Frank's 818R build

[Pearldrummer7]

Oh man, that's a smoking deal on that wing. I have the same one, but paid full price

Very good luck on my part, and pretty damn happy about it! Has a few chips, and I'm years late to having one but I'm pumped! Sorry about the price delta, Hobby!

Your garage is really cool, is that the one with wall drawings of every race tracks you raced on?

And do you have more pix of that black and red bike?

here is where I did the how-to of it. Cheap and easy way to have some wall art! Gotta add crash markers


Yeah! It's an 07 ZX6R; that and the white/black R3 are my track bikes. The R3 is a blast, only 34 horsepower but very light and fun. The Ninja is so fast, I don't even know how people ride 1000 cc bikes.





That, two dirtbikes (the 4 stroke 250 is a refugee, not mine!) and the old 90's Ninja 250 that I'm gifting to a friend (it was gifted to me, too). That's why I haven't finished the 818 in good time haha

[Pearldrummer7]

I sent this to someone on here because of his direct experience, but figured I'd post for the world to see too, chime in if you have thoughts!


I have an 07 5 speed with a Qauife. My dipstick broke when the trans blew up (full rebuild since then), and I'm not sure what I should do. Could get another stock dipstick, unless there are other (better) ones for this? I know the level isn't accurate.

I also am unsure of the fluid quantity with an LSD for these things. Probably less than 3.7? I've had problems leaking in the past and would like to not do that.


Thanks all!

[Pearldrummer7]

So I filled coolant and had a leak. Turns out the hose from my expansion chamber to the engine coolant loop was pretty bad off. I ordered the direct replacement, not even thinking that the relocation would make that hose way too short. I then tried to make one out of right-sized coolant hose that I had, and it's just a little too kinked (despite my best tries).

In looking online, I can't figure out what hose I need here. Anyone know/recall? I have Mechie's relocation bracket
Nevermind, I am dumb. Mechie sent it with the relocation kit. If anyone knows the part #, lemme know!
Double nevermind, I am dumb again. Mechie sent the kit with just some coolant hose, and I have mounted the expansion chamber bracket on the wrong side (top, should be bottom) of the reservoir. I'm sure moving it will make the angle less harsh and help ease the bend radius.




Also, our kitten likes the race car and climbing, so here she sits, judging my failures.

[STiPWRD]

Are you running a MAF tune or speed density? I just noticed you have a bend right before the MAF sensor. I did this once and it really messed up my mass flow readings, had to go back to a straight section of pipe. The car ran super rich.

[Pearldrummer7]

Are you running a MAF tune or speed density? I just noticed you have a bend right before the MAF sensor. I did this once and it really messed up my mass flow readings, had to go back to a straight section of pipe. The car ran super rich.

It's a MAF. I do run pretty rich, so perhaps that's part of it. I have to find a tuner down here. Sounds like something I might wanna fix once I do.

Do you have a pic of the current setup? I see some older engine bay pics in your build, but probably not with the straight section

[STiPWRD]

I used to run a short section of pipe with the MAF, just like you, between the inlet tube and a pod filter right before the MAF. I recently added a foot of pipe before the MAF and a mushroom filter that I'm planning to build a cold box around. The side scoop will feed cold air. I might also go with a speed density tune this summer and get rid of the MAF altogether. Here's a photo of my current setup - the MAF is hard to see but it's tucked up under the rear hump cover, against the rear firewall.
20200513_103726.jpg

[Pearldrummer7]

Ran pretty good! Idled high, but MAN it feels good to drive it down the road. Got a few things to troubleshoot (blinkers, rear lights (but brake lights and reverse worked), coolant fan went to low but not high), but that's gonna feel GOOD every time I open the garage door.



Thanks for the help yo! You're all the best.

[AZPete]

Big congrats! Remember how hundreds of things must be working correctly to have it run and drive like that. I know that you'll be opening the door to the garage a few times just to look at your success!

[Frank818]

Big congrats! Remember how hundreds of things must be working correctly to have it run and drive like that.

Correction: thousands! Which makes Frank even better!

[Frank818]

Ran pretty good! Idled high, but MAN it feels good to drive it down the road. Got a few things to troubleshoot (blinkers, rear lights (but brake lights and reverse worked), coolant fan went to low but not high), but that's gonna feel GOOD every time I open the garage door.



Thanks for the help yo! You're all the best.

Wait wait wait... Camry?? WTH, Frank? lolllll


But seriously, the feeling must be AWESOME again!

[AZPete]

Of course, Frank, there's a Camry there. He must have needed the headlights.

[Frank818]

He must have needed the headlights.

That explains why it's parked facing the wall! And check the tools on the trunk and welding machine besides... oh man Pete you are so right, he dismantled that Camry's headlights!

We gotcha, Frank, no escape from the People of the 818 Forum!

[aquillen]

Great look - nothin' but fun.

[AZPete]

The Camry could his wife's car and I wonder if she knows what he took. It could be okay, of course, if she doesn't drive at night. But then, what else did he swipe?

[Pearldrummer7]

haha you guys are cracking me up. We actually stole a bulb from the 818 once! that's the wrong way parts are supposed to go!

Took a good spill (high side) on the 600 this weekend. Hurt my wrist (fractured, some floating bone fragments poking my ligaments). Definitely not turning a throttle for a while, so really back to race car work 100%. I feel good besides that and the bike is actually in okay shape! EMTs on track were EXCELLENT and prompt, and all went well (all considered)

Wear your helmet! In the 818, on a bike, everywhere!

[Frank818]

Frank, there are some crackers on this forum, be aware! lolll
And get rid of that Camry before all your 818 parts will get stolen.

You got lucky on your spill, let's hope it will heal quick and right.

Strange I don't see your photo links again. Will check from my phone then!


EDIT: YEAH! Wear a helmet!!! Just not this one... lolll

[STiPWRD]

Took a good spill (high side) on the 600 this weekend. Hurt my wrist (fractured, some floating bone fragments poking my ligaments). Definitely not turning a throttle for a while, so really back to race car work 100%. I feel good besides that and the bike is actually in okay shape! EMTs on track were EXCELLENT and prompt, and all went well (all considered)

That's funny, I had the same exact injury. I feel your pain! Had to wear a cast for 6 weeks.

That'll buff right out...

[AZPete]

Mount that helmet by the door as a reminder not to leave bare-headed!
I hope you heal quickly.

[Pearldrummer7]

Car has a new tune on it and is running well! Well, except for the coolant flow. The hose going from the top of the engine(from the hard "piping" under the intake manifold) is kinked, and got the engine a little warm (hopefully nothing too damaging).

I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on this hose. Could buy a replacement (not sure what it was originally, but that diameter and 80-90* looks like it'll work), or hard pipe it (with short sections of rubber on either side to allow for movement)? Would be a more robust corner, but one more set of unions.

Any thoughts are super welcome.

[Frank818]

Hey is that my old corrugated hose in the background?

I can't help on your hose but 2 things: 1- how do you know it's that hose causing the overheat? 2- What caused it to kink? Hits the tube frame?

Good news though is the tune is working really well, so that'll be an easy fix (hose), cuz you're happy. loll

[Pearldrummer7]

Yup, that section is the extra line you gave me. I love that corrugated hose! Just reminisced on Frank and Frank driving up to Canada to visit Frank and how the boarder patrol person was like "...seriously?"

1- it was hot on the engine side of the hose and cold on the far side. Hoping that big temperature delta means it wasn't flowin'!
2-I think it's just an older hose, and maybe wasn't stored/transported well. Can't get the kink out of it even on the work bench, so I guess it's done.


Oh, I had a loose fuel line too (one of the soft rubber lines had a bad clamp. Replaced it and didn't have to use the fire extinguisher). Very happy that it's easy fixes so far!

[Frank818]

HAHAHA! That border patrol....

Well one thing's for sure on your kinked hose, I would NOT like to see that on mine, I would always be looking at it, hating it, until I decide to fix it. It's funny how hoses (air or fluid) can easily **** the hell up if they don't follow a path/curvature they like.

[Pearldrummer7]

I made some side panels for the switch panel area. Nothing too pretty, but the price was right. No clue what this part was, but it was FFR aluminum(80634 by the looks of it), my brake, angle grinder, sanding, door trim, and some riv nuts.






It's a LOT better than how bad it was before. "there's no worse engineer than you a few years ago" as my boss has told me.
before1
and before2


also I found this horrible jank from the old security system that I never cleaned up. Jeez that's scary. from the key switch.

[Frank818]

also I found this horrible jank from the old security system that I never cleaned up. Jeez that's scary. from the key switch.

You drove the car with this? WTF happened there, a squirrel in your wiring?

Did you actually implement the special check engine light about that?

Screenshot_20200728_185346.png

[Pearldrummer7]

they were individually wrapped, but yup. I have no idea why he did what he did, but man it's gnarly.

[Pearldrummer7]

This is a big week for me. Going to register the 818 in NC (and the new trailer) tomorrow/Wednesday. Hope it passes inspection! Trailer is a 2019 8.5x20, 5.2k axles, pretty basic, but was $4,500 used so it leaves a few bucks in the budget to make it nice.





Put in quite a few hours (in the heat of summer) tearing the walls down, labeling them, painting them, moving them all over the place. I got a test piece of insulation and some e track. Gonna have a friend help me weld the e track to the frame and insulate the walls. Babbling Brook is the color, part of our home palette.

[Pearldrummer7]

Took the 818 out for a drive. IT'S SO FUN! I love this thing. It went great....until it didn't! Got to test out the trailer, though! Need some race ramps.

Just a coolant bubble, I really need to do Wayne's mod. I think I can in the car if I pull the firewall.

[Pearldrummer7]

more trailer build here if you're curious. budget version of a toyhauler

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...r-build-thread

[Pearldrummer7]

Man, so much overheating

I had coolant bubble over, so I (finally) did Wayne's mod. It seems like a slam dunk. I did it in-car, had to loosen the fuel rail to get it in, and of course took off the 90* silicone hose to make sure to thoroughly clean out aluminum shreds.



Still overheated, so I bought a vacuum bleeder, which is SWEET. worked quick, collapsed all the hoses (even all the way up front), and took a LOT of coolant, I feel like more than I would've expected (which is good!). No leaks under vacuum, so that's reassuring.



STILL overheated. I ordered a new overflow res. cap and a new thermostat to check them. It's hot coming down out of the engine, and cool at the front of the car before the radiator. I really don't know where to go next. It started to boil over in the overflow res. and I shut it off. The coolant doesn't smell like exhaust, so I don't quite think it's the head gaskets going from exhaust-coolant (common DOHC HG failure on these, I believe).


Any thoughts?

[flynntuna]

The only thing that I can recommend is to seal off the area around the front of the radiator to direct the air thru the radiator instead of the air flowing around it.

[Pearldrummer7]

The only thing that I can recommend is to seal off the area around the front of the radiator to direct the air thru the radiator instead of the air flowing around it.

I should seal all of that off better. it's cool going into the radiator, so I imagine it's unrelated. Also the car used to not overheat, but the engine has been out and back in so perhaps something broke

[Ajzride]

It's almost certainly air in the system, I just spent months fighting the same thing. Even a vacuum fill system wouldn't get the air out. I ended up following Bob's suggestions and building a system to help the air escape into the overflow tank.

[Kurk818]

Have you checked your thermostat? Is the return hose only warm when it overheats? I encountered an overheating issue recently that was solved with a new thermostat.

[Sgt.Gator]

My standard advice before doing anything else: Make sure you have the burp tank cap on the burp tank (the cap with ears) and the radiator cap on the radiator (no ears). If you have an aftermarket cap ditch it and use the oem ones in the right places. Until you get that baseline you'll chase your tail trying to figure out the rest of it.

[Pearldrummer7]

It's almost certainly air in the system, I just spent months fighting the same thing. Even a vacuum fill system wouldn't get the air out. I ended up following Bob's suggestions and building a system to help the air escape into the overflow tank.

I'm gonna do some more tilting next time to maybe burp it better. I fear it's air, too.

Have you checked your thermostat? Is the return hose only warm when it overheats? I encountered an overheating issue recently that was solved with a new thermostat.

I ordered a new T-stat. Not really sure how to check it (boil some water and make sure it opens at the right temp?)

My standard advice before doing anything else: Make sure you have the burp tank cap on the burp tank (the cap with ears) and the radiator cap on the radiator (no ears). If you have an aftermarket cap ditch it and use the oem ones in the right places. Until you get that baseline you'll chase your tail trying to figure out the rest of it.

I have an 02 radiator, so no cap up front. I've bled this system multiple times successfully before, but maybe something is different. I ordered a new OEM turbo res cap that I'll try as well.

[Mitch Wright]

This is what I use with great success not only on the 818 but a number of other cars.
https://www.tooldiscounter.com/produ...17b0f1ea2f265d

[Frank818]

I ordered a new T-stat. Not really sure how to check it (boil some water and make sure it opens at the right temp?)

Yes, i did that in the past on a few t-stats, seemed to work, but knowing the exact temp is trickier is you don't have a thermometer.

[Pearldrummer7]

Been a while!
Man, I could NOT get this thing to run well. Hot, sometimes misfiring, sometimes not wanting to start. Did another leak down with a friend and found 6% leak by, 12%, 7%, and 47%

so, pulled the freshly refreshed motor to re-refresh it. No HG leaks that I can find, probably ring/ringland? probably going to pull the trigger on an IAG Stage 1 block, bring my heads to the local Subie shop and have them check them and remachine the surface, and to save a few bucks I'll probably do my own valve job and assembly the block





found some nasty **** in there. Never had this apart and bought it used, so not surprising I guess

[Wayne Presley]

Did you listen during the leak down to find out where it was passing air? Intake, exhaust or oil fill cap?

[Pearldrummer7]

Did you listen during the leak down to find out where it was passing air? Intake, exhaust or oil fill cap?

it wasn't super clear. We tried for some time. felt like more was going by oil fill tube than anywhere else by a good margin