more EJ conversion questions

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:26 pm

Ok, so my adapter plate turned up yesterday, and now I'm trying to get the engine (EJ18 ) in. The adapter plate is bolted up to the engine, gearbox is in the car, clutch is aligned, spigot bearing is right where it should be, but it won't all go together. Did my back in last night trying to wriggle the engine that last cm or so onto the box. Anyone got an easy way of making the gearbox input shaft slide into the clutch? Or anything else to check?

And while I'm here, I've noticed that I managed to cut all the earthing points off the wiring harness. Can I just splice into some black wires (and black red, black blue etc) and screw em to the body, or am i doomed:eek:?

Dane.

Post by **Alex** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:37 pm

haha...lining the input shaft into the clutch is ALWAYS a bitch. Keep trying. Otherwise, youll have to loosen the pressure plate bolts thru the starter motor hole, this will make it easier to line up.

There should be 8 or so bolts to loosen. Loosen one, turn the motor over via the crank pulley with a big socket, loosen the next and so on. It should make it way easier to line up. JUST DONT FORGET TO TIGHTEN THEM UP AGAIN! We did this with mine and were very lucky to get away with it.

alex

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:41 pm

Thanks Alex, I'll give that a go.

Dane.

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:43 pm

sounds like u need to rotate the input shaft itself.

my bet is it will pop on if u do that

edit - and by that i mean knock the box into gear (any) then rotate both the front CV stubs oneway

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:31 pm

Yeah try Alex's suggestion. Even with a clutch alignment tool you never get it bang on. This way you are pretty much using the gearbox itself as the alignment tool.

Earthing points, if you've cut them off just solder any old wire back on and bolt them to the body, sounds like it shouldn't be an issue...

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:54 pm

clutch plates dont need to be aligned 'bang on' perfect.

i have never used an alignment tool or left pressure plate bolts loose

ive done enough on so many cars now to know that....

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:55 pm

no but the closer you get the better, aligning with the gearbox itself you can't go wrong.

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:06 am

Thanks fellas.

Matatak - tried your way, couldn't get it to work.

Loosened the pressure plate, kept trying to muscle it into place, then cracked the shits and sat down. Dad had a go, got it in in 30 seconds

. Then I found three of the holes in the whizz-bang precision laser cut adapter plate didn't line up, so I cracked the shits again. Pulled the engine out and got stuck into the gearbox with a file, and by about 1am had it all in and bolted up:-D. Pics to follow.

Next question - are pod filters legal? I've heard of people getting defected for them, but I've also heard that the inspectors don't mind as long as they're mounted securely.

Dane.

D3V1L · Post by **D3V1L** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:00 am

yes they are legal as long as they are securred with a bracket

dave

Post by **Alex** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:15 am

good to hear you got it Dane. Pics!!

Alex

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:17 am

You're also technically supposed to have a permit for POD filters but yeh, if it's secured properly a cop won't give you too much grief over it.

Funny, another guy here who bought one of those adapter plates also had to file the crap out of his gearbox holes, maybe you should post up in the product review section :P

SubaRute · Post by **SubaRute** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:52 pm

mounted securely and a protector plate,schroud (this can be bought from auto barn) basically protects the engine bay from fire,if there was a slight chance of any blow back through pod.

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 2:48 am

SubaRute wrote:mounted securely and a protector plate,schroud (this can be bought from auto barn) basically protects the engine bay from fire,if there was a slight chance of any blow back through pod.

Ah, now it makes sense. I had never really understood why pods were meant to be shrouded.

AndrewT wrote:You're also technically supposed to have a permit for POD filters but yeh, if it's secured properly a cop won't give you too much grief over it.

Well in that case, does anyone have a standard airbox lying around that they'd like to sell? I got a pod with the engine, but would like to have it all neat and stock looking when i take it over this pits.

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:46 pm

another question:

The ignitor thingo I have is attached to a fairly large bracket (pic: http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n373 ... 008001.jpg). As far as i can tell, the bracket isn't doing anything for electrical or vibration isolation, so is it needed? Does it need to be oriented in a particular way? Seems a silly question, but I can't see why such a big mounting bracket would be used if the part can be bolted straight to the body.

BTW, here's my car as it stands:

Just need to suss out where to mount the fuel pump (and probably endless electrical issues), and she should be a goer.

Dane.

stamp_licker · Post by **stamp_licker** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 8:56 am

Mines screwed straight onto the body in about the same location as yours,no bracket used.

Post by **Alex** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:56 am

nice wheels! ahaha...looks like a mini wanky wagon.

howd the 27's fit?

alex

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:32 pm

Thanks postie. Turns out the screws that hold the ignitor onto that bracket are seized, and I don't want to fight them, so it's staying.

Alex, as long as the car remains parked in the shed not running, the 27s fit beautifully.

Today's update: finished putting everything together, tried to start it, but no spark. I'll probably have more questions tomorrow.

Dane.

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 12:52 am

Last week I conceded defeat on the wiring front and dragged the car off to the local efi shop. He got it firing without too much trouble (said it was missing an ign +ve to the coil), but apparently it's intermittently losing fuel pressure.

At the mo i've got the carby fuel tank and low pressure pump feeding a VN V8 external pump mounted under the car in a similar position to the original pump, but on the passenger side. The plan was to add a surge tank sometime after the car gets over the pits, but now it looks like I'm going to have to do that straight away.

So where have people installed surge tanks in these cars? Or should I just shell out the money for an MPFI fuel tank? I saw Venom had a surge tank and pump in one of the cavities under the boot floor beside the tool box, but I have some reservations about introducing high pressure rubber fuel lines to the cabin. Thoughts?

Dane.

shuffbag · Post by **shuffbag** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:59 am

check your local suby wrecker, i thought i would need surge tanks blah blah blah...... about $50 later i had a efi tank up under my car

Subafury · Post by **Subafury** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:46 pm

a couple have put surge tanks in their spare wheel well. although alex still has a carby tank and has been fine for years with just a bosch 040- VL turbs pump.

looking good tho