S14 Trackslag, Rust Repairs, Cage, Brembo's, ABS and Aircon Delete

[Jim_Auto]

Big Thanks to the ever helpful Dan at DB-Power!

I was struggling to get hold of some suitable bolts to hold the Brembos on to the s14 hubs. I was missing some of the original bolts, and those form the standard s14 calipers are different pitch threads. An internet search didnt turn up anything either, but one phone call to Dan and i should be sorted. Finally i can bolt some shiny brakes on!

Dan also supplied my new brake lines, in a rather fetching shade of blue and sorted me with discs front and rear.

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[Jim_Auto]

Ive spent most of today making up copper brake lines. Only done the front so far. Ill leave the back until the cage and inside of the car is fitted. This is because the rear line will be running inside the car along the transmission tunnel, where i will also have my brake bias adjuster, and i dont want to smack the line when wrestling the cage around!

Space is tight near the master cylinder, so it was a bit of a fiddle doing the t-piece and lines. I made the lines off the car then offered them up afterwards. The t piece is bolted to the inner arch low down.





The line to the front n/s follows the path of the original line and is secured using the original brackets, and a p clip. Its a right ball ache trying to get the line straight in places and nice smooth curves in others. I made this line on the car, starting from the master cylinder and working my way across. When i got to the wheel arch bracket i had to cut the line and form the union end, which made me grateful for the hand flaring tool my uncle gave me.

[Jim_Auto]

Last time i bled the brakes on this car, my mate pointed out how much the bulkhead was moving. Not as bad as on my Omega, but pretty bad. So i took a look on Egay for brake stoppers. They were all quite expensive, and since swapping master cylinders, i had no idea if an s14 one would fit any more. So i decided to make one...

...about an hour later TA DA!

Its ugly but works really well. I had a bit of luck with the nut thats welded to the studding. I cant remember what its from, but the washer is actually attached to the nut, but is able to spin. Its perfect, as when i screw the nut up against the master cylinder it doesn't grind away at the ally cylinder casting. The studding screws into 3 nuts all welded together. The plate bolts in to three captive threads on the inner arch which Nissan so kindly supplied!

Ill give it a coat of Hammerite Silver so it looks a bit neater.

[Jim_Auto]

Bolts arrived from DB-Power, so i fitted the front brakes.

First i had to clean up the hub faces.





Then i fitted it all. Im disappointed by the quality of the EBC discs. If i spin the disc i can see that the machined front and rear faces of the disc are not parallel to the central vented section. All the discs ive had before that were like this have warped. Fingers crossed they will be ok.

Wheels still fit!

[irishwhale]

Inspirational work dude! keep it up

[Mario]

I love this thread.

Awesome work dude

[M.D.]

i hope those are not alloy wheel nuts, it would be a shame to waste all your hard work.

brakes look real nice by the way. hopefully they work as well as they look ha

[Jim_Auto]

i hope those are not alloy wheel nuts, it would be a shame to waste all your hard work.

brakes look real nice by the way. hopefully they work as well as they look ha

Dont worry they are Steel. But they from are from Apex and seem quite soft, so id like to swap them for something else.

[M.D.]

ah thats cool, i had some like that before and i know what you mean about being a little soft, i rounded one off and had to chisel the thing off so just got some standard 19mm socket style nuts from ebay which worked a treat and still do. just dont look as good but im not that botherd, wheel nuts are a function over form thing in my books.

[Jim_Auto]

Yeah im looking out for a better set, but need them to be centre drive, as there isnt much room to get a normal socket in.

Ive seen these which say they are indestructible, but id really like some that are six side internal drive and high strength steel.

http://www.driftworks.com/shop/wheel...-packages.html

[Jim_Auto]

Ive made use of the windy weather. Ive had the car outside and been using petrol to remove the final dregs of the sound deadening. Not a fun job, and even outside with the wind blowing the fumes away i ended up with a headache.



Time to play with the cage again. This an Apex bolt in cage that i got cheap. The guy i collected it from fits weld-in cages for a living. He warned me that it was a pain in the arse just to get this cage out, let alone getting it in. Ive had it in before, but its still a ball ache and doesnt fit very well. Ive been using a bottle jack and massive lump of timber to spread the main hoop legs apart. This is so that the floor plates fit in the correct place. The foot plates on the hoop are sculpted to fit where the flat floor sweeps up to meet the sill.

The other problem is the drivers side rear leg. It is bolted to the top of the main hoop, and is supposed to sit on the rear inner arch. But with the holes at the top of the hoop bracket drilled as they are, it ends up sitting around 30 degrees rotated the wrong way compared to the other rear leg. Whick looks really stupid, and then the bracket which bolts to the horizontal harness bar doesnt align up properly. So some very tiresome filing began.

Once it was all in and assembled, i started on the floor plates. Im following what it says in the MSA blue book of rules for bolt in cages. The load spreader plates have to be 120cm2 for the main hoop and front legs and 3mm thick steel, and the rear legs 60cm2 3mm steel. Im also using m10 bolts everywhere but i can use m8 for the feet if i want. Im going to tack in the main plates, then if i can get the cage out easily, ill weld some reinforcing plates up the sides of the sills.

Work begins!

[burch1988]

wow thats some restoration ,are the coilovers apex as i have a set not yet fitted just wondering the the ride

[Jim_Auto]

Yeah they are apex gen 1 (earlier type) think they are 6/8 springs

[ezza]

Top work mate

what welder are you using out of interest?

[Jim_Auto]

Thanks

Its a Clarke 160 TM Turbo, with argon mix cylinder. And 1 bottle lasts for ages and ages. I get it supplied and refilled by Adams gas .

http://www.adamsgas.co.uk/stat_ind_p...px?ctrl=oxygen

[ezza]

Thats the same welder i was actually thinking of getting, you have just confirmed that for me then lol, i was trying to find out on the MIG forum where to get bottles near me, il try Adams.

I'v just started prep for my rear overs, i think il need to get a welder to finish up though

[Jim_Auto]

Its was recommended to me by people on a welding forum.

I just saw your thread about prepping the rear over fenders, and how much metal to cut off. Ive not cut as much off as other people have, but im not going silly big on wheels.

[ezza]

Yeah im pretty sure i saw this build thread on the same welding forum, i was recomended the same welder.

Is this your first experience with a welder?

Im going for pretty big wheels, i think im going to cut quite alot more off then

edit: also what guage metal have you been using so far for patches etc?

[Jim_Auto]

Ive used welders before, much more expensive ones, but to be honest as a novice ive noticed no difference. The only thing is the handgun is smaller which is great as its much easier to get into small places!

Ive been welding in the cage plates this morning, and finally ran out of gas. Its getting refilled on thursday for £84 which will probably last me a couple more years!

[Jim_Auto]

Metal gauge i think is 1 or 1.2 mm. The floor pan on the nissan is around 2mm, but i replaced such a tiny area i just used 1.2 again and seam welded it.