[MechaniX_034]

I'm gonna need to get my dash sorted by Tuesday next week so we can set up the MOTEC's advanced options under control, and so that we can toggle them on and off easily. I want to keep the stock look of the dash while adding only the necessary control elements, so here's one of the ideas:

I'm thinking about using black suede for the areas surrounding the CF inserts[I've already made the moulds off of the templates] but I'm still a bit lost as to how I should be laying the controls out.:hmmm:

 

[fixati0n]

That's pretty nice.

 

[Freak7882]

Can't really think of any way of doing it better. Just a suggestion, if possible I would move the lights down a tad and to the right a little, moving the hazard button down and left to almost center the two together over the boost/battery kill switch section. Otherwise... I'm jealous.

 

[MechaniX_034]

I tried it today, with little foam balls to substitute the lights. My left hand blocks them, I'd have loved to have the warn lights centralized with the hazard button though, guess its gonna have to live with being lopsided. Anyhoo, here's what its propablt gonna look like after its done:

Forgot about the audio IN jack for the little spakers hiding in the doors[541 grams each, but they pack a punch]

 

[foxbat1978]

kewl!!!!

i like the turbo boost mode

 

[MechaniX_034]

Well, finally had a moment to start the dash. I sat in the car and tried to reach the most important stuff, and plenty of it was out of comfortable range, so I decided to put the most important stuff closer to the driver.

The toggle controls are closest, with the boost mode switch the furthest on since that will only change if things get wet and there's little traction left to be had. I reckon that I'll have a momentary switch for the IC sprayer in the open spot to the right of the battery killswitch eventually. The hole where the clock was is where the warning lights will be.

[Edited by MechaniX_034 on Feb 9, 2006 2:36 AM]

 

[Gimp]

Three things about the battery kill switch:

1. If you have relocated the battery, then the switch has to be at the back of the car if you want to go drag racing.

2. Be sure to wire up the switch to the alternator as well if you want to be able to shut down the car. Just wiring it to the battery will allow the car to continue to run.

3. I wouldn't want my battery cable up in the dash where it could chafe and short.

Everything else looks good to me.

 

[MechaniX_034]

Thanks so much for the input bro, much appreciated!

1. If you have relocated the battery, then the switch has to be at the back of the car if you want to go drag racing.

-The battery has been relocated, but what I'm doing is circuit racing. I event of an emergency, the marshals and/or emergency crew need to be able to shut the whole system off before extracting or trying to extract the driver. Hence why it's so close to me. Also, in the event of fire, it allows me to shut the car down immediately[extinguisher trigger will be behind the steering wheel, propably on a DIY paddle switch if I can afford it]

2. Be sure to wire up the switch to the alternator as well if you want to be able to shut down the car. Just wiring it to the battery will allow the car to continue to run.

-Thanks for that! My wiring is seriously half-past six when it comes to more advanced circuits. I'm gonna need to talk with our tuner who is an engineer. I'm pretty lucky you brought this part up; we'll need to knock this out.

3. I wouldn't want my battery cable up in the dash where it could chafe and short.

-I have made up Aramid sleeves for the cables, and the wires to the stereo system have been removed. The wire running into the cabin is also fully sleeved and is then insulated to about 1" away from the switch, and fastened to the member that is behind the dash.

Taks for the saftey check bro, I;d reckon you might have saved my life here!

8D

 

[MechaniX_034]

Alrighty, dash is finished and installed. All it needs now is for Paul to hook it up to the MOTECs advanced functions. I'd also gone and fused everything just in case; there's a nice big one to the killswitch as well.

Came out alright for a couple of days work.:lol:

 

[wilburisthecoolest]

That looks all uber profenssional and nice. Like a factory option. Really, thats just baddass.:

 

[da_moose]

Wow that looks great nice job. Just to comment on the kill switch, you may want to consider installing one on the outside of the car for the marshals to use instead of having to reach into the car. My father had one on the rally car in addition to the internal one. Of course this isn't necessary but maybe something to consider.

 

[MechaniX_034]

Definitely somthing to consider, thanks for bringing it up! I have some FRP guards coming and the left side one is close to where the batt. lines are; might be able to do somthing with those.:evil:

 

[Gimp]

Looks really good.

Like they said, there is no reason you couldn't keep the battery kill on the dash, and just wire another one in at the back of the car. Then you get both and are even more safe.

What other mods have you done for racing? I autocross my car fairly competitively, but I have my sneaking suspicions that the X3 would never live for more than a few laps on a real road course.

 

[MechaniX_034]

Uhmm, other mods? Uh oh.

Heres what I built:

-Custom turbo manifold
-Custom IC piping
-Custom DP, 15deg. lobster tails[we ran out of donuts on the day]
-Custom intake pipe
-Custom airbox[not too bad for a 15-min jobby]
-3000cc surge tank
-Battery relo kit
-SerckSpeed oil cooler kit
-Custom screamer pipe
-Custom dualcore radiator, our own tanks[another TIG weld victim, went through about 11 filler rods putting the thing together]
-Custom seat rails and brackets, CAMS safety compliant

Here's what we bought:

-HKS GT3037S turbo, 56T/0.87AR
-Trust Type-C Wastegate
-JUN intake plenium
-80mm TB [TIG welded the bastard on]
-HKS 272deg. cams
-HKS verniers
-SARD 800cc injectors
-HKS fuel rail
-HKS Drag IC from a GTR Custom mounted
-Motec M800 ECU, 3-Bar MAP sensor and boost solenoid
-Exedy twinplate
-Eagle rods
-Venolia pistons
-Mitsu original bearing kit
-Ralliart leads for the ignition
-A dozen or so Speedflow fittings and about 11 meters worth of braided lines all up

Here's the handling mods:

-Full bushing kit
-Corner weighting and ripped off someones Targa Tassie alignment settings for tarmac

-TEIN HA coilovers
-Cusco stabalizer bar kit front and rear
-Cusco Underbody brace kit, type 1+2
-Cusco F/R strut tower bars
-Potenza S03's for road use, Falken Azenis for track duty
-DBA 5000 series rotors, Pagid pads
-Braided brake lines
-Dot 5 fluid
-Cusco Type RZ rear diff and an AYC delete
-Ralliart cylinder stopper
-Ralliart engine mount bushing kit

Looks:

-Ganador mirrors
-CF wing insert

Interior:

-Gutted.
-Sparco Pro2000 passenger side
-Cobra driver's seat
-Willans harnesses[not in yet]
-OMP wheel
-Ralliart knob
-Razo pedal set[from my old car]

Coming soon:

-Cusco cage and a few extra bars here and there
-Carbon bonnet + trunk, GT wing and pins on both ends
-A new front splitter and a diffuser which I'll need to template and build off of the bar with an integrated canard kit
-Brembo 6-pot caliper kit up front

The casualties:

-27 stainless steel filler rods
-19 aluminium filler rods
-2 100x100 sheets of aluminium
-1 mild steel offcut sheet in a really wierd shape
-About 4 meters of 3" SS pipe, 9 90deg bends and 3 45deg bends[incl. offcuts]
-2 medium sized tanks of argon
-9 TIG tips
-2 TIG gun shrouds
-1/2 a meter of silicone hose
- About a half tank of Argoshield to feed the MIG
-9 slabs of Vic Bitter
-2 slabs of ciggys
-a pint and a bit of blood when things went wrong.


I'd reckon the X3 would make it bro; the trick would be to keep the engine and clutch alive and to choose the right class to run in so that the car doesn't get pushed beynd what it can do. Propably a rebuild with forgies, some cooling system upgrades as well as a better clutch, PU bushings, sway bars, the right alignment and a brake job, thats about all you need to have a good tie on the road course. :

[Edited by MechaniX_034 on Feb 11, 2006 3:29 PM]

 

[Gimp]

That is some impressive work to the car. I'd love to see more pictures.

I'm finishing up the turbo on the X3 this week. The biggest reason I think it wouldn't make it around a road course has to do with the amount of oil that it pushes out of the pcv track. I have to empty my catch can after every autocross run, and that's only 60 seconds. Several minutes around a track could drop the oil level dangerously low. I'm working on ways to fix this, but I haven't had much luck yet.

Again, beautiful job.

 

[MechaniX_034]

Well, here's the rest of the car:

Dude, where is the PCV valve located, is it at the back of the head or at the side of the head? Also, is the check valve working properly? Back at work, I've seen X3's with plenty of oil in their pleniums and the cause has been the PCV valve failing. If it's at the back of the head, it might be oil surge.

 

[Gimp]

That car is way to clean to be a race car...

As far as the PCV is concerned - it's located on the back of the valve cover. I replaced the stock Accent cover with the turbo Scoupe cover, but no change. It seems that as the car gets worked hard through the turns, oil works it's way past the baffle in the cover and to the PCV valve. The valve is designed to let things out, not in, so that's why the oil travels out.

Right now, my PCV runs to a catch can where the oil pulled out of the head is dumped. There is also a small catch can on the crankcase vent, as it's function (pull fresh air into the crankcase) reverses under heavy load and will pull oil out of the head. Once you get off throttle, the vent returns to normal and siphons the oil back into the cover.

My thought at this point is to connect the drain from the larger catch can (on the PCV) to the oil return line from my turbo, with a one way valve in line. That way, oil pulled from the PCV could use gravity and work its way back to the crankcase.

Maybe then I'll be confident enough to run a couple laps. LOL

[Edited by Gimp on Feb 12, 2006 10:00 PM]

 

[MechaniX_034]

[body] That car is way to clean to be a race car...[/body]

Paint markers are your friend, dab the stone chips and minor scratches out and then buff over them with soft cutting compound. Use Meguiar's spray-on show-prep thingy and things look alright for about 3-4 days.:evil:

What about trying to remove the cover and then installing a secondary baffle plate behind it? :hmmm: Takes a bit of welding though.

[Edited by MechaniX_034 on Feb 12, 2006 11:48 PM]

 

[Gimp]

I thought about it, but the stock valve cover is plastic. I've been thinking about picking up another cover and using it as a template to make a sheet metal valve cover, but that could be way too much effort for an X3.

 

[MechaniX_034]

Hmm, well it's not too much work really. Could work it out between a machine shop[flange] and an almuninium welder if you do all the cutting work up front. Shouldn't be too bad.