Cottees' 1987 Sigma GN GSR Super Edition

[Cottees]

My 1st guess was possibly extra castor

The castor looks to be ok.

I've also experienced it from idler arm problems.

The idler arm is brand new.

Took the Sigma for a drive, and still driving well after 30,000kms on EFI!


Cleaned up some new side strips.


Looking better with the side strips attached.

[Scorpma82]

Ur right, the black strips do make the car better.......breaks up the white nicely

[Sigmaproject]

I replaced the double sided tape on my side strips..but I found the little ones on the front guards to be a PITA. The mounting clips just did not want to stay in position. I ended up doubling up some double sided tape as well as the clips. Last time I looked they were still there.

[Cottees]

Pulled the plugs to check how the car has been running.


While I had the heat shield off, I packed it with fibre glass. Which is what I originally planned on doing.


Took the rocker cover off to check it things are looking good.


Couldn't take the rocker cover off completely, but I would have had to take the intake off. Ended up having to take it off cause the intake split.


I got the kick down cable working again. It it a little tight when the kick down cable is about to activate, but it must be what V-Tec kicking in is like.

[Cottees]

A couple days ago, the GN started to whistle. Turns out the intake elbow cracked. Luckily I had some tools and a coat hanger in the car for a temporary fix.


With around 10 hours on and off fixing it, it now works. Should also flow a bit better now too.


All back together. Also tidied a couple things up while I had the chance.

[Cottees]

The intake elbow broke again.


So meant I had to take the entire intake out, again.


Tried to put a new plate of aluminium on the throttle body side, and bend it over the side to give it extra strength.


Also sanded the outside, and put on a layer of resin.


After more resin, and a heap of sanding, it now looks chunkier, and is stronger.



Painted it up to make it look better.


After trying to face the throttle body side, it was taking too much of the aluminium off, and ended up not sealing properly. So I drilled in some holes, and put on a thick layer of resin to create a better flat surface.



Trimmed the resin, and faced it so it was perfectly flat.


Also added some longer bolts to add strength too.


While doing most of this, I clamped the plenum in the vice, but this damaged the label. I took it off and sanded it.


All back together now. Rearranged some things to try and make sure nothing touches the bonnet. I have a feeling that is what broke the intake elbow.


Took the car for a drive, and she ran really well. She was idling a little too high, but that was cause the elbow is now bigger, and makes the throttle body sit further away from the accelerator cable mount. Fixed that, another test drive, and all good. I then heard a rattle and thought, oh what now?? Turns out the car was making the fence rattle.

[Sigmaproject]

Cottees...when you put in your Starion struts did you use the Sigma steering tie rod and adjusters ??

[Cottees]

Cottees...when you put in your Starion struts did you use the Sigma steering tie rod and adjusters ??

Pretty much all I changed were the struts, steering knuckles (cause the Sigma ones won't bolt to the Starion struts) and the lower control arms. Everything else is standard Sigma. The Starion lower control arms are a few mm longer, but I ended up using them as the ones on the Sigma were bent. The tie rod ends are the same between both cars, but in the Sigma, the ball joints are on the Pitman arm and idler arm, where as on the Starion, they are on the relay rod. The sway bar link is also different lengths between the 2 cars. I used the Sigma ones as I am using the Sigma sway bar. The strut tops also needed to be taken off, and replaced with Sigma ones.

[Sigmaproject]

I put my wagon in for a wheel alignment..and they found a worn tie rod end. It has been at the shop for two days because they cannot find a tie rod end to fit it. (My Starion struts came out of a Scorpion) I cant remember what parts are Sigma and what parts are Starion/Scorpion. So they are not happy because my Wagon is sitting on the wheel aligner with no steering.

[Cottees]

From the looks of it, the Starion and Sigma share the same tie rod ends. I would be surprised if the Scorpions didn't have the same ones.

[Sigmaproject]

This was the joint causing all of the drama. Just looks like a garden variety Sigma ball joint to me.

[Sigmaproject]

Actually this was the first and last time I have paid someone to do a repair on the wagon. And that was only because the thing was in the shop to get a wheel alignment . Not only have they left the usual greasy hand prints on nearly every surface..but managed to open the door onto something and take some paint off. Assholes

[Cottees]

Actually this was the first and last time I have paid someone to do a repair on the wagon. And that was only because the thing was in the shop to get a wheel alignment . Not only have they left the usual greasy hand prints on nearly every surface..but managed to open the door onto something and take some paint off. Assholes

Ouch! That is why I do all the work myself. Only I am allowed to put greasy hands on my car!

[Cottees]

She has been running ok lately, but have been tweaking bits to try and get her running 100%. The quick bracket I made to hold the coolant pipe ended up breaking. No wonder I have heard tapping.

[Cottees]

Made a new bracket for the coolant pipe. This time I used 3mm aluminium. The new bracket is on the left, the old broken one is on the right. In the middle is a plastic spacer used for the fuel rail I machined down on my mini lathe.


The bracket shouldn't break again. The spacer cracked cause I tightened it a little too much, but still is working.

[Cottees]

Sneak peak on what I am messing with at the moment.

[Cottees]

The new throttle body somewhat fits.



Cleaned it up a bit more.


The ISC motor fouls on the rocker cover, but may be able to get it to fit still.

[Tomica93]

is it such a big problem to weld the throttle body on the other side?

also you wont have any of the problems that are on almost last 10pages, and engine bay would look so much nicer, also your car would go better because you will be getting fresh air to the mani, not heated one

[Cottees]

I could get the plenum welded to mount the throttle body to the other side, but I wanted to try it a different way.

[Tomica93]

hope you finally realised that that different way is a wrong way

[Sigmaproject]

What model is your Throttle body from. The guys that converted my manifold have used the same T/B. Even though I sent them a perfectly good TR T/B and sensors so I could use a factory TR wiring harness.

[Cottees]

The throttle body I am messing with at the moment is from a Magna TE-TW V6 without traction control or cruise control.

Some pics, TE-TW on the left, TR/TS on the right.
There are some differences between the TBs. Left is 65mm and right is 60mm. (Also removed the mount for the TPS.)



TE-TW gasket on the TR-TS TB. The larger throttle body will bolt to a TR/TS plenum, but the hole for the intake is higher.


Throttle Position Sensor. The TPSs use the same plug, but the wiring is different. The smaller TE-TW TPS will plug into a TR/TS loom, but won't work. The pin out is backwards. If you pulled apart the plug on the loom, and reverse the pin order, it would work. All other specs like the resistance, and functionality all looks to be the same.



ISC Motor. They both have the same internals, just the tip is different.

[Cottees]

Comparison between 2 types of ISC motor.



Started modding the ISC to mount it somewhere other than the bottom of the throttle body.


View of the choke inside the ISC. Tested it under hot water and still works.


Mounted the ISC to the side of the plenum.


Getting the new bracket I designed in CAD prepped to cut it out of aluminium.


Bracket bolted up and fits well. Just needs trimming and tidying up.

[Cottees]

A rough shaping. It bet a little so bolted it back up to make sure it straightened up properly.


Final grinding, and looking better now. Needs a spacer for one of the mount points, but it works as it should.

[Cottees]

Made up a quick spacer. I am not 100% happy with it, but will do for now.


Started to widen the intake. You can see how much wider the new throttle body is.


All widened up now. Just have to do the Plenum and the other side of the elbow.


Should flow a bit better now.

[Cottees]

Added a right angle brass fitting so it won't hit the bonnet.


Widened the opening to the plenum to allow more air flow. Need to be tidied up a bit.

[Cottees]

I widened up the elbow. While taking it off the plenum, I broke it.


Cut the old thin flange off so I can put on a thicker one.


Also pulled out the old washers I put in originally to strengthen it cause I was using a thin flange.


Levelled it off ready for the new thicker flange. I can see my bad fibre glassing where some of the fibre glass matting didn't get saturated with resin.

[ozdusterdave]

After looking through this thread in awe of all the time and fabrication work you are putting in..I am soooo glad I was happy to go with bolt on twin 40mm carbs.

[Cottees]

After looking through this thread in awe of all the time and fabrication work you are putting in..I am soooo glad I was happy to go with bolt on twin 40mm carbs.

Yeah, takes a lot of time, but I enjoy making stuff.

Rough cut a new piece of aluminium plate.


I then cut out the bolt holes, cut out the port and then port matched to the plenum.

With that cut to shape, I now glued and clamped.

[ozdusterdave]

Keep up the good work!