3400/325 e30...project GMW!

[patgizz]

awesome work, but i personally would not have done the balancer. i'd be leary of how well the rubber ring took being in the oven.

i do hate you though because i found a datsun 1600 on CL cheap and was almost talked out of going to look until i looked through your thread remembered i could do a RWD 3500 with a 5 speed pretty cheap.

[Barry]

Got a few more questions....

Your using a fwd flywheel with the t-5? I have a v6 camaro t5 and my fwd flywheel does not have enough offset to keep the fork in a decent spot. The camaro flywheel is offset like 1.5 inches more. I have not checked if I could use my FWD spec flywheel on the camaro flywheel yet. Are you going to use a pilot bearing? I may, but you having a ford input shaft may make that tougher.

What wil you use for a thermostat housing? Do we have any RWD options or should I just modify my fwd neck? Not being able to weld aluminum kinda sucks.

[Superdave]

Marc (TCE) makes a very nice thermostat neck, not sure if WOT sells it but it works very well.

[MidnightriderZ24]

been pretty busy lately, get the powertrain assembled, clutch all figured out and in. engine is put back in finally.. im not worried about the balancer, 350 degrees for 10 minutes to cure the powder will not hurt, ive seen it on lots of balancers. I started tackling some preliminary harness routing in, and decided to tuck the wiring harness. decided to sell my hx40 to a good buddy and go to the holset hx52, which is what i wanted to go with ultimately. rebuilt the turbo, sandblasted the housings and eventually will be powercoated. Another swap going on is rx7 brake upgrade. I got some power-slot rotors for a corrado (had a buddy machine the hubs), picked up caliper brackets, and reman calipers along with hp pads.

[MidnightriderZ24]

the bellhousings we have i believe have a different bellhousing depth, so i dont have to have the thick flywheel. i used a 95 s10 2.2 flywheel. 95 s10 2.2 bellhousing (borgwarner trans) and ford WC t5. pressure plate is from a s10, disc is for mustang, s10 clutch fork, ford t5 throwout bearing, with a 95 2.2 s10 slave cylinder. as for the pilot bearing i got from www.britishcarconversions.com.

[Barry]

Ahhh. So S10 bellhousing is superior for this project. Damn.

Oh well live and learn. Ill deal with my heavy ass camaro flywheel.

[CNCguy]

Barry, The RWD flywheel is larger diameter and will not work with the FWD starter. The 2.2L or 60V6 FWD flywheel is what you need. You need to run a pilot bushing. T5's only have a single front bearing and as soon as it gets some wear, the input shaft starts to sag causing the clutch disk to drag while the clutch is disengaged.

Paul... great project. Did you cut some from the end of the input shaft? I don't know about earlier Ford T5's but the newer Ford Motorsports T5's needs around 1/4" removed to fit the newer 60V6 engines. For whatever reason GM didn't drill the crank hole as deep on LX9 and newer engines.

[Barry]

Barry, The RWD flywheel is larger diameter and will not work with the FWD starter. The 2.2L or 60V6 FWD flywheel is what you need. You need to run a pilot bushing. T5's only have a single front bearing and as soon as it gets some wear, the input shaft starts to sag causing the clutch disk to drag while the clutch is disengaged.

Paul... great project. Did you cut some from the end of the input shaft? I don't know about earlier Ford T5's but the newer Ford Motorsports T5's needs around 1/4" removed to fit the newer 60V6 engines. For whatever reason GM didn't drill the crank hole as deep on LX9 and newer engines.

Ouch. That is a day ruiner....

Im really going to have to find a s10 bellhousing, or maybe move my starter. I dont even know if my trans will bolt to a s10 t5? There ford pattern?

Fack

[CNCguy]

Barry.... you have a few options. You can make an extension for the clutch fork pivot ball to get the geometry right. Another option would be to use a S10 2.8L bellhousing and modify it for the starter. Finally, if you are using a hydraulic clutch, you could use a hydraulic throwout bearing. My preference would be option #2 as it moves the slave cylinder up next to the transmission and away from the starter for more clearance while still being serviceable.

[MidnightriderZ24]

Barry, The RWD flywheel is larger diameter and will not work with the FWD starter. The 2.2L or 60V6 FWD flywheel is what you need. You need to run a pilot bushing. T5's only have a single front bearing and as soon as it gets some wear, the input shaft starts to sag causing the clutch disk to drag while the clutch is disengaged.

Paul... great project. Did you cut some from the end of the input shaft? I don't know about earlier Ford T5's but the newer Ford Motorsports T5's needs around 1/4" removed to fit the newer 60V6 engines. For whatever reason GM didn't drill the crank hole as deep on LX9 and newer engines.

its a 3400/3500 hybrid. the trans slipped in all the way no problem, the pilot bearing i got from BCC was perfect fit.

[Barry]

I dont want to clutter this thread so ill keep it short, but heres some measurements I took on flywheels.



Left is a fwd beretta/cavalier v6 flywheel, and a spec stage 3 clutch. On the right is a 88 camaro 3.1 flywheel with stock replacement LuK clutch.

From crankshaft to clutch fingers is 1.250~ inches deeper on the camaro.

SO, make a spacer for the fork? Sounds pretty easy.... but theres 2 issues. With a spacer that deep, the bearing wont ride on the input shaft tube anymore and will be on the splines. Secondly, the clutch disk will be 3/4 on the splines, and 1/4 on the pilot bearing area. The pilot bearing stub goes into the crank about 3/8"

Heres my plan:
Machine bellhousing face to motor 1/4", and bellhousing face to trans another 1/4". That buys me a half inch, and gets the disk fully on the splines. Likely I will have to cut a little off the input shaft stub. Then a 3/4" spacer for the fork to get the bearing out to where it needs to be. If its not fully on the tube when clutch is open, then ill extend that tube.
I am using toyota supra huydraulics so that will all be custom anyway.

CNC guy and midnight thanks for your help. Glad I found this problem now before I dropped it back in and went to turn the key and wrecked my starter gear into a flywheel thats way to big.

[MidnightriderZ24]

some new things going, got the top end of the engine assembled, new custom cometic headgaskets, german engineering coilovers fitted, strut housings sandblasted and powder coated installed, brakes all clearanced (still need a spacer and wheel stud converision). i was really doubting if the wheels would even clear the rx7 brakes, but they do. i really wanted to set the car on the ground just to see how it sat, and its perfect for me, wheels are 205/55/15, coilovers almost all the way down, and it looks good. more stuff coming!!!

[ForcedFirebird]

Those are tall springs. If that's almost all the way down, then maybe 6" and 400/600 spring rates?

Good choice on the Bilsteins.

Are you leaving the rear brakes? You will have a front braking bias.

EDIT: Just skimmed the site, they are 450/650 ROFL, it's funny when you deal with these cars how predictable they are.

[MidnightriderZ24]

Those are tall springs. If that's almost all the way down, then maybe 6" and 400/600 spring rates?

Good choice on the Bilsteins.

Are you leaving the rear brakes? You will have a front braking bias.

EDIT: Just skimmed the site, they are 450/650 ROFL, it's funny when you deal with these cars how predictable they are.

yeah theyre a little tall, but i plan on runnin 16-17'' esm 002's, should fill the gap. the bilsteins were new, but never used. i will most likely go with a shorter shock and section the strut housing, thats along way from now though. brakes im going to figure out for the rear, most likely a slotted rotor with hawk hps pads. i really just wanted to see how it looked on the ground.

[ForcedFirebird]

yeah theyre a little tall, but i plan on runnin 16-17'' esm 002's, should fill the gap. the bilsteins were new, but never used. i will most likely go with a shorter shock and section the strut housing, thats along way from now though. brakes im going to figure out for the rear, most likely a slotted rotor with hawk hps pads. i really just wanted to see how it looked on the ground.

17's look like Donk on an e30.

16" look OK if you have 0 offset.

I have run the sports at 3" drop and they work great, but the HD's bottom out. When you shorten the housing, you will still need to put tubing for spacers on the bottom of the damper tube, or they will bounce around inside.

I like the way you are going with the coil set-up, GC overcharges.