[GrabberGreen]

SMS Fabrication turbo build >>> This thread will be closed until further notice.

As some of you guys may have already seen in the Great Lakes regional section, the guys at SMS were looking for a car to put their Zetec turbo kit on. Happily, I'm the lucky SOB who got in on it in time to be picked. I'll let Drew and Jeff get into most of the specifics, but I wanted to get this thread started as UPS Clause has been to visit me. To handle the extra power SMS recommended I run the Exedy Hyper Single or the new ClutchMaster twin disk. Well, the idea of being one of the 1st people in the US to have the twin disk was just too tempting, so that's the one I went with.

I'll be having it installed by the good people at Super Street Concepts in Zionsville, Indiana. They're doing the work for about half what a ford dealer tried to charge me , so you can't beat that. Should be about $600.

Now, what good is all this power being planned and the massive clutch if all you can do is smokey peg legged burn outs? So.....

The good people at SSC are installing this as well as part of the $600. Luckily\sadly the economy has been so rough SSC will be shutting up shop at the end of the week, so my ZX3 will be one of their last projects.

So, hopefully the end of business tomorrow I will have a bullet proof transmission. Then 500 break-in miles and it's off to Marysville, Michigan to add some fire in the form of SMS' stage 1 turbo kit....Stage 2 if I can talk Drew into it....:bow::bow:

Stay Tuned to this thread for Vids, dyno, pictures, and general excitment. Hopefully some track times and God knows what else!

 

[kennan J]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

wow good labor rate!!!

 

[GrabberGreen]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

wow good labor rate!!!

no kidding, I was thrilled.

 

[GrabberGreen]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

and one more uncovered

 

[IslandFocus]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

What does SMS stand for?

 

[secondechomatt]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

those guys at sms are serious business! Can't wait to see your car around!

 

[slverfocus13]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

cant wait till u have pics/numbers/vids

 

[focusownerskid]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

This thread is going to get updated w/ pictures from our end.

We'll be picking up the car this weekend and the next couple weeks will be designing and fitting our stage one system.

Parts like a;

GT28R aka 2560R
Tial 38mm Wastegate
Tial 50mm BOV
Blow through in 3in Housing
Precision 500hp Intercooler w/ custom endtanks

We are excited to take this on.

What does SMS stand for?

Spoolin Motorsports and Fabrication.

- Drew

 

[jdh0526]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

that thing is frickin Sick...Im jealous

 

[cjmartinyzx3]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

Just an FYI, its not coming to Marysville, thats just where im at

and yes i so want that clutch :lol: would you mind if i drove it :arr: :lol:

 

[GrabberGreen]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

Just an FYI, its not coming to Marysville, thats just where im at

and yes i so want that clutch :lol: would you mind if i drove it :arr: :lol:

Well, you wouldn't want to drive it right at the moment. I got the car back and the LSD and Clutch are installed, however it seems like they buggered up my shift cables during the process. There was a *click* noise shifting to 5th and everything went to jello. Sadly, I no longer have a 2nd or 4th gear at all and all the other gears are pretty hard to find and get into. I hear there's a how to on adjusting those cables in here somewhere and that's going to need to be a major priority project - it's not really safe to drive as it sits so i'll probably work on it tonight.

Now as to initial Clutchmaster Twin Disk feelings - Hopeful, but a bit worried I think is the only way to describe it. I picked the car up and the installer warned me the clutch was very stiff - I got the worrying impression he didn't understand why one would want this on a street car. Now, Clutchmaster claims this clutch has "near stock" pedal feel...UM....No.... At least not right now. I'm hopeful that correcting the shift cables and getting through the break-in period will help out. Maybe it's normal on a twin disk, but having never driven one i'll just give you my perspective and you take from it whatever you want. Here goes:
1st major issue was starting the car. I'm not kidding. I didn't think the clutch could go any further down, but as the car wouldn't start I assumed there must be more room. I lifted myself up off the seat a little and put some body weight into it and low and behold it dropped the extra couple of inches that allowed me to start the car. I may have mentioned it already, but it's STIFF clutch.

Now, here's the weird part where i'll need some people with aftermarket clutch experience to help me out. There is an area high up where the pedal feel isn't too much more than stock. There about an inch worth of friction zone where you can slowly engage the engine for a smooth start. - only having an inch or 2 to work with is going to take some MAJOR adjustment on my part - Anyway, just below this friction zone you can rev the engine out of gear and just above it you're in gear. I'm talking a combined total of a few inches of play encompassing in gear, friction, out of gear. The clutch also "pops"(feeling not a sound) in and out in this area. Now, that's all in the first 6 inches of travel. Everything beyond the initial "out of gear, engine seems to Rev freely" area is where it gets much much much heavier. Is this small area to shift with normal? I mean I can live with only needing to push it all the way to the floor to trigger the starter, but if it's recommended to fully depress the clutch for each shift, i'm going to go out for pro football as a left footed kicker in about a year and DOMINATE the field.

any thoughts?

 

[jdh0526]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

sounds like your shift cable linkage popped off at the trans, Just under the fuse cover youll find it. Get down there with a flashlight and look for any plastic linkage's hanging out

 

[GrabberGreen]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

Well, going fast is never easy. I was working on the shift cables and have gotten some of my gears back when something let go in the clutch. Not sure what, but there's now zero pedal resistance. Guess that's what I get for saying it's too stiff.

 

[GrabberGreen]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

I found what was wrong with the clutch. Well, I suppose it could be multiple things, but this is deffinitely the main problem. I don't know when you call it, but if you basically stick your head under your steering wheel and look up at the cluch pedal arm you will see 2 pin switches. I assume these are the relays to let the car know "clutch all the way out" and "clutch all the way in".

Above the "clutch all the way in" pin switch there is a lever with an eye opening at one end which hooks over a nub on the clutch arm. It looks like when you depress the clutch, this white lever is what presses the hydrolic fluid. The twin disk clutch is so stiff this lever has snapped in half. What the hell do you call that part, where do I get it, and how do I replace it?

 

[cjmartinyzx3]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

you broke the clutch master cylinder? wow.. weird.

thats what its called tho. the clutch master cylinder. they are something like 50~ from the ford dealer.. or is that from steve.. ill find out for ya :lol:


edit, well looks like its 80~. must have went up in price i guess.

It looks like number 4 right?

 

[GrabberGreen]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

Yep. There's that damn eye hook. Number 4 it is.


So, is there a heavy duty master cylinder out there? I mean, I just snapped the eye hook in half clutching a grand total of maybe 20 times and I would assume a new master cylinder would come with the same plastic lever\hook. Any metal ones out there?

 

[BUR_ZX3]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

I broke mine too.

While at the track no less.

While ON the track no less. It acutally busted my pedal (the dowel pin that connects... sheared it right off).

 

[cjmartinyzx3]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

Well Darby, there is no other replacement other then stock replacement...

BUT there was a guy that posted here, a while ago, that made his own from a Wilwood master cylinder

i dont know your fabricating skills but this is an option....

http://forums.focaljet.com/shift/556786-dont-buy-stock-clutch-master-cylinder.html

 

[GrabberGreen]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

I saw that wilwood kit online today actually, and it's something i'm deffintely considering for the long term. I spoke with drew and fordsvtparts (steve) and they both have commented on possibly reinforcing the stock actuator in the mean time. Epoxy, or metal rods in the side groove with JB Weld... that sort of thing if possible will probably be the short term fix and i'll see how long that lasts before replacing the whole part with the aluminum piece. Thanks for the link. :thumbup:

Car is at Ray Skillman Ford right now having the master cylinder replaced - I figure they can do it much faster than I since I still need to have time to break the clutch in and meet up with SMS by saturday. Happily steve told me the list price on all the parts ray skillman will be using so they shouldn't be able to screw me too badly on the work - in theory...

I'll be speaking with clutchmaster tomorrow to find out if my current twin disk clutch idea is how it works. I'm thinking the top section of clutch travel is your general use area, and fully depressed is for staging at the line when you're putting down serious power so nothing slips. I think it works like a tractor's clutch that way...yeah, i'm from indiana. :rock: :hump:

 

[lourenco]

Re: SMS Fabrication turbo build

That CM clutch kit is overkill if unless you are planning to make over 400hp at the wheels. If your goal is for less than 400fwhp, a CM stage 4 would of worked fine for less.