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Questions you think are too stupid to ask!

500K views 7K replies 417 participants last post by  Saabologo 
#1 ·
I'll start.
A pillar, C pillar. Which is which and why?
 
#4,494 ·
anyone got a picture showing clearly where the wiring for the ECU goes through the firewall on a c900
 
#4,496 ·
got a photo?

hmm I guess I'll have to cut myself a hole in the firewall somewhere... I was thinking somewhere on the right side below the evap housing maybe?
 
#4,499 ·
yeah I got you but I'm 99% sure there isn't a plug there or anything so I'll have to cut it, may as well go through the firewall as it's shorter and the loom isn't particularly long (even though I've got an extra 2 feet of wiring to extend the loom

EDIT: yeah t5 wiring :) Thought maybe my car had a spot for EFI harness but being an 84 I realised that probably wouldn't make sense.
 
#4,500 ·
As Aussie says, there is a large rubber bush, probably 3" dia, below the PS reservoir. You will have to poke around down there. They all have it. It takes all the harness wires and then these are secured in the bush by large cable tie that pulls it all together in the bush's outside flexible rubber collar. These exit into the RHS of the dash above the fuel ECU.
 
#4,501 ·
I don't have any ECUs, and my PS reservoir is not in the wheelwell, I have an 8v remember :)
 
#4,503 ·
I wasn't thinking ED ..as you say looking to route your T5 harness ..

If you look directly under the master cylinder , on the firewall , there is blanking plate for the Steering column ( to accommodate LHD cars ) Knock this out ( it is a tin plate located within a Grommet ( not disimilar to the fuel pump cover )

Drill your hole and fit your protective grommet on the bench and refit the plate .

Your firewall remains un butchered if ever you choose to reverse what you are doing . It also a very direct route to crank sensor ...
 
#4,504 ·
Peva your memory serves you well!

I can't believe I didn't see this haha so dumb!

PS Aussie I noticed that, a good option and I was strongly considering it, but now that I've seen this I think this is perfect!



Does that black box look stock to anyone? It's covering an opening in the metalwork to allow communication between the wheelwell and engine bay



With the loom extended (I have about an extra 80cm to bring the useable loom lenght up to 1.6m) this will easily work. The ECU will go in the right footwell like it would on a 16v c900.

One more problem knocked out of the way!

Things left to do
- make fuel lines
- make fuel rail
- make cps bracket - check that my trigger wheel mount to the harmonic balancer has no runout (will have to test on one of your engine sitting on the floor maybe Aussie? :))
- extend loom to work - insulate loom
- fabricate spark plug wires into DI cassette based on instructions by guy on saablink who did it with his truck
- fabricate DI cassette mounts

I have all the parts, my DI cassette is tested and working , I think the ECU I have might be dead, can't get it to connect to t5suite with the combiadapter I bought,
 
#4,507 ·
On closer inspection the black box looks empty, it actually seems to be some kind of reservoir for the battery cable that runs from a distribution block near the starter into the boot where my battery has been relocated to (by the PO) I will open it up and see what's in there, if nothing Ill get rid of it...
 
#4,509 ·
Sounds like you're on the money Aussie! thanks for the heads up and the offer! Always grateful, and thanks for your generosity :D


Once I get T5 into my c900 hopefully I can convince you to get your aero on the bandwagon, apparently just an unreal difference... I have all the tuning gear so that should head off some of your hesitance regarding out of pocket expenses :cheesy: Fuel economy and driveability if not for pure performance gains!
 
#4,510 ·
There is a main junction at that point. The short side of the hot leads from the battery went into a distribution block. Among the other items connected (if you were so equipped) are the power leads and fuses for the convertible top. Relocating the battery would possibly have made this redundant.
 
#4,511 ·
Just bought an '83. Manual transmission fluid and coolant are danger zone low.

I'm gonna fill up the coolant with a mix and keep my eye out for leaks. My question is, should I drain the remaining transmission fluid and fill up with new, or just buy a bottle and top it off?
 
#4,512 ·
I reckon drain it and clean the magnetic drain plug but a lot will say just top it off... I'm of the belief that metal floating around is bad most of the time those magnetic plugs are choked with metal by the time someone sees them.
 
#4,513 ·
OK, I shall drain it!

But damn, there seems to be a lot of opinion on whether or not to flush with something, and what to fill it with. I'll be honest, I'm really new to this, and a bit lost.

Can I go wrong by filling it with conventional 10w30 like the manual says? I would fill with Mobil 1 or Redline MT-90 but I don't think I can get MT-90 in Fairbanks and it seems some think a synthetic in the gear box is bad news....

Thanks in advance!
 
#4,514 ·
Just drain and fill it, don't worry about anything else (flushing etc) Mobil 1 is excellent choice in terms of shift characteristics etc but any 10w30 will do. No need to spend a fortune I doubt it matters. The transmission wears out more from lack of lube rather than choice.

Don't spend a fortune just incase it fails in a couple of thousand miles due to lack of lubrication prior to your drain and refill...
 
#4,518 ·
I think this is one of those subjects that if you do a search you will find lots of opinions.My car had gear oil in it when I got it.I drained it out and refilled with plain old 10w-30.It shifts very nice,a noticeable difference.I don't believe you would have any problems if you used synthetic oil,and I hear many people use Honda gearbox oil.
 
#4,519 ·
I think this is one of those subjects that if you do a search you will find lots of opinions.My car had gear oil in it when I got it.I drained it out and refilled with plain old 10w-30.It shifts very nice,a noticeable difference.I don't believe you would have any problems if you used synthetic oil,and I hear many people use Honda gearbox oil.
I also drained gear oil out of mine and refilled it with Royal Purple 10-30. I did notice a nicer shift but that could have been as much the clean oil as it was the change from gear oil to 10-30. Could have been placebo too! :lol: All I do know is that the oil in the gearbox is clean.
 
#4,520 ·
Without using a lift, is it possible to remove the exhaust from my 91 convertible? The section I'd like to remove is from the catalytic converter back. I think the rear axle might be in the way.

I discovered an exhaust leak from the seam of the muffler. I was hoping to take the the exhaust to a welder to avoid the muffler shop prices.

Thanks
 
#4,521 ·
Without using a lift, is it possible to remove the exhaust from my 91 convertible? The section I'd like to remove is from the catalytic converter back. I think the rear axle might be in the way.

I discovered an exhaust leak from the seam of the muffler. I was hoping to take the the exhaust to a welder to avoid the muffler shop prices.

Thanks
I've replaced the whole system from the cat back with the car up on jacks. You probably have to separate it at the rear muffler as well--I can't be certain now...
 
#4,523 ·
yes, jack car up, undo the joint clamps (13mm socket/ spanner) for a start, and then get a flat headed screwdriver and hammer/prize the over joint parts away from the inner, you might have to get a 1-2mm angle grinder wheel in there to extend the slot of outer sleeve, and or even cut a new one at 90degrees to original 180 degree one's, to get it free but that's they only way. if old they will be really hard as the rust will make it hard but if a 'newish' one they can come apart (with a block of wood and hammer) quite easily, but if its the seam on the pipe gone, the pipe has probably had it anyway and difficult to weld,
but easiest just get a baked bean tin cut of ends cut down the length and then wrap it round holed part and clamp up with jubilee or exhaust clamps, saves all the messing about suggested above, lol
you can get a larger bore piece ofexhaust pipe and cut it down length like BB tin but its more rigid and harder to seal, as you don't need any seal on a bb tin but on thicker steel pipe you might or use some thin mild steel sheet , and wrap around like the tin method;ol;
 
#4,525 ·
re joins, there is one joining back of cat(bolt on), then a length of pipe to centre/mid exhaust box,(clamp) one on pipe from back of centre exhaust(clamp) which goes over the axle to join at tail pipe.
if an n/a 900 there is another exhaust box on the back section incorporated in the tail pipe, but same amount of joins wether turbo or N/a but turbo has a larger mid box to compensate for only having the one silencer box, where the na has two mid and rear,
If you have the non cat turbo system, there is a longer pipe (from downpipe join to mid box) which has a long round diameter exhaust (about 1mtr) incorporated in it
 
#4,527 ·
Thanks for the comments. I don't see any rust at this particular seam on the muffler, where it's leaking. Or is the rust internal?




There's a detachable joint between the catalytic converter and the single muffler on this car. I had the connection point at the cat disconnected earlier, so that's no problem if I can't get that other joint apart. I'll give it a try this evening or tomorrow morning and let everyone know.

 
#4,528 ·
Is it to pass an inspection? Muffler putty! :)

Otherwise enjoy the sound until it falls off :p
 
#4,529 ·
I would definitely get that taken care of quickly. Hot exhaust gases spitting *up* at the car body will quickly corrode the under-coating and then body. And you seem to have a very clean frame.... one of the few. Take care!
 
#4,531 ·
it'lll most likely be full of shavings anyway. Not much you can do other than clean the magnet, and oh yeah that is the tranny drain. Don't do it up too tight, pretend your arm is a 5 year olds and do it up til you feel it bite and that's it.
 
#4,533 ·
exhaust seems to have had a pipe welded to it anyway?? is it the right box as uk ones just have the pipe from join to box without and extra weld, I would even suggest it s turbo silencer on a n/a car, and the turbo units re slightly bigger, and it also appears there's a rust mark where the box is 'touching' the the sheild
but if it's gone on the seam on edge of box a replacement is the cheaper option, as once they start to go it will go somehwere else on the seam
UK £35 +p&p =tax turbo £75 + +soapprox $40-50 for new box , cut the old one of job done
 
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