R33 Rear Fog Lights

There was a time before I started recording my thoughts and musings (Sometimes even tidbits of information that actually are useful (but only by accident)). Forums were much bigger back in the day but now social media 'is where it is at'.
Not got Facebook? Then your stranger than me! The only problem I find with Facebook is that people answer with half the information, it could be that they are on their phone, but answers like "buy some diodes" just ain't going to cut it.

Whilst I am on my hobby horse, will gallop it around a bit.. People, if your drunk or just plain stupid, don't post!

Anyway, I saw a few questions popping up about rear fog lights on a R33 (this is a British orientated thing, "cor blimey Guv' it's a real pea souper") Ahem.. Anyway.. In the UK we have to have a bright rear fog light... for when it's errm foggy oddly enough. True, it's one of those strange items that seemingly few people actually know how to actually use, a magical switch that once turned on never gets turned off (a real pleasure to drive behind). As a legal requirement all imported Skylines have to have them. Usually as part of the SVA test (Single Vehicle Approval) a cheap lens is bolted to the back of the car.

Not that there is anything wrong with this as such, but it does look a little odd. When I first had my car I physically removed it and would bolt it back on when it came time to MOT. However hardly a permanent fix and a bit of a pain in the butt remembering where I had left it.
There are options for a more permanent solution, these include simply wiring a switch to your reversing light and painting the bulb red, or wiring to the inner brake lights so that they come on at the flick of a switch.
Obviously painting a bulb and loosing a reversing light is far too simple and just not cricket. So lets look at the other more complex and satisfying version. Doing this modification does not affect how the brake lights function (you still have all four). It is also the more aesthetically pleasing, does not interfere with any other function or look out of place.

Ok my blathering is over, onto the main course...

Skyling R33 GTS - GTR Rear Fog Light Guide. 

You will need
4 x 1N5400 3A Silicon Rectifiers (Maplins part) at £0.59 each

1n5400 diode

Solder or blue crimp connectors (and a decent crimper)

A screwdriver (to stab your hands with)

I am not going to be all clever with wiring diagrams, those are for people that want the rest of the world to see how jolly clever they are.

Instead I shall delight you with the basics on how it is actually done. With thanks to D.O.A. who originally shared this information.

Remove trim, you should be able to work this out yourself. However be careful when pulling out the plastic surround around the latch area as it is fragile and will crack. there are two push clips located centrally each side of the latch and they don't let go easily (you have been warned). Everything else you should be able to cope with.

So get hold of your diodes, you will need two for each side (remember we are wiring both inner brake lights, you could do one.. but that would be pants). Assuming you are using crimp connectors, crimp one end of two diodes into a connector making sure that the silver band on the diode is closest to the connector ( If you get it round the wrong way it will not work as the diode is a one way 'valve' which electricity flows). Crimp two more connectors on to the other ends of the diode ( These will be the feeds in ).

Now we can connect the wires to the diodes. On the car, cut the green/yellow brake light wire to the inner brake light making sure you leave a good length to play with . Connect the green /yellow wire coming from the light bulb holder to the crimp with both diodes in it , Then connect the other end of the cut green/yellow wire to one of the diodes ( This will power up the brake light as per normal). You will be left with one more connection to diode to be made, this is the feed from the fog light switch. For this you will need to run a joining wire from the left hand light unit to the right and then on up through the car to the dash (if you don't already have a switch wired).

Autographs are extra

If you need a switch in the dash, make sure its a 'tell tale' (one that lights up to say it is on) All you need to do is find a good 12v feed to power up the switch and connect it to the power in pin, connect the wire you have run through the car from the rear clusters to the power out pin then run a wire from a good ground up to the earth pin on the back of the switch.

GTST Bonnet Dampers - Lifters

UPDATE: The bonnet lifters need the ram extensions removing (see TOP PRESS below). However this will complicate things as the ball fittings in the end of the lifters (that you still need) are M8 threads and not M6. This means you will have to obtain some more ball fittings. It is not the end of the world (just a bit of a pain). In the UK and Europe they can be obtained here
STOP PRESS! These kits do come with ram extensions. Do not fit these, if they are fitted remove them and throw in bin! The fitting of rams with the extensions in place will increase the angle of bonnet too much, this will put strain on the bonnet or ram causing either a broken ram or bent bonnet. I was unaware that some packs shipped with these already fitted in place on the ram (they simply unscrew). 

DO NOT FIT TO RAMS! GOT IT?

Latest update: This post certainly caused a stir in the world of Skyline's I must say. Here are the facts now the post has been in the wild for a few weeks. 
These kits do work on R34 GTT's as well as 33's, the kits are unsuitable for GTR's, they do lift and hold steel bonnets on both 33's and 34's without a problem. People with bonnet raisers (the bonnets lifted at the rear style) can use the extensions as the increase in angle is cancelled by the spacers on the back of the bonnet (although I personally would still not recommend it). 

It is fun to see the post take on it's own life in social media, although I have come across one wag attempting to profit from fitting these lifters, posting on Facebook,  they claimed they had come up with bonnet lifters. I assume the plan was to simply sell the kits on for a profit. The world is full of people, some good, some less so. 

Original posting

The mind bogglingly big lump of metal that it is the R33 Bonnet for the GTS range, is probably one of the most chopped about and changed items on the modifying scene. However it does not matter if you have a steel, carbon or FRP version without doubt the biggest pain in the posterior and easiest way of loosing 'cool' points, is the lifting of the bonnet and the rickety old bonnet stay.

There are kits available for the GTR (at hugely expensive prices) but nothing for the forgotten and often maligned GTS.

No, for our ownership we have the lovely bonnet stay that we erect like a tent pole every time we want to poke about in the engine bay. Numerous are the times I have personally wacked my head, bumped it or even watched it fall out in a gust of wind!

One of the things (among many) I could never understand is just why Nissan chose to manufacture this magnificent 'stick' out of their trade mark 'instant rust' material. Many are the cars with magnificent engine bays and manky old rusty or badly painted bonnet stays (which is why I had mine chromed.... but then I would....).

I think that ever since owning mine I have been looking to fit lifters (dampers). Maybe try a GTR one out... Although the fenders on a GTR are slightly different which messes up the brackets so it just wouldn't work.

Brackets... Brackets are the problem here. Figure that out and you are well on the way, trouble is I could never be focused enough to figure it out.

I did get there in the end though and armed with the basic idea, sizes and sketches was about to set out to find someone to fabricate the hinge brackets for me.

However at this point I changed direction and decided to see what the automotive world had to offer. Was there something bespoke that I could use out there?

As it turned out, there was!

I purchased a kit for (of all things) a Sus-Tec kit for a Honda Civic (eBay Link) at a cheap price of just £32 including post.

Que the pictures!

The standard look

Front View with gas strut installed.

Side View (apologies for sun)

Advert

You will see from the second picture I decided that the plain struts with 'SUS-TEC' written on them just would not do. It would not be hard to remove the lettering and have them plain, substitute your own letters, paint or wrap them. 

Although my bonnet is made from Hybrid carbon, these have also been tested on steel and work better than my own (which is probably a bit light).

The kit comes with two struts, two M6 threaded ball ends to fit in the wing and two brackets for the hinges. The balls are held in place with pins that push through and clip onto the ball holder. 

Ideally I would like to have seen a bracket that could be secured by both the bolt holes, although this does work 'as is' perhaps some enterprising soul out there will latch onto this and knock something up.

There you are, secret shared. The rest is up to you! 

I got the gear...

Yaay the gearbox is "crunchy" in fourth.. It will be okay, it is nothing, just my driving style... Had been telling myself this since last summer and had adapted quite well to trying to slip the car into fourth gear. I mean, I had brought a reconditioned box when changing from Auto to Manual and never really ragged it hard. Turns out that the reconditioned box was probably never much good really, I can't even put this down to experience as thought I was doing the right thing at the time!

Anyway hindsight would be a wonderful thing.. and other cliches.

So the search was on for a good reliable gearbox. Initially Google being my friend I searched against the possibility of fitting a Z33 350Z box or similar, something like a Supra box. It soon became apparent that this is not a popular mod due to cost and difficulties in doing it. Even getting a competent garage involved would still have a learning curve attached and be costly. I just didn't need that aggravation in my life. Budget was also a pressing consideration, especially now I had completely blown it on the engine rebuild. So with this in mind I acquired a replacement 33 box reconditioned with R34 GTT Neo Internals, the idea being that the synchros are a lot bigger than that of a standard R33 thus making it a stronger box. 

Before you all rush out and buy R34 gearboxes don't forget that the GTT uses a pull type clutch and the R33 uses a push, so you can't just bolt a 34 gear box and be done with it. so unless you want to replace the clutch or replace the bell housing or find a way to rearrange the slave cylinder and fork. then it wont work.

As fond as I am of crawling around with the gearbox pressed against my nose, this for me was a job for the professionals and I booked the car into MGT Motorsport. Is amazing how quickly they set about the job and it felt like no time before the new box was being man handled into place. There was a slight hold up with the bolt holes for the starter motor as the backplate having come from an auto was a pain to line up. In the end the holes were elongated and the problem went away.
The oil drain plug from the old gearbox was very spiky with metal particles attached to the magnet and the oil itself was nasty with metal wear. So if anything it was at that point that I was happy I decided to change boxes.  
For the new oily stuff, I had thought to use Redline MT 90 although after chatting to the guys decided to change over to Redline heavy shock proof. This has a viscosity of 75W250 but a fluid friction like 75W90, initial thoughts are positive on it, although it does take a while to warm up. 

Out with old and in with new

So it's early days, although can say that the old gearbox was a bit pants, maybe always was a bit rubbish actually and the new one has already changed my driving experience. 

I also have a new feature in my back garden in the shape of the old gearbox (just in case I need a rebuild). 

It rained flowers when the music began..

Ms Skyline sings "Il dolce suono," an aria from the opera Lucia de Lammermoor. It is one of the most difficult arias because of its length, its soaring arpeggios, and the high F above high C.

They say the Devil has the best tunes. Well I don't know about old Lagartija Nick, but this angel has been keeping a little something tucked away under one of her wings.

So lets just sit back, relax, turn the volume to max and chill with your new favorite singer Ms Skyline, straight from the Jap car sub culture, enjoy her soft lows and screaming highs.

So get ready for a massive concussion of rock and roll with Ms Skyline with the MGT section accompaniment on piano.

Thanks are due on this occasion to Mark putting his head in the deafening jaws of the shark to record this moment to posterity.

Assembly is the reverse of installation - Left overs and a start up

Post after post of major works and dreamy excellence, just like the building of Lego one part slotting into the next, in almost perfect in design. 

Naturally this isn't so and there are a few items that caused some small difficulty along the way. 

MGT are not big fans of the Plazmaman inlet complaining about the restricted access once it is in place. Which could explain why the previous outfit Drift Street Imports left bolts off. One of the other things which didn't get put back on last time was the undertray. I somehow didn't think it would go back on this time either, as now have the RIPs extended sump, although Mark at MGT was messaging me the other day, saying he was cutting lumps out of it so it would fit!  

I think I will need a new turbo blanket, judging by the look of the other it appears a bit mishapen now and as I think they effectively 'bake' into place am not sure it is a reusable item. 

Below: This is the gearbox backplate. This needed some work as was 'clattering' against the new clutch. MGT thought that it seemed odd as some of the holes were elongated. However the car did start out as an Automatic and this would have been changed many moons ago.  

Below:  This is an image of the right hand boost pipe from throttle body. The clamp isn't really working there and it offers a potential for boost leaks. This pipe is being replaced. 

Below: Innovate LC-2 Wideband Sensor installed.  

If like me you ask, what exactly is a wideband? Broadly speaking there are two different types of O2 sensor available, wideband and narrowband. Both sensors have their place in tuning an engine, narrowband sensors are designed to be used in conjunction with a catalytic converter.

In brief a catalytic converter works on a saturate/starve principal where the fuel injection system saturates the converter then starves the converter, i.e. it runs rich of 14.7:1 (saturate) then lean of 14.7:1 (starve) and as such a narrowband O2 sensor only reads rich of 14.7:1 or lean of 14.7:1.

Narrowband O2 sensor are unable to determine exactly how rich or exactly how lean the engine is running making it useless for full power engine calibration (as under full power we need to run the engine much richer that 14.7:1 so we don’t melt pistons!).

A wideband O2 sensor on the other hand is designed to read a much broader spectrum of air to fuel ratios which makes it the ideal tool for engine calibration.

Below: One of the best ECU's available now. Sure there are others but this is pretty proven technology, mapped in the right hands can be highly effective and benefits from built in safety features.  

The Link G4 only comes as a circuit board and needs to utilize the original ecu case. As I had an Apexi Power FC which is still a desirable choice for upto 500 HP (so desirable) I had to dig out my old Automatic ECU (Mapped at Bells auto) which I originally had mapped to 320HP at the fly! 

Below: A picture of everything finally coming together. I could not resist this picture and sneaked it onto my Facebook page. Soon regretted it with the all the questions. People just do not understand 'art'. Although maybe I should understand the Facebook isn't private and it feels so ugly boasting. Am in this for me not the applause.  

Below: I would like to say this is the first fire up, it is actually the second (see rattling back plate). From here the next chapter starts. 

Thanks go to MGT Motorsport for the photos and constant technical explanations. 

Ms Skyline's Evil Clutches.. There can be no escape for the horses!

 The rebuild continues apace at MGT and the engine is temptingly close to installation. Apparently there are minor small complications where my attention to detail is not the same as anyone else's. I couldn't possibly comment without probably upsetting the whole world.

 Anyway. The clutch (always useful) is in. This is a Xtreme 230 mm organic sprung twin plate clutch, all the way from Australia (where huge chunks of Ms Skyline are from)

Clutch plates, The rest of the photo's show in order of installation. As a twin plate you get to see everything.. twice! But I have included all of the pictures as a fitting memorial to the new clutch that will (hopefully) not be seen again for a long time. 

A twin disc works by effectly doubling the amount of frictional area used when connecting the engine to the drivetrain, which doubles the amount of grip from the engine to the transmission (Same theory applies when people choose to use wider tires and rims, they want a bigger "contact patch" with the road). There are many ways a clutch can be designed to increase grip from the engine to the transmission, increasing the frictional area is only one them. Multi disc clutch setups are favorable (despite their high price) because they offer more grip without neccessarily increasing the clamping load of the pressure plate (which is very bad for the crankshaft).

On a regular single disc setup, the friction disc rubs on the flywheel's face, and on the pressure plate's face (two fricitional surfaces). The frictional disc itself is connected to the transmission via the input shaft, and the flywheel and pressure plate are bolted together (they are connected to the engine via the crankshaft).

On a twin disc setup, there is a center plate which rotates with the flywheel (effectly this center plate is an extension of the flywheel). You can consider this plate to be a second flywheel. Sandwiched in between the two flywheels is the first friction disc. On the other side of of this center plate, there is the second friction disc. After the the second friction disc comes the face of the pressure plate. Here is the order:

flywheel -> friction disc 1 -> center plate -> friction disc 2 -> pressure plate

This makes for a total 4 frictional faces (flywheel, two sides for the center plate, and the pressure plate). This is DOUBLE the amount of frictional surface area than a single disc setup.

To visualize how this kind of setup works, you have to keep in mind what is attached to what. There are only two rotating bodies here (think to yourself "engine speed" & "drivetrain speed"). The first body is the a splined input shaft from the transmission that is connected to the two friction discs (the friction discs spin with the transmission). The two friction discs spin together because they are both connected to the transmission's input shaft. The second body is the flywheel, center plate, and pressure plate which are all bolted to each other and spin together in unison with the engine's crankshaft. Any difference in rotational speeds between these two rotating bodies happens when the clutch pedal is depressed down (when the clutch disengaged) or if the clutch is slipping under power.

So clutch all mounted up and now time to 'insert' engine here

An engine is no good without a gear box

And below, the end of a days work.

All pictures kindly supplied from MGT Motorsport

Engine build up

Now the all the parts are here the car is going back together. Although as it is the 24th February it is not an ideal time to call an anniversary! 

Having the super shiny sump fitted at MGT Motorsport is a major lurch in the right direction though. 

A bead of the sticky stuff

And on she goes (never to come off I hope). 

MGT certainly do not hang around

Ric Woods Machined head with Tomie Pom cams in place

Looks more like an engine (as I know it) every minute. 

Much shining N1 goodness on show here

Even as I type pictures keep flowing in..

Custom made and red crackle coated front cover back on

6 Boost Exhaust Manifold welded back up

Should help keep everything in place and no leaks! 

Mark at MGT gave me a slight telling off for the cap head bolts holding the covers on (he wants everything 'correct' which is nice). The Nissan ones have a flange etc. so tighten up with equal force and although am sure these are lovely. Ms Skyline does like the odd sparkle and it looks like they did tighten up okay.