Author: xpbr2000

2″ drop chop photos:

Current:

Dropped:

I also believe I’ve found the color I want. I believe this is pretty close to the factory but more pop.

Blacked out the tops with 5%. I noticed a huge difference at lunch with the heat. This will probably help with a/c as well. It’s not a top notch job. And sadly it one of my worse tint jobs. :-\ I plan on getting it all done by a professional at some point. This is to test the 5% and make sure it’s what I want.

My latest mod:

It normally sits in the boot. But I thought it more appropriate to let her hang.

It’s a dragon turtle made from jade. meant for good luck. I got it in Hong Kong a few years back.

OK lately I’ve been just plain lazy and I figured after the Bonemaro’s rise from the ashes that I would be getting back to mine. Mostly this weekend I’ve just been fixing things. But I did make a little something special.

First, I made another trunk cover.

Old: (melted)

New:

I’ve had a problem about trunk space after the latest version of a sub box. so I decided to make something functional.

I got a sheet of 1/2″ lexan

Cardboard template FTW!!!

Cut and install: I have to button up a few details tomorrow. proper standoffs and screen to cover the hole for the sub.

Here are the standoffs for the trunk bottom. Now I just have to find 4″ wood screws. The only ones I can find are exterior wood screws. They are green, tan, and probably other ugly colors. I’m gonna have to fan some stainless or zinc plated. Even black would be nice. :-\

I decided to pull the old white faces off.

It’s amazing what is involved to take out the speedo. I had forgotten.

Back to stock.

It’s going to take a little time to get use to the old stocker speedo.

LEDs are in the very near future. These old lamps are really dim and yellow. Those White faces were pretty bright and blue.

I found some 4″ screws… and free too!

I buttoned up some more on the cargo area and mounted the spacers. I just have to find a grill for the speaker.

I also wired up my own led dash lights. They work, but it’s just as bright as the old 194s. It’s only one led per socket right now. I gotta double up on leds to get this to work.

Well, I found that (4) 3mm leds don’t really fit into the cluster very well. So since I work at a lighting company. I decided to look at a few LED platforms we use. It was small selection of spare parts that was small enough to fit into the cluster we mainly deal with 12″ long platforms that run on 24v. But I found this little guy and 7 of his buddies.

This is a spare cluster I have. It took a few adjustments but I think I got it pretty even.

Looking at the pic, there are a few bad places in this cluster that make it look spotted. I just hope that mine cluster isn’t the same way. :-\

Now I can use these guys in the blinkers and other indicator lights on the cluster.

Well after a couple tests and stuff I learned that there’s something weird about wiring up the cluster. If you change everything to leds there are a few LED’s that glows dimly when not on. There were three (brake, Lowtrac, and Airbag) I swapped them back to Incandescent for now and there are no issues.

Before:

After:

Ok, so this weekend I thought I’d tackle a few things like the SES light, the Low Oil light, as well as the noise that I’ve had since I installed the cam. I tore it apart and found that the new timing chain has been wearing on the timing gears.

Hear’s the noise:

Here’s the timing gear wear:

you can slightly tell that the chain rubs the next tooth before seating on the gear.

These past weeks I’ve been working out the kinks out of the car. I had a timing chain noise, SES light, and Low oil light.

The SES light was a heater circuit on my bank 2 o2 sensor. So I pulled the plug and check the wires. They’re all fine. I then gave the pins a slight twist to help bite into the female plug. The SES stayed on for a day, then to my joy, the light went off before I left my driveway this morning. Problem solved.

As for the timing gear I got a cloyes gear set at O’reillys and install it. The noise is a lot quieter and according to the autozone manager “The duralast chain shouldn’t be purchased alone.  It should be purchased with a gear set. Because they are made to mate together.” I’m like, “Well, why the hell do you sell just the chain?”  Anyway, after much arguing he gave me the money back on the chain. Considering the amount of money I’ve spent on gaskets and a whole shit load of other stuff, that the least he could do. time will tell whether my chain noise is solved.

And lastly, the “Low Oil” Light…. stupid me. I somehow overlooked the most obvious problem, a bad harness. One of the wires was completely severed. Luckily I have a spare harness and the oil sensor plug wasn’t damaged on it at all.

I no longer have lights on my dash! Now I need an oil change. :-\

I also changed my PCV valve. It’s the first time I’ve done that. I hope it fixes my front main oil leak. It’s a slow leak but a messy leak.