96 Talon to 97 GSX swap

[bmoha7321]

This is the next step in the build.
Next Prothane front suspension bushings and then continuation of the engine bay prep!

 

[bmoha7321]

Just a little info. I am swapping the engine, tranny and front driveshafts from my 96 Eagle Talon TSI AWD to a new 97 GSX shell. I'm doing it because;
1. ever since the Talon suffered an electrical underhood fire I have been chasing down electrical gremlins. The Talon was totaled out by the insurance company for it. I got a check for $7800 and bought the Talon back for $350. So it has a salvage title.
2. The ex wife, out of spite because she hated the Talon, purposefully opened the rear door of my 05 Xterra into the rear quarter panels of Talon on a daily basis. There are literally hundreds of dings down each side. It wasn't until we separated that she told me she did it every day on purpose.
I am going to be freshening up the motor before it's put back in. New timing belt and all the parts associated with doing a timing belt, balance shaft delete etc.
I am putting in these solid cnc machined aluminum subframe bushings in the front and rear subframes along with a set of the same for the rear diff. Prothane suspension bushings will be installed front and rear.

 

[bmoha7321]

this is the GSX that the motor and tranny are coming out of. This Talon is from my bmoha2 Tuners account.

 

[GST4g63T]

Bro that is crazy, she smashed your car up.

 

[bmoha7321]

Yar dude! That she did. There's literally hundreds of dents down both rear quarter panels.

 

[bmoha7321]

self etching primer
Not really looking to get a great first primer coat on; just wanting to cover up the areas I just de rusted before I start messing around pressing the solid aluminum bushings tomorow night after work. I'm sure things are going to get scratched up. I'm going to throw it in the big mineral spirits parts washer at work after I get done pressing in the bushings. Looks like it's going to be easier to press out the smaller rubber bushing than it would be to drill and mangle it out. So that'll wait for the press tomorow night

 

[bmoha7321]

overall I'm pleased. It kinda looked bad with all the surface rust but after half hour with a drill and a wire wheel that was all gone. Really no major rust at all. And all the factory welds are intact. The steering rack that was in it is blown as in leaks a lot and has a torn rubber boot. Going to either; swap in the rack from the Talon, or get this rack rebuilt, or buy a new rack all depending on cost and what's easiest.

 

[Booost Freak310]

nice

 

[bmoha7321]

Just to clarify. I'm doing this in a storage unit without electricity or water. So as much as I can get done with my hands is what's getting done. I am running low on time and money so it's not perfect but it'll do

 

[bmoha7321]

I undercoated the underside of the front subframe. I also undercoated the bottom 6 inches of the firewall and about a foot back on the underbelly of the car so far. All of it will get undercoated.

 

[bmoha7321]

Got the engine hoist yesterday. Going to pull the motor and tranny solo today.

 

[snowborder714]

How did you remove the stock bushings?

 

[bmoha7321]

A drill with a 3/8" drill bit. Drilling holes approx every 1/4" around the steel center. Then attacked it with a flatbladed screwdriver. They come out relatively easy. The smaller bushings (the ones in my hand in the above picture) might be able to be taken out the same way but there's much less rubber and much less give to them so we just pressed them out. We used a 20 ton press at work. I'd say it's a 2 person job as its a pita to line up sockets and hold the other end of the subframe up

 

[bmoha7321]

Pulled the motor and tranny this evening. Started at 5pm had it stashed in the storage by 8pm. A lot of work but easier than expected.
Unexpected thing; I knew something was wrong with the clutch. Wasn't sure what it was. Still felt like a clutch but didn't work at all. Turns out the OEM TOB ate itself and then ate into the fingers. So I gotta buy a new ACT clutch even tho this one has less than a hundred freakin miles on it!

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

the clutch was the unexpected part. I thought maybe I had broken all the bolts that hold the clutch to the flywheel since I way overtorqued them. Turns out the OEM TOB ate itself. It wore an almost 1/8th inch grove into 6 of the fingers and bent them down. Sucks since I have less than a hundred miles on this clutch.

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

Starting to rewrap and reinstall the wiring harness. The wiring harness is stock and has never been molested which I like. Sending the Clutch back to ACT today to get it warrantied. Reinstalled and reconnected the brake & clutch master cylinders.

 

[bmoha7321]

 

[bmoha7321]

wiring harness mostly reinstalled. I'm trying to figure out what that black connector in the middle towards the bottom connects to.
Reassembled rear brakes and suspension.
reinstalled steering rack and started to reinstall front suspension.