[TomA]

This may seem like basic advice, but if you haven't done much heavy work with cars you might not think of it.

Cars are complex and have thousands of parts that frequently need to go back together just so, and in one order. Things that seem very straightforward on disassembly can be downright incomprehensible months later trying to fit back together, particularly if all the parts aren't at hand. My few things to remember from a lifetime under cars:

1. The digital camera is your friend. Take lots of pictures of everything before you touch it, and of anything while you're working that winds up being tricky or you think you would benefit from seeing again a year later. I wrap my camera in food cling wrap to protect it from my filthy hands, and to encourage me to use it while I'm tearing something down. You'll really appreciate having these pictures when its time to put it all back together.

2. Mark the position of everything adjustable before you take it off. For me, that means drilling a hole through the hood/decklid hinges for an alignment pin before I take it off, so I don't need two guys and 1/2 hour to realign it when it goes back on. Scratch marks into things that could go together differently, just to be sure you know what the right way is, and photograph that. This is especially important with the suspension parts: how many turns on those rod ends, which shims on which fasteners, etc. Its a real PITA to put everything back together and discover it is totally out of adjustment and the car is barely or inoperable that way.

3. Bag and label everything. This is critical. You may have the car apart for years. You may have to move it before it goes back together. Keep it all sorted, or you'll be really sorry. Worse, if you have to get out of it before its done, having everything bagged and tagged will preserve its value. Personally, I wouldn't throw ANYTHING away until the project is done. You just never know what you might need, or be able to repurpose, and it really sucks to have to buy it again.

4. Clean, inspect and repair everything when you take it apart. This is a personal preference, but its a good one. You want to know NOW that your CV boots are bad, or your clutch pivots are worn, and get that straightened out while you have everything apart. That's where the factory manuals are really useful, as they list the tolerances for wear parts. I check those during disassembly if possible. You'll likely have plenty of down time waiting for parts or paint to dry. Use that to check and freshen everything you're going to reuse, because if you don't, you'll either put worn parts back together- meaning they will need to come off again, or you'll have delays when you discover some greasy thing you pull out of a bag after a year needs refurb or replacement. Plus, its a great joy to have everything clean and perfect when you reassemble. Take the time to really clean the engine bay and chassis components while everything is apart- you'll be glad you did. And buy new rubber for the suspension. Its a drag to troubleshoot operational problems that are caused or worsened by worn or damaged glider parts.

5. Make mockups for fabricated parts like motor mounts and brackets. I still make templates out of cardboard and 1/8" masonite for lots of things that wind up being made from steel. It improves your thinking about how they should be, and doesn't take that much time- a lot less than actually fabbing something that doesn't work!

6. Join the MR2 clubs, websites and online boards, and dive in there. Those guys know everything about how to tear down and reassemble your car, and what you must, ought to, and should never do. An EV conversion is 80% car and 20% drivetrain, so make yourself an expert, and associate with experts, on the glider you've got. Those guys are often good sources of cheap parts, too...

Good luck, and HTH,

TomA

[CrazyAl]

Before stripping the car apart, measure and record the following:

• ride height at each wheel (ie. height from ground to middle of wheel arch);
• weight of car;
• weight at each axle;
• I've heard of people weighing at each axle;

The other thing to do is to work out the registration process and requirements of a converted car that is relevant to your jurisdiction. Do you need to get an engineer's report? Are there certain requirements and rules that need to be followed? Which insurance companies insure converted cars?



Every jurisdiction has a different set of laws so it is best to find them out from the beginning, even before removing ice parts.

[Ziggythewiz]

If you're marking something, be sure the mark is deep enough to still be there after you clean it with your wire brush dremel...

[dtbaker]

Originally Posted by Woodsmith

It does depend on the adapter and how accurate it is and whether it needs to be moved about for the best motor alignment.

my adaptor from canEv.com uses the manuf. dowel alignment pins for accurate centering. I did not remove my transmission, but did have to loosen mounts to get it to rotate just enough to get past the clutch/flywheel when re-installing. I also had a CV pop out while I was pulling engine out, and it leaked transmission fluid all over the floor...... I would suggest draining tranny FIRST, and not re-filling until you are all done, and then fill it with something good like 'royal purple'.

[njloof]

This is a great thread... that I wish I had been reading two months ago

I did stick all the bolts and nuts into individual baggies with the part of the car they were removed from written in Sharpie.

Also, I have the genuine dealer service manual, which helps immensely for hints on disassembly, as well as figuring out how stuff goes back together (and at what torque!)

[TigerNut]

Originally Posted by dtbaker

my adaptor from canEv.com uses the manuf. dowel alignment pins for accurate centering. I did not remove my transmission, but did have to loosen mounts to get it to rotate just enough to get past the clutch/flywheel when re-installing. I also had a CV pop out while I was pulling engine out, and it leaked transmission fluid all over the floor...... I would suggest draining tranny FIRST, and not re-filling until you are all done, and then fill it with something good like 'royal purple'.

When you drain the transmission and/or differential, you should plug off the drain opening (when you're done) to keep dust out, but at the same time you should make it abundantly clear that there is no oil in the transaxle. You can tape off the drain opening and then put the drain plug on the dash in front of the speedometer (or somewhere else that you're not going to miss seeing it); or else, if you do put the drain plug back in the transmission immediately after draining, make up a paper or plastic tag that says "fill transaxle" and ziptie it to the steering wheel.

True story: After the end of a race I overhear two guys: "I thought you filled the diff" "Well I thought YOU filled the diff"... you don't want to end up there.

[Wcsparky05]

Hi again. Thanks for all the great help on my last post! Anyone know the short answer to how high I have to jack this thing up to drop the motor out? Thx again.

[TomA]

A few more:

1. If you can't get to a 4 wheel scale, at least weigh what you take off, and what you put on, and keep good records. That will help you figure out what springs to order when the time comes...

2. Buy a Brother P-touch labeler for the garage. There's nothing better for labelling wiring and cables (and putting a "Fill Transmission" label on the inside of the windshield.

3. Make and use a checklist whenever possible. Keeps planes in the air...

4. Consider investing in a vibratory parts cleaner and media. Most of your stuff will never get grimy again, and you can really see the condition of things like threads, clips and shims when they're clean.

5. Make a list of all the little things that aren't right on the car now. (noisy blower fan, squeaky brakes, water leaks, sloppy shifter, etc.) You'll have plenty of down time in this project to take a few of those things on, and the build will be MUCH nicer back on the road if all that is fixed during the conversion.

6. Start a build binder on the car, with pictures of your mods, copies of all the receipts, instruction sheets, warranty info, part numbers, contact info of shop contributors, and all the adjustments and tweaks you've done to the car. Nothing you can do will make the car more valuable to someone else or easier to service and repair (and to insure adequately) than fully documenting the project. A blog is nice, but not a substitute for a complete binder.

7. Do something on the car every single day. It might be as simple as writing down what you did the day before, or ordering a part, or taking pictures, but if you get in that habit, the project will never stall.

8. Have fun; its a hobby. Really, remember to do that. You'll have to pretend sometimes, but do it anyway. If its always (OK, usually) fun, people will want to help frequently, and your loved ones will be FAR more supportive...

[Wcsparky05]

So not bad for day 2 I would say. I've got it up on jack stands and wheels are off to someday replace springs and brakes while I'm at it. Maybe some new wheels....I forgot what they call the ones you should use for ev. Going to drain fluids and do some part removal tomorrow. I sure would appreciate some more help. I just feel overwhelmed with sooo many parts! I know I can remove radiator, gas tank, fuel filter, fuel lines, air filter, muffler, catylytic converter, and of course tranny and engine. But what else? And what needs to stay besides ignition wiring, power steering pump and belts, and throttle cable. Thanks for all your help. I just don't like making mistakes. Ill try to post some pics soon! Pete

[Woodsmith]

I have merged all your threads on the MR2 as it is poor form to post new threads on the same subject. They clutter the boards, you lose information trying to find the separate threads and folks won't bother answering them.

As to how high to jack the car, you will need to keep jacking until the engine, which is on the floor, can be pulled out.

Start out with a height comfortable to work on, not much higher then when the wheels just clear the ground.
You will then need to remove everything that is in the way underneath, lower the engine to the ground with a crane, hire or buy one, and then jack the car until it is high enough.
I think the back bumper can be some 3', or more, high.