1991 RC recovery mission - "Rebel Scum"

underscore

Well-known member
Not as many as I'd like, the machine shop should be done with the engine by the end of the month and the shop has managed to source an ORC throwout bearing. With any luck it'll be hitting the road by early spring of next year.
 

Akihero

New member
so with the jdm engine with low miles would u still change the head gasket and arp bolts and other gaskets? i picked up a front clip with 36k miles (converted from km) and i been debating on if i should or shouldn't replace parts. i am upgrading to a ct20b ats upgrade and 15psi so im not sure if i need to with such low miles was going to add water/methanol for safety

did you change the head gaskets and arp bolts ?
 

underscore

Well-known member
With how much work it is to pull these engines I'd do the external gaskets but leave the headgasket and studs alone. If you're planning on keeping the car then the extra cost is minimal, and then you know you're not relying on dried out, 20+ year old gaskets. I ended up deciding to rebuild the whole engine so it made it a moot point for me.

I'm not sure what the difference is with the ATS CT20B however I would recommend doing lots of research to be sure it's actually an upgrade as ATS has been known for some dodgy practices.
 

underscore

Well-known member
Things are slowly coming together.

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underscore

Well-known member
After nearly a year with no real updates, it finally runs. A few hiccups with a couple minor fluid leaks but it can run and move without my pushing it or making the vroom vroom noises myself. Hopefully it'll be buttoned up this week, then a bit of break in on the dyno and then it'll be tucked away til things warm up a bit more. It's US legal now as well, so once I tidy up a few things I may put it up for sale. The USD to CAD conversion is pretty beneficial for you ladies and gents right now.
 

athousandleaves

New member
I have a feeling you'll likely reconsider selling it once you have it all dialed in and running right again. These cars really are a good bit of fun when you do it right. :smokes:
 

underscore

Well-known member
The number I have in my head is quite high, so it wouldn't surprise me if it doesn't sell, but if somebody wants one that has this amount of work done and is willing to pay for it then I'll let it go. I've seen what an unrestored/bone stock RC with higher k than mine sold for in the US recently so who knows.
 

underscore

Well-known member
After far too much work and far too much money, the car is (mechanically) done. There's a few cosmetic and electrical things I want to clean up but for now it's ready for the new motor to be broken in. For the first time since long before I bought it, there are no leaks of any kind. It'll be trailered home soon and I'll have to decide between letting it wait for warmer weather or putting the snow tires on and driving it now.

On a side note I heard of yet another one of these being destroyed because of morons who don't have any interest in what they are, so the selling price in my head just went up some more. I can't really afford to keep the car but I'll be damned if I let it go to some knob who will just destroy it.
 

underscore

Well-known member
Well, it's home from the shop. In the next few weeks I'm hoping to get enough free time to wrap up a couple things and then break in the motor.
 

pintoBC_3sgte

New member
Lol finally! Auto x for the ogopogo is tentatively at the college lot this year in Kelowna (hope it gets approved soon). Hope you make it out this year!
 

underscore

Well-known member
Hopefully! That's only a few blocks from my house so I should be able to get it there and back without breaking anything :rofl:
 

underscore

Well-known member
Well it's home and plated, I took it out for a spin and it's got a few issues that need to be corrected before I can actually drive it. I also realized quite quickly that I've changed a lot in the 2.5 years since I drove it last and I'm already thinking of changes I'll want to make if I keep it :bangshead:
 

underscore

Well-known member
A few things need fixing, I'll be modifying the exhaust and possibly changing the suspension back to something more stock.
 

underscore

Well-known member
Well I finally got it home, once I got some time I tossed the plates back on it and was excited to take it out and start breaking in the motor but then... instant CEL and code for the knock sensor circuit. Since the RHD steering rack makes it even less accessible than the LHD one I had to pull the chassis brace, crossmember and exhaust off, just to be able to cram my hand up there enough to blindly unplug it. I muddled with the stock wiring a bit before realizing it was too damaged to use so instead of mucking with that I removed the plug and wiring from the spare non-turbo wiring harness I have and plugged that into the sensor and ECU and it *sort of* worked. Sort of meaning that while things were cool, it worked fine. But as soon as everything was up to temp, it would intermittently lose connection and throw a code, putting the car into limp mode until it was switched off and back on again.

That's a bit of an undignified way to get around, so I got some brand new shielded wire, disassembled the knock sensor plug and reassembled it with the new wire crimped into the old pin. I tried to do the same with an ECU pin but they're even more tightly crimped so I cheated and soldered it to a pin and a piece of wiring salvaged from the spare harness. Initial testing in my driveway threw no codes, today I'm hoping to take it for a drive and see if this has finally fixed the problem.

I also found a replacement black door, so I'll be able to get that taken care of as soon as I can pick it up.
 

pintoBC_3sgte

New member
Hope you get it all worked out quickly! You've been at this build for quite a while, shitty to run into all these little hiccups when it's so close to driving
 
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