Whiteline Front Lower Arm Bushes

Second part to arrive for my front lower arm upgrade are the Whiteline bushes. The N16/B15/G10 uses two different sets of bushes for the front lower arm. These are called the lower inner front and lower inner rear bushing. Whiteline specifies two types of lower inner rear bushes - the standard and one which gives increase positive caster (+0.5 degrees) in the suspension geometry. Positive caster helps stability by causing the tyre to lean into turns when the wheel is turned increasing traction. Part number for the Whiteline inner front bush is W52148 while the increased positive caster inner rear bush is W53427. The standard inner rear bush is W53430. Like my Whiteline front ARB link kit, the bushes were supplied by Simon Oh from SP Line Trading. Simon got my address spot on this time ;) Cost came up to slightly more than 650 moolahs.

Picture below of me bushes still in its packaging. The bushes are made from Whiteline's proprietary Synthetic Elastomer material.

The inner front bush. Whiteline supplies whatever is necessary for the bush to be installed onto the front lower arm, a go faster decal and sachet of grease for each bush kit.

The inner rear bush with offset internal hole to give additional positive caster. The provided sachet of grease also seems to have a leak but it's contents also seem more or less intact.

I now need to get a set of new front lower arms to complete the puzzle.

New Camera

Just got myself a new camera to take over the main picture taking duties for this blog. Wanted something easy to use but with decent picture quality rather than extensive features and/or compact size. I'm no camera/photo taking enthusiast and likewise budget did not stretch to a DSLR. Settled for the Nikon Coolpix P310 upon recommendation from shop. Picture below of the camera courtesy of my HTC h/phone. Cost came up to bout 800 bucks which actually was over my budget by about RM200 but what the heck, I only ever buy a camera every decade or so :P

Pictures from my last two posts and especially on my WPC'ed oil pump were taken via this camera.

Toyo Proxes R1Rs Installed

Installed my R1Rs a couple weeks ago. Bought from and installed the tyres at SSR Racing in Bukit Tengah. I actually found this shop from Toyo Malaysia's website after looking all over Penang island to no luck. Best of all SSR Racing are just a couple km from my house. They also gave me a good deal on the R1Rs (RM 520 per tyre) and good trade in for my Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TTs. Took just bout a week or so to order and for the tyres to arrive at the shop. These are apparently the last set of 215-45 17" in Bolehland. I confirmed on the year of manufacture which was late 2012 just to confirm it wasn't old stock. Picture of me tyres as I arrive at SSR Racing for the install. Pardon the lousy picture quality from my phone's camera.

Look at the retail price!

Mounted on two of me Work rims and waiting to go on the car.

Picture of the Shark post install awaiting alignment.

SSR Racing are pretty basic when it comes to installation. They did a fairly decent job but do not offer the newer bells and whistle like nitrogen and on-wheel/car high speed balancing. They don't even shine me brand new tyres. Did that myself. Picture below of front RHS rim + tyre after some TLC. I know this is purely personal preference but I really like the tyre sidewall design and graphics. No need for flashy stuff like fire graphics.

The serious stuff. All R1Rs I have seen including mine are made in Japan btw.

Straight away the R1R exhibited more mechanical grip than my SP Sport Maxx TTs. Wheelspin is reduced as expected but not eliminated. To further reduce wheelspin will mean 225 or even better 235 wide tyres. To do this means I will need to go to at least an 8" wide rim. No money lar Bro! The stiffer sidewall and increased grip also results in a better steering feel and sharper more precise corner turn in. Tyres work from cold and I did not noticed any decreased grip during early morning sprints to work. Wet weather performance is pretty decent so long as you don't go drive like a WRC stage during a heavy downpour. I am currently running 240 kPa for both front and rear and will further experiment with different tyre pressures to see if this improves performance.

Tyre noise is also as expected more given the aggressiveness of the thread pattern. If you already find something like the Michelin Pilot Sport 3s on 17" a tad noisy don't bother with the R1R. These tyres will sing their own tune/noise at all speeds even when new and one would expect the noise to increase as the tyres wear. Don't say I didn't warn ya. A stiffer sidewall also results in a stiffer ride like one has increased the damping stiffness or gone for firmer shocks. Also given the stickiness of the compound, these tyres are a sand magnet and will pick up all sorts of sand, etc on its surface. I have currently used the R1Rs for more than 400 km and will report on the performance and wear after further use.

Smooth and Silky - Oil Pump gets the WPC Treatment

Remember I talked about sending my oil pump for WPC treatment? Well I went ahead and bit the bullet. What I did was buy a brand new oil pump from Greg V of GSpec and Greg will personally disassemble and send the oil pump parts specifically the rotor gears, pressure relief valve piston and bore and oil pump housing for treatment. Upon completion of treatment, WPC will send the oil pump back to Greg whom will then send to my wife who is in the US for work assignment. Sounds simple right? First Greg hurt himself while disassembling the oil pump and then the oil pump arrived literally a couple hours before my wife left for her flight home. Thank goodness all's well ends well.

Original Nissan QG oil pumps for the US domestic market are made in Mexico. At least that's what the casting on the front cover tells me.

Picture below of the oil pump front cover (inner side), inner cover, rotor gears and pressure relief/regulator valve.

WPC treatment dimples the surface on a microscopic level to help maintain a good oil film for better lubrication. It also creates a hard yet smooth and silky feeling surface. This helps to reduce friction and eliminate galling. WPC treatment results in a more efficient and cooler running oil pump. You can read up more on what an oil pump does, how it works and the merits of WPC treatment over @ MotoIQ. MotoIQ also has an article on how WPC works. You can read it here.

Picture below of the inner cover (inner side). You can see how smooth and silky the surface is.

Picture of the Gerotor inner and outer rotor gears and pressure relief/regulator valve.

WPC uses a different treatment on the gears to impart more fatigue strength and lubricity than the softer aluminium housings. WPC treatment will harden the gears and greatly improve it's fatigue strength. This will make the gears more resistant to breaking under harmonic stress. Close up of the rotors. Zip tie is to hold the gears in place during shipping.

Total cost came up to:

• Brand new original Nissan QG18DE oil pump - US$ 211.69
• WPC Treatment - US$100
• Shipping

Picture below of the fasteners required to assemble back the oil pump. Also in the picture is the spring, washer and plug for the pressure relief/regulator valve. To slightly increase maximum oil pressure, a 2-3mm shim can be placed between the spring and the plug.

The countersunk bolts are M6 x 12mm in length while the hex head bolts are M6 x 35mm. I measured coz I am thinking to replace them with titanium versions. Unfortunately Pro-Bolt only do M6 x 15mm for the countersunk bolts and want me to order 25 bolts when I only need 4 just to have 3mm shorter bolts. Excuse was due to machining set up time and cost of production. Bummer!!! Another supplier in Germany does m6 x 10mm but wouldn't ship to  Bolehland. Bro Mugil, need your help!

One of the weaknesses of the QG engine is the oil pump which does not produce competitive pressure unlike other performance oriented engines. This is the reason why I do not run an oil cooler for Sharkie as an oil cooler will further lessen the already not so good oil pressure. Hotter oil is better than insufficient oil pressure. Hopefully WPC treatment will slightly increase the pressure during all engine revs and not just max pressure. We shall see as I can compare the oil pressure readouts on my dash pre and post WPC treatment and blueprinting of the oil pump. The WPC treated oil pump will be installed during my next service and oil change

New Front Windscreen and 3M Crystalline Tint

Sharkie's front windscreen has accumulated it's fair share of stone chips over the years as a result of contact with small pebbles while driving at speed especially on the Penang Bridge. Two of the stone chips were large enough to cause concern hence I finally decided to replace the windscreen. Pix below of one such chip which also caused a small crack of a couple mm. Might look like nothing now but from experience the crack will grow.

The windscreen replacement job was done @ TCEAS Bandar Perda. A brand new original Nissan front windscreen was grafted onto Sharkie after removing the old windscreen. Replacement job took bout slightly more than half a day. To allow the windscreen adhesive/sealant to fully dry do not wash the car/windscreen or drive in a heavy downpour at least 24 hours after the install. I elected not to drive Sharkie for 72 hours just to be sure given the almost daily evening showers hitting Penang recently.

Cost came up to bout RM 1123ish including install labour and top seal. Many of you will ask what about windscreen insurance? Well I did not buy any. Considering the fact the insurance is about 200++ per year and it took me 7 years to replace the windscreen we are about break even. I will definitely be insuring my new windscreen though especially with the expensive new tint. And yes, you can even insure the tint nowadays @ extra cost to the premium of course.

The tint I settled for is the 3M Crystalline having first used this on my wife's Civic. Cost came up to a massive MYR 2.5K after discount for me wife's Civic but 3M offered me a promo deal of 40% discount for the second car so Sharkie's tint was done for only 1.6K. Those of you who know me will know I use au naturale tint (i.e. NO tint for SP and Slowtra/Sharkie) so why the change now? I initially though the UV coated glass on MYDM N16 Slowtras would be sufficient but can regretfully tell you from experience that our strong MY sun will over the years damage and harden the leather upholstery and discolour the stitching without a decent tint. With the new upholstery I'm not taking any chances.

The Crystalline tint uses 3M's proprietary multi-layer technology. The working middle substrate of the film consists of over 200 vacuum deposited nano particle individual layers that block damaging UV and heat inducing IR light while letting visible light you will need to see pass through. The process used to create Crystalline was developed from 3M's aerospace division for IR (Infra-Red) sensors on satellites. This heat blocking technology means the car's air conditioning system works less resulting in improved fuel efficiency. A less taxed aircond system also means less strain on the car's cooling system which is important on a turbocharged car like Sharkie. The tint's top layer is a special scratch resistant layer while the bottom layer is an adhesive layer. The tint is non-metallic which means it will not interfere with h/phones and GPS. Your Touch 'n Go Smart Tag unfortunately will not work. 3M claims the non-metallic tint will not internally oxidise or fade purple ensuring a longer life when compared to lesser tints.

I decided to use the almost clear Crystalline 70 for the front windscreen and Crystalline 60 everywhere else. Don't want to attract unwanted attention from JPJ. The number denotes the amount of visible light transmitted through the tint or in simple English the lesser the number the darker the tint. Specs below of the various Crystalline films.

Picture below of the Crystalline tint. (70 methinks but can't really remember). Sorry.

The tint was professionally installed by Shine Guard @ Auto City, Juru, Penang. Apat from Auto City, Shine Guard branches are also located at Jelutong on the island and Jalan Song Ban Kheng BM on the mainland.

The install took about 4 hours but bear in mind there was no old tint to remove from the Shark. Picture of the Shark post installation.

Shine Guard took the trouble to place these stickers on all my power window switches and also the rear demister button.

The 3M logo watermarks are everywhere to indicate you are using the original 3M tint and not a counterfeit. Beware of fakes. I am told these are in abundance. 3M issues a warranty card and serial number for every install.

The Crystalline works pretty well and cools pretty fast the moment you get into the car and drive with the aircond turned on after a hot day. Of course don't expect miracles and a cool car especially after your car is parked under a hot sun the entire day. The front windscreen tint developed a small bubble post install and the entire windscreen tint was replaced no questions asked. Excellent service!

Leather Fetish

Had my rear seats re-trimmed in black leather with red side stitching to match the front Recaros.

The leather upholstery was done by the good guys over at DK Schweizer whom also previously did my seat leather upholstery. As usual the black is blacker cept my ancient Olympus camera had trouble resolving the actual colour. Close up pictures.

I also had the doors trimmed. 

Likewise the front centre arm rest cover.

Damage was RM 1.7K for the rear seats, door trim and front centre arm rest cover. DK was giving me excuses about the gearshift boot so I bit the bullet and ordered one in top grade Nappa leather from Redline Accessories USA. Ordered the front centre arm rest also in Nappa leather to match. Cost for the shift boot and front centre arm rest cover was USD122.82 including shipping. Picture below. 

Pictures to follow once I install. 

AIM MXL2

AIM is about to launch the all new MXL2 dash logger.

Availability is stated as early 2013 but it is now April and AIM's corporate website has still not been updated with full details and cost of the new dash. Price is not going to be cheap as this is a full dash logger with everything a track day kaki will ever need and more rather than just the dash itself. I really dig the new display and the MXL2's capability to display the track and your location but you will need to get the GPS expansion module which is sold separately. Going by how much the GPS module costs for my MXL Strada Icon expect to pay in the region of 1XXX or slightly below.

I do not know if and when AIM is planning to launch just the dash. You can read up more on the AIM MXL2 at:

• http://www.aimtechnologies.co.uk/product/aim-mxl2/
• http://www.aim-sportline.com/download_users/new_2013_aim_products/aim_mxl2.pdf
• AIM @ Facebook

Meanwhile I will start dreaming and saving.. 

Tyre (Replacement) Time

At anything over half throttle on second gear the Shark will wheelspin at will. The ECU is tightly reigning in boost in first else first the Shark will just be limited to 4 usable gears (2nd to 5th). The problem here are my aging Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tyres. Remember this sat unused for more than 9 months during the build. The rubber in your tyres degrade, hardened and loses grip with age due to a process know as vulcanisation. Also please don't forget the Shark makes 3+ times more power than the Slowtra.

With this in mind I decided on Extreme Performance tyres which offer the ultimate dry road grip and holding ability but at the expense of more wear due to the softer grippier rubber compound, increased road noise and less wet weather performance. Such tyres typically combine big-block tread designs with aggressive tread compounds and reinforced internal constructions to emphasise dry road response, traction, handling and high speed capabilities for serious driving enthusiasts and are the limit to what a sane driver would use on a road for daily driving. Extreme Performance tyres are one rung up on the Max Performance tyre category which the Sport Maxx TT and other similar class tyres (e.g. Michelin Pilot Sport 3 and Goodyear Asymmetric 2) belongs. I guess so long as you don't do a touge or max speed run during Penang/Bolehland's typical torrential downpours you should be ok. I say that with experience having used the AD07 on the SP. The accelerated wear however would be a problem in regards to the $ in your pocket so can't afford a tyre that is too expensive. Most Extreme Performance tyres have a UTQG thread-wear rating between 140-180. This is much less than the 220-280 tread-wear rating of Max Performance tyres. Such tyres typically last between 15K to 25K km max. Also with me being in Penang, the options available would be a big big problem. My options would be very limited and consists of:

Bridgestone Potenza RE-11. The cost of the tyre is astronomical @ Malaysian Ringgit 1200 per piece for a 215-45 17". Yes, per piece. This means a set of 4 will cost RM 4800 for tyres lasting less than 25K km. Sorry but I don't print money. UTQG is 180 AA. The RE-11 has also been replaced by the recently launched RE-11A. I don't even want to know how much these cost.

Hankook Ventus R-S3 Z222. Not brought in by MY Hankook distributor so one would have to source from local speedshops like Pentagon Racing. Also not available in the size I want with closest being 225-45 17". To fit such a tyre would require a 10mm spacer as I am already hitting the inner wheel arch at max lock with a 215mm wide tyre. A 10mm spacer also means I would need to buy an extended lug. Since I am on a tight budget (need to la with the Shark's build exceeding my original budget two fold) these are probably my last option if nothing else is avail. Oh, and my dash will also need to be re-calibrated for 225-45 17" due to the larger rolling diameter. UTQG is 140 AA. Cost should be in the RM 600++ range assuming I can find the size I want. Flames on the thread are capable of reducing your track/drag times and increasing your top speed :)

Federal 595RS-R. I talked about this previously. Heard these are about to be replaced soon. Am apprehensive on this tyre due to the much talked thread surface crack/split problem. Google the problem if you want to find out more.

Toyo Proxes R1R. Price ranging from RM 520 to RM580+ so shop around. These tyres have been in the market for around quite some time. Thread-wear is your typical 140 AA. Interestingly the R1R tires are engineered to elevate performance in dry and wet conditions. Some people use these as track wet weather tyres. Compound is apparently super soft but these are the cheapest extreme performance tyres I can find locally.

Advan Neova AD08. This was initially my number one choice but the price has increased massively compared to the previous gen AD07. I was quoted RM800 per tyre after discount by YHI SA. Also very difficult to find locally and will need to wait 1-2 months. UTQG thread-wear is 180 AA which like the Bridgestone is what most Japs usually state for their Extreme Performance tyres. Recently found out that these are supposed to be replaced by the just launched (in early March) AD08R which is why there is no stock for the AD08.

Kumho Ecsta XS KU36. Gave up trying to find this in Penang. UTQG is competitive with its competitors at 180 AA.

Grassroots Motorsport mag did an excellent comparison review of these tyres. You can read it up more here:

• http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/texas-toasted-tires-part-1/
• http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/texas-toasted-tires-part-2/

I've made my decision and ordered the Toyo Proxes R1R. It's comparatively "reasonably priced" for me to be able to test and see. Stay tuned. 

1st Service

After close to 3000km the Shark was ready for it's first service since coming home. Made a trip to GT Auto and left Sharkie there for the following 5 things to be done:

1. Service the engine/car
2. Remap cold start idle
3. Check and resolve knocking sound from exhaust
4. Stop beeping sound upon startup
5. Replace windscreen wiper water nozzle hose with Samco

Collected Sharkie bout a week later fully serviced and ready for the drive home. The engine oil I have been using since engine run-in and will continue to use for the service is the Motul 300V Chrono 10W40.

The 300V Chrono is a 100% fully synthetic engine oil with Motul's Double-Ester Technology for racing cars with NA or turbocharged engines requiring maximum power output and faster revs while maintaining oil pressure at high rpm and high temperatures. With this oil Sharkie's engine feels very smooth and this was very evident during my drive back to Penang. The only problem is the massive cost @ RM205 for a 2 litre bottle. Sharkie requires two bottles so it's RM410 on engine oil alone every service. Filter used is original Nissan. I might try the Nismo one of these days when more money falls from the sky.

The Shark's cold start and idling issues have been sorted as mentioned previously. More driving required to see if the knocking sound from the exhaust has been permanently eliminated. I did not hear any knocks on my drive home from Penang. The knocking sound was resolved by one of Toby's exhaust job contacts as Tonnka wanted Sharkie to be sent to Malacca for the job. Too much trouble and hassle lar :(

As for the beeping sound it was caused by this.

It's the g*dd*mn immobilizer! Every time I start the Shark or turn on the ignition circuit it would go "beep beep!" for about a minute or so. I believe the immobilizer has a connection to the stock ECU but since the Shark's brain transplant the stock ECU is no longer there hence the warning beeps. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? Not that I care much anyway. This security device would occasionally result in the Slowtra not being able to start and me having to remove the key from the ignition key socket and shake the key a bit before reinserting and trying to start the car. A real PITA! Removing the immobilizer permanently eliminated the irritating beeps. What a relief and also saves some weight!

Picture below of the Samco 4mm silicone hose I bought from Amber Performance @ eBay as replacement for the stock rubber windscreen wiper nozzle hose.

Job looks easy NOT! Lots of stuff had to be removed to install the hose as it snakes into the front right hand side fender before attaching to the reservoir.

Was thinking of a clamp to secure the coolant overflow hose but the man can read my mind and went ahead and did it despite me not asking. Big thumps up!

I also nicked some power decals from GT Auto. The decals are worth more than 230hp! :P