Supercharged K20a2 Vtec - Race Spec by cptkirk

9 minute(s) of a 377 minute read

Wheel Bearing Update

Whilst fitting my new wheel bearings (Timken) I noticed that the tapered thrust washer was looking a bit sorry for itself, not really thinking much of it I re-used the washer and ordered a new one later in the week to be fitted the following weekend. So bearing fitted, I went out for a razz around and within 15 miles the bearing was loose again. Upon closer inspection it appears that the previously mentioned thrust washer was disintergrating and once I had the new washer to compare it against, the old one was about 2/3 to 1/2 its original size with lots of what looked like iron filings around the inner part of the rotor. A new nut, new thrust washer, new split pin, new bearings and its all running ok, for now......

So something to note, if your getting a knocking noise (from the front) when cornering and you notice a lot of travel in the brake pedal (caused by the rotor being slightly p1ssed due to the loosened bearings therefore pushing the pads in the calipers out) a possible reason could be the disintergration of the thrust washer.

7-29-2010

Wheel Bearing Update

Wheel bearing all sorted, not a hint of wobble in the bearing.

Went out for a spin last night and something still did not feel right, so I came back and checked the bearing, nothing, no movement at all (it used to just take a small amount of force to feel that the bearing was loose), then I grabbed a hold of the bottom of the wheel and give it a big old pull and funk me sideways there must have been an inch of movement at the bottom of the wheel caused by the bottom ball joint being loose- what the hell?

Another thing to fix, I had forgotten what owning a mini was like......

8-4-2010

Fixed the above, now I need to replace the recon steering rack for a decent one as way too much slack in it. If your thinking of using a recon unit - Just Dont, they are rubbish and for the sake of an extra £80 just get a new one.

All Zcar owners be aware that the bottom ball joint may need nipping up if you havent already done so. After replacing the N/S joint I checked the O/S it was loose on the threads (another one I had never touched). You need to apply pressure to the underneath of the bottom A arm to be able to get a good purchase on the tapered part of the joint, allowing you to tighten the nut, thats if you can get the socket on the nut in the space to tighten it.

Just ordered a brand new RHD Sportspack steering rack from Minispares, £148.34 inc P&P (the unit is exactly that same price at Minisport £118.75 +vat, unsure of P&P costs)

That should stop the slop, if it doesnt I shall be most displeased.

8-9-2010

More Woes - will it ever end?

Saturday morning saw me driving around for the best part of two hours, lots of bumpy back roads and the like to exercise the new ball joint and make doubly sure the wheel bearing was sorted. After driving around I returned home, jacked the beast up and checked for loose play in both side of the front suspension - nothing - chuffed to bits, it was finally fixed.

So I offered to give the misses a lift into town and I would go for a raz round to Goodwood to watch the sprint that was on up there until she was finished. Just around the corner from Goodwood the N/S front suspension unit (Protech) decided to come apart. For those of you that have followed this build will know that this had previously happened to me on the rear N/S and that I had given out a warning of the problem, however as mine was fully built at the time and checking the front suspension was a massive job I gave my two front Protech units the benefit of the doubt, surely lightning cant strike twice kind of attitude, well how fecking wrong could I be. Obviously I am p!ssed off with myself for not checking them but I am even more p!ssed off that they even came apart in the first place - I mean, seriously, what the feck is going on.

I have yet to fully assess the damage done by the spring as it rattled round under the bonnet, I know it has chipped a few bits of paint of here and there but thats just cosmetic & the threads have taken a beating on the damper shaft, lets hope it hasnt caused any real damage - the kind that costs lots of money.....

So for the second time and this time I really mean it, if you have a Zcars conversion please check the locking nut on the suspension damper shaft is tight against the top hat that holds the spring in place, you may have to wind the spring down away from the top to be able to do so but it will be worth it - trust me.


Last time it happened I didnt manage to get any pictures, however whilst waiting for my mate Benson to pick me up so I could go and get my trailer I took a couple:

9-1-2010

Additions to Order:

I ordered these two bad boys yesterday - uprated Cooper S steering arms, in an effort to stave of rotational forces caused by adding a spacer to the steering where the track rod end would normally go.

I am going to get my head together with Stevie G soon to sort out the required fabrication and then will have some more to show, for now a couple of snaps of the new arms:

9-16-2010

Its not a good feeling is it.......

With all of these things going wrong it has definitely taken the enjoyment out of driving the car and with that lack of enjoyment trying to find the gusto to fix it is hard work. I spoke to Protech about the problem and they had only one prior instance of this before, another Zcars owner, I can only assume it was Mark (Brandon7) - maybe not....?.... When I was checking mine again this time I realised you can use loctite if you want as the nut on the shaft will always allow you the undo from the top eye without having to hold the shaft itself.

Still, things are moving along even if they are at a snails pace. Bits are off to be machined for the steering so fingers crossed that'll sort the wandering sensation out on lift off and braking - really disconcerting.....

I have been suffering for some time with alternator problems - not charge but the actual housing. Because I have the supercharger I am using a different sized belt and one of the things required to be able to use the OEM tensioner is to put spacers on the alternator, however the alternator I was supplied with this engine had part of the top mounting missing, the bit nearest the block (photos to come later). When I got it I didnt think it would be a problem, how ever I have now extracted 2 high tensile bolts from the block - TWICE....and aint doing that a third time. I hasten to add that I wholy believe this would have happened even without spacers as the broken part allows for the alternator to twist - live and learn.

So it is safe to say that I need a new alternator, so good old ebay got me one, if the charge isnt good I can swap internals. I am getting a proper spacer set made that will allow for belt stretching but will offer solid support, the main body of the spacer set will cover all three bolt holes and utilise one of the water pump housing bolts to hold it in place and then a set of matching spacers of varying sizes will be produced, these will be able to be fixed/bolted to the main body of the spacer set so as to ensure the spacer is solid also.

The mounts that hold the drop link of the anti-roll bar to the front hubs are, well no polite way to put it - RUBBISH. so I need to design a new fixing for them, if you dont beleive me then look back at the photos of when the suspension came apart and you will see, they appear to have been made from a bent bit of mild steel and they looked like that before the suspension came apart, they were once at 90deg's. Hopefully I will have enough billet left to machine some nice shiny new ones that'll stand up to the job a bit better.

In many ways it is deeply frustrating to have to fix things that should have been right in the first instance, although I have to say there is a certain amount of satisfaction from working out and designing new and ultimately better parts which will give you the confidence back in the car that was there before it all started falling apart..........