34GeeTeeTee

Yeah brand new OEM centre bearing as it never gave me any issues in the past. Can't see any reason why aftermarket would be an better than factory items.

Update was posted on the Bookface but here it is again anyway - The box was stripped and checked by Newcastle Gearbox and Diff and they then located the rear OEM bush for the rear housing, cleaned and reassembled in a couple of days which I was extremely thankful for! Carmen gave the gearbox a coat of high temp silver paint as the stuff used when the box was built burnt off in sections so hopefully this stuff sticks better. Clutch and bearings etc are all like new so there was no need to mess with them, just wiped clean and give it some fresh graphite powder so it was all free to move (no grease near clutch components). The box has holes in the stronger sections of the bellhousing to keep the clutch cooler on track when copping a flogging. Fitting gearboxes on the floor is not my favourite job but cranked up the tunes and kept the coffee flowing and chipped away at it. Once I got the angle of the dangle right it fell in but took a lot of messing about. Ended up using the engine crane to tilt it up at the front to give that slight bit of clearance. When removing the box I disconnected the silicon joiners and removed the engine fan and shroud etc as there isnt a lot of clearance between it and the radiator when it leans backwards with the box. After lots of swearing the box fell in and then it was just a simple task of hooking everything back up. I flushed the clutch fluid as it has been quite a while since I did it last, it was all clean anyway but flushed it through so its fresh fluid. Filled the box with Penrite 75-90 race stuff and will see how it goes on track. Made the rookie error of only grabbing one bottle so had to run to Supercheap halfway through the job. The rear housing still had a fair bit of carnage from the tailshaft issue so I have filed it the best I can and ordered a new OEM dust shield which arrived yesterday. It was painted overnight back to the black I had it previously as it suits the tailshaft and brackets better (lol) I'll have a crack and knocking it in tonight but feel there may be more work to do with the file to get it back into place! The fact we were able to salvage the rear housing of the box was lucky as they are discontinued on the Nissan site and finding 2nd hand R34GTT boxes is no longer at easy task as everyone has used them up in conversions etc We are just waiting on the 2pc shaft now which should be completed in the next couple of days. Hopefully it is back to a performance OEM style which is what I was wanting originally and hopefully there are no additional costs associated with the replacement shaft as it is what I originally wanted (TBA). I'll get specs and details once I collect the shaft and post them up in here and possibly on Bookface as well. While the R34 was getting TLC I decided to replace the diff oil with the Motul 300 stuff and to my surprise the original fluid was still like new, I think that is due to all of the rounds being done this year being low speed so the diff isnt copping massive speed or heat and oil remained fresh... Maybe. So the driveline will be all refreshed again but wasn't an ideal situation. I worked out the 1pc shaft situation probably cost around $1000 in losses with Gearbox repairs, Loss of Track Day, Replacement bits, Paint + Oils etc... That doesn't account for the couple of days labour and the running around Newcastle chasing parts and repairs. While we were waiting on parts for the 34 the Fiesta ST also went up on stands and got some TLC, I ordered the Engine and gearbox inserts from Powerflex and they were pretty easy fitment, the gearbox one required battery and airbox to be removed but that allowed me to fix a few things and clean it all up anyway. We also got a $80 plastic generic lip kit for the front bar while we are waiting on the original owner to ship the splitter brackets so we chopped up the kit to test fit and now just waiting on glue and sealant to dry so we can fit it all properly. This is only a temporary solution but we figured it needed something on the front bar to balance the wing We will probably run the Fiesta ST again as is before we start messing with the exhaust and intake setup on it. The factory exhaust is shitty and rotted so its starting to leak in about 5 places so I'll most likely order a 3inch decat pipe from turbo and then get the remainder of the exhaust fabbed in stainless with V bands for easy removal for future work. The intake on these things is stupidly restrictive and needs replacing before any kind of mapping or tunes can be added. The poor Toyota 86 is sitting neglected in the front shed and is next into the back shed for repairs. It is due to go out again in a week or two and still has something wrong with the front suspension and brakes which got progressively worse last time I drove it. That thing has been to 3-4 hillclimbs in a row without a spanner on it so I really need to get it in the air and show it some love! I'll post further updates during the week once I get some updates from Gibsons and feedback on the ETA etc...

Yeah my initial consult had me filling out their motorsport tailshaft forms which had max power, rpm, speed etc etc... I felt they were heading in the right direction at that point but when they gave me a Frankenstein shaft using OEM Ford XR6 parts that didn't even fit in the tunnel after 18mths of chasing I wasn't exactly impressed. Even the centre bearing bracket was wrong and they had the factory shaft with them at the time of the build (which they then lost). The Unis they used also had grease nipples in them which were impossible to access once in the car and they said grease the Unis after every session 🤬 Anyway, my experience was not a good one and will never recommend them to anyone. The local branch seems to have a reputation for the same issues with others so I'm not saying it is the whole company. Shitshow! That is pretty cheap! The centre bearing is a Nissan OEM part and available online from most places, the actual centre section that it runs on was the delay with my current shaft build and not sure where Gibsons sourced that from. Do the whole thing once and never have to worry about it again!

Newcastle Branch! Look at their Google reviews as a guide, its either 5 star or 1 star which always raises my concerns... About the same time I was having major issues they got 2 reviews at 1 star for the same complaint so I can only imagine how many others were getting screwed at the same time... Normally I am pretty forgiving but lying to people and not giving a fk is unacceptable in business no matter what name you have behind you. I always try to give local businesses a fair go but this one was way out of line for any business! Anyway, enough rant! Also Hardy was trying to charge $2250 for the same thing Gibsons did for $900 and in next to no time! Yes I had an issue being single piece but so far their reaction and professional approach to the problem has been good, no way I would have got the same at Hardys!

He still exists... Just keeps popping up at Big Name places and stays low key I believe... Surprised to hear you had issues with Ross? They supplied my idler back when they first took over the business and I haven't flipped a belt since... Was it offset to the belt when fitted or something?

That's not the dust cover, that's the bush from inside the rear of the gearbox (Behind the shaft seal) hence why the sound was getting louder as the yoke tried to machine its way out of the gearbox! Scary shit... Oil was nice and sparkly as a result so not ideal by any means! Penrite Pro Gear 75-90 synthetic stuff? I've been belting that in the 86 gearbox and seems fine. Hardys is a joke! Would never recommend... I've always been one to keep dirty laundry off forums and social media but anything to do with Hardy Spicer or that asshat at Fabtech I'd recommend avoiding at all costs!

Pretty beat up from the vibrations! It destroyed the dust shield and rear housing is pretty beat up but I'll get it all back looking decent with a bit of paint and new parts etc.. Ghetto paint job, not the prettiest but after a second coat and all accessories back on it wont be an issue. Ordered another dust shield and hand filed the rear housing the best I can. Will paint the shield black and refit so it all looks like it did originally. Fresh gearbox oil will be the next thing on the cards, have been running Motul oils in gearbox and diff but may switch to something I can find locally so its cheaper and easier to change on a more regular basis as the oil was pretty cooked when I dropped it and hadn't done a lot of track days. Clutch was left on the engine as its still near new, I'll just clean up the dust and give it some graphite powder and send it again. New clutch fluid will be done as well as Ive done the brake fluid each round but forget to check the clutch!

Thanks, this was really helpful! Sent it to Gibsons. I originally asked for a 2pc OEM style shaft to replace the worn factory one, this was what I asked Hardy Spicer to do originally and after a long battle with them (2 years) I got a refund and no OEM shaft back from them. Will post updates on the shaft once its done with pics and also specs. Fk Hardy Spicer! One of the worst companies I have dealt with in all the years I have done automotive stuff. I try to give everyone benefit of the doubt but they were a pack of liars and thief's! I wasn't the only one at the time as others had left 1 star reviews on their page for the exact same reasons, empty promises, poor service and when they did supply a shaft eventually it wasn't even remotely close to correct. Getting a refund was hard work but finally got it and then head to Gibsons Driveshaft Services. Rev limit is set to 8300rpm on the RB28 but I rarely go north of 7000rpm as I try to have some mechanical sympathy occasionally! Gibsons Driveshaft Services. Yes, we had an issue with the single piece shaft and it was recommended to go that way which I feel was a mistake, but it didn't cause any catastrophic failures and can be fixed so I am more than happy to let them rectify the issue by building the 2pc shaft. I already had the new Nissan OEM centre bearing from last year when I asked for the 2pc originally so all they need to do is fab up the rest as a replacement and hopefully everything goes smoothly. I'm out of pocket $500-1000 for gearbox repairs, oils, labours etc but as long as we can get it resolved and the car goes back to how it should have been I'll be happy! Specs and images will follow once its complete! Will post what I can online once its done! Will ask the guys at Gibsons to provide any info they can and will also post their details on here is everything goes smoothly and you can get them to assist.

Box is off for repairs. 2pc tailshaft should be in the works this week.

Thanks heaps for the info! Will run it past the guys at Gibsons before the repair!

Well that didnt go to plan... Tailshaft is down at Gibsons getting a replacement yoke due to the damage. Gearbox is on its way to Newcastle Gearbox and Diff to check to see why/how the rear bush/bearing failed. Won't elaborate much on the issue as yet as I have NFI what was the initial cause.... TBA

I'll work on improving the way it fits but shouldn't have to given the wait time and the fact its meant to be a snug fit! In saying that, shouldn't have to worry about the nuts on cylinders 1 or 2 but its also a design flaw! One of the biggest selling points was ease of fitment but I can't say I agree with that! The Funk quality looks fantastic, I just think the suggestion of sizing is the issue and hopefully they come to the party and rectify the issue. If not, I'll make a lot of noise online to let people know as their marketing seems pretty aggressive online. Will keep updates here... Once things are sorted I will put proper feedback on Facebook and other platforms that have a bigger reach but for now I am giving suppliers benefit of the doubt!

The exact reason I waited so long for stock and then took the plunge and ordered it. I sent Matt an email with photos explaining the difficulty with install and the shortfalls with design and the reply was pretty generic and dismissive of the issues. Soooo.... yeah 🤷‍♂️ Still better to work on than the previous setup and works well enough so providing the nuts stay tight it should be good! Will give a long term review over time I guess.

Following on with the car update stuff... CMA or Car Mods Australia are screwing around (again) with excessively long lead times even after phoning prior to ordering to make sure that would not occur... Again... I'm not sure what is wrong with the automotive industry these days but its hard to get anything done when people can't give you a straight answer. This is holding up any progress on the Fiesta ST as I need a few bits and also the cooling sys pressure test kit to properly diagnose the wifes Tiguan which is doing typical euro thangs and leaking coolant! R34 Skyline - Heat management was high on the priority list and after trying to get a local company to book in the components for heat coating and having no luck I chose to go with the thermal management path using both ARTEC and FUNK MOTORSPORT components. I had also discussed with a person that had a recent experience with local heat coating and said it all just burnt off in the first few runs which gave me no faith in that option. You can see it was getting a bit toasty - As good as it looks, its not ideal to be cooking the intake temps as the comp cover and front pipe run straight past the manifold. We specifically routed all lines and the front housing as far away as possible but still needs some form of heat management hence the purchases - I couldn't make everything match but once fitted it looks OK anyway! Apparently the lava rock tech in this wrap is second to none so will see how it performs on track soon. After a heat cycle it went bright titanium colour to match the turbo blanket so it looks the goods. Wrapping was painful and I still need to do the wastgate and flexi pipe but will sort that after Round 4 as I am shit outta time. Turbo blanket fitment... Not great! Can't get it to close over the rear housing after spending numerous emails back and forth with Funk Motorsport and now that I have the issue I have sent a number of emails and photos with limited success in resolving the issue. I will update once I get a final answer and I am hoping it is a positive outcome or I am going to be very vocal online about the experience. The image above shows that no matter how much tension I add its still going to leave a decent part of the scroll exposed which will glow directly above the ARTEC blanket and likely cook it! Speaking of fitment issues, that leads me to the second ARTEC purchase I have made and the second feeling I havent got exactly what I paid for... The marketing and hype makes them sound like a perfect fit but from the experience so far I have found its been anything but! The manifold with the titanium studs has come loose at cyl 6 again which I sorted by swinging off the bolts while being mindful not to pull another thread from the head. Cyl 1 & 2 are not as tight as I'd like as there is no physical way to get a ring spanner on them and the ground down spanner I made broke when trying to pull tension due to the poor design. Follow on with the ARTEC blanket and we get more fitment issues. I put the blanket over the manifold and thought it looked great until it came time to securing the thing. The springs supplied are generic cheap things and don't really suit the lugs on the blanket itself. I looked online for images as there were zero instructions or guides and when following those images the springs had lack of tension and fell off. I routed the springs to get more tension and fitment around the collector and gate was good but near the runners/head it was rubbish. I've used tie wire to try hold it higher against the runners but it still falls back which can be seen in this image. Since it had the heat cycle its actually got less flexible and really doesn't want to stay up. I guess the real test will be on track to see if it functions with heat management as so far its not ideal. Will the heat management I've done be better than what it was? YES... Should it look like shite and fit so poorly? NO! Anyway, continuing with the theme I purchased a new Sparco Circuit II seat as it is what was fitted and I was promised it would be a direct bolt in replacement with no issues... Wrong! The bolt holes were in a slightly different position or the new QRT seat mold was made differently to the older versions as it was anything but a direct bolt in. I have had to modify the seat rails to accommodate the change in shape. I have it in a position that is mostly comfy but I still need some form of extensions on the pedals themselves as its the only part that's not comfy - I swear this car hates me as nothing ever goes smoothly and just works. Luckily its a lot of fun to drive so I just keep chipping away and getting stuff sorted! I was hoping on getting a lot of stuff done to the car between rounds but after wasting days messing about with ill fitting goods it looks like it will get the basics and have to run as it is. I'll update with more info soon as I slowly resolve the issues one by one! 🤡

Further to the post above... Fiesta ST - Removed front rotor backing/dust plates Removed A/C hard lines, horns and a bunch of redundant stuff. Repaired side skirt mounting points as they were flapping in the breeze Repaired the front bar with some glue but need to make some ally brackets for support. Will do it properly when I make the splitter for the car as it came with an MGC (DIY) splitter kit to match the wing. Replaced the coolant header tank as it had more crack than Madonna! Also while the coolant was out we took the time to fit the Mishimoto Racing Thermostat which came with the car which was a prick of a job! Had to remove the alternator, A/C compressor and a bunch of stuff to access it but the temps on track really were good! I've seen info online showing these things are plagued with heat issues but after 12 hard laps the temps were at 82 degrees and after a cool down lap it sat back around the 75 degree mark which is about right. Bleeding the cooling system was a pain in the ass on this thing with the bleeder at the top of the radiator taking forever to bleed air out and making a hell of a mess everytime I used it... Originally I used it and a bit of the thread tape that was used in its install held the valve open which took a bit of dicking around to fix. The drive belt was split down the guts as well so we replaced that while it was all apart, looks like a rock may have got in between the pulley and belt at some point splitting the belt which looked to be fairly new. The plastic shield to prevent rocks is actually missing but the splitter will cover it all so not in a rush to go find another! Used 3 cans of degreaser and can actually see the engine and gearbox as shiny silver now lol Upcoming mods are the sound Symposer delete which is a little pipe from the intake to the cabin to make it sound like a race car, apparently they leak boost so will blank it off and do an intake and exhaust in the near future to make it sound like a car... It is so quiet at the moment you can only hear the tyre noise from the R888s that came with it. TOYOTA 86 - Will have a look and see what the front brake issue is that is causing excessive dust on the right side but otherwise I might change the oil and send it some more lol. R34 SKYLINE - Images will follow this weekend with heat management stuff and shiny new seat! Here are a few images of the 86 taken by Robert Hawkins on the weekend at Ringwood -

Been busy so not a lot of updates... Plenty happening though! The Fiesta ST has finally hit the track for its first shakedown run in our ownership and runs mint! We fit the new Ferodo DS2500 pads front and rear along with the HEL braided lines. The OBD2 cable finally arrived and after a shitfight with some extremely unhelpful suppliers we managed to make it work on an old busted ass laptop so we carried out a proper ABS fluid flush with Penrite racing 600 fluid. We also flushed the clutch fluid as I found out they share the same rezzy so it made sense to do it all. The Sparco seat from the 34 is now fitted into the Fiesta and will likely stay in there, I'll pick up a replacement that is in date so I can use it for MA events. We are still waiting on various parts to arrive for the Fiesta such as engine and tranmission mounts and a bunch of reliability bits but as is it is good to go! The Toyota 86 got absolutely no TLC and was just loaded on the trailer on the weekend and Sent up the hillclimb for Round 5 of the Tar Series held at Ringwood Park Motorsport Complex - The R34 is next out on track and needs some serious TLC and reliability stuff done prior to hitting the track at SMSP later in August. We have some heat management stuff to sort out thanks to Funk Motorsport! They were super helpful and sent our order within hours of placing it online! UK to Australia in a few days which is epic service. Have the Turbo beanie, wrap for the dump pipe and gate pipe. Also ARTEC have finally stocked their turbo blanket design for their manifold so that will go on at the same time! Its a shame they don't all match but nobody will look that hard anyway! Main goal is to keep the engine bay cooler and lower the intake temps! Will also have the new seat going in (same as previous albeit later model) and then will work on basic suspension and braking servicing to make sure its good to go! There is probably a bunch of stuff I have forgotten so I'll try update when I get a chance!

Says the Roll Racer himself 😝

The original Charge Speed Kevlar seat has now been sold. My Sparco Circuit 2 will be going into the little ST along with my spare Sparco harnesses. The 34 will be getting a new seat soon so its CAMS compliant again in case I choose to go door to door at any stage. HEL brake lines have arrived and I am waiting on the OBD cable so I can do a proper ABS and full brake flush. Other than that I think Carmen has purchased a Lufi multi OBD guage with warnings built in and GPS speed etc... Looks like a handy bit of gear that will allow a bunch of warning levels to be set and shift lights etc... The front bar mounts need some TLC but after the basics are sorted it should be ready to go for a run on track and see what else it may need! The R34 was meant to be at WSID on Sunday for Round 3 of the CSCA sprint series but the event has been canned due to a lack of entries which sucks! I was hoping to run the car down the 1/4 in full track trim just for curiosity sakes... The launch would have been non existant but the MPH would have been decent.... Ah well! Next event is RD4 at SMSP GP I think. The Toyota 86 is just sitting waiting for another hillclimb, I assume Round 5 for that car will be coming up soon.

Nope, cus that would mean I would have to speak to someone and I am antisocial af

I don't use all that fancy Social bizness! I'm lucky I can work out emails lol

Yeah we did! Wife wanted to give track day stuff a go and she saw it listed a while back... Suits the theme with the other 2 cars so it fits in well! Got some TLC and basic mods to do and then get it on track and test and see how it all goes. Should be a bit of fun if it all holds together 🤞 First mods will be braided brake lines and full fluid flush with proper racing fluid as that seems to have caused the abrupt end to the last time it was on track. Will also get the Mishimoto racing thermostat installed that came with the car. Fire extinguisher already installed and CAMS sticker pack to be added so its ready for basic hillclimbs and sprints. The car has the MGC front splitter DIY kit with it that has the template and hardware so you can make it up at home and chassis mount but I'll leave that off for a while incase Carmen decides to go paddock bashing The current old JDM Charge Speed Kevlar seat that came with the car will be sold as its pretty slim fitting and the Fiesta will get the hand-me-down Sparco Circuit 2 from the Skyline as I will be updating that to something in date so the car is all CAMS compliant again should I want to take it door to door at some stage! Although this is meant to have the same Power level as the 86 it certainly feels punchier from the quick couple of hundred metres its done down the street, will be interested to see what its like and also how the FWD is compared to the RWD platforms in both the Skyline and the 86. Basic mods done by Simon - Whiteline lowered springs Whiteline rear swaybar Running on R888 rubber COBB intercooler Mishimoto Radiator Cooling ducts cut into car MGC wing (splitter kit included) Harness bar + race seat & harness etc (To be updated) New front brakes - HEL lines should arrive today Other than that its not had a lot done and is a good basic platform for Carmen to learn in! Should be a bit of fun and hopefully reliable enough. We will soon find out I guess lol The Skyline will be out and about again this weekend and then after that I think the 86 is back on the hillclimb track. Sometime inbetween those events I'll try make time to get the little Fiesta ST sorted so its ready for a basic test drive. I'll update here and also Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@Woottenracing Carmen will probably also post stuff on Bookface - https://www.facebook.com/Woottenracing/ Now I just need to find time, funds and shed space lol

Perfect! Thanks for that... Will give it a go next time I am out as the last few track days the footage has been rubbish in both cars. I'll also try some different angles and positions on the car at some point once I get a chance to play with camera stuff and not just swinging spanners trying to keep the cars together for the day lol Also, the little project car we are looking at is from up your way... Noticed the windscreen sticker and seen in mentioned in old mates videos... Will see how it goes and update here next week!

Pheasant Wood - Marulan Best time of 57.4 on AR1 tyres (Street class limitation) Should be able to get into the 56s on the same tyre is I can sort the issue with drive off corners. Build specs in build thread link. Car only running 1 bar on G35 900 turbo which is an animal -

This thread needs moar update!

Yep the turbo combo has been killer so far! I've been running 1 bar this year as its been all tight tracks or wet weather so the lower power setting has been a savior there as I would have had no chance with the 400+kw setting! I did try 20psi at Pheasant Wood for a couple of laps but the rear of the car was trying to overtake the front on the straight Will save that setting for bigger tracks me thinks! On 20psi the car pretty much mirrored the EFR with 417kw from memory, however the seat of the pants feel made the G35 feel a hell of a lot sportier once it was on song (Makes no sense but felt stupid quick for the brief hit I gave it). Next outing for the R34 is Round 3 of the CSCA Supersprints at WSID on the 1/4 mile which will be kind of pointless with over -3 camber and half baked AR1 tyres but gunna lick the stamp and send it anyway We've done alright in the series so far so may as well keep rocking up and having a crack! Have managed a 2nd and 3rd outright finish on the tight tracks but keep getting picked on by Lotus's and bloody Hondas! Will need to return the favour once the RB can stretch its legs on North Circuit and GP Circuits at SMSP for Rounds 4 & 6. The GT86 fart box has also been out at the local hillclimb track for Round 4 of the Tar Series championship. We missed RD1 as we were in Tassie but so far in Rounds 2,3 & 4 we have managed a 1st and then two 3rds in class which isnt that bad for a mostly stock FA20 engine - I really suck at Go Pro footage and need to work out the settings to avoid the sun glare... Any advice? We had it stuck on Hypersmooth since Tamworth which was 💩 and I also kept mixing the R34 and GT86 mounts up so had the wrong heights and positions! I will aim to get a permanent mount for both cars to resolve that issue but need to sort the settings so the footage actually shows something other than farkin dashboard! We may also have further updates for our little team with another addition to the fleet potentially coming soon... Not the smartest thing to do but if we gunna send ourselves broke in race cars we will certainly go down in a blaze of glory Stay Tuned!