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General => Build Threads => Topic started by: EShepherd on February 01, 2021, 08:50:16 AM

Title: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 01, 2021, 08:50:16 AM
(https://imgur.com/5iAEcoQl.jpg)
Here's the car as I found her, loaded up on my tow dolly ready to come home. I made a six hour round trip from New York to Connecticut to go pick her up, plus the few hours it took to winch the car out of the bush she had been living in up onto my tow dolly. I had never even heard of these cars before this one popped up on Craigslist, and for $600 I just couldn't say no.

(https://i.imgur.com/R3kosfVl.jpg)
My wonderful view on the drive home. All in all, it was about a 10 hour adventure, with my wife and 12 month old son, to go get this car. Easily the furthest out of my way I've ever gone to pick up a car.

(https://i.imgur.com/eUIOx8Cl.jpg)
It was dark out by the time we got back, but here she is at her new forever home.

(https://i.imgur.com/SBwI36dl.jpg)
8 Hours of work later, and the engine was about ready to come out.

(https://i.imgur.com/z2HIpE9l.jpg)
The rear-most engine mount is pretty much the only part that put up a fight this whole time. Well, and the exhaust....but that was a mess anyways so I gave up fairly quickly and cut it off.

(https://i.imgur.com/amxKUlul.jpg)
The engine and car have about 151,000 miles on them. This thing was absolutely disgusting for so few miles. I did what I could to clean it up, but it will have to go to the machine shop to get hot tanked.

(https://i.imgur.com/4rd86tul.jpg)
This is one of the main reasons I pulled the engine out and apart. You can see here how bad the head gasket was. All 4 fire rings were egged out, and you can see coolant puddled up on the wrong side of the gasket around cylinder #4.

(https://i.imgur.com/k5cZzaCl.jpg)
Here, I'm measuring the endplay in the crankshaft. It was actually pretty good, right at 0.00055 inches. I haven't checked any specs yet (I plan to take all of my measurements first), but I'm pretty sure that it's well within the limit. I'm planning on measuring EVERYTHING. Anything that's out of spec is going to have to get corrected. I do plan on throwing more boost at this engine, so I want to make sure it'll be able to handle it. At the bare minimum, the engine will be getting new rod bearings, main bearings, piston rings, and seals/gaskets. And hot tanked.

(https://i.imgur.com/h4bKb4il.jpg)
And this is where I left off last night. I got the rods and pistons out in order to start measuring oil clearances. The bearings are actually in decent shape, but they are pretty worn through. No deep scratches or hot spots or anything like that. This car may have been neglected, but it doesn't seem to have been abused.

So that's where I'm at after about a week of ownership. I plan on building the Capri into a sort of daily driver/track car hybrid. I'll be getting rid of the air conditioning, power steering, audio system, soft top, etc etc. to save as much weight as possible. At the same time, I plan on increasing the boost, and possibly the compression ratio as well. I'm still debating with myself if I would rather do the rocketchip or if I'm going to go with microsquirt. If I go standalone, I can replace the silly VAF setup with a normal intake and a MAP sensor. I can also get rid of the car's factory ignition system, which seems rather weak to me, and replace it with a slightly newer setup from a Miata. I might even be able to go to a coil-on-plug setup. The only real downside is that it's expensive. It'd cost me about $550 for the microsquirt, plus however much more to essentially rebuild the wiring harness, intake system, and ignition system. Tough decision. In addition to all of that, the only real modification I have planned is to replace a bunch of the bushings in the car with poly bushings. I was planning on making my own, since I can't seem to find much in the way of aftermarket. I'd like to add some chasis bracing too, but again that'll probably all have to be custom. I can't even find front and rear strut tower bars. That's okay though, I do enjoy fabrication work.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on February 01, 2021, 09:03:09 AM
Congratulations on what seems like a great score. Beautiful work you are doing to. We do suffer parts availability by being an orphan. When you're doing your searches, search for Mazda 323GT (not GTX) for suspension parts. You're more likely to find what you are looking for. Whiteline usually has those bushings you're looking for but you have to pay shipping from Australia. Of course MX5 is the place to look for engine mods. Sounds like you have a good plan, best of luck with it and keep us informed with your progress.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 04, 2021, 10:21:51 AM
Here's a question for you guys. While I have the engine fully apart, I was wondering if there would be anything to gain by slightly increasing oil clearances by using oversized main and rod bearings. I figured if the factory set it up to run at factory boost levels (I think 8-10 psi?), and I am planning on running it around 17-20 psi, it may be beneficial to widen the clearances by a tiny amount. Before I start changing anything away from the factory specs, I figure I might as well consult with the experts.

While I've got the whole drivetrain ripped apart, is there anything you guys would recommend doing that may not be immediately obvious to someone unfamiliar with these cars specifically? Anything to beef up the transmission, or any other known weak areas? Like I said in the first post, I'm still debating swapping over to a Miata ignition system....but I don't really want to obliterate any chance of having Rocket's ECU work with my setup. Such difficult decisions. If I went with larger injectors, would that also cause conflicts with his chip, or would they work the same but at a lower duty cycle?

The entirety of my electrical system needs to be replaced. So, so many connectors just sort of imploded on themselves while I was disassembling. I'm going to need to re-wire essentially everything under the hood. I know off the top of my head that the connectors for the VAF, the injectors, and even the main harness (the big round one) all broke. I'm planning on tucking all the wiring, and switching all the connectors over to weatherpack stuff. I think I may even move the battery and fuse blocks into the trunk. Any advice or warnings before I commit to this plan and start ordering parts?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 04, 2021, 06:05:56 PM
Just wanted to add an update of what I've done the last few days. To start off with, the one piece of the engine that I'm really concerned with looking good is the valve cover. It's front and center, right at the top. The one piece you'll see the most when you pop the hood. So, my plan, instead of painting it, is to polish the hell out of it. Get it to look like a mirror. Here's how it looked when I took the engine out of the car, and then how it looks now. I'm nowhere near done, but it is a start...

(https://i.imgur.com/aZC38Bkl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hlgcdz6l.jpg)



In addition to that, I've been working on cleaning up the rotating assembly. Behold:

(https://i.imgur.com/csCghv9l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QGmukJvl.jpg)


One down, only three more to go. Quite the time-consuming task, and they aren't even as clean as I'd like to get them.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on February 05, 2021, 10:16:12 AM
Nice
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 07, 2021, 10:57:31 AM
So, I finally finished up with my first cleaning of the connecting rods, caps, wrist pins, circlips, and pistons. They still aren't as clean as I'd like them to be, but it's certainly a good start.
(https://i.imgur.com/FUZYjwpl.jpg)

I finally got the beating heart of the whole deal free from her home of the last 30-odd years. I didn't have the time yesterday to really sit down and inspect it, but from my cursory glance, everything checks out. I'd love to get the thing lightened up, maybe knife edge the counter weights....but I don't have the mountains of money I'd need to pay a machinist to do that. Ah well. My only real plan here is to try and polish up the main and rod journals, and give her a very deep cleaning - both inside and out.
(https://i.imgur.com/xFgYL5Tl.jpg)


After pulling the crankshaft out, this is the sight that I was met with. If you look towards the front of the engine from the #4 cylinder oil squirter, you'll see a pretty sizeable hole. The edges of it are pretty dang rough; I'm not sure if that's just shitty casting flash, or if that's from a piece of the block itself being broken off. Is that hole supposed to even be there? Is it a drain-back up to the cylinder head.....or do I have a massive hole in my block???!!! I'm hoping it's supposed to be there; I'd have to imagine that if there was that catastrophic of a failure, I'd be seeing way more damage. However, this is my first time opening up this engine specifically, so I honestly have no idea. Can someone PLEASE tell me if that hole is supposed to be there? I'm not ordering any parts until I know....and I'm at the stage of the build where my next step is ordering parts. Ughhhhh.
(https://i.imgur.com/WV4XpUMl.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on February 08, 2021, 03:19:26 AM
Yes, I believe that's an oil drain from the head to the oilpan.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 08, 2021, 10:54:45 AM
Thanks for the reply Rocket, that is fantastic news. I was very worried there.

I've got another question for you guys. Are the head bolts, main bolts, and rod bolts all torque to yield? Or am I able to reuse them? The service manual doesn't make any mention of having to replace them (that I've seen, at least). I don't want to spend a bunch of money on fasteners if I can avoid it, no matter how much I love ARP head studs. It does mention to replace the copper washers that are below and above the oil squirters. Is there anything special about them, or can I just go grab a set of copper washers from the parts store for brake hoses and similar?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: ZJCapri91 on February 08, 2021, 05:33:48 PM
Thanks for the reply Rocket, that is fantastic news. I was very worried there.

I've got another question for you guys. Are the head bolts, main bolts, and rod bolts all torque to yield? Or am I able to reuse them? The service manual doesn't make any mention of having to replace them (that I've seen, at least). I don't want to spend a bunch of money on fasteners if I can avoid it, no matter how much I love ARP head studs. It does mention to replace the copper washers that are below and above the oil squirters. Is there anything special about them, or can I just go grab a set of copper washers from the parts store for brake hoses and similar?

I have done the head gasket for my car, and reused the head bolts with no issues. I would say that unless the head bolts look stretched, you can use them again. Not sure about the others though...
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on February 08, 2021, 10:20:23 PM
They are not torque-to-yield. That said I'm not sure how many cycles I would use them. I think on several of my engines I have re-used them once
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 09, 2021, 02:59:13 PM
Thanks for the input guys. I'm definitely the first one to open this engine up, so I think they should be fine then if I reuse them. That being said, if I do end up doing the hybrid turbo setup with the Probe turbo, I'll likely end up pulling the head and throwing the ARP's in there.

Now I'm waiting on parts. Does anyone have a write-up for how to port the wastegate on our turbo's? I've read that they can give you problems with boost creep if you have an aftermarket exhaust, so that's something I'd like to jump ahead of. I've got the turbo manifold all apart now, so I figured that'd be an easy little project while I wait on my parts to arrive.

EDIT:
-------
I just put in my parts order. I've got the gasket set (last one by Apex on RockAuto, sorry fellas) coming on the 17th. The main and rod bearings, piston rings, and assembly lube are coming on the 19th. The thrust washers aren't coming until the 23rd. I also have some roloc discs and a new die grinder which should be arriving tomorrow. I'm going to be able to use those to clean off the head gasket mating surfaces. Once that is done, I'm going to prep and paint the engine before all my parts show up, so that she is ready for reassembly. I'm thinking I'll do the block and head in flat black, and the oil pan and valve cover in purple. I was going to polish the valve cover, but it was taking up way too much time. There may be a move in my near future, so I'm trying to get the car back to a state where it moves under its own power as soon as possible.

On an unrelated note, I was looking at other parts on RockAuto and came across https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=6752684&cc=1196636 (https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=6752684&cc=1196636) that clutch kit. It's a 6-puck clutch made by a company called M-Pack, for $86.00. Comes with the alignment tool, pressure plate, pilot bearing, and release bearing, as well as the clutch itself. That seems way too good to be true. Does anyone have any experience with this kit, or the company in general?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 15, 2021, 02:36:18 PM
So, question for anyone who happens upon this build thread. I need help cleaning the head gasket mating surfaces on my block and head. The old composite gasket seems to have fused itself to the deck surface. No matter what I try, I just can't get the thing to be just clean metal. Here is a picture of it after going at it with a razor blade, brake cleaner, and engine degreaser:
(https://i.imgur.com/Pf24J3jl.jpg)

After spending hours doing that and making no progress, I went out and got a new air die grinder and some of those rubber roloc discs. I've used these before to clean gasket surfaces, and they've always worked well for me. Of course, they didn't do a perfect job here. This is what it looked like after several passes with the roloc disc:
(https://i.imgur.com/2Q0bqF2l.jpg)

It's definitely better, but it is by no means a perfectly clean deck surface. So, I've got two questions I suppose. First off, how in the world do I get the old gasket completely off the block? Do I need to just bite the bullet and take the thing to the machine shop to get professionally cleaned? Second question: Is this good enough? Do you think I can get a good seal with the new head gasket on this surface? The gasket I have waiting to go on is graphite, which I think is what the OEM one is also made from. So far. all my measurements have shown me that I can get away with just replacing the bearings and rings without needing to get any machining done. I'd hate to have to bring it to the machinist just to get cleaned. In fact, I'd probably get it at least honed on top of cleaned, if I need to bring it to them, just so I don't feel like I'm wasting their time. So what do you guys think I should do?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on February 16, 2021, 08:15:11 AM
Rolox discs have always worked for me so I don't know what to tell you there, but by all means get the block honed and the crank polished before you reassemble it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: ZJCapri91 on February 16, 2021, 08:30:39 AM
If your going to the trouble, do it right!

Hire a machine shop and have them make sure the block deck is flat, and have them hone the cylinders while they're in there.

It's better to spend the money than find out your head isn't making a good seal because of an uneven block.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on February 16, 2021, 08:37:20 AM
Check out my build! you may take some inspiration from it!  its the one called "pulled motor to do rings and got super carried away"
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 16, 2021, 01:13:22 PM
Thanks for the idea on getting the crank journals polished. That was something I was going to attempt to tackle myself, but if the machine shop is in my future, I may as well farm that job out to the experts as well. As far as the flatness, I checked it with a straight edge and feeler gauges very thoroughly. Next time I'm out in the garage I'll grab those numbers and report back. I'm pretty sure that it was within spec, but if not then I suppose I'll have to get it decked as well.

Nobody has any other ideas on how to try and clean the head gasket off?

EDIT:
------
Does anyone know of a good machine shop somewhere within sayyyy 1.5 hours drive from New York City? I can not find anybody around here with availability anytime within the next 6 months, and I really can't wait that long. I'm trying to move my family to Louisiana within the next couple months, and I'd love to get the Capri driving before that happens.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on February 17, 2021, 08:52:29 AM
Absolutely get your journals polished on a lathe.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on February 17, 2021, 11:01:52 PM
I'd run a really nice, fresh flat file over the face of the block to clean up any leftover gasket material. It won't remove an appreciable amount of material from the block. Done it plenty of times no issues.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 19, 2021, 09:31:47 AM
That's a pretty good idea Rocket, I'll give that a try. In other news, the white roloc disc worked perfectly on the bottom of the head, so there's that problem avoided. Also, all of my parts have come in. Now I need to really think about if I want to take the thing to the machine shop before reassembly. I'd really love to, I just can't find anywhere.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on February 19, 2021, 11:53:06 AM
I'm working at a garage as a 2nd job now & we have a Dodge V8 truck getting head gaskets done. My boss has a small local guy he uses, I will get the info for you
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 20, 2021, 11:24:20 AM
Thanks Rocket, much appreciated. If the guy has a torque plate for these engines for the honing, that'd be awesome as shit. I'm not picky though. If he has a free slot to clean it and polish my crank, that's really all I need. I don't mind the drive out to the Pocono area either, it's only like 45 mins from me.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 25, 2021, 01:40:52 PM
Well, I've got a little update for today. I haven't been able to get much done in the last few days. There's a truck in the way in the garage I work in making it difficult to get to my toolbox and everything. What I've been working on is the final cleaning of all the parts of the short block that I had already taken off the engine and had cleaned with the engine degreaser. I've got - 3 of the main caps and their bolts, the oil squirters and their banjo bolts, and all 4 piston/rod/wrist pin assemblies and their bolts - all through their deep clean. After hitting everything with engine degreaser, I clean them with very hot water and dish soap, then dry them off as well as possible. Then I clean everything again with isopropyl alcohol (I think 97%), and dry them again. They're all now wrapped up air tight, waiting for the final step before assembly. I'm going to wipe it all down with automatic transmission fluid with coffee filters, then wrap them up air tight again. The whole point of that is to fight off flash rust, because you never really know how long it's going to be before those parts get put in the block. That way, when it's time for assembly, all you need to do is blast off the bearing, gasket, and ring surfaces with brake cleaner, then hit everything with compressed air. Once I'm done with this, all I've got left to do is the same cleaning on the 2 last main caps, the crankshaft, oil pan, oil pump assembly (If I don't replace it), and the rear main seal carrier. I can do that while I wait for (and find) an appointment to have a machinist clean and hone my block, and polish my crankshaft.

If anyone is reading this while planning their own engine build, if you take one lesson from mine, it's to make sure you take your time to clean EVERYTHING as well as you can. Trust me, the last thing you want is to leave junk in there to potentially score bearings and block oil passages. Take your time, don't rush the cleaning.

Anyways, I didn't take many pictures. It's boring. I cleaned some parts in my kitchen sink (sorry wife). Here's a couple pictures of the space I set up in the back of my truck to oil all these parts, since I currently have no room in the garage...
(https://i.imgur.com/Ug6LawXl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/KCqLGoPl.jpg)

I also got all the parts I've ordered (so far) in. I only remembered to take a picture of the gasket set. Sorry...
(https://i.imgur.com/r5emyrAl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/C96tWXLl.jpg)

And that's all I've got as far as pictures go. I'll have more coming soon. I'll get pictures of the new parts (with part numbers!), and the cleaned parts after I've got them ready for reassembly. I might even put the rings on the pistons soon, we'll see.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on February 26, 2021, 08:25:49 AM
Beautiful work. If you want, check with your local welding supply for a protective spray to protect the bare metal. The one I've used cleans up with carb or brake cleaner and lasts easily a year with no ill effects.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 26, 2021, 09:50:48 AM
I used to have a little side business, years and years ago now, rebuilding Honda B-Series engines for people. I always used ATF as a rust inhibitor, and I never had anyone complain of flash rust issues. It also comes right off with brake clean. If it's not broken, don't mess with it - that's my philosophy here. Plus, I was able to buy a quart of ATF at the deli (???) right down the street from me. They even gave me a stack of giant tablecloth sized coffee filters for free. I'd love to use something purpose made for the application, but I'm also being cheap with this build ;D

I'll have more pictures up later today. I've got most of the parts oiled up, and I'm planning on grabbing the last two mains and getting them done too. I also brought the crankshaft inside to get it ready for it's deep cleaning. You'll see it when I post up the pictures, but it honestly might not need to get professionally polished. In the better lighting in here, it honestly doesn't look too bad. The casting on the counterweights is terrible, I won't lie, but the journals all look pretty damn good to me. I'm not going to fix the casting, either. I really don't want to have to deal with getting everything re-balanced. Like I said, I'm trying to be cheap with this build. I'm not shooting for the moon, I'll be happy if I hit 250 horsepower. I shouldn't have to go nuts with the modifications to achieve that.

Question on oil pumps. Is it worth it to replace the factory one with a Melling unit, even if the original one is within spec? There are two for sale on Rock Auto. There's a no-name one that is a little under $40, and then there is the Melling one for around $120. I'm curious if you guys think it's worth the extra insurance for the engine to splurge a bit on the better oil pump. I've used their stuff on much higher power builds, and I've never had any issues with them.

UPDATE:
----------
I promised pictures, and I took quite a few. So, here we go. The first 2 are of the oil pump that I have from this engine, which has about 150k miles on it. It's been precleaned with engine degreaser. I haven't taken it apart yet to check the clearances, but that's on the list of stuff to do. I'm still debating the merits of just replacing it with a Melling.
(https://i.imgur.com/i7JuJtZl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Hi1pGfgl.jpg)

The next are the new parts that came in. I've got the part numbers there for you as well. My camera isn't great, and the connecting rod bearings picture came out blurry. The part number is 4-4175CP, and those are from Sealed Power.
(https://i.imgur.com/IJ0kjmol.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QwsJglSl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/J8dKxohl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/eETdvpWl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rBSshjVl.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 26, 2021, 03:23:05 PM
I have more pictures. I'm not sure if there's a limit on this forum on how many pictures you can have per post, so I went ahead and split this post between an update and a new post. I've got some pictures of my cleaning process, mostly from start to finish. So the first couple are how I start it. Spray everything off with engine degreaser, and scrub it down with brass brushes and pipe cleaners. You can see in the second picture the last two main caps I had to do. The one in the foreground has been precleaned already, the one in the back is how it looked when it came out of the block.
(https://i.imgur.com/JmRwe9ll.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gq7C5AIl.jpg)

After that, I clean it with soap and water, and then finish it with trans fluid and coffee filters to prevent flash rust. ATF also takes any flash rush right out of the surface, you can see it show up orange on the coffee filter. Everything gets bagged and tagged, so I know its ready to be installed. You'd be surprised how quickly stuff will flash rust. The oil squirters had maybe 24 hours go by from when they were washed until they were oiled, and there was already significant amounts of flash rush. Here's what I've got ready so far:
(https://i.imgur.com/9ZjIOpQl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Ea9uh8yl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0mdE1jvl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AZIcr1Cl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/G6Z4GR3l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/z1KxlXql.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ZggTaaAl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/reT5fE7l.jpg)

If you squint really hard, you can pretend you're looking at a whole box of brand new parts.

On an unrelated note. Can someone PLEASE tell me how to get the rubber seal out of this rear main seal carrier? I've got it cleaned and I've got the new gasket(s), but I can't for the life of me break the old seal free. I'm afraid to damage the carrier too, its very thin, and I really don't want to have to try and find another one.
(https://i.imgur.com/fQvnmr4l.jpg)


EDIT:
-------
I've got some more pictures. Hopefully, it lets me add them to this post which is already packed full of pictures. I've got the crankshaft inside for it's turn getting deep cleaned. I haven't done anything to it yet, aside from hitting it lightly with the engine degreaser. You can see what I was going on about in a previous post. The casting is pretty astoundingly bad....there's casting lines on all of the counter weights, and the casting itself appears very porous.  That being said, the journals all look to be in excellent shape. I know I should get it polished, and that it'll last longer if I do, but I'm also pretty confident I could get away with not having it polished. I guess we'll see what I end up doing with it. I'll re-assess it once it's fully cleaned and oiled.
(https://i.imgur.com/YW7nFYdl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mYwVja5l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/R6YlakNl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9RGm1PJl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/8Rtp2Wyl.jpg)




IMPORTANT - I still need some advice on how to remove that rear main seal from it's carrier. I've got the same issue with the round seal on the oil pump. Neither one wants to separate from it's metal housing. On both of them, the metal spring on the inside of the rubber seal has come out, but the seal itself won't budge. I'm pretty stuck here. I've tried picks,  screwdrivers, smacking them with a deadblow and a socket, etc. I'm about ready to give up on the oil pump and buy the Melling one, but I can't find a replacement for the rear main seal carrier. So that one, I HAVE to get out. Even if I do replace the oil pump, the new one doesn't come with the dipstick tube, and I can't figure out how to get  THAT out of the old pump either. Somebody.....anybody.....help? Please? :( :o

Second Edit: Got the rear main seal off! I nicked the carrier a little bit, but I'll sand off the burrs and it should be okay. Hopefully the thing I did works on the oil pump seal as well.

Third Edit: Got the oil pump figured out as well. Man, they both put up a fight.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 27, 2021, 07:14:31 PM
I hope it's okay if I continue to make new posts to help split this all up. It's a new day, and I got more work done. This forum isn't very active, but my hope by posting all of my process here is that one day in the future, a fellow car enthusiast may find this thread and find it helpful. If I'm breaking any rules by multi-posting like this, let me know and I'll stop doing it. It's just easier if everything is split up into different postings chronologically. That being said, today I was able to get pictures of the missing part of my cleaning process. You can see all the parts that have been precleaned with the degreaser out in the garage, bagged and tagged, ready to get their deep cleaning. I scrub it in the kitchen sink with dish soap and wire brushes (and a toothbrush), dry it, wipe it off again with 91% isopropyl alcohol, and then dry it again. Than it gets bagged back up to get oiled (which you've seen, and which I'll be doing to these parts tomorrow). I ran out of daylight, otherwise I'd oil these today. The longer you wait, the more likely they are to flash rust. The last two parts that need to get cleaned are the oil pan (which doesn't fit in my sink), and the crankshaft, which I'm not cleaning until I can immediately oil it after.
(https://i.imgur.com/S5iYi66l.jpg)
EDIT: Ooops, I didn't even notice he snuck himself into this picture. Meet my 14 month old son, Attanasio! ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/WDvMhubl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/592iSRyl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TZaht1Bl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/oXTy0yzl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/D23pInml.jpg)


Next up was the rear main seal carrier. I actually got to do a tiny bit of fab work here, and I'm actually quite proud of my results. While removing the seal, I naturally nicked the race, in a few spots. That left a few raised burrs, which could potentially tear the new seal. Now, I'm sure we've all had this happen plenty of times. Normally I'd just send it....but I'm actually putting my whole effort into this car, so that's not going to cut it here. I used a Dremel on a low speed, with a tiny little 600 grit cartridge roll, and took the burrs out. I was able to get it perfectly smoothed out, to the point where it won't snag anywhere if you run your finger along where it seals. Obviously it takes out a little bit of material, but I'm confident the rubber in the seal will expand to take up the space. I think this turned out well, and should save me from having to track down a new carrier to replace it. You'll see in later pictures that the main seal race on the oil pump received the same treatment.
(https://i.imgur.com/JeUxXRXl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iQtUpjHl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hTkVkxrl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qAGTMUfl.jpg)


Lastly, I've got some pictures of the oil pump taken apart and cleaned out. The pump housing has some crazy contours and tiny spaces - it's not the easiest thing in the world to clean - but I did what I can. The only part that I haven't cleaned on it yet is the little piston assembly behind the cotter pin. Similar to the crankshaft, I want to wait to clean that until it can be oiled immediately afterwards. A tiny spec of flash rust in that bore or on that piston could drastically affect my oil pressure, so I'm being extra careful there. You can see the work I did to the seal races in a couple of the pictures. I did that exactly like I did the rear main seal carrier. All told, this oil pump seems to be in good enough condition to be put back into service. That being said, I'm still debating buying a Melling oil pump, anyways. Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?
(https://i.imgur.com/IsOhghol.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Kmn3Rf6l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/uJHRwB1l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FhgHdm0l.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on February 27, 2021, 07:38:49 PM
You're fine with posting, it only helps to post more, keeps the forum more active and someone will find it useful some day.
Did you get my message with the engine machine shop info?

Regarding the oil pump: There are two versions, one for the small/short nose crank and one for the long/large nose crank. The one for the small nose is hard to find so double check what you have before replacing it. 91 there was a changeover mid-year so you could have either crank.
The oil pump gears shatter at high power levels due to harmonics, there are billet gears available in the Miata gettin' places, but I don't think you'll have an issue at 250 or even 300hp.

Keep up the good work, top-down driving season will be here before we know it
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 27, 2021, 07:53:45 PM
Hey Rocket. I didn't even notice the little message thing up there, but yeah I got it now. Thanks! I'll give the guy a call tomorrow.

In regards to the short nose/long nose crank situation; how do I tell which I have? Does it go by production date, and if so what's the cut off? I've got a few pictures in a previous post of the crankshaft. Can you tell from them? Or is there a part of it I need to measure?

The thing with the gears shattering at high RPM's is a little alarming, so I think I will end up upgrading the pump. I may not be aiming for a power level where that'll be a problem, but you know how that goes. Suddenly you have a turbo the size of a man hole cover. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially with something so important. My biggest priority at the moment is reliability, anyways. I'd like to give this car to my kid in 15 or so years. I think I've convinced myself to get a new pump.

Any idea how to get the dipstick tube out of the old one? Can I just take the torch to it, then grab it with some vice grips and twist it out? It sure looks like it's pressed fit, to me.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on February 27, 2021, 08:49:23 PM
I think the pumps come with new dipstick tubes? It's been a while, I don't recall.

It's high horsepower, not necessarily high RPMs. The way to defeat the harmonics is to get a better harmonic "balancer" (crank damper) but again that's kind of outside of the scope of your build. I don't think you'll need to worry about the pump.

For the crankshaft, I don't recall the exact date, but there were different crank pulleys. Here's some additional reading: https://www.miata.net/garage/crankshaft.html

Here's info on the upgraded gears for educational purposes: https://www.flyinmiata.com/default/boundary-engineering-oil-pump.html

Here's info on the upgraded crank damper pulley for educational purposes: https://www.flyinmiata.com/NA/ati-damper-pulley-kit-91-95.html
Looks to only be for the large-nose cranks
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on February 28, 2021, 09:26:41 AM
This is great info for those of us who've never seen the internals of a B engine and I applaud you for the effort required to take and post the pics.  Will be following with great interest. Rocketman, great info provided by your links. Love that there is so much MX5 parts available to upgrade out lowly Capris. Pretty cool that Flyin Miata can modify the early oil pump to use the high volume gears.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 28, 2021, 09:44:46 AM
Thanks for the info on the crank issue Rocket. After reading up on that, running back and forth and looking at my crank, then reading up on the loctite fix.....well I've had a stressful morning hahaha. I'm pretty sure I've got the short nose crank here, but I need to go out to the garage and get my calipers before I'm positive. I found a detailed guide on the loctite fix that the article you linked mentioned, and it doesn't really seem all that bad. It's just a bit scary that Mazda let such a bad design flaw get through R&D like this. I don't think my keyway looks worn out at all, but until I measure it I don't know for sure how bad this situation may really be.

I'll be editing this post later with some pictures and more information. Thanks for making me aware of this problem. I'd be incredibly upset if I didn't find out about this until it was all back together.

And GreyWolf, thanks man. I figured with the service manual, anyone should be able to follow instructions and take apart/put together their engine. I'm trying to show the things they don't mention in there, that'll give you a better chance of success.

Also, does anyone know if I should pack the oil pump with vaseline, or use assembly lube on the gear set? I've done the vaseline trick with a couple older small block Chevy's, and I like the peace of mind it gives. Would the same principles apply to priming the oiling system on these cars? Or is it better to just disable fuel and spark, and spin these engines over with the starter in order to build oil pressure before first start up?

EDIT:
-------
(https://i.imgur.com/YNjH0okh.jpg)
Well, damnit. I had a feeling, and this confirms it. I have the problem child. So it looks like I need to track down a new woodruff key, crank pulley, crank bolt, and some loctite 660. Lovely. That loctite 660 is extremely expensive, too. Looks like tiny 5oz tubes are going on Amazon for about $30. Is this something that absolutely needs to be addressed? Or is it something where if I'm extremely careful torquing the crank pulley bolt down, it may never be a problem? Damn it..... I guess either way I'll probably end up doing the fix. For anyone who finds this in the future, here is the guide I found:
https://www.miata.net/garage/hsue/Loctite%20Crank%20Fix%20-%20Part%201.htm (https://www.miata.net/garage/hsue/Loctite%20Crank%20Fix%20-%20Part%201.htm)

So I put the nose of the crank back together, not torqued or anything, just kind of placed the parts where they should go. I don't see any wear or signs of slop on anything. Do I necessarily HAVE to replace these parts? For example, do I NEED the OEM Mazda crank bolt (Part# 630-11-406C)? Is it the larger one, and does it require the higher torque setting? Or can I just clean up these parts I already have, and simply apply the Loctite 660 to the woodruff key and the gear? That bolt alone is $30 too, so I'll be spending probably $200ish to fix this correctly if I follow that guide I linked (Depending on price of harmonic balancer and gear).


ANOTHER EDIT:
------------------
Alright, I've done some more reading. Looks like my tentative plan is to replace that crank bolt and woodruff key with new OEM parts, then use the Loctite 660 stuff on it when I reassemble. Should only cost me around $60 or so, and it seems like the best way to go about fixing the issue for my goals with this car. Just a bit annoyed that now the crankshaft bolt is going to have to be a maintenance item. If this engine ever comes apart again for more serious modifications, I'll be going into that project knowing I need to replace the crankshaft, front covers, and oil pump.

I know the Loctite 660 is supposed to be used on the keyway and the back of the gear. I'd imagine that stuff is crazy strong, and NOT what I'm supposed to use on the threads in the nose of the crank that the pulley bolt goes into, correct? What should I use there? Red? Blue?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on February 28, 2021, 06:47:40 PM
The Loctite fix is ONLY for a worn out keyway. Instead of welding new metal in & re-machining the keyway to fit the "fix" was to fill in the gouged out area with loctite. Hence the expensive specialty loctite. I don't recall seeing a worn out keyway on your crankshaft.
You can re-use the stock bolt & key if they are in good shape, just be sure to torque it properly when you re-install it. For extra security you could use the removable loctite on the crank bolt threads, don't use the permanent stuff.

There was an issue with crankshaft snouts shearing off clean. Time has tended to weed out the problem crankshafts, if yours has survived it's probably fine for another 30 years.

Regarding the oil pump priming: Maybe throw a little engine oil in the pump when you assemble it, but you will be fine to disable fuel/spark and crank to build pressure. The stock oil gauges suck, don't go by it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on February 28, 2021, 07:50:53 PM
I read about the Vaseline trick after I had it all together but not started yet, it had me worried but I cranked it with no fuel/spark and i could see the oil pressure rise quite quickly while cranking it over. I broke the lower timing pully getting it off so needed replacing and a bloke on the ford laser forum advised me to put a new key and bolt too, they don't cost much and are easy to get, I think the crank bolt is a torque to yeal strech bolt
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on February 28, 2021, 07:54:21 PM
Also check your timing mark on the v pully, if the key way is at 12 o clock the mark should be around ten past 12, mine had spun and was 180 deg off, I replaced it with a good one but I wish I had found it before it all went back together
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 28, 2021, 08:43:29 PM
Thanks for the advice, both of you guys. I really appreciate it. I think I'll go ahead and replace the bolt and keyway, then just be careful with the torque. Maybe some blue Locktite on the crank pulley bolt. I'll be sure to look at that v-belt gear next time I'm out in the garage and make sure I don't run into that same issue. Seriously, thanks a ton. That eases a lot of the anxiety I was feeling.

Anyways, I got a bit more work done today. Started off by finishing off most of the cleaning on the parts I need ready to reassemble the bottom end. The oil pan bolts had a bunch of old RTV stuck in the threads, so that had to go. The engine was disgusting when I pulled it out, and a leaky oil pan is just sloppy workmanship. I still need to figure out how to clean all the silly crevices in the oil pan, then get that masked off and painted. I took the piston and spring out of the oil pump, cleaned out the bore and parts with brake clean, hit it with compressed air, coated it in assembly lube, and put it back together with a new cotter pin. Just like the service manual says. Finally, a use for the box of cotter pins I bought at Harbor Freight months ago.  ::)
(https://i.imgur.com/njWudx1l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/imzSEzcl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tladWdil.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PJdoQpil.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QfEJ78Vl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ehEZqSLl.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on February 28, 2021, 09:09:29 PM
Are they new gears for the oil pump? I didn't touch mine just cleaned it and put it back on, I'm a bit worried about it as most of the  high horsepower miata builds I've watched, they upgrade the oil pump for a boundary pump with billet gears. I heard the stock pumps gears let go under high power. Any one know anything about the pumps and what kind of power they are good till?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on February 28, 2021, 09:21:48 PM
I just reused my old gears, after cleaning and oiling them. You can absolutely find pictures and stories of higher power Miata engines shattering those oil pump gears. If you read through Rocket's posts on the second or third page of this thread, he talks about it and provides a link. You can find billet gears, and you'll apparently want to upgrade the crank pulley as well. At my power goals, I shouldn't run into problems. With the power you are making, that's definitely something you should look into. It's not going to be cheap, though. Flyin' Miata has the damper and billet gears, each for around $600. Maybe there are better deals on your side of the planet.

I've got a few extra pictures. I'm FINALLY about to start putting stuff together, instead of taking it apart. I opened the first new parts for this thing today. My next steps are going to be rebuilding the oil pump with new gaskets and seal, and then installing the rear main seal. Once this is done, it's just a matter of cleaning the crank and the block (or having them cleaned for me). It's great to finally be on assembly.
(https://i.imgur.com/UY7APGnl.jpg)
Looks like new intake and exhaust manifold gaskets, oil pan and valve cover gaskets, and the new head gasket.

(https://i.imgur.com/nQdStA0l.jpg)
The rear main, a bunch of oil seals, all the paper gaskets, some valve stem seals, and more oil seals and misc. stuff. Almost none of it is labeled, so this will be fun to figure out.

(https://i.imgur.com/HprWSFWh.jpg)
And here is how I left my workbench waiting for me. So, so excited to start putting it all back together finally.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on February 28, 2021, 09:41:04 PM
I don't think the flyin miat damper is for the short nose crank, I could be mistaken though. I'll look back over your thread I'm interested about the oil pump
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 01, 2021, 12:08:59 AM
Found it, cheers for pointing me to that I must have skimmed over that bit when I read your build.  I'm gonna need to get one, I wanna hit at least 402hp 3 times factory power. And I've sunk heaps of cash into it already I will be shattered if the gears shatter! There's no way I can afford to build it again any time soon.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 01, 2021, 10:37:57 AM
Yeah, the oil pump and harmonic balancer are definitely something you should look into upgrading, then. I know on Flyin' Miata, their stage 2 (god I hate than nomenclature) oil pump will fit on the short nose cranks, so if you also have that issue that should work for you. I don't know if their upgraded crank pulley will fit, though. The pulleys on the two cranks look different, I'm not sure if they are the same sizes or not. You might have some decent luck finding those parts used, if you look hard enough. If you don't mind shipping from the State's, I know a guy who runs a business selling used Miata parts. I'll get his information if that's something you'd be interested in.

Of course, those oil pump gears aren't super complicated, either. If you know anyone who works in a shop with a CNC machine, all you'd have to do is buy a lump of some nice billet steel, and bring them that and the gears you already have. Shouldn't be too hard to get them made, and I'd bet its far cheaper than buying that $600 oil pump.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 01, 2021, 12:03:08 PM
The Flyin Miata gears are thicker and require milling the pump body. They supply the body for the long nose crank, but you have to provide yours for the short nose to me milled out.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 01, 2021, 08:42:32 PM
Ah, I wasn't aware that there was a depth difference between the pumps. That'll be good to know in the future if I end up going that way with the engine some day,

Good news. I just spoke with the gentleman who runs the machine shop that Rocket recommended to me. His pricing is absolutely fair. I'm going to call him back tomorrow to confirm and set everything up, but I should be getting my machine work done this weekend. I'm planning on having the block cleaned and ball honed, and the crank polished. I may end up getting the block decked as well, and if he thinks I need it (and I can talk my wife into the extra bill lol) I'll get the mains line honed/align bored too. My hope is to drive up there either this coming Friday or Saturday, drop the parts off with him, then hang out at a hotel in the area until Sunday. If all it needs is cleaned/honed/polished, that should absolutely be doable. Then all I'll need to do is paint the block, and put the whole bottom end back together,

In other good news, I ordered a few more things for the build today, which should be showing up over the next several days, I've got a nice Mobile1 oil filter coming, some blue Loctite, spray on gasket-tack (LOVE this stuff), gray RTV, and a couple cans of engine paint. I went with VHT, a light gray/aluminum color. Hopefully it'll give me a nice, clean, almost factory look. I plan on doing the engine bay itself in satin black, and the car is going to be a metallic gunmetal color. That's the plan as of right now, at least.

Today, all I really accomplished was cleaning the oil pan. I didn't have much time to work. I've still got to mask off the pan so that it is ready for paint, and I've still got to put my oil pump together. Other than that, I've just gotta clean and wrap the crank so that it's ready for it's trip to Pennsylvania, and give the block the same treatment. Really, not too much left before we start seeing some real progress here. Once the bottom end is all together, that's when the real fun will start. I have big plans for that cylinder head...  ;D


Quick question for you guys. I've actually never taken an engine to a machine shop to get properly cleaned before. Should I pull out the freeze plugs before I bring it to him? If so, are replacement ones a universal deal, or will I need to find freeze plugs specific to this engine? That is, assuming I can't reuse the ones in there currently. I've never had to remove or install them before.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on March 01, 2021, 08:58:14 PM
AFAIK freeze plugs are standard sizes, I think you'll need to get a measurement on them to order new ones. Call the guy and ask him if it's necessary to remove them, you shouldn't have to.

They will be destroyed during the removal process. You puncture them to get a grip on them to pull it out.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 02, 2021, 01:01:32 AM
The plugs are only a buck or 2 each I'd do them, it's a pain in the ass trying to do them in the car if thay leak after, I'll have a look when I get home for you I think they are 25mm and 35mm, the new ones on my motor are stamped ill check the size for u
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 02, 2021, 08:20:18 AM
I'll have to disagree with Rocketman on freeze plugs. They are cheap and it is much easier to get your block really clean with them removed. Your machinist should be able to replace them for you because it does have to be done correctly to prevent future leaks.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 02, 2021, 09:23:43 AM
That's why I asked. I figured it'd be significantly easier for him to clean out the insides of the block, like the water jackets and whatnot, if those holes were opened up. Plus, if you look at the first couple pics of the engine, the damn thing had to have been leaking from just about everywhere. I've never seen a more gross engine. I'll ask the machinist later on today when I call him, but unless he specifically tells me not to do it, I'll pull them out and order some replacements. I've always liked the look of brass freeze plugs on a fresh engine.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 02, 2021, 05:59:32 PM
Sorry the main ones on the sides of the block are 30mm and 35mm. From memory the is a tiny one somewhere too, might be on the head I can't remember
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 02, 2021, 06:03:12 PM
Have a look at the plugs when they come out, some of mine had nearly corroded through
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 02, 2021, 07:01:30 PM
https://mx5mania.com.au/products/ati-damper-pulley-kit-harmonic-balancer-long-nose-na-1991-1994?_pos=18&_sid=138187678&_ss=r,

 check this out guys it says in the link long nose, but on its description on the page it clearly sounds like it's for the short nose, bloody expensive here in aus though, the ballancer is 500 more than I paid for the car!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 02, 2021, 07:04:57 PM
Was yours a short nose?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 02, 2021, 07:15:35 PM
Yeah, mine is a short nose. Good lord, that is a pricey crank pulley. That thing is a good $400 more than I've spent on the car and the parts I've bought (so far).

Anyways, I spoke with the machine shop again tonight. He now is telling me I can drop it off this weekend, but it might take him two-to-three weeks to get the work done. Now I'm on the fence about it again. I really want the work done, but I also reallllllly don't want to wait three weeks for it. Nothing that I'll be getting done is 100% necessary, and all of it I COULD do myself if need be, so it's a tough call. He'll be calling me back on Thursday to let me know how his schedule is looking, so I guess I have until then to decide.

Onto the pictures. I cleaned the pan and baffle out, and got the pan masked off for paint (which is on it's way). The only part I haven't masked yet is where the oil pan bolts will meet with the pan. It seems like a whole lot of work, for not too much benefit. If I don't do it, there's a chance the paint will crack/chip off around the bolts. If I do mask it off, the paint will look slightly better underneath of the car will literally nobody but me will see it. I might do it, I might not. That's all I've got for you today. I'm waiting on my Loctite and gasket-tack before I put the pump together. I'm waiting to prep the block and crank until I make a decision on the machine shop. I'll likely do what I can do the crank and block tomorrow, then wrap everything up and get the head ready. That's when the fun work can begin.

(https://i.imgur.com/5nEApNZl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zoYEtaOl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/eoeLFmLl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/i8qCJK8l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9EP1cZml.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pU7FNhtl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kakf9F0l.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 03, 2021, 09:12:07 AM
I'm interested in seeing what the head looks like.  I did a single cam head and that think was awful. I couldn't believe who bad the ports were in that thing.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 03, 2021, 09:32:27 AM
I'm interested in seeing what the head looks like.  I did a single cam head and that think was awful. I couldn't believe who bad the ports were in that thing.

If it's as bad as the casting on the block and crank, it's going to be really bad. My old Miata I built years ago, the head was in rough shape. Whole chunks of casting flash partially blocking off oil holes and everything. I really haven't even looked at this one yet. It's sitting on two pieces of 4x4's in front of my toolbox, covered with a couple towels. I'm excited to get started on it, and to get a good look at it. Head work has always been my favorite part of building an engine. Maybe I'm a masochist, but I find polishing cast aluminum very relaxing.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 04, 2021, 10:00:02 AM
I've got a few more pictures for you guys. The first two of are the oil pump getting re-assembled. I didn't do the Vaseline trick this time, I just liberally coated the gears in assembly lube. I had planned to use blue thread locker on the fasteners that hold the cover for the gearset in place, but it still hasn't come in yet. I may end up putting it in there later, I'm not too sure. There's a new gasket shown in the second picture; it's just a paper gasket that gets placed between the pump housing and pickup tube. If anyone knows the torque specs for either the pickup tube bolts or the gearset cover bolts, I'd appreciate if you could share that with me. I've just got them snugged up with a 1/4" drive ratchet for right now.
(https://i.imgur.com/EYrW6cCl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/MSo7Qwil.jpg)


After that I got the crank ready for reassembly, or the machine shop. Whatever I end up doing with it, it's ready.
(https://i.imgur.com/SH1tyjKl.jpg)
There's a close-up of the groove in the crank nose for the keyway. I guess this is where issues will develop with a short-nose crank. As you can see here, mine looks perfectly fine.


(https://i.imgur.com/8aTz8QWl.jpg)
Guys, HUGE shout-out to my wife for not only being okay with this happening in her kitchen sink, but for not even questioning it. <3


(https://i.imgur.com/IZyOdoFl.jpg)
If you do this to your engine, you've got to move FAST with the crank. This is the flash rust that developed in the 3 minutes it took me to walk the thing from my kitchen to my garage. Seriously, if you get the crank wet, you've gotta dry it thoroughly and immediately.


(https://i.imgur.com/vDnvdWUl.jpg)
ATF, coffee filters, compressed air, and elbow grease. That's what you'll need in spades to clean up a crankshaft. This one looks pretty damn good all cleaned, if I do say so myself. I could absolutely benefit from getting the journals polished (or doing it myself), but it'll very likely be perfectly fine without doing so, too. We'll see what happens.


(https://i.imgur.com/bDGEjl8l.jpg)
Here's how I have it wrapped up and stored, waiting for it's trip to Pennsylvania, or to be put back in it's home. If you weren't aware, you want to store crankshafts like this. You don't want to leave them laying on their sides for prolonged periods of time. The mass of the counterweights can actually pull the whole thing off it's centerline, bending it slightly. That'd be bad news.



That's the progress I made yesterday. The last thing is getting the block prepped and painted. and painting the oil pan. Which, good news, the paint showed up yesterday. Hopefully I can get the first coat on the pan today, so I can see how it looks. I have no idea how to clean the block properly without the hose hooked up, so if I have to wait until the weather gets warmer, so be it. If I can't get the block finished soon, I'll get started on the head.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 04, 2021, 02:21:28 PM
Got more work done. Just going to let the pictures speak for themselves. The paint color I picked looks AMAZING in person. I'll get better pics once  it dries fully.


(https://i.imgur.com/9T7E63nh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YZEbAByh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/WhVaQgXh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LBi3Oxjh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/KxKsoF1h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FLZGaA6h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Zj61gawh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/T3GkJkzh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CKpZmRsh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pN9WDiph.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AELiybHh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3PqNaDAh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/OH5vNN6h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/P5MvPMSh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Ep1keASh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/vnBpCwZh.jpg)

In summary, everything from the head gasket down is ready for reassembly, minus the machine shop work. The head is ready to start getting taken apart. There is plenty of room for improvements in there.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 05, 2021, 07:50:22 AM
Wow.....those ports look rough but the pan is nice.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 05, 2021, 07:51:53 AM
Oil pan looks awesome! I'm keen to see what you do to the head, I had mine decked and the valves recut, but I didn't tidy it up at all or polish anything. They vapour blasted it for me too, it looked so weird man, unbelievably clean the mating surfaces for the intake and exhaust manifold looked like new. Your going hard on this thing man you're gonna have that thing up and running before no time!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 05, 2021, 08:01:12 AM
I was looking at that ati damper again, I think in that link posted they are mistaken, it says on the flyin miata site it dosent fit short nose cranks, that is unless mx5 mainia knows something we don't. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't swap my crank for a long nose while I had it apart. You only need to change a few things to do it and I would have had the choice of a few different harmonic balancers with the lone nose crank
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 05, 2021, 08:33:56 AM
I'm pretty sure to swap the crank, all you'd need is a new pump, balancer (and bolt), and timing cover. You'd probably need to get the mains align bored as well. It's not a ton of work, but all together you'd probably be looking around $1000. That's a pretty hefty bill, but considering what you have done to your car, it'd definitely be worth the added peace of mind. And wolf, I agree with the ports. The valve seats also look rough, and there is a ton of loose casting in the case, which is what I was afraid of.

I've got the whole head ripped apart now, I'll post some more pictures later. I plan on doing a lot of work to the head, I feel like there is a decent amount of performance gains to be made here. It's going to need to get cleaned up very well first. Once the case is done, I'll be cleaning up the valves, then the combustion chambers. I'm probably going to polish them, then lap the valves in to get the seats and valve faces looking like new. I'm going to grind down all of the loose casting in the case. Then I need to clean up the ports, and I plan to gasket match and polish them. I'm not going to go crazy shaping them, at least I don't plan to. The dividers in the intake port can absolutely be knife edged a little, and there's a few sharp transitions that can be smoothed out. I may or may not end up going full polish on the ports, it depends on how worn out I am after all the other work I want to do. All in though, I'd imagine there's somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 hours of labor that I'll be putting into it.

I wish I had a flow bench, but hey. It's hard to look at this thing and not imagine you can improve it. Especially on a turbo car, where exhaust port velocity is just as important as intake port.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 06, 2021, 09:30:11 AM
Howdy, fellow Capri owners. I've gotten a fair bit of work done, so I figured it's about time to dump a bunch more pictures on you. For starters, here is the oil pan with the paint dry and the tape removed. It still needs to be heat-cycled to cure, but that'll have to wait until the engine is in the car. I don't think my wife would be super happy if I stuck an oil pan in the oven.
(https://i.imgur.com/K4gAG27h.jpg)


Next up, I took a fair amount of pictures of the teardown process. Everything is out of the head, except for the rubber valve stem seals. I've got new ones in that gasket kit, I just haven't taken these ones out yet. I tried yanking on them with needle nose pliers, but they didn't want to budge. There's a metal ring on the bottom, I think that may need to come off first. I'm not too sure, I'll play with them more at a later date. All of the parts that came off are still dirty, but don't you worry - they'll all be getting the same treatment as the rotating assembly. I didn't play with the lifters before I wrapped them up. Can anyone tell me if they are solid lifters, or if they are HLA's? If so, I'm going to need to take them apart and replace their seals as well. I think I have a set of those seals, too.
I've got a 6' bench grinder with a brass wire wheel ordered, which should be showing up today actually. That'll be getting used to clean off the valves. I'm very excited for it to show up, it's going to make my life a whole lot easier. I still need to get longer sanding cones to get deeper into the ports, and I'll need some flap wheels for my Dremel, to polish off the combustion chambers. I also need to order either buffing wheels and/or polishing compound, for both the ports and the combustion chambers. I have nearly everything I need, besides that stuff.
(https://i.imgur.com/etqTD4uh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qFpvywmh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ekttceZh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lITrnsLh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iJwQgMrh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ofYrVdXh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/idC163mh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/a36rTCdh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/uPP2ak7h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/HQsLlGhh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/OMZdrDCh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pV54Zq9h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dsfU5yYh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mYdybZMh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hlSXAkIh.jpg)


Lastly, I've got a couple pictures of the cleaning, porting, and polishing work that I've just begun with. This process is going to take a LONG time, and it's not the easiest thing in the world to show via pictures. I'll probably not be taking many more pictures until I'm done, but hopefully you'll be able to see the differences in the pictures above here and the ones to come later. The very last picture here shows the first couple passes of the first intake port with an 80 grit sanding roll. Depending on how well the head work comes out, I'm contemplating buying upgraded valve springs. If I can make significant improvements to the flow characteristics of this head, then why not get some double valve springs? I bet it'll sound incredible revving out to 8500 RPM's...  ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/6qj6898h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PvmD6uNh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iG5jXOHh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/if1yyzEh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aFXEZJQh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 07, 2021, 09:09:42 AM
Any idea on how much you can get the double springs for? Or any cheap alternatives we could use? I remember reading something about volvo springs. Any idea how high the rpm can go on the stock springs? Sorry for all the questions.

 I bet your gonna need sunglass to look at those ports when there done 😎
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 07, 2021, 11:52:44 AM
I'd expect in the $300-$600 range (USD) for a set of decent double valve springs for these. At least, new. I haven't looked around too hard yet, but I'm pretty sure that's around what I spent on the Miata I built several years ago now. I think with the factory valvetrain, a safe red-line is in the neighborhood of 7200 RPM's. At least, that's what Rocket says his chip can supply adequate fueling for. If you had a bigger pump and injectors, you'd probably be able to push it a little higher before you start running into valve float issues.

And thanks. I finished up the ends of the intake runners with the 400 grit rolls last night. It's definitely starting to look good in there. The only tricky thing is that my Dremel is too short to do the whole runner. I've gotta do the whole thing in stages. The ends of the intake ports, then through the bowls where the valves sit. Then the ends of the exhaust ports, and then through their bowls. It's annoying and tedious, but it's the only way I've got that'll work. I'm going to have to be extremely careful going in through the combustion chamber side, too. I REALLLLLLLY don't want to mess up any of the valve seats. I don't want to see the bill to get those re-cut. So, I'm sticking with the ends of the ports for now, and saving the difficult bit for last.

I ordered some wet/dry paper and some flap discs for the Dremel last night, to use on the combustion chambers. That's going to be fun. I think the paper goes up to 5000 grit, so those guys are going to be extra shiny. I've got my new bench grinder set up too, and it's beautiful. Tragically, I ordered the wrong brass wire wheel. I've got the correct one ordered, but it'll be a few days. I can't clean off the valves until that gets in. That'll be one of the last steps though. I've got to finish porting and polishing the ports, and I've got to polish the combustion chamber, before I can clean the valves and lap them in. This is a painfully slow process, but the results will (hopefully) be well worth the effort.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 08, 2021, 09:35:11 AM
Good morning everyone! I've got a status update for you guys this morning. So, as I stated previously, I've broken the head work up into 5 sections, due to the dimensions of the part and my tools. First, I started with the exits of the intake ports, then the same on the exhaust side. Then I'll go through the combustion chambers to get the intake bowls, then the exhaust bowls. Lastly, I'll do the combustion chambers themselves. After that will come lapping in the valves. Well, I finished with the easy parts last night. Both the intake and exhaust ports are done from the sides of the head, as far into the throats as my Dremel will reach. I'm now trying to mentally prepare myself for the struggle of working in the bowls, without touching the valve seats. It's not going to be fun, it never is. Hopefully, all goes well.

Picture time! First, lets take a look at the new tools that I got for this. Well, okay listen. I didn't buy the bench grinder just for this job. I've been meaning to put one on this workbench since I built it, (which was just in December. I made it for for my son, to give to him when he is older.) I just never got around to actually buying one. Well, it's here now, and it runs very smoothly. Unfortunately, I got the wrong brass wheel. The new one should be here sometime this week, hopefully. I don't need it until I'm ready to clean the valves. In fact, I think I could probably clean a ton of parts with it. Should be quite a time saver.
(https://i.imgur.com/A8Nfnsph.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tg3cKjph.jpg)


So next up are a couple of pictures of what I've been trying to explain. I've got to go through the valve opening on the deck of the head, with the Dremel, to smooth out the rough cast between the seat and the areas I've already done at the ends of the ports. I taped off the deck surface and have the head gasket secured with 4 head bolts, just in an attempt to keep the mating surface unmolested. I tried to do the same with the exhaust and intake manifold flanges, but I could not for the life of me get the painter's tape to stick.
(https://i.imgur.com/t1ORDKSh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Es2GdCmh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2V9kBv0h.jpg)


Here's some shots of the ends of the intake ports, as they sit now. I used 80, 120, 240, 360, 480, and then 600 grit cartridge rolls to achieve this finish. I'm still hunting for some type of buffing wheel attachments for the Dremel to give them an even nicer finish. I'm perfectly content with how they look now, though. I could always go over it all with cotton bits and polishing compound. We'll see how I'm feeling once the rest of the work is done.
(https://i.imgur.com/IN7wiH2h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/L5goRZph.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iW6g4eeh.jpg)


Lastly, here's the exhaust side before and after. I did the same thing here as I did on the other side. I put more effort into getting rid of the casting lines on this side, and on the whole did a little more shaping. I still want to work on knife-edging the dividers a bit more, but I'm pleased with my results here. These ports were in terrible shape when I started on them.
(https://i.imgur.com/f3WPfELh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QXaUGpdh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/r18s7RHh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/X82bNnQh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on March 09, 2021, 03:45:45 AM
Looking real good. It has been a while since I've gone over a head to clean up the ports like that.

I would highly recommend looking into an flex extension for your dremel - I'm sure you've seen them. It drives a cable and gives you a little pencil tip that has much more reach into tight spaces.
Harbor Freight also sells a very inexpensive 3" bench grinder with that same attachment on it, I feel with a bit more oomph than the dremel, albeit at lower speeds. Use a coupon and you can get it super cheap. https://www.harborfreight.com/bench-grinder-with-flex-shaft-43533.html

If you're willing to shell out the dough, look into a Foredom unit, they have a foot pedal control and a 1/3hp motor that hangs over the bench, they are the choice tool for jewelry makers and I'm told expert port/polish guys use these as well.

The ports on these Mazda motors are really quite nice compared to many other manufacturers (of the same vintage), yes they're not perfect but they did a very reasonable job

All that said you're doing a brilliant job, it's refreshing to see someone taking the time to give one of these motors some love.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 09, 2021, 08:07:30 AM
I did a set of single cam heads and they were absolutely terrible. Sharp angles everywhere plus the casting roughness. Your heads look nice now. That should be worth 10 to 15 HP.  Like it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 09, 2021, 08:17:15 AM
Looking real good. It has been a while since I've gone over a head to clean up the ports like that.

I would highly recommend looking into an flex extension for your dremel - I'm sure you've seen them. It drives a cable and gives you a little pencil tip that has much more reach into tight spaces.
Harbor Freight also sells a very inexpensive 3" bench grinder with that same attachment on it, I feel with a bit more oomph than the dremel, albeit at lower speeds. Use a coupon and you can get it super cheap. https://www.harborfreight.com/bench-grinder-with-flex-shaft-43533.html

If you're willing to shell out the dough, look into a Foredom unit, they have a foot pedal control and a 1/3hp motor that hangs over the bench, they are the choice tool for jewelry makers and I'm told expert port/polish guys use these as well.

The ports on these Mazda motors are really quite nice compared to many other manufacturers (of the same vintage), yes they're not perfect but they did a very reasonable job

All that said you're doing a brilliant job, it's refreshing to see someone taking the time to give one of these motors some love.

Oh man, I'm kicking myself for not finding this a week ago when I ordered the bench grinder. I've seen similar setups used with a Dremel, but I didn't know about the whole setup with the pedal and everything. I'll be keeping an eye out for some kind of flex-shaft setup with that now.

Thanks for the compliments guys, it means a lot.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 11, 2021, 09:25:43 AM
Just a small update today. I took a break from the porting and polishing to try out my new bench grinder, now that I finally got the proper brass wire wheel for it. Behold, clean (enough to lap) valves:
(https://i.imgur.com/pGPPkLmh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Zy7gsMCh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nuGHK8Yh.jpg)



Once that was done, I was out of things to procrastinate with. Time to suck it up and try to do the bowls. Fortunately, it seems to be working. I'm using both lower speeds and smaller sanding drums, but I'm not trying to shape anything. All I want to do is remove the rough texture and blend it in with the work I've already done on the lower ends of the ports. They aren't as reflective as the ends, but still better than how they were. I'd rather be extra careful in this area anyways, even if it means slightly less bling. I can't stress how much I don't want to have to get new valve seats put in. Anyways, check it out:
(https://i.imgur.com/P5l9mlrh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TLeHdIdh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TQUXLD8h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/OmF6uuZh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Sg1WNh6h.jpg)


I'll probably need to order some cartridge rolls just to get in to the knife edge on the intake ports, but other than that I'm pretty happy with how these are turning out. I also need to find some finishing buffs that'll fit on the Dremel, or perhaps get some black emery and cotton roll bits. Something to try to take out the machine tracks. I've got a set of mini flap disks coming for the combustion chambers, and then I got a big stack of wet/dry sandpaper up to 5000 grit for finishing those off. The finished product is starting to show through, and I'm getting excited. Still a lot of work left, so I'll be getting back to it now. Cheers.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 11, 2021, 10:36:33 AM
Impressive work, that has to flow better.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 11, 2021, 10:51:49 AM
Impressive work, that has to flow better.

Thank you, I appreciate the compliment. I'd have to assume it flows better, too. I'm kind of kicking myself for not trying to get a before measurement on flow-rate. I don't remember how to do it, and I've never done it before, but I know one of my teachers at tech school had explained to us how to take apart a shop vac and use the parts to make a makeshift flow bench. You couldn't use it to get actual flow in cfm, but you could use it before and after to see the increase (or decrease) in the amount of air that it would flow in 'x' amount of time.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about, or how to make it? I've never personally seen anything to measure flow rate, but I'd love to. Even if I can just get a measurement of after on my head, I'm sure eventually I'd be able to measure someone else's factory head. I'd love to see how much, if any, improvement I've made here.

Then again, the car is going back together with all factory parts. I suppose I could put it on a dyno and compare those numbers to manufacturer spec. It won't be as easy to tell what's been changed from just the port flow changes, though. Lots of other factors come into play on a chassis dyno.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 11, 2021, 09:54:58 PM
That must be scary going in through the combustion chambers! Looks good though man, I would be interested to see the flow test results as well!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 12, 2021, 11:51:36 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/8KFk2o1h.jpg)

Here's the progress so far. Sorry this is taking so long, but each bowl takes about an hour to do. I run through 6 different grits, and I'm trying to blend it into what I've already done. I also have to be extremely careful to not touch the seats the entire time. I'm part way through the fifth intake valve bowl so far, so I'm not even half way through this part yet. I still plan to go back and gasket match the other end, and do a bit more shaping. Then I've still got to do the combustion chambers, hit all the ports with a couple finishing buffs, then lap the valves in, then clean the whole head, then replace the valve stem seals, etc. etc. This is starting to seem like a long, endless journey. At least if you look at it from certain angles, you can kind of see the end result peaking through.

I'll finish it eventually, but it's going to be a while. Many, many hours. I have SO many spent sanding drums piled up now.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 13, 2021, 08:01:28 AM
I can empathize with you. I've done iron head V8's and expected that to take a while, but was surprised at how long it took to do these little things.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 13, 2021, 09:04:04 AM
I can empathize with you. I've done iron head V8's and expected that to take a while, but was surprised at how long it took to do these little things.

Right? I've done a couple small block Chevy head's, and I swear I spent less time on the pair of those then I have on this one head. Maybe it's the fact that everything is so much smaller, or that there's 16 valves here instead of 8 valves per head, or perhaps aluminum doesn't like to become smooth. I don't know what it is, but it's crazy. I'm sorely tempted to pull an all-nighter just to try and knock out the rest of the bowls.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 14, 2021, 09:19:01 AM
Don't know if I'd try that.....lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 14, 2021, 09:51:12 AM
I sort of did. I was up until 11pm last night, which is super late for me. I got 8 bowls done. The whole intake side is done, and I'm down to 4 left on the exhaust side. Home stretch! I feel like crap today now. :-X Worth it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Gaz on March 14, 2021, 11:03:05 AM
Correct me if I'm wrong or this has already been said, but you would want SOME roughness in the intake tract for tumbling, wouldn't you?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 14, 2021, 11:11:19 AM
Correct me if I'm wrong or this has already been said, but you would want SOME roughness in the intake tract for tumbling, wouldn't you?

There's multiple schools of thought on that. Some people leave the floor of the intake ports rough, to get that tumbling effect. I personally smoothed them all out, because I'm doing a tiny bit of re-shaping. I'm attempting to use the Lovell effect to achieve that same tumble, while still getting the velocity increase from having the ports smoothed over. It's really up to the guy who is doing the work. I've seen both ways done, and I've seen both ways achieve significant power gains. To each their own, I suppose.


(https://i.imgur.com/M2v8IjFh.jpg)

So here's the progress from last night. Those last 4 exhaust bowls to the far left of the picture (front of the engine) are all that's left to do up top here. I should hopefully be able to get that done today, which will allow me to start on the gasket matching while I wait for my finishing buffs to come in. I still need to order those, if anyone has suggestions. I was leaning towards the Dremel bits that are basically little scotch-bright pads, but I'm not against using cotton and black emery rouge, either. Once both those things are taken care of, it's just the combustion chambers and lapping the valves, then I can start gearing up for reassembly.

Has anyone taken the time to degree their camshafts on a factory rebuild? If so, were they able to be adjusted? Or is it something where I'll HAVE to buy adjustable cam gears?



Edit:
------
Just ordered some stuff off of Amazon, and it'll be here tomorrow. I love living in the future :D. I got a 20 count of 240 grit triangular cartridge rolls, to get into the few tight spots the drums can't reach. I also got a 20 pack of wool/felt buffing wheels, to go with the few that I still have from one off the giant boxes of Dremel bits I picked up at Harbor Freight forever ago. Lastly, I got a 1 pound bar of black emery rouge to use with the buffing bits. All of that, plus the 5000 grit wet/dry sandpaper I got to finish off the combustion chambers...this head is going to sparkle when I'm done. It probably cost me about $100 in consumables to do the whole head, which isn't so bad. It's also cost me about 60 hours of my life so far, and I'm not even close to done yet. That, well that is a little bad lol.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 15, 2021, 09:00:40 AM
I think cam gears are the only to adjust cam timing.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 15, 2021, 10:06:03 AM
I think cam gears are the only to adjust cam timing.

You mean aftermarket, adjustable gears? After all the work I've put into this head, it almost feels wrong to put it back together with the factory parts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to drop $600 on a set of bigger cams. However, I feel like it DOES need something a little special. I can't do bigger valves, because I'm not replacing the seats. I could do nicer retainers and heavier springs, but then I'll need to run a standalone to get the best out of those. I'm thinking I should find some adjustable gears, so that I can really dial in the cam timing. Shouldn't be too expensive, but then again it probably won't give me that extravagant of results. Just a nicer idle and possibly the ability to run a little more timing, so maybe a marginal increase in power throughout the powerband?

I don't know. Any thoughts? I got my tax return, and I want to treat this head with a little something nice. 
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 15, 2021, 03:51:44 PM
Well guys, I finished up with that bit! FINALLY! So, here's some pictures. I've gasket matched both the intake and exhaust manifold sides, and then done everything up to the valve seat. All that is left is to get a couple of the small spots the drums couldn't reach in the exhaust ports, and then polish everything up really well. Getting closer and closer every day. The first picture is all the sanding drums and AAA batteries for my headlamp I went through, and that's just from doing the ends towards the valve seats. I had a bigger pile from the manifold ends of the ports, but I threw 'em out before I though about grabbing some pics.

(https://i.imgur.com/0gzMF8vh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/8CKgfR8h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zlgY7Xdh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fgzetMmh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/G1Zbc11h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dPYV9XXh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/8BZrKmfh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 16, 2021, 02:25:38 PM
So I just finished up the ports. It's really, really hard to show them through a picture. I took a video, I'll try to link to it.

https://youtu.be/mkXGrX4bN7s (https://youtu.be/mkXGrX4bN7s)


Next up is the combustion chambers. They shouldn't take nearly as long as the ports did. I hope...
(https://i.imgur.com/d94zu2vh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 17, 2021, 09:03:13 AM
Not a lot of work, lots of holes....lol  The single cam heads have this weird wall between the valves, I assume to promote swirl. I didn't have a clue what to do with it so I just polished and left it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on March 17, 2021, 10:57:15 PM
There's all sorts of upgrades to the cams you can do, but it's all really spendy stuff.

Higher lift is achieved by adjusting the base circle of the cam, IIRC. This lets the HLA's pump up higher I believe. But you'll need to check your valve to valve and valve to piston clearances, I'm not sure if it remains a non-interference motor once you mess with that stuff. There is a limit to how much extra lift you can achieve, and the valves float sooner with higher lift.

There are adjustable cam gears out there.
There are new cams & cam re-grinds available.
There are other OE cams from the B6 with different profiles out there. I briefly played with the N/A auto exhaust cam, the OE XR2 ex cam proved better
There are better springs available
There are solid lifters out there. (bucket over shim type)

All of it is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Dollar for dollar spent, you're better off investing in a better modern turbo and maybe standalone ECU, IMHO
Turbo you can always turn the boost up  ;)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 18, 2021, 10:27:07 PM
Yea man the pics don't do it justice, in that video you can really see how much effort you have put in! Did you drop the block off at the shop?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 18, 2021, 11:03:44 PM
Also thanks for your reply on my ecu question, I have only just seen the reply. The microsquirt looks like good value!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 19, 2021, 07:53:22 AM
I never did take it to a shop. The guy I was going to bring it to never called me back, and the last time I had spoken with him he told me it'd take him at least 3 weeks. I decided I'm going to wait for warmer weather, bust out the pressure washer, and try to clean it myself. Hence the port and polish. I've got to kill a few weeks worth of time until winter passes.

If it turns out I still can't get it as clean as I like, I'll revisit the idea.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 23, 2021, 08:09:20 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/RG2QHQ7h.jpg)

Just a small update. I've been away for a couple days, but managed yesterday to get some work done. I've got 2 of the combustion chambers completed so far. They're coming out very well, in my opinion.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 23, 2021, 06:44:28 PM
Few more pics for you guys. I finished up the combustion chambers. Coming soon - valve lapping (by hand!). Fun, fun.

(https://i.imgur.com/pQB9rljh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/h8tZKIJh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ysyEQnoh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 24, 2021, 06:07:05 AM
Man that looks good.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 24, 2021, 03:51:52 PM
Thanks Wolf! I'm so close to putting this back together, I just ordered a valve spring compressor tool. I'm not trying to do the socket & deadblow trick to install the keepers. Never again.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 25, 2021, 07:46:58 AM
Thanks Wolf! I'm so close to putting this back together, I just ordered a valve spring compressor tool. I'm not trying to do the socket & deadblow trick to install the keepers. Never again.

Good idea.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 25, 2021, 10:59:57 AM
I mean, it worked well enough taking them off. Last car I built, which was probably about 8 years ago now, was an NA Miata that I built for rallycross. I did the socket and dead blow thing when I put the new valvetrain in. Easily the most frustrating experience of my entire life. It probably took me a solid 12 hours just to get the dang keepers back in. Hopefully, the tool I ordered should do the trick.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M4J094J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M4J094J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

That's the one I got. It's pretty cheap, and it's designed for ATV's and bikes and whatnot, but these valves are so small that I figure it should work well enough. I just hope the c-clamp fits around the head. Has anyone got experience with this type of valve spring compressor? I've only used the ones that are meant for old school V8's, which I'm fairly certain would not work on DOHC cylinder heads.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on March 26, 2021, 01:04:37 AM
The tool you've posted should work as long as you have the clearance around the head.

I made this tool for valvesprings, based on a design I saw for the Miata ages ago. It bolts in place of the cam caps, and uses a screw/bolt to depress a cage onto the keeper. It's a casting + machined piece. You could probably whip something similar up with your welder if needed



(https://i.imgur.com/sNuKdfz.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/fjUhmZk.jpg?1)

I've lent this tool out before, I'd be willing to again if it can come back in a reasonable time frame. An option at least.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 26, 2021, 07:05:39 AM
You never fail to amaze.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 26, 2021, 07:13:43 AM
Agreed! That's fantastic. I'll hold out hope that this tool I ordered works. If for some reason it doesn't, and I can't copy your design, I may well be in touch.

EDIT:
-------
Unrelated, but have any of you guys used the Permatex valve lapping compound?  It says on the back of the tube that if you mix it with a little water, you can decrease the amount of gritti-ness in it, essentially changing it from something like 120# to 240# or whatever. Has anyone tried this? I've finished lapping the valves without mixing in water. The valves themselves look much better, as do the intake seats. However, the exhaust seats, which were more rough to begin with, are still fairly rough looking. I was debating giving them all a second pass, but then I saw that note on the back of the tube. Do you think it'd be worthwhile to mix up a slightly finer batch of compound, and go back over all 16 valves again?

2nd EDIT:
------------
My valve spring compressor showed up. I haven't tried to use it yet, but it sure looks like the C-clamp is big enough to wrap around the head.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 28, 2021, 06:39:18 PM
It's been a while since I posted some pictures up here. I haven't gotten too much work done lately, life has been fairly busy. I did just finish lapping in the valves, finally. For anyone who may happen across this thread one day, here's some useful information. I had previously asked if it was worth it to mix the Permatex lapping compound with water to make it a higher grit, and then take the time to lap all the valves a second time. It is ABSOLUTELY worth the effort of fighting that damn lapping handle for another 16 valves. The pictures here don't really do it justice. I thought the seats and valves looked good after the first pass. After the second, I was blown away. I have zero doubts that these valves will seal perfectly. Trust me, I know it's a pain in the *** to use the suction cup valve lapping tool. I know you aren't going to want to go over them all again once you're done. Just do it. You'll thank me. Your cylinder head will thank me. Anyways, onto the pictures...

(https://i.imgur.com/uLi9vtrh.jpg)
The valve on the right has been lapped once, without mixing in any water. The valve on the left is not lapped at all, and has only been cleaned with a brass wire wheel on a bench grinder. It's a significant improvement.

(https://i.imgur.com/QZnn5Quh.jpg)
The top right intake valve seat here has been lapped once, the rest not at all. See the difference?

(https://i.imgur.com/IrrZ3vRh.jpg)
There's both intake seats done.

(https://i.imgur.com/vYytJRoh.jpg)
Here is where you can see the difference between one pass and two passes. The intake valve (the larger one) has had it's second pass with a higher grit lapping compound. The photograph barely does it justice. The difference is night and day.

(https://i.imgur.com/M2SGJQgh.jpg)
Same deal here. The top left seat has gotten two passes, the rest just one.

(https://i.imgur.com/m3t8wnQh.jpg)
And a close up of the difference. The intake seat has been done twice, the exhaust seat once.


That brings me to the last picture. We are getting REALLY close to reassembly time, folks. Here's my little check list of what is left to do before the engine finally starts to go back together. It's just a few more hours of labor.
(https://i.imgur.com/QNVhM8Mh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on March 28, 2021, 09:32:35 PM
Looks good man, how many times did the tool slip off the valve?  ;) I did this about a year ago to my old head and it drove me insane, especially testing the seal with water in the combustion chamber and compressed air blown from inside the ports I had each valve in and out about 10 times testing and then lapping more. All done with the socket dead blow method. This time I sent the head to the shop never again!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 29, 2021, 07:50:48 AM
I hate the lapping handles. So, so much. The intake valves went perfectly fine. The exhaust valves, not so much. I probably had to restick the thing to each valve 20 times. Tried using brake clean, water, acetone, rags, coffee filters, and blood sacrifices. Nothing made it stick better.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 29, 2021, 07:58:21 AM
I've always had my valves done at the machine shop. Had a friend that ran one and even did it myself sometime. Wonder what the difference is in the final product.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 29, 2021, 08:12:47 AM
I've always had my valves done at the machine shop. Had a friend that ran one and even did it myself sometime. Wonder what the difference is in the final product.

The only engine I've ever had head work done at a shop for was the RB26DETT in my old '91 R32. Other than that, I've always done the head stuff myself. Then again, I've never needed any major work done to a head besides on that one, which I had the seats cut out for bigger valves on. The thing with head work is that it's extremely time consuming, which means expensive. Seeing as I'm a frugal man, that's not gonna work for me. Besides, I've done this a few times now. Enough where I'd like to think I'd know if something wasn't right. I guess we'll see in a month or two when I fire this one up for the first time.


EDIT:
------
I pulled apart a couple of the lifters, and they are NASTY. I bit the bullet and ordered a new set. Should be here on Thursday. They were only about $70.00, and available on Amazon of all places. Hopefully by the end of this weekend, I'll have the head back together.

SECOND EDIT:
-----------------
Well shit, I went on a little shopping spree. I'm close enough to the finish line that I decided it's time to order the rest of the crap that I'm going to need to finish up this engine. Here's what's coming:
1. 4x Bosch Spark Plugs
2. A Gates Water Pump
3. A Gates Thermostat
4. A Gates Timing Belt Kit (The belt, tensioners, and spring)
5. 4x SKP Fuel Injector Connectors (I destroyed them when pulling the engine. Ooops)
6, A Standard Motor Products Spark Plug Wire Set
7. 5 quarts of Amazon Basics conventional 5w30 oil

I'm just going to run the cheap oil for the first 1000 miles or so as a break in oil, then switch over to a higher quality, probably full synthetic, oil. Questions for you guys, though. What oil do you run? What weight? The sticker under the hood lists like 20 different viscosities for varying temperature ranges, and is pretty confusing. I just went with the safe bet. Also, should I run a zinc additive or anything for the break in? I know it's not a flat tappet setup, but I've heard it can really help with seating in the rings. I usually splurge and get some fancy break-in specific oil, but that seemed pretty overkill for a 136hp stock engine rebuild. I'm leaving the boost amount alone until it's broken in. Thoughts?

THIRD EDIT:
--------------
Sorry for all the edits guys. Does anyone know anyplace other than Summit where I can get the ARP head studs? Their are back ordered for too long. I see Flyin' Miata has them, but they want $150 for them which is frankly ridiculous. They are also a different part number on there. I'll do it if I have to, but I'm not even sure those ones will work.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 30, 2021, 09:35:39 AM
Prior to a B6, had only worked on American V8's and the valves and seats didn't hold up as well on them as these engines. When I did the B6, I couldn't believe how nice the valves and seats were.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Skunkwrkz on March 30, 2021, 09:52:42 AM
"In addition to all of that, the only real modification I have planned is to replace a bunch of the bushings in the car with poly bushings. I was planning on making my own, since I can't seem to find much in the way of aftermarket. I'd like to add some chasis bracing too, but again that'll probably all have to be custom. I can't even find front and rear strut tower bars. That's okay though, I do enjoy fabrication work."

There are many suspension parts still available for our chassis. You can use the BF Mazda bushings from the 323 for starters.
I have replaced most of the bushings and can help you with part numbers. Ultra Racing makes Strut bars, front and rear lower tie bars, Front and Rear Anti-Sway Bars and quality is good. I also have a 4pt double hoop roll bar from the Porsche 986 that easily welds in for extra rigidity and safety if that interests you. There's more I can turn you on to, but that's a good start.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 30, 2021, 01:17:39 PM
"In addition to all of that, the only real modification I have planned is to replace a bunch of the bushings in the car with poly bushings. I was planning on making my own, since I can't seem to find much in the way of aftermarket. I'd like to add some chasis bracing too, but again that'll probably all have to be custom. I can't even find front and rear strut tower bars. That's okay though, I do enjoy fabrication work."

There are many suspension parts still available for our chassis. You can use the BF Mazda bushings from the 323 for starters.
I have replaced most of the bushings and can help you with part numbers. Ultra Racing makes Strut bars, front and rear lower tie bars, Front and Rear Anti-Sway Bars and quality is good. I also have a 4pt double hoop roll bar from the Porsche 986 that easily welds in for extra rigidity and safety if that interests you. There's more I can turn you on to, but that's a good start.

That's fantastic news! I'd love part numbers for the bushings and the strut bars. I don't need the roll hoop bar, I've got a cage guy who owes me a favor (if I even go that route with it). I appreciate the help.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 30, 2021, 01:58:26 PM
Today, a bunch of the parts got a bubble bath. Everything is ready to go back together now except for the head itself, which I haven't the first idea how to clean. I'm just going to do what I can, and then start putting the thing back together. I can't get too far until at least Thursday though, which I think is when the new lifters should show up.

(https://i.imgur.com/pLq47dQh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nMlqehUh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/m1ZyKASh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/NCJ0M9Uh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Brhq60eh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/MJTZ0Qoh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Skunkwrkz on March 30, 2021, 03:25:08 PM
"In addition to all of that, the only real modification I have planned is to replace a bunch of the bushings in the car with poly bushings. I was planning on making my own, since I can't seem to find much in the way of aftermarket. I'd like to add some chasis bracing too, but again that'll probably all have to be custom. I can't even find front and rear strut tower bars. That's okay though, I do enjoy fabrication work."

There are many suspension parts still available for our chassis. You can use the BF Mazda bushings from the 323 for starters.
I have replaced most of the bushings and can help you with part numbers. Ultra Racing makes Strut bars, front and rear lower tie bars, Front and Rear Anti-Sway Bars and quality is good. I also have a 4pt double hoop roll bar from the Porsche 986 that easily welds in for extra rigidity and safety if that interests you. There's more I can turn you on to, but that's a good start.

That's fantastic news! I'd love part numbers for the bushings and the strut bars. I don't need the roll hoop bar, I've got a cage guy who owes me a favor (if I even go that route with it). I appreciate the help.

I'll dig it all up. Just remember to start spraying the rear linkage, control arms and any suspension you want to replace and be liberal about it. The longer you can let it sit the better. I'll look up stuff tonight. Interesting thread. Nice to see others posting on here again. It's been a little while for me.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 31, 2021, 07:49:03 AM
EXCELLENT!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 31, 2021, 12:48:46 PM
Cleaning has been completed on the head. As soon as my oil shows up, I'll be starting the assembly. I need the oil to soak my valve stem seals. My new HLA's should show up tomorrow, so I'm hoping by tomorrow evening I'll have the head back together.  8)

(https://i.imgur.com/sOTJkrhh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UBowkQ8h.jpg)

It's not spotless, or even all that clean, but it's good enough for me. It's just going to get nasty again within a few thousand miles, if that.


EDIT:
-------
The oil is here. The viton valve stem seals are soaking, as per the factory service manual. I've got to take my son to a doctors appointment at 3:30 for his 15 month checkup, but once I'm back home from that, the reassembly can finally commence!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 01, 2021, 12:51:47 PM
Alright, the cheap Chineseium valve spring compressor works! A little dab of Vaseline on the end of a tiny flat head screwdriver to hold the keepers, another tiny dab inside of the keeper to stick it to the valve, and viola! This isn't nearly as horrifyingly frustrating as I expected it to be.

(https://i.imgur.com/H5h68Hmh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yQmKePXh.jpg)

One down, 15 more to go  ::). My HLA's should show up today, which is perfect timing. I should be able to let them soak overnight, and install them tomorrow.

UPDATE:
----------
Amazon changed the expected ship date to May 2nd. Wow. So I cancelled that, and ordered a set of HLA's off of Rockauto, with expediated shipping. I won't have them until Monday, and I spent twice as much money. Fan-freaking-tastic.

I do have a question about the lifters. Do I want them to be squishy, or do I want them to not be squishy, when I install them? I can't for the life of me remember. I know the last time I did an engine with hydraulic lifters, the set I ordered had a few that didn't do what they were supposed to after soaking them, which forced me to reuse some of the old ones. I don't want to run into that issue again. I just can't recall if they are supposed to be able to be actuated by hand or not after soaking.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 02, 2021, 01:07:21 AM
They pump up with pressurized oil. I don't think it's really possible to get them to fill with oil prior to installation, but you might be able to pull them apart and lube the piston/bore inside.

Great to see the valve spring compressor worked.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 03, 2021, 12:25:33 PM
Well, whilst stuck in waiting on parts limbo, I had to find something to do to occupy myself. This is after all a build thread for the entire car, not just the engine, so let's switch tracks here, shall we? On disassembly, I absolutely destroyed a bunch of the connectors on the fuel injector harness. Here's how the fuel injector connectors and harness looked:
(https://i.imgur.com/7w0SH6Sh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UiwvWIgh.jpg)


Well, here's the part number for the replacements I got, as well as how the harness looks now.
(https://i.imgur.com/9a4fer4h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ufDivxSh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/sm1b65Oh.jpg)


Now, I've got a few other connectors that need replacing, that I can not find part numbers for. One is the big round plug, the other two look very similar to the injector pigtails. In fact, there's a decent chance one of them IS the same connector. The other one is very similar, except the cut-away is on the opposite side. Can anyone help me figure out the part numbers for these, or what they go to so that I can try to find the replacements? I'm pretty sure one goes to the idle air controller, but I'm not so sure on the other. I don't know what to look-up for the large round one, either. I could probably replace the big one with a generic weather-pack connector with the correct number of pins, but if I can find a direct replacement, that'll make my life a bit easier.
(https://i.imgur.com/BE61K74h.jpg)
This is the big round one.
(https://i.imgur.com/2re8TvGh.jpg)
Here's the smaller two.
(https://i.imgur.com/TKxQqcbh.jpg)
And a close-up of the smaller ones. If you look at the bottoms, you can see the cut-away is on opposite sides.

I'd appreciate any help tracking down replacements. I could probably make these ones work, but I don't want to have to be constantly worried about them vibrating themselves apart. Thanks for any help you guys can give me.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 03, 2021, 06:19:21 PM
You might have some luck on Rockauto, there's an entire section for Capri electrical connectors:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/mercury,1991,capri,1.6l+l4+turbocharged,1196636,electrical-connector

Looks like some of them might not be for our car but there's plenty that are
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 03, 2021, 06:39:51 PM
You might have some luck on Rockauto, there's an entire section for Capri electrical connectors:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/mercury,1991,capri,1.6l+l4+turbocharged,1196636,electrical-connector

Looks like some of them might not be for our car but there's plenty that are

Yeah I've looked through every picture of every connector on there already, I couldn't find the ones I still need unfortunately.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 06, 2021, 05:41:05 AM
I dono where you would get new connectors from, though I did see the injector loom for sale on ebay aus last week, I think it was 30aud about 24usd dono if this helps at all
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 06, 2021, 05:46:35 AM
Just looked again it was 50AUD about 40USD and has the injectors too here's the link if it helps. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FORD-CAPRI-CONVERTIBLE-USED-SET-OF-TURBO-INJECTORS-LOOM-SUIT-ALL-1989-1994-/254925368434?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 06, 2021, 05:49:52 AM
I also know a guy here in Sydney who sells capri/323 parts and has a garage packed with stuff, he's a good guy as well goes by the user name fosgate on the laser 323 forum. I can try get his email for anyone who wants it. I know your in the USA but if you get stuck it's an option
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 06, 2021, 08:14:12 AM
Just looked again it was 50AUD about 40USD and has the injectors too here's the link if it helps. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FORD-CAPRI-CONVERTIBLE-USED-SET-OF-TURBO-INJECTORS-LOOM-SUIT-ALL-1989-1994-/254925368434?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

Hey thanks for the link. Unfortunately, that harness doesn't look to be in any better condition than mine. Likewise with the injectors.  I'll probably just reuse mine, and use tape and zipties to hold the broken connectors together. I'm still on the fence about replacing my injectors or not. I might just try and clean them, I'm not sure. $140 for fuel injectors is pretty steep. I'll keep your other friend with the shop in mind though, if I manage to brake anything else that's hard to replace.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 07, 2021, 11:12:32 AM
Big day today, guys. I've finally, after about 100 hours of labor, finished reassembling the cylinder head. Just to summarize, here is all that I've done to this thing: Gasket matched, ported, and polished both the intake and exhaust runners, polished the combustion chambers, freshly hand-lapped the valves, brand new hydraulic lash adjusters, new viton valve stem seals, new camshaft seals, and new double platinum Bosch spark plugs. This work is cheap financially, but very labor intensive. If you've got shallow pockets but lots of time to kill, this is absolutely work you should consider doing. I doubt it'll result in drastic performance improvement, but in theory it should allow the head to flow quite a bit better. The new seals throughout should allow me to run this thing for many years to come without having to worry about it. The new HLA's should hopefully prevent the infamously obnoxious B6 engine lifter noise. Without further ado:

(https://i.imgur.com/bjjKatDh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/EAKMHAvh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UzkTE2eh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3MarQxBh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ergQwTah.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LU10m1rh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0Sar4dmh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zWvgfwEh.jpg)


So next up on the menu will be finding a machinist to clean and hone my block. Ideally, I'll be able to get that done and back to me this weekend. After that, it's assembly time. Everything to put the engine fully back together is ready, including new timing components, water pump, etc. After that, I've got a bit of work left on the intake and exhaust manifolds. I also plan to at least clean the engine bay, if not paint it satin black as well. Once all that is taken care of, I can finally put the thing back in the car. I've never heard the car run, but I'm getting closer every day. Ah...I need to build an exhaust still, too. Just something to quiet it down while I break it in and start it for the first time. That shouldn't be too difficult. I might even just cobble together what is left of the factory exhaust, at least for that purpose. But I digress, this is a good day, A major hurdle has just been crossed, and I'm extremely happy about it.


Edit:
------
Just wanted to add this in real quickly. I just made an appointment at the machine shop, to drop off the block and crank tomorrow. They said they should be able to get to it within a week or so. I'm just having the block hot tanked and honed, and the crank polished. I also just made a nice little order with Flyin' Miata for....something. We'll keep that a surprise for now. When that part arrives, I'll put up some pictures of that as well as all the other new parts that are sitting in the back of my truck, waiting for their day.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 07, 2021, 08:30:50 PM
Very, very nice. You didn't mention cam bearings, what kind of cam bearings does it have?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 07, 2021, 08:41:50 PM
Very, very nice. You didn't mention cam bearings, what kind of cam bearings does it have?

It doesn't have cam bearings. The cam just rides on machined surfaces in the head and cam caps. Unless I'm missing something major here lol. I didn't take any out, and the service manual doesn't make any mention of bearings. I just squirted some assembly lube down...now you've got me questioning everything.  :o :o
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 08, 2021, 12:46:35 AM
The cams ride in the head casting in simple journals, each journal has an oil passage for lubrication. Nice and simple. No bearing inserts
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 08, 2021, 08:10:37 AM
Thanks, that was the assumption I had made.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 08, 2021, 10:50:14 AM
Thanks Rocket, I was hoping you'd chime in and let me know that I was correct in my assumptions. Anyways, the block is in the trunk of the car and about to go out to the machinist. I've just put in an order for some more parts: Fuel injector seals and o-rings, an oxygen sensor, a throttle body gasket, a set of gaskets for the turbo, and some core plugs. For anyone playing alone at home, you'll need 30mm and 35mm core plugs. They come in sets of 10 on Rockauto, which is more than enough to ruin a few. There are a couple smaller core plugs on both the front of the block and the head, but they're a nightmare to remove, and so I didn't bother. I think they are around 18mm, but I didn't measure them.

So Rocket, here's a question for you specifically. You've made mention many times now of upgrading the turbo. What specific turbo would YOU put on your Capri, if money wasn't an issue.

Second question. If you had to chose between either a newer turbo, or the M-Factory LSD, which upgrade would you do first? I'm torn here. I  may be able to swing one or the other, and I'm not sure which way to go. I'm leaning more towards the LSD, though. In my opinion, that's what can turn a front wheel drive car into a real track day toy. A nicer ball-bearing turbo is tempting too, though. I don't know....
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 11, 2021, 10:55:24 AM
Oh, and just to add onto that question, what turbo would you use if money wasn't an issue AND you hacked off the IHI flange from the exhaust manifold and welded on whatever one you wanted. Obviously  ;)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 11, 2021, 04:17:57 PM
Just a little bit of progress. I'm now stuck not just waiting for parts, but waiting for that happy day when the machinist calls me to tell me to come pick up my block and crank. On the plus side, my little box of goodies from Flyin' Miata SHOULD be here tomorrow... *crosses fingers*


(https://i.imgur.com/ibJgxCuh.jpg)
Here's the block sitting in the back of my wife's Altima. I was worried about it fitting....silly me.

(https://i.imgur.com/VoOsMXkh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xdBvAqAh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/bdhaB8zh.jpg)
The thermal wrapping on the intake manifold. I'm quite glad this sits on the back of the engine, because boy oh boy is it gaudy lookin'. I hope it does something for the intake temps, because it was not easy wrapping the damn thing.

(https://i.imgur.com/ds5tncah.jpg)
Here's the exhaust manifold after it's surgery. I took down the casting lines to try and remove any stress risers, and then cut the little bridge section out since it was already cracked there. I found the tiniest little crack coming from the bottom of the O2 bung which sucks, but not much I'm willing to try to do and rectify that. I tried to wrap this thing with the exhaust wrap, but it's not happening. Bummer.


That's all I can do with the manifolds until my gaskets and seals show up, so onto the next project. Attempting to salvage what I can from the OEM exhaust, which is in horrifyingly bad shape.

(https://i.imgur.com/OH9iwHWh.jpg)
This is what is left of the downpipe. The flange with the spring bolts literally tore off of it when I was trying to unbolt it, so that's fantastic. I'm cutting off the heat shields, there is some sort of foam insulation under them that is trapping moisture and falling apart, so that's got to go. I'm going to clean this up on the wire wheel and see if there's any holes in it. I sure hope not, because the triangle-shaped flange that bolts to the turbo seems like something that will be a major pain to try and find. As long as I can get this piece to work, I'll be a happy camper. I can always V-band it to the next section of exhaust, or get a new flange and weld it on, or whatever. I'll have options. It's likely I'll use that exhaust wrap on the downpipe, provided it is in a useable shape under the 30-odd years of rust and decay.

Am I missing something, or is there not a flex joint on the factory exhaust? If there isn't, that would go a long ways towards explaining why all of our exhaust manifolds have cracks in them.....
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 11, 2021, 07:22:35 PM
The thermal insulation on the intake manifold makes it look like Apollo lunar lander hardware, haha. Cool.

I actually ended up driving past that engine machine shop I sent you yesterday on my way to get my first covid vaccine. None in our area so had to go on a bit of a trek.

The exhaust downpipe bolts to the back of the engine with a bracket to alleviate stresses. There is a donut-style gasket that goes on the downpipe and fits into a socket on the cat, clamped together with the spring/bolt combo. This union allows for plenty of flex. Many cars use a similar setup today, and is arguably more reliable than a flexpipe. (I am the only one who can weld at my mechanic job, I have replaced dozens upon dozens of flex-pipes in my months there already. None of these socket type unions)

Plasma cutter + some plate = whatever exhaust flange you need, simple enough

As for a turbo I'd run - I'm not sure where the current technology is at, I'd have to look. Probably something like a GT25 ball-bearing, with a nice billet compressor wheel.
I saw a turbo that came off a newer Chevy Spark. It is physically smaller than our OEM turbo, the head ports on the engine are smaller, and yet with a tune I was told the thing is capable of just over 300hp (1.4L IIRC). That's the kind of tech floating around today, quite capable even if the numbers I was told are stretched

Back to the intake manifold - maybe some type of plastic spacer between the head and the manifold to prevent heat soak? Although it may be a bit of a moot point since coolant for the heater core is circulated through the flange between runners 3&4. And the anti-icing coolant running through the throttlebody (I have bypassed this before)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 12, 2021, 07:50:57 AM
Those are nice looking manifolds. I'm think a performance coating for the exhaust manifold and at least downpipe. These guys do a lot of work for NASCAR teams.

https://swaintech.com/race-coatings/

I also bypassed the throttle body coolant with apparently no bad effect.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 12, 2021, 12:16:10 PM
I've also been looking into Garret ball bearing turbos. I think I'll keep that firmly in the pipe-dream category for now. Too rich for my blood, and for the money, I think I'd rather try and shoe-horn in an LS4 or something.

Ceramic (or whatever material) coating is definitely the way to go with the factory exhaust manifold. It's something I've been looking into for my build as well, but I've been unable to find someplace local enough to get it taken care of. Plus, I'm not too keen on spending money on a part that is already cracked. If I was more handy with a welder, I'd LOVE to try and make a header for myself, but I don't trust my very weak and rusty welding skills. With the layout of the engine bay, a nice simple header with some short equal length runners would be super easy to design, though. If any of you guys is good with a welder, I'll totally buy some materials and design something, if you'd like to take a whack at it. I could pay you for your efforts, too. Stainless steel or aluminized steel, whichever you'd think is easiest to work with. I've never even attempted to weld stainless, and I've only tried to TIG maybe one or two times. Definitely beyond my skill set.

I think an aftermarket exhaust header would sell fairly well, considering how few 323GT's/Capri's/etc are left on the roads.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 12, 2021, 05:39:41 PM
Just a couple pictures to add on here. The downpipe actually cleaned up fairly well, and I plan to use 95% of it. The goofy weld/bead roll type deal at the end, where it went into the catalytic converter, is going to get cut off. Also, my package from Flyin' Miata showed up today. I got some sweet stickers with it, too  8) I'll hold off on posting pictures and ruining that surprise for now, as I'm still waiting on 3 more packages from Rock Auto. Onto the pictures....

(https://i.imgur.com/TR390BZh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/S5hsIKZh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LQILXQeh.jpg)

So that's how the downpipe turned out so far. I'll be finishing up with that tonight, which means I've got to start planning out the rest of the exhaust. I've mocked up a quick sketch of my first idea here. Let me know if you guys see something that won't work, or if you've got a better idea on how to do it. I'm still not too sure about trying to get it over the rear axle, but if I do, I'm thinking about putting a muffler with two outputs on it for a fake dual exhaust look. I think two tailpipes sticking out from the rear bumper would make the Capri look just a little bit sportier. Sort of like a 90's era Camaro or something. Anyways, what do you think?

(https://i.imgur.com/4SQlbaxh.jpg)
**Sorry this is blurry, my phone camera really sucks. You should be able to get the general idea.


Lastly, and totally unrelated, I've been brainstorming on another idea. I've had the thought of removing the fog lights from the front of the car, and building some ducting to direct air towards the front brake disks, to aid with cooling. I plan on tracking this car, and with such small wheels and brakes coupled with a fairly large mass, brake fade is a real concern of mine. Has anyone had any experience with either brake fade, or adding cooling to your brakes? Even with the Galant brake upgrade, they're still going to be relatively small. I haven't found better calipers, either, which means I'll be stuck with factory single piston calipers up front. Seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 13, 2021, 12:36:12 AM
That downpipe didn't turn out too bad. Something there to work with.
I've got an old Corksport stainless divorced downpipe on my shelf that needs to be poked. They made them for the 1.8L BPT and someone modified it (rather poorly) to fit the B6T. I'll have to get some pics of it for inspirations for y'all.

Russ had a twin-exit exhaust on his Super-Roo, I'm not sure if his pictures are still online though. I don't believe there is any room under the trunk for the muffler, you will have to run the muffler in the OE location and split after the rear axle. That's the style of setup that Russ had, he had a local exhaust shop fab that for him.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 13, 2021, 07:49:52 AM
That downpipe didn't turn out too bad. Something there to work with.
I've got an old Corksport stainless divorced downpipe on my shelf that needs to be poked. They made them for the 1.8L BPT and someone modified it (rather poorly) to fit the B6T. I'll have to get some pics of it for inspirations for y'all.

Russ had a twin-exit exhaust on his Super-Roo, I'm not sure if his pictures are still online though. I don't believe there is any room under the trunk for the muffler, you will have to run the muffler in the OE location and split after the rear axle. That's the style of setup that Russ had, he had a local exhaust shop fab that for him.

I was worried I might run into that problem. I'm going to pick the car up today and measure some stuff under there to see what I've got to work with.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 13, 2021, 07:53:55 AM
Yeah, that pipe over the axle ends up looking like a piece of spaghetti. Didn't someone on here once offer turbo headers?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 13, 2021, 08:18:45 AM
Yeah, that pipe over the axle ends up looking like a piece of spaghetti. Didn't someone on here once offer turbo headers?

I've got the old exhaust in pieces next to my toolbox. Unfortunately, I cut it right after the muffler, which is already into the first angle of that crazy bend, so I can't easily replicate it. Every time I look at that piping, it just makes me want to dump the exhaust out behind the passenger door. Even that is problematic though, because the car has little ground clearance to begin with. If I shove a 2" pipe under there, there won't be any left.

Maybe I'll just have it turn down before the axle? Or point it in the direction of the side of the car, but not run it all the way there. I don't know. Why is nothing easy on these cars?  :'(
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 13, 2021, 03:58:32 PM
Okay, so I've finished up with the downpipe. That exhaust wrap is a major pain in the butt to work with. Pro-tip: wear gloves. Learn from my mistakes. I'm still itchy, and it's been several hours now since I finished with it. Also, apparently I was estimating wrong on the size of the factory exhaust piping. It's just about 2" outside diameter; I think it measures at something like 1.975" OD at the end of the downpipe.
(https://i.imgur.com/1kEKxxBh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FwOh8YWh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1sJr61Ih.jpg)


So throughout this whole thread, I think there are only three pictures of the actual car. Have some close-ups. I hate living in the rust belt. I've got some body work in my future, made extra exciting by the fact that I've literally never done any body work before. Luckily, everything under the car (for the most part) is not this severely rusted out. I'll be asking for advice once I get to this step, provided I don't chicken out and take it to a body shop. It's really just the driver's side rear fender that's extremely bad. The rest of it I could live with, even though it is an eye sore.
(https://i.imgur.com/r14vKHzh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rI5W6eVh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gEmD24fh.jpg)


Seeing as I'm still waiting on parts, and it being a beautiful day out, I moved onto the next bit of this project. I want to restore the suspension components, and replace whatever is absolutely knackered. I decided to start with the....I guess we'll call this part the subframe? It isn't like any subframe I've ever seen before, but it seems to be doing the job of one on this car. Anyways, the thing is absolutely disgusting. Look how much dried oil and crap I literally scooped out of the damn thing with a shop rag. DISGUSTING. So the plan for this, and the rest of the suspension, is to attack it with an angle grinder with a wire brush attachment, in order to knock off all the rust. Then, I'm going to spray it all with undercoating. I still have several cans of it knocking around my toolbox somewhere, from when I gave the truck it's rust-ectomy last fall.
(https://i.imgur.com/ACgAJTIh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/I3j6QlUh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/W1t8450h.jpg)


So the engine mounts that attach to the subframe seem to be in relatively decent shape. Does anyone know where I could buy replacements, if I choose to go that route? Rock auto doesn't have a listing for them, unless I'm missing it. Ideally, I want polyurethane mounts. If nobody makes them, I might attempt to make some myself. The trans mount doesn't seem like it'd be easy, though.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 13, 2021, 05:29:58 PM
That rust is crazy. I must be the luckiest guy around. I got a car off Long Island and a car from western PA and neither have any rust.  You can fill your existing mounts to repair or create firmer mounts. There is a thread on here about it. My 91 has an almost 2.25 downpipe and CAT. It gets bigger right below the flange. The 92 is 2" all the way. I thought that was kinda strange.

Jack
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 13, 2021, 11:52:23 PM
Ooooooooooof. I've got a shell for you. Come get it
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 14, 2021, 08:00:47 AM
Ooooooooooof. I've got a shell for you. Come get it

Are you serious?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 15, 2021, 05:36:37 AM
That rust is crazy! I got my Chineseium single ball baring turbo for $250aud and it's like new bearly used, sells new for $650aud and the dual ball bearing ones are only $750 have you seen boostedboiz on youtube, thay are making over 1000 horse power on these eBay turbos and they hold up too man, no need to spend big money for a garrett, this is the 3rd upgrade I've done on the turbo vj14 with vj11 comp wheel then a vf12 from a Subaru with the vj14 turbine wheel to keep it so it bolted up stock and this was a huge improvement over the vj14/11 but I wanted more so I went big! it's awesome man! Even the vf12 was about the size of a 2860 and in my eyes that's not enough, maybe a 2871 would be a good fit?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 15, 2021, 08:17:14 AM
That rust is crazy! I got my Chineseium single ball baring turbo for $250aud and it's like new bearly used, sells new for $650aud and the dual ball bearing ones are only $750 have you seen boostedboiz on youtube, thay are making over 1000 horse power on these eBay turbos and they hold up too man, no need to spend big money for a garrett, this is the 3rd upgrade I've done on the turbo vj14 with vj11 comp wheel then a vf12 from a Subaru with the vj14 turbine wheel to keep it so it bolted up stock and this was a huge improvement over the vj14/11 but I wanted more so I went big! it's awesome man! Even the vf12 was about the size of a 2860 and in my eyes that's not enough, maybe a 2871 would be a good fit?

Still got that VJ11 compressor housing kicking around somewhere? I'll buy it, if shipping isn't nuts lol.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 15, 2021, 09:41:51 AM
Ooooooooooof. I've got a shell for you. Come get it

Also Rocket, if you're serious, I'll definitely come take your front fenders off your hands. And cut away your driver's side rear fender and take that home with me too.  :P Unless it's a rolling chassis, I guess I could tow away the whole deal. I'm really strapped for room for more cars here though. I believe we have 13 cars in various states of decay sitting on this little half acre property. It's bad. In my defense though, only 3 of those are mine.

Actually, on that note....there's a Buick Grand Sport and a legitimate Grand National here. The Gnx is totaled, due to the frame being bent. Everything under the hood should be salvageable though. Any idea if that turbo would be usable on the Capri? That would be insane.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 15, 2021, 11:59:51 AM
Yea man I've still got the 11 housing and a near new billet comp wheel to go with it. The billet wheel is slightly taller than the stock vj11 wheel and moves slightly more air too! I'm my eyes it's not much of an upgrade though. I still have the vf12 I was running sitting here too, it bolts straight into the vj14 rear housing because it has a vj14 shaft in it. The vf12 CRHA on the hot side bolts straight up with the vj14 rear housing after swapping it to my vj14 shaft (the turbine wheel is bigger on the vf12 and the vj14 housing needs to be machined to take it, if you want to run the bigger turbine wheel)  the compressor side of the CRHA is different to the vj14 and vj11 it takes the bigger comp wheel and larger compressor housing. It's not balenced though I never had any issues with it and it ran 20psi for about a year, probably only a few thousand miles.

I'll  take some pics for you on the next few days so you can have a look.

The VF12 is a pretty good upgrade in my opinion. The vj11 wheel is only a tiny bit bigger than the vj14, it is a noticeable upgrade though the vf12 is quite a bit bigger and is very noticeable as an upgrade. May require bpt injectors to offer up a bit more fuel but they are pretty cheap, I got my set for $50AUD
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 15, 2021, 12:06:56 PM
If your gonna play around with turbo upgrades and turning up the boost I would really recommend you invest in a wideband 02 sensor and gauge, I would have blown it up for sure if I didn't have one! It's really worth it!

BTW I'm keen as to find out what the flyin miata thing is 🤔 your build has cliff hangers 😂
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 15, 2021, 08:50:22 PM
If your gonna play around with turbo upgrades and turning up the boost I would really recommend you invest in a wideband 02 sensor and gauge, I would have blown it up for sure if I didn't have one! It's really worth it!

BTW I'm keen as to find out what the flyin miata thing is 🤔 your build has cliff hangers 😂

Don't worry, a wideband is on the list (long list) of things I'll be doing. Also, I got the last of the parts I've been waiting for in this afternoon. The wifey is off work tomorrow, so I have ALL DAY to work on the car. I'll hopefully have some good pictures up tomorrow. The dang machinist has had the block and crank for 10 days now. *sigh* One week, knew it was too good to be true.

Also, if you look at the last several pics I took, you'll see what I got from Flyin Miata. I didn't realize it had snuck into the pictures until it was too late lol.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 15, 2021, 11:24:24 PM
I found the Easter egg! Arp Head studs!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 16, 2021, 03:11:27 AM
Ooooooooooof. I've got a shell for you. Come get it

Also Rocket, if you're serious, I'll definitely come take your front fenders off your hands. And cut away your driver's side rear fender and take that home with me too.  :P Unless it's a rolling chassis, I guess I could tow away the whole deal. I'm really strapped for room for more cars here though. I believe we have 13 cars in various states of decay sitting on this little half acre property. It's bad. In my defense though, only 3 of those are mine.

Actually, on that note....there's a Buick Grand Sport and a legitimate Grand National here. The Gnx is totaled, due to the frame being bent. Everything under the hood should be salvageable though. Any idea if that turbo would be usable on the Capri? That would be insane.

It's a rolling chassis with solid rockers, rear 1/4's, and floor. I PM'd you, give me a call.
GNX even with a bent frame should be worth a pretty penny, there's so few left someone will be willing to put it on a frame machine to bring it back to life.

The turbo on the GNX is even older tech than what the Capri had, hah
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 16, 2021, 07:56:15 AM
Yeah the GNX belongs to my father in law. He's....well he isn't a good person. If I showed you guys the state of these cars he's hoarding, you'd probably show up with pitch forks and torches, it's criminal.

Anyways, awesome. I'll give you a call later today.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 16, 2021, 01:23:46 PM
Quick status update. Still working, just taking a minute to make some coffee. Figured I'd throw up some pictures. First off, all the new parts (with part numbers!):

(https://i.imgur.com/AhgTRyyh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QVZb5PCh.jpg)
So these are from Flyin' Miata. ARP head studs, apparently a custom part for FM specifically for the Miata. They seem like normal head studs to me, but whatever. I'm pretty glad I talked myself into grabbing these.

(https://i.imgur.com/gPVOX7Jh.jpg)
Here is the Gate's timing kit, plus both sizes of core plugs. Steel, not brass. Tragic, I know...

(https://i.imgur.com/zZfLDRkh.jpg)
Turbo gasket set, throttle body gasket, and a new O2 sensor. The old one is probably still good, but hey. $20ish bucks for some peace of mind.

(https://i.imgur.com/9muHVAjh.jpg)
Spark plug wires, an oil filter, and a Gates thermostat. The plug wires are red, which I'm fairly upset about. Ah well.

(https://i.imgur.com/PM7C2bhh.jpg)
Gates water pump. The old one is fine, but again...I'm already in there. Why not change it out now?

(https://i.imgur.com/CQMK4D7h.jpg)
Beck and Arnley fuel injector O-Rings and seals. There seems to be one additional rubber seal in there than what I pulled off the Capri's rail. Spare parts, I guess? Anyways, these are for a Miata. They should work, I hope.


Then, here's the progress so far on the "subframe":
(https://i.imgur.com/VZYpf9Gh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/jG4SMabh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FnvtK1ph.jpg)

It's kind of cold out today, so I might hold off on painting it until it's warmer. Usually it doesn't matter, but the rubberized undercoating takes for-freaking-ever to cure if it's cold out. The frame on my truck took probably three weeks to cure...granted I sprayed that in November in New York. I dunno, maybe I'll hit it with the paint today. That's provided I can finish getting the old paint and rust off of it before it gets dark out.

I'm still hunting for some engine mounts for this thing, if anyone's got any ideas of where to look.

Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 16, 2021, 07:48:36 PM
Hey guys, I did a little whoopsie. I seem to have lost all of the pictures I took of my turbo before I took it apart. Now I can't remember how all the plumbing goes back on. I also can't find any pictures or diagrams in the service manual. Can anyone either point me to the correct page, or put up some pictures of all the oil lines and whatnot going in and out of their turbo? Thanks.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 16, 2021, 07:50:10 PM
I have some ancient pictures on my website that might help: https://werbatfik.com/progress.htm
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 17, 2021, 07:42:05 AM
Thanks, that should be good enough to get me back on track. Much appreciated. I like how not only were both your axles broken where both my axles are broken, but also your clutch cable. Same cracks in exhaust manifold, same grime on the subframe....man, these car's are predictable, eh?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 17, 2021, 08:56:41 AM
I have some ancient pictures on my website that might help: https://werbatfik.com/progress.htm

Interesting website.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 18, 2021, 05:39:52 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/BS5gYlNh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QfDEPcRh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QirgIRZh.jpg)
Turned out pretty well. I'm not a huge fan of this undercoating, but I've got like 4 cans of it left. Oh, and y'all know you're jealous of the slippers, don't lie...

(https://i.imgur.com/jEdOjjLh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tsU0EyBh.jpg)
From nasty to slightly less nasty. I'm having far too much fun with the new angle grinder.

(https://i.imgur.com/N3a4lwkh.jpg)
This gasket was a pain in the butt to remove. Literally cooked itself into the steel.
(https://i.imgur.com/VCLQdcyh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qOQ7Rb3h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/e1fqdjLh.jpg)

That's my best guess as to how the whole turbo setup goes back together. Rocket, the webpage was immensely helpful, thanks for that. Does anyone see any glaring issues? I'm going to knock the rest of the rust off the heat shields and then paint them with the same stuff I used on the oil pan. Hopefully that holds up to the temperatures.

Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 18, 2021, 10:30:24 PM
I see new hardware on the turbo flange. Is it grade 10? pretty sure the OEM studs there are skookum as frig, they see a lot of heat
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 19, 2021, 08:09:59 AM
I see new hardware on the turbo flange. Is it grade 10? pretty sure the OEM studs there are skookum as frig, they see a lot of heat

I HIGHLY doubt its Grade 10. It came out of a box of misc. hardware I got at Harbor Freight ages ago. I'm assuming I should replace it with something nicer? Honestly, it's a miracle I got any hardware on there without having to replace the studs at the end of the exhaust manifold. One snapped off with the original nut, and the other three gave up a solid 30% of their threads when I removed their nuts. Nasty buggers, indeed. That was with a generous helping of the oxy/acetylene torch, too. I did manage to get all 4 torqued down to....well probably enough? Lol. All I can get on most of those is a stubby 14mm wrench.

Edit: The whole reason I left those nasty, janky studs in there is because I didn't want to bother fighting them trying to pull them out. Do you know a good way to go about doing that? My only idea was putting 2 nuts on there, you know that method? But I figured if the original fasteners were such a pain to remove, then the studs themselves were probably going to put up an even bigger fight. Hence, my band-aid solution lol.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 19, 2021, 08:58:34 AM
Excellent
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 21, 2021, 02:42:44 AM

Here are a couple of videos I took of the vj11 and vf12 turbos for you to have a look at, it's heaps easier for me to put a video to YouTube than getting pics up here

https://youtu.be/cR8AE-Wq-D8

https://youtu.be/qPX6lgP3JfI

Also here is a link to the vj11 wheel

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Turbo-Billet-Compressor-Wheel-For-RHB5-Isuzu-38-19-52-13mm-6-6-NN136610-/172586913770?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 21, 2021, 03:09:25 AM
Here is a link to the weird 12 blade turbine, I dono what it's ment to go in but stay the hell away from it!


https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Turbo-Turbine-Wheel-Shaft-IHI-RHB5-44-53-5mm-12-Blades-/153386789805?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 21, 2021, 07:47:54 AM
Thanks for the videos man, super useful. That second one with the deodorant can....one of the most Aussie things I've seen in a while. Love it lol.

Anyways, I'm totally interested in that VJ11 compressor housing and the billet turbine wheel. I've tried buying books from Australia before, and the shipping was brutal. So it really depends on how much the shipping would come out to. If it isn't insane, I'll definitely buy it from you. I'll PM you my address so you can shop around on shipping options.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 22, 2021, 10:27:38 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/BnYdmRNh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XVUxsZyh.jpg)
Here's the other side of the subframe. It didn't come out amazingly, but it'll do. Absolutely an improvement, at the very least. I don't think I'm going to attempt to paint those engine mounts. I really just want to replace them, but I still can't find new parts.


(https://i.imgur.com/diIz5zph.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1cU26WJh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Gb40WAWh.jpg)
And here's the exhaust manifold and turbo, all together and ready to be reinstalled.


(https://i.imgur.com/vMmHUFih.jpg)
My collection of parts ready to be installed on the fresh engine block is REALLY piling up. If I could get that block back today, I could probably have the car running by the end of this coming weekend. Starting to get impatient.


(https://i.imgur.com/R8Ti8yth.jpg)
This gasket was a flaming pain in the butt to get off. Seems like every paper gasket on this car was cooked into the metal. I really hope the engine hadn't previously been overheated, but it really is starting to seem that way.
(https://i.imgur.com/zRwIrYRh.jpg)
Cleaned out the throttle body. The plate was sticking slightly in the closed position, so it needed doing.
(https://i.imgur.com/cdPJCgTh.jpg)
Fun fact, brake cleaner removes whatever paint or coating was on the OEM fuel injectors. Whoops.
(https://i.imgur.com/H9Q1gT0h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/81ThQT2h.jpg)
Painted the fuel rail red. I've had a tiny bit of this VHT red paint leftover from the brakes on my truck, and I've been looking for a good place to use it. Well, I found it. I don't think I'll bother re-painting the injectors. If I end up going with a Megasquirt ECU at some point, these are going to be the first part I replace. So, I'm not going to waste my time.


Once that rail is dried, I'll be able to throw the intake manifold back together with new injector seals and o-rings. I'll probably replace all the rubber fuel, coolant, and vacuum lines as well. They are in pretty rough shape. Once the intake is back together though, I'm basically out of little projects to do in order to get the engine back together. I suppose I could clean the engine bay and maybe replace the brake lines while I've got the space, but that's about it. I'm ready for the engine block back. I called him yesterday, to be informed that he still hasn't gotten to my stuff yet. Lovely. When I dropped it off 15 days ago now, he told me it'd be done in about a week. Lies, man. Lies. I can't rush him though, I don't want a half-assed job done on my stuff.

Does anyone know off-hand the diameter brake lines I should be ordering, and what style of flare? Maybe I'll order that later today. Some of that fancy copper/nickel line that is super nice to work with and bend,
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 23, 2021, 02:47:38 PM
I've got a soldering iron and some heat shrink tubing coming this Sunday. Figured I'll take apart that fuel injector harness, and re-do it the proper way. It's going to get far too hot where that sits to be comfortable with a half-assed wiring job. The last thing I want is to lose an injector. Guaranteed lean condition, and I'm not trying to prematurely kill this engine I've spent so much time rebuilding.

As far as the brake lines, I think I'm going to hold off on that. I'm going to start pulling the bumper and front fenders, then attacking this rust with the wire wheel to see just how severe it is. I REALLY don't want to try to figure out the logistics of hiding another car behind the fence here, but if this chassis is as far gone as I suspect it is, it might just come to that. Sorry I haven't called you yet Rocket, I'm still on the fence about how I want to go about doing this. My truck is full of engine parts (so I can't use it to tow at the moment) and I have no room for another car. If this body is beyond repair, I'll have to figure something out. Expect some gory, tragic, disgusting, rust-filled pictures soon.

Shit, maybe I'll just build a tube-frame chassis and do a fwd Exocet type deal...I've got VIN plates and everything to make it street legal(ish).
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 23, 2021, 08:33:50 PM
Give me a call, please, would really like to discuss some things with you

This is the brake line I bought, they have some fittings too: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N48HFLN
The capri uses 3/16" brake line. You will need at least 2x 25' if you are doing all the lines

The flares are bubble flare, this tool can do both and it's exceedingly handy and maneuverable: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XPRVCPV
It can do both bubble and inverted flares
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 25, 2021, 04:37:22 PM
So I've started pulling apart my rear suspension after our conversation, to see what sort of condition it is in and how much (if any of it) can be re-used. I pulled off the strut assemblies, hub/knuckle assemblies, and trailing arms.

Am I correct in my assumption here that the entire rear subframe, complete with both sides' double wishbones and the sway bar (and endlinks), can all be removed as one assembly? It looks like I'd have to take the brake lines off, or just cut them, but that's not a big deal.

As far as the condition of the parts I've removed....it's bad. The backing plates are basically non-existent, which is just fantastic seeing as the caliper bridges' bolt onto them. Speaking of calipers, the LR bleeder snapped off with next to no force. I'd have to assume the RR one will do the same. I've found rebuild kits, and replacement pistons, but no replacement/rebuilt calipers. Are they out there? I've tried drilling out the bleeder so I could tap in a slightly bigger thread and replace it with a larger bleeder, but it is a slow and painful process. The RR caliper was also locked up, so on the whole, I'd rather just replace them. The spindles and knuckles seem to be okay, and the bearings were okay too (although I'll probably just replace them). The trailing arms are pretty rough, but I can likely refurbish them. However, the bushings in both of them (both bushings) are trashed. Any idea if replacements for those are floating around? If not, I bet I could measure them and find some other bushing from some other car that'd work, but that sounds like a pain in the ass.

The struts are relatively okay, other than the mounts. They are the OEM ones though, or at least OEM replacement. They've got a Ford logo stamped into them. In all honesty, I'll probably reuse them for now. Until I figure out a coil-over solution. I'll need new mounts, bump stops, and bellows for them, but Rock Auto has them for a decent enough price.


Can't wait to see how buggered the rest of the rear suspension is, and the front on top of that. I MIGHT be starting to have a tad bit of buyers remorse at this point  :-X Hopefully it'll all be worth it in the end.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 25, 2021, 05:00:41 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/vz3UVbyh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ckxNiEjh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ie9BTovh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6JBaDeNh.jpg)
Here's the intake manifold back together, minus the wiring harness. And my progress so far on re-doing my hatchet job on the harness the first time around. This is definitely better.


(https://i.imgur.com/Tx0Qszeh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RYPXWXmh.jpg)
Subframe back in place. It looks very out of place now, it's the only remotely clean thing in that engine bay. For now. Also, I found this EXTREMELY old hide-a-key behind the FL fog light. The car was one owner before me, so he must've placed it there back in '91 and forgotten about it.


(https://i.imgur.com/mELVmMRh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Y08EMQlh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zTGDCZAh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/HytDeVhh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7HfbVtAh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Cac65K3h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LIxNlqKh.jpg)
The rear suspension as it sits now, complete with the caliper that is currently making my question my abilities as an automotive technician.


(https://i.imgur.com/fm9YLHlh.jpg)
So that's what is left in the car of the rear end. I'm fairly sure I can just move those jack stands, remove the four bolts, and drop the entirety of it out of the car....right?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 26, 2021, 08:50:55 AM
I'm afraid my brakes are going to look like that when I try to change them. I've already discovered that bleeders are full of rust.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 26, 2021, 02:38:31 PM
Well guys, shitty status update for you. I just got back a positive Covid test. That's probably going to put the brakes on this project for a little while.

Sorry Matt, we're going to have to reschedule for a future date. Definitely can't leave the house for a while, sorry man.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on April 26, 2021, 10:26:23 PM
Shit that's no good man, I hope your feeling alright!
I can't get over that rust man!  Looks like it was pulled out of the sea. I like the manifold as well really does look like something from NASA like rocket said!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on April 27, 2021, 07:51:23 AM
Best wishes for a quick recovery.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on April 28, 2021, 10:30:25 PM
I also wish you a speedy recovery. Stay safe. Give me a call when you're back on an even keel.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on May 18, 2021, 09:28:12 AM
What's up guys? It's been a pretty brutal few weeks, but my family and I are all starting to get better now. Hopefully I'll be able to drag myself outside in the next few days and get back to work on the rust bucket out there. Oh yeah, the machine shop still hasn't called me to let me know he is done with my engine. That dude told me a week, like what six weeks ago now? If, when I feel up to driving, he still isn't done....I'm probably just going to go and take it back. This has gone from annoying to ridiculous.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on May 19, 2021, 01:49:13 AM
Glad to hear you are feeling better!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on May 19, 2021, 07:35:18 AM
Hey man good to hear your on the mend! The machine shop that did my motor messed around for over a month too! Told me if I dropped it off on Monday he would have it done by Friday! I'd give him a call and nicely ask for an update or ask is there any problems he has found as to why its taking so long and hopefully it will get his ass into gear. Try not to get kranky with him you don't want him doing a sub par job out of spite. That's what I did any way I rang him once a week. And I guess he finally got sick of me calling and did the work.

 Did your little one and partner get the virus too?
Again mate I'm glad to hear your on the mend and I hope your all 100% before too long!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on May 19, 2021, 08:50:17 AM
Glad to hear you're all improving. It went though my family a year ago. My mother died from it a year ago next week after 2 months in ICU.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on May 20, 2021, 04:27:02 PM
Hey thanks guys. So yeah, my whole family ended up getting it. My wife works retail, so we think that's how it ended up happening. Even though its a luxury store and they are very strict with the Covid stuff, that's the only way we can work at any of us were exposed. Our 18 month old son got it too, and listening to the little guy coughing was honestly the worst part of the whole thing. I'm still having some lingering symptoms, mostly just a stuffy nose and a total inability to smell things still. The scariest bit was for about a week during the worst of it, every single thing that I ate tasted like metal. It was bizarre, made eating anything impossible, and it was terrifying to know that a disease was messing with my brain functions. It's all in the past now though. My wife and son don't seem to be showing any symptoms now, and other than what I stated earlier, I just have some lingering aches and pains.

Anways, I'll have some new pictures and updates coming soon. I've managed to rip apart the rear end, and stripped the paint off the subframe to prep that for a fresh coat. I also started stripping the paint off of the rear swaybar, but then decided it would look better polished than it would look painted. So I've been carried away the last few nights polishing the swaybar.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on July 04, 2021, 10:47:57 PM
Hey man how's everything going did you ene up getting your motor back? We haven't heard from you in a while. I hop everything is OK.

Regards Dave
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: WashiestSnake on July 05, 2021, 10:30:38 AM
Just read through this whole post, very cool stuff you have going on! I hope your okay, I love seeing this updates because it gets my hyped for my own build. Hope you come back soon, and update us! I really wish I was checking the forum more often, I would have loved to give my input to some of the stuff you've done because I know alot of the mods that fit the Miata that work for the Capri aswell, that I could have gave you tips on. I have to say that engine is going to be sick when it gets all put together, I love all the reflective tape, it looks like something out of a Lunar Landing hahaha.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 06, 2021, 08:08:20 AM
Hey thanks man. Sorry guys, I'm still alive. The project has been on hold for a little bit, life has been getting in the way. I'm currently trying to get a hold of Matt to get his chassis down to me. I've got a REALLY good job offer as a tech at a local Kia dealership. We also had to sell my truck, so now I NEED a second car. That means, there is a fire under my ass to get this Capri running. I'm going to need a 2nd car for daily driver duty soon. I promise, updates will resume soon.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 07, 2021, 08:19:51 AM
Yeah, things happen. Good luck.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 19, 2021, 11:58:21 AM
Tiny update for you guys. I should be going down to get Matt's spare chassis next weekend, which means work should be resuming very shortly on this project. I'm starting work the following Wednesday at a Nissan dealership, so I'll not have as much time to work on it. However, I desperately need a car to get to and from work, so getting the damn thing on the road will be way up there on my priority list. I've got every part I need to do it (minus the engine block, which the machine shop STILL has), so the only thing it'll take is some time. And tires. I think there are 20 year old Michelins on there right now.

On that note, anyone have decent tire recommendations for the factory size? I was looking at Toyo R888's (I think they're called, memory is a bit fuzzy). They're street slicks though, which was perfect for when the plan for this car was track duty. Now that she'll be my daily for a little while, that's obviously not going to work. I'm in New York, so I need all seasons. Or at least something with some tread, and then a set of snow tires. There's basically no options in a 14" wheel.

Oh also, I plan on getting started on the transmission later today. I may finally have some progress photos for you all soon. I just plan to grease up what needs greasing, inspect it, clean it, and paint it. It needs done before it goes back in. The thing is NASTY.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: ZJCapri91 on July 19, 2021, 03:56:24 PM
I know the fun of tire sizes on these rims...
I have some mastercraft all seasons on my Capri, and it does pretty good in the snow and rain here in Ohio. I would recommend them.
Best of luck putting the car back together.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 19, 2021, 04:34:36 PM
I know the fun of tire sizes on these rims...
I have some mastercraft all seasons on my Capri, and it does pretty good in the snow and rain here in Ohio. I would recommend them.
Best of luck putting the car back together.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely check them out. I'm looking for something cheap, but not dangerous. I'll likely have to pick my kid up from daycare in this thing (provided a car seat fits). I think it will, with the passenger seat slid all the way forward and tilted forward lol...

Anyways, as promisted:
(https://i.imgur.com/6KUO5kMh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JC4agLoh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aotSJhAh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/upqJCDYh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/x2i2tukh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AhOm2Rph.jpg)

I'm going to leave it in the driveway overnight, and allow the oven cleaner to really soak in there. The last picture is after letting it sit for maybe 10 minutes, and then spraying it off with the hose. It helped a little bit, but sheesh man the thing is disgusting. Hopefully tomorrow I can get all that crap off.

The service manual is totally devoid of teardown/rebuild/inspection procedures for these things, so I'll try and take good notes and make a write-up when I'm all finished with this thing. I intend on eventually shoving a helical limited slip differential in here, but I'd like to ensure the thing is in good shape before I put that sort of money into it. I'm not sure how far I'll go with the disassembly, but we'll see.


PS- Check out the new aluminum top on my workbench, and the shelf I put underneath. Getting ready to move into the dealership. I even spent the last several days cleaning out and reorganizing my toolbox. Good gravy, the amount of stupid crap that you accumulate is unbelievable. Also, to make room in there (I was way overflowing), I pulled out all of my standard size tools. It's all Crafstman stuff. 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" socket sets in deep and shallow, piles and piles of wrenches, some nut drivers, etc. If anyone is interested in buying it, let me know. I don't think I ever used any of it to be totally honest. Shipping would be a bear, it's heavy. If you're near-ish to NYC and don't mind the drive, I don't need a ton of money for it all.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 20, 2021, 08:03:09 AM
Yup, that's nasty.....lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 20, 2021, 08:45:45 AM
Yup, that's nasty.....lol

Right? I'd love to know how exactly it ended up in this way. This poor Capri has most certainly lived an EXTREMELY hard life. It looks like someone took this thing mudding. How is there a 2" thick pile of god only knows what stuck under the sift lever? Bleugh.

Notice how rusty the steel cover for the gearset is, and how rusty the steel shift lever is? Remember the literal holes in the body of this car? It's gotten itself a name in the past four months. I lovingly call her 'The Titanic' now. My wife has grown to detest my dirty rotten lawn ornament. I sure hope the thing is as fun to drive as it sounds like it is on paper. If I can get her to crack a big ass smile on our maiden voyage, I won't need to worry too much about her trying to make me get rid of my money pit here.

Also, she's leaning more towards me buying something not the size of a Smart FourTwo for daily driving duties, something about not wanting the baby in danger if we get hit by a strong gust of wind. Works for me, because that'll put 'ol rusty here back firmly in the 'track toy' category.  ;D
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on July 21, 2021, 02:10:28 AM
Distributor o-ring seal and a leaking valvecover gasket like to coat the transmission with a thick glaze of oil. Dust/dirt sticks to it and you've got yourself a cake :)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 21, 2021, 07:42:32 AM
Well nice, I've fixed one of those already, then. Don't think I have an O-ring for the dizzy, unless you mean the big round one that goes into the top of the head. Like, where the cam seals go, but on the back? In that case, then cool I already fixed both  8)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 22, 2021, 02:00:55 PM
Guys, this transaxle is putting up a hell of a fight. I'm taking it personally. The manual trans and auto trans ASE's are the two tests that have been holding me back from hitting master tech. I plan to take them (and recert my other 6, I think they expired) in a couple months here. What better way to study, than to blindly attempt to tear down and rebuild this damn thing.

That being said....there's nothing in the big book about taking these things apart. I'm scouring Youtube, just watching folks take apart manual transaxles from other small Japanese front wheel drive cars. It's helping, but only so much. If any of you guys happen to know how to remove the shift forks (the ones that hold the synchronizers) I'm all ears. I've been trying to take good notes and pictures, so that anybody who goes into this after me will at least have some sort of reference materials.

After all this effort, I'm probably going to put some work into this thing before tossing it back together. That LSD may be coming sooner, rather than later. I've got no desire to ever do this a second time. If you guys know of anyone who I could send my gears to, to have them hardened/strengthened in some way, that'd be swell as well. The transaxles are the weak links in these cars, from what I've read. I'd feel much better going forward with more modifications, if I knew the tranny won't explode at sustained 300bhp driving.

Cheers. More pictures coming soon.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 22, 2021, 05:54:57 PM
Mwahaha. I win. There is a roll pin in the side of the shift fork, you've gotta use a pin punch, a big hammer, and some 'gentle' persuasion. It'll come out, then you can pry the fork out. You've got to get the ends (5th gear, I'd imagine) off of both the main shaft and counter shaft, before you can split the case. There's also a couple fasteners that go through the case and into the shafts that you'll need to remove. Don't worry, once I'm done here, I'll do a full write-up. Provided I can get it back together. I did end up with an extra spring sitting in the case when I split it, so I'll need to figure out where in the world that goes. Also, I started grinding the rust off of the steel part of the case. I do intend to paint this whole thing when I'm done, with the same paint I used on the oil pan.

Pictures:
(https://i.imgur.com/7Z9uivFh.jpg)
So this is the shift lever inside of the bellhousing. You pull that bolt, take the spring tension off, and pry it up through the case.

(https://i.imgur.com/rEuET4Hh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/oNHjwnIh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/te768rrh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/btMTT9hh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SbHnCtuh.jpg)
This is what I believe to be 5th gear, which needs to come off before you're able to split the case.

(https://i.imgur.com/uyBXt2Jh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pzZTzuIh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2RLEoWzh.jpg)
And here it is split open, as well as my progress on cleaning the outside of the transaxle. Slightly less nasty looking, now.


So my next steps will be to clean and paint the two parts I've got on the table there, then to get the rest of the gearsets and the differential out of the other half of the case. I still would like to find some way of strengthening those gears, and then I hope to get the helical LSD in a few weeks when this is ready to go back together. I also vaguely remember something about a 5th gear swap, so I need to look into that.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on July 22, 2021, 08:46:40 PM
I believe there are guides out there, the big FSM doesn't have a transmission rebuild procedure? I swear I've seen it in there.
The transaxle is a G5MR or G25MR. That should get you some hits.

I know I have seen a teardown procedure on a forum before, might have been on clubprotege or fordfestiva.
There's some got-ya bits inside that will not go back together if not done in the proper order. Proceed with caution?

I've been advised when playing with the 5th gear to never disassemble those hubs with the springs and 3 bits, remove the part whole, apparently they don't like to go back together. I had one come apart once and ended up having to grab a whole assembly out of a spare trans

Look up "Vapor Blasting" or "Vapor Honing", see if someone local offers that service near you - it will make the casing parts look better than OEM

Here's the "stronger" gearsets:
https://www.par-engineering.com/product/g5mds-set-g-series-1st4th-dog-engagement-gearset/
https://www.par-engineering.com/product/g5mss-set-g-series-1st4th-synchromesh-engagement-gearset/

You could do a Toyota E153 transmission conversion for a fraction of that cost, though
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 23, 2021, 07:44:17 AM
I believe there are guides out there, the big FSM doesn't have a transmission rebuild procedure? I swear I've seen it in there.
The transaxle is a G5MR or G25MR. That should get you some hits.

I know I have seen a teardown procedure on a forum before, might have been on clubprotege or fordfestiva.
There's some got-ya bits inside that will not go back together if not done in the proper order. Proceed with caution?

I've been advised when playing with the 5th gear to never disassemble those hubs with the springs and 3 bits, remove the part whole, apparently they don't like to go back together. I had one come apart once and ended up having to grab a whole assembly out of a spare trans

Look up "Vapor Blasting" or "Vapor Honing", see if someone local offers that service near you - it will make the casing parts look better than OEM

Here's the "stronger" gearsets:
https://www.par-engineering.com/product/g5mds-set-g-series-1st4th-dog-engagement-gearset/
https://www.par-engineering.com/product/g5mss-set-g-series-1st4th-synchromesh-engagement-gearset/

You could do a Toyota E153 transmission conversion for a fraction of that cost, though

Well NOW you warn me. Thanks, buddy  :P

It'll be alright. If for whatever reason I can't get this thing back together properly, I'll either need to source a new one, or look into that Toyota trans swap. No big deal either way really. I definitely don't want to run a car with a glass transmission. Those two gearsets you linked look insane. Straight cut gears 1-4 and everything. Would be noisy, and probably a bit harder to shift, but damn. Not going to break those. Well, maybe Aus Carpi and his manhole cover sized turbo. But I wouldn't be able to break them. Sticker shock at first, until I realized it was in Aussie Dollars. Still steep, but not crazy. One of those gearsets, an LSD, and I'd be out maybe ~3k USD (+ shipping). Not cheap sure, but not too expensive for what you'd get. I'd have an excuse to do a custom exhaust manifold with a t4 flange, a bigger modern turbo, etc. Shoot for more in the 400bhp range than the 250bhp range. Seeing as I'd like to get this thing in rally eventually, that's a good power goal to aim for. Would at least make it competitive in FWD prepared.

Also, I was able to piece 5th gear back together when I bagged it. I didn't try putting the actual 5th gear back into the synchro, so maybe it'll fall apart then, but who knows. It didn't seem too bad. It's like a big, frustrating, 3D puzzle. I hate it.

EDIT:
-------
As far as a guide in the FSM. So, I've got a massive paper book that's the FSM for a bunch of late 80s-early 90s import cars. Remember those Matt? (yep, an old man joke :P) I read through the whole transmission section in there, and there wasn't anything about teardowns in it. Just remove/replace and fluid stuff. I didn't check the wayback machine FSM on the ol' interwebz. I suppose it's possible it's in there. If so, I'm going to feel like a dumbass.

2nd EDIT:
------------
Yep, theres a whole guide on the wayback machine FSM. God damnit. Well hey, that'll help going forward. It's full of specs too, so now I've got measurements to compare mine against now.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 23, 2021, 08:18:35 AM
You might want to consider 5th gears from a 626. They have a higher speeded ratio that will give you a higher top speed and with your power it would be a plus.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 23, 2021, 08:30:00 AM
You might want to consider 5th gears from a 626. They have a higher speeded ratio that will give you a higher top speed and with your power it would be a plus.

Yeah, that's the one I vaguely remembered. Definitely something I'd like to do. 5th gear is probably only ever going to be used on the highway, so it wouldn't hurt to have a wider ratio there. Any idea where to source one? Can they be had new, or is it something I'll need to find from someone parting out a car?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: chrispoe on July 23, 2021, 04:50:35 PM
Here's a few files from my stash

A walk-thru of a lsd install
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w2piqqxncpg215h/G-series%205sp%20Transmission%20Complete%20Teardown%20%26%20Rebuild%20w-LSD%20%26%205th%20Gear%20Swap.mht?dl=0

A manual for the F series
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o0wcg1rr23oagvv/Gearbox%20F5M-R.pdf?dl=0

A manual for the G series
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qiawxcedjxtow9l/Gearbox%20G5M-R.pdf?dl=0

Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on July 23, 2021, 06:29:03 PM
You will want to hop on eBay and get yourself a paper copy of the Factory Service Manual, for as deep into it as you
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 24, 2021, 07:49:13 AM
You might want to consider 5th gears from a 626. They have a higher speeded ratio that will give you a higher top speed and with your power it would be a plus.

Yeah, that's the one I vaguely remembered. Definitely something I'd like to do. 5th gear is probably only ever going to be used on the highway, so it wouldn't hurt to have a wider ratio there. Any idea where to source one? Can they be had new, or is it something I'll need to find from someone parting out a car?

One work......Amazon.....lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 24, 2021, 05:11:21 PM
My cursory search of Amazon yielded, nada. I've been quite busy though, I'll put more effort into the hunt when I've got the time.

Drove out to Pennsylvania earlier, met with Mr. Rocketman himself today. Super cool guy, can't thank him enough for the chassis donation. Seriously man, thanks a million. Kudos on the Pink Floyd shirt btw. I spent years playing bass in a Pink Floyd cover band in the Philly area. Love it. That '94, absolutely gorgeous.

Anyways guys, just a couple pictures. I finally finished blasting apart that transmission yesterday. I'll make a write up soon. It really wasn't that hard, once I figured out the whole roll-pin situation. I've got SO MANY Capri parts floating about. I really need to invest in some storage totes, because it's frankly ridiculous at this point. All of the engine parts, all of the transmission parts, all of the parts I needed to take out to get those two out. Now I've got a second chassis, which means I'll be storing a second interior, a hood, trunk, fenders, etc. Not to mention, I still want to pull out the interior on the good chassis, now that I have a good chassis, so I can rip out the sound-deadening and seam weld it. That might need to wait until I get the thing running and driving first. I honestly don't think I have room to keep all these parts. They sure as shit won't fit in the car lol.

(https://i.imgur.com/se61NU7h.jpg)
This is apparently the only picture I took during the remaining teardown on the trans. That's the primary and counter shaft gear sets. I'll get more when I write it up.

(https://i.imgur.com/PhPnfNth.jpg)
'Ol Rusty. I'm going to strip off anything I could see ever needing, and then I'll likely scrap what's left. If any of you guys have a strange need for an unimaginably rusty '91 Capri husk, come and get her.

(https://i.imgur.com/Zcj9zudh.jpg)
And here's Rocketman's immensely generous donation, with the Titanic's hat on. There's a couple spots where rust is starting to form on the floor, but it's a joke compared to the white car. Once the lift in the garage is free, I'm going to push her in, cut out the spots, and put some plates in. Definitely want to stop the cancer now, seeing how bad it'll get.

I'm toying with the idea of swapping over the hood/trunk/headlight covers, etc. Rocking a two-tone red and white look. Thoughts?


Just wanted to add. Now that I've got a chassis worth a damn, it's game on. I'll be busy with work soon, but that also means I'll have money to throw at any stupid problems with the Capri(s?) that pop up, too. I hope, and plan, to have this thing on the road by the end of September. If the machinist still hasn't done the work to my block, I'm just going to take it back and do what I can to do the machine work myself. That's literally the only thing holding me up now. Just need to reassemble the engine and transmission (no big deal, right?), swap over the harness, install them both, and then put all the crap back in the engine bay. It COULD be done in a long weekend, but we'll see. Stay tuned for more.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 25, 2021, 08:25:20 AM
I apologize, when I checked on them eBay and Amazon both listed them. Seems neither has them now.  Looking good, keep up the good work.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 25, 2021, 10:04:40 AM
I apologize, when I checked on them eBay and Amazon both listed them. Seems neither has them now.  Looking good, keep up the good work.

 :'( Ya killin me here, smalls
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: WashiestSnake on July 25, 2021, 04:36:34 PM
@EShepard just so you know there is no sound deadening. All the sound deadening is attached to the carpet and once you pull it up thats it, theres nothing glued to the floor like new cars. Just wanted to let you know, as i'm currently tackling the interior in my car! All the sound deadening on my  91 is the wool style.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 25, 2021, 08:27:18 PM
@EShepard just so you know there is no sound deadening. All the sound deadening is attached to the carpet and once you pull it up thats it, theres nothing glued to the floor like new cars. Just wanted to let you know, as i'm currently tackling the interior in my car! All the sound deadening on my  91 is the wool style.


That's terrific news. I absolutely hate working with dry ice. Scraping out the sound deadening is always the absolute worst part of putting a cage in a car. I don't plan on going that far with the Capri any time soon, but I'm glad to know it won't be such an ordeal. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm glad I've got the spare chassis now. I can cut it up and play with it, designing the cage and any bracing I want to add, without having to worry about punching superfluous holes in the good chassis.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 27, 2021, 02:40:19 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/BORiKcPh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rqtflwHh.jpg)

So the stripping has begun. There's one fastener on the drivers seat rail near the center console that's giving me a hard time. That thing is holding me up from tearing the front half of the interior out. This thing was NASTY though. Found a giant mouse nest under the spare tire. And several holes through the car. Sheesh.

I've decided I'll use this chassis to practice/learn body work. It's quite likely I'll ruin it (more than it already is) since I've never tried body work before, but hey. If I salvage the thing, I'll have a spare chassis stripped out and ready to go. Perhaps I'll end up prepping this one for the rally stages. Cage, bracing, etc.

I'll throw pictures up of the good car soon. I just need to swap the soft top cover over, and then the whole two-tone job will be done on it. It looks pretty good.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: WashiestSnake on July 29, 2021, 05:32:01 PM
I just need to swap the soft top cover over, and then the whole two-tone job will be done on it. It looks pretty good.

Don't forget you need to swap windows over if the frame is different. I don't recall the year but later model cars have a slightly different convertible frame.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 29, 2021, 06:11:57 PM
Thanks, but I do believe they are both '91s.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 31, 2021, 04:19:59 PM
I just need to swap the soft top cover over, and then the whole two-tone job will be done on it. It looks pretty good.

Don't forget you need to swap windows over if the frame is different. I don't recall the year but later model cars have a slightly different convertible frame.

I think the difference is in the length of the cable that attaches around the corner, not in the top or the windows.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 08, 2021, 02:59:12 PM
Small update today guys. I'm almost done swapping body panels to the new chassis. Just the soft top cover left to go. I need to wait for someone to come by and give me a hand, otherwise it'd be done already. The roof it a bit too heavy and awkward for me to install on my own, and that plus the trunk need to come off in order to swap the cover. Other than that, I have very nearly finished stripping out the old chassis. Just the body wiring harness, computer, and HVAC crap left to go. My tentative plan is to simultaneously prep the old chassis for racing, while building the new chassis into a daily driver. Then, once the old chassis is totally ready, and I have a newer daily, I can just transplant the drivetrain from the new body to the old body, and voila...racecar. I am almost positive I'll be prepping it for stage rally, but I need to check and see if the rules have changed in the last ten years in regards to convertibles. If I can't run stage rally due to having no roof, I'll likely end up doing autocross. Either way, it's going to have all the excess weight cut out, a cage, and the bare minimum of an interior re-installed. I'll probably be going with a fully digital dash and all that, too. That's a long-term plan, though. My priority is on getting the red chassis up and running.

And hey, if the red car turns out to be an awesome daily driver, I may not even steal it's drivetrain. I've been toying with the idea of dropping a K24 or similar into the old chassis, once it's ready. If I put that much time, money, and effort into prepping the chassis, I might as well use something better than a 30 year old engine. We'll see. I might still end up scrapping the old chassis. I really have no idea what will happen. Just trying to get all my ideas written down somewhere.

(https://i.imgur.com/mtXL5duh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SCf6gvZh.jpg)

The dashboard put up a huge fight. If anyone goes to remove theirs in the future, here's a pro tip. Drop the steering shaft out first.

(https://i.imgur.com/M0Xm5SKh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wzCPjfEh.jpg)

Hard to see in the second picture there, because it's on jackstands in gravel, but look to the right of the hood release. There's holes, straight through the floorboard, in a few spots. Lovely...

(https://i.imgur.com/ROIG1DKh.jpg)

Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 09, 2021, 09:25:01 AM
You're an inspiration man.....makes me tired though.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 10, 2021, 06:56:48 PM
You're an inspiration man.....makes me tired though.

Lol thanks man. These two Capri's aren't even the biggest projects I've got going on right now, either. I've got a 2019 Rogue Sport in my bay at work with the transmission dangling out, mid warranty replacement. And then I've got a 2018 Rogue in the bay next to it, which I've just barely started a warranty engine replacement on. Let me tell you guys, compared to newer cars, the Capri is a freaking CAKE to work on. It took me like four hours to have the engine and trans out of the thing, the day after I bought it. I spent, legit, 4 hours getting just the four torque converter nuts off the '19 today. Absolute nightmare, those.

Off tomorrow though. Should be able to get a little work in. I didn't bring home tools, but I'll figure something out. I've got to pull the parking brake cables off for someone on here.

Oh, if anyone needs any Capri parts, especially interior parts, let me know. I've got mountains of crap piling up in my garage at home, and I reallllllly need to slim down the pile. Cheap cheap. Seats, door cards, dashboard, etc etc. Even got a ripped up soft top I don't need. Just ask, I bet a lot of this crap is hard to find anymore.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 11, 2021, 08:24:25 AM
If you want to talk simple, back in my college days I did an R&R on an air cooled VW in three hours by myself at the garage where I bought the new engine.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 14, 2021, 06:38:56 PM
So I just got the heater core out. Good friggin lord, did they bury that thing in there. Literally the single last piece to come off the entire car. Jesus.

Started grinding away paint on that LR fender to see how far the rust spread. I got all the way up the rocker to the FL fender, then I stopped. Rust all the way. I was debating trying to repair this chassis, but that was quite disheartening. I dunno about all that, now.

Edit:
-----
Got a little more work done today. Pulled out the engine harness from the white chassis. It's pretty rough. I tossed it in a bag, and plan on re-building it at work with fresh wire and loom. If anyone needs a new engine harness made up, I'm going to measure stuff and make myself a nice little diagram. I should be able to make brand new, factory quality harnesses for anyone who needs them in the future. The only thing I'll need is the connectors. I don't know where to buy new ones, except possibly from Ford (if they even still make them). My plan was to just clean them up, re-pin them, and re-use them all.

As far as the white chassis....it's destined for the scrap yard. I ground off a bunch of paint in a few spots to inspect it. The car is far more rust than steel at this point. So, dead end there. Also, whomever told me there isn't any insulation in these things....that's untrue. I'm not sure what the hell it's made of, but it's definitely there. Makes a HUGE mess when you hit it with the angle grinder.

So now the plan is to rebuild the engine harness, and get that plus the computer installed in the new chassis. Swap over the front suspension, whichever side (or both, I don't recall) is bad. Get new strut mounts for the rear, and install those. Toss the transmission back together. Get my engine back, reassemble the bottom end. Bolt the cylinder head to it (it's ready to rock). Install the transmission to the engine (probably with a new clutch and flywheel). Install the drivetrain into the car. Replace both front axles (they've both got ripped boots). Break in the engine on the factory ecu for a couple of weeks. Then, drive on down to Pennsylvania and have Mr. Rocketman chip the thing. At that point, I'll probably be happy with it and leave it alone (mechanically) for a while. Use it as a daily. It does need a date with the body and paint shop, but that can wait until I know all of the other stuff will work out.

It doesn't sound like a ton of work left, but I really only get a few hours a week to work on the thing. I've got two days a week off of work, both of which I need to watch my son. Which means, I get his nap time, two days a week, during which to work on the car. I bring what I can with me to work to play around with, but that's not much either. Not a ton of down time there. Hopefully it'll be driving again in a couple months, but we'll have to see how it all goes.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 18, 2021, 07:31:40 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/eLnYkyYh.jpg)
Couldn't resist the temptation. Opened up the ECU. I'll leave this in Rocketman's domain. Looks too complicated for me. I've built a few computers, but this is way too analogue for my tastes. Don't worry Matt, I made sure I grounded myself before touching it. I closed it back up and put it away. I just wanted to see what a computer from 1991 looked like.

(https://i.imgur.com/f5NxRIYh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7wvUFpbh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ApuJ6PHh.jpg)
The interior is now fully gutted, minus the fuel pump which I still need to steal. It's only 4 screws, no biggie. You can see in the last picture that there is some form of sound deadening in these cars. And whatever it is, it's super nasty.

(https://i.imgur.com/SFU1n7Nh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/X101atUh.jpg)
Here's the results of my exploratory angle-grinder surgery. I've decided 100%, this chassis is going to the scrap yard. If anyone, for whatever reason, wants it, let me know before this weekend. Otherwise, I'm going to cut the whole car in half, load it onto my trailer, and sell it as scrap steel. The cancer is just too far gone. I discovered the front left jack stand is actually punched through the frame. There is nothing left at all of the driver's side rocker panel. Almost the entire left rear fender would need to be cut away and patched. Passenger side rocker panel is pretty bad. Inside of both front fenders is pretty bad. Driver's side front fender has a rust hole straight through it, smack in the middle. Etc. You get the idea. I'm going to yank off the whole suspension, fuel pump, and all the crap left under the hood, and then I'm sending this one to the dump. Unless anyone here wants it. No judgement if you do.


EDIT:
-------
I forgot one picture. Check out the two harnesses. One is for the engine, the other goes from the battery to the starter, fuse block, and body grounds. Both are at work, and I've started rebuilding the battery sub-harness.
(https://i.imgur.com/Fck2uTUh.jpg)

If anyone knows where I can buy replacement connectors for either of these harnesses, please let me know. I don't want to reuse anything from either of these. They are in awful shape....just like the rest of the damn car. Found so much exposed copper under the split loom and electrical tape.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 18, 2021, 08:59:45 AM
Great that you are willing to fix wiring looms. If you want to make a little money at it, you might want to get involved with the Festiva community making swap harnesses for B6's.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 18, 2021, 09:59:51 AM
Great that you are willing to fix wiring looms. If you want to make a little money at it, you might want to get involved with the Festiva community making swap harnesses for B6's.

If I can find a supplier for replacement connectors, I'd love to do that. On the harness I've started on, I measured the gauge and length of each wire, and noted them down along with the color, for every wire in the harness. So I've got a super detailed diagram of the whole thing. I should be able to reproduce a new harness, that exactly matches the factory one, even without having one to compare it to on hand. There are a few small changes I've made to mine, and more that I plan to make to mine, that I'd bet other people would appreciate too. For instance, the large gauge wire coming from the positive battery terminal, at least on my car, was black. I'm going to replace that with a red one. Another change I intend to make is using larger gauge wire to run to the radiator fan. Partly in case I upgrade it one day, and partly for peace of mind. It's a fairly small wire for something that (probably) draws a decent amount of amperage. I haven't dug into it enough to find out if the fan circuit runs through a relay, but if it for some reason doesn't, that'll be something else I'll change.

So I could probably offer two different replacement harnesses. An identical factory replacement one, and a revised harness with my little tweaks. It probably wouldn't be very cheap, though. Material costs alone are going to be fairly significant. I'm not sure yet how long making them will take, but measuring it all out and mapping it is taking a while. I figure after the first one, I could probably bang them out in ~4 hours or so. Just a ballpark guess here, but I'm guessing I could probably sell them for ~$350-$400 ish. Like I said, not cheap. But it doesn't sound too bad for a brand new harness for an obscure 31 year old car that 99% of people have never heard of.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 19, 2021, 07:24:45 AM
I'm thinking that's a very good price, especiall since it's an improved version on the OE.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 19, 2021, 06:48:39 PM
I'm thinking that's a very good price, especiall since it's an improved version on the OE.

Well awesome. Depending on how mine turn out, I think I'll offer that as a service. I'd also be totally down to do cylinder head work for folks, too. I really enjoyed doing all that porting and polishing. I've been debating advertising for that on Craigslist in my area. It should be the same idea for any four cylinder engine, but I figured I'd keep it to DOHC Japanese engines for now.

If anyone on here needs head/block work though, hit me up. I'd love to help out.

Anyways, Saturdays are fairly slow at my job. My next update should be then. I plan on bringing that transmission in with me, tossing it in the parts washer, and then reassembling it. Should be fairly straightforward, other than that fifth gear that I apparently wasn't supposed to take apart  :o Ah well, if it has to be a four speed for a while, so be it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on August 20, 2021, 08:04:40 PM
Dude, that old chassis is trashed man, holy hell. The pictures are the tip of the iceburg too, to cut that back to clean metal you'd have to remove half the car. Shame.
The 5th gear assembly has that little extra thin gear on there, it's related to the reverse gear, so I think you'll need to pop that back on
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 22, 2021, 10:24:28 AM
Well, I've got my parts guys at work trying to track down a new fifth gear assembly (just in case I can't get this one back together), as well as new axle seals. Now that I've got access to people with dealership connections, I'm hoping I'll be able to get my hands on some hard to find OEM Ford parts.

Anyways, I started the assembly process yesterday. I had to use the 20-ton press to get the output shaft bearing race pressed back into the case, which is bizarre since it literally fell out of the case when I was taking everything apart. I did manage to get the case halves fairly cleaned up, but it's not perfect. We apparently don't have a parts washer. Why the dealership hasn't got one, I couldn't tell you. Seems stupid to me. How do these guys do stuff like oil pan and valve cover gaskets? Are they not cleaning off the parts while they're off? That seems pretty damn lazy to me, especially since its a dealer, with dealer pricing. I'm going to have to buy my own, if I end up staying here. For what they charge people, I can't half-ass jobs like that. Just isn't cool.

Annnnnyways, getting off topic a bit there. I cleaned it as best as I could with brake cleaner and wire brushes, and hit the gasket and sealing surfaces with the white Rolox discs. Got the bearing races pressed in, the differential reinstalled, and started assembling the input/output shafts & their forks. The gear selector mechanism is back in, too. The whole thing is quite complicated, and of course I lost the notes I took when I moved my box. I just printed off the tranny rebuild section of the wayback machine service manual, so next time I get some free time to work on it, I'll hopefully make a bit more progress than I did yesterday.

On a semi-related topic, any of you guys ever hear of someone welding up the differential gears in a FWD car, like some people do in RWD applications? Like, putting a plate over the spider gears and welding them together with the plate. Part of me thinks it'd be a cheap and easy way to get a not-open differential, but part of me thinks its a terrible idea. It causes wheel-hop in the back....can't imagine what that'd be like on the axle that does the steering. I'm leaning towards it being a terrible decision, but let me know if I'm wrong. If it won't make cornering impossible, I'd probably try it out. I plan to get an LSD down the line anyway.

Here's the two pictures I took. Sorry, totally forgot to take more. Just a quick before and after on the cleaning. I still need to do the outside of the bigger case half, but the smaller piece is done and the insides of both are done. World of difference. Gotta love having access to a 55 gallon drum of brake cleaner  8)

(https://i.imgur.com/ZtK4gTch.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dCOKmnZh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 22, 2021, 03:40:15 PM
I can only imagine how bad the handling would be with the wheels not able to rotate independently.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 22, 2021, 06:35:33 PM
I can only imagine how bad the handling would be with the wheels not able to rotate independently.

Yeah, that's about what I suspected. I figured it might not be too bad at highway-ish speeds, but anything under 30mph or so, it'd probably be damn near un-drivable. Silly question, but I figured I might as well float the thought out there while I still have super easy access to the differential. I don't particularly want to take this thing apart again, but I don't really want to put a $1200 LSD into a transmission for a car I've still never even driven yet. Ah well
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 23, 2021, 07:23:36 AM
I can only imagine how bad the handling would be with the wheels not able to rotate independently.

Yeah, that's about what I suspected. I figured it might not be too bad at highway-ish speeds, but anything under 30mph or so, it'd probably be damn near un-drivable. Silly question, but I figured I might as well float the thought out there while I still have super easy access to the differential. I don't particularly want to take this thing apart again, but I don't really want to put a $1200 LSD into a transmission for a car I've still never even driven yet. Ah well

For a drag racer I imagine it would be okay but the scrubbing when you get to the end of the track would probably wear out tires as bad as the burn out.....lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on August 23, 2021, 09:26:09 PM
Yes, a welded front diff would be terrible, it would not want to turn at all. I'm sure there are videos on youtube where this behavior is shown.

While you have the diff out, you could throw a spot weld on the rollpin that retains the spider gear carrier pin, this will not keep the spiders from galling to the shaft during a one-wheel wonder but it will keep the spider carrier pin from being flung out of the transmission case when they do gall
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 25, 2021, 03:19:11 PM
Couple of updates, nothing major.

So the new chassis was missing a few things under the hood. Some electrical stuff, the washer fluid bottle was broken, etc. Just little stuff. It also has shot wheel bearings up front. So, I swapped over all that stuff. Minus the front right suspension. Mine is rusted/seized onto the white car, so I'm going to need to bring home my giant impact gun, and probably my air hammer, to finish swapping that over. I also finally got around to swapping the soft-top cover over, so now the two-tone job it totally complete. All of the body panels are in their final spots.
(https://i.imgur.com/RLkPa0Kh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/f7ZpJw4h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qvNLlbjh.jpg)


Then I decided, maybe if it looked closer to a running and driving car, maybe I'll be more motivated to work on it whenever I see it. The new chassis has been missing some of those silly little gray side molding bits, and it drives me insane. See?
(https://i.imgur.com/iSiwdh5h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/q792qfbh.jpg)


Well, I finally got around to prying them off the junk chassis, and attaching them to the new one. I used 3M spray adhesive. The stuff works amazingly well. While I was at it, I decided to do the first normal car owner type of thing to the car. I actually cleaned it. The thing was NASTY. It's still not exactly pretty, it's missing a ton of clearcoat, but hey. It's at least now in the form it'll be in when I start to daily drive the thing.
(https://i.imgur.com/YOEK0Ajh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fUa3WhKh.jpg)

All I need to do now is finish putting the tranny together, finish rebuilding the wiring harness, get my engine back, rebuild that, and then put it all together. The list is getting shorter and shorter. Slowly, but hey. Progress.

UPDATE:
----------
I got the FR knuckle off, too. I gave up on taking off the control arm, since that's the part that has the nut thats absolutely ruined. I popped it off at the ball joint instead, and took just the knuckle on that side. I also took off both front struts, too. I figure once I've got the car all together and running, having spares to play with will be nice. I can try and figure out how to build a coilover out of the stock setup.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 26, 2021, 07:14:55 AM
Just keep telling yourself it's a marathron, not a sprint....lol.  When you get ready member Ben Rogers has a lot of info on building those coil overs.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 06, 2021, 09:27:56 AM
Sooooo today is the first day both I and my wife are off work on the same day, since I started my new job. This means I have unfettered ability to work on my car, without also needing to watch a small child hell bent on self-injury. Huzzah!

I just finished swapping over the front knuckles. I believe the last thing that needs done, before the new chassis is ready for it's drivetrain, is to swap the intercooler from the old chassis to the new. I believe I need to remove both front bumpers in order to do this, but I'm about to dig into the service manual to double check that. However, I'm nearly there. I've just left a voicemail with the machinist whom has my block, to let him know I'm ready to get it, regardless of if he's done the work or not. Hopefully he will call me tomorrow to tell me he has done it, and I can pick it up on Wednesday.

So, later on I'll transplant the intercooler. Later this week, I'll get my block back. It'll take me a few days to assemble that and install the head. I may take an extra few days to paint the block. Then I just need to finish rebuilding the transmission, mate that up, and install it. I'm getting close, guys.

Pictures later.

Edit:
-----
I did just order a ton of parts for our daily driver (our 2006 Altima), so when that stuff shows up, I'll need to sacrifice a day or two of Capri wrench time to do that. It's getting some love. New front knuckles, hubs, and wheel bearings, new front struts, new front lower control arms, and new rear shocks. Essentially, an entirely new suspension. At least that'll be an easy enough project.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 07, 2021, 06:36:26 AM
Good lord. What is the proper way to take out this intercooler? Fought that thing for a few hours yesterday before I got frustrated enough to give up. I've got the bumper off the old chassis, but one of the bolts for it on the passenger side is pretty damn difficult to get to. I don't really want to pull the bumper off the red car, either. Can it be installed without doing so? If not, I might just get a bigger universal one that I can mount from the engine side.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 07, 2021, 08:51:07 AM
It's been a while but if I remember right the rear bumper is harder to remove than the front.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 08, 2021, 04:50:59 PM
Well, two bits of news.

Finally got ahold of the worlds slowest machinist. My block and crank will be ready this Saturday. Only took the man 5 months to clean a block, hone 4 cylinders, and polish a crank. The plan is to go grab that on Wednesday of next week.

Second bit of news....I'm not getting that intercooler out. Screw it. I'm just gonna order a universal one, and a hose kit for it, off of Amazon or something. It's annoyingly difficult to get to, and it's so tiny anyways. I'd rather get something bigger (especially since I'm doing away with the AC, so the condenser delete frees up a little room) and mount it so that it can be installed/removed without pulling the bumper. It's such a chore taking them off these cars, I'd much prefer to never need to do it again. I've also decided I'm leaving the fog lights off the new chassis. I plan to use those openings as inlets for ducting to cool the front brakes, eventually. Once it's time to build it for the track.

I did remember I need to swap over my fuel pump. Thing looks pretty dang old. Anyone know of a drop in one I can buy? Just needs to match the factory flow rate, or whatever Rocket's chip requires. I'll be sticking with that for a while, so no need to future-proof the fuel system.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on September 09, 2021, 01:29:33 AM
I was lucky with my bumper somebody had had it off in the past and had only put back 4 of the main 6 bolts. Looking at it I have no idea how the other 2 bolts are ment to be removed or installed. If you can get it off it will make mounting the intercooler much easier and tidier I would imagine. With out those 2 impossible bolts my bumper is a breeze to take off! Good to see it all coming along man, I've been so busy lately I haven't really had a chance to comment and get involved, but I have been periodically checking what you have been up to. Good stuff man you put us all to shame with the exception of rocket man of course!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 09, 2021, 07:15:21 AM
Rockauto has a bunch of fuel pumps. Use the discount for 5% off.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 09, 2021, 06:38:40 PM
I was lucky with my bumper somebody had had it off in the past and had only put back 4 of the main 6 bolts. Looking at it I have no idea how the other 2 bolts are ment to be removed or installed. If you can get it off it will make mounting the intercooler much easier and tidier I would imagine. With out those 2 impossible bolts my bumper is a breeze to take off! Good to see it all coming along man, I've been so busy lately I haven't really had a chance to comment and get involved, but I have been periodically checking what you have been up to. Good stuff man you put us all to shame with the exception of rocket man of course!

Thanks man, I appreciate that. At least SOMEBODY appreciates what I'm doing (ahhhhem, dearest wife....).

And Wolf, thanks again. I keep forgetting about your codes. I literally just spent like $700 on basically an entire suspension on our Altima, all from Rock Auto. Forgot the god damn coupon again. AND I DIDN'T GET ANY MAGNETS MAN.....! *sigh*
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 15, 2021, 02:08:14 PM
Hey guys, I've got wonderful news. So I'm in the car on my phone right now, taking my son to his doctor appointment. But I'm just too excited, I've gotta tell somebody. I just dropped off my block and crankshaft at my house, picked them up earlier today. I didn't get pictures, you'll need to wait until later...but holy shit. Totally worth the wait. The guy who did the work is a phenomenal machinist, it's some of the best work I've ever seen. The crosshatching is pornographic. Just beautiful.

So he did tell me he ended up needing to surface the deck, which I had a feeling was going to happen. Remember how nasty that shit was? Apparently, he needed to take .006" off...which is crazy lol. I'm going to end up taking the camshafts out of the head and bringing that to him, so that it can also get decked. Might as well at this point. Might even spring for an MLS head gasket now that the mating surfaces will both be freshly machined. Should pair quite well with the ARP head studs, and the 16psi of boost I intend to run at. I'm so fucking excited.

Tragically, I am in the middle of my little side project on my wife's car. So I'll need to finish that up before I can start tossing the short block back together. It'll be done tonight though, so I'll probably have some updates tomorrow evening. I'll definitely get pictures up later today for you guys though.

Oh, I bought a 1000lb harbor freight engine stand, too. Why not? It'll make painting so much easier.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 15, 2021, 07:45:08 PM
Boom.

(https://i.imgur.com/KO7mNfMh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tFAZIWwh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/sZYnKIHh.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/jyakzevh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/w7YD4kth.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/spuyu5qh.jpg)

Couldn't start work on reassembly today. Hell, didn't even get to put the new engine stand together yet. A stuck fastener in my wife's lower control arm held up that job. I did get that whole dealio finished though, so hopefully tomorrow night I can get cracking on this  ;D
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 16, 2021, 09:09:00 AM
I'm glad you finally got your stuff and it was worth the wait. I did a rebuild with head porting and Weber carb on a B6 single cam for my Festiva and getting outside work turned into a year and a half. In the interim I got a Capri and lost interest. Sold it at a loss. Keep it going.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 16, 2021, 05:43:58 PM
Thanks man :)

Two samewhat related questions. So I was talking to the machinist about the freeze plugs. He was making me regret buying steel ones, saying that they can/will rust over time. Anyone know how true this is? It sounds like it could be, but I also think that there is rust inhibitors in coolant, so I'm not super convinced yet that I should order some brass ones. He also asked what kind of sealant I was going to use when I install them. I've always done them dry. I thought they were an interference fit type of deal. Smack them in with a socket and forget about them. He said he's been using a thin bead of JB weld along the outer edge of them for years, and that he's never had them leak on him since he started doing so. Does that sound like something I should try?

Should I return the steel freeze plugs and get brass ones?

Should I use any type of sealant/JB weld when installing them?

I'm currently inclined to just hammer in my steel ones dry, like I've always done, and call it a day. But, I very much don't want to have to pull this engine back out in a year or two because of such a stupid part, Thoughts?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on September 16, 2021, 09:10:15 PM
Some kind of sealant isn't going to hurt and may help seal them if the faces on the block are not perfect. The plugs I'm my block looked 30years old and we're just about corroded through. I can't see the steel ones being a problem any time soon as long as like you said, corrosion inhibitor is used
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on September 16, 2021, 09:14:41 PM
Hey man do you know how hard the seal on the input shaft of the gearbox is to replace, I suspect it's leaking and contaminating the clutch. I don't know a thing about gearboxes
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 17, 2021, 05:23:08 AM
Uhhh so it shouldn't be too terrible to change out. You may or may not need a big 20-ton press to do it, though. I did for one of the shafts, I just don't remember if it was the input of output shaft. Be careful taking apart any of the transmission though. Only take apart what you need to. I kind of regret taking mine all the way apart now.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 17, 2021, 08:15:44 AM
Thanks man :)

Two samewhat related questions. So I was talking to the machinist about the freeze plugs. He was making me regret buying steel ones, saying that they can/will rust over time. Anyone know how true this is? It sounds like it could be, but I also think that there is rust inhibitors in coolant, so I'm not super convinced yet that I should order some brass ones. He also asked what kind of sealant I was going to use when I install them. I've always done them dry. I thought they were an interference fit type of deal. Smack them in with a socket and forget about them. He said he's been using a thin bead of JB weld along the outer edge of them for years, and that he's never had them leak on him since he started doing so. Does that sound like something I should try?

Should I return the steel freeze plugs and get brass ones?

Should I use any type of sealant/JB weld when installing them?

I'm currently inclined to just hammer in my steel ones dry, like I've always done, and call it a day. But, I very much don't want to have to pull this engine back out in a year or two because of such a stupid part, Thoughts?

I've had steel plugs rust out, but on very old engines and some I suspect only had water in them. Sealant is a good idea, I wonder if pipe dope would work. Form-a-gasket?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 18, 2021, 11:03:23 AM
Sorry I didn't find this before you rebuilt your tranmission.
https://mazdas247.com/forum/t/g-series-5sp-transmission-complete-teardown-rebuild-w-lsd-5th-gear-swap.123791691/
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 19, 2021, 09:48:07 AM
Sorry I didn't find this before you rebuilt your tranmission.
https://mazdas247.com/forum/t/g-series-5sp-transmission-complete-teardown-rebuild-w-lsd-5th-gear-swap.123791691/

Thanks for the link man. The thing still isn't back together, so this will definitely come in handy. So I did somehow manage to lose one of the detent balls. I also have noticed quite a bit of wear while I was measuring clearances and stuff in there. I was sort of trying to hunt down a lower mileage gearbox to drop into the car. I'd feel a little silly putting a brand new(ish) engine back in there, with a tranny that has 161k miles on it. Plus, having the old one for spare parts will definitely come in handy. Especially when I decide to go the LSD route. I can build up the spare while still being able to drive the car, then just swap them out.

Onto the pictures. It's hard to find time to work, but I've almost finished masking the block off for paint. I've just got to trim the top, then hammer in the freeze plugs. Hopefully later today, when the kid takes his nap, I'll be able to get some paint on there. I'm trying not to be super anal about the quality of the masking, or the finish on the paint. It's mostly not going to be visible. I just don't want to drop a rusty looking boat anchor back into the car. Plus, I really fell in love with that color paint after I did the oil pan. I just hope I have enough left. Didn't take any pictures of the trimming yet, I was interrupted by my father in law last night while I was doing it. Hard to work when you got someone yapping away in your ear.

Oh, and before anyone points it out...yes, I realize I put the engine stand together wrong. Whoops. This is why I shouldn't be trying to work on this thing at 8 at night after already having wrenched for ten hours. I'll fix it...uh eventually. Maybe. This block is so light, I'm not in any rush.

(https://i.imgur.com/ghw9s01h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/D2TvB7th.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/EUahdMUh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0TyiOEnh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/HCE0Nirh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6cbYUSTh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nFppafUh.jpg)

My plan is to get the short block assembled, then take the cams back out of the head. Take the head to the same machinist, and just wait there while he skims it. That way, he'll do it in an hour, not in four months. He's right, it does need done. And he does great work. I just need to encourage him to be quick about it lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 19, 2021, 11:19:52 AM
Nice!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 19, 2021, 03:54:37 PM
Masking was trimmed, freeze plugs were installed, and the first three coats of paint are on. That's probably good enough. I'm not going to go crazy trying to make it a perfect finish. I just want it to look decent once it's in the engine bay. I think this will do that. I'll know for sure later tonight/tomorrow when I pull off the tape.

(https://i.imgur.com/WuhmpgYh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YVwWGSWh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VNZW0Uth.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/8S61v2Eh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hLRDzTIh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XVWt0VZh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/koUVlEHh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 22, 2021, 09:05:45 AM
Have some more pictures. Removed the tape (god damn, how satisfying) and I'm pretty happy with the paint job. Installed the oil squirters, with new copper washers. Installed the main bearings, checked them with plasti-gauge, then re-installed the mains and the crankshaft. I forgot to put the damn thrust bearings in though, so I'm going to need to remove the #2 main cap and drop those bad boys in. I also managed to lose my crankshaft bolt sometime in the last few months. Not the end of the world, since with the short-nose crank, I've been told it's best to replace it anyways. I jammed a bellhousing bolt in there, just so I had something I could stick a ratchet on and make sure the crank spins. It does, so we're in the money. Hopefully the trend continues when I get the rest of the rotating assembly in.

Can anyone point me in the direction to purchase a new crankshaft bolt for a short nose crank engine? Please and thank you.


Without further ado...


Paint:
(https://i.imgur.com/iC9Et44h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PfZpzCNh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SvKQApth.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hDCrIBBh.jpg)

Oil Squirters:
(https://i.imgur.com/wNrYEjUh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IoDvKReh.jpg)

Main Bearing Clearance Check/Crankshaft Install:
(https://i.imgur.com/sxOAEuNh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PlLfVTWh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3oAs8IIh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Xk9o7uOh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DJPIyW6h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/O8UIZSrh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kSYOaFVh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 22, 2021, 10:57:51 AM
Inspirational
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on September 22, 2021, 11:06:08 PM
Looking good man! The deck of the block looks amazing!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 23, 2021, 06:38:48 AM
Thanks guys :)

I got the rings on the first piston yesterday, however ran out of time to get it into the block or finish the other three. I'll try to squeeze out some time tonight, but who knows.

I do very much need to find a new short nose crank bolt, ASAP. It's that, an MLS gasket, and getting the head surface skimmed that are holding me up. Once that's all done, and I find a new tranny, the car should be ready to be put back together. If anyone knows where I can find any of that.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 28, 2021, 06:44:12 PM
I'm off work tomorrow guys. Hoping to make some actual progress on the engine.

I have noticed over the week that the crank has been getting more and more difficult to turn. It's at the point now where it's too difficult, to me. Something is definitely wrong. So I'm going to pull off the main caps, measure everything with the micrometers again, and figure out what fuckery is going on. I want to make damn sure this thing is right before I put it back in the car. The whole point of this was to make sure that at least mechanically, the car will be solid for many many years to come. That way I can focus on the body/chassis without needing to worry about the engine shitting the bed on me. So, until I'm 100% positive everything is right, it's not going in.

I just hope I don't need any further machining work done. Guess I'll find out for sure tomorrow.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 29, 2021, 08:52:30 AM
Good plan
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 29, 2021, 03:50:37 PM
Good news. I switched the order I had the main caps in, and it made a world of difference. Crank spins like butter now. That's one major crisis averted. Then I checked all the piston ring gaps, installed all the rings, installed the connecting rod bearings, checked their clearances, and installed all the pistons/rods. The whole rotating assembly is now in. All the bearing clearances are well within spec, as are the ring gaps. Everything is looking good here. I mocked up the oil pan in the last picture, the engine is going to end up looking pretty dang good, too. I've got to put new seals in the oil pump and rear main carrier, then install both of those to the block. After that, it's just the pan. I should hopefully have that all done within this coming week, and I plan on getting my head re-surfaced next week. As long as he doesn't take forever with that, the engine should be ready for the car in just a couple weeks. Now I just need to source a new tranny...

(https://i.imgur.com/Zz39YQih.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/vKKEg67h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/36eLS1wh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GLcjzn4h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ya6k6Y2h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CbY4XI8h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dz1KtQoh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 30, 2021, 05:24:10 AM
Well, I've run into a new problem. Where can I get an oil pump seal/front main seal for a short nose crank?

UPDATE:
---------
New rear main seal, installed:
(https://i.imgur.com/dXBk4kEh.jpg)

Oil pump and oil pan, installed:
(https://i.imgur.com/e5LyHuvh.jpg)

Glamour shot, with that gorgeous cross-hatching:
(https://i.imgur.com/6kpPeZAh.jpg)

It's all together, minus that seal I need to track down, and a crank bolt. I need both for a short nose crank, and I can't find either. Other than that, it's ready to rock.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 30, 2021, 08:17:07 AM
Lookin' good.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on September 30, 2021, 06:45:55 PM
Should be able to find the seals at the normal gettin' spots.
RockAuto has both listed:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/mercury,1991,capri,1.6l+l4+turbocharged,1196636,engine,crankshaft+seal,5604
(remember the discount code if you order from there, you always forget)
But should be able to get them at a local gettin' spot too


Main crank bolt for short nose will be a Mazda dealer item.

Looking good btw. Slap your transmission back together and throw it in while you source a good used. Try www.car-part.com it is a junkyard aggregator you can sort by price/miles/distance etc
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 30, 2021, 07:01:39 PM
Should be able to find the seals at the normal gettin' spots.
RockAuto has both listed:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/mercury,1991,capri,1.6l+l4+turbocharged,1196636,engine,crankshaft+seal,5604
(remember the discount code if you order from there, you always forget)
But should be able to get them at a local gettin' spot too


Main crank bolt for short nose will be a Mazda dealer item.

Looking good btw. Slap your transmission back together and throw it in while you source a good used. Try www.car-part.com it is a junkyard aggregator you can sort by price/miles/distance etc

My hero <3 thanks for the infos. I had ordered one of those seals yesterday, but before I figured out why the one that came in my gasket kit was too big. Hopefully I accidently ordered one for the short nose.

Good call on putting this tranny back together, God knows how long it'll take to find, and receive, a new unit. It's not like I'll be driving the thing any time soon, it needs brakes and suspension work I'm sure. But a placeholder tranny so I can get the engine in, and do the troubleshooting that I'm oh so sure will need doing, seems like the smart move.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 01, 2021, 05:45:55 PM
Good news! The front crankshaft seal I ordered arrived today, already.

Bad news! Too damned big. Alas, looks like third time will be the charm. Might just order the damned thing from Mazda when I get the bolt, too.


In other news, I've got two spare big-nosed crankshaft front seals. Free to a good home, if anyone has a need for them. The parts hoarder in me can't just toss 'em.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 03, 2021, 10:03:31 AM
Glad you finally get that figured out. I'll take one of those. PM me and let me know how much.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on October 03, 2021, 10:10:21 AM
Hey man I was just reading your last few posts and was wondering about the crank caps, are they numbered? I know they all have arrows that should face the nose of the crank, I think it's really important they go back exactly where they came from. Look really closely at the caps I remember being able to make out faint embossed numbers on them. Some I could make out pretty clearly and others were a real struggle to make out
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 03, 2021, 04:13:14 PM
If they are numbered, I didn't see them. I had mine marked 1-5. So, there were only two ways to put them back on. The first way I did it, the crank was a bit too tight for my liking. When I reversed them, so how they are now, it feels perfect. Don't worry, I'm positive I've got them correct. I re-measured everything with the micrometers and bore gauge, just to double check. The numbers match how they looked when I took it apart. Minus the crank journals, which are ever so slightly smaller (like, 0.0001" smaller) due to the machine work. Everything's in spec, I should be good to go.

And Wolf, I'll fire off that PM now.

Edit:
Forgot to mention...the whole reason I came on here to post lol. I'll be calling Mazda tomorrow to order those two parts. The Nissan dealership I work for has a sister store that does Mazda, so I'm hoping I can get a decent discount. I'll post part numbers once I get them, just incase one day someone else winds up in this position.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 04, 2021, 06:00:19 PM
Good news, bad news. (Deja-Vu)

Good news first. Got OEM part numbers from Mazda.

Front Main Seal: B36611310B
Crankshaft Bolt: JF0111405

Bad news. Not in production. Can't get them via Mazda.

Freaking lovely. So, taking a closer look at the Rock Auto listings, several of them list diameters. I'm going to go measure the size of the hole in a little bit, after my shower. Just got home from work. I'll order a seal that seems correct, and if it works, I'll report back here and let you guys know.

As far as the bolt. I've got no idea. I'm at a loss. I might just have to make my own somehow. At least I've got that part number now. I'll be spending some time here tonight delving deep into these interwebz, trying to locate a source for them.


EDIT:
------
I ordered P/N: (National) 223012

The listed outside diameter was smaller than the other National branded front main seal's listed outside diameter, so I'm pretty confident this is going to work. Now I just gotta deal with the bolt. I swear it was in the crank when it went to the machine shop. The odds of that dude finding it in that heap is about the same as the odds of me hitting the powerball, though

SECOND EDIT:
--------------------
Found the bolt! It's from the rip-off artists at Flyin-Miata, though. Freaking $18 for a bolt. Ah well. I need an MLS head gasket, too....and I at least know they sell quality ones. Before I do that, has anyone got any advice or suggestions on what head gasket to go for, and where to source it from? I definitely want to go MLS. As far as thickness, I'm fine with whatever will keep me at stock compression ratio, or slightly (very slightly) higher.

https://www.flyinmiata.com/NA/small-nose-crankshaft-bolt-1990-91.html
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on October 04, 2021, 11:05:50 PM
Is your stock bolt in poor condition? I would re-use it, just make sure it's torqued properly. Time seems to have weeded out the weak crankshafts, and the keyway "wobble" issue stems from shoddy work without a properly torqued bolt

Rockauto doesn't list the seal by size, they are listed by production date. You will need one that matches to the earlier dates, they switched part way thru 1990 (91 model year)
(see the RockAuto page)
This will at least get you the right part number, look it up on your local gettin' place's website(s) to see if they have it in stock

I don't have a recommendation for MLS gaskets. I've always used the OEM graphite style one. One time I ran a super cheap eBay head gasket and the oil port didn't seal and leaked on me. Other than that no issues with them.
Should be noted that the OEM for the 1.8L BP engine is an MLS type, IIRC
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on October 05, 2021, 07:59:51 AM
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Cometic-C4122-051-051-Cylinder-Head-Gasket-suits-Mazda-B6T-Turbo-DOHC-16-Va-/303237388641?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0

This is the cometic multi layer head gasket I used. I think this one is thicker and will lower your compression ratio, but I'm pretty sure you can get it in the standard size as well. I wasn't concerned about it dropping the compression ratio due to thicker head gasket as the pistons I used raised it to 8.6.

Using fresh decks on the block and head, apr head studs  and the cometic gasket is a very strong seal. I even torqued the arp studs a bit more than they recommend. I have been running 30psi and had 0 problems with it, it even accidentally saw 40psi last week and didn't complain 😂. The last composite one I had let go after a couple of weeks at 20psi. 
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 05, 2021, 06:38:37 PM
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Cometic-C4122-051-051-Cylinder-Head-Gasket-suits-Mazda-B6T-Turbo-DOHC-16-Va-/303237388641?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0

This is the cometic multi layer head gasket I used. I think this one is thicker and will lower your compression ratio, but I'm pretty sure you can get it in the standard size as well. I wasn't concerned about it dropping the compression ratio due to thicker head gasket as the pistons I used raised it to 8.6.

Using fresh decks on the block and head, apr head studs  and the cometic gasket is a very strong seal. I even torqued the arp studs a bit more than they recommend. I have been running 30psi and had 0 problems with it, it even accidentally saw 40psi last week and didn't complain 😂. The last composite one I had let go after a couple of weeks at 20psi.

Yeah, that was my motivation. I've been forced to have the mating surfaces machined, and I already have the head studs. I also plan on getting Rocket's chip which is going to double the factory boost levels. I might as well spend the money on the nicer head gasket, at this point. Plus, if (god forbid) I ever need to open the block back up, I won't have to deal with scraping the remains of that composite crap off ever again. That was terrible. It was also the reason why I had to get the surfaces machined in the first place.

And Matt, I've managed to lose the stock crank pulley bolt. Well, I'll take the blame, but really I think my machinist lost it. That's why I'm replacing it. As far as the seal diameters, if you click into a few of them for more information, they actually give you some measurements. I left my micrometer at work so I can't go double check myself, but I'm 99% sure I got the right part this time.

Oh actually Matt, I did have a question for you. Have you ever gotten Dyno sheets for a Capri before/after getting a Rocket chip? I kind of want to dyno my car once I get it running, before I drop the chip in. I'm curious what (if any) effect all the hours of porting and polishing the head will make to the factory power levels. If I do end up doing it, I'd be totally down to re-dyno it after I get your chip in there, if that's information you still need.

Getting so close I can taste it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 06, 2021, 07:17:39 PM
So I was watching some videos on YouTube, and heard an interesting tidbit on the topic of head gasket choices. Now, this was about a 4G63, so not the same engine...however I think it'd still apply to our engines. After all, the 4G63 is still a cast iron block with aluminum heads, and a four cylinder to boot. Anyways, the guy stated that he had consistently run multiple engines at over 20psi of boost, with the factory head gasket material (graphite, same as ours), without any problems. That was with ARP head studs. Ever since I heard that, I've been debating just using the head gasket I've already got. I figured I'd pose the question here, see if anyone has any input.

The video in question was by a YouTuber who goes by "Jafromobile", by the way. I STRONGLY encourage anyone remotely interested in building engines to check his stuff out. The guy is a treasure trove of knowledge. I'd say 90% of what I know about building engines, I learned from him. I just wish he was a Miata guy, instead of a DSM guy. It doesn't truly matter though....most of the information is good for our cars, too.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 07, 2021, 08:06:57 AM
The number of bolts and the bolt placement could have an effect on the results.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 08, 2021, 05:38:36 AM
Front main seal arrived last night, and it was in fact the correct part!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 09, 2021, 05:35:22 PM
I got the bolt in last night, too. Funnily enough, after Mazda telling me they don't make it anymore and can't get it for me, and ordering it from Flyin' Miata....it showed up in a OEM Mazda bag. Looks to me like said company bought out all of the short nose crank bolts, just so they could sell them themselves for a stupid amount of money. Ah well.

I'm going to rip the cams back out of my head tomorrow, then the plan is to drop it off with the machinist on Wednesday. Then, it's up to that slow dude. Once I've got it back, it's smooth sailing. Just need the free time, but should be able to get the engine back in the car within a few weeks.

UPDATE
---------
So I pulled the head out of storage. The deck surface was not nearly as bad as I had thought it was. So moving forward. I'm going to skip the machine work, and use the graphite head gasket I've already got. I just need to wait for the m11x1.5 tap I just ordered to show up, so I can clean out the threaded holes in the block for the ARP studs. That -SHOULD- be here tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest. Once I have that, it's smooth sailing. But of course I didn't have the correct sized tap...of course. I do need to dig up some pictures of how this one engine mount goes back on the block. I'm pretty sure I need to put it on before I put the head on, but I can't for the life of me remember how it goes.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 17, 2021, 01:21:36 PM
I've been battling with a stupid problem that has had me stuck. The alignment dowel pins for the cylinder head/block were stuck flush into the head. I needed to get them out, so I could use them to align the head gasket and make sure everything went together smoothly. The damn things were completely recessed into the holes, so there was nothing I could grab onto and try to spin or pull them out.

I eventually (just today) managed to get the things out with a cute little miniature slide hammer and some two-jaw pullers that thread onto the end of it. It wasn't easy, and of course I destroyed the dowels in the process. Does anyone know where I can buy new ones? I can't find them on Rock Auto. I'll call Mazda tomorrow, they may be able to help me. Figured I'd see if anyone on here had any ideas before I go the dealership route.

EDIKT:
Nevermind, found and ordered them. Should be here sometime within the next two weeks, sadly.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 03, 2021, 01:15:19 PM
Hey guys, I've got some good news, some other good news, and some bad-ish news.

Good news #1. I've given up on the dowel pins I ordered ever showing up, so I'm getting ready as we speak to drive to a Mazda dealership in New Jersey and pick some up. Should be able to put the entire engine together, with manifolds and all, once I've got that missing piece. Good news #2, I have tracked down a transmission. Looks like that's my second major hurdle resolved. That does bring me to the bad-ish news, though. I won't be able to get my hands on the gearbox until sometime in January, or maybe February. So, it'll be a couple months until I can have the car all back together and *fingers crossed* running.

That does give me a couple months to tidy up the engine harness, and grab the last couple bits I know I'll need to have the car street drive-able. Both axles, brakes all the way around, fluids, that kind of stuff.

Stay tuned for updates. I hope to (freaking finally) mate the head to the block later today!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 04, 2021, 11:07:42 AM
I've been battling with a stupid problem that has had me stuck. The alignment dowel pins for the cylinder head/block were stuck flush into the head. I needed to get them out, so I could use them to align the head gasket and make sure everything went together smoothly. The damn things were completely recessed into the holes, so there was nothing I could grab onto and try to spin or pull them out.

I eventually (just today) managed to get the things out with a cute little miniature slide hammer and some two-jaw pullers that thread onto the end of it. It wasn't easy, and of course I destroyed the dowels in the process. Does anyone know where I can buy new ones? I can't find them on Rock Auto. I'll call Mazda tomorrow, they may be able to help me. Figured I'd see if anyone on here had any ideas before I go the dealership route.

EDIKT:
Nevermind, found and ordered them. Should be here sometime within the next two weeks, sadly.

I'm not sure how I missed this but there is a company called McMaster-Carr that is an industrial supplier I've been using for 40 years. They have pretty much everything and will have it to you in a couple of days. Not the cheapest, but quick and dependable. The only times I've ever had them make a mistake, they told me to keep what they have shipped and I got the replacement in  a couple of days.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 14, 2021, 04:44:39 PM
Have some pictures of my progress. Sorry it's been slow going...work has been extremely hectic. Finances have also been kind of tight. I finally outgrew my toolbox at work, and am now being forced into buying something bigger. I don't know if you guys have ever shopped for big tool boxes, but good lord. Prices range from a cheap used car to a decent brand new car. I'm leaning towards a 72" Harbor Freight top/bottom, which will -only- run me $2800 or so, but yeah. Put a bit of a damper on my budget for this thing.

However, here's the part numbers for the parts I did manage to get. Nothing exciting. Cylinder head dowel pins, and a new crank bolt. I strongly recommend anyone doing a rebuild on a short nose crank engine to get the bolt, even if it is a bit of a pain in the ass to track down. Got mine from Flyin' Miata.
(https://i.imgur.com/iFEIAgUh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/h8b8zodh.jpg)

Here's the bottom sealing surface of the head. I think it looks good enough to not feel too guilty about not getting it re-surfaced.
(https://i.imgur.com/wIVs6f1h.jpg)

Prepping the holes for, and installing the, ARP head studs:
(https://i.imgur.com/z6N9GJOh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9NdBPwfh.jpg)

Timing finally set, and a mockup with the valve cover in place. I'm probably going to paint the valve cover to match the block and oil pan, although I may still take a stab at polishing it. I do have a couple months of waiting before my new (to me) tranny comes, so I may actually have the time to polish it.
(https://i.imgur.com/hOVneMFh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2rjTYMZh.jpg)

Bonus pic. I got stickers, yo.
(https://i.imgur.com/Z1z17lGh.jpg)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 15, 2021, 08:16:52 AM
Pretty work. I noticed when you were cleaning out the treads it looks like you were using a threading tap. On a couple of different shows lately I've heard that you should use a re-threading tap. A threading tap would distort the thread. Really? I've always used a regular tap. What are your views?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 15, 2021, 06:45:33 PM
Pretty work. I noticed when you were cleaning out the treads it looks like you were using a threading tap. On a couple of different shows lately I've heard that you should use a re-threading tap. A threading tap would distort the thread. Really? I've always used a regular tap. What are your views?

So the old-timer who I apprenticed under explained it to me like this. A new tap is for cutting threads. They can be used to clean threads, but you've got to be very careful. An old tap becomes a thread-chaser. Once it's been used and has lost it's edge, it's perfect for cleaning threads without causing too much damage.

I didn't have any used taps in the size our head bolts are, so I used a new tap. Even with a fresh tap, it was incredibly difficult to clean those threads out. I didn't feel any play in the studs as they were being installed, so I think I managed to not do too much harm to the threads.

I'm too cheap to buy thread chasers. I have used taps in a lot of common sizes, and they do work quite well for cleaning up bolt holes. However, on something as caked up with crap as these head bolt holes were, I'd have used a fresh tap even if I had a used one. They were a serious pain in the butt to clean.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 16, 2021, 09:07:59 AM
Pretty work. I noticed when you were cleaning out the treads it looks like you were using a threading tap. On a couple of different shows lately I've heard that you should use a re-threading tap. A threading tap would distort the thread. Really? I've always used a regular tap. What are your views?

So the old-timer who I apprenticed under explained it to me like this. A new tap is for cutting threads. They can be used to clean threads, but you've got to be very careful. An old tap becomes a thread-chaser. Once it's been used and has lost it's edge, it's perfect for cleaning threads without causing too much damage.

I didn't have any used taps in the size our head bolts are, so I used a new tap. Even with a fresh tap, it was incredibly difficult to clean those threads out. I didn't feel any play in the studs as they were being installed, so I think I managed to not do too much harm to the threads.

I'm too cheap to buy thread chasers. I have used taps in a lot of common sizes, and they do work quite well for cleaning up bolt holes. However, on something as caked up with crap as these head bolt holes were, I'd have used a fresh tap even if I had a used one. They were a serious pain in the butt to clean.

Thanks
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 21, 2021, 03:59:12 PM
So, I've gotten the timing cover, water pump pulley, exhaust manifold, and intake manifold all on the engine.

(https://i.imgur.com/pNG0aRsh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0mjKDsxh.jpg)

I'm pretty sure I goofed here. I think the exhaust will need to come back off, in order to install the water pump outlet. Unless the pipe that goes into that can be separated and reinstalled. Not sure. I've got it packed up to go to work with me tomorrow to see if I can take it apart, and so I can clean it. Other than that, it's just the harmonic balancer, some hoses, some mounts, and the belt drive system. Basically just silly ancillary stuff. The engine is 98% of the way back together now  ;D
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 22, 2021, 09:47:10 AM
Excellent
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 22, 2021, 06:09:33 PM
 I did manage to separate the water pump outlet from the metal tubing that attached to it today at work. I might have melted the o-ring that is apparently in there, but hell...I've got no shortage of those. I was able to clean it up, and should be able to sneak it behind the exhaust manifold to re-install it without having to pull the whole turbo manifold back off. Hooray.

My next problem is the multitude of hoses and shit coming off the engine, exhaust, and intake manifold. It's a big old rats nest of rubber lines, and I'm not super sure where half of it goes. Should be a fun project. At least once I know it's all routed correctly, it'll be easy enough to replace all the 30+ year old rubber now.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 24, 2021, 05:38:13 PM
I was going through my boxes of parts, and looking at what I have left I can do to the engine before I get the transmission, and I came across my very nasty distributor. Holy crap guys, replacement dizzy's are EXPENSIVE. So, I ordered some stuff to rebuild it. I already have a box with new spark plug wires. I'm pretty confident I have a new O-Ring for it in my master engine rebuild gasket set. So I ordered a cap, rotor, ignition coil, and pickup coil. All of that stuff should be here next Thursday. Maybe I'll do a write-up on how to rebuild the distributors, like I did with porting the wastegate. New ones are expensive, and very likely in short supply. Likewise, the knowledge on how to rebuild a distributor is probably on it's way to being lost to time. It may be a good addition to the community here.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 25, 2021, 08:26:40 AM
Yeah, before long all anyone will know is how to plug it in....lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 25, 2021, 01:07:55 PM
Yeah, before long all anyone will know is how to plug it in....lol

I actually just had to order a small little 2-jaw puller to take the thing apart. I don't have one small enough to feel comfortable using it on the distributor lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 25, 2021, 04:30:54 PM
In addition to the brake master cylinder we need to work out a replacement for the distributor.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 25, 2021, 05:06:13 PM
In addition to the brake master cylinder we need to work out a replacement for the distributor.

I have most of the important parts coming in. I won't know for sure until I have the thing blown apart on my workbench, but I believe all I'm missing is some seals and bearing(s)? Other than those, I think everything else is not necessarily a wear item, and could be restored to a like-new condition. Anything that is a wear item, I'll try and track down replacement part numbers for them. My goal is to end up with what is essentially a new distributor. We'll see how close to that goal I can get.

With a good enough write-up, and links to parts, it shouldn't be too difficult for everyone e;se here that is interested to do the same with their distributors. If it does end up being more difficult than I envision, I suppose I could always offer it as a service to fellow forum members. I guess we will see how it goes.


Anyways, I just finished going through my few boxes of parts. Other than a bunch of brackets, it looks like I've only got the following parts left to deal with: The VAF, the radiator, it's fan and hoses, the power steering pump, the alternator, the starter, the flywheel/pressure plate/clutch, aaaaaand a whole bunch of hoses. There's really not much left for me to do. However, it is a nice big (frustrating) 3d puzzle, as far as routing all these hoses and getting the brackets back on. It's certainly going to be interesting, trying to get the last few bits of this thing together.

Once the distributor and valve cover are back on the engine, hopefully the other pieces fall into place nicely for me. I'm not too sure what to do with the power steering pump, since it only shared a belt drive with the AC compressor, which I've deleted. I think I may well be going with no power steering, but maybe I can find a way to replace the AC compressor with an idler pully, and retain the power assisted steering.

I do need to track down an aftermarket intercooler and some piping, too.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on November 25, 2021, 10:36:12 PM
Just go to the auto parts store and ask them for a non-ac belt :) no idler needed
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 28, 2021, 07:25:18 AM
Just go to the auto parts store and ask them for a non-ac belt :) no idler needed

Well that definitely sounds ideal. Does it get rid of the two-belt setup, and just runs everything together on a single drive belt?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 28, 2021, 09:15:08 AM
no
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 29, 2021, 06:46:29 PM
Care to elaborate on that?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on November 29, 2021, 07:28:47 PM
The non-ac belt runs to just the power steering pump. That's it. Still need the Vee belt to run the alternator & water pump.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 30, 2021, 08:28:58 AM
Care to elaborate on that?

lol.....you still need one for the alternator/water pump
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on December 02, 2021, 06:49:28 PM
Just a heads up guys, I've started the tear-down on the distributor. It's tricky to get the time to do it at work, and even when I do find the time, making space is another issue. I dumped some customer's transfer case guts onto the floor today so I could have space on my work bench to play with it. The screws holding all the little bits of the thing together, they sure don't like coming apart after 31 years. They prefer to strip out and then be extremely stuck. if anyone has plans to rebuild theirs, I strongly suggest a good set of left handed drill bits and screw extractors. I've had to extract 3 of the screws so far, and I only have it half way apart.

It's slow going, but once I'm done it will hopefully have been worthwhile. There are definitely parts in there that I should replace, that I don't have. I bought all the distributor parts listed for our cars on Rock Auto, so I'll be hunting down all the other stuff once its all torn down. All of the screws, for starters....  ::)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on December 03, 2021, 02:16:54 PM
Wow, when looking for parts, don't forget the 323GT. That's an ambitious project. Love someone is taking an interest in these cars.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on January 02, 2022, 10:09:47 AM
Hey guys, I've made a fair amount of progress. The distributor is re-built and on the engine (hopefully in the correct orientation). The power steering pump and alternator are also both on the engine. New serpentine belts are on their way. I'll be bringing home my impact gun tomorrow from work so I can "torque" down the crank pully. With lock-tite. To my personal spec of "super friggin tight". There's really not much left for me to do until I get the transmission. I plan to push the car into the garage, so I can install the ECM, and start routing the wiring harness.

The one big issue looming over me still, is all the vacuum, coolant, and oil lines. The stuff coming off the turbo, oil pan, throttle body, valve cover, and especially the intake manifold. I can't find a diagram in the service manual of what goes where. I have some pictures from before I took everything apart, but I can't get a clear idea of what goes where. I plan to buy spools of the correct diameter hoses, and new clamps, so I don't have to re-use these old nasty hoses. The problem is that I don't know for sure what goes where. Can anyone point me to a resource that would help clear this up?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on May 18, 2022, 04:48:47 PM
Lot's of updates since the forum has been down for  while. I'll try to keep this pretty short, since free time for me is extremely hard to come by lately. I have amazing news, bad news, and potentially catastrophic news. In order, shall we? The car is currently 95% back together! Engine and transmission in. all the lines and hoses in. etc. It's just short of a front bumper, hood, and a few electrical components. Here's a couple pictures:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvMl5WTlCyvnV1SG9u_8J8WPvmrDqurG/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvMl5WTlCyvnV1SG9u_8J8WPvmrDqurG/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvDco7sAmn1Z-_C62Gvg4mKbKKsLUkzZ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvDco7sAmn1Z-_C62Gvg4mKbKKsLUkzZ/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OxZO56GsExR8AEZ01eBt5nQdscjzqhM6/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OxZO56GsExR8AEZ01eBt5nQdscjzqhM6/view?usp=sharing)

So that brings me to today. Ive slowly been filling it with fluids in order to check it for leaks. Power steering - no issues. Brake fluid - same deal. Here comes bad news #1. I filled it with coolant today, and it's very slowly weeping out of most of the core plus/freeze plugs on the block. What a bummer. Looks like I should be able to replace them without pulling the engine....I just need to remove; the power steering pump, the exhaust manifold, the turbo, possibly the radiator and fan, the intake manifold, throttle body bracket, starter motor, and possibly the alternator. No biggie, right? RIGHT?!? BLEH

As for the tragic news, I was wiring up the car when I discovered that I have managed to lose both my main relay and fuel pump relay. The fuel pump one appears to be readily available on Rock Auto. The main relay. not so much. Can't find it. Anywhere. Without that. I may never have a running Capri. I need your help, guys. I need a new main relay. It lives under the dash, right with the ECM. In this location, plugged into the white connector. I'm also looking for the fuel pump relay, which plugs into the yellow one:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P5_ddYZW9VbZR2bJyW-da2Rd4LUF7r4u/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P5_ddYZW9VbZR2bJyW-da2Rd4LUF7r4u/view?usp=sharing)

And one last missing tibit I just noticed. What goes to this fitting on the fuel filter. or canister, or whatever you want to call this piece:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OwiGpt52mDydxu5x4LraJDPRmvfGsaoM/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OwiGpt52mDydxu5x4LraJDPRmvfGsaoM/view?usp=sharing)


A massive thanks to anyone who can help me source either of those relays!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on May 18, 2022, 07:15:30 PM
That last bit is the fuel vapor canister, there's a vacuum line that runs from there to the purge solenoid
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on May 28, 2022, 10:01:23 AM
Lot's of updates since the forum has been down for  while. I'll try to keep this pretty short, since free time for me is extremely hard to come by lately. I have amazing news, bad news, and potentially catastrophic news. In order, shall we? The car is currently 95% back together! Engine and transmission in. all the lines and hoses in. etc. It's just short of a front bumper, hood, and a few electrical components. Here's a couple pictures:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvMl5WTlCyvnV1SG9u_8J8WPvmrDqurG/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvMl5WTlCyvnV1SG9u_8J8WPvmrDqurG/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvDco7sAmn1Z-_C62Gvg4mKbKKsLUkzZ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OvDco7sAmn1Z-_C62Gvg4mKbKKsLUkzZ/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OxZO56GsExR8AEZ01eBt5nQdscjzqhM6/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OxZO56GsExR8AEZ01eBt5nQdscjzqhM6/view?usp=sharing)

So that brings me to today. Ive slowly been filling it with fluids in order to check it for leaks. Power steering - no issues. Brake fluid - same deal. Here comes bad news #1. I filled it with coolant today, and it's very slowly weeping out of most of the core plus/freeze plugs on the block. What a bummer. Looks like I should be able to replace them without pulling the engine....I just need to remove; the power steering pump, the exhaust manifold, the turbo, possibly the radiator and fan, the intake manifold, throttle body bracket, starter motor, and possibly the alternator. No biggie, right? RIGHT?!? BLEH

As for the tragic news, I was wiring up the car when I discovered that I have managed to lose both my main relay and fuel pump relay. The fuel pump one appears to be readily available on Rock Auto. The main relay. not so much. Can't find it. Anywhere. Without that. I may never have a running Capri. I need your help, guys. I need a new main relay. It lives under the dash, right with the ECM. In this location, plugged into the white connector. I'm also looking for the fuel pump relay, which plugs into the yellow one:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P5_ddYZW9VbZR2bJyW-da2Rd4LUF7r4u/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P5_ddYZW9VbZR2bJyW-da2Rd4LUF7r4u/view?usp=sharing)

And one last missing tibit I just noticed. What goes to this fitting on the fuel filter. or canister, or whatever you want to call this piece:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OwiGpt52mDydxu5x4LraJDPRmvfGsaoM/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OwiGpt52mDydxu5x4LraJDPRmvfGsaoM/view?usp=sharing)


A massive thanks to anyone who can help me source either of those relays!

Great work, hang in there.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on May 30, 2022, 05:12:14 PM
I've got all but 2 of the freeze plugs out. Two of them are pretty mangled up now and sort of stuck in their bores. I'm still confident I'll get them out, but a brand new 2" deep hole in my hand put a pretty big stop on my first attempt at removal. I've had several new parts show up over the last week: front swaybar bushings and endlinks, front lower ball joints, front outer tie rods, and even both front lower control arms. The ones I ordered are for an '89 Mazda 323GT. They look right, but I haven't had the chance yet to pull the old ones off and check. Just trying to clean up all the issues I've spotted with the car so far. Like, everything made of rubber. I also got all new freeze plugs, the Indian Head gasket maker, and even the Stinger tool to try and help me put the new plugs in. I have a better (steel) intake manifold gasket coming, with new hardware to bolt it down. I have a set of studs and nuts bookmarked for the exhaust side, but am still debating  on if I'll pull that trigger.

Still trying to find wiring information or a source for my missing relay situation
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on May 31, 2022, 08:03:56 AM
This is great.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on May 31, 2022, 10:31:16 AM
So I was mulling over my whole missing relay situation, and I had an epiphany. I'm a automotive technician by trade, but I work for Nissan. No factory service manuals for a Capri for me. However, our used car guy does have a subscription to either All Data or Mitchell Pro Demand...I forget which. I'm out of state for training until Thursday, but I'm gonna have him try to dig up factory wiring diagram for me.

If I can't find diagrams, I'm going to need to trace the whole circuit by hand to try and figure out a way to work around the missing relay. I really, really don't want to be forced to do that. I might start looking harder at stand alone ECUs st that point, and wiring the rest of the car through a PDM setup.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on June 01, 2022, 03:19:55 AM
All the wiring diagrams are on Tech Capri

https://www.techcapri.com/Wiring.html
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on June 01, 2022, 07:39:39 AM
All the wiring diagrams are on Tech Capri

https://www.techcapri.com/Wiring.html

I think it's been a while since I said it, but you are my absolute hero man. Thanks a billion!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on June 16, 2022, 05:52:30 AM
I have lots of minor updates for you guys. First of all, if anyone knows of a new image host that I could upload photographs to from my phone, and then link them here, that'd be great. Imgur stopped working for me, and I have far too many pictures to post one at a time. So if anyone has a solution to that dilemma, I'd appreciate it.

So first of all, I got all the core plugs out. I also got the three bigger (35mm) ones installed correctly, with the correct sealer. The plugs for the smaller holes (30mm) don't seem to fit right. They are too loose. It's the same part number I used originally, so this is probably why the freeze plugs were leaking. I have copper ones on order; hopefully, they are slightly bigger. Hopefully, I can fill in those holes soon.

The suspension stuff started showing up. Wonderful news - the Mazda 323 control arms DO work on the Capri. The first ball joints I ordered didn't work with them - the bolt centers were off by a couple of millimeters. I ordered a separate set, and they look right. I did have to order the rear control arm bushings separately, as they did not come with the arms. They are also different part numbers for each side. However, I believe they too will work. I also have a single front strut mount for the 323 coming, it is my hope that it will also work on the Capri. If so, then I do believe I can rebuild all 4 struts on the car using aftermarket shocks and bump stops and mounts with lowering springs.

And the last small update; I do believe I have figured out what belongs to the two empty electrical connectors I have near my ECM. The one is a fuel pump relay which I have ordered new from Rock Auto. The other is something called an Electrical Load Control Unit, and that's on it's way to me from Ebay.


So there's your small update. I've also painted a bunch of nasty rusty brackets and similar parts black. I have a bunch of pics, just no easy way to post them. Sorry about that
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on June 16, 2022, 08:06:45 AM
Hang in there, we're all wanting to see this build on the road.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on June 16, 2022, 06:44:08 PM
Hang in there, we're all wanting to see this build on the road.

Right? It's been sooooo long. So many parts. And I got <-> this close to trying to start it. I was just oil, fuel, the missing fuel pump relay, and the coolant which leaked out, away from finally hearing her run. I should have everything I need now....provided I can find the proper sized core plugs. I'm literally preying the brass/copper/whatever ones are ever so slightly larger than the steel ones. Dorman does make these doofy little expanding rubber freeze plugs, which may work, but look highly questionable as a long term solution.

All the hours spent just porting and polishing the head. I can't friggin wait to hear this old girl run again. I do need to fix the section of exhaust thats missing....but I can live with a really loud first heat cycle at this point.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on June 17, 2022, 09:24:35 AM
Hey, we're with you. Good luck.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on June 17, 2022, 07:02:27 PM
Back on track, guys! Got home from work to find three packages from Rock Auto waiting for me. Let me tell yah, I think we smacked a home run here.

First off, the freeze plugs came. The new brass ones. They are just the right amount larger and will fit my block perfectly. Boom, leak solved. Secondly, the fuel pump relay showed up. Clipped right into that naked connector next to my ECM. Beautiful. Third, the front strut mount for the Mazda 323 came in. I haven't pulled my strut out of the car yet to make absolutely sure, but it does indeed look like it will work. It has only two mounting studs up top, but is otherwise identical. The bolt centers are the only thing I'm not positive are right. Either way though, they can definitely at a minimum be modified and made to work.

That's all the issues I'm aware of solved, minus the other empty connector. That part is ordered and should be arriving next week. I'm again at the point where I'm pretty confident I have all the bits I need to get the car running! Just need the free time now
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on June 18, 2022, 08:46:31 AM
I have an issue you might can help me with. Chassis ground. I found corroded grounds that attached to the front and back of the engine on the passenger side. One in front of the distributor and one on the VAF. The problem is that my front turn signals still don't work. I can ground the sockets and they are fine. Can you remember any more grounds that your found in removing the engine that might help me?

Thanks,
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on June 18, 2022, 07:01:43 PM
I have an issue you might can help me with. Chassis ground. I found corroded grounds that attached to the front and back of the engine on the passenger side. One in front of the distributor and one on the VAF. The problem is that my front turn signals still don't work. I can ground the sockets and they are fine. Can you remember any more grounds that your found in removing the engine that might help me?

Thanks,

Sure. So I know for sure there is one by the passenger headlight, sort of near the power steering pump. Other than that, I know there are multiple around the VAF, battery tray, and distributor like you said. My memory isn't perfect, but I want to say there are 3-5 of them there, not counting the negative battery cables. I can count them tomorrow when I'm working on the thing.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on June 19, 2022, 07:52:07 AM
Thanks
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on June 22, 2022, 07:03:25 PM
The other missing electrical component I ordered off of ebay showed up, and plugged right into the car. Wish I could remember what it's called. If I ever figure out a new image host, you'll see the part number. I'm all set to put the car all the way back together and try to finish filling it with fluids this weekend. Exciting stuff...
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on July 02, 2022, 12:57:28 AM
Good to see it all coming together, post a vid on youtube when it's running I'm keep to see how it sounds with the polished head. I found posting stuff to YouTube and linking it here to be the easiest way to put stuff up here.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Aus Capri on July 02, 2022, 01:13:29 AM
Are you still thinking about and aftermarket Ecu? I really want to do it but I'm still not confident. If you end up installing one you will have to do a installation post I can follow!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 02, 2022, 09:42:31 AM
Are you still thinking about and aftermarket Ecu? I really want to do it but I'm still not confident. If you end up installing one you will have to do a installation post I can follow!

Eventually, I may end up doing that. I definitely plan to break in the rebuild at the factory power level. Then I want to have Rocketman put his chip in there. Depending on how that feels, I may just stick with that. If, however, I can find a way to bolt a less fragile transaxle to this engine....well that will be when I start seriously looking into an aftermarket ECU. I figure a beefy trans, a custom exhaust manifold, and a modern turbo....that'd be a rocket ship. I do have quite a few bridges to cross before I'm ready for all of that, though.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 04, 2022, 12:59:15 PM
Quick status update fellas. I've had a productive three-day weekend. The car is almost entirely back together. Just needs a bumper, hood, battery/tray, and front swaybar. I'll be doing that this afternoon, then beginning to attempt filling it with fluids again. It will need a new battery before I can try to start it, as well as one of the sensors on the firewall needs to be fixed. It's the one that goes to the fuel pressure regulator, and I managed to snap a vacuum nipple off of it. I did the same thing to the boost pressure sensor, but that one I don't NEED. I was going to pick up some vacuum T's and plastic epoxy and try to make what I have work. Other than that, I do believe she is finally ready to start.

Once running (well), it is going to be getting brakes and wheel bearings all around, as well as four tires. Do they still make Toyo Proxes R888r's in a 14" diameter? Probably will do the Galant trick to the front brakes. But that should be enough to get it driveable. Still need to figure out a solution to the strut problem before it'll drive well, I'm sure, but one bridge at a time.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on July 04, 2022, 07:32:27 PM
That vacuum bit to the FPR is the hot start solenoid, you can probably bypass it for right now. It blocks vacuum to the FPR to raise fuel pressure and prevent vapor lock during a hot start. I have run without it no problems
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 10, 2022, 01:55:05 PM
Hey everyone... so the car is finally back in 100% one piece. It is full of all of it's fluids (except the trans; needs axles) with no leaks. It STILL won't start. At first, it was blowing the 80a main fuse. I un-hooked the positive battery lug on the alternator, and now that stopped happening. I can turn the key to "on" and get stuff like wipers and turn signals. When I turn it to "start", nothing happens. No click. No cranking. No lights dimming. Nada. So, I suspect I need an alternator. Any recommendations of what to buy? Also, does anyone have any ideas on what to do about this electrical issue? I'm going to go and start checking for voltage at places like the starter and fuel pump relay. I have all sorts of tools to diagnose electrical issues if anyone has any bright ideas on what the issue could be.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on July 10, 2022, 05:22:52 PM
The connections under the fuse block, just in front of the driverside strut tower can cause a no-start. Someone here just had their hood prop poke some of the wires there and that was their problem. Check/clean those connections with contact cleaner. There should be 4 or 5 plugs down there that you can go over
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 10, 2022, 05:58:16 PM
I checked; all the connections there seem fine. If you turn the key to -start-, you don't get 12v to the black/red wire at the starter. If you jump power to that wire, the starter will turn. For some reason, the car is not telling the starter that the key is turned and it's time to do its thing. No idea why, and I've run out of time to troubleshoot the issue. Bleh
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on July 10, 2022, 11:36:52 PM
Yes, that is the issue caused by a bad connection in the region I described. No crank/start with key.
I think there is a largish metal relay box mounted to the back of the headlight bucket, is that present/connected?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 11, 2022, 06:18:30 AM
Yes, that is the issue caused by a bad connection in the region I described. No crank/start with key.
I think there is a largish metal relay box mounted to the back of the headlight bucket, is that present/connected?

Yes, I have that relay mounted behind the headlight bucket on the driver's side. It's not plugged in, I couldn't find the connector. What relay is that? And do you have a pic of the connector? I'm gonna cry if this was my problem the whole time lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on July 12, 2022, 04:16:55 AM
That relay needs to be plugged in. If you can't find it I'll try to trace it down and take a picture
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 12, 2022, 05:16:54 AM
That relay needs to be plugged in. If you can't find it I'll try to trace it down and take a picture
Thanks Matt! I appreciate all of the help you've given me along this journey. There's a very slim chance I'd even still own this car if it wasn't for you. Well, and everyone else here. So how big of a whoopsie did I make here? Is that big metal relay the actual main relay? I suspect that's what it is, and if so I feel quite silly.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 20, 2022, 07:20:53 PM
Small life update guys. I just finished moving my family from our tiny basement studio apartment to a small two-bedroom house. The freedom it has afforded both myself, my son, and my wife really can not be overstated. As of right now, my Capri is still in the garage and on the lift at the house I moved from. It's only ten minutes away. It's not the end of the world to drive over to work on it. That being said, I am now saving/shopping for a portable garage. Basically a giant tent I can fit my car and tools in, then work on it even in the dark or the rain. That should happen hopefully within a month or two.

I'd LOVE to get the damn thing started before then, to avoid the hassle of towing it across town. It's the same as it was when I last posted. I can crank it by jumping power to the red/black wire on the starter. Turning the key to start does nothing. My alternator is also unplugged at the moment, as it was causing my 80A main fuse to blow. Does anyone have any ideas? Sucks to be so close and yet still so stuck.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 23, 2022, 07:19:00 AM
https://www.homedepot.com/p/ShelterLogic-10-ft-W-x-15-ft-D-x-8-ft-H-PE-Garage-without-Floor-in-Tan-w-Patented-Stabilizers-and-Best-in-Class-Tightening-62681-0/202718928 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/ShelterLogic-10-ft-W-x-15-ft-D-x-8-ft-H-PE-Garage-without-Floor-in-Tan-w-Patented-Stabilizers-and-Best-in-Class-Tightening-62681-0/202718928)

Check this out! If you look in the pictures, you'll see a mid-2000's Ford Focus fits quite nicely in there. My hope is that if I back the Capri in, and push it into a corner, I'll have both room to work on her as well as room to store all my lawn stuff and my kid's toys. It's pretty small, but it's cheap and it looks sturdy. I'd love to put up a pole barn or a real garage, but the terrain here isn't really suited for that. This has an 8 foot ceiling, and that's going to be butting up against the trees. It's also going to be right up against my (tiny) house, and a few feet in front of a small cliff and some woods. What I'm saying is, this is the only good option I really have. I even got the wife's blessing!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 23, 2022, 08:49:23 AM
Wish I had room for something like that.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 23, 2022, 07:37:44 PM
Wish I had room for something like that.

I barely have room, but I'll make the thing fit if it means being able to work on my car at home. It's probably going to be pretty cramped, but I can't find anything bigger for under around $800
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 08, 2022, 06:30:08 PM
So I still haven't had a chance to move the car to my new house. I'm also having an extremely difficult time getting my hands on the title for the car, which is definitely hindering my motivation to finish it out.

I'm not gonna lie. I recently got a very sizeable raise at my job. I've been really debating buying a newer roadster; something like an ND Miata or an '06ish Boxster. I'd LOVE to get the Capri running and drive it for a while, I just don't have much time to tinker with it anymore. Any of you guys wanna come out to New York, figure out why it's not starting, and make some money?  :-\
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 19, 2022, 05:09:21 PM
Just wanted to tease it. I've got updates pending guys. News soon. Friggin rain, halting my parade.

Also just wanted to add this; the rusted out remains of my original '91 XR2 are officially gone. Took anything I thought looked valuable off of it and boxed it all up. Literally cut the car in half, loaded the halves sideways on an open trailer, and towed it to the scrap yard. Sad to see another Capri end up like this, but she was so far gone it wasn't worth the effort. Anyways, ya'all ready for the kicker? Current scrap value of a 1991 XR2, sans interior, drivetrain, suspension, etc. : $42. Seriously. I'm not even sure it was worth the effort.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 20, 2022, 08:30:07 AM
Wow......about all you gained was space.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 20, 2022, 07:06:15 PM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dHwdJH-vzM3qwzf3Yp783yLnmB6PsnmO/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLF2BPB8lza0ilYRLXirhZxT3jg1G7ul/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLwkHJDliB_zer-ZE-OK2ElKmuJdjOry/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ddsfZHUCMq3pQXLHz7a2_P2FSLMdoF2C/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWOHW2swJ_eBiVXMFrPQ6SLmzky2w53x/view?usp=sharing
(Let me know if pics don't work. I tried linking right to my Google Drive.

Okay guys, there's my big surprise. Don't mind the old shitty Altima, or the fact that it's hanging slightly out the garage. There is a table down at the end; I could otherwise easily fit the whole hooptie inside. The Capri is a solid 6 feet, at least, shorter than 'ol leaky here, too. So I shall have, not all of the room in the world, but certainly more than the space in which I rebuilt the engine. And it's MINE. It might just be essentially PVC pipe and tarp, but it's the first thing I've owned that I can call MY workshop, for MY cars. I'm pretty excited!

So it isn't fully assembled yet. I still need to finish it, and I plan on putting in some sort of floor. And lights. I used a bit of a family emergency, and the ensuing three days in a row off of work (!!!), to purchase and install it to this point. Once it's ready, my Capri is just a few miles across town. I'll tow her home, and then I guess I'll rip her nose back off so Matt can tell me what I missed.

BTW Matt, I took a quick peak at the car today. Right next to the small white test connector coming off of the VAF, is a fairly large black two wire connector that is empty. I had no tools or light, but it appeared to my best guess to be coming from the chassis harness up through the passenger fender. I suspect that would be my missing signal between the ignition switch and the starter.... I will know more once I have the car home.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 22, 2022, 09:09:05 AM
Congratulations, I know that's going to make working on your car better. Shelter makes life so much better. Maybe you'll be able to get going before winter.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 28, 2022, 07:36:42 PM
Thanks!  So I purchased the missing ingredients (trailer light wiring harness, and a two inch ball for my wife's truck) to tow the Capri to my new house! I'm off work this whole weekend, and plan to do it then. We are supposed to be getting hit by hurricane Ian around then, so I'll have to see how the weather is first. But soon I can get the car here, and keep trying to get her to start.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 29, 2022, 07:45:44 AM
Good luck and be safe.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 02, 2022, 04:18:07 PM
News, news, and more news. And guys, I'm a SPECTACULAR idiot. Bear with me.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lGvH_1STUVaaBX-RbaUVvuWu-peDncvf/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lGvH_1STUVaaBX-RbaUVvuWu-peDncvf/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lJbf89K1NTOfYFpriPcJ0htPxWRrrxMQ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lJbf89K1NTOfYFpriPcJ0htPxWRrrxMQ/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l8R8vZ7PFF6Prx1MPe9Nex7svFh-8Lxc/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l8R8vZ7PFF6Prx1MPe9Nex7svFh-8Lxc/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l8HtfwsNoOOkp4cBnoiGB4FIPW_o18JU/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l8HtfwsNoOOkp4cBnoiGB4FIPW_o18JU/view?usp=sharing)

As cooperative as she usually is, the day of her big move landed squarely in the midst of our remnants of hurricane Ian. I got her to her new home, fully prepared to rip the entire car apart to figure it out. Now, the battery is extremely dead (and my jumper box at work), so I can not test this theory, but I suspect I am bang on. So the one lonely connector I had, came out of the body harness from the FL fender, and routed out around the VAF. I needed to find the home for this guy. Well, here's the idiot bit. That frigging connector, well she plugged right into the bottom of the fuse box  ::) As soon as I did that, and hooked up the battery, the headlights came on. All the stuff that didn't work before, does now; radio, headlamp motors, etc.

Ya'll have until tomorrow evening, when I get home from work with my jump box, to bet on it. Whom here thinks the thing is gonna finally turn over tomorrow, and stop fighting me? If so, this does mean that I lost the entire summer (prime convertible season) because I missed plugging in the damned fuse box, of all things. That'll be my cross to bear.

I wonder if this little number is related to the issue where my 80a main fuse blows, and my battery starts arc welding, if I plug in my alternator. That'd be LOVELY.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 03, 2022, 08:35:51 AM
That's great, fingers crossed.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: nachius on October 03, 2022, 12:24:29 PM
Here's to hoping that solves all the issues, but it sure sounds like it could! I didn't leaf through the wiring diagrams, but we all know how much havoc the fuses/box or lack there of can cause. Looking forward to the update tonight.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 05, 2022, 05:29:55 PM
Sorry guys. So I had literally minutes that night to work on my car. Minutes, Filled the coolant, plugged in the starter, hooked up the battery and jump box, hit the key.............and nothing.

My kid had student-teacher conferences that night. I've been pulling 12-hour work days since, in preparation for vacation. Busy busy. Looks like Sunday will be my next free minutes to look at it.  :'(
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 09, 2022, 11:50:54 AM
Day off today. Been doing some tinkering, and some studying of the wiring diagram. So right off the 80A main fuse, you get a red wire. This red wire goes to the ignition switch, with a branch going to the alternator. The alternator, which you may remember, I have disconnected (because it was blowing up my 80A fuses). I am also unsure of where I have that red wire routed beyond the alternator, but the diagram is showing it going to a two-pin connector along with a red/white wire. The red/white wire also originates from the alternator. I suspect somewhere in this information is the solution to my no-start. Wish me luck!

Update: Verified multiple things. First off, my alternator is 100% bad. I have continuity in both directions from the stud to the case, so the internal diodes are shot. If anyone could link me to the correct replacement, that'd be great! I've heard about poorly fitting alternator pulleys, and don't need more issues.

Second, the signal to the ignition switch is good on the engine side of the car. While beginning to explore the chassis side of the harness, I made a nice discovery...the fuse block under the driver's side has had some shennanigans going on. A lot of non-functioning things can be explained by missing fuses (IE power windows). I have improper fuses in some spots. Best of all, I have so far counted TWO connectors not plugged in. So this will be the area I explore next. Hopefully I don't need to strip this chassis down to nothing to figure this out. I know my ignition switch works enough to cycle the key on. I just don't get why it won't even try to start.

Second Update: More discoveries - The thus far dead cooling fan now works, with a fuse in. It runs constantly with the key on, engine off. That seems incorrect. Also, I suspect I have a bad ignition relay. That's ordered, and I'll pick it up after work tomorrow. I still never found the home for two connectors tucked up behind the interior fuse box. They probably plug into the back of it, I just don't have a mirror or good enough light with me to see. I did unbolt it, but it feels like there is a ton of connectors in the back. I can't blindly feel if anything is missing. Hopefully the relay fixes the car (I friggin doubt it at this point)

Final Update: I'm done working for the day guys. No new information, I just worked on pulling some interior trim bits out. It's fun seeing work Matt must have done ages ago (judging by the amount of corrosion on the non-OEM fuses), such as painting the center console trim parts black. The cool thing about this portable garage is that I basically have a paint booth. Just add fans. Once the car runs, I'm absolutely going to restore the body and interior. I'm even debating filming it and putting a series on YouTube - I've never done ANY body work, so I feel like it'd be useful to show people the learning curve. I just love the idea of picking up where someone left off, however long ago it may have been
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 10, 2022, 08:20:32 AM
Sounds like you have a real boondoggle there. You might check around for a local place that rebuilds alternators/starters. Locally I take mine by and pick it up a couple of days later fixed. If you have to get one at the parts store, just exchange the pulleys if they are different. Good luck on getting the spaghetti untangled.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 12, 2022, 08:21:17 AM
Soooo the relay the parts store got me was the wrong relay. Surprise, Autozone strikes again! I even brought them the bad relay, which has four pins....and still ended up with a (non-refundable) 5-pin relay. Stellar. I overnighted what should (hopefully) be the correct relay from Rock Auto. Knowing them, it'll both be correct, and in my hands some time tomorrow. I have high hopes this fixes my no start.

Want to know why? I pulled the relay out of the car, and jumped power to the two coil ends with my power probe. I had to jump power to it several times before I heard the switch click. It did so maybe twice, and then I didn't hear it return to open. I tossed it back in the car, and as soon as I turn the key to anything but "off", it now cranks. I suspect I had a stuck open switch in that relay, which I have now managed to get stuck closed.

My big hope is that there are no additional issues beyond this one, at least as far as getting the engine running. You know, I distinctly remember saying that ... oh I dunno ... about seven times now. I'm truly running out of parts to load into the parts cannon at this point. Clutch switch? Ignition switch? ECU (fml)? Idk
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 12, 2022, 09:35:53 AM
I feel your pain. My '93 has been one thing after the other.  Keep up the good work.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 13, 2022, 07:26:19 PM
I feel your pain. My '93 has been one thing after the other.  Keep up the good work.

It's a huge hit to my ego, as a professional mechanic, that this thing still isn't running. I'm seriously at the point where if it comes down to it, I'll re-wire the whole damned thing and put some sort of stand-alone ECU in it. I think the car is just trying -really- hard to tell me that's what it wants.

On that note, Rock Auto came in clutch. Got my (correct) relay today. Was waiting for me when I got home from work. Tossed her in the car. Did the whole battery and jump box routine. Hit the key. Whole lotta nothing. *sigh*

I'm leaving for vacation in a couple days. When I get back, I'll make the time to continue the diagnosis. I really am running out of potential bad parts. I know from the wiring diagram there are two ignition relays. I did replace the four pin one under the steering wheel. Haven't had the time to locate the other one on the vehicle. If it happens to be a 5 pin relay, and anyone knows where it goes, that'd save me some time. I already have it, may as well use it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 15, 2022, 07:18:39 AM
Good luck and have a good vacation.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 24, 2022, 05:21:54 AM
Good luck and have a good vacation.

Thanks man! It was a really fantastic trip, and so very needed. Anyways, I used some of the abundant free time I had to figure out a game plan for my Capri. Here's what I've come up with:

I've been hesitant to spend any money on this build, because I have literally never seen this engine run before. Not before I rebuilt it, nor after. Well, I realized that I can at least do a compression test (and leak-down, if need be), since I can force it to crank. So, that's #1 on my list of things to do. If I end up finding an issue, and it ends up needing the block to come back out, then I'm probably going to tap out. I hate to admit it, but it is what it is. I'd probably just give the whole car back to Matt, honestly. I have my eye on a '69 Skylark that's screaming for an LS swap. I'd have bought it by now, if my free time weren't already devoted to the Capri. Fun fact, the Skylark I want to buy is the same exact one I used to tow the red Capri chassis from Matt's shop to my old house.

HOWEVER, if I do the compression test, and everything looks promising. Well, I'll probably test as many other potentially fatal issues as I can; pressurize the cooling system, check fuel pressure, whatever I can think of. If I really can't convince myself I'm staring down the barrel of more YEARS before I can drive the Capri, then I'll go all in. I'll order the brakes and wheel bearings and axles and starter and alternator and battery - at a minimum. I already know I need all of that (except the starter, but I'm going to abuse the current one even more testing the engine compression lol). That should keep me busy for a while, and rule out all the crap I already know is wrong with the car. That'll leave one ignition relay, the ignition switch, and some wiring - as far as I'm aware, that's all that is left of my starting circuit that I haven't poked at yet.

Then, if I do end up giving up at that  point, someone will end up with a car that has a brand new everything, with a fresh rebuild on the engine, that doesn't crank. That would at least be a fun starting point for a project *coughmegasquirtcough*. Just don't let the Festiva guys pick at the remains of my project, if it comes down to that, please. 
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 24, 2022, 06:58:50 AM
As much B, S, and T's as you have in this build, not to mention the money, I hope you can get it worked out.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on October 24, 2022, 01:22:10 PM
On a fresh rebuild you're not going to see good compression numbers, unfortunately. Things have to break in

Give me a call when you have a bit of time, we'll run over what you've checked and I'll give whatever advice I can
I wish I had time, I'd run up and spend an afternoon troubleshooting with you

Don't be discouraged, you're doing awesome work, ride the rollercoaster - it will be worth it in the end
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 26, 2022, 05:17:26 AM
On a fresh rebuild you're not going to see good compression numbers, unfortunately. Things have to break in

Give me a call when you have a bit of time, we'll run over what you've checked and I'll give whatever advice I can
I wish I had time, I'd run up and spend an afternoon troubleshooting with you

Don't be discouraged, you're doing awesome work, ride the rollercoaster - it will be worth it in the end

I know the compression will be a bit off, since the rings haven't seated and everything yet. I'm more so looking to make sure I don't have something like 110-110-5-110 going on. I'm gonna be an unhappy man if the thing finally turns over, and has a dead cylinder or similar.

I'll definitely call at some point this weekend. I'm planning on spending Saturday troubleshooting her some more. Thanks for the offer!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 29, 2022, 06:16:34 AM
Hey Matt, I figured I'd just update you here on the car, rather than calling later. I keep forgetting to bring tools home on the weekends, so no compression numbers or anything like that. So, as far as my no crank and no start. When I turn the key to "On", I get life. Headlights, windows, radio, blower motor, etc. all will work. When I turn the key to start, everything shuts off momentarily, until I release the key back to start. There is no clunk/knock/whatever noise you want to call it, from the starter. She isn't trying to engage. However, when I was playing with one of the ignition relays a couple weeks back, I got a change. The one in the fuse box that'd be by your left knee if you are driving. I believe it is called "Ignition Relay 2" in the service manual. I figured out that it was stuck open, then I managed to get it to stick closed. With the stuck closed relay, as soon as the key is put in the ignition, it cranks.

This all happened briefly before I left for vacation, so I haven't had an opportunity (until later today) to explore the new information this has provided me. So what can I tell now? It would appear my starter circuit works. I can clearly get power from the battery to the starter, using only existing wiring. It also appears likely that my ignition switch is good. It does things when I turn the key to different spots, at least. Furthermore, and this is the big one, it looks like if I can figure out what all is supposed to happen when I turn the key, to make the switch in ignition relay 2 close, I should be able to at least get the car to crank.

So things I need to check today:
1. What sends power to that relay, and where does it go from there.
2. Does my fuel pump even work? Haven't heard it prime, as I don't think I've gotten close enough to starting the car to get power to it
3. Am I getting power to my ECU? Am I seeing inputs to it, and outputs from it?

I think if I can answer those questions, I'll be a big step closer to having a running car.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 29, 2022, 08:52:03 AM
The fuel pump is activated by airflow thru the MAF. There is a unplugged yellow connector on the passenger side. You can jump the two connectors to bypass the MAF and allow the pump to work on its own.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 29, 2022, 09:09:28 AM
The fuel pump is activated by airflow thru the MAF. There is a unplugged yellow connector on the passenger side. You can jump the two connectors to bypass the MAF and allow the pump to work on its own.

That'd be the single loose connector on the VAF, correct? What do I jump this to in order to power the fuel pump? 12v, I'd assume? Thanks for the info. I knew that was a test connector, I was just unaware of what it was for testing. Likewise, I know there are a few test connectors on the engine side of the firewall, on the passenger side just past where it comes through the bulk head. They are in the area of the baro sensor, overboost sensor, etc. Any idea what these of for? I just know the service manual calls them "test connectors".

Also, I'm studying the wiring diagram on tech capri for the starting system. It looks like from the ignition switch to the clutch pedal position switch is a black/green wire, and then on the other end of the clutch switch is a black and yellow wire. From there it goes through multiple connectors, as well as switches from a black wire to a black/red wire. Eventually, this becomes the black and red wire that eventually branches to both the starter motor and the ECM. I'm planning on going out to the car and pulling out this whole leg of the circuit. I'm pretty sure I can test the clutch switch just checking resistance. As long as I have continuity with the pedal depressed, the switch should be good. It's all those little connectors after the clutch switch I'm worried about. I know I saw a few un-plugged connectors buried up behind the interior fuse box under the dash. If I'm not getting a good signal through this single wire, then the ignition switch will never tell the car to start. Even more promising, depending on where in this circuit the funky relay I have is, I could be bypassing the open in the circuit with the stuck closed relay.  I think I'm on the right path.

So the thing is, my hands and wrist are not able to work in the space where those unplugged connectors are. How hard is it to pull the dash on one of these? Without a saw-zall. I got the last one out in like 10 minutes guys. This one needs to go back in though. Ideally without rattling.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 29, 2022, 04:48:32 PM
I still can't reach those two connectors at the back of the interior fuse box. They look like they plug into the back of it, but I can't see worth a damn up there. Blindly attempting to plug them into where it looks like they should go has thus far proven unsucessful.

In other news, I witnessed the slow death of my clutch switch. Hooked up my DMM, got OL. Cool. Pressed the switch and it swept to 0.4 ohms. Cool. Did it again, and it made it to about 50 ohms. A few more times with nothing. Then a few times it registered in the megaohms, before giving it up completely. So I need a clutch switch. The connector it plugs into is blackened and burned. Not sure what that's about, but it makes me weary to go with my gut and shove a jumper wire in there to bypass the switch. Could I not just wire in a "kill switch" here and press it when I start the car?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 30, 2022, 06:14:19 PM
Gonna be super brief right now, used up literally every spare free second I had.

Talked to Rocketman on the phone for a while today. We got the car cranking with the key! There is a fresh battery and 4 gallons of fresh gas in it. I verified both fuel and spark. Super duper close, guys! It may just be flooded. I'm gonna let it sit for a couple days while I wait for my next few free minutes. Maybe double check all my vacuum hoses and fluids one last time. I didn't expect it to actually crank so soon, there may be stuff I had left un-hooked from testing.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 31, 2022, 05:48:04 AM
Good luck!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: nachius on October 31, 2022, 09:32:00 PM
Gonna be super brief right now, used up literally every spare free second I had.

Talked to Rocketman on the phone for a while today. We got the car cranking with the key! There is a fresh battery and 4 gallons of fresh gas in it. I verified both fuel and spark. Super duper close, guys! It may just be flooded. I'm gonna let it sit for a couple days while I wait for my next few free minutes. Maybe double check all my vacuum hoses and fluids one last time. I didn't expect it to actually crank so soon, there may be stuff I had left un-hooked from testing.

Good news step in the right direction for sure.  I'm excited for it to fire!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 01, 2022, 04:33:19 AM
Thanks guys! Won't  have free time until Wednesday, so I'm gonna let it sit until then.

So Matt and I made the big discovery under the cruise control pump thing. In the FL fender, where the chassis harness comes out, there are two four pin white connectors. One goes to the cruise control, and one goes to the transaxle. They are the exact same connector. I, in my infinite wisdom, had the backwards. In other news, I did build a killswitch circuit to bypass the clutch switch. I also finally put a battery in the car!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rgBVlmjEWBi31wJKvpA-mMAumrmeR68a/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rgBVlmjEWBi31wJKvpA-mMAumrmeR68a/view?usp=sharing) - Gauge Cluster
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sJVSNvufmvhGktjhLjmoOrO7UsP51cS3/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sJVSNvufmvhGktjhLjmoOrO7UsP51cS3/view?usp=sharing) - Kill Switch
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sIsHHsVZcbJRvNvAMPJ2FTQyqa9y9mT2/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sIsHHsVZcbJRvNvAMPJ2FTQyqa9y9mT2/view?usp=sharing) - Install Location
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rxoiAq5NkNXUfe3NuSefxd9JTVGaiUBQ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rxoiAq5NkNXUfe3NuSefxd9JTVGaiUBQ/view?usp=sharing) - Engine Bay
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rqRNIdLiXEsY0m9t4JwnvnjRpkXNjutr/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rqRNIdLiXEsY0m9t4JwnvnjRpkXNjutr/view?usp=sharing) - 4 Gallons of 93 Octane (Yay NY)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s4hsBX3HMd5z7v6hda03jTCcb56bBUro/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s4hsBX3HMd5z7v6hda03jTCcb56bBUro/view?usp=sharing) - DON"T MIX THESE UP!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 01, 2022, 06:19:08 AM
cool
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 06, 2022, 12:17:04 PM
Couple things. I suspect my timing is off...so I need to pull the front cover off to get my eyes on the lower mark. Not the end of the world, as I needed to work in that vicinity to replace my alternator anyways. Sit tight, it'll likely take a few weeks worth of days off to get that all apart and inspected. I do know for sure that I have spark, a tach signal, and a functioning fuel pump. All of the ingredients are there, so I think it basically HAS to be the timing that's off.

Anywho, while working on that, I have several other small odds and ends that it's time to tackle. Now that the car has actually decided to have some life. So thing #1, the headlights. It's winter, I live in the north, and so I've been driving both to and from work in the dark. Those headlights are gonna get me killed. Anyone have any recommendations on replacements? The market seems pretty flooded with options. While I'm at it, I'll probably end up sticking LED bulbs in everywhere. I'm also still extremely tempted to buy a set of '94 tail lights....they just look cool. #2- As I was removing my speedometer cable to fill the tranny, it broke. Because of course it did. So rather than deal with hunting down a replacement, my plan was to cap off that hole and install a GPS speedometer somewhere in the dash. That brings us nicely to #'s 3 & 4. The radio/sound system, and the interior in general. I know the radio works, and at least some of the speakers. I really, really want to replace the radio with one of those 90's gems where the screen rolls out and flips up. Ideally with GPS in it. Then the interior, while in decent shape, could use some general TLC. I've toyed with the idea of modifying that "back seat" as it's called, into a spot where I can buckle in my kid's car seat. Sideways, you know, since there is literally zero leg room back there. I think that'd leave a small corner of the back open to stick a small sub & amp. Perfect.

Still unsure if I'm going to try and replace my alternator with the more common unit, or if I'm gonna try and find a local spot that'll rebuild it. Guess I'll decide when I order all the brakes and axles.


Update: Discovered today that in order to replace the front brakes, I'll likely need to disassemble the entire knuckle to get the rotors off. Matt warned me that isn't a very fun job. I dunno how fun 17 year old rotors will be to drive on though. Maybe I'll take a stab at doing the bearings and then do the Galant brake thing at the same time, since I need to replace the calipers anyway.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on November 06, 2022, 06:36:53 PM
If you get all the parts needed, bring them down and we can machine the hubs for the Galant upgrade. I have access to a press and also the Ford Special Service tool for checking bearing pre-load. Or just bring OEM bits down, whichever, I have the tools to do them.

I believe the front driverside hub that was on the car when you got it was toast, I think we discussed you swapping on the hubs/knuckles from your white car.

Regarding rear brake calipers, they are getting scarce. I am not aware of any from another vehicle that will work.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 07, 2022, 04:40:03 AM
If you get all the parts needed, bring them down and we can machine the hubs for the Galant upgrade. I have access to a press and also the Ford Special Service tool for checking bearing pre-load. Or just bring OEM bits down, whichever, I have the tools to do them.

I believe the front driverside hub that was on the car when you got it was toast, I think we discussed you swapping on the hubs/knuckles from your white car.

Regarding rear brake calipers, they are getting scarce. I am not aware of any from another vehicle that will work.

Yes, I replaced the one whole front corner. Can't remember if it was FL or FR. Hopefully I did the right correct corner. Also, after more reading, I think it's most likely I'll just bring you the knuckles and Galant parts one of these weekends. And quite probably try to rent your camshaft locking tool, too.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 07, 2022, 10:46:55 AM
The rear calipers interchange with the 323GT and Tracer according to what I've found.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 08, 2022, 04:51:30 AM
The rear calipers interchange with the 323GT and Tracer according to what I've found.

So there is nothing, as far as replacement rear calipers, for either the Capri or the '89 323 GT. Which year tracer have you heard will work? I'll order a corner and see if it fits. The only other option I think we have available is a few rear caliper re-build kits. Even those are getting scarce, and I'm unsure if they come with more than the square cut seal. Maybe the piston. If it comes down to it, I could do that and replace the bleeders in the rear.

Ideally, someone can figure out a car with a similar enough rear suspension setup that we could start swapping over whole knuckles/struts/etc. Unlikely, but I've been keeping an eye out for it. There's almost no parts available for the rear of the Capri anymore, which is a shame. I think I've only found brake pads/rotors, swaybar endlinks, and strut mounts. That's it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 08, 2022, 04:58:03 AM
You can take your rear calipers to Advance Auto and have them rebuilt by Cardone.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 12, 2022, 10:21:39 AM
You can take your rear calipers to Advance Auto and have them rebuilt by Cardone.

For real? I'll have to ask them about this.

In other news, I just ordered the two front axles. I did so because I'm pretty confident I have the intake cam off one tooth. The more I look at it, the more I can convince myself of it. And, aside from the alternator (which I'll be removing to re-do the timing, and hopefully having rebuilt) the axles are the only thing stopping the car from moving under it's own power once it runs. The brakes, wheel bearings, tires, and most of the suspension is somewhere between questionable and alarming, but at least it should be able to move! So the plan is to hopefully tear the front case back apart this weekend while I wait for stuff to show up. Hopefully on Wednesday I can get my alternator to the local rebuilder. Once my fancy shmancy cam timing tool (and new valve cover gasket set) show up, I'll toss the belt on. Beat the old axle stubs out, toss the new axles in. Fill her with trans fluid and figure out some way to plug the hole where to broken speedo cable goes. Pray like hell, then fire her up. If she runs, which she really really should, I'll do the usual heat cycle/oil change on a fresh rebuild. Then start taking her out, see what sort of shape she is in. Ideally I can limp the car to my job, which is about 25 miles from my house. There, I have everything I could need to do the tires, brakes, bearings, suspension, etc. Whatever is ready to fall off the car after all these years.

Edit- Alternator is off the car and with the rebuilder now

Edit2- Timing Pics:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ulCqqRN1b2dOI6Gf0gJXaVVezOCW4Xqz/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ulCqqRN1b2dOI6Gf0gJXaVVezOCW4Xqz/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urXSmZkM8t0l_9JBefOBuDhaHiBNVz19/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urXSmZkM8t0l_9JBefOBuDhaHiBNVz19/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ulfsz0T7XqWdfuv03rybkuU7spMk2Flh/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ulfsz0T7XqWdfuv03rybkuU7spMk2Flh/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1umAozly-LKYlpDNIZVx28k4HCOgQzyD0/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1umAozly-LKYlpDNIZVx28k4HCOgQzyD0/view?usp=sharing)

So I give up. I can't decide if this looks right and I should leave it alone, or if it looks like the intake came is off a tooth and I should fiddle with it. I've decided to leave it alone and think about it. Does anyone see anything wrong with how this is set up?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 13, 2022, 09:56:00 AM
Well, I keep flip-flopping on my opinion of if the timing looks right or not. I don't really want to touch it until either I hear from Matt, or I get the tool from FM. Apparently, if I have it timed right, that thing is supposed to just slot right in between the two cam gears. In happy news, I did realize that because I already have the belt on the engine, I won't have to mess with the engine mount if I do need to re-do the timing. So that's nice. It's actually only like a thirty minute process to break the car down to this point and fiddle with it. I am extremely familiar with this engine bay though.

I don't want to waste a day off of work, so I'm trying to figure out other things I could trouble-shoot. I know that with the tach moving, I for sure have both spark and injector pulse. I watched one of the plugs firing. I know all of that is good. I have also heard the fuel pump running. It had about a quarter tank of fresh gas in it. That's all I know on the fuel side, so I figure I'll start there. I want to pull the fuel filter off and order a replacement. While it's off, I'll jumper the fuel pump test connector and make sure I'm getting fuel flow TO the rail. I'm not sure from memory where the return line goes, if anywhere other than from the rail to the tank, but I can make sure I'm seeing good flow through the rail at least. I have no good way to check my injectors, other than a stethoscope while cranking, but that is another possibility.

When I spin the crank around to fiddle with the timing, with the spark plugs in, I feel good compression. I'm fairly confident that's not the issue. The engine went back together with all of it's original parts. I replaced only wear items, and did only the bare minimum machine work. Light decking of the block, and a light polish on the crank. It shouldn't be the issue.

It didn't want to start with starting fluid sprayed into the air filter, either.

Maybe the ECT sensor? I've read that could cause cold start issues.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 14, 2022, 07:39:33 AM
Keep up the fight, we're with you.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 16, 2022, 07:08:54 AM
Keep up the fight, we're with you.

Thanks man! Got a decent little shopping list of parts in over the last few days; fuel filter, I found a speedometer cable replacement, an ECT sensor, a new valve cover gasket set, (I'm a Miata guy, didn't realize that I don't need to take the valve cover off to play with the timing on the Capri. Oops), both front axles (these showed up literally 12 hours after I ordered them), and some axle nuts. Hopefully one of these will do the trick. If not, I'm probably gonna try re-timing it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 19, 2022, 05:33:53 PM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wcKoNUgdZMnNbRAGN7PempXjikCYH5qp/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wcKoNUgdZMnNbRAGN7PempXjikCYH5qp/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1waEOPr0cOpSmn5fXhSul4AOFvDn_NJoA/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1waEOPr0cOpSmn5fXhSul4AOFvDn_NJoA/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1waBKIifeTs9VxEryjDDLk7hmP2DG7iqk/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1waBKIifeTs9VxEryjDDLk7hmP2DG7iqk/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w_HlueTImumCtoGpYvCVziVdC9tDOOse/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w_HlueTImumCtoGpYvCVziVdC9tDOOse/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wZTZkyHPK1S1Gpp6GySJr7Be3r82fpkg/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wZTZkyHPK1S1Gpp6GySJr7Be3r82fpkg/view?usp=sharing)
 
Orange Auto Electric in Newburgh, NY did a full rebuild on my original 85A Bosch alternator. Guys. This is the same nasty one I gave him, which you can't buy and which you can't buy all the parts for to rebuild. The guy works miracles, and I strongly recommend checking him out if you are local and have any starter/alternator needs.

Tomorrow the car is gonna go back together, and hopefully start.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 20, 2022, 07:56:44 AM
I'm lucky enough to have a local guy who can do the same, never even consider buying a rebuilt one.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 20, 2022, 05:14:16 PM
Small updates. So today we had an ambient temperature of 22 degrees, with a nice balmy wind coming in from Buffalo (whom just got 6' of snow dumped on them), gusting at about 65mph. And arctic cold. My garage is a tent, and entirely not conductive to working in near zero degree weather. I did manage to get as far as putting my valve cover back on with new gaskets, putting my lower timing cover back on (for the timing marks, then it'll probably come back off), and starting to put my water pump pulley back on. That's about when my frozen fingers decided they didn't want to maneuver the 10mm bolts into their homes in the 1 inch of working space.

I have made a few discoveries that may explain my no start, though. First, my fuel filter was super clogged. Like, can't blow through it at all. I replaced that. Second, I had been spraying the starting fluid into the air box. If I knew for sure my intake and intercooler piping was all air tight, that may have worked. But I don't, and so it didn't. Third, I am unsure if I had my distributor rotor clocked correctly. Now, the camshaft is slotted so it can only go in two ways. I also know these cars use a waste spark system, so I don't know if it's even possible to have it backwards, but I do know my rotor was not pointed to #1 with the engine at TDC at #1. So, I fixed that, too. Hopefully, one of these will do the trick.

Also hopefully soon, winter in NY will stop being so damn cold.


Oh also, https://www.ebay.com/itm/140815094704?fits=Year%3A1991%7CModel%3ACapri%7CMake%3AMercury&hash=item20c93bd3b0:g:LNAAAOSw6TxelfJc&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8Mbdlit2TzA8lf1ehPDHBF06%2F1FTE71EooFomq%2B1oKhesssNm08KRkCqtgN3Zov9Cm70MRLj8asy1MPbZx4jTwL275pfET5As6JNAr2qIXA4EAwJxX%2BXId9OEnI0a%2Bk3tzA2gS9dx9G8oDTdbd6F3r1fT1v%2BJD6AwWcHhTrsWi4bLMaXFfem6CbT60V7vBfiTP5hYzTfFqdpdH9ZxCainAJSbXb26OFTE7rpQUU%2Fy3q0wTkkArDjS0AMBJMqTICgoFVN1X96ZOVfzYzVvsPFC7HzLXYYAdxyKsxau%2FACDh2WLIDv%2BDovtq9N3uuRTzGNLA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBM6OC7pJJh (https://www.ebay.com/itm/140815094704?fits=Year%3A1991%7CModel%3ACapri%7CMake%3AMercury&hash=item20c93bd3b0:g:LNAAAOSw6TxelfJc&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8Mbdlit2TzA8lf1ehPDHBF06%2F1FTE71EooFomq%2B1oKhesssNm08KRkCqtgN3Zov9Cm70MRLj8asy1MPbZx4jTwL275pfET5As6JNAr2qIXA4EAwJxX%2BXId9OEnI0a%2Bk3tzA2gS9dx9G8oDTdbd6F3r1fT1v%2BJD6AwWcHhTrsWi4bLMaXFfem6CbT60V7vBfiTP5hYzTfFqdpdH9ZxCainAJSbXb26OFTE7rpQUU%2Fy3q0wTkkArDjS0AMBJMqTICgoFVN1X96ZOVfzYzVvsPFC7HzLXYYAdxyKsxau%2FACDh2WLIDv%2BDovtq9N3uuRTzGNLA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBM6OC7pJJh) I found this on Ebay, and I'm tempted to buy it. Anyone know if this is THE FSM?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on November 21, 2022, 04:55:15 AM
Not a wasted spark system, that's a thing for coilpacks. If your rotor wasn't pointed at #1 that's a big issue.
Camshaft is slotted but offset, so distributor should only be able to go in one way. Didn't use a hammer did you?? haha
Make sure you have #1 TDC on compression stroke and not on exhaust stroke when checking the rotor.
Good find on the clogged fuel filter.

Regarding the FSM:
"Factory Authorized Reproduction" in the listing, so no not a FSM, likely a pile of printed pages - real FSM is a well-organized 3" thick 3-ring binder, at least for 1991
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 21, 2022, 05:20:48 AM
Not a wasted spark system, that's a thing for coilpacks. If your rotor wasn't pointed at #1 that's a big issue.
Camshaft is slotted but offset, so distributor should only be able to go in one way. Didn't use a hammer did you?? haha
Make sure you have #1 TDC on compression stroke and not on exhaust stroke when checking the rotor.
Good find on the clogged fuel filter.

Regarding the FSM:
"Factory Authorized Reproduction" in the listing, so no not a FSM, likely a pile of printed pages - real FSM is a well-organized 3" thick 3-ring binder, at least for 1991

Missed the offset in the dizzy. Also unsure if I was on compression or exhaust stroke, so you're probably spot on there. No, I didn't use a hammer, or the dang bolts to draw the dizzy into the head  :-X It's supposed to be in the 50s on Thanksgiving though, and I'm off work....so perhaps that'll be the day.

Shame about that Ebay listing, that's the closest I could find to an original. I think I'm still going to end up buying it. There's also a ton of OEM owners manuals for the Capri on ebay, and I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff too. Looks like a neat little brown leather wrapped notebook.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 27, 2022, 05:53:58 AM
Guys...

She LIVES!

I'll try and get a video up later. I only ran it twice yesterday; my exhaust is open right after the downpipe so it's very loud. I went out and got a straight section of pipe, a pair of clamps, and a tool to flare the end of the pipe. I'm gonna need to at least mostly fix the exhaust leak before I heat cycle it, otherwise the angry old woman across the street is likely to call the cops on me. All I did was put it back together with the rebuilt alternator and the new fuel filter. Gave it a tiny little shot of starting fluid right into the throttle body, and she turned right over. Doesn't sound super healthy, and it wanted to keep stalling out if I didn't give it a little gas, but running is running. I'm pretty confident that a proper heat cycle, an oil change, and a good hard look for vacuum and boost leaks is all it really needs.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 27, 2022, 10:23:05 AM
Congratulations
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on November 27, 2022, 06:32:42 PM
Thanks man! As promised, and a long (long) time coming;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y1NmdiXO2e0wYIWlBXJeeIvFmchyVuGp/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y1NmdiXO2e0wYIWlBXJeeIvFmchyVuGp/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xxCL-Z6p15nGzgrx1j1ONxeZ73z0pfUP/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xxCL-Z6p15nGzgrx1j1ONxeZ73z0pfUP/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xrlel12gbHmXmxP8ybObLvZuTkIp9-D_/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xrlel12gbHmXmxP8ybObLvZuTkIp9-D_/view?usp=sharing)

You can actually hear the slow progression of my starter motor's death, if you listen to those videos in order. It takes a few tries to get it to engage now, but I've sort of been expecting it. I really did abuse the daylights out of the poor thing, trying to figure out the no start and no crank issues. But either way, heck yes. Finally.

I got axles and trans fluid into it, and both front brakes bled. Then I ran out of daylight. I believe I just need to bleed the rears and patch the exhaust, then I should be able to drive it. At least, up and down my driveway. I need tires, paperwork, and license plates before I can go much further with it. Probably brakes, too. I also know it needs strut assemblies all the way around, I'm just unsure of how badly. The front mounts look and feel pretty toasted.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: nachius on November 27, 2022, 09:28:17 PM
Holy Freaking Awesome!  It got colder here in Ohio and I have lots of stuff going on so my progress has been slow, but you keep going I'll keep going ;)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on November 28, 2022, 08:30:51 AM
That's great man, keep the progress coming.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on December 04, 2022, 11:52:36 AM
I'm trying to figure out why this thing doesn't want to start without spraying starting fluid. Does anyone know how I can test the fuel pressure regulator? Is there any sort of easy spot on these cars to test fuel pressure? And lastly, does anyone know a part number for a direct fit replacement fuel pump? The one I ordered ages ago off Rock Auto was physically too small.

The car does move in both reverse and 1st!


Edit- After a deep dive through some historical posts on here, this is what I've come up with. I should tee into the fuel system at the line going from the inline fuel filter to the fuel pressure regulator, and from there I can measure fuel pressure. I can't find an exact spec, but the service manual mentions something like 33psi above manifold pressure...so I imagine I want something like 41psi? Depending on what reading I get, I'll decide if it gets a new pump or pressure regulator. I did remove the vacuum hose at the top of the FPR, but did not find liquid fuel within. My gut is telling me it's the FPR, but I'd like to be positive before dropping $150ish on a replacement.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on December 07, 2022, 05:33:51 AM
Have I entered uncharted territories here? There are just TWO fuel pressure regulators on Rock Auto. One says its around 38psi, and one says its around 44psi. Both are around $150. Then there are also about two dozen fuel pumps, and not a one of them looks like it's a direct fit. I'm tempted to just order whichever pump looks closest, and then whichever FPR looks less cheap.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on December 07, 2022, 08:18:58 PM
It does not sound like you are having an FPR problem
Still sounds like bad gas (despite you having added some fresh to it)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on December 08, 2022, 05:20:34 AM
It does not sound like you are having an FPR problem
Still sounds like bad gas (despite you having added some fresh to it)

Well, I'm gonna be super salty if that's the issue. I put about 4 gallons of 93 octane in it, and that was only maybe a month ago. I  know my fuel pump works (at least a little). I have no clue how to check my fuel pressure regulator. It won't start without starting fluid, and then when running it sounds like it wants to stall (and will if I don't hang the throttle open). This is all pointing to a fuel issue.

I'm stubborn, so I ordered a replacement FPR last night. Thanks Greywolf I actually remembered your discount code. If that doesn't do it, I'll put even more gas in it. If that also doesn't do it, then I guess I have to pull the pump back out, measure it, and find a replacement.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on December 11, 2022, 08:26:50 AM
In an effort to not waste a day full of free time, albeit a shitty cold snowy day, I have made some plans. My fuel pressure regulator won't get here until tomorrow (of course), so I'm dead in the water on that front. I dug out the fuel pump I ordered back when I rebuilt the engine which I know is too small. Carter pump, P/N P72165. My calipers show me my mistake - this pump has an outside diameter of 1.5", whereas the factory pump is about 2". The carter pump did come with a little rubber condom which makes it slightly fatter, but still not 2". My Google-Fu tells me that this pump will provide adequate flow for the car at the correct pressure, all I need to do is make it fit. I'm optimistic that a trip to the hardware store will provide me with something that'll make this fat enough to mount into the tank securely. Very likely a fatter rubber condom.

I also plan on picking up 4 more gallons of fresh gas for the car. If the Capri has taught me anything, it's to take Rocketman's advice. I haven't checked if there's an easy drain point on the tank, but I guess I could push the old gas out the line to drain it. I really don't -want- to waste about $20 of gas, but whatever. Maybe I'll stick it in my Altima.

Hopefully one of those two things will fix my mystery fuel issue. I don't want to heat cycle the fresh engine with this problem, because I have no idea if it is running lean. It almost has to be though, since it'll stall out after a few seconds without opening the throttle up. I definitely don't want to run it lean. Once I can get this issue resolved though, I think it'll be ready to drive. I've managed to pull it in and out of the garage without too much drama.

Oh, I also need to figure out one more exhaust coupler for my janky catalytic converter delete. I have a flex pipe in place of the factory Cat now, and it's solidly attached to the downpipe. I'm just having issues getting it attached on the muffler end. I do have a tail-pipe expander and clamps, I just need to right sized coupler. More excuses to go to the hardware store! The honeycomb/catalyst in my factory Cat was falling away in chunks, so I'm really not all that fussed about chopping it off. I do need to have a qualified individual put together an actual exhaust soon....this is all just temporary. I can't have an open downpipe where I live.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on December 12, 2022, 07:56:20 AM
You don't mention what RPM the engine is trying to run at when you crank it. I wonder if the IAC isn't doing it's job to increase the idle at cold start. Mine do 1500RPMS or more.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on December 22, 2022, 07:51:16 PM
You don't mention what RPM the engine is trying to run at when you crank it. I wonder if the IAC isn't doing it's job to increase the idle at cold start. Mine do 1500RPMS or more.


I can't imagine a failed IAC would cause a no start, but I could be wrong. We'll have to wait and see. The car seems to want to idle around 800-1000ish RPMs at cold start idle, but that's only for a brief moment before it wants to fall on it's face. That's also on starting fluid, so who really knows how useful that information is. If you could point me in the direction of diagnosing a faulty IAC, I'd appreciate that. I'm not even sure what the symptoms of a bad one would be, other than the obvious poor idle quality. (I can not express how much I enjoy being this clueless about all this old automotive technology, given that I'm diagnosing modern cars on a daily basis. One day, when I have my Capri running properly, I'd love to write a sort of 'modern' service manual for the car. Common things that fail, how to check them, stuff that breaks, stuff that you should probably update, etc. That information, with part numbers for stuff that's actually available, would be a godsend to anyone else trying to restore one of these old girls.)

Some information I did dig up in the FSM pertaining to fuel system diagnostics: 12-16 ohms is the spec for the resistance of the factory injectors. 220-380cc/10 seconds is the volume of fuel you want to be able to flow from the pump. 64-85psi is the fuel pressure you want to see at the outlet to the fuel pump. 37-41psi is the fuel pressure you want to see at the engine with the vehicle running at idle.

I have the FPR and am ready to drain out and refill the fuel tank. I also have a new (cheap Autozone) starter, just in case my OEM unit is as cooked as I suspect. Alas, winter is totally upon us. The car is pretty much parked for the winter, and it's unlikely to see much progress in the coming months. It's too cold to work on it, and even if I get it street-able, the roads are salted. I'm already aware of two locations in the floor pan that need rust cut out and patch panels welded in - so absolutely not driving this thing in the salt. Odds are, even if I get it running properly sometime next spring (which I honestly expect I will), I'm gonna end up paying a body shop to fix the little cosmetic issues and then paint it ($). So probably no winter driving for this Capri ever.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on December 23, 2022, 06:36:53 AM
A manual like you're suggesting would be great. It seems every new owner has the same questions, and their cars have the same recurring problems.

The IAC is usually diagnosed by a high idle all the time. It should default to being open all time. The coolant flowing thru it warms a special wax element to close it up and reduce the idle when warm. The electrical connection increases the idle when the A/C is switched on. I wonder if it is possible for it to fail closed. That would give the low idle you're getting. It's going to need a higher idle in this cold weather to keep it going. Sorry I can't help you more.

Good luck with it and merry Christmas.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: JJ on March 08, 2023, 02:49:03 PM
This is great info for those of us who've never seen the internals of a B engine and I applaud you for the effort required to take and post the pics.

no doubt. i have a parts car that's scrapped because rust got a lot of underneath and shop wanted over $1500 to run new metal brake lines.. frame rail was bad shape too.. but killer is the little 3 in coolant hose near distributor split, caused overheating and although car was stopped almost instantly, damage was done and lost compression in a few cyls. i think really it just needs a new head gasket.. but i don't really have the time or space to remove engine and do what he's doing, although I would love to
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 08, 2023, 04:00:24 PM
This is great info for those of us who've never seen the internals of a B engine and I applaud you for the effort required to take and post the pics.

no doubt. i have a parts car that's scrapped because rust got a lot of underneath and shop wanted over $1500 to run new metal brake lines.. frame rail was bad shape too.. but killer is the little 3 in coolant hose near distributor split, caused overheating and although car was stopped almost instantly, damage was done and lost compression in a few cyls. i think really it just needs a new head gasket.. but i don't really have the time or space to remove engine and do what he's doing, although I would love to

You can totally pull the head off and replace the gasket without removing the engine from the car. You'll need to put a jack stand under the oil pan in order to support the engine (to enable you to remove the mount that blocks your access to the timing cover)  and you'll probably want to pull off the FR wheel to make getting all the accessory drive stuff off. The head itself can be removed fully assembled, so that makes life much easier. You won't be able to get the deck surface machined, but there are plenty of home brew methods to clean a cast iron head gasket sealing surface at home. It really isn't too terribly much work, provided there's nothing in the bottom end that requires machining. But you won't know that until you get the head off and check.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: JJ on March 13, 2023, 02:20:34 PM
thanks for the info. but if I do anything with the engine i'll pull it all out and put on a stand. it's currently a 'fixable spare' until i run out of room or desire to keep the car sitting in the back yard... sadly no garage... so not really any room to do anything. and no room for a 3rd shed. the other two are full
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 13, 2023, 08:22:11 PM
So I have a giant order bookmarked on RockAuto, I'm just waiting for the weather forecast to look less cold (and my wife to look less at the bank account >.<) before I press the order button. But here's the goodies I plan on getting put on the car as soon as possible. Once the salt is gone, I've been dying to drive this thing for two years. I think this should be all I need to have it be safe to drive on public roads:

Front & rear wheel bearings & seals
Front & rear brake pads & rotors
Front brake calipers & I'll see about getting the rears rebuilt
Fuel pump
Front & rear struts, mounts, bump stops, and bellows

That should be about it, at least that can be diagnosed as "shitty" with a visual inspection. I've replaced a whole bunch of the front suspension already due to deteriorated rubber bushings. The rear I was going to leave be until I can drive it and feel it, since I suspect the rear end of a 2000 pound fwd car could probably be made out of mashed potato and it wouldn't really matter. I think I might need inner tie rods, but I'd like to leave the OEM ones alone until I can drive it. I'm pretty sure I also have a reman starter and new fuel pressure regulator sitting in the car that were never installed.

Hopefully I'll have updates soon
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 14, 2023, 06:01:31 AM
Wow.......inspiring
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 14, 2023, 09:21:08 AM
Wow.......inspiring

I'm gonna HAVE to remember your discount code this time. I generally remember it a day or two after I place my order, which sucks but isn't usually more than a few dollars. Definitely going to be significantly more important this time, so thanks in advance for your continued efforts to save us all some monies.

https://imgur.com/gallery/5fw1VrT (https://imgur.com/gallery/5fw1VrT)
That's a link to imgur, since they changed it and I can't find a new image host that'll let me put thumbnails on forums. In there is my current planned order. If anyone wants to take the time to look through it and warn me if I'm about to make a mistake, or if I'm missing something obvious, I'd appreciate it.

Also, and perhaps this is just a RockAuto issue and not a global supply issue, but there appears to be an alarming lack of rear brake rotors available for our cars. Am I worrying for nothing, or is this a thing that everyone already knows about? Should I maybe panic buy several sets of rear rotors incase they become totally unavailable?

Edit- Fixed the wrong # of rear outer wheel bearings. Wanted to add that my big worry with the rear rotors is that I'm pretty sure they also function as the hub on the Capri. Having no replacement for two major wear items on the back end doesn't feel good. I did find a listing on Ebay for (AC Delco 58846FN), which seems like OEM for our car. But there are only 6 left, and they are non-coated.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 15, 2023, 05:25:17 AM
Consider yourself lucky that there are rear struts, front mounts available right now. You might add the rear bearing nuts, there is a right and left hand thread.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 15, 2023, 05:20:18 PM
Consider yourself lucky that there are rear struts, front mounts available right now. You might add the rear bearing nuts, there is a right and left hand thread.

I know I've been checking every few weeks for a very long time. Gonna have to jump on these while I have the chance. They do pop up on ebay fairly often still, too.

Good call on the rear axle nuts, thanks
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 17, 2023, 08:08:44 PM
I ordered all the parts, minus the front calipers. Stuff is coming on like six trucks, next Tuesday & next Thursday. I even remembered to grab the rear axle nuts!

Once the weather gets nice, I'm going to yank all the strut assemblies off. I'll take those to work with me once the parts show up, along with the rear rotors & wheel bearings. I have the tools there to press the bearings & studs in, as well as remove the springs from the old struts and put them on the new ones. I'l get a set of H&R springs eventually...I spent enough money for one day though.

I plan to pull the front knuckles off this weekend too. That way, I can have everything ready to go whenever Rocketman has a chance to teach me his secrets.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 18, 2023, 09:47:05 AM
https://imgur.com/a/FCQy2pk

Hopefully that will work.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 18, 2023, 03:23:31 PM
https://imgur.com/a/FCQy2pk

Hopefully that will work.

That definitely looks like a set of coilovers for a Capri, but who makes them and where in the world did you find them? Beautiful
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on March 18, 2023, 07:35:58 PM
That's from the group buy on the Facebook page, IIRC
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 19, 2023, 08:45:34 AM
I thought I had mentioned the coilovers before. A member of the 1991-1994 Mercury Capri Owners Group on FB is having, I believe, 20 sets custom made. Last I heard there were a couple of sets available.

Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 19, 2023, 09:09:41 AM
I thought I had mentioned the coilovers before. A member of the 1991-1994 Mercury Capri Owners Group on FB is having, I believe, 20 sets custom made. Last I heard there were a couple of sets available.

Oh, damnit. Guess I'll put this on my list of reason to have a Facebook.  ::)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 20, 2023, 07:15:50 PM
Parts have started arriving! I'm pretty busy at the moment, so no pictures yet. The rear struts showed up, KYB's. They appear to be correct, too. More stuff is coming tomorrow, and then I'm off on Wednesday. I'm going to try and get it running correctly on that day and then if I have time start pulling the suspension apart to bring to work with me.

As far as getting the thing running right; I've got a new fuel pump (w/in tank filter) & pressure regulator. I'm bringing all the the switches/sensors/etc that are on the passenger side firewall into work to try and superglue new vacuum line fittings onto most of them - they've been damaged and I want to be able to rule any of them out as a cause of my problems. I also think I'm missing a vent solenoid and I forgot to order one...but I can't imagine that's an issue. New rubber lines for the last few ones that haven't been replaced yet. I also have a new starter assembly (mine was quite abused) and a new coolant temperature sensor (been too lazy to install it, but I think it lives by the starter). Then I'll probably use the new fuel pump to push what's left in the gas tank out, and put a few gallons of fresh gash in. Prime the oil pump, then pray for the best. I see no reason it shouldn't stay running at this point; in addition to the previously mentioned, I at some point replaced the ignition coil, plug wires, plugs, fuel filter, air filter, fuel pump relay, dizzy cap & rotor. I know the ignition control module is okay since the tach works. I re-checked the rubber intake boot again just now for cracks and didn't feel anything. New PCV valve & hoses. I also have coolant/oil/timing light on hand to finally (FINALLY) give the engine it's first heat cycle.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 21, 2023, 08:59:23 AM
Did you check to see if there is a drain plug in the bottom of the tank?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 22, 2023, 06:02:14 AM
Did you check to see if there is a drain plug in the bottom of the tank?

So there is a drain plug in the tank. I don't want to be the jackass that snaps off that bolt though, so I pulled the fuel pump out and wedged the fuel filled neck flap open a few days ago. I'm hoping some of it will evaporate, and then I'll just siphon out whatever little bit is left.

The second Carter brand fuel pump I bought, which specifically said it has a 2" outside diameter, is also not correct. It's the exact same size as the 1.5" one I originally purchased. I guess I'll just flow test the OEM one later, and order the damned Delphi unit if needed.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 23, 2023, 06:54:54 AM
I swear I'll get around to uploading pictures of all the new parts one of these days. I'm waiting on the last couple trucks still, but this pile is growing impressive.

I got a little work done yesterday. I got the old gas out and new gas in; the car does the same thing it did last year. It'll start right up with a little bit of starting fluid, idle poorly for 3-10 seconds, and then stall. If I open the throttle, I can keep it running as long as I want. At this point, I still suspect the fuel pressure regulator. The OEM pump seems perfectly fine, as I used it to push the 4 gallons of old gas out of the tank and it didn't take long at all.

I did not replace the FPR, nor did I replace the starter. The starter is absolutely toast now, and needs multiple attempts to get it to try and start. I didn't feel like laying in the mud to take the thing that far apart, so I didn't. I did manage to patch the exhaust together enough that there is no longer any fear of the neighbors calling the cops on me, so that's nice. I'll continue working on this and hope it fixes the fueling issue.

My attempt at fixing the boost gauge sensor on the firewall failed. Does this send any information to the ECM, or is it purely for the dashboard? Like, do I NEED to replace it?

Likewise, I discovered a single broken wire going to the one pin white connector at the distributor. The wire is broken off/pulled out of the small electrical component that is screwed down to the body of the distributor. What the heck is this thing, and how important is it? I don't see a good way to re-attach the wire, and I can't replace it if I don't know what it is.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 24, 2023, 04:23:28 AM
https://imgur.com/a/KO3YWqF (https://imgur.com/a/KO3YWqF)

First image is the broken boost pressure sensor. Any info on what I can replace this with would be appreciated. I'd like to retain my dash gauge.

Second image is broken wire I discovered going to dizzy. I circled the black thing the wire came out of. I hate sounding so ignorant, but I have no clue what the damned thing is. Halp
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on March 24, 2023, 03:21:07 PM
That is the pressure sender for the gauge, the ECU does not read it. The stock gauge isn't the best so I wouldn't fret too much about it. I may have a spare one somewhere, if you come down for bearings we can take a trip to my storage and see what we can find.

The little black box is a RF suppression capacitor, it keeps electrical noise out of the distributor circuit. I have broken them before and run without them, but not a bad idea to have in place though.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 24, 2023, 07:05:38 PM
That is the pressure sender for the gauge, the ECU does not read it. The stock gauge isn't the best so I wouldn't fret too much about it. I may have a spare one somewhere, if you come down for bearings we can take a trip to my storage and see what we can find.

The little black box is a RF suppression capacitor, it keeps electrical noise out of the distributor circuit. I have broken them before and run without them, but not a bad idea to have in place though.

Thanks for the quick input Matt. I figured it was some sort of noise suppression thingy on the distributor, so I wasn't super worried about that.

Speaking of which, my gigantic pile of bearings just showed up a couple hours ago.

It seems likely that my mystery issue is related to either the FPR or the injectors then. Hopefully it's the one I already have, although I suspect I could clean the injectors while I have the intake off.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 25, 2023, 08:02:28 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FUpS6wW5-_dYwo0yT_lFSoVs-ddALTJn/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FUpS6wW5-_dYwo0yT_lFSoVs-ddALTJn/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rIpG2WMQCaUXoJproJo2X4BbUsMnRGQV/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rIpG2WMQCaUXoJproJo2X4BbUsMnRGQV/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z-paxtOYDWp7gVW9YUfVdjt8Pv_Yz2bI/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z-paxtOYDWp7gVW9YUfVdjt8Pv_Yz2bI/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yzrlB-0dM7MbvDteU7vM6Mt8TMmW-_mU/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yzrlB-0dM7MbvDteU7vM6Mt8TMmW-_mU/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lhR958IM_EbTusRENIYQJHIAlnq9iGv4/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lhR958IM_EbTusRENIYQJHIAlnq9iGv4/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12TsGWxJz7cwKBKDX4wPe8rixnZGi_aCc/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/12TsGWxJz7cwKBKDX4wPe8rixnZGi_aCc/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QnBWI5v6j8rJz4qY3v_bfdG41Fx5zhLr/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QnBWI5v6j8rJz4qY3v_bfdG41Fx5zhLr/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BUSWQ0jFBJlGELXt_LjNGhBz8l_KB-BH/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BUSWQ0jFBJlGELXt_LjNGhBz8l_KB-BH/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R-nIvIxfyKFrQrrv-a0FtmTDZCUf2-EL/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R-nIvIxfyKFrQrrv-a0FtmTDZCUf2-EL/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V94jpx_P8kkKSm4plflnPH2XulhKcU3a/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V94jpx_P8kkKSm4plflnPH2XulhKcU3a/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rAdazLBiAvStZ-3Ht5BuB3TPFJmddihb/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rAdazLBiAvStZ-3Ht5BuB3TPFJmddihb/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PerZfTmlTadCyOzzHftEefsiiEHhdOSP/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PerZfTmlTadCyOzzHftEefsiiEHhdOSP/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X4ZNXx3R3uda5NNYGBW1O2ZnMZs-i3-d/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X4ZNXx3R3uda5NNYGBW1O2ZnMZs-i3-d/view?usp=sharing)

As promised. They get progressively more exciting as you go along. I tried to include all the part numbers, since who knows how much more difficult procurement is going to get as the years go on. The last image is a teaser of my next small project. They are currently my only set, and are in horrible shape. They are destined to be spares, but I still can't have this on my car. Unless someone stops me, I'm leaning towards purple/lilac. Don't forget I do plan to get the car sprayed nardo gray.

I shall attempt to re-build front struts after work today. That factory top mount bolt looks awful funny though....don't wanna have to chop it off.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 26, 2023, 06:56:49 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uRdXZT-9p2cVtEuwOG9_34Iwgnhs2Uyd/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uRdXZT-9p2cVtEuwOG9_34Iwgnhs2Uyd/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fUGlM29rzzmrMOd5BpHRhjN4krW997_v/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fUGlM29rzzmrMOd5BpHRhjN4krW997_v/view?usp=sharing)

So yeah, these things were in even worse shape than they look. In addition to the severe rust and deteriorated rubber, the bearings were also super notchy. You can also fully depress each shock with next to no force, and as you can see they don't have any desire to rebound anymore. I've never actually seen a pair of struts that had so many different failures going on at the same time.


Have a quick little how-to:
1. Mount spring in compressor
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lmfxKX9jqJrpWGnrIqhPlGSayjPs4itG/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lmfxKX9jqJrpWGnrIqhPlGSayjPs4itG/view?usp=sharing)

2. Compress spring
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PrU1IUB_cRrT5UV9l0RVMlZtx2FGewTA/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PrU1IUB_cRrT5UV9l0RVMlZtx2FGewTA/view?usp=sharing)

3. Remove top nut (24mm open ended wrench)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g7ETlR_g7M43KAGa1roR76cZPH_R45sM/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g7ETlR_g7M43KAGa1roR76cZPH_R45sM/view?usp=sharing)

4. Persuade stupid nut to let go
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C2AG0twu5_l_zbo35qpRihkWEftwYLMM/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C2AG0twu5_l_zbo35qpRihkWEftwYLMM/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ZdihMHZYbGsa8AxYgxztJwcHi1zVhUs/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ZdihMHZYbGsa8AxYgxztJwcHi1zVhUs/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FsaGKxZTT1jo2V5uFe2_klODwnWGqX-M/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FsaGKxZTT1jo2V5uFe2_klODwnWGqX-M/view?usp=sharing)
(Caution, hot nuts)

5. Beat the mount and top-hat off with a hammer
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kizXa3BzdUpqIXkvZWkoLTogurRBCAvw/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kizXa3BzdUpqIXkvZWkoLTogurRBCAvw/view?usp=sharing)

6. Re-assemble, enjoy
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hd7Z9oZtaj-Rdh8fKJU6bMf-FtxHJWE1/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hd7Z9oZtaj-Rdh8fKJU6bMf-FtxHJWE1/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UY51GrbpyQPup5PR1MQUs2Pxe-h6jlv8/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UY51GrbpyQPup5PR1MQUs2Pxe-h6jlv8/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zh24cJMaRKUgC--ahHJP7HAuTDZTeNa_/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zh24cJMaRKUgC--ahHJP7HAuTDZTeNa_/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzQFNae3xEgy0CrkMrJjVEoWD7_Auxyi/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzQFNae3xEgy0CrkMrJjVEoWD7_Auxyi/view?usp=sharing)


When I eventually get myself a set of H&R springs, I'm going to need to buy new rubber spring seats. The top ones are in okay shape, the bottom ones look like my dog has been playing with them for years.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 26, 2023, 08:54:08 AM
Lotta love going on there.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 27, 2023, 07:25:41 AM
Lotta love going on there.

It's definitely a love/hate relationship. I seem to love her, but I don't think she feels the same way towards me (yet).

I got a good chunk of work done yesterday. The new front struts are on the car, as is the new starter assembly. I had the new fuel pressure regulator on the car as well, and ran the pump for quite a while with some fuel system cleaner in there. It ran slightly better for a little bit, but ended up doing the same thing after a while. I also never got it to start without starting fluid, leading me to strongly suspect I have a leaky injector. I also removed the rear struts, and managed to destroy one of the LR trailing arm bolts in the process. The bushings on the trailing arms are hopelessly rotted anyways, so whatever.

This morning I checked my injectors; I think I found the problem. Of the 4, one of them measured over 14 ohms of resistance. Significantly higher than the other 3, which were all 13.3-13.4 ohms. I then checked, and sure enough that same injector is leaking.

I'm extremely glad that I'm pretty sure I figured out the fueling issue. I think rock auto still has a set of 4 available.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 27, 2023, 08:25:05 AM
I'm extremely glad that I'm pretty sure I figured out the fueling issue. I think rock auto still has a set of 4 available.

Good deal.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on March 31, 2023, 05:43:24 AM
Some pics of the past few days work. Let's start with the struts:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13-qOJ0zGZL3QMqMWHosbAwY05Td15e1V/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/13-qOJ0zGZL3QMqMWHosbAwY05Td15e1V/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qi5I6ndZcsI2Mk038QRScjH5EKB9m4cD/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qi5I6ndZcsI2Mk038QRScjH5EKB9m4cD/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bgdorj-xbmgGsrEcmgE5rtkZGQfS_Zb2/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bgdorj-xbmgGsrEcmgE5rtkZGQfS_Zb2/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JUxSdXt2kB0nBihhuQ5wkufIkdWpGF23/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JUxSdXt2kB0nBihhuQ5wkufIkdWpGF23/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P6qHsQkhJdc1MLBIp379r5uNG8q_0LnH/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P6qHsQkhJdc1MLBIp379r5uNG8q_0LnH/view?usp=sharing)

Other new stuff, and adventures in discovering a faulty fuel injector:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xfd7YZWvcVUpO9Kw811ODBOcFaJX7KIE/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xfd7YZWvcVUpO9Kw811ODBOcFaJX7KIE/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QO-n96wckzuZF2KqaSvkyI9y4r-LHBS5/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QO-n96wckzuZF2KqaSvkyI9y4r-LHBS5/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vqf1H2OxM6ggofRuHlIZgPIufBaTyM00/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vqf1H2OxM6ggofRuHlIZgPIufBaTyM00/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w-m9VMP1wB3T20GjDEUroEZ_13bvzh9-/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w-m9VMP1wB3T20GjDEUroEZ_13bvzh9-/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13yNJgoEcAoulZmm65n1ceteZ0XE46xj9/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/13yNJgoEcAoulZmm65n1ceteZ0XE46xj9/view?usp=sharing)

And lastly, a progress report on my mini vanity project. I'm 90% done the prep on 2 of them, about 50% of the way on the 3rd, and #4 is as of yet untouched:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Utzn6Vuhw_BCuhLvXiF3fEm9nvikyPiQ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Utzn6Vuhw_BCuhLvXiF3fEm9nvikyPiQ/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1enxwkp2YCGC2CJnIKuSnhaVOZw-KIZRG/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1enxwkp2YCGC2CJnIKuSnhaVOZw-KIZRG/view?usp=sharing)
As of now, bronze is winning the battle for color choice.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on March 31, 2023, 10:06:57 AM
Nice....love the gold intake.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 01, 2023, 04:28:14 AM
Nice....love the gold intake.

Thanks, but in hindsight I sure wish I had just gotten it ceramic coated or something similar. I was making -significantly- less money when I rebuilt the engine, which is a massive shame.

Ah well, at least if I blow it up one day, I won't be too sad when I drop a BP in there instead. Or honestly, I've been low key looking for a well used 4G63 to put into my spare Capri chassis. That car is super gutted, literally just a shell. If I put nothing but a seat and an Evo drivetrain in there, I'm pretty sure I'll need to register for a tail number with the FAA  8)


Gonna have some sweet updates for you guys later on this week; I've got an appointment with Rocketman to learn the lost artform of Capri front knuckle assembly & disassembly. I think we are going to film the process, so hopefully we can take the mystery out of the procedure for everyone. I took my front knuckles to work with me yesterday; only one single technician I work with out of the dozen guys was able to correctly tell me how to take them apart just by looking at them. That guy is also a 62 year old former Ford tech, so in all likelihood he'd probably seen them at some point in his past. What I'm trying to say is - they're really frigging odd.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on April 06, 2023, 07:25:13 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18XQAevBisChsfnODYAy7Mt4sWKOZ9C0U/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/18XQAevBisChsfnODYAy7Mt4sWKOZ9C0U/view?usp=sharing)

There's a picture of the finished product now that Matt put the video up. Took a little bit of his magic to get the driver's side to cooperate (this knuckle was off of the original white car, if anyone remembers that thing), but we managed to get both of them within spec.

Of course it's going to rain and be freezing cold on my next couple of days off, but I've got some plans and some work to do. We're going vacuum leak hunting, with no air compressor and no electricity. Stay tuned to find out what happens when you boost leak test a bunch of plastic and rubber that was sitting dormant for the better part of two decades.... (I bet it's sadness)

I'm planning on replacing the J-pipe, but I'm fully prepared to discover that the entire air intake system is leaky. It's probably about time someone shoved a ton of aluminum pipes and radiators/intercoolers under this bumper, I was just hoping to drive it BEFORE I had to do any of that.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 10, 2023, 06:15:15 AM
I finally got around to putting my engine bay back together. What do you know - all I did was replace the one fuel injector that had too high of a resistance reading, and now the car starts all by itself. No ether required, That's one rather large headache solved.

I've got one wheel re-finished, two wheels half way re-finished, and one still primer'd. As soon as the last 3 are finished, I'll finally be able to drive the car. I just need to buy tires
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 10, 2023, 07:31:04 AM
Yeah, you eat an elephant one bite at a time.....lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 10, 2023, 07:57:51 PM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uRdXZT-9p2cVtEuwOG9_34Iwgnhs2Uyd/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uRdXZT-9p2cVtEuwOG9_34Iwgnhs2Uyd/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fUGlM29rzzmrMOd5BpHRhjN4krW997_v/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fUGlM29rzzmrMOd5BpHRhjN4krW997_v/view?usp=sharing)

So yeah, these things were in even worse shape than they look. In addition to the severe rust and deteriorated rubber, the bearings were also super notchy. You can also fully depress each shock with next to no force, and as you can see they don't have any desire to rebound anymore. I've never actually seen a pair of struts that had so many different failures going on at the same time.


Have a quick little how-to:
1. Mount spring in compressor
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lmfxKX9jqJrpWGnrIqhPlGSayjPs4itG/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lmfxKX9jqJrpWGnrIqhPlGSayjPs4itG/view?usp=sharing)

2. Compress spring
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PrU1IUB_cRrT5UV9l0RVMlZtx2FGewTA/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PrU1IUB_cRrT5UV9l0RVMlZtx2FGewTA/view?usp=sharing)

3. Remove top nut (24mm open ended wrench)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g7ETlR_g7M43KAGa1roR76cZPH_R45sM/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g7ETlR_g7M43KAGa1roR76cZPH_R45sM/view?usp=sharing)

4. Persuade stupid nut to let go
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C2AG0twu5_l_zbo35qpRihkWEftwYLMM/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C2AG0twu5_l_zbo35qpRihkWEftwYLMM/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ZdihMHZYbGsa8AxYgxztJwcHi1zVhUs/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ZdihMHZYbGsa8AxYgxztJwcHi1zVhUs/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FsaGKxZTT1jo2V5uFe2_klODwnWGqX-M/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FsaGKxZTT1jo2V5uFe2_klODwnWGqX-M/view?usp=sharing)
(Caution, hot nuts)

5. Beat the mount and top-hat off with a hammer
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kizXa3BzdUpqIXkvZWkoLTogurRBCAvw/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kizXa3BzdUpqIXkvZWkoLTogurRBCAvw/view?usp=sharing)

6. Re-assemble, enjoy
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hd7Z9oZtaj-Rdh8fKJU6bMf-FtxHJWE1/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hd7Z9oZtaj-Rdh8fKJU6bMf-FtxHJWE1/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UY51GrbpyQPup5PR1MQUs2Pxe-h6jlv8/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UY51GrbpyQPup5PR1MQUs2Pxe-h6jlv8/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zh24cJMaRKUgC--ahHJP7HAuTDZTeNa_/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zh24cJMaRKUgC--ahHJP7HAuTDZTeNa_/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzQFNae3xEgy0CrkMrJjVEoWD7_Auxyi/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzQFNae3xEgy0CrkMrJjVEoWD7_Auxyi/view?usp=sharing)


When I eventually get myself a set of H&R springs, I'm going to need to buy new rubber spring seats. The top ones are in okay shape, the bottom ones look like my dog has been playing with them for years.

Just got a new set of H&R springs in the mail, what did you torque the 24mm top bot to? And any advice on getting it off to get the spring out! Thanks!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 10, 2023, 08:38:44 PM
https://imgur.com/a/FCQy2pk

Hopefully that will work.
Do you have a make/model for the coil overs, been looking for a long time and have not been able to find any, seems like you have some good luck!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 11, 2023, 07:32:37 AM
A FB group member had a bunch custom made, they should land any time. Last time I heard, he had a couple slated for Aus left.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 11, 2023, 08:29:28 AM
A FB group member had a bunch custom made, they should land any time. Last time I heard, he had a couple slated for Aus left.
Thanks so much, they are so beautiful!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 11, 2023, 08:41:43 AM
A FB group member had a bunch custom made, they should land any time. Last time I heard, he had a couple slated for Aus left.
Thanks so much, they are so beautiful!
This is really odd but at you guys actually active on this site, been looking for people I can talk to and get advice from about my car, not super easy to find good info.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 11, 2023, 08:52:52 PM
Yeah, you eat an elephant one bite at a time.....lol

Getting pretty full of elephant over here. Someone send help >.>

^^ To the new fella, it's relatively active you just need to be patient. Someone will answer you eventually. Torque spec for tophat center nut is in service manual....but I went with until it felt tight. I hate (fear) the spring compressor, and have no desire to spend extra time under it just to satisfy my OCD.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 11, 2023, 09:27:59 PM
Yeah, you eat an elephant one bite at a time.....lol

Getting pretty full of elephant over here. Someone send help >.>

^^ To the new fella, it's relatively active you just need to be patient. Someone will answer you eventually. Torque spec for tophat center nut is in service manual....but I went with until it felt tight. I hate (fear) the spring compressor, and have no desire to spend extra time under it just to satisfy my OCD.

I 100% get that! Makes me a bit nervous being my first time but I’m pretty stoked about it. That’s so great though I’ll definitely try and be active and help if I can, I love reading about the restoration projects, yall doing good work!!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 14, 2023, 06:53:11 AM
Does anyone know what I'm supposed to use for a gasket between the VAF & the air-box? I think I have found my intake leak, but I'm unsure how to fix it. Where the air-metering part of the VAF meets up with the air filter part, I've got a tiny little leak. I tried using RTV to fix it, but no go.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Blobfish on July 15, 2023, 07:45:50 AM
Does anyone know what I'm supposed to use for a gasket between the VAF & the air-box? I think I have found my intake leak, but I'm unsure how to fix it. Where the air-metering part of the VAF meets up with the air filter part, I've got a tiny little leak. I tried using RTV to fix it, but no go.

My mechanic friend won't stop singing praises about ThreeBond 1207B-100 silicone.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 15, 2023, 10:05:57 AM
Does anyone know what I'm supposed to use for a gasket between the VAF & the air-box? I think I have found my intake leak, but I'm unsure how to fix it. Where the air-metering part of the VAF meets up with the air filter part, I've got a tiny little leak. I tried using RTV to fix it, but no go.

My mechanic friend won't stop singing praises about ThreeBond 1207B-100 silicone.

On the advice of Matt, I tried to re-seal it with paper gasket-maker & a small amount of RTV. It definitely improved the idle quality, but it still stalls out if I let the throttle fully close. I assume there is either another vacuum leak, or it's still leaking at the VAF. If that's the case, I'll give the ThreeBond a shot.

Anyone have a creative solution to smoke test my car, without needing an air compressor? The VAF was the only thing that looked suspect, after giving the intake system a very thorough visual inspection.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 16, 2023, 02:24:58 PM
Does anyone know what I'm supposed to use for a gasket between the VAF & the air-box? I think I have found my intake leak, but I'm unsure how to fix it. Where the air-metering part of the VAF meets up with the air filter part, I've got a tiny little leak. I tried using RTV to fix it, but no go.

My mechanic friend won't stop singing praises about ThreeBond 1207B-100 silicone.

On the advice of Matt, I tried to re-seal it with paper gasket-maker & a small amount of RTV. It definitely improved the idle quality, but it still stalls out if I let the throttle fully close. I assume there is either another vacuum leak, or it's still leaking at the VAF. If that's the case, I'll give the ThreeBond a shot.

Anyone have a creative solution to smoke test my car, without needing an air compressor? The VAF was the only thing that looked suspect, after giving the intake system a very thorough visual inspection.

I don’t know if this will help, but if you flip the hose on your shop vacuum so it will blow and try and use it that way, but if you don’t have one then I’m out of ideas, used the shop vacuum to try and find exhaust leaks a while back, spraying soapy water in it to see where it bubbles also is an idea, sorry I can’t help more. Anyone have advice on a leaking soft top, the windows don’t always line up and it likes to leak, I just am out of ideas. Best Luck finding the leak finding the air leak!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 16, 2023, 04:08:57 PM
Does anyone know what I'm supposed to use for a gasket between the VAF & the air-box? I think I have found my intake leak, but I'm unsure how to fix it. Where the air-metering part of the VAF meets up with the air filter part, I've got a tiny little leak. I tried using RTV to fix it, but no go.

My mechanic friend won't stop singing praises about ThreeBond 1207B-100 silicone.

On the advice of Matt, I tried to re-seal it with paper gasket-maker & a small amount of RTV. It definitely improved the idle quality, but it still stalls out if I let the throttle fully close. I assume there is either another vacuum leak, or it's still leaking at the VAF. If that's the case, I'll give the ThreeBond a shot.

Anyone have a creative solution to smoke test my car, without needing an air compressor? The VAF was the only thing that looked suspect, after giving the intake system a very thorough visual inspection.

I don’t know if this will help, but if you flip the hose on your shop vacuum so it will blow and try and use it that way, but if you don’t have one then I’m out of ideas, used the shop vacuum to try and find exhaust leaks a while back, spraying soapy water in it to see where it bubbles also is an idea, sorry I can’t help more. Anyone have advice on a leaking soft top, the windows don’t always line up and it likes to leak, I just am out of ideas. Best Luck finding the leak finding the air leak!

I like the new guy, guys.

Brb, off to Walmart for a shop vac.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 17, 2023, 07:19:16 PM
Does anyone know what I'm supposed to use for a gasket between the VAF & the air-box? I think I have found my intake leak, but I'm unsure how to fix it. Where the air-metering part of the VAF meets up with the air filter part, I've got a tiny little leak. I tried using RTV to fix it, but no go.

My mechanic friend won't stop singing praises about ThreeBond 1207B-100 silicone.

On the advice of Matt, I tried to re-seal it with paper gasket-maker & a small amount of RTV. It definitely improved the idle quality, but it still stalls out if I let the throttle fully close. I assume there is either another vacuum leak, or it's still leaking at the VAF. If that's the case, I'll give the ThreeBond a shot.

Anyone have a creative solution to smoke test my car, without needing an air compressor? The VAF was the only thing that looked suspect, after giving the intake system a very thorough visual inspection.

I don’t know if this will help, but if you flip the hose on your shop vacuum so it will blow and try and use it that way, but if you don’t have one then I’m out of ideas, used the shop vacuum to try and find exhaust leaks a while back, spraying soapy water in it to see where it bubbles also is an idea, sorry I can’t help more. Anyone have advice on a leaking soft top, the windows don’t always line up and it likes to leak, I just am out of ideas. Best Luck finding the leak finding the air leak!

I like the new guy, guys.

Brb, off to Walmart for a shop vac.

Hope that works for you!! Definitely gotta update us on more when you get there! Love hearing about it!!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 17, 2023, 07:42:41 PM
Bad news is, the shop vac shenanigans didn't really help me out. I bet I can get it to work, but I didn't have the time.

Good news....the car MOVED UNDER ITS OWN POWER! Like, a quarter of a mile. It's extremely tricky driving & shifting while also not ever letting the throttle plate fully close....but fuck it after all these years I'm gonna call that a first successful road test. The rose gold wheels look cherry, too (from 5 ft away).

I'll get pics and vids up eventually lol

PS- the god awful belt squeal at start up. Uhh, looser? Tighter? It doesn't wanna stop. I'm not complaining, but the old lady across the street might
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 17, 2023, 09:05:42 PM
Bad news is, the shop vac shenanigans didn't really help me out. I bet I can get it to work, but I didn't have the time.

Good news....the car MOVED UNDER ITS OWN POWER! Like, a quarter of a mile. It's extremely tricky driving & shifting while also not ever letting the throttle plate fully close....but fuck it after all these years I'm gonna call that a first successful road test. The rose gold wheels look cherry, too (from 5 ft away).

I'll get pics and vids up eventually lol

PS- the god awful belt squeal at start up. Uhh, looser? Tighter? It doesn't wanna stop. I'm not complaining, but the old lady across the street might
Glad to hear it’s running, sorry the shop vac didn’t help a ton! I had a horrible time with my belt is was squeaking so much and even broke at one time, ultimately I had to try and tighten it a ton and it went away, I hope that you can figure it out!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Blobfish on July 18, 2023, 04:16:42 AM
PS- the god awful belt squeal at start up. Uhh, looser? Tighter? It doesn't wanna stop. I'm not complaining, but the old lady across the street might
Glad to hear it’s running, sorry the shop vac didn’t help a ton! I had a horrible time with my belt is was squeaking so much and even broke at one time, ultimately I had to try and tighten it a ton and it went away, I hope that you can figure it out!

Out of curiosity is this the alternator/water pump belt your talking about. I had trouble with my alternator belt squealing for years and tried all sorts of different belts and re tightening it, all to no avail. Eventually I found out there was an oil leak which was spraying oil on the belt and since getting the leak fixed and putting a new unsaturated belt on it's been perfectly fine.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 18, 2023, 07:48:04 AM
Glad you got to drive it. Yeah belt needs to be really tight. Also are you using a stock belt or the belt used by experienced owners?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 18, 2023, 08:53:02 AM
PS- the god awful belt squeal at start up. Uhh, looser? Tighter? It doesn't wanna stop. I'm not complaining, but the old lady across the street might
Glad to hear it’s running, sorry the shop vac didn’t help a ton! I had a horrible time with my belt is was squeaking so much and even broke at one time, ultimately I had to try and tighten it a ton and it went away, I hope that you can figure it out!

Out of curiosity is this the alternator/water pump belt your talking about. I had trouble with my alternator belt squealing for years and tried all sorts of different belts and re tightening it, all to no avail. Eventually I found out there was an oil leak which was spraying oil on the belt and since getting the leak fixed and putting a new unsaturated belt on it's been perfectly fine.
Actually yeah it was that belt, I couldn’t believe how had it was the get it to go away, and fortunately it wasn’t and oil leak, from what I had to go through it felt like a faulty design because the belt needed to be tighter but there was no actual belt tensioner but we made it work. Have you heard of capris with a tensioner?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 18, 2023, 05:54:50 PM
Glad you got to drive it. Yeah belt needs to be really tight. Also are you using a stock belt or the belt used by experienced owners?

Ah damnit you caught me...probably. I bought the belts like 3 years ago, when I was younger and dumber, and yeah it's probably the wrong belt lol. You got a part number I can reference? In the meantime, I'll just crank down on this bad boy and see if I can get it to stop screaming at me.

Still need to figure out the vacuum leak, although now that the car is mobile, I have this option: a large sum of money goes to whomever wants to make the thing run properly. If you have a smoke machine and a free weekend, I'm not playing, You don't even need to fix the leak, just help me frigging find it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 19, 2023, 08:05:17 AM
"You got a part number I can reference?"

Dayco 17360 or equivalent
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 19, 2023, 09:49:42 AM
"You got a part number I can reference?"

Dayco 17360 or equivalent
Thanks so much, gonna have to check the belts I have replaced!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 19, 2023, 05:56:34 PM
"You got a part number I can reference?"

Dayco 17360 or equivalent

Thanks. My records show I ordered a Gates 7355 & Gates K040345. My google-fu is failing me, I can't figure out if it's the same part or not
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: NEDREBEL on July 20, 2023, 01:42:00 PM
In Gates you would want a 9360, it is one size wider and one size longer than what you have
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 20, 2023, 05:29:15 PM
In Gates you would want a 9360, it is one size wider and one size longer than what you have

Such sadness, but thanks for letting me know.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 21, 2023, 08:05:59 PM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JErXHTULxV5C6Zaj1pSPG8v7ZY-vTtQ1/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JErXHTULxV5C6Zaj1pSPG8v7ZY-vTtQ1/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgYJj3xc7FGrEFcQFgeSmeaiIEC_up_d/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgYJj3xc7FGrEFcQFgeSmeaiIEC_up_d/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_NOb8PRnclRBqSHKY5Vu10Bn6sASuTJ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_NOb8PRnclRBqSHKY5Vu10Bn6sASuTJ/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFleFq0LfVfbhNb6vcJs3qKlQYayLPDk/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFleFq0LfVfbhNb6vcJs3qKlQYayLPDk/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LgFj1lb_LvU2Aefz1MEU-yEArTCs8qGs/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LgFj1lb_LvU2Aefz1MEU-yEArTCs8qGs/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcR6JXwYQN0bWdEsmBxFfu47H1jz3rni/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcR6JXwYQN0bWdEsmBxFfu47H1jz3rni/view?usp=sharing)

Out of her dungeon:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNFA00Yp6ouW4_SLEJKrSM00pOjSdwaS/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNFA00Yp6ouW4_SLEJKrSM00pOjSdwaS/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LBYnlnpN8wyIITJqIsPJxfhsppIovMxF/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LBYnlnpN8wyIITJqIsPJxfhsppIovMxF/view?usp=sharing)

And bonus preview of the next project (I know literally nothing of body work/paint):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LSg2DA2qJQDNGWw1PnfspW2hL--_hIfa/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LSg2DA2qJQDNGWw1PnfspW2hL--_hIfa/view?usp=sharing)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 22, 2023, 12:06:27 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JErXHTULxV5C6Zaj1pSPG8v7ZY-vTtQ1/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JErXHTULxV5C6Zaj1pSPG8v7ZY-vTtQ1/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgYJj3xc7FGrEFcQFgeSmeaiIEC_up_d/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgYJj3xc7FGrEFcQFgeSmeaiIEC_up_d/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_NOb8PRnclRBqSHKY5Vu10Bn6sASuTJ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_NOb8PRnclRBqSHKY5Vu10Bn6sASuTJ/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFleFq0LfVfbhNb6vcJs3qKlQYayLPDk/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFleFq0LfVfbhNb6vcJs3qKlQYayLPDk/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LgFj1lb_LvU2Aefz1MEU-yEArTCs8qGs/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LgFj1lb_LvU2Aefz1MEU-yEArTCs8qGs/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcR6JXwYQN0bWdEsmBxFfu47H1jz3rni/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcR6JXwYQN0bWdEsmBxFfu47H1jz3rni/view?usp=sharing)

Out of her dungeon:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNFA00Yp6ouW4_SLEJKrSM00pOjSdwaS/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNFA00Yp6ouW4_SLEJKrSM00pOjSdwaS/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LBYnlnpN8wyIITJqIsPJxfhsppIovMxF/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LBYnlnpN8wyIITJqIsPJxfhsppIovMxF/view?usp=sharing)

And bonus preview of the next project (I know literally nothing of body work/paint):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LSg2DA2qJQDNGWw1PnfspW2hL--_hIfa/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LSg2DA2qJQDNGWw1PnfspW2hL--_hIfa/view?usp=sharing)

Aww man I’m so jealous, you have had such good progress!!! I’m excited to see the body work and hear about it I’ll definitely have to get some tips from you after you do it!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 22, 2023, 07:18:19 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JErXHTULxV5C6Zaj1pSPG8v7ZY-vTtQ1/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JErXHTULxV5C6Zaj1pSPG8v7ZY-vTtQ1/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgYJj3xc7FGrEFcQFgeSmeaiIEC_up_d/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgYJj3xc7FGrEFcQFgeSmeaiIEC_up_d/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_NOb8PRnclRBqSHKY5Vu10Bn6sASuTJ/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_NOb8PRnclRBqSHKY5Vu10Bn6sASuTJ/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFleFq0LfVfbhNb6vcJs3qKlQYayLPDk/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFleFq0LfVfbhNb6vcJs3qKlQYayLPDk/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LgFj1lb_LvU2Aefz1MEU-yEArTCs8qGs/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LgFj1lb_LvU2Aefz1MEU-yEArTCs8qGs/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcR6JXwYQN0bWdEsmBxFfu47H1jz3rni/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcR6JXwYQN0bWdEsmBxFfu47H1jz3rni/view?usp=sharing)

Out of her dungeon:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNFA00Yp6ouW4_SLEJKrSM00pOjSdwaS/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNFA00Yp6ouW4_SLEJKrSM00pOjSdwaS/view?usp=sharing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LBYnlnpN8wyIITJqIsPJxfhsppIovMxF/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LBYnlnpN8wyIITJqIsPJxfhsppIovMxF/view?usp=sharing)

And bonus preview of the next project (I know literally nothing of body work/paint):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LSg2DA2qJQDNGWw1PnfspW2hL--_hIfa/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LSg2DA2qJQDNGWw1PnfspW2hL--_hIfa/view?usp=sharing)

Aww man I’m so jealous, you have had such good progress!!! I’m excited to see the body work and hear about it I’ll definitely have to get some tips from you after you do it!

Yeah, I've been on the fence about trying to deal with the body DIY for a while...but I think I'm gonna end up just going for it. It works out fairly well. I ended up with those side skirts, which are in ROUGH shape. That's actually ideal as far as I'm concerned; it gives me a pair of pieces to practice on that I'm not even sure I want to use. Then there's the fact that every body panel with the exception of the rear fenders comes off of the car fairly easily. That should allow me to go one panel at a time. Also, I have the giant tent thing in my yard....shove a couple fans in there and it's almost a paint booth.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 22, 2023, 08:47:59 AM
Cool, I'm inspired.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 25, 2023, 08:28:53 PM
Got it idling somewhat better, by cranking the idle set screw down and re-sealing it. I can get out of the car with it running and it takes a few seconds to stall out. I'm planning on stopping around a bunch of parts stores with a handful of hoses after work tomorrow to replace the last few odd sized original vacuum hoses still remaining. Between that, and taking the throttle body back off to adjust the stopper thing on the side of it, I'm pretty optimistic I can get it to idle reliably without needing to buy anything expensive.

I'm pretty sure the cold air idle thingy is working, as unplugging it causes my already poor idle to fall out completely. If it was a large leak (intercooler, pipes) I don't think I'd have it so close. It's got to be something silly and small.

Off idle, it runs and drives as well as I can tell within my .25 mile gravel driveway. I mayyyyyy go get it registered with the paperwork for the white chassis, which I still have. Then when I get the correct paperwork, I can just "sell" that car and register it with the new numbers. I just need plates so I can keep testing the thing
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:07 AM
Good luck
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 26, 2023, 06:13:41 PM
Good luck

Found vacuum leak. Omw to parts store for hose to verify
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 27, 2023, 05:23:25 PM
So good news, great news, and some bad news.

I did indeed find and fix the vacuum leak. Fantastic. I was able to warm up the car to operating temperature and take it for a quick drive. During the drive, I discovered my janky trailing arm repair didn't take. Then I parked, and my radiator promptly blew up. Yikes. Lots of smoke.

Gonna order arms and a rad.

Oh, I FOUND THE FRIGGING TITLE! Gotta go find a notary at some point now
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 28, 2023, 08:11:33 AM
All that is sounding good. we're routing for you.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 30, 2023, 07:36:25 AM
So good news, great news, and some bad news.

I did indeed find and fix the vacuum leak. Fantastic. I was able to warm up the car to operating temperature and take it for a quick drive. During the drive, I discovered my janky trailing arm repair didn't take. Then I parked, and my radiator promptly blew up. Yikes. Lots of smoke.

Gonna order arms and a rad.

Oh, I FOUND THE FRIGGING TITLE! Gotta go find a notary at some point now
So glad you found and fixed the leak that’s amazing. When you get a radiator are you getting the original one or are you getting a better quality one, I found a forum on here a while ago that found a better performance radiator that fits the car. 
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 30, 2023, 08:09:12 AM
So good news, great news, and some bad news.

I did indeed find and fix the vacuum leak. Fantastic. I was able to warm up the car to operating temperature and take it for a quick drive. During the drive, I discovered my janky trailing arm repair didn't take. Then I parked, and my radiator promptly blew up. Yikes. Lots of smoke.

Gonna order arms and a rad.

Oh, I FOUND THE FRIGGING TITLE! Gotta go find a notary at some point now
So glad you found and fixed the leak that’s amazing. When you get a radiator are you getting the original one or are you getting a better quality one, I found a forum on here a while ago that found a better performance radiator that fits the car.

So I was planning on tracking down one of those fancy direct fit all aluminum units I've seen floating around. Then I went on Rock Auto, and they had a factory close-out deal on Spectra units for $66. So, more plastic it is. Eventually, I'm gonna end up yanking the stock intercooler and piping and replacing it with something beefier. Probably shortly before I have Rocketman fiddle with my ECM. When I'm in the bumper building mounts for that, then I'll probably end up shoving a bigger radiator and fan in too. In the meantime, I'm gonna clean up the OEM fan shroud, re-paint it, and make a way to seal it tighter to the radiator. Gotta make sure everything looks pretty, yeah? (I mean, now that everything in my engine bay has a fine green mist on it. Even the ribs in my hood are still dripping coolant. Heck of a mess, let me tell ya)

When I ordered the Rad, I also ordered a pair of trailing arms for the rear. I also ordered a new set of trunk struts, new radiator hoses, and a new gasket for the thermostat housing. I won't need the RR trailing arm, so if anyone needs it it'll be available. Also, if someone could send me pictures of how the bottom of the trunk struts are supposed to mount to the car, that'd be super helpful. Took the broken ones off like 2 years ago, can't recall where to bolt the non-ball end.

Anyways, all the bits should show up this week. Shouldn't take more than an afternoon to install. I have tentative plans to visit a notary with Rocketman next weekend.....and then that's it guys. The resto part of resto-mod should be done, assuming no more parts decide to implode after further testing. I'll probably spend the rest of the summer enjoying her in stock form, then this fall we will begin the modification part.  8) I'm planning on selling my daily driver once the Capri is on the road, and using those funds towards getting the Capri painted. (The daily is a 220k mile Altima, is probably worth like $15)


In somewhat related (but not really) life news, there's a reason the progress has been a bit slow lately. Up until a month or so ago, I was working for Nissan as a senior specialist technician. I had a 30 mile commute each way across the Appalachian mountains, so I was leaving home at 5:30am and getting home around 6pm. Well, I left that job and that manufacturer for something closer to home. I now work 5 miles from home, as a BMW tech. I took a little pay cut....but I leave for work at 7:45am and get home at 5:10pm. The shop is air conditioned. I get a ridiculous discount if I decide to lease a vehicle from them, and said discount reaches into ludicrous territory if I want to lease an electric vehicle. The shop is air conditioned. I get to regularly drive vehicles worth six figures. Did I mention the shop is frigging AIR CONDITIONED?!! Anyways, I bring this up now to let you guys know I've finished up moving just -all- of the tools across the mountains, and I'm re-established in my new shop. Progress should be more regular from here on out.

Oh yeah, one of the best perks of BMW....access to BMW paint. Ever hear of Dravit Grey?
https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1957835&d=1545327157 (https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1957835&d=1545327157)
Color shifts- it's a dark grey until its in direct light, then it turns gold. I'm on a mission to convince our paint guy to do the Capri in this color. Whatcha think?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on July 30, 2023, 08:39:58 AM
You go man. The lower attachment point for the strut is a simple tab with a hole in it. There is a pin and E-clip to hold it in place and which is a PITA to install. I've lost several. Way to go.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 30, 2023, 08:50:31 AM
You go man. The lower attachment point for the strut is a simple tab with a hole in it. There is a pin and E-clip to hold it in place and which is a PITA to install. I've lost several. Way to go.

That'd explain the several small e clips I found in the bottom of the trunk then lol thanks
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: McClain on July 31, 2023, 05:31:22 PM
Okay so I’m all out of ideas and could use some help, I had to put a new alternator in my car a while back and for a 2 months it worked fine, then one day the voltage gauge started to fluctuate when driving, but it would run, start, stop, and have AC, or heat, lifts and radio fine. Just the voltage fluctuations. Till about a week ago I was driving home from a car show and it just stoped charging, the alternator is just a few months old and the battery is also the same age. Then I put the new one in I had to re-wire the Volta regulator plugged that is on the back of the alternator because it’s was more modern, so I though I didn’t use the best wire connection so today I tried to do it with a lot higher quality on and it didn’t work, I am now just trying to think of anything that it could be, I did do a quick inspection of the wires for the alternator connectors that goes who know wear and they seemed oddly thin, have any of you have problems like this and do you have any way to help?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on July 31, 2023, 06:36:38 PM
Sooooooooo the radiator I ordered showed up, and the dang thing is ~ 2 inches longer than the OEM one. It -wants- to fit, but it's putting up one heck of a fight lol.

Anyone run across this particular dilemma before? Everything else about the radiator is identical (plus two AT fluid bungs), its just longer. Just long enough to not drop right down between the headlight buckets. I think it'll fit, just unsure on how to tetris it on down there.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 01, 2023, 09:47:14 AM
Sooooooooo the radiator I ordered showed up, and the dang thing is ~ 2 inches longer than the OEM one. It -wants- to fit, but it's putting up one heck of a fight lol.

Anyone run across this particular dilemma before? Everything else about the radiator is identical (plus two AT fluid bungs), its just longer. Just long enough to not drop right down between the headlight buckets. I think it'll fit, just unsure on how to tetris it on down there.

I've heard that same comment from folks on the FB group. It must be for some other Masda that happens to almost fit.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 01, 2023, 05:27:24 PM
Sooooooooo the radiator I ordered showed up, and the dang thing is ~ 2 inches longer than the OEM one. It -wants- to fit, but it's putting up one heck of a fight lol.

Anyone run across this particular dilemma before? Everything else about the radiator is identical (plus two AT fluid bungs), its just longer. Just long enough to not drop right down between the headlight buckets. I think it'll fit, just unsure on how to tetris it on down there.

I've heard that same comment from folks on the FB group. It must be for some other Masda that happens to almost fit.

It's the strangest thing. It's identical in every other way; the upper and lower mounting points, the tabs to bolt the fan shroud to, the hose outlets are in the same spots and oriented the same way. Drain in the same spot. And yet....I don't think it's gonna fit. This car just loves to fight me I swear
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: Rocketman on August 01, 2023, 11:12:51 PM
Yeah, there's a longer radiator out there listed for the Capri that doesn't fit. Not sure where the aftermarket mfgrs got that, but it's there and hasn't left.
I think its a 28" vs a 26" or something like that.

You'll need to find a 26" or whatever it is
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 02, 2023, 06:34:58 AM
Yeah, there's a longer radiator out there listed for the Capri that doesn't fit. Not sure where the aftermarket mfgrs got that, but it's there and hasn't left.
I think its a 28" vs a 26" or something like that.

You'll need to find a 26" or whatever it is

Well, that's super annoying. I think I may contact Rock Auto after work and see if I can work out some sort of swap with them then. Or at the very least, I should be able to get them to stop listing the wrong radiator.

Fuckit. Anyone know where I can get an all aluminum one?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 25, 2023, 06:42:33 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OiHbG0oVrWVwQoPsM7CukefJhB9kYLLz/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OiHbG0oVrWVwQoPsM7CukefJhB9kYLLz/view?usp=sharing)

Just a sad little car, sitting in the morning rain, waiting for the day I find her a radiator so she can finally stretch her legs.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 27, 2023, 02:39:23 PM
Finally managed to find what looks like the correct radiator. I've got that coming, as well as the (hopefully) correct trailing arm, and a gasket for the new to me throttle body. I did plug the new one into the harness, clear the codes, and re-check it. First time I haven't seen the check engine light on in the car, so that's EXTREMELY promising.

It's looking like I should be able to enjoy the end of summer, and all of autumn, with the little convertible. Finally.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 28, 2023, 03:00:25 PM
Glad it worked for you.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on August 31, 2023, 05:44:15 AM
Glad it worked for you.

Thanks, sir. Radiator should be here Friday. As long as this one actually fits, I intend to buy that distributor from ya still.

I got my throttle body gasket & trailing arm yesterday. Hallelujah, it was the correct arm. No more Ka-Chow!

Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on August 31, 2023, 07:40:04 AM
Gonna get it going just in time to do some leaf peeping.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 01, 2023, 07:45:06 PM
Got her running with the new radiator and everything. Starts up and runs with pretty much no problems now. I ran out of day light before I could do much testing, but it holds coolant and there isn't a check engine light now. It was giving me a tad of an issue staying at idle with the throttle fully closed (wants to stall again)...but that sounds like a vacuum leak and I was in a rush so hopefully that's all that is.

That new throttle body did have an extra vacuum port on the bottom that I attempted to block off. It seems to open when the throttle first cracks open, and my original throttle body didn't have this port. Any idea what this is supposed to be for? It feels like it's part of my problem (I did a bad job capping it)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 05, 2023, 05:50:47 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pg5_aoAa2GK8rEdpwE4BdrC_DY0f_ZQC/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pg5_aoAa2GK8rEdpwE4BdrC_DY0f_ZQC/view?usp=sharing)

Got it all sorted out now. Just add paperwork, and she's ready for the road now.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: 9193CapriXR2 on September 05, 2023, 06:19:28 AM
Sounds awesome.  What did you use for a muffler?  I replaced entire cooling system in my 91 this last year to include the radiator.  I ended up going with an all aluminum racing radiator as I was unable to locate a regular one.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 07, 2023, 05:42:07 AM
Sounds awesome.  What did you use for a muffler?  I replaced entire cooling system in my 91 this last year to include the radiator.  I ended up going with an all aluminum racing radiator as I was unable to locate a regular one.

Thats the factory exhaust, sans catalytic converter. Plus or minus a decent sized exhaust leak. Look, it's on my list of shit to do  :-\ lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 07, 2023, 09:54:49 AM
I really like a cheap turbo muffler and oversize pipes. They have a deep throaty sound but not obnoxiously
 loud.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 07, 2023, 05:54:32 PM
I really like a cheap turbo muffler and oversize pipes. They have a deep throaty sound but not obnoxiously
 loud.

Yeah my plan was to just copy the factory exhaust in a bigger diameter pipe, probably stainless. No cat, but some sort of muffler down at the back. Debating on doing an active thing and having a fun button that'll let me dump it out right after the downpipe if I feel like being obnoxious...
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 08, 2023, 09:27:15 AM
The stock muffler is rather short, and it will be difficult to get over the axle with most aftermarket mufflers. If you use a straight glasspack type muffler you can put it in the center, it will make routing easier. Turbo mufflers are available in that shape if you don't like glasspacks.....I don't...lol If you put the muffler at the back, your ground clearance is gonna be really close.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 08, 2023, 11:39:25 AM
The stock muffler is rather short, and it will be difficult to get over the axle with most aftermarket mufflers. If you use a straight glasspack type muffler you can put it in the center, it will make routing easier. Turbo mufflers are available in that shape if you don't like glasspacks.....I don't...lol If you put the muffler at the back, your ground clearance is gonna be really close.

So a straight pass through style muffler in the area where the catalytic converter was? That does seem significantly easier, and keeps all the harder work in one spot. Is it easy enough go get a 2.5" pipe (or so) bent up over the rear axle?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: 9193CapriXR2 on September 08, 2023, 03:34:19 PM
my plan is to just run a pipe from manifold down and have it dump out right behind the passenger front tire.  No cat, and a small muffler like maybe a flowmaster 10 series or 8" glasspack.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 17, 2023, 07:34:13 AM
Car is officially back on the road guys! I'll get pictures later, been a busy week. She runs well. I'm just going to enjoy the car as it is for the last few decent weeks of the year. I'll get back to playing with it once it's parked for the winter.

Now where's the car shows at?
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: 9193CapriXR2 on September 17, 2023, 08:34:02 AM
your only about 3 hours from my Eshepherd.  If you ever up in Syracuse area.. hit me up!
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 17, 2023, 10:12:16 AM
Congratulations, I admire your persistence hope things fo well when you start using it.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 17, 2023, 10:46:02 AM
Congratulations, I admire your persistence hope things fo well when you start using it.

Thanks man! I took it to work Thursday and Friday, and took my wife ad son and dog out for ice cream Saturday. It's got a little list of silly issues, but on the whole it's been entirely functional. My son is 3, and spent the ENTIRE ride to the shop screaming his little head off (excitement, not fear....I think).

Pretty much a dream come true. And I still have a pretty trashed interior and exterior to give some love. It's just the gift that'll keep on giving.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on September 18, 2023, 04:53:28 AM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rf0jwslIMU5MIOPLsPcWAzvUSp4Ia4dE/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rf0jwslIMU5MIOPLsPcWAzvUSp4Ia4dE/view?usp=sharing)
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: 9193CapriXR2 on September 18, 2023, 08:39:27 AM
I like the 2 tone paint.  I'm planning to do something similar with the 91.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on September 19, 2023, 01:51:16 PM
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rf0jwslIMU5MIOPLsPcWAzvUSp4Ia4dE/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rf0jwslIMU5MIOPLsPcWAzvUSp4Ia4dE/view?usp=sharing)

Very cool, like the original style paint.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 07, 2023, 06:27:00 PM
So it's been a wonderful two or three weeks of getting to enjoy the car, but it feels like winter is coming quick. I'm getting the "garage" ready to hide the car in until the weather is more cooperative. In the meantime, I think I want to do some work on the interior. Anyone done anything interesting with one? I might want to try re-wrapping the seats and some other stuff myself. It definitely needs a new carpet (after I fix the super leaky seam sealer in the front cowl), the headliner is saggy....all the usual old car stuff. Tiny interior, hopefully shouldn't be super time consuming.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 09, 2023, 09:01:00 AM
I put MB SLK seats in mine and love them. The headliner is no big deal. Remove the cardboard headliner, pull the cloth off, sand the old foam off, contact cement on both pieces. When you are pressing the new fabric in place, use a thick piece of foam of something wide, if you use your fingers you'll leave finger grooves in the finished product. Ask me how I know.....lol
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: EShepherd on October 09, 2023, 05:46:31 PM
I put MB SLK seats in mine and love them. The headliner is no big deal. Remove the cardboard headliner, pull the cloth off, sand the old foam off, contact cement on both pieces. When you are pressing the new fabric in place, use a thick piece of foam of something wide, if you use your fingers you'll leave finger grooves in the finished product. Ask me how I know.....lol

Ohhh man, have any pics of the SLK seats in there? You remember what generation car they came out of? That sounds quite nice.
Title: Re: '91 Capri XR-2 Resto-Mod
Post by: greywolf27030 on October 10, 2023, 08:43:36 AM
They were mid 2000's I think. I just cut the tracks off, added a spacer and welded on some Capri tracks. I don't have an account to post pictures on here, sorry.