In reply to AxeHealey :
Yeah I think with some 5-10mm wheel spacers on these stock wheels and a good wash, it would look even better.
In reply to AxeHealey :
Yeah I think with some 5-10mm wheel spacers on these stock wheels and a good wash, it would look even better.
This morning I should have taken the Fiat to work. The roads were just wet with some slush.
This evening I took it to grab food and I think it's good to go for tomorrow work commute.
Okay, I'm going to type out some words about my morning and maybe y'all have suggestions or thoughts to put my mind at ease.
The car starts fine.
The car idles fine.
The car drives fine.
And yet the car makes the same rattle/chatter noise when cold.
That same sound quiets dramatically when warmer.
At this point I'm not sure what to think or do about the situation. Clutch action feels fine but I don't really have a baseline to go from either. If the release bearing is bad out of the box I'm not too surprised considering the issues I had with the leak. BUT it does seem weird to be the EXACT same noise as before. Clutch pedal in, the noise starts to go away.
Could the noise originate internally from the trans? If so, should I be worried? No material was found in the magnet or fluid drained from the trans when pulled.
Should I just drive it as is and wait for things to actually stop working correctly? Pulling the gearbox again at this point seems silly.
With all of that said I like the car. Pretty sure I love it. If not for the ticking/chatter noise I think I would be even more smitten.
Around the twisty roads of my neighborhood it's a real hoot. It seems to like revs and traction control is pretty loose with activation. With stickier tires I think it will be even less intrusive, yet I don't feel like I'm missing a ton of performance in Sport mode with ESC off. Sometimes I am bothered by some lag but for the most part it seems to respond decent.
Highway is way better than expected. The Bilsteins are soaking up the bumps really well. I kinda wish I drove it with the stock suspension to have a better idea of how much better it is.
It's kinda funny how such a small car can feel spacious from the inside. I feel more claustrophobic in my wife's cx5. Seat heaters are nice to have. Radio sucks, not sure if audio is terrible because of poor head unit or speakers. Maybe a combo of both?
captainawesome said:Okay, I'm going to type out some words about my morning and maybe y'all have suggestions or thoughts to put my mind at ease.
The car starts fine.
The car idles fine.
The car drives fine.
And yet the car makes the same rattle/chatter noise when cold.
I'd send it.. If it was going to break it would have already. Install better car audio and keep it moving. 
Yesterdays travels added up to around 100 miles. All trouble free. We are starting to get to know each other.
The seat heaters are aftermarket/dealer installed. I found a relay by the kick panel with a fused line coming out of the rear wiper 20a spot.
The rear wiper without fail flops around when I start the car. I've read sometimes they bug out when out of fluid? Maybe I'll delete it? Oddly enough the power source for the seat heater relay is the wiper fuse. I don't think that has anything to do with the issue though.
HVAC cluster light is out on the right side.
I need to test out the AUX and USB input for audio at least until I can get a decent bluetooth headunit.
An employee commented that it's such a CUTE car. I agree.
Presidents day tire sale can't come soon enough. I want to put my new wheels on, like yesterday.
Late in the evening I had to pick up my kiddo from a ball game. As I set idling, I did a little noise troubleshooting and am pretty certain the noise is internal to the gearbox. I noticed while the sound does go away with the clutch pedal inward, it takes a couple seconds to silence. If I slowly depress the pedal the noise doesn't go away until the pedal hits the floor, but again it doesn't go silent for a couple seconds at the base of the stroke. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a cheap replacement but for now I'm just going to send it.
Maybe it's like I learned with a classic Mini and the primary gears rattle if the idle isn't high enough. JK.
Something to consider would be the fluid used? If it goes away with heat maybe a different fluid would get rid of the noise.
Not to seem silly but... could it be a heat shield or something on top of the trans rattling?
I'd send it especially considering there's no metal floating around the trans.
In reply to AxeHealey :
It doesn't go away so much as it quiets down when warmed up. I kinda wished I would have just taken the trans case apart to inspect but it seemed like the smoking gun was the release bearing or the flywheel. At this point None of the parts replaced stopped the noise. It's probably safe to say I could have just replaced the release bearing and been ~$700 richer.
I don't think there's any heat shield, but it can't hurt to see if something else is causing the noise from the topside. It sounds rotational if that makes any sense.
I'm not sure what fluid was in the gearbox when I pulled it, but the new stuff is Red Line MT-LV which is supposed to be pretty good.
I know it was mentioned this will be an STH "build" but more than anything just a CHEAP fun car to have around. I don't want to get into chasing "optimal" so far that it takes the fun out of everything. I'd like to be able to drive it to work as well as have some autocross days without draining my wallet on 200tw tire prices. So I've been planning a 300tw range tire option. First choice were the Firehawks until I recently peeped the Yokohama Advan Fleva 701s. They are rated better overall and a healthy amount cheaper, so I smashed the buy button. Monday I am scheduled to have them mounted to the new wheels. Pretty stoked to see them fill out the arches a bit better, the stock wheels are sunk in so much it seems criminal.
Also thought it was neat that 4 tires easily fit where the back seat lay down with room to spare.
I actually have a set of the Advan Fleva on one car at the moment, and the Firehawk on the other. Personally I think the Firehawk is a bit grippier in good conditions, but feels a lot sketchier in the wet or the cold.
I didn't test the Fleva's below about 7C but the Firehawks definitely do not like it. There's some temperature around 3C or so where they feel more grippy at 100km/h than they do at 50km/h purely because they're staying hotter. I don't have science to back this up, just my experience.
Then again I'm also running the Firehawks on a RWD car and the Fleva on an FWD car, both of which are road driven only. So it's hard to call it a fair comparison. Either of them are a great choice IMO.
In reply to WondrousBread :
I've run the Firehawks on a couple vehicles and they have been pretty decent for the price. Much like yourself I have had similar issues in cold or wet. I've ran the Yokohoma S Drives before and were happy with them. I imagine the Flevas are just a step above the S Drives. Just excited to get anything grippier than what's on it now.
Yesterday I was able to finally give this car a good scrub down. For the past few years under the last ownership it was parked under a tree. By the look of things I don't think it saw a car wash very often. Crud was caked under all of the little cracks and crevices, nuts, pine needles, etc. but it cleaned up pretty decent. I've been interested in the process of color or paint correction and this may be the car I decide to give a try.
Anyway, today was the day for wheels and tires. They are officially on but I didn't get a good chance to snap decent pics.
Super pleased with the outcome. They are 16x8 et25 with 205/45r16 Yoko Advan Fleva and they fill up the arches well. So far no scrapes or rubbing but the rear does have a full set of the stock wheels and tires in the back so that may effect things. I may try to find some decals for the center caps but it's not an immediate need.
Got the Fiat home and quickly unloaded the 4 tires and rims. It cracks me up that all of this fit in the back with the rear seat down and room to spare. I stuffed the stock wheels in the boxes that the new rims came in up in the attic, and plan to just sell the tires for a few shekels.
Anyway I never got around to doing an alignment after lowering the car quite a bit and I really don't want to toast the new ones. So I did a quick toe plate adjustment with the cutest little tie rods I've ever seen. So frickin tiny. I had in an insane amount of toe in, but now set as close to zero as I could. I probably should have pulled out my string rig but didn't want to fuss with it. The camber gauge shows around ~2.4 negative up front and 1.2 left, 1.4 right negative in the rear. I'd like to be closer to 1.5 on both sides so I may grab some shims and see if I can get it even. I didn't check toe in the rear but imagine it being a beam wouldn't change throughout the suspension cycle. Probably would be nice to just know what it's at though.
This morning with it being unloaded I got to push it a little in some tighter corners plus some off ramp exits. I found more stability but was also able to get power down on corner exit more aggressive and early. Still getting a feel for the car anywhere other than a straight line. So far no rubbing on bumps or turns. I had read that others have had to do some fender rolling with this setup but maybe they were dumped way outside the recommended range of height adjustment?
While I had the front wheels off I did an eyeball check for anything that stood out. Gearbox isn't weeping any fluid but the front driver axle has been clicking when turning right and sprayed some grease in protest. Finding axles or just the proper part numbers is kind of a pain but I think I found which outers to try out. I'm trying to let my wallet breathe for a minute though, the XJ has been draining me.
And more pics in better light....
Decided to take a gander at the armrest situation. The padded cap was off so I originally thought I can just find a way to glue it back on, but further inspection shows a pretty large crack where it pivots. So I googled fixes and saw some posts on 3d printed "delete" caps. Unfortunately there are two styles. One with a post sticking way outside of the seat and one that is recessed within it. The recessed delete kit looks awesome. The post style looks hideous which coincidentally I have, so my plan is to cut the nub close to flush and have a coworker design and 3d print one for me. We are going to test with the filament he has in stock and once we suss that out I'll buy a roll of the PETG.
I also really need to steam the seats, the passenger base being the worst, and do a full interior clean. Sunday I managed to vacuum out the front floors and seats but that's about it.
So on the throw our bearing. I once changed one only to have it make the same noise as before. Then at a track day my instructor with the same car tells me it's the input bearing to the trans and they all do that after about 5k miles. E30 M3.
In reply to akylekoz :
Thinking the same thing. At this point I'm hoping a cheap gearbox falls in my lap but for now I'll just run this one into the ground.
In reply to captainawesome :
Does this car have a pinion bearing (is that the right word??) In the flywheel for the transmission input shaft, and if so did you change that when you did the throw out bearing?
Car looks amazing with those rims!!
In reply to Frigidaire :
No pilot bushing/bearing with this setup.
I've been commuting non stop with the Fiat and it's been glorious. Tons of fun to drive. I think I've racked up around 900 miles so far and the noise hasn't gotten worse nor better so that's fine with me.
Last night I finally installed the short shifter bracket thingamabob I got off of ebay. It wasn't the perfect fit I though it would be, but it is currently working so that's nice. Shifts feel nice and crisp with some added effort now required. Shortened throw as expected but it keeps the lever exactly height wise where it was before. Unfortunately I really need to sort out the lower trans mount as it clunked pretty hard from an aggressive 1 to 2 shift. I have been pretty gentle since the clutch was needing broken in up until now. I imagine the upper passenger mount being torn isn't helping either so all new mounts are on the short list.
After driving to work and running some errands it has been confirmed the shifter adjustment makes the car much better. Much much better. It feels like the car shifts smoother than before. It seems easier to transition from gear to gear smoothly. Oddly enough it seems easier to get going from a dead stop as well. All in all a 10 out of 10 highly recommend.
Also forgot to mention I started using the AUX port for music and the sound is considerably better than just FM radio. Not surprising but it's nice to know I don't have to replace the head unit immediately. I want to save some greenbacks for a tune and those are not cheap in the slightest.
Messing with the short shifter got me wondering if I can improve the clutch pedal feel. I could tell or at least it seems to act like there's a clutch delay valve in the system aka CDV. Searching through the gooogle tells me there's one in the main line and it's possible to remove it but no pics or real details to go by or information.
Here's the factory line that it would have to occupy.
This is the whole enchilada including the soft line that connects to the concentric slave cylinder in the bellhousing.
I think it's somewhere in the plastic area before the elbow. I originally thought about buying a used line on ebay to experiment with, but then started searching to just replace the whole line including the soft connection with one male to male setup. This would remove another leak point and the delay valve so it's WIN/WIN.
I think I found the right style adapter, and sure enough it appears that an off the shelf part in 36" of length in stainless line is available for most late model Mustang upgrades at a reasonable price. I'd like to get a measurement of the stock line first but pretty sure this would work if not a little longer than needed. Maybe run a small loop on it? The alternative is getting the two fittings and whatever length AN line to run the needed distance which is just slightly more in the end.
I NEED to find some pics of the soft line connection to the concentric slave cylinder. I don't feel like pulling my battery to check mine at the moment but may have to if I can't find a version from the USA. The Euro version I found shows a double o-ring setup which I can't confirm is the same yet.
This is the Euro version I found which I am almost certain I can get that fitting as well. So maybe mix and match but need confirmation. I don't know why stuff like this gets me excited, but finding out little details like this is kinda fun.
I think the male end that connects to the concentric slave cylinder has two o-rings so it can be bleed properly. Maybe a GM one will do?
In reply to RonnieFnD :
Hey Ronnie, I sent a couple PM's but not sure if they are getting to you. If you don't mind giving me a shout that would be great!
First autocross is in the books and it went splendid!
A buddy co-drove my car and I thought for sure he was going to hate every minute of it compared to his ZL1. Instead he was giggling the whole day and walked away impressed with how great it is. In fact he ended up beating me in my own car by 4 fricking tenths! I was feeling a bit rusty, and sitting out almost all of last season didn't help, but he was on rails and just flat out did better than myself. Excuses, I have many more. Either way there was more time in it for both of us. Overall results aren't posted yet but I think we both ended up 22-25th RAW I think with ~70ish entrants? Only one other contender in STH was a Focus ST which we were a considerable margin ahead of. It would have been nice to have more to compare to but it's not a super popular category in my region.
So....... I knew it could be a fun car but would it be enough entertainment compared to my previous FRS endeavors? The answer is YES. The car is great. Traction on 300tw tires were pretty dang good and given some proper 200tw we would have been in the top 10 RAW times I would guess. Traction control did try to get involved a few times but only when the car became unsettled. All of which was easily remedied with smoother inputs. The rotation is splendid and SUPER predictable. Power was adequate for the most part but a tune could probably help the power curve a bit. Slalom and transitional speed was delightful. Braking on whatever pads came with the car was more than adequate, good initial bite and release. No fade. Understeer could be managed easily with throttle and braking, super neutral for the most part. Not once during the day did it feel unstable, tippy, or a loose pendulum of the rear. I can't overstate how composed and predictable it was.
All in all I'm super happy with the car. Soup to nuts I'm in it ~$5k and there isn't much else I feel it needs. The side skirts need re-taped in place. The body could use a color correction. Maybe a tune on the horizon? Previously mentioned clutch delay valve? Simple stuff really.
Also apparently the gearbox noise is GONE??????? I don't know if the short shifter linkage somehow fixed it with proper shifter cable tension or what but it's no longer there. I've kept my mouth shut about it thinking it will inevitably come back, but so far it's silent. I'm not sad about that at all.
I've put ~1600 miles on the car since I started the thread. No hiccups. No problems. Good car. I like it. Here's some pics....
The smile on my buddy's face mid corner sums up the day perfectly!
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