FrankenProbe work log, 2010

[89lxmorepower]

your car is looking good dude and i had that same grant steering wheel as you do but i sold mine

[Dan [Sac]]

I'm canceling the JetHot coating on the pipes, and going with ceramic piston top coating (inside and out). Should get started on this process in about 2 weeks. I like what I've been reading about it and what some local pros have said after using it. The bonus is that I spray it all myself (in the pro booth with the proper gun) and save about 80% of what it would have cost me to JetHot it.

[Probesport]

I'm not a fan of JetHot, had way to many issues and too many cars come in with flaking terrible coating. We had one set of brand new headers, sent from the manufacturer jet hot coated and 3 months later you could pick off the flaking coating. Just terrible.

Local powdercoaters and ceramic coating is as far as I usually go.

[SBPGT]

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/66864f40.jpg

That oil cooler line looks like it's touching the the the #2 header tube. Could just look that way in the pic, or maybe you should check it out???

[Dan [Sac]]

It's close, and it will be wrapped in the Fyre Foil also. Me no like rubber lines, but my wallet sez "no AN lines for you!"

[Dan [Sac]]

I started making the intercooler water line brackets. I saw these in another car project thread on another forum, so I thieved the general idea. There will be 3 in total, maybe 4, between the IC and firewall. Will keep the lines neatly separated and out of harms way and will look good to boot.

I still have to finish and polish them.

One sample - start with this (2" x 1/8" aluminum angle):






End up with this:












Here is also a shot of the single strut for the hood - works fine, but it's too stiff for frail little fiberglass bracing, so I'll have to procure a blown one to avoid breaking the hood. I know it's not in the most out of the way place, but there is plenty of room for everything around it.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/caf012be.jpg




And finally my gear oil showed up. It is spec fluid for the PAR gearset though, and used frequently by race teams, so....what's the saying, 'you gotta pay to play'?
$70 for 3 quarts

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/9de8ef48.jpg

[M.Hicks]

How does the tube chassis in the front and the engine cradle compare to the factory compents in regards to weight?

[Dan [Sac]]

There is no tube chassis...it's all unibody still. If you mean just the upper/lower radiator supports, then they're comparable to stock. Same with the cradle.

When you tube the front end, it essentially discards the frame rails and aprons and it becomes part of the roll cage - it becomes stiffer, and if you use moly it'll be lighter also, but also opens up huge amounts of room for anything you want to add. Control arms also bolt up to the tube structure.

The PRm Probe has a mostly tube chassis front end.

[jon93PGT]

Dude, your gear oil is right hand drive!! Sick!

[Dan [Sac]]

Ah crap, I didn't notice that....I don't know if it's compatible with LHD cars

[1slowblackze]

[QUOTE='Dan [Sac];1923885283']The uni-member (engine cradle) is done. Looks a bit weird, but given that I'm working without a tube bender, this is the best I could muster. Also works in terms of what it needs to do. The rear transmission mount it only under tension and compression so that gives me good strength there.


The front engine mount (bolts to the block between the oil filter and transaxle) will put some bending stress on the 2 beams that it's mounted on, but given the amount of stiffness in all the other mounts, I'm not worried about it. I will be also boxing the underside of it to serve as a jacking point.

I discarded a full differential brace idea as it would be too time consuming to carry out at this time. I feel that with the AWR stock position transm. mount, the tranny saver, and this new mx-3 style mount bolted to the cradle I will have sufficient movement restraints.



Do we got an installed picture?

[Dan [Sac]]

Yeah, probably after coating the pipes.

[Dan [Sac]]

Well, crap.

The clutch hydraulics are on the fritz. I was bleeding the clutch yesterday and just when I thought I was finished, I got some serious air time. Then more, and more, and more - I then started hearing some hissing somewhere while the pedal was being pressed down.

Haven't traced it any further than that yet - will have to do some trouble shooting on it.

The other problem is that the budget for the car is now expired...with dyno tuning still left to do, I don't know where the money will come form. I would hate to have to cancel the whole thing so close to the end, but it is looking like that is becoming a possible outcome down the road.

Regardless, either this project or the 323 will have to be sacrificed by the super bowl in order to finance my senior year tuition. This car has been straining me quite a bit for the past 10 months now, and it may have just broken the camel's back. I've also been helping my parents get closer to paying off the house, as my dad has been finding himself unemployed for long times now after 20 years at his company.

[1990pgl]

let the 323 go. i hate to see frankenprobe parted out

[ShimiShang]

damn , that sucks but we all know where priorities should be. Best of luck with whatever the outcome is.