S15DET wrote:Are you using the Racelogic TC system? I've been thinking about this, so it's good to hear a positive review.
Yes, it is a racelogic system.
Hey Brandon, I didnt hear anything from you but, I did hear a few OOOHHH....OOOHHH's from your dad heading out for lunch. This is a fun little car for sure!
The A/C is charged up and working....still haven't finished the control panel though. I also installed the horn and wired it. I need to clean up the contacts on the steering wheel, it doesnt work at some steering angles til you wiggle it a bit. I'm going to start on the center console tomorrow.....
Today I made a rough draft of the center console out of wood but I think I'll redo it next week. I need to get some kind of support for my right arm while cruising. However, the last few days have been a lot of fun. The car is so much fun that I have to make myself stop driving and work on it. There is one thing that I can't figure out. The engine vibrates at 2150 - 2250RPM. In any gear, accel, decel, even in neutral. When I rev the engine I can see that the turbo turns into a blur at that RPM. Theres also a vibration at a little over 3000RPM's but it seems a little different than the one around 2200. My brother and I were throwing around ideas and kinda came up with two: Exhaust has some sort of harmony to it at that RPM or the harmonic balancer is bad, after all I'm pretty sure the engine came from a crashed car. Does this sound like something anyone on here has dealt with before? I did a bunch of searches and came up with nothing. The new injectors should be here monday and I dont want to add another 150HP to it while it has this vibration.
While I'm posting, I thought I'd do a little review of the suspension system. Everyone that has ridden in it has commented on the ride quality. I bought the coilover kit from Ground Control and got them to ship Tokiko Illumina 5 way adjustable shocks for the front and their standard Koni's for the rear. The spring rates, I cant seem to remember but, I think the fronts are 180#'s and the rears are 200#.????? (I'll check tomorrow) Camber plates up top, 280ZX struts and lower A-arm modded with a piviot ball end for the inner joint, and a modified 510 T/C rod. The rear is pretty much stock with the addition of Byron510's camber plates. All shocks are in the full soft position and I gotta tell you, the ride is amazing. Its firm but VERY comfortable, even with 4 people on board. When I'm by myself I can hardly feel any body roll (no anti roll bars). At normal speeds going over little bumps in the road feels completely normal. No loud noises and such. (keep in mind that ther is NO sound damping material in the car at all) I can hear lots of road noises coming from the floor and fender wells but overall it is a very nice riding performance car. What this tells me is that with a few rolls of dynamat and some carpet, this will be a nice riding/driving car comparable to some modern sports cars.
I'm taking it to a little car show tomorrow, we'll see what kind of attention it gets......
I have a few vibrations that I believe are coming from a slight interference between the lower corner of the block and the steering rack, and I believe that the side of the transmission is touching the tunnel sometimes as well. I have what seems to be ample clearance, but under load with everything moving who knows. When I have time I'll be back under looking for rubbing spots. But nothing that is an engine vibration as you described. Do you have a flex section in your exhaust piping? I have one in the downpipe.
Is the TC as great as I think? Do you have the launch control function?
Vibration sources are many and varied. If you haven't experience with the car prior to the swap you could be looking at things like bad u-joints in the half shafts. You could have driveshaft-phasing issues with the shortened piece and relocated output shaft position in the longer trans. Wheels out of balance, driveshaft out of balance...or something that's just loose Driveshaft bolts at the diff have come loose before, moreso if they're all-threaded replacements and not the OE style.
The SR harmonic balancer isn't much more than a rubber section between the crankshaft and belt pulleys. If there's something wrong with it you'd likely see it upon rotating it on the engine.
Does the vibration occur only while moving? Or while free-reving?
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
S15DET wrote:I have a few vibrations that I believe are coming from a slight interference between the lower corner of the block and the steering rack, and I believe that the side of the transmission is touching the tunnel sometimes as well. I have what seems to be ample clearance, but under load with everything moving who knows. When I have time I'll be back under looking for rubbing spots. But nothing that is an engine vibration as you described. Do you have a flex section in your exhaust piping? I have one in the downpipe.
Is the TC as great as I think? Do you have the launch control function?
Yes, I think it is. And yes, I do have the launch control as well as the shift option (keep your right foot to the floor while shifting). Oh yeah, yes I do have a flex section it is at the bottom of the down pipe
Last edited by batfastard on 25 Oct 2009 11:49, edited 1 time in total.
okayfine wrote:Vibration sources are many and varied. If you haven't experience with the car prior to the swap you could be looking at things like bad u-joints in the half shafts. You could have driveshaft-phasing issues with the shortened piece and relocated output shaft position in the longer trans. Wheels out of balance, driveshaft out of balance...or something that's just loose Driveshaft bolts at the diff have come loose before, moreso if they're all-threaded replacements and not the OE style.
The SR harmonic balancer isn't much more than a rubber section between the crankshaft and belt pulleys. If there's something wrong with it you'd likely see it upon rotating it on the engine.
Does the vibration occur only while moving? Or while free-reving?
batfastard wrote:The vibration is there while free-reving.
Duke had something similar with his KA install. Turned out (I believe) to be detonation. I know he talked about it in his project thread. Maybe worth a quick read.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
I never really had a vibration, but more of a sound. I do know what you mean with the RPM related vibrations though, I have one at 2500rpm that buzzes like crazy! I know what it is though (2.5" exhaust through stock x-member hole) and I hope to remedy it soon.
In regards to the "harmonic balancer" being bad, from what I have read it is not a harmonic balancer at all, but just a rubber shock to absorb the impact of the AC compressor coming on.
The car looks great though, you have done some very nice touches to modernize it which I really like. Keep up the good work!
I have to second Jamie on the ride quality. I was blown away by how nice it rides. I have the Ermish coilovers and although I am unsure what spring rate, Jamie's car rides much nicer than mine. Given my car is dropped about an inch or so lower. Mine isn't bad by any means but his setup resembles the ride characteristics of say a stock BMW M3. Firm but not harsh at all. Mine is only harsh over potholes or when hitting a hard bump (my car bottoms out easier being so low)
I hope to come out again this week and check out the progress.
I did get to dyno my BMW last time while there picking up my dad's Z and the E34 put down 200 RWHP!!!! Kick ass since the stock motor was rated at 190 at the fly
Increased .3L, M3 cams and added variable valve timing.
Thanks again Jamie!!!!BTW, when is the website going to be up for Two balls racing and little dick performance???
O.K., got the vibration issue tackled today. It was a VERY stiff hanger in the exhaust right at the rear Xmember. Removed it and all is well.....well, sort of. Now that the exhaust isn't making any noises I can really hear the diff making quite a bit of racket. I'll order a shim kit tomorrow and set up for a diff rebuild/shim session. More to come....
Driveshaft bolts at the diff have come loose before, moreso if they're all-threaded replacements and not the OE style.
