1992 Turtle

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Well it has been quite some time since I have updated this. Now is as good as time as any. Prior to me replacing the plug for the fan and putting in a relay, I had relocated the battery to the back. I never posted it in here though. I purchased a Moroso battery box, kill switch, grommets and some new lugs for my wire.

My first thing to figure out was where to put the switch. The key didn't work properly for the hatch so I decided that I would put it there.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Yes my wonderful self managed to chip the tail that has the switch in it, it has bothered me ever since. So if someone has one that they want to part you can DM me, if you would like.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Next up was figuring out how I was gonna run the wires. I have a really nice sound system from when I was younger that I haven't used and probably won't use since I sold the car it was in, so I had plenty of wire. So I did the big 3 upgrade. I used Tsunami competition series 1/0awg for my battery to alternator{blue), I also had monster cable 1/0awg wire that I used as my negative from battery to where it bolts to the transmission and starter, as well as battery to my positive post that i had put on the fire wall.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After running the wires in this configuration and trying to put the plastics back in, it was to thick to do so, so I had to change it up a little bit. Never the less I got it done. I like it better this way anyways.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Next up was getting everything into the engine bay, safely and securely.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Now I turned my attention back to the back of the car to install the box.

I forgot to take a picture of the bottom being completed, but it is secured with 2 large washers and nylon nuts, along with the breather tube coming down through the bigger hole and exiting out the back of the car.

All wrapped up.

For any sharp edges that could possibly cut through the wire i used a vacuum line and cut a slit in it to form over the edge.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

At some point in time I finally got tired of my AFR gauge not properly, so I decided to finally look into why and voila

So while I was messing with this I decided to change the configuration of my gauges as I did not like how it was from the beginning, and the fact that they were not properly secured. So I came up with this.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Well if you noticed I installed an AEM Uego AFR gauge, well I know they aren't great at cooperation with link, No matter what I did I couldn't get it to match, Followed Scott Laird how to on it. still couldn't get it to no matter what I did so I broke down and purchased an Innovate MTX-L AFR gauge. it worked properly right off the bat after putting in the parameters. As per usual I couldn't leave things alone, and changed up my gauges again as I was not happy with them in their location.

While I was at it I installed my manual fan switch as well.

Had to remove this fun stuff as well. I don't drive it in weather that requires me to use heat or the fan so the controls are useless to me.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Once I got all of it installed I would still have some wiring issues from time to time so I dove into the ECU side and man was it a mess.

So I messed with them a little bit, looked at diagrams, connected it how I thought it should be. This was my temporary fix. I had some wires disconnected and all.

When I got it all straightened out this is how the end result ended up being.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After all of this, I left the car alone for the rest of the year and just enjoyed driving the car. I finally went to my first event on Oct. 11th of 2020. It was an IFO event. I was just gonna do test and tune, but they needed racers so they asked me to enter and I got put in the FIS class. My first pass ever was 13.88 @ 106 with a 1.7 60'. 2nd pass was 13.34 @ 105 with a 1.9 60'. Needless to say I wasnt much competition, I knew I wasn't gonna be though. The fastest guy in my class runs mid to low 9's. We were next to each other in the parking lot. I've talked to him a few times, he goes to the shootout every year too. My fastest pass of the day was 12.9 @ 107 with a 1.8 60'. With better tires, I know I would have done better, not to mention more seat time. It was the first time I have ever been to the track.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

I decided to go to the track the following Friday Oct. 16th. I figured less pressure with it not being a sanctioned event, they call it Midnight Madness here. It is essentially an anyone can run down the track in any vehicle (still pass tech and follow track rules). I noticed that towards the end of the track I was finding myself being right at redline when I was at the finish line, so I decided to up my RPMS to 8k. I was on my fastest pass of the night or that I have ever been on when trouble struck. When I shifted from 3rd to 4th the motor just completely shut off. Car still had power, the RPM gauge went completely erratic bouncing all over. I coasted till I could exit the track and still crossed the finish line with my best time. When I got stopped I got out and looked to see if I could see anything, but I couldn't. I called my buddy to come down to help me either push or look to see if something came unplugged. The car would crank, but just wouldn't fire. We were certain I wasn't getting spark. So he looked while I searched on my phone, he found the PTU plug popped off. He put it back on, car fired right up with a nice really loud bang and flame out the exhaust, scared the crap out of us. Come to find out the clip is broke and the PO just had it pushed on. I was disappointed as I am fairly sure I would have been in the 11's just cuz this happened after 1000' and the guy in the right lane finished with a time of 11.9, I was 2 cars ahead of him at the time too.

I went to the track 2 more times but it it was nothing to write home about. Just really cold and crappy times due to the track being crap cuz of the cold, and my tires are crap.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

That is it for now till I get more pictures on my computer, should be here in the next day or two.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

So at some point in time over the winter I decided to drain the coolant, I don't exactly what caused me to do this other then me wanting to pull some of the loose wires off near the driver side headlight, when I came across this...

I am not sure how this occurred other then the dumptube is to close to the wires, I have had to reposition it a little bit. I didn't take any more pictures of this, But i stripped it all the way to where it meets the fan wires on the passenger side and re wrapped it with electrical tape and put new wire loom on it, as it all looked good. I also came across a frayed 90 elbow, Which I do have a new one.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After I was done messing with that I turned my attention to the interior again. This time my goal was to completely remove the entire AC & Heat under the dash. My dash is not pretty, I will replace it in due time, and again I don't believe I took pictures of the final turn out. I really need to not do that going forward haha.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Now that the dash is removed it is now time to turn my focus onto pulling the AC/Heat, it was pretty straight forward, all nuts and bolts as I recently read plus a couple heater core lines , just make sure you drain as much of the coolant as possible before removing it so you don't have much in the cabin of the car.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After this was completed I put it all back together, I drove it sparingly all summer as i was fighting over heating issues. I'm gonna guess there was air in the system, and I just couldn't get it to be consistent. So now I start on a new adventure with the car for this winter. But first I need to get the garage to where I can even stand to be in it in the dead of winter. So I got a little creative.

This was my starting point.

I decided to build a room inside the garage it is roughly 30x15x10. Reason I did this as one it gets cold in the winter, two I have a propane heater but being that my garage is so big this propane heater wont do anything, I've tried before, so I condensed the area.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Now the fun begins. First thing first is getting it up in the air, and getting it as high as I safely can to where I can move freely around underneath on the creeper, as you see I don't have a lift....yet

That looks plenty high to me where I feel comfortable being underneath with the creeper, plus plenty of space as I will be under there quite a bit this winter.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

With the car up in the air I now began pulling everything off the car. I took lots of pictures. So I can remember how it all goes back together. Also so if anyone ever comes across this and needs to use a picture as a reference of what to do or not to do, I hope it will help them.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After getting the car up and pulling some things off to make my life easier, I started to pull the entire interior in waiting to see if my buddy would be available to help me pull the motor. I have not pulled the dash back out yet. I am still undecided if I want/need to at this point. All though I probably will pull it out. Like I said before one day it will be replaced, with what yet I am just not sure yet.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After I pulled the interior, my buddy let me know he wasn't gonna be available for the next 2 weekends, so I decided to do it myself. Had no kids all Thanksgiving weekend. What better time to do it then. So it began...

I took a couple extra pictures along the way to help remind myself of things needing to be replaced or that I want to replace, or where they go. Like this for example...

Or this one is even better. This is the cause for my car shutting off on me on the track. Yes I zip tied it to hold in place so it wouldn't shut off on me or pop off while driving down the road.

Back to the fun stuff...

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

While pulling the axles I pulled the downpipe as well, since it would make my life easier getting to the half shaft carrier bearing bolts. As well as it needs to be detached from the 02 housing anyways to pull the motor. The gasket well it has definitely seen better days, as when I unbolted the downpipe part of the gasket fell down into the pipe.

Also you can see that I have a leak in my flex pipe.

I haven't really worried about it as I don't have emissions I have to follow, nor is it that noticeable. Never the less not sure what I will do about it, as they don't make these anymore and frankly I don't want to buy another full exhaust yet, so I'll need to do some research on replacement options, or keep my eye out on classifieds for an used one.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After the exhaust and getting the axles pulled next up was the xfer case, and Holy cow was is it dirty. But you know what, it is under the car getting all that dirt and grime. Plus before I installed.the catch can the oil that would cent out of the pcv was leaking directly on to it. My question is, does anyone know what this spacer/washer is or where it goes to? It appeared and fell down when I separated the xfer case from the transmission. I believe it is a spacer for the hqlf shaft carrier bearing, but I do not recall.

When I pulled the tranny I managed to accomplish this. How I am not sure but I did it. I got a good laugh out of it...

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

After I got the xfer case out, it was time to work on pulling the motor out in its entirety. It wasn't as easy as I had hoped it would be for me. A few reasons, primarily cuz I do not currently own an engine leveler, but I will by the time I need one again. Also cuz I am doing this by myself. What made it difficult though was I attempted to pull the motor and tranny together without the leveler. That did not make it easy on me by any means.

I attempted to get the tranny and motor out together for quite awhile. But it proved to be quite difficult. The back motor mount didn't want to let go so it kept pulling the motor back and destroyed my FPR gauge oops...

But I put the front motor mount bolt back in and dropped the tranny, then I began to pull the motor and well it was quite easier that way haha.

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

Once the motor was out, I took some more photos obviously. But I also wrestled to get it on my engine stand, but it wasn't having any of it. So once I get my leveler I will get it on the stand and order some of the correct size bolts, anyone know what sizes we need?

 

[90'AWDTalonFroggy]

That is its final resting place, until I get my leveler and the correct bolt sizes to put it on the stand. So I worked a little bit on pulling stuff out of the engine bay. It looks a little cleaner as I pulled some stuff out of it. With alot more to go.