Random Thoughts - Part III The Search for Spark (No Politics)

[Clipdat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Ah! Hahaha.... She'll never ride with you again.

This was my wife with my old car, and never drove it either. Not once.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

LOL FU

[Clipdat]

On Saturday I removed the Fujitsubo Authorize S axleback (so just the mufflers) from the WRX using these tiny 3" ramps or something ridiculous. While it was raining.

I could not for the life of me get the damn Fujitsubo mufflers off the hangers. First I just tried soapy water since this has worked for me in the past. Wrestled around with them like crazy. No dice. Then I even tried a water-based personal lubricant*. No Dice.

It wasn't until I went to SILICONE LUBE* that I was able to get the damn things off the hangers. All because of this big BULB* at the end of the hanger that was hard to get through. (*And no, working on cars is NOT sexual) So ridiculous. I ordered an exhaust hangar removal tool for the future.

So yeah laying on my back on the ground wrestling with this shit, contorting my body every which way. Had to have my wife partially hold the weight of the stock mufflers for me while I rotated them into place since you can't actually see the first hanger they need to go on and have to just do it by feel. Again, while it's raining.

Then as I'm bolting up these two 14mm bolts on each side I'm thinking to myself "I swear to god these are the LONGEST bolts I've ever seen" cranking on them while trying to hold my head off the wet ground, lol. Using just two plain 14mm wrenches so I have to take the wrench off after every turn, put it back on, turn, take it off again etc. My right palm is actually bruised from torqueing them gud-n-tight at the end. JFC. I also managed to straight up bonk my thick skull on the asphalt a few times.

Crazy fucking sore yesterday, and today. Like 7 different muscles. I'm not sure I've ever been this sore. I'm sore in muscles I didn't even know I had. This is insane.

Just turned 39. Officially too old for this shit apparently.

[Clipdat]

Meanwhile I'm sure Ultra could've completed this task in approximately 30 seconds by looking at the stock mufflers, stroking* his beard, then looking at the Fujitsubo mufflers, letting out a guttural noise* or two and then rubbing* his hands together. Job's done!

*I just told you working on cars is NOT sexual!!! Get your mind out of the gutter!

[Clipdat]

Oh and BTW I had to go buy a set of stock mufflers off Craigslist for $75 because I fucking threw away, I THREW AWAY the stock ones instead of keeping them. "Won't be ever needing these again. HAH!"

Yeah, fucking fail. I am so smart. I am so smart. S-M-R-T, I mean S-M-A-R-T!

All of this is so I can hopefully get a higher appraisal/valuation when I Carmax this thing later this month since they ding you for any exhaust, wheel & tire, or suspension mods.

Sure wish I could swap 18" stockers with someone for these gorgeous Enkei GTC02s that are currently on there.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

Nice. I was going to say, I don't recommend the Verus plates, the upper spring perch tends to hit on them and it chews up where the retainer for the spherical bearing sits.

I actually did more research on camber plates than coilovers lol. Which sounds silly until I point out that coilovers have so many nuances that I'd still be researching coilovers today, 3 months later, if I hadn't just said "fuckit, let's just go RCE and see where it gets me".

Anyway, it came down to vorshlag or raceseng because they have a dedicated ball bearing for steering angle.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

Crazy fucking sore yesterday, and today. Like 7 different muscles. I'm not sure I've ever been this sore. I'm sore in muscles I didn't even know I had. This is insane.

Just turned 39. Officially too old for this shit apparently.

Though you really do use muscles you are not used to using working on cars.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Spuds

I actually did more research on camber plates than coilovers lol. Which sounds silly until I point out that coilovers have so many nuances that I'd still be researching coilovers today, 3 months later, if I hadn't just said "fuckit, let's just go RCE and see where it gets me".

Anyway, it came down to vorshlag or raceseng because they have a dedicated ball bearing for steering angle.

I bought the Verus plates before and ran into this and asked them about it. Got rid of them. Then I bought my T2's used and they came with Verus plates, same issues. Will probably swap to something else later. I am worried it is going to beat the retaining ring out and pull the bearing while driving.

[Clipdat]

I had the Raceseng ones with my KW V3 on my old FR-S they were great, zero noise/issues.

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

On Saturday I removed the Fujitsubo Authorize S axleback (so just the mufflers) from the WRX using these tiny 3" ramps or something ridiculous. While it was raining.

I could not for the life of me get the damn Fujitsubo mufflers off the hangers. First I just tried soapy water since this has worked for me in the past. Wrestled around with them like crazy. No dice. Then I even tried a water-based personal lubricant*. No Dice.

It wasn't until I went to SILICONE LUBE* that I was able to get the damn things off the hangers. All because of this big BULB* at the end of the hanger that was hard to get through. (*And no, working on cars is NOT sexual) So ridiculous. I ordered an exhaust hangar removal tool for the future.

So yeah laying on my back on the ground wrestling with this shit, contorting my body every which way. Had to have my wife partially hold the weight of the stock mufflers for me while I rotated them into place since you can't actually see the first hanger they need to go on and have to just do it by feel. Again, while it's raining.

Then as I'm bolting up these two 14mm bolts on each side I'm thinking to myself "I swear to god these are the LONGEST bolts I've ever seen" cranking on them while trying to hold my head off the wet ground, lol. Using just two plain 14mm wrenches so I have to take the wrench off after every turn, put it back on, turn, take it off again etc. My right palm is actually bruised from torqueing them gud-n-tight at the end. JFC. I also managed to straight up bonk my thick skull on the asphalt a few times.

Crazy fucking sore yesterday, and today. Like 7 different muscles. I'm not sure I've ever been this sore. I'm sore in muscles I didn't even know I had. This is insane.

Just turned 39. Officially too old for this shit apparently.

Heck with the water based stuff. You did the smart thing by going full bore and using the silicone lube. Astro glide might be better Just keep it off your silicone toys. Now, what was the question again?

As far as improving clutch feel. There is a lot of bang for the buck by just removing the “helper” spring from the pedal mechanism.

Oh. If you’re sore now, just wait 20 or 30 years. You’ll find the definition of the word has changed.

[spike021]

Personally don't feel the need to do the clutch master cylinder or spring changes. This was my first stick shift car and I learned from scratch. It's my only frame of reference for how a clutch should feel, so I'm pretty satisfied with it.

The one thing I hate is how terrible the transmission feels when it's cold. And yeah I've got Motul 300 or whatever in there. But it's still super uncomfortable to drive and shift sometimes until I've driven a few miles and gotten to row through the gears a bit. That's basically my only complaint. Other than that I finally got a new pair of my favorite shoes for driving and I'm so used to these super cushiony running shoes now that my shifts are completely terrible in the new pair. Need to get more driving time in them to regain my feel.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by spike021

Personally don't feel the need to do the clutch master cylinder or spring changes. This was my first stick shift car and I learned from scratch. It's my only frame of reference for how a clutch should feel, so I'm pretty satisfied with it.

The one thing I hate is how terrible the transmission feels when it's cold. And yeah I've got Motul 300 or whatever in there. But it's still super uncomfortable to drive and shift sometimes until I've driven a few miles and gotten to row through the gears a bit. That's basically my only complaint. Other than that I finally got a new pair of my favorite shoes for driving and I'm so used to these super cushiony running shoes now that my shifts are completely terrible in the new pair. Need to get more driving time in them to regain my feel.

I am not a fan of the Motul. Redline MT-90 is much better feeling as is Penzoil Syncromesh. Plus you can get both at a regular auto parts store.

[spike021]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

I am not a fan of the Motul. Redline MT-90 is much better feeling as is Penzoil Syncromesh. Plus you can get both at a regular auto parts store.

Maybe when I do my next service I'll do one of those, even though it's too soon for the interval at this point .

I'm willing to try and see. Although it won't be as cold for much longer.

[cjd]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Just wait until my wife finds out what I did. She knows what I spent, just not how much she's going to hate the results.

Eh. I run T3, currently 8k/9k I think. Set them a bit softer for the street vs racing. Wife is fine - her rule is that if she can knit while I'm driving, the car is fine.


YMMV but...