https://oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/discover/oldschool.co.nz - All ActivityenNot to mention my seats randomly decided to stop working so this lady had to sit like a thugSat, 08 Aug 2026 23:00:24 +0000Fan support off back of radiator looks complex - Would it be easier to place oil cooler in front of rad then run a flat sheetmetal plate spaced 10mm off the back of the rad? Also might be worth considering a oil cooler thermostat (if doesn't have already). Engine heat goes out through the oil OR water coolers (will take path of less resistance right).. if oil runs cold, less heat goes into water etc. Cold oil saps a lot of HP. I think on Kris' dyno it was roughly ~2-3kw difference between 70deg and 80deg oil. Mine runs a bit cold (not above 80deg) even on track. Ideally, I need to put in a hotter thermostat so the oil sits at 90-110deg where it's supposed to be working. RE ITB's - if you're 3D printing a manifold anyway, personally, I'd stick with the BMW 1000R throttles. A few mm offset isn't going to change flow dynamics. And they are a known quantity. Dave can chip in here and steer away from making throttle linkages and fuckery involved with 'off the shelf' ITBs. Unless you're buying top-end, purpose-made stuff, I think a factory solution is always better.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 22:53:08 +0000More house furniture, the projector/stereo table. This one came up primo, although I am going to have to stop designing shit with two layers of 25mm ply cos that fucker weighs something like 100kgSat, 08 Aug 2026 22:27:55 +0000I'm 100% sure there's a 90° adaptor. "ENGINE POWER" On YouTube did a 318 build recently. Their motor had a 90° adaptor. Being 'murca/but still RHD, does yours have the remote gubbins? On my 318, and dad's SBM Stroker dad adapted a custom remote set up to route the filter to a much nicer spot.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 21:43:29 +0000Found this out yesterday haha, managed to find it and get it out but did spill a wee bit of oil. Any idea if spin on adapters are available locally? Might need to do some research but that area is pretty shit to get any filter out of I reckonSat, 08 Aug 2026 21:24:37 +000013l/100kms is pretty blardy good. Imagine how it will be with a 5 speed fitted 😎Sat, 08 Aug 2026 21:02:14 +0000The oil filter boss on the block is defo at the back on the right side rear. Some mopars have a right angle adaptor. And many of the locally produced cars used a remote set up due to the steering box being right where the filter needs to be. (These were horrific, and made it next to impossible to remove the filter without spilling oil all over the motor)Sat, 08 Aug 2026 20:56:21 +0000I sat my restricted in a 1987 toyota crown wagon with gaurd mirrors and the Instructor got mad because he "couldn't see my head moving to look in my mirrors"Sat, 08 Aug 2026 20:46:18 +0000@cletus I heard that refitting cheviot turbos increases ride qualitySat, 08 Aug 2026 20:42:19 +0000Zach Forgot to mention he sat and passed his restricted license in a slammed commodore, thats an achievement! Was hilarious driving in for test not even coming up to the wing mirrors on a Mitsubishi outlander...... and been able to see the intersections under other cars. Car presents very well now.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 20:18:48 +0000Good stuff man. If you come across that issue in the future on another project, there are a couple of options. First and most drastic is to cut and reflare the end of the pipe so it has the right endshape. 2nd and my prefered option, is to put a screw slightly bigger than the hole size into the cone, and pull it out. Clean up the burrs from the screw, then tap it gently into the new cylinder. We see this sort of parts issues at least once a year at work. Suppliers have no idea etc and generally just say 'that is all thats listed for it'. Congrats on starting the run in too!Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:27:50 +0000Had to go to tauranga and it was meant to rain, so vg got a turn instead of motorcycling Did some fuel usage calculations, 13.4l/100 Which i thought was ok as the return trip involved a fair bit of enthusiastic motoring I've been thinking about stuff I can do to this to make it a better driver, I'd had ideas about selling something to get a better car for driving longer distances but then thought why not just make this better So I'm thinking Better seats in the front Some sort of overdrive box, possibly a manual A heater, ( or heated seats ) Possibly a rack with a quicker steering ratio Sway bar upgrades New discs , I think I can rockauto some drilled and slotted onesSat, 08 Aug 2026 13:19:48 +0000I suspected there was something off about one of my new brake cylinders, so I investigated further. I noticed when I assembled the rebuilt brakes with the new wheel cylinders that the crossover pipe fitting in the right-hand cylinder just didn't seem right. It leaked from that fitting from the word go, but I thought after I cranked it up hard that it was ok. The WOF inspector noted some dampness around the fitting. I had hoped it was just residual; it wasn't. My recovery has had its ups and downs, but last weekend I managed to get a quick drive in the Alto after checking the brake pipes. I wondered if the two pipes had been swapped around, but no, they were around the right way. After undoing the pipes and reseating them, I cleaned everything off and went for a drive. Just as an aside, yes, I am a grown-up, but I couldn't help myself and fitted a Take-Off Pusshun R SS blow-off valve for the mad choo choo noises. I enjoy it. I got back from the drive and stuck my phone under the back of the car to check the brake wasn't leaking Well damn, it's hard to deny that. I guess the longer, harder drive did it no favours... oh, and me fiddling with it before the drive probably didn't help #preventativemaintenance So there was something wrong with the brake cylinder on the car. I planned to use the cylinder rebuild kits I had ordered from Japan, and rebuild the original cylinder that I removed from the car. I damaged one of the pistons when I removed it, trying to see if I could unseize the cylinder, so I needed to get at least one piston from the cylinder from the other side of the car. These are the two from the RH cylinder, with the broken piston. Very rusty. The trick for the other cylinder was to use a punch to hammer in one piston to get it moving, flip the cylinder over and then use the punch to hammer the piston in until it hits the piston you just moved and pushes it out. Reverse it and carefully hammer the remaining piston out from the inside of the cylinder (careful not to touch the bore). I cut the old, hard seals off the pistons After a quick buzz with the wire wheel, they were looking pretty flash The bore of the cylinder was... not great. Thankfully they're an alloy cylinder, so it's mostly just surface grot I used some scotch pad with a folded ziptie inside it for light pressure, lubed with CRC, to polish the bore It cleaned up pretty well What followed was self-inflicted suffering. In hindsight, I wouldn't presume that the part I removed from the car was correct for the car. I noticed that the seals were a tight fit over the pistons, so I soaked them in some hot water to soften them, and with the piston in the vice, I managed to wrap the seal over the end and into the groove After wasting a bunch of time and ruining two new seals when pushing the pistons into the bore, I began to question what I was doing wrong. It turns out, nothing. It was never going to work. The seal kit was for an 11/16" (17.46mm) bore. It turns out the cylinders are a smaller 5/8" (15.8mm) bore. The new cylinders I fitted were also 11/16" bore. Unusually, the bore size isn't cast anywhere on the old cylinders. Mystery cylinder on the right I checked the workshop manual, because why would both cylinders be smaller than the seal kit I was sold for this car, and the two new cylinders that I cross-referenced off the OE number? Well, that's that then; it's meant to have 17.46mm (11/16") cylinders. The non-turbo has bigger 19mm cylinders, so where on earth did the 15.8mm cylinders come from? No idea, but they're wrong. So, I was suddenly stuck. The cylinder on the car was bad, the cylinders from the car were bad (and I've since found they would suffer the same issue with the pipe as the new ones), and new genuine cylinders were obsolete. Cool. That's when I remembered I had checked a while back and knew the wheel cylinders on the car at Pick A Part that I got the rear trailing arms from had the same part number as my car (should have). The old girl is useful again. I quickly threw some tools into the tool bag, roped my wife into coming with me, and we set off to grab a wheel cylinder. To say this was an epic fight was an understatement. The drums are a similar design to what's on my Alto, with the bearings part of the drum. I knew it wouldn't be fun; even my car took a few good hits with the slide hammer to get the drum off, but someone had previously removed the trailing arms of the PAP car (oops), so the axle was no longer solidly in place. It also didn't help that the shoes were rusted to the drum on both sides, so they didn't turn, and the wheel nuts I bought with me were M10 from my car, not the M12 I needed for this later car. We had to scrounge a pair of random wheel nuts from the mud around the car, which were the wrong thread pitch, and rattlegun them on. In the end, after bruising my hands using the slide hammer repeatedly, bashing the drum with a rear shock from the car, and much swearing, the drum finally, gradually, slid off. Within a few seconds, I had the (already disconnected) cylinder out and in my hands. Ideally, I would've liked a pair of them, but I was drained after fighting with that side. So off home we went. Anyway, so with the cylinder home, I noticed there was brake fluid in the boots. Great. At least I have a rebuild kit, right. On the plus side, both pistons moved freely and smoothly. Nice original NABCO 11/16" cylinder I slid the pistons out, and there was some grot in the bore of this one too I gave it a quick polish, and it all came off easily One piston looked a bit worse for wear I looked at the pistons and decided I couldn't be bothered fighting with the seals. The plan was to remove the new cylinder from the car and swap the complete pistons and seals into the NABCO body. I removed the drum; since it was all new, it just needed a quick twist or two of the hub puller, and it slipped off. I had hoped I was done in here. The new Delphi cylinder, with the correct 11/16" bore These are the pipes in the back. The top one is the issue; see how rammed into the cylinder it is. The pipe doesn't wiggle, but it's obviously not sealing. With the two cylinders (and the old one removed from the car) side by side, it is obvious what's going on. Suzuki says the cylinders are handed Left and Right, but the aftermarket supersedes the two numbers to a single part, which is the Delphi one I bought. The reason Suzuki said the two are different is that the RH one has the crossover pipe to the Left side, whilst the LH cylinder has a bleed nipple in that top hole. Genuine parts, different left and right The crossover numbers for the Delphi cylinder from Spareto, showing the two OE numbers This is the correct NABCO cylinder I got from the PAP car The top fitting has a cone, sticking out towards the outside, which the flare on the end of the brake pipe seals against. The other cylinders, including the new Delphi ones and the smaller ones from the car originally, don't have that; they have a taper going inwards that would suit the pointy end of the bleed nipple (which makes sense, since both Delphi cylinders came fitted with them when I got them) So not only is the hole too deep, the sealing surface inside it is the opposite of what it needs to be. Dumb. I took the pistons out of the new cylinder (which were identical to the NABCO pistons), and slid them into the NABCO cylinder from the donor car, fitted a pair of new boots from the seal kit, and we were ready to refit As a small note, it's interesting to see the gasket on this cylinder. I noticed it in the parts diagram, but none of my cylinders had it fitted. Must be to keep dust out of the drum. It's kind of a thin rubbery foam. I wiggled the cylinder into the backing plate and refitted the pipes and screws. This is how the pipes should fit. The top pipe is no longer rammed hard into the cylinder I refit the drum, torqued the nut up and bled the system. It all bled up well, and no signs of leaks. I'm not worried about the left-side cylinder, because the bleed nipple is in the top fitting, and the bottom fitting has the correct sealing surface for the flare; it's working as intended. I'm happy to have the correct-sized matching pair of 11/16" cylinders back there now. With it all bled and sealed up, finally, it was time to take the Alto for a longer drive and start putting some KS on the car to run the engine in and shake it down ready for more regular use. We jumped in and took the car out for lunch. It's funny how little space it takes up in the park and how big the Mini Aceman in front of it was We then proceeded to head south for a bit, to park up at the beach. This is a place where I've taken a few of my previous projects on their maiden voyage. A quick stop off on the way home to do some shopping. Almost lost the car amongst all the giants We've done about 117KM or so now. Only 10% of what I need to do for the run-in, but it's better than nothing. Other than a couple of little niggles I need to look into, the car ran and drove excellently. Seeing the points and smiles as I drove by reminds me that small cars just brighten people's day. Bonk.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 10:05:30 +0000I ran out of allowable picture space on the 1st post, so here are some extra misc pictures related to things that we may or may not encounterSat, 08 Aug 2026 09:03:45 +0000So multiple things on the go at the same time I've done some research into options for the ITB's and the following is the conclusion. Honda K20a = 94mm Bore spacing. BMW S1000RR $400 NZD 48mm Plate 80 mm bore spacing (Not ideal) 3D Print Manifold Reuse Fuel Rail Reuse Current Injectors 3D Print Trumpets Electronic Standard Has outboard injectors. Pros: Really light. I have them already, I have the outboard injectors, Full CAD Model might be available from Prototipo. Electronic control as standard. Proven to work well by Dave. Cons: Bore spacing not perfect, could be slightly larger. Need to bore the back side of them out slightly larger (can be done without affecting plate) BMW S65 ITB $650-$730 NZD 50mm Plate 98mm Bore Spacing (But I believe they can be moved on rail to suit what I need). 3D Print Manifold Reuse Fuel Rail Reuse Current Injectors 3D Print Trumpets Electronic Control Extra $ (Definitely don't want BMW one) Pros: Bore spacing adjustable, slightly larger in size. Cons: While they normally have standard electronic control that price is just for the ITBs so have to buy electronic motor. Aliexpress OBX Individual Throttle Body $640 NZD ($160nzd each) 48mm or 50mm Plate Custom Bore spacing 3D Print Manifold Reuse Fuel Rail Reuse Current Injectors 3D Print Trumpets Electronic Control Extra $ Pros: Cheaper than EFI Hardware. Cons: Have to work out linking them together, unknown quality, have to buy electronic motor. EFI Hardware $1200 AUD just for throttle bodies. Any Plate Size I want. 94mm Bore Spacing 3D Print Manifold Reuse Fuel Rail Reuse Current Injectors 3D Print Trumpets Electronic Control Extra $ Pros: Will be quality item, come in linked pairs so only need to one join. Cons: Price, have to buy electronic motor. Jenvey K20 Kit $4000 NZD 48mm Plate (options for 50-51mm) 94mm Bore Spacing Includes Manifold Includes fuel Rail Need new Injectors to suit Includes Trumpets Electronic Control Extra $ Pros: Known setup that has been tested against many other brands and has consistently bet them all. Cons: Price, need to buy new injectors, have to buy electronic motor.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 08:19:37 +0000So I decided to rebuild the cooling system in CAD as I'm going to need it for the ducting and it will make life easier. This is the current plan. With the oil cooler facing down it makes the hose routing much easier, and shorter. Centering it also means the brackets are easier. And that leaves the spare M22x1.5 port for a radiator filler which is much nicer then inline. Then that only really one place to put the fan. Being on top won't be a bad thing as it will cool the oil cooler when on too (only on sitting in the pits). Yes will be 3d printing a shroud extension for it to close it into the radiator. In terms of what the bracket will be made of, haven't finalized that yet, but contemplating metal 3d printing just so I know it's not going anywhere, but would be roughly $205 USD for both in Stainless 316, (that's before optimizing it to remove material). With having done it in CAD, it is now easy to change it to mount a larger oil cooler, or fan if required in the future.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 07:37:48 +0000Not sure, need to check, just tossed it downstairs until I need it.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 07:02:28 +0000Good news is if i get one to fit the gsxr, it will work in the quad too with a bit of foam to hold it in place. So can play musical batteries for a while yet. Quad needs a full brake rebuild all round so wont be using that anytime soon either.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 06:56:59 +0000Good idea. Didn’t think of thatSat, 08 Aug 2026 06:36:10 +0000Did yours come with build yourself hoseclamps? That was a nasty trick to pull with cold fingers lolSat, 08 Aug 2026 06:16:24 +0000lol, I mean you were always gonna need to a buy a battery at some point I guess......... Also glad to hear the aliex tank did the trick, I got one myself for when it's time to try and fire up my beast.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:59:00 +0000https://nzwiring.com/product-category/wiresup/tefzel-wire/?v=c97b334ffd41 Tefzel aka ETFE insulation wiring is the go.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:58:16 +0000Oh her @Indiana_Jones, remember how i took the mickey the other day about you buying a battery, and me just stealing the one out of my quad bike? Well guess who had to use a car battery and jumper leads because his quadbike battery won't hold charge anymore! So looks like i have to buy at least one now haha.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:56:16 +0000Is there a place that will sell wire suitable for petrol immersion, or know what spec to look for? As I need to hook up my modded fuel pump somehow?Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:51:40 +0000Can confirm this theory is correct, starter doesn't work unless you have the neutral switch in place. Pictureless update, have got the battery box and battery installed, so looking pretty good on the electrical front at the moment (he says without testing the ignition leads yet.....).Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:45:58 +0000