Home again, garden grove
She's back home! Engine mounts are in, transmission is rebuilt, carbon synchros and Whiteline bushings and ACT clutches oh my.
The difference with these mounts is
incredible. Each detonation of the engine comes through the pedals, the seat, and the steering wheel. The car feels more eager, it
wants to rev out, though of course I won't let it until the clutch has some more mileage. It's stiffer and louder, but it's by no means unmanageable. And it's worth it for the shifter feel -- no slop, it's now fully bolt-action precise.
The clutch, the ACT HDSS, is grippy without being unmanageable. It's the absolute lightest flywheel I would want in this car -- maybe more torque would make their Prolite flywheel manageable, but as it is the Streetlite is right on the edge of Too Light. Unfortunately, there isn't a ton of feel through the clutch pedal. Pedal effort is similar to stock, but it's a completely numb experience. I'm seeing an MTEC clutch spring in my future.
As for the synchros, I drove it home from the shop on a warm day -- it'll be a while before it gets cold enough out here to be sure they're really helping. The shifting action did feel more mechanical than stock, and no gear even threatened to grind, but that may also just be the result of short shifting on a gorgeous day.
Next up, she goes in to a different shop for oil, diff fluid, brake fluid, pads and rotors, and getting the TPMS activated on the new wheels. I'll follow up with my thoughts on the Carbotech 1521 pads on Centric plain rotors. How am I gonna bed them in when I can't rev the engine out? We'll burn that bridge when we get to it.