Another update.
Car hasn't moved since the last post, but has been chucked on axle stands.
While it was up there, I took the chance to remove the turbo to make space for some braided oil lines to replace the PITA hard lines, and put a Berk dump pipe I recently acquired on the turbo, since my second dump pipe has started to crack.
Upon pulling the turbo out, I discovered that it had about 4-5mm of shaft play (twice what it had upon getting the car home), and when I got it on the floor, a good amount of oil poured out of the compressor housing.
I know these engines breathe a bit of oil, but not that much considering the last 100 or so k's had been limping around.
Oil seals were clearly blown, and I'm lucky I pulled it out when I did, who knows when it might've let go and sent bits of compressor wheel through my intake?
I've got another turbo on order. A rebuilt steel-wheeled, hi-flowed CT26.
I considered going for an aftermarket turbo, like a disco potato, but don't fancy having to put adapter plates and customs dump pipes on the list of stuff to get.
Wasn't planning on putting crazy boost into this engine anyway, so a 26 will do nicely.
Also got some Gen 1 caster arms to replace the Tein ones I had in there originally.
I initially thought the Tein caster arms were no good, since I was only getting 1.5 degrees of caster out of them. But upon putting the OEM ones in, I managed 2 degrees, max.
I know for a fact that these arms offer up to 5.5 degrees, since I had the same ones in my old car, which is making me think that there may be something wrong with my suspension somewhere.
Visually, it looks fine, I can't pick any faults, but I've been wrong before.
Anyone got any ideas?
I've pulled the arms themselves out, leaving the brackets bolted in place, and will be taking the arms to work, and making replicas out of the high tensile threaded rod we use for truck U-bolts.
This way I can ensure the LCA's are moving far enough forward to get the caster I'm actually after.
And last thing on the list, I pulled the steering rack out again, and will be taking the advice of you guys and getting this one rebuilt. But I'll be removing the P/S pump, reservoir and lines, and pumping the rebuilt rack with grease.
Hopefully by the time I'm ready to get the rack rebuilt, I'll be able to get my hands on a Spyder pinion to give this QR SW rack a shot. If it works, we'll know it's a relatively easy way to improve lock-to-lock on SW racks!
I also think I'll be removing the aircon from the car as an added weight reduction.
on the way home from buying, we hit a rabbit, and it looks like it was a biggun!
it broke the front bar along the bottom, and bent the condenser right in the middle.
I never used my aircon anyway.
Unfortunately, these developments have left me unable to make it to MTC16 (sorry guys), but you can bet I'l be there in 2017 to give it a thrashing!
Let me know if you guys have any ideas or suggestions!
Cheers!