The Frankenprotege rallycar worklog

[jay]

Got the lower front mount made. Right now, we have the engine no farther forward than 1/2" from stock, and about 3/4" high. The trans just clears the steering rack. Unlike everyone else, this lower xmember needs very little modding. Fair's fair. We had to take sooo much more off the xfer case to get it to clear the block then everyone else, it's about time we caught a break. We took a small section out and replaced it with a piece o' square tube, nothing interferes and the skid plate will install the same as before. Once the other mounts are made, next up is borrow a set of st185 shafts and see do they work any better. Cuz you can see how bad the articulation is in that last pic. We either need to drop the drivetrain so far down that the skidplate needs reworking, thus lowering ground clearance on a rallycar (real bad idea, that), or we figure out how to get rid of some suspenion travel. Limit straps like the desert trucks give none of us the warm-n-fuzzies. No room in the fenderwell like them other fellers. These shocks only travel down about an inch farther than stock, but the shafts come out about an in higher than stock, so, here's hoping the shorter shafts make everything all better somehow.
Then it's figure out how to install turbo and rad and fans and plumbing in even less space than we had before...

[CaymenEGT91]

I dont see how that Oil return bung will be anywhere NEAR functional.... It needs to be above the oil level.

[SgtRauksauff]

What is the pertinent info for the RX7 ball joints? I only found out about them yesterday and I'm definitely bottoming out one of my CVs.

Here's a link it's in...

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35403

basically, some of the 2nd gen RX7 (86-88) had an aluminum ball joint, that was about a half-inch wider than what the escort/protege one is. However, the diameter of the pin on the ball joint is also 2mm bigger. some of the later BG's had this diameter, aka all 3rd-gen escorts, and late-93 and '94 proteges.

I'm pretty sure the 4WD protege is stuck with the smaller hole, so would need to be re-cut for the larger pin, but I don't know if the GTR uses the larger size or not. But for the FWD BG, like yours, It's easy as pie!!

Jay, I'm lovin' the progress! May The Force Be With You!

--sarge

[jay]

I dont see how that Oil return bung will be anywhere NEAR functional.... It needs to be above the oil level.

Well, of all the things I need to worry about keeping this project from running, this ain't one of em. That bung is actually just a tad bit higher than the one on the oilpan this car came to me with, and is within an RCH of the same location as the factory bung on my street car. It's pretmuch right at the top of the sump. It prolly just looks low cuz of camera angle or something.

[therieldeal]

the "boss" in the center of this photo is the location of the stock BPT/B6T oil return. i too question the location of that return jay... seems very low

[jay]

Awright guys. So this bung is about an inch or so lower than stock. I was reminded why it was located there on the last oilpan, has to do with lack of space and IC plumbing and such. But it doesn't matter one tiny bit. I could run the turbo drain hose to the sump drain plug and not worry about it. The crankcase has no pressure in it, whereas the turbo drain hose *does*. Flow is only going one way when the engine's running, y'all. Meanwhile, the lower rear trans mount is done, the xmember and lower strut brace are in, and hopefully I'll be able to pick up a pair of older shorter halfshafts on my up there tomorrow, found a guy willing to lend em to me, see if that solves the halfshaft problem.

[CaymenEGT91]

I dont see there being much if any pressure on the oil return, sure its pressurized feed, but after going thru the tiny oil restrictor, the oil return is basically a gravity effect. Hence why its recommended to have your oil return hose be as straight as possible.

[jay]

There's gonna be some pressure drop but still enough to make it a one way street. It's more of a straight drop to this bung with this turbo than it would be to the stock location, even if we did have room there!

[ftjandra]

As long as the bottom of the turbo is higher than the oil level in the pan, I don't see a problem. In Jay's case, the bottom of the oil return line would simply be filled with some oil. As one drop goes in, one get's pushed out, always equalizing to the oil level in the pan.

--Ferdi

[PorkChop]

Jay, all I can say is WOW. this is an incredible task you've taken on! I can't imagine the time and money invested in a project like this, and that all-trac transmission is massive! Almost tempting to snag the driveline from my uncle's partscar st165 incase one day i get ambitious. Although I don't think a street/rally-x BP05 powered 4wd would need such extensive upgrades.

Keep up the great work! we're all rooting for ya.

[jay]

It just better F-ing well better be worth it, it better not break, and if I wad it up into a little ball first rally out, boy oh boy am I gonna be PISSED


so I'll prolly drive like grandmaw


O'course grandmaw usta run 'shine


Naw I'm just makin that up

but I know I don't know how to slow down on rallystage

Better not crash dammit

[808]

If all I gotta say is you better be back on stage before me. I need some more coeffecients before I can run PGT in RA so if you need a silly seat let me know. I was hoping to run Wild West but it looks like its gonna be RA again.

Ps if you wad it up, I have a hot little gtx that would love a gt4 trans. ;-)

[ajax]

Here's what you need Jay:

[SgtRauksauff]

is that a female splined socket for the axle to go into, or is that just a really clean inner CV joint without the boot/cage/balls/etc... ?

--sarge

[jay]

Stop it, you're making me

You did catch the pricetag I found awhile back on what an xtrac system for your evo9 costs, right? what was it, somewhere round




120k