Mr. G. Brettin's Slow Motion Leg Hump

madwi · 02-18-2021, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbrettin

Too late now.

Can always have a backup set!

gbrettin · 02-18-2021, 08:22 PM

These are only in for a year.... Hopefully....

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

jchammond · 02-19-2021, 12:25 AM

As many times as it appears you’ve taken apart & put back together...could probably do it blindfolded

gbrettin · 02-19-2021, 08:39 AM

IG@gbrettin:

SPL lower/upper spherical bushings will need to wait until next year. Time for the K member to return home.

K member on with fresh shocks, scuffed clean(ish), and fresh powder coated components. @tlrcoatings did an amazing job. Important to me, they taped off the @mavenperformance mounts which kept a specific look I wanted (which also look amazing

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I finally made a reasonable decision of NOT buying additional parts. SPL components are a no-go for now. I'll get them next winter and likely do that all at the same time I install the Winters Quick Change. I suspect I'll jump in another rabbit hole of wanting to powder coat everything when I do that.

Out side of that... I am EXTREEMLY happy I did the wheel bearings, shocks, cleaned up the kmember, cleaned bolts, rebuilding the calipers and have had parts powder coated.

The kmember brace had trace amounts of rust. They came back from the powder coater beautiful with out rust. ALSO, when I took the kmember brace off I found a small amount of surface rust that I would never know about. That was all cleaned up when I painted the engine bay.

Now that the k-member is back in... I took a look and had to remind myself that the engine bay is stitch welded! All this PITA work is finally starting to come together! I've got to admit... there's a lot of times when it feels like there's absolutely no end to this build. Not any more.

I'll just go ahead and say it. I'm really hoping to have the car to Zdayz this year. This time, I feel like it stands a chance of actually making it. Don't expect the car to be turned up to full steam until late summer. I just want to have functional miles on it at first. If it makes 450hp with 1lbs of boost. I don't care. It will be running and driving.

Rusty · 02-19-2021, 08:50 AM

Light at the end of the tunnel.

Spooler · 02-19-2021, 09:46 AM

Getting closer to GO TIME!!!

gbrettin · 02-26-2021, 07:53 AM

Last couple days were a struggle. Let me explain why. There's two things that were eating at me. 1. Trying to figure out direction for my suspension components and 2. not knowing enough about suspension components. Clearly one impacts the other.

I'll lead off with this. Originally I had thought that Front Upper Control arms had controlled all camber settings. WRONG. That one thing along was having a great impact on direction for my future not purchased wheels.

The ideal wheel for my Z would be this: 18" (cheaper rubber and a tad lighter), little meat on the side wall, some wheel lip and a large front wheel contact patch for handling. Not a deal breaker of the car is staggered or square. I only expect to get one Michigan season, late spring - early fall, out of a set of rubber before a new set is put on.

The yearly rubber thing is a reason why 18's were a bit more appealing. Ok, so that is figured out.

Then I have been eyeballing NISMO Rays Club Sports. I've seen them in person and they are the wheel for me. Ok, so now I know what wheel I like... how to make that work with an aggressive wheel. I have the adjustability (remember, I thought I only needed Front Upper Control Arms)... I know I want something wide... Why not 18" 10.5 +22. In my head, I've seen people run 20mm spacers with OE wheels and since that offset pushes the wheel out I could run the wider wheel. Win win right? Apparently not. I'll need some sort of adjustment to camber (provided by a shock change).

To top all that off, I'm internally struggling using the AMS Front Upper Control Arm because... well... it's not SPL and I don't like not using top tier parts. This week I've been tossing around ideas on how to get my K-member bushings changed, Upper control arms and lower control arms completed with SPL. Additionally I've been considering Voodoo steering knuckle whole package which would go against needing some of the SPL parts.

Want to know where I landed as of last night?

I drew a line in the sand. Enough is enough and that is a crazy rabbit hole to fall in. Leave the AMS Upper control arm. Run the stock wheels, shock (just put those in anyway) and don't change the whole thing out to SPL. Most importantly... Make the parts bin run!

Now why would I post all this? It's important to know what kind of holes you can fall into during a build. Some are acceptable: cheap shock change , wheel bearings and brakes (safety item shouldn't be glossed over). Some are not acceptable: SPL everything before it runs. Although, I will say the later is very very appealing... some of us really do have some sort of budget constraints (albeit flexible).

Was it worth the read for you? I hope so. That's just a small window into my world. Worrying about details I don't need to.

EDIT --

A bit of backstory about the AMS parts. A Great Lakes Z Member won the parts back in 2013 at a Zdayz raffle. I bought them for like 100 bucks or so because he has a z33. He made some money and I had some suspension components that I may or may not use. They have been in my basement since 2014, when I bought them from him. With that said, I didn't go out and splurge on AMS for my Z. This is just something I'm getting out of the house and I'm hoping that the newer urethane bushings will be a net benefit over the next year of driving.

The AMS upper control arm is heavier than OE... I really don't like that. So... that's a con.

JARblue · 02-26-2021, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbrettin

The AMS upper control arm is heavier than OE... I really don't like that. So... that's a con.

The OEM FUCA is a weak point, so I wouldn't consider a heavier arm a con necessarily. More like an inevitability unless you want to spend the money to develop a titanium arm

gbrettin · 02-28-2021, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JARblue

The OEM FUCA is a weak point, so I wouldn't consider a heavier arm a con necessarily. More like an inevitability unless you want to spend the money to develop a titanium arm

Thanks Jar! I've never heard of anyone breaking... but now I need to look into this.

Hotrodz · 02-26-2021, 08:46 AM

I have enjoyed every bit of your journey as some of us know all to well what you are experiencing. I started my build just wanting to get a few things done besides my motor. Hell and first I was just going to reuse my same turbos and stuff well that got out of hand because of wait time and some expendable money tree funds so why not go all in with upgrades while I wait. I also figured I would get a few things done for areo, suspension and safety. Nothing that would set me back more than 5 or 6k. Well, after all the waiting my non-motor build kept growing, growing and growing. At last count I am pretty sure I am close to 30k for a roller. I about puked when I made the mistake of adding up all my cost for that part of my build and the crazy thing is I can't stop thinking about what else I need to get the most out of what I have. It is a damn addiction plain and simple. I...we need help and God love our wives!!!!

Rusty · 02-26-2021, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotrodz

I have enjoyed every bit of your journey as some of us know all to well what you are experiencing. I started my build just wanting to get a few things done besides my motor. Hell and first I was just going to reuse my same turbos and stuff well that got out of hand because of wait time and some expendable money tree funds so why not go all in with upgrades while I wait. I also figured I would get a few things done for areo, suspension and safety. Nothing that would set me back more than 5 or 6k. Well, after all the waiting my non-motor build kept growing, growing and growing. At last count I am pretty sure I am close to 30k for a roller. I about puked when I made the mistake of adding up all my cost for that part of my build and the crazy thing is I can't stop thinking about what else I need to get the most out of what I have. It is a damn addiction plain and simple. I...we need help and God from rabbit hole to black hole. love our wives!!!!

From rabbit hole to black hole.

Hotrodz · 02-26-2021, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty

From rabbit hole to black hole.

It doesn't take much to make the jump to light speed and into the black hole abyss!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Spooler · 02-28-2021, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty

From rabbit hole to black hole.

Soon as I get my SOHO Intake and new catch can setup. 30psi of boost here we come. Getting it retuned for boost by gear, etc.

gbrettin · 03-01-2021, 08:41 AM

Well, this weekend I thought I was going to be fixing the stripped holes in the head. NOPE. I noticed some debris inside the engine from the constant construction. So.... That redirected the efforts to a complete tear down of the engine. For real. I have way too much time and money into this thing to blow it up on the first dyno pull. I mean, there's always a chance... but no reason to increase the chances.

With that said, I broke the entire engine down. I decided to make some lemonade out of the lemons and paint the block. Taping the block off was actually a bit more time consuming than I would have anticipated. Not sure on the amount of time it took... but it was longer than expected. Of course, it could have felt longer because I spent the whole day breaking the engine down and labeling all the bolts. What ever.

When it came time to paint the engine. I used an etching epoxy primer (dark green coat). After that, I did a light coat of green followed on by highlighter yellow. The result was.... Green apple. 100% not what I wanted. The aim was to get the color to resemble the powder coated parts. So... at the end of a 10hr day (no breaks) and a dripping block (the paint was runny). I threw in the towel.

Next day. I examine the block... yup, Green Apple. I use a razor blade to cut off some of the runs and assess the situation. I decided to hit the block with ceramic white and then follow on with highlighter yellow. I did that process three times. I must say... I think I got really close to where it needed to be.

later in the day, the powder coater hit me up with messages showing me the calipers, brackets and turbo housings. They came out SICK!

Final thought... I didn't really want to show the debris in the engine to everyone. BUT! I maintain I have an open and honest build here. It's very important to be transparent about these issues. I hate having flaws as much as anyone else.

Oh yeah, I found my shrader valve that I lost when I was messing with my Accusump. It was in a socket.

-- Edit --

The last two pictures of the block were from today at 5:30am. I woke up early and decided to hit the block with VHT Satin Clear. I may get back out to the shop and start assembly tonight!.

Rusty · 03-01-2021, 10:12 AM

I like that green apple.

Good thing you took the block apart.

02-19-2021, 12:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
jchammond A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Carolina Age: 58 Posts: 15,204 Drives: 13’ 370Z TS 7A/T Rep Power: 2684395	As many times as it appears you’ve taken apart & put back together...could probably do it blindfolded __________________ MazWorx built long block \| FI-TT-100 Stage 2.75 \| IPT built 7A/T http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...s-musings.html

02-19-2021, 08:50 AM	#5 (permalink)
Rusty Ronin Samurai - Assassin Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 69 Posts: 35,362 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684438	Light at the end of the tunnel. __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

02-26-2021, 07:53 AM	#7 (permalink)
gbrettin A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Portage, MI Posts: 2,292 Drives: Tricycle Rep Power: 589151	Last couple days were a struggle. Let me explain why. There's two things that were eating at me. 1. Trying to figure out direction for my suspension components and 2. not knowing enough about suspension components. Clearly one impacts the other. I'll lead off with this. Originally I had thought that Front Upper Control arms had controlled all camber settings. WRONG. That one thing along was having a great impact on direction for my future not purchased wheels. The ideal wheel for my Z would be this: 18" (cheaper rubber and a tad lighter), little meat on the side wall, some wheel lip and a large front wheel contact patch for handling. Not a deal breaker of the car is staggered or square. I only expect to get one Michigan season, late spring - early fall, out of a set of rubber before a new set is put on. The yearly rubber thing is a reason why 18's were a bit more appealing. Ok, so that is figured out. Then I have been eyeballing NISMO Rays Club Sports. I've seen them in person and they are the wheel for me. Ok, so now I know what wheel I like... how to make that work with an aggressive wheel. I have the adjustability (remember, I thought I only needed Front Upper Control Arms)... I know I want something wide... Why not 18" 10.5 +22. In my head, I've seen people run 20mm spacers with OE wheels and since that offset pushes the wheel out I could run the wider wheel. Win win right? Apparently not. I'll need some sort of adjustment to camber (provided by a shock change). To top all that off, I'm internally struggling using the AMS Front Upper Control Arm because... well... it's not SPL and I don't like not using top tier parts. This week I've been tossing around ideas on how to get my K-member bushings changed, Upper control arms and lower control arms completed with SPL. Additionally I've been considering Voodoo steering knuckle whole package which would go against needing some of the SPL parts. Want to know where I landed as of last night? I drew a line in the sand. Enough is enough and that is a crazy rabbit hole to fall in. Leave the AMS Upper control arm. Run the stock wheels, shock (just put those in anyway) and don't change the whole thing out to SPL. Most importantly... Make the parts bin run! Now why would I post all this? It's important to know what kind of holes you can fall into during a build. Some are acceptable: cheap shock change , wheel bearings and brakes (safety item shouldn't be glossed over). Some are not acceptable: SPL everything before it runs. Although, I will say the later is very very appealing... some of us really do have some sort of budget constraints (albeit flexible). Was it worth the read for you? I hope so. That's just a small window into my world. Worrying about details I don't need to. EDIT -- A bit of backstory about the AMS parts. A Great Lakes Z Member won the parts back in 2013 at a Zdayz raffle. I bought them for like 100 bucks or so because he has a z33. He made some money and I had some suspension components that I may or may not use. They have been in my basement since 2014, when I bought them from him. With that said, I didn't go out and splurge on AMS for my Z. This is just something I'm getting out of the house and I'm hoping that the newer urethane bushings will be a net benefit over the next year of driving. The AMS upper control arm is heavier than OE... I really don't like that. So... that's a con. Last edited by gbrettin; 02-26-2021 at 07:59 AM.

02-26-2021, 08:46 AM	#10 (permalink)
Hotrodz A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: NW, AZ Posts: 9,330 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z Nismo Rep Power: 2684385	I have enjoyed every bit of your journey as some of us know all to well what you are experiencing. I started my build just wanting to get a few things done besides my motor. Hell and first I was just going to reuse my same turbos and stuff well that got out of hand because of wait time and some expendable money tree funds so why not go all in with upgrades while I wait. I also figured I would get a few things done for areo, suspension and safety. Nothing that would set me back more than 5 or 6k. Well, after all the waiting my non-motor build kept growing, growing and growing. At last count I am pretty sure I am close to 30k for a roller. I about puked when I made the mistake of adding up all my cost for that part of my build and the crazy thing is I can't stop thinking about what else I need to get the most out of what I have. It is a damn addiction plain and simple. I...we need help and God love our wives!!!! __________________ *Fast Intentions TT Installed and Tuned by Seb at SpecialtyZ 610whp 560tq:\|Fast Intentions 3" TT-TDX*\|SpecialtyZ/Fast Intentions 72 Row Oil Cooler\|SZ 6 Puck Clutch & Flywheel\|3GsCustoms\|Z1\|Wavetrac\|Hotchkis\|Whiteline \|Blitz\|Fortune Auto 500\|Fujimura\|SPL\|H&R\|TK\|TWM\|RPM Rollbar\|Sparco\|Next Level Performance\|TrackSpec\|AeroFlow Dynamics\|Pioneer\|

03-01-2021, 08:41 AM	#14 (permalink)
gbrettin A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Portage, MI Posts: 2,292 Drives: Tricycle Rep Power: 589151	Well, this weekend I thought I was going to be fixing the stripped holes in the head. NOPE. I noticed some debris inside the engine from the constant construction. So.... That redirected the efforts to a complete tear down of the engine. For real. I have way too much time and money into this thing to blow it up on the first dyno pull. I mean, there's always a chance... but no reason to increase the chances. With that said, I broke the entire engine down. I decided to make some lemonade out of the lemons and paint the block. Taping the block off was actually a bit more time consuming than I would have anticipated. Not sure on the amount of time it took... but it was longer than expected. Of course, it could have felt longer because I spent the whole day breaking the engine down and labeling all the bolts. What ever. When it came time to paint the engine. I used an etching epoxy primer (dark green coat). After that, I did a light coat of green followed on by highlighter yellow. The result was.... Green apple. 100% not what I wanted. The aim was to get the color to resemble the powder coated parts. So... at the end of a 10hr day (no breaks) and a dripping block (the paint was runny). I threw in the towel. Next day. I examine the block... yup, Green Apple. I use a razor blade to cut off some of the runs and assess the situation. I decided to hit the block with ceramic white and then follow on with highlighter yellow. I did that process three times. I must say... I think I got really close to where it needed to be. later in the day, the powder coater hit me up with messages showing me the calipers, brackets and turbo housings. They came out SICK! Final thought... I didn't really want to show the debris in the engine to everyone. BUT! I maintain I have an open and honest build here. It's very important to be transparent about these issues. I hate having flaws as much as anyone else. Oh yeah, I found my shrader valve that I lost when I was messing with my Accusump. It was in a socket. -- Edit -- The last two pictures of the block were from today at 5:30am. I woke up early and decided to hit the block with VHT Satin Clear. I may get back out to the shop and start assembly tonight!. Last edited by gbrettin; 03-01-2021 at 09:54 AM.

02-18-2021, 08:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
gbrettin A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Portage, MI Posts: 2,292 Drives: Tricycle Rep Power: 589151	These are only in for a year.... Hopefully.... Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

02-19-2021, 08:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
gbrettin A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Portage, MI Posts: 2,292 Drives: Tricycle Rep Power: 589151	IG@gbrettin: SPL lower/upper spherical bushings will need to wait until next year. Time for the K member to return home. K member on with fresh shocks, scuffed clean(ish), and fresh powder coated components. @tlrcoatings did an amazing job. Important to me, they taped off the @mavenperformance mounts which kept a specific look I wanted (which also look amazing -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I finally made a reasonable decision of NOT buying additional parts. SPL components are a no-go for now. I'll get them next winter and likely do that all at the same time I install the Winters Quick Change. I suspect I'll jump in another rabbit hole of wanting to powder coat everything when I do that. Out side of that... I am EXTREEMLY happy I did the wheel bearings, shocks, cleaned up the kmember, cleaned bolts, rebuilding the calipers and have had parts powder coated. The kmember brace had trace amounts of rust. They came back from the powder coater beautiful with out rust. ALSO, when I took the kmember brace off I found a small amount of surface rust that I would never know about. That was all cleaned up when I painted the engine bay. Now that the k-member is back in... I took a look and had to remind myself that the engine bay is stitch welded! All this PITA work is finally starting to come together! I've got to admit... there's a lot of times when it feels like there's absolutely no end to this build. Not any more. I'll just go ahead and say it. I'm really hoping to have the car to Zdayz this year. This time, I feel like it stands a chance of actually making it. Don't expect the car to be turned up to full steam until late summer. I just want to have functional miles on it at first. If it makes 450hp with 1lbs of boost. I don't care. It will be running and driving.

02-19-2021, 09:46 AM	#6 (permalink)
Spooler A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Ga Posts: 13,981 Drives: 2013 Nismo 370z Rep Power: 2684392	Getting closer to GO TIME!!!

03-01-2021, 10:12 AM	#15 (permalink)
Rusty Ronin Samurai - Assassin Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 69 Posts: 35,362 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684438	I like that green apple. Good thing you took the block apart. __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

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