So its been a while since i last updated this, made some progress today.
1. Replaced the gearbox (dogbone)mount, when i powerflexed my original mount i noticed a little split in the small end of the mount, fitting Powerflex made a hell of a difference but i still had a slight jerk when coming off the power.Experimented with an uprated version which the supplier had never made before, the part is still in development but was too harsh for daily driving, would be fine for a track car though. So today i opted to go for a non genuine but decent manufacturer in Feb Bilstein,fitting this eliminated all movement which confirmed the split was the cause.
Left to right, new Febi mount,original with Powerflex, development mount
Fitted (covered in penetrating fluid for lubrication)
2. Planned to replace coolant and thermostat however i was defeated as i couldnt get sufficient access to the radiator hose clip (not a fan of these). Gave up pretty easily as i had an exhaust issue i wanted to move onto looking at. Will revisit this in future.
3. I fitted a Milltek from a 200 a few weeks ago, very happy with the sound, being the Non-Res i was worriedit would be too loud however its not, its nearly perfect, pootling around its no much louder than OE with mid pipe delete, but the noise comes when opening the taps. Good compromise IMHO, very well put together too.
Which brings me onto my issue, as it was from a 200, i needed to fit some tailpipes to prevent diffuser melting issues. After some internet scouting and 197.net archive searching, i tracked down the tips which had been recommended by others in the past (
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350976213901). After fitting I wasnt happy with the original fitment of the exhaust as the right hand side tailpipe sat further forward than the left hand sideone so it needed some adjustment. Today I made the adjustment, I ended up removing diffuser and both back boxes in order to adjust and get the naked tailpipes sitting level and in a position that clears the diffuser sufficiently (which takes time!). So i now have an exhaust that is sitting aligned correctly under the diffuser/tailpipes - I am still not happy with the bolt on tailpipes,they look and feel cheap, i almost expected to loose one on aspirited drive! Interestingly the OE exhaust tips are 63mm but the milltek drops to 51mm from the backboxes, I may fit 51mm exhaust tips, undecided at the moment. But for the time being its looking like this
4. Drivers door pocket light unit had a snapped clip so had a habit of hanging out of the door pocket. Ordered a replacement and fitted it with a LED SMD bulb (
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151224509887), much better whiter light. I originally bought these to replace my sidelights after I blew one and bought some motor factors ones that looked shocking. Sidelights are looking much crisper now too.
Also helped my mate with some open heart surgery on his FN2 Type R (K20). Looks serious but we were only replacing the rocker cover gasket.
How it stands today, still on the winter wheels and filthy, will change back to the Speedlines once we have consistently +ve temperatures, planning on giving the calipers and arches a good clean and protection at the same time. The Speedlines have 2 coats of Poorboys wheel sealant ready to go back on. Also planning on giving it a full machine polish and interior clean.
