huge props today to ImaKethings and MJR for help with the clutch swap. Am confident that without them I'd still be looking up at the transmission, confused, wondering how the hell I'm even gonna start taking it out. Think even if I'd somehow managed to get the mission off, the 54mm flywheel nut that greeted me would have destroyed me. They helped me out (or rather did the work despite my best attempts to assist/hinder them) and now I'm well on the way to breaking this clutch in.

Also, the lightened flywheel saga was sorted out in the end. Almost 3mm was shaved off it in order to try and find an undamaged surface. But find one we did and now the flywheel is extra-light. Means I have to rev a little more on hill starts, but found out on the way home that without the silencer in my exhaust, hill starts now set off car alarms! Felt so much lighter though: stock flywheel weighs 22lbs and the Exedy lightened one that went in was 10.2lbs after machining including rear counterweight which is a hell of a lot of difference (a weight reduction of 53% in fact). There was a bit of concern whether the flywheel would be ok with that much taken off the surface, but we reckoned that with the power I was making it's not gonna be an issue. Put it this way: am not gonna be running a T88 in the very near future!

So it went in without any huge drama and even the notoriously hard to remove pilot bearing was pulled out relatively easily. Threw in an ACT Street/Strip clutch setup which has been recommended by a lot of FC guys (cheers to Skylinessuck for help in getting that). Over 300 torques was applied in putting the big ass flywheel bolt back on and everything lined up perfectly. One thing I did notice while under the car is that almost all of the bushings I could see down there needed replacing. Will have to work on that, especially the front end, as it's a bit of a bumpy ride when you get onto the country roads. Could be the front coilovers need overhauling/replacing but not sure yet. Will go on the "to do" list.

And also got a short shifter fitted to the car after a bit of fabrication work by MJR. Can now go through all the gears with basically a flick of the wrist. Because the flywheel's so light, it makes hill starts a little fun, but overall am very pleased. The clutch pedal actually feels lighter than stock for some reason. Still breaking it in so no boost yet but when I put my foot down I know I'm gonna have to watch the gauge for that boost creep as it's gonna come up even faster now.

ACT Street/Strip clutch disc & plate


Counterweight to compensate for the lightened flywheel

Extra crap

Off with the old flywheel...

...and on with the new (should read 2.852mm cut)


Old clutch disc had seen better days

13B exposed

New pilot bearing in & ready for action

Counterweight on

And ready for the clutch

Apparently I must have been asked to look as much of a tool as possible on the photos!

Final shot of my trying to pretend like I did the work myself!

[soldave]

Still having the issue that if I have the silencer out of the exhaust then it overboosts like crazy, and if the silencer is in the backpressure is so much that it loses boost at higher rpms quite a bit. So with that being said, the next 2 pieces in my big jigsaw are...





Yup, that's a 50mm wastegate and a T4 manifold for an FD. I do realise that I have an FC and not FD, and also that the turbo is not a T4 one, but with a bit of ingenuity from someone who knows what they're doing (obviously not me) then it's gonna work.

[Sharingan 19]

Pretty!

[soldave]

How do you think this thing would look on the FC (and yes, I would get it painted when I do the car). Can get it for about $100.

[Sharingan 19]

Lips on non-lowered cars; not sure about that one.
Think it would look better on mine, its already black and everythign... lol

[sen2two]

Thats a dope ass lip...

[soldave]

Only reason my car isn't lowered more is that it'd never get into my parking area under my apartment