FTO AUSTRALIA

biggest problem with the FTO is the lack of room in the bell housing of the gearbox, keep us update on there clutch though

i don't suppose there would be any significant benefits in cryo-treating the driveshafts James? ..or perhaps get a custom billet item made for it?

GPXXX wrote:i don't suppose there would be any significant benefits in cryo-treating the driveshafts James? ..or perhaps get a custom billet item made for it?

yes and no, you wouldn't break your driveshafts, you would break something else, which is more expensive to replace.

Once you treat the drive shafts or put stronger ones in. Something else will become the weakest point, could be the gearbox, clutch, diff. These are much more costly to repair or replace and much more work involved.
Driveshafts can be easily changed. In an hour or two you could have the car going if you had a spare set.

In laymens terms the driveshafts would be the driveline fuse.

any news jeff

did they sort out the tip box

No luck with the tip box. So manual it is.
I found a manual half cut, not sure if it is a gr or gpx for your flywheel , but the place is called Asian auto spare at slacks creek. 07 3208 0133.
I am just waiting for the custom built drag clutch then the car will be ready.
Hopefully early next week.
( how many times have I been told that !!!!!!)
Jeff

that sucks about the tip box

do you know what brand clutch they will use and how many plates it is

and also could you get some pics of the clutch assembly before they put it in.

I give them a call tomorrow, thanks mate

good luck with the manual conversion

Doesn't that Borgan guy have a tip box running a 6a13? or was that a totally diff car or something. I cant remember..

Tim-YFT wrote:Doesn't that Borgan guy have a tip box running a 6a13? or was that a totally diff car or something. I cant remember..

yes your right differant car, borgan has a 6A13 but it is in a VR4.

any news Jeff

Hey Jeff,

Would love to here how the gearbox transplant is going ... any news mate.

Just spoke to them today.
All is well. They had to redo the rear exhaust manifolds (more ceramic coating) and redo the dump pipe. The clutch is in and the box is in. They started it up today, and by god it actually goes.
Tidy up tommorrow, and finish off the internals.
Dyno tune on Friday, and hopefully pick it up then.
If all goes well, I should be at Qld Raceway on Mon, for a performance driving day, which I paid for 3 months ago.
Jeff

sounds great

did you get any pics of the clutch

looking forward to seeing some pics and an update on your website

F#$K , F#$K , F#$ !!!!!
All finished, went down to the dyno and as mentioned before there was a bit of engine noise. Before this though we had taken off the rocker cover and oil was being pumped through the lifters so this wasn`t the problem. We took it up to 16PSI and only 6000rpm and got 350 hp, but the engine noise was getting worse. So we stopped ane drove it back to the workshop. The noise was getting bad by thie stage. After letting it cool down we started it again and there was the sound of a piston hitting a valve.
So there it is all finished but with a stuffed conrod, and now possible piston and valve damage. The workshop are blaming the wreckers who I brought it from, stating that they should replace it. But I know true well they wont and probably don`t have another 6A13 in stock.
I would have thought they would have pulled the engine down before transplanting, but they say they did a compression test, did a general service and replace all the belts. They routinely do not check the bottom end. So they did not check the bearing.
A question to all, Is this standard practice, I would have thought checking the bearings would be compulsory before you put in an engine, especially one that is going to make so much power. Any input would be greatly apriciated, as I think I am about to enter into a huge fight.
Danny, all your internals, were they off the self or did you have them especially made? and can you give me the details from where?
I`ll give you a call tomorrow if you don`t mind.
My first thought was to rebuid this engine with strengthened internals, but the mechanics were reluctant to do so. They want me to by a new engine so they can just bolt it in. And sitting not 20 feet away is my perfectly good 6A12 that now will not fit back in.
Needless to say, I would be surprised if you could not hear me swearing in Melb today wilst I was arguing with the mechanics. 8 months now and still no sign of my baby back.
If anyone works for a garage or workshop, or is talking to one, I would apriciate the feedback on whether people routinely check bearings on engines before transplanting.
Jeff
P.S. Danny as you can guess I didn`t have time today to check out the clutch for you but it is from a Brissy company NPC ( I think ), it is rated to 1000hp and guarenteed against slipage.

wow i would be pissed too

when buying an engine they usually start it up before they sell it to check it out when it is in a halfcut. Some give warranty, i would go back and speak to them and get them to ring the workshop where you had the work done to confirm it had the noise from first start up.

They don't physically check bearings ( bigend and mains ), i am assuming that there is a bottom end knocking noise now.

the workshop did compression test and changed the belts, sounds like they did everything right. They must have the timing belt on right to pull 350 hp.

Give us a ring

Ohhhhhhhh mate,

That sucks. I hope the mechanics agree to upgrade the internals and repair the valve damage. If not hopefully the wreckers will come to the party with a replacement for you.

We all feel you pain

Poor bugger.

Thanks Guys,
I have spoken to a good friend who is a mechanic, and received some good news. Even if the wreckers wont come to the party, as I`m sure they wont. He can rebuild the engine for me.
He states that yes, workshops routinely check compression and oil pressure but dont pull down the bottom end. But he does think that as soon as it was first started and there was a noise the engine should have been pulled out and checked before going on.
So the plan is;
1. Ring the wreckers and see if I can get a replacement. ( wont happen )
2. Share some of the blame with the workshop and offer some of the final payment, then onto a towtruck to my friends garage.
3. Call a lawyer.
Neither the wreckers or workshop have charged GST so I`m guessing they are both doing this on the sly. So probably I will have some negotiating power to get some money back to go towards my engine rebuild.
So depending on the damage done and how long to wait for parts, my car is a long way off yet. But hopefully With the money I get back from the others I will have a fully rebuilt with forged parts engine which should be bullet proof.
Look out that 500hp mark.
Jeff
P.S. Is anyone on this forum a Lawyer or can recomend one?
Thanks.

Sounds like your not having too much fun there Jeff

Latest Update.
My mechanic friend doesn`t have to much time at present so it would take months to get it going, so I decided to go another engine. Of course the wreckers didn`t have another 6A13, but luckilly someone came to my aid.
I was talking to Danny about my options, and he stated he had a spare 13.
Yahhhhhhoooooo.
After a few phone calls, it arrived in Brissy on Thurs am. It was supposed to arrive Wed so when I rang the workshop they hadn`t received the engine yet, so a few phone calls later, I found the engine in the Bris depot, with the guy asking when was I going to pick it up. So finally it should have arrived in the workshop Frid, pull it down, transfere a few bits and pieces from the other engine, send the old one back to the wreckers, and hopefully have my car on the road by mid next week.
If the wreckers won`t refund my money I`ll give the old engine to my mechanic friend who can take his time rebuilding it.
To all those thinking of doing a turbo/ transplant. Don`t!
Jeff

Well at least your car should be up & running by next wk, which is a great news.

Just out of curious how much had you spend by now?

Out of fear my wife might see this, I`m not going to tell.
But it was a lot more than I paid for the car and then some.
Jeff

hi everyone

seems that someone by the name of ajobbo has sent me an email asking about the 6A13 conversion, and when i try to read the email, my email program crashes.

If you read these forums ajobbo, please post your questions here as i cannot reply to your email.

maybe you might need to check your email program for viruses or something.

cheers

will be happy to answer your questions, but please don't email me if it is going to crash my system