Pulsar coming back to life

[Eng1]

I’ve had a long gap to finish the pulsar , couple of years now , so I’m back on it again - car would not start : found fuel pipe hose under the fuel filter leaking , so replaced , still no start : ignition intermittent.
Checked it over and found the problem , the ignition amplifier/power transistor was at fault , this was because I removed the bonnet vent plastic covers ( with these fitted they are not really vents) and rain water drips into the engine bay , directly onto the transistor !!
now running fine except I have a second fuel drip right in the middle of the car , fuel line pinholed I guess -
Looks a Ball ache! , these cars break themselves without touching them !

 

[Eng1]

I’ve jacked the car up onto axle stands and had a butchers , one of the 3 rubber hoses at the forward end of the fuel tank has a pinhole and looks a bit rough , so I will replace all three
Whilst under the car had a inspection and it looks pretty good underneath , some surface corrosion here and there but nothing structural -
So while I’m underneath might as well clean up areas and rustproof
Top Tip : to prevent corrosion the best stuff I have found is Dinitrol AV8 , you can spray it with a hand spray bottle and it leeches into any joins , it dries fairly quickly , has a hard golden brown finish .
It also protects rubbers , bushes etc and blocks UV ,bushes last 3-4 times longer , fuel /brake lines will last decades , on floors sills etc once dry you can coat with normal under seal .
The only downside is don’t get it on your hands or hair , it will not come off with any amount of swafega or soap , it will wear off in a few days eventually !or white spirit
1 litre goes a Long way most of a car inside and out

 

[fubar andy]

Top Tip : to prevent corrosion the best stuff I have found is Dinitrol AV8 , you can spray it with a hand spray bottle and it leeches into any joins , it dries fairly quickly , has a hard golden brown finish .
It also protects rubbers , bushes etc and blocks UV ,bushes last 3-4 times longer , fuel /brake lines will last decades , on floors sills etc once dry you can coat with normal under seal .

Good to know that, as I'll be looking at the rust on mine in the near future!

 

[Eng1]

Still progressing forward ,slowly due to rain stopping play , most of the expensive mechanical bits have been done previously, all new , coilovers, engine , turbo ,gearbox , brakes and so forth , so I’m fitting all the remaining bits I’ve collected over the years .
Whiteline ARB is on , next the Cusco 4 point lower brace and then the bit that I’m looking for info :
I have a pace chargecooler kit , pump , lines , heat exchanger , rad with twin fans and air pipes .
Has anyone any feedback on this cooler ?
it certainly cleans up the space under bonnet, my battery is in the boot and it sits where the battery was .
The air pipes now don’t have to run around to the FMIC and is a much shorter run .
I will have to move the MAF and filter somewhere else .
In my shed of plenty ,I have another in line barrel charge cooler and could run both as it takes up little
Space ( just like a section of pipe ) and would be just extending water lines , hence looking for anyone who has used the pace and has data .
I also have a selection of tanks from small under bonnet ones to a large in boot one , which is used should you want to add ice cubes .
Fans ? Switched or on all time ? Or indeed stat operated .
I have to make a new loom for the fans so as I have some Nismo lights to fit (from the shed of plenty) it could all be done at the same time

 

[Eng1]

Top tip :
If refurbishing rear brakes and you need the caliper carrier sliding pins as one is stuck - it looks like the Nissan Almera tino sliding pins are the same - 59 x10 mm pins , set of 4 plus rubber boots , bolts and grease £16
Can confirm fitment when they arrive

 

[Eng1]

Rain stopped play today , however a few bits ordered for next week ,’and another top tip :
Brake pads and clutches : did you know you can get them relined ?
There are still a few companies that can do this , and by post , so you send them your old pads and they clean ,repaint the back plate and replace the friction material
why bother ? , well you can spec your own material , if you use race pads , they can be expensive £100 + +, however did you know that a square meter of the same friction material costs next to bugger all ...that’s enough for 200 pads !!!!
So you can have your race pads for 1/10 th of the cost or uprate stock pads to a Material of your choice/heat range .
The same applies to the clutch linings or in a previous car I had , I fitted an overdrive unit to a car that never had one , the car produced way more torque than the overdrive was made for , so relined in better materials and worked like a dream
Everyone likes to save a few quid ..

 

[Eng1]

Confirmed the sliding pins are correct : part no S7008 , from Frentech brake caliper components Burnley BB1 3AG , £8 a kit , pins ,boots,bolts and grease .
Stock rear calipers , probably available elsewhere but you now have the part number and they fit , if you have a stuck pin , you are very likely to damage them removing them

 

[campbellju]

Rain stopped play today , however a few bits ordered for next week ,’and another top tip :
Brake pads and clutches : did you know you can get them relined ?
There are still a few companies that can do this , and by post , so you send them your old pads and they clean ,repaint the back plate and replace the friction material
why bother ? , well you can spec your own material , if you use race pads , they can be expensive £100 + +, however did you know that a square meter of the same friction material costs next to bugger all ...that’s enough for 200 pads !!!!
So you can have your race pads for 1/10 th of the cost or uprate stock pads to a Material of your choice/heat range .
The same applies to the clutch linings or in a previous car I had , I fitted an overdrive unit to a car that never had one , the car produced way more torque than the overdrive was made for , so relined in better materials and worked like a dream
Everyone likes to save a few quid ..

Do you have a link to the company you use? My R pads are fine but other cars may need pads. Thanks

 

[campbellju]

Still progressing forward ,slowly due to rain stopping play , most of the expensive mechanical bits have been done previously, all new , coilovers, engine , turbo ,gearbox , brakes and so forth , so I’m fitting all the remaining bits I’ve collected over the years .
Whiteline ARB is on , next the Cusco 4 point lower brace and then the bit that I’m looking for info :
I have a pace chargecooler kit , pump , lines , heat exchanger , rad with twin fans and air pipes .
Has anyone any feedback on this cooler ?
it certainly cleans up the space under bonnet, my battery is in the boot and it sits where the battery was .
The air pipes now don’t have to run around to the FMIC and is a much shorter run .
I will have to move the MAF and filter somewhere else .
In my shed of plenty ,I have another in line barrel charge cooler and could run both as it takes up little
Space ( just like a section of pipe ) and would be just extending water lines , hence looking for anyone who has used the pace and has data .
I also have a selection of tanks from small under bonnet ones to a large in boot one , which is used should you want to add ice cubes .
Fans ? Switched or on all time ? Or indeed stat operated .
I have to make a new loom for the fans so as I have some Nismo lights to fit (from the shed of plenty) it could all be done at the same time

I think Rob vpulsar went charge cooler many years ago. Or maybe I'm confused with another member. I don't recall it being a game changer in the end. A decent air to air cooler will give comparable results with decent packaging too

 

[Eng1]

Do you have a link to the company you use? My R pads are fine but other cars may need pads. Thanks

Try giving a call to brake reline services in Cardiff +44 (0) 29 20702900

 

[Eng1]

I think Rob vpulsar went charge cooler many years ago. Or maybe I'm confused with another member. I don't recall it being a game changer in the end. A decent air to air cooler will give comparable results with decent packaging too

I’m not looking for a game changer but sharpen the throttle response (lag time due extra volume of pipework and FMIC ) with a similar pressure drop across cooler (it’s about the size of a shoebox) and better low speed cooling .
I’ve tested FMIC s before , they work great at speed
Albeit with a lag in temp reduction and a surprising amount of heat trapped in the pipework itself
But short sprints far less so .
Strangely I found heat wrapping the FMIC outlet pipe made a Big difference , it should not do but I suspect it was due to the close proximity of the radiator ,heating the pipe .
I would guess around 1 meter less pipework for the charge cooler and 2 x 90 degree bends versus 5 for the FMIC

 

[Jon Olds]

Adds weight though
Jon

 

[Eng1]

Not that much extra weight , mostly water weight .
The weight aspect never bothered Bugatti , they put 3 chargecoolers in !!

 

[Eng1]

Rear brakes all done ,calipers discs pins and carriers ,stainless lines all new handbrake set all now great .
So I set about fitting the coilovers (meister r )fronts on and then I fitted the rears , just about to fit the ARB (whiteline) and .... schoolboy error
The rears are handed ! Yep wrong way round !!!! Grrr
The ARB has a heavy duty mount welded to the shock and it should face backwards ! At the opposite side it has a much thinner mount for the brake line
So I’ve now got to take them off again

 

[campbellju]

Sorry, I just meant it didn't give sufficient benefit that everyone else followed the same approach. This was a long time ago and I think his car used a 3076 turbo so the effect of turbo lag was far greater than the impact of shortening the intake or any heat soak from the intercooler.

I understand the benefits and have looked at it seriously in the past, many of us hoped it would have been a game changer. I've personally found a marked improvement in engine response from removing the dump valve and carefully mapping the boost transition and accelerator tip in.

Please do try charge cooling again, if we all built identical cars the forum would quickly get boring. There is only that one application I'm aware so you'll be a pioneer.

 

[campbellju]

Rear brakes all done ,calipers discs pins and carriers ,stainless lines all new handbrake set all now great .
So I set about fitting the coilovers (meister r )fronts on and then I fitted the rears , just about to fit the ARB (whiteline) and .... schoolboy error
The rears are handed ! Yep wrong way round !!!! Grrr
The ARB has a heavy duty mount welded to the shock and it should face backwards ! At the opposite side it has a much thinner mount for the brake line
So I’ve now got to take them off again

Hope you get it sorted. Whiteline rear ARB is a great mod.

 

[Eng1]

I’ve swapped the rear shocks around , set camber to -1.25 and fitted the ARB , I’ve changed so many bits now it will be difficult to know what each individual part has achieved .
Really it’s better to do them one by one then check if there was an improvement .
I always try and use data whenever I change something , there is a lot of data you need to measure in something like a chargecooler .
I was just trying to narrow some of this if anyone has done it before .
I’m not a fan of just fit and trust the manufacturer got it right (they often don’t!)
I’ve got loads of test gear in the shed of plenty , first look at the kit : the pump is heavy duty and the lines 1 inch diameter , looks like it will have a high volumetric flow , the radiator is ally and has 2 fans looks ok ,BUT, the water in/out are both on the same side (ie you could have them top or bottom)
This bothers me because you usually have them top and bottom so flow is across the whole radiator,schoolboy error from pace ?
that’s what I mean manufactures often get things wrong ...

 

[Jon Olds]

VW have their thermostats at the lowest point in the system (watercooled 4 cyl: external water pump) so if the water level drops the stat still sees water. Why do Nissan puts theirs at the top? Makes no sense to me. Also, same VW has a bleed line back to an expansion tank off the top hose, so the system self bleeds maintaining a full radiator, why doesn't everybody?
Jon

 

[Eng1]

I’ve spent many hours trying to rectify manufacturers errors , I think it’s cost savings that create most issues , using something off the shelf or from another car . I have found the Jap cars better than most and Toyota/Lexus to be the best of the Jap cars for build and design and material spec.
I came close to fixing the pulsar gearbox weakness ,but the stars didn’t align and I had to compromise.
Long story..

 

[fubar andy]

Brake pads and clutches : did you know you can get them relined ?
There are still a few companies that can do this , and by post , so you send them your old pads and they clean ,repaint the back plate and replace the friction material

EBC, Carbotech, Ferodo Mintex to name a few that have reused backing plates on my brake pads!

Never done clutches!