Drift Tengoku — October 2013

Strengthening the exhaust manifold with a welded wrench!

SOUL OF GAKUDRIFTER

Ibaraki University

Akihiro Hanawa

International Information and Engineering…

Takahiro Sato

It looks rough, but it doesn't leak!

Made from a plastic container…

…a homemade washer-fluid tank!

（S14）

Silvia

College

180SX

（RPS13）

Just fixing it normally would be…

…boring!

While repairing a cracked exhaust manifold, I welded on a wrench as reinforcement. When I leave the hood open, everyone comes over to look, which is fun. It's steel, after all, so I think it should provide proper reinforcement!

This washer-fluid tank is made from a plastic container sold at a 100-yen shop. I cut and joined pieces to adjust the size and add a lid, using hot glue to bond them. I'd like to remake it with a slightly larger container.

By the way, it was a 10–12 mm wrench. If another spot cracks, weld a wrench there too…

Comment

Please keep welding them on until the exhaust manifold is covered in wrenches!

The care taken to make sure the lid still opens…

Comment

You can feel the heat. The shroud was made properly and securely attached to the body.

I believe in keeping the shroud!

Takuya Watanabe

Thick, sturdy, and cheap!

College

International Information and Engineering…

180SX

（RPS13）

Shortened by 5 cm…

…and it works!

The wiring cover is a washing-machine hose!

Having a teacher who advises students on their modifications is a great environment. This temporary…

Comment

After replacing the radiator with an HPI unit, it was thicker and the shroud wouldn't fit, so I shortened it by about 5 cm. I cut out the section over the fan, removed the center portion, and secured it with duct tape. A teacher at school helped, saying, “This will cool better this way.” I'm grateful!

Shuhei Yamamoto

…solution looks less rough than you'd expect, perhaps because he used black tape.

（S14）

Silvia

Shimane University

I rerouted the wiring from inside the fender into the engine bay, but the bundle was too thick for ordinary corrugated tubing. So I used a washing-machine drain hose instead. The diameter is just right and it's very flexible. The color looked bad, so I painted it!

Increasing capacity with a stock Lancer Evolution brake master cylinder!

The additional tank…

Motorcycle Brembo!

This is a win for ingenuity. It looks clean too!

Comment

The hole where the wiring enters the engine bay wasn't left as a sharp cut; a rubber hose was fitted around the edge to protect it properly.

Using a proportioning valve makes the rear end easier to break loose!

Toyo University

Takuhito Kitamura

The brake master cylinder from an Lancer Evolution 7–9 (CT-series) has more capacity than the FD3S unit, and its flange shape is the same, so it can be swapped in. You need to screw in a threaded steel rod to extend it, but after that you only have to hand-bend the brake lines a little to install it.

This is a brake tune-up worth trying when removing the ABS unit. Installation…

Comment

The brake lines are hand-bent, which is great. But the NA Roadster's P-valve is biased toward the front, so if you're going to use one, it needs to be from an NB; otherwise it won't do what you want.

Takuhito Kitamura

RX-7

（FD3S）

Toyo University

…at the pushrod…

The rear…

RX-7

（FD3S）

In the past, people used a unit from another Mazda, the Sentia, but this one is easier to find and has more capacity…

A huge improvement for an FD with weak brakes!

I removed the ABS unit and connected the lines using a relay [line/union]. While I was at it, I replaced the stock proportioning valve with a stock NB Roadster valve. This gives more rear brake bias than the FD3S valve, making it easier to get the rear end to step out.

Comment

The FD shares its brake and clutch fluid reservoir, so Kitamura added a separate tank for the clutch. With the stock setup, it's easy for air to get into the clutch line, but separating the clutch circuit apparently prevents that.