Rapfix II Steering Quick Release and Short Boss + Momo Model 78 Steering Wheel Installed

I know I know.. Nine months is sufficient to make a baby but that's the length of time between me getting the Works Bell Rapfix II steering quick release and short boss, determining the steering wheel model and fitting the whole hog. Having a long Raya hol helped else it would have taken even longer.

Having contemplated the likes of OMP, Reverie and Sparco I still ended up with the one I am most intimate with - the Momo Model 78. For those that have been following me since the SP days will recall I used the Model 78 on the SP. The key feature that made my decision was the grip shape and contour on the Model 78. Oh and cost too with the Momo coming it at ~760 smackers from Demon Tweeks compared to (shudder) more than RM 2K for a Reverie carbon steering wheel not including shipping costs. Thanks Bro Mugil.

Compared to the airbagless SP installation took quite a bit longer at more than two hours. The stock steering wheel airbag module is held in place by two Torx bolts and an electrical connector for the horn and airbag activation. Works Bell supply the original Torx wrenches to remove the airbag. Picture of the airbag removed. Be very very careful when removing the airbag. Don't want any explosion...

Picture of the back (reverse) side of the airbag module.

After removing the airbag module, loosen one nut to remove the stock steering wheel. The stock steering wheel + airbag weights a ton compared to the Works Bell and Momo.

Start installing the short boss and quick release. Picture below of both installed. The dangling thing is the horn. Works Bell also supply the resistor circuit to ensure the airbag warning light does not lit up permanently. These guys have thought of everything and more to make the installation as seamless as possible.

I used the horn grounding plate from Works Bell rather than the one supplied by Momo. Momo has changed the horn button since I used the same steering wheel more than five years going to a smaller horn button that rest on the boss kit/quick release rather than on the steering wheel. I honestly prefer the "old" Momo Corse horn button. Picture of everything test fitted.

The Model 78 is bolted to the female half of the Rapfix II quick release via six titanium countersunk bolts from Baller Bolts. Picture of the steering wheel.

Close up. Ti bolts also available in blue, green, gold, purple and burned finished if you desire more bling.

Reverse side showing the connectors.

Lotsa fakes around so make sure you get from a reputable Momo dealer

Everything fitted.

Feeling is so much more precise than the loose feeling stock steering wheel although steering effort is slightly increased. Reach to the steering column stalks is slightly more than stock though manageable for me. Ladies might beg to differ though. Definitely less than on the SP with the much longer Momo boss.

And now for the classic trick race car wannabee piccie. Sorry couldn't help it :)

Seats are next as the Slowtra reverts from a luxurious leather interior back to plain old cloth. Right now the Slowtra can attack corners pretty well cept there is nothing to hold me in place. Try my best not to take another nine months.

New Rolling Stuff

Got new front wheel hubs. Ordered from Nissan USA but made in Sushi land. Part number is 40202-4M405. Pretty fab casting quality.

Rears later. Also got NSK wheel bearings. Figured I might as well change the wheel bearings when I press out the original 85K km hubs and wheel bearings. You can order the wheel bearings from Bro Nick over at the MY N16 forum. If you need his contact lemme know.

I also ordered aluminium alloy rim centre hub rings to replace the stock plastic ones. These are from Ultralite Wheels in the UK and are forged 7075 aluminium alloy. All N16s and B15s use a 56.1mm hub centre. My Work Emotion CR Kai is 73.3mm as can be seen below.

The Ultralite centre hub ring that fits is the one from 66.1mm to 73mm. Part number is self explanatory - YD-HR73661A.  Comes in a pack of four. Ultralite does not sell direct but you can easily get these from eBay. Available in any colour so long as black. Picture of the centre hub rings. Looks loads better than stock sunkist orange if you ask me.

Am still undecided whether to go for a slightly wider front track utilizing 10mm wheel spacers and longer wheel lugs. H&R make pretty decent ones that are a direct fit and with the lug pattern I want (4 lug 114.3 PCD).

Ajusa MLS Head Gasket

Until Cosworth or a similar big gun steps forward this is probably one of the better if not the best head gasket you can buy for the QG18DE. The stock headgasket is probably good for 170hp and maybe 200hp with conservative tuning but elevate the power output way beyond that it will not reliably hold the power in the long run. You can read about why Ajusa in the B15U forum.

The other competitor would be the Fel-Pro Permatorque MLS. I did contact another popular head gasket manufacturer - Cometic but they told me they did not have the CAD files and at most would only be able to come up with a copper head gasket. The Fel-Pro Permatorque MLS is only available in one bore size - 80.5mm bore hence my piston overbore would be limited to 80.5mm or less. I decided to settle for the Ajusa as it comes with a 81mm bore size.

As I could not find this head gasket from the States I decided to contact the Ajusa head office in Spain. Typically large corporations could not be bothered to answer to small customers like myself but surprisingly Ajusa did. Even better still there is a Malaysian distributor located in the Klang Valley - O.E.M Conti-Parts Sdn. Bhd. (telephone: +60378779963)

A couple emails and phone calls later I placed an order for two units of the Ajusa head gasket. Three months later these arrived via a container ship. If you do not want to wait three months and want to utilize air freight be prepared to double the price.  Bro Jack helped me to collect the head gasket. Picture of my head gaskets below. All pictures courtesy of Jack too. Thanks Bro! Part number is 10145400. Part number for QR25DE engine is 10145500.

Close up. The gasket is three layer hence the MLS (multi layer steel) acronym. Per B15U forum the top and bottom layers are steel while the middle layer is aluminium.

Hopefully with my ARP head studs this will hold the power and be reliable.

Dietary Supplements Part 4 - Titanium Nuts for the BC Racing BR Coilovers

Decided to replace the nuts on the front top mounts with titanium items. Each top mount for the BC Racing BR Series coilover damper utilizes three metric 8mm nuts so I ordered 6 in total. The rears will be replaced at a later date when budget is available. This time round Hyperbolt was cheaper than ProBolt hence my decision was simple.

Picture below of the titanium flanged (washer faced) nuts

Compared with the "stock" mild steel nuts that came with the shocks.

Fitted. I decided to get clear coloured anodized nuts rather than the more bling blue or gold coloured anodized versions.

Shocks are going in very very soon. Probably this weekend.

Work Emotion Wheel Lineage

Found this interesting piece of information on the web regarding my Work Emotion CR-Kai rims. From my Jap books and own research the information is pretty correct.

The original Emotion series rims by Work Wheels are sourced back to early 2000 and there are 3 different generations since the inception.  There were also 3 different manufacturing processes used during the different generations and also a host of available custom order finishes. Below is a breakdown of the different generations including identifying features of each. Please note this is for the real Work Wheels from Japan. Knock-offs and fakes need not apply. You can see these on the road everywhere nowadays unfortunately.

First Generation - Work Emotion

• Pressed forged or medium/low pressure cast
• Generally glossy colour paint
• Custom colours available but at additional cost
• No rim lip flange as on the CR-Kai
• Not much spoke definition
• Forged versions only available in 15", 17" and 18" diameter and were simply called "Emotion". A forged rim is lighter than a cast version.
• Medium/low pressure cast versions in 16" and 17" were called "Emotion CR"
• Medium/low pressure cast versions in 15" were called "CR-Kai"
• Single bolt holes only.
• Some available bolt patterns were discontinued when the 2nd generation was introduced around 2004

Second Generation - Work Emotion CR

• Low pressure cast
• Glossy colour paint
• Custom colours available but at additional cost
• No rim lip flange as on the CR-Kai
• Spoke definition is more akin CR-Kai - utilizes a beveled edge to make the spoke sppear sharper and thinner
• Forged version discontinued
• Slightly different casting method - low pressure
• Single bolt holes only

Third Generation - Work Emotion CR-Kai

•  Low pressure cast
• Matt colour paint
• Rim flange lip
• Spoke definition utilizing beveled edge to make the spoke appear sharper and thinner
• Additional "dummy" holes apart from the bolt holes
• Multiple finish options including chrome, black, matte/glossy

Picture below of my Work Emotion CR-Kai illustrating the features

During TAS (Tokyo Auto Salon) this year Work introduced what appears to be the fourth? generation of the Work Emotion CR series called the Work Emotion CR-Kiwami. Kiwami means "sublime" or the "highest" in Japanese. Apparently the spokes are now thinner and with a more aggresive taper. A new casting technology is utilized called Work Flow-forming Technology or WFT. WFT allows a thinner yet stronger rim section which reduces weight and yet not at the expense of strength. Picture below of the new series.

The CR-Kiwami is available in 15" - 18" sizes but unfortunately no 4 lug 114.3 PCD at this point. Also per Work's website the CR-Kai is still being sold at this point along with the CR-Kiwami. For how long I don't know so if you're aspiring to own these rims get them soon.

More Engine Development Blues - Incorrect ARP Cylinder Head Studs

Apart from having a better stronger head gasket, having a stronger cylinder head bolt is essential to providing optimum sealing especially if the engine is going to be making twice or more of its original horsepower.

ARP or Automotive Racing Products is reknown in motorsport for being the preeminent fastener source. ARP customers include Nascar, IRL and Formula 1. Unfortunately ARP does not have any off the shelf cylinder head studs for the Nissan QG16/18DE engine. This means the only way is to get measurements of the stock head bolt and send to ARP for the nearest equivalent. The shipping to send the stock head bolt to the US ain't going to be cheap so I inquired if I could purchase a stock QG18DE head bolt from Nissan US and have it sent to ARP for measurement. The answer is yes but Nissan only sells in minimum quantity of 5 bolts so I would have to purchase all 5. Anyway I did so and a couple weeks later the ARP equivalents were here.

Picture below of the stock cylinder head bolt including part number - 11056-4Z000

Picture of the ARP head stud I received including 12-point nut and washer. Material is ARP2000 alloy which is stronger than the standard 8740 chromoly alloy. ARP2000 is capable of achieving a clamp load of 220,000 psi while 8740 chromoly alloy can be heat treated to deliver a tensile strength of up to 210,000 psi. In contrast regular stainless steel is rated up to 170,000 psi. There are stronger alloys out there than ARP2000 but cost will increase exponentially and ARP2000 already is more than up to the task of holding the power I am expecting to make.

 
Close up on the 12-point nut

You can clearly see the difference in thread length and overall length. A quick email to my supplier confirmed the mistake.

So I now have to send the incorrect studs back to the US while my supplier sends me the correct ones. This will take a couple weeks.

Stop Press! - Email from my supplier - From ARP: There were only 4 in stock @ ARP when this order was placed. The ETA on the other 6 needed to complete this order is 2-3 Weeks.

This means by the time I get the correct head studs it will be a month or more :(

My Nismo G-Attack S-Tune Shocks are For Sale! (SOLD)

My shocks have got to go else it will end up taking up good space in my store room. Fronts are four years old and probably due for replacement but there are still no leaks to-date and I'm still running it today with no issues. Might last several months or a year. Who knows at this point? One side of the rear shocks sprang a leak very late last year probably due to a rear tyre blow out incident I had and I promptly replaced both sides. The rears have since done about 6K km so will probably last another good 3 years or more depending on your driving style and the condition of the road you drive on every day. I am asking for RM 400 drop dead for the whole set including springs. A new set will set you back RM1.6K or more. A pair (front or rear set only) will set you back ~RM 1K max so you are still making a couple hundred ringgit savings when the time comes for you to replace the fronts.

Serious enquiries pls contact me via email or call 012-4990807. Do not sms me for fun asking for best price. This is the best price!

Update: Shocks have been SOLD! Bro Amin, do let me know your driving impression :)

Getting Busy with BC Racing BR Series Coilover Suspension

After three weeks of patient waiting my new BC Racing BR Series coilover dampers arrived. As mentioned in my previous post these shocks are not available for sale in Bolehland at this point but if you ask hard enough and dangle your ringgits you will get what you want. Honestly I find the BC Racing BR Series very affordable given the amounts of moolah being asked for such auto-x/track day capable shocks. For details on the BR series read here.

Picture below of the shipping packaging.

Open the outer shipping carton and you get the inner box.

Where the dampers reside. At this price point (>RM3.6K in cold hard cash only) BC cannot afford to have a separate box for each coilover damper. I believe Tein Superstreets are also packaged in similar fashion.

Cost saving exercise also appears on the materials wrapping the dampers. The fronts get bubble wrap and shrink wrap but the rears only get a shrink wrap. You also get the user manual, a pair of warranty cards, laminated aluminium "BC Racing" adhesive badge and a brochure showing the BC racing coilover damper range. Picture below of user manual, warranty cards and badge.

And a pair of C wrenches to adjust ride height and spring preload. Each C wrench has a different pattern so don't lose either one.

I also ordered a pair of damping adjuster extenders for the rear shocks just in case I might need them.

Picture of the front strut. Weight is 6kg per my bathroom weighing scale. Lower body is carbon steel.

Front spring rate per my personal specification is 7kg/mm. Standard is 6kg/mm. Spring diameter is 62mm but 65mm Swift metric coilover springs and probably other makes fit too. I specified similar front and rear spring heights - 200mm.

The height adjustment and spring preload adjustment lock nuts and spring seat. Threaded areas receive additional coating to minimize corrosion.

Each damper is dyno tested and matched.

"RH" denotes spherical bearing or pillowball top mounts which are a RM300 premium over the standard rubber top mounts. If you are concerned over noise and NVH, get the regular rubber top mounts.

Front top mount is not camber adjustable for N16s unlike the previous generation N15 and Proton/Mitsus due to the ridiculous Nissan strut tower top design. Damping adjuster knob is anodized aluminium. Every change in damping gives a confidence inspiring click. The spherical bearings are of Japanese manufacture though the brand is not stated.

BC provides a top elongated bolt hole on the lower mount bracket for some additional camber.

Bracket available for correct brake hose routing.

The rear damper. My rear spring rate is 5kg/mm. Standard is 4kg/mm. Weight is significantly less at only 4kg.

Because the entire lower body is CNC machined from a block of aluminium. Aluminium material type is not stated. Lower bush is urethane which gives less flex than rubber at the expense of NVH.

Rear spherical bearing top mount.

I am really impressed with the aesthetics and physical build quality especially with the price I am paying. BC Racing suspension is also TÜV certified. TÜV stands for Technischer Überwachungs-Verein or Technical Monitoring Association in English and is an independent German organization responsible for validating the safety of products of all kinds to protect people and the environment against hazards. It is not easy to gain TÜV certification and all products certified are guaranteed to be of quality and fit for the purpose it was designed for.

Will be fitting soon when time permits. Have also not decided if I should upgrade to Swift springs.