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on my drive home I thought about it. I have too much time and money into the SRA to just abandon it now. Gonna just stick with the solid and do the TA and wrap it up
Honestly that's a good plan, while I like my IRS a lot it does really limit you on wheel choices or force you to go custom. I did mine when I had a Sn95 crappy SRA that needed rebuilt, with nothing but control arms at the time so the cost was easy to decide when I found my 04 unit for $500 locally. I did have the gears redone and did all poly bushings and coilovers, but it's still less than the SRA setup would have been given what I got it for.
continuing to push forward.
Pulled the bar off and torqued the UCAs. Giant PITA doing that on jackstands. The PHB chassis mount didn’t make it any easier being right in the way. Think I had 5-10 degrees of swing on the torque wrench max
Bled the brakes. Proceeded to shoot brake fluid out the MC all over the engine bay. Had to grab a bucket and rags and wipe that all down before the brake fluid could eat my paint.
Finished bleeding and threw my wheels on. Pass side hit the tailpipe. Fortunately I used the clamps that can be undone. So I loosened the clamp and cheated the pipe over. I’m going to have to play with some offset calculators using these wheels as reference. Haven’t decided yet if I’ll go 18x9 or 18x10. Fit may be the deciding factor
Tested some 5mm spacers. I was still able to get 7-8 turns on the lug nuts, which according to MM is fine, but seeing the threads recessed slightly in the open style lugs is a little concerning.
Was all set to wrap up and found a big brake fluid leak on the differential.
Was pouring a lot of fluid to the ground. I tried tightening it a bit but same thing. Pedal sinks to the floor and lots of fluid comes out.
Took video all around and looks like the line is not seated properly.
Threw in the towel and called it a night. Gonna have to remove that line and inspect. Hopefully I didn’t damage it by tightening it cocked slightly. Doesn’t make sense because I assembled this with the axle off the car and hand threaded those all.
All that’s left to do is fix this brake line and install the driveshaft bolts. I ordered new ones. For some reason I line all my driveline bolts to be all new and not reused. Flywheel, clutch, driveshaft. Always new. Just my thing.
Pulled the bar off and torqued the UCAs. Giant PITA doing that on jackstands. The PHB chassis mount didn’t make it any easier being right in the way. Think I had 5-10 degrees of swing on the torque wrench max
Bled the brakes. Proceeded to shoot brake fluid out the MC all over the engine bay. Had to grab a bucket and rags and wipe that all down before the brake fluid could eat my paint.
Finished bleeding and threw my wheels on. Pass side hit the tailpipe. Fortunately I used the clamps that can be undone. So I loosened the clamp and cheated the pipe over. I’m going to have to play with some offset calculators using these wheels as reference. Haven’t decided yet if I’ll go 18x9 or 18x10. Fit may be the deciding factor
Tested some 5mm spacers. I was still able to get 7-8 turns on the lug nuts, which according to MM is fine, but seeing the threads recessed slightly in the open style lugs is a little concerning.
Was all set to wrap up and found a big brake fluid leak on the differential.
Was pouring a lot of fluid to the ground. I tried tightening it a bit but same thing. Pedal sinks to the floor and lots of fluid comes out.
Took video all around and looks like the line is not seated properly.
Threw in the towel and called it a night. Gonna have to remove that line and inspect. Hopefully I didn’t damage it by tightening it cocked slightly. Doesn’t make sense because I assembled this with the axle off the car and hand threaded those all.
All that’s left to do is fix this brake line and install the driveshaft bolts. I ordered new ones. For some reason I line all my driveline bolts to be all new and not reused. Flywheel, clutch, driveshaft. Always new. Just my thing.
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Damn! It’s always something, but I’m sure you’ll get it!continuing to push forward.
Pulled the bar off and torqued the UCAs. Giant PITA doing that on jackstands. The PHB chassis mount didn’t make it any easier being right in the way. Think I had 5-10 degrees of swing on the torque wrench max
Bled the brakes. Proceeded to shoot brake fluid out the MC all over the engine bay. Had to grab a bucket and rags and wipe that all down before the brake fluid could eat my paint.
Finished bleeding and threw my wheels on. Pass side hit the tailpipe. Fortunately I used the clamps that can be undone. So I loosened the clamp and cheated the pipe over.
Tested some 5mm spacers. I was still able to get 7-8 turns on the lug nuts, which according to MM is fine, but seeing the threads recessed slightly in the open style lugs is a little concerning.
Was all set to wrap up and found a big brake fluid leak on the differential.
Was pouring a lot of fluid to the ground. I tried tightening it a bit but same thing. Pedal sinks to the floor and lots of fluid comes out.
Took video all around and looks like the line is not seated properly.
Threw in the towel and called it a night. Gonna have to remove that line and inspect. Hopefully I didn’t damage it by tightening it cocked slightly. Doesn’t make sense because I assembled this with the axle off the car and hand threaded those all.
All that’s left to do is fix this brake line and install the driveshaft bolts. I ordered new ones. For some reason I line all my driveline bolts to be all new and not reused. Flywheel, clutch, driveshaft. Always new. Just my thing.
That line you’re pointing at does seem to have a lot of threads still exposed on that fitting. Maybe it just hasn’t seated all the way yet?
I agree. I bet I pinched the flare and didn’t seat it properly. Going to take the line off and inspect. Hopefully it’s not damaged. I wonder if I can use my flare tool to reshape it.
That’s a tomorrow mission. It’s bourbon time
That’s a tomorrow mission. It’s bourbon time
Bourbon time on Tuesday!! You must be on vacation this week like me. Lol (although it’s more like IPA time for me)
Don’t hit the hard stuff too much.
Pretty darn big leak. I suspect there’s a crack under the flare. This line is fully seated and I’m unable to rotate it, yet that’s a lot of fluid coming out.
I removed, inspected and reinstalled the line 3 times, and same gushing leak.
Off to contact LMR
I removed, inspected and reinstalled the line 3 times, and same gushing leak.
Off to contact LMR
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And just like that….new set of lines shipped out to me.
Gotta love LMR. You can’t beat their customer service.
Gotta love LMR. You can’t beat their customer service.
- Mar 2, 2015
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LMR is the best. I agree with @bird_dog0347 . The 04 IRS on my car was a hood mod but I got it cheap in around 08. It's been great in two different cars but if it cost anywhere near what they cost now I wouldn't have done it. I still think about selling it, doing a mini tub, and putting some real meat on the back of my car. I don't want to do a hard tail conversion because some Terminator owners will probably be looking for them in the near future for even more bucks.
If ya got a cheap kiddie pool laying around a gallon or two of vinegar and some water will clean them up and knock out the scale... some cheap bbq silver paint & something to fog the inside to keep em from flash rusting if you even want to bother.. I keep a couple 5 gallon buckets to reuse it, just gotta have decent lids or will stink up where ya store it, works as well as the more expensive store bought stuff... Have some crusty stock seat rails soaking in some now.I chopped up my old catback. Thoight the tailpipes might be worth saving.
Or maybe not?
These things are 20+ years old. Rusted internally but still solid.
I dunno. Maybe I’ll FB marketplace them for free to someone who needs tips, but not sure it’s worth the Bs that comes with FB. Maybe I’ll just chuck them under my deck and let them sink into the mud.
ppl asking stupid prices for old beat up junk these days, and pretty sure that got dropped from production for the set you replaced them with, could probably get a bill for them easy with what new ones cost now, bet they out live the China made pipes too lol. I don't think I will ever trust thier metallurgy.
Unfortunately the 2.3 and 5.0 do not share the same a/c conponents other than the evaporator core. So you will need to have the system evacuated and start over.
Is it R12? If so? No shop will touch it as they won’t want their equipment contaminated with it.
Brake line arrived today. Didn’t have a chance to install it and bleed brakes but I should be able to get to that in the next few days. After that, let’s fire it up. I’m gonna leave the bar off for now. My TA springs should be here in next few days, so I’ll just put those aside for now.
I got a bit distracted going through this and ordering parts. Parts for these are hard to find, and longer shipping times than fox parts. Hoping I can take it around the block in the next few weeks.
I have to fully rebuild the master cylinder and cannot find replacements. The original bore is pitted badly. Need to see what I can do. I’d like to retain the original part vs a universal part
I got a bit distracted going through this and ordering parts. Parts for these are hard to find, and longer shipping times than fox parts. Hoping I can take it around the block in the next few weeks.
I have to fully rebuild the master cylinder and cannot find replacements. The original bore is pitted badly. Need to see what I can do. I’d like to retain the original part vs a universal part
Looks like a cool project for sure…… but what is your end game with the bike? I’m sure it won’t be cheap to get it where you want it.
I think right now, the goal is just to be able to call my dad up, have him come over and hand him the key and let him fire it up and take it around the neighborhood. It’s his bike and he hasn’t heard it run since the mid 80s.
After that, I think just elbow grease polishing is all I’ll do. I don’t want to put a whole lot of money into this beyond getting it running. You guys know how crazy I can get, but last thing I want to do is put $1k into cleaning up a $500 bike. I think I can get it up and running for $100. I’m fine with that.
Ok I did manage to get time to crawl under the car and address that brake line.
And you know what? It still leaks! This time from both ends! It leaks much less, but with full pressure on the pedal I get a slight trickle from both fittings. I’m tightening as much as I can before the nuts begin to round even with a flare wrench.
I’ve done the tighten loosen tighten method and can’t get that drivers side line to seat.
So the hell with SS. Hoped on Amazon and bought a few regular steel 24” long lines, will use the other one as a template to bend it up, and just going to use the softer material and that should do the trick.
I have more time into chasing brake fluid leaks and replacing this line than it took me to install the rear end back in the car. This is Rediculous.
Edit. Gonna buy a short lenght of Niccop
And you know what? It still leaks! This time from both ends! It leaks much less, but with full pressure on the pedal I get a slight trickle from both fittings. I’m tightening as much as I can before the nuts begin to round even with a flare wrench.
I’ve done the tighten loosen tighten method and can’t get that drivers side line to seat.
So the hell with SS. Hoped on Amazon and bought a few regular steel 24” long lines, will use the other one as a template to bend it up, and just going to use the softer material and that should do the trick.
I have more time into chasing brake fluid leaks and replacing this line than it took me to install the rear end back in the car. This is Rediculous.
Edit. Gonna buy a short lenght of Niccop
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