We know how difficult it can be to work on cars; believe us, we’ve had more than our share of problems over the years, too. Good thing we’re willing to share this knowledge of problem solving with you and act like we know something technical about cars. Feel free to ask us about your tech problems by writing to Super Street at tech@superstreetonline.com or Super Street, Attn: Tech Support, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245. We’ll try out best to answer your questions but can’t answer every one we receive personally or in print, so if your issue is urgent, we highly recommend you seeking the help of a nearby mechanic! Also, try to do some basic research online; while the Internet and forums aren’t all foolproof, it is a very good start as there are many excellent resources to look at. If it helps to include a few photos to describe/illustrate your problem/project, please do so.
Foxzilla!
Q This is going to sound crazy but I’m currently building a 1988 Ford Mustang to be mainly a show car in a HellaFlush/JDM style, and also a drift car. I’m a DIY person and the only thing I’mnot good at when it comes to cars is wiring up the engines to run if they are fuel injected. I want to swap in a RB26DETT that will be built to the max. I’ve already got the fab work and mounting figured out to get it in the car. I’m wondering is there any standalone engine management system where I can drop this thing in and use a factory engine harness, sensors, MAF, and ECU from say a Skyline and make this thing run without making some Frankenstein harness of my own? Or could you please recommend a place that could build me a harness?
Troy White
Via email
A Your build sounds very interesting and we wish you luck. By definition, if you’re using a stock ECU from a Skyline it is not a “standalone” system. Unfortunately most true standalones (MoTeC, AEM, etc) are very expensive and a custom harness for your application will likely cost more than the car. Unless you’ve got around $8k to spend on a computer, wiring and tuning, we’d recommending taking the long way out by hacking the factory harness to integrate into the Ford yourself.
You Feelin’ Me?
Q I have a ‘04 Civic D17A2 with 111 miles. My question is in regards to the proper use of a feeler gauge when lashing the valves. I gave it a shot to try and quiet my valve noise but to no avail. I have the manual with the correct tolerances but I was afraid they would be too tight and cause damage when I tried to make adjustments. I have read mixed opinions on how to properly feel; got any tips?
Zac Cranston
Roanoke, VA
A Using a feeler gauge is sort of like taking off a girl’s bra with one hand; you can describe it all you want but you really have to get in there and practice to get the hang of it. The more you do it the easier it is to tell when the amount of drag on the gauge is just right. Sometimes experience is the best teacher. Keep in mind the D17AZ is a VTEC engine and will have a lot of valve noise from the lost motion assemblies, regardless of valve lash.
Bum ‘Rolla
Q I picked up an AE92 a few weeks ago and I hope that I’m not in over my head. The interior smells like there’s a rotting corpse under the seat, the engine won’t run, there’s 17 year-old oil in the crank case, old gas and other aging fluids. I can safely say I really know how to pick them. To be honest, this thing isn’t for show or go, it’s more for a point A to point B car and that’s just it, restoring an oldie but goodie for the sake of having something different on the road. Doesn’t mean I won’t go aftermarket and toss some nice upgrades under the hood and into the body. My question for you guys is what would YOU do, assuming you have a budget of about $10K to play with for everything?
Anton Volokhov
Via email
A You’re not going to like this answer, but if we had $10k to spend on making a non-running, rotted-out AE92 better we’d spend $10 on gas and matches to burn it to the ground and the remaining $9,990 on a new car. Just sayin’.