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1989 Probe GT barn find rebuild

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  • Originally posted by BlueInfinity48 View Post
    I love your 89 man. I wish mine was on the road. Been sitting for almost 4 years. Luckily it is in a garage. I need another KL and transmission. Clutch and flywheel. I could have had it on the road already, but I have been putting focus on my 626.

    Sucks about your rack man. I am one of the fortunate 1st gen owners to have a manual rack.
    Thanks! Glad to see you're still around and still have the 1g, your kl turbo car is one of my favorites. Hoping to have a new rack in the car soon, part of the fun of owning a 27 year old car with 160k miles.
    1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
    1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
    2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
    2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
    2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

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    • Car is put away for the winter now, time to tear into it.

      3 years later, finished these up this past weekend. Need to wire in the ballasts and relays:





      Also picked up a brand new in box Guru LSD! Should have it in a few days. Goals for this winter:

      -Drop trans, have it checked over/LSD installed
      -Install Southbend Clutch
      -New steering rack
      -Install Addco FSB
      -Swap intercooler setup out for my HKS pipes/stock IC (after a quicker spool, bigger pipes added some lag)
      -New wheel and tire setup, plan to swap over my 215/45r17 71r's onto a set of 17x8's and sell the rays. was running into tire clearance issues with the larger 225/50r16's

      I'm entertaining doing a set of universal flares and stuffing a 17x9 in there but i'm apprehensive to start cutting the body up.
      1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
      1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
      2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
      2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
      2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

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      • Make some progress this weekend, gearbox is out of the car, no huge surprises there, there is a bit of oil coming down from the top end, looks to be from another leaking valve cover gasket I suspect given the compression numbers and the visible blow by from the catch can, the rings are quite worn causing oil to want to exit anywhere it can *sigh* However engine build is not a project I'm planning for the moment, hoping I can make it through another season with the engine as is, and in the meantime build one of the spares I have from various parts cars I've collected.

        Pre break down messy garage image (please excuse the A-body shelf, I'll get around to it someday)



        Begrudgingly draining $70 of synchromesh that is only about 3k miles old



        In an attempt to stay organized in what will only hopefully be a few weeks of separation, I removed most of the front end suspension parts etc to get them out of the way for the sway bar and rack installing, also some things need road grime removed. Bolts returned to their respective homes for the time being.



        So much room for activities!



        Turbo drain/center housing seem to be seeping some oil, I'll need to tend to that as well:



        Gearbox is out! will very little drama, and is ready for its trip to the trans shop. Found a local shop that has gotten great reviews and the owner seemed very reasonable/knowledgable and the labor quote was right where I wanted. They will install the new diff and check over/repalce seals, bearings and syncros where needed.




        Clutch appears to be a 160k original:



        New Southbend clutch and the Fidanza flywheel I had, I have a new friction plate of the flywheel on the way before installation.



        Oil seepage I had mentioned, the valve cover gasket is visibly leaking the this corner, and has leaked in the past. Going to clean everything up and monitor everything, could also be the distributer housing gasket. The rear main seal looked clean/ dry so I plan to leave as is.




        Evidence of oil entering from the north:





        Updates to come! rack should be here this week, bolts for the ring gear to new diff are also in the mail. Need to order replacement OEM cv circlips to eliminate any future axle removal problems.
        1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
        1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
        2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
        2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
        2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

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        • awesome progress. I have a southbend kevlar clutch and really like it. what steering rack did you decide on? Good luck with the whole project.
          1989 Ford Probe GT stock turbo, HKS I/C Pipes, SBC TZ clutch, KVR cadmium/slotted rotors & pads, SMC SS brake lines, K&N filter, intake silencer-delete, A/C-delete, FSTB, Probesport RSTB, Probesport STS, custom mandrel stainless exhaust with Magnaflow muffler and highflow cat, Tokico "blues", Eibach Pro Kit, Yokahama Avid H4's on 17" Enkei TBS-11's, Raxles axles, Energy Suspension endlinks, ARP cyl head stud and exhaust manifold stud conversions

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          • Originally posted by 89probegt View Post
            awesome progress. I have a southbend kevlar clutch and really like it. what steering rack did you decide on? Good luck with the whole project.
            Thanks! This clutch should withstand my power goals for now, excited to get it back together! I ended up going with the detroit axle reman rack from eBay, I've heard decent reviews and it was considerably cheaper than most other remans I found, which are said to be spotty in quality. Hoping to only ever need do this job once
            1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
            1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
            2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
            2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
            2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

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            • Love this car!
              1994 pgt
              Reborn
              donated 12/2006

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              • Some updates,

                Diff came in, planning to wait till after the holiday to drop the greabox off at the shop to be built.







                Got my new rack mounted and just about full installed. Through bolt from the rack to the intermediate shaft came out a bit knarled up (May could have been loose?) Going to go pillage a new bolt off the parts car and make sure to save the intermediate shaft off it for the future (they seem to be unobtainium at this point)

                For the record, Detroit Axle racks DO NOT come with new rack bushings.





                Also the new friction plate came in, however...I am realizing now, that It looks although I have a Clutchmasters flywheel...NOT a fidanza as I thought (fw hardware has FX cast into them)

                There may be a chance the disc's are the same, I will check this weekend when I'm at the garage.

                Last edited by plx92; December 20, 2016, 06:19 PM.
                1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
                1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
                2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
                2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
                2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

                Comment


                • I managed to fit in some time to turn wrenches in between holiday bustle and got some work done on the car.

                  I was able to source some replacement bushings for my trans mounts, the current 95a bushes were cause extreme vibrations which were pretty unbearable for street driving/normal use. These bushings are the Energy "hyper-flex" compound which seem to be 80-85a. I'm hoping these dampen this vibration a bit, while still providing the better gearbox/engine stability.



                  Replaced the friction plate on my used Fidanza to pair up with the fresh clutch(turns out it was a fidanza):





                  Found myself in a spot where I did not have a blind hole puller to remove the old pilot bearing, saw a neat video a while ago which used compressed bread stuffed behind the pilot bearing to pop it loose. Low and behold, it worked quite well and is less of a mess than the packed grease method.



                  New bearing and clutch/flywheel assembly mounted up without issue



                  Last little bit I've been working up for next season is building a set of front caster plates, based around the current KSport pillow ball.

                  This design should allow for around 10mm of positive caster adjustment while still allowing for negative camber adjustment. Going to make some mock up's to check for clearances before having a friend cut me a final set.

                  e
                  1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
                  1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
                  2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
                  2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
                  2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

                  Comment


                  • Pleasant surprise in the February issue of Grassroots motorsports mag



                    Made some more progress this past weekend.

                    Took the old intercooler setup out, cried a little bit since it only lasted a year and I hacked the radiator support all up and now were going back to stock configuration BUT this paves the way for a legal DSP piping setup that will hopefully spool a tad faster and look much tidier.

                    A while back I mentioned that I had sourced/purchased a set original HKS intercooler pipes that were made back in the early 90's for the probes/mx6's. Unfortunately they were in pretty piss poor shape. The original L bracket was all bent and broken, the cast tb elbow had a few holes drilled for IAT's at some point and it had a 5th injector, which I never planned to use. On top of that all the couplers were rock hard or in tatters (To be expected at that age)



                    Excuse my ugly welds, still improving!



                    I sand blasted all the pipes with plans to repair and refinish, gave them a good rub down with a wire wheel, and repaired the bent up bracket. A while back I was able to swap the elbow for one without the injector, or the holes (Thanks Rob!) They are all cleaned up and ready for some paint, I also plan to wrap all the pipes in the DEI reflect-a-gold to keep the air intake as cool as possible while running the car hard.

                    The larger tight "s" pipe you see is actually a custom job that I found in one of my parts cars, had a pretty ugly 90 degree bov extension welded to it. I cut the mitre joint out and plan to use the provision for a Turbosmart plumb back BPV. These cars don't appreciate vent to atmosphere which is why the old setup was also configured to recirc.




                    While everything was apart I took advantage or the working room and installed the new beefy solid Addco Front sway bar, I reused my energy end links since the bushes seem to deflect less. I also pulled my lower control arms off and relubed the whiteline poly bushings to keep them happy. Planning to tear apart the rear end and do the same to the lateral arms and trailing arms.



                    Addco to the right




                    Hoping to hear back from the trans shop this week so I can get the gearbox reinstalled and work towards getting the car back up and moving.
                    1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
                    1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
                    2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
                    2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
                    2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

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                    • My girlfriend got me some sweet magnetic number plates for christmas



                      Found a use for an old clothes hanging rack that was laying around, they make great small parts hangers. Primed and painted the HKS pipes, misordered a bunch of couplers unfortunately so I'm waiting for the correct sizes to show up.



                      I was able to sell the old IC setup quick enough and I picked up a Turbosmart plumbback BPV to mate up with the new pipes.

                      While I was waiting for the pipes to dry, I tackled another project I had kicking around. I'll be reinstalling the stock airbox with the new IC pipes and I wanted to ensure things stay as cool as possible. I removed the the ribs on the air box lid and wrapped it in Reflect-a-gold with hopes to keep the intake charge as cool as possible. I'm debating doing the lower as well. The next step to this project is to ditch the fender resonator and duct the air box with fresh air from the front of the car via a naca duct and a hose. Wish I had taken some readings of the prior setup to gauge how much improvement will be made but 20/20 hindsight.






                      The pipes will also get the reflect-a-gold treatment.

                      1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
                      1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
                      2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
                      2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
                      2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

                      Comment


                      • Got most of my couplers in, and wrapped the intended pipes up. Once the trans in back in the car, I'll mock them up and order some clamps.

                        1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
                        1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
                        2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
                        2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
                        2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

                        Comment


                        • Not much to report on the PGT, still waiting for my trans to be done. However after dealing with several other issues with my Fiesta ST, I decided to call it quits.

                          Probe has a new stable mate

                          1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
                          1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
                          2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
                          2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
                          2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

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                          • What issues did you have with the Fiesta ?
                            1994 Project PGT

                            M62 In Progress...

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                            • And you even went Subaru rather than FRS/86

                              I was at a toss up when buying a new daily, between one of these and a 2011 Hatch.. ended up with the hatch to haul more stuff easily
                              1996 Probe GT - Bought April 2010, Boosted August 2014
                              Fast FC04 18x9, Black Leather, King6, ADDCO, AWR, Yonaka, Quad J30s, AVC Pipes, Tial WG, Greddy BOV, Aeromotive AFPR, MS1v3
                              1993 Probe GT - 110k, auto, parts car
                              2011 Impreza Limited Hatchback - Daily, Lowered, WRX Wheels & Wing

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                              • Originally posted by Brizzy View Post
                                What issues did you have with the Fiesta ?
                                It was rusting, all doors/hood/hatch had rust forming on the inside seams, ford only approved to fix two doors, the hood and the hatch. All they did was ground the rust off and repainted the insides. The rust would come back, and they didn't get it all.

                                I also brought it in for a whining trans, which i suspected input shaft bearings (early build issue) Dealer denied it was an issue, said it was the wheel bearings, they botched the wheel bearing install 3 times, ended up replacing the knuckle and the cv, car never shifted smoothly after that, have no idea what fluid they put back in. Trans still whined, loud enough you could hear it over the radio at speed.

                                The bearing they did was also still groaning.

                                To top it all off, it began leaking oil and the clutch was engaging funny/making noise, which were also symptoms that early cars with a failed clutch hub had.


                                All this by 38.5K miles, in a car I religiously maintained/cleaned/care for. I was disappointed to say the least.

                                Originally posted by BradsPGT View Post
                                And you even went Subaru rather than FRS/86

                                I was at a toss up when buying a new daily, between one of these and a 2011 Hatch.. ended up with the hatch to haul more stuff easily
                                I honestly liked the Gen 1 toyota better, but I needed a new one and the refresh on the Toyota is butt ugly. I will say I freaking love this car. I really enjoyed the driving dynamics of the fiesta, but this car feels fantastic, even with the lack of torque. The space thing will take a big of getting use to but the fiesta didn't have all that much room either, so I will be able to make do.

                                Will need to borrow my roommates truck to go get the trans though, no way in hell it will fit in the subaru haha.
                                1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
                                1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
                                2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
                                2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
                                2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

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