Team3S              Sunday, June 10 2001              Volume 01 : Number 516




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Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2001 17:57:44 -0000
From: "Sam Shelat" <sshelat@erols.com>
Subject: Re: Team3S: CV Joint replacement

Re: 95 VR-4
Since my accident last winter (slid down snowy ice covered hill and jumped
curb), I have had my wheel bearing replaced, a set of new struts put in, and
new wheels/tires and an alignment.  The mechanic checked my driver side CV
for damage and decided it was safe to re-use.  He told me he needed a
special press to remove my hub from the axle since his 20ton one wasn't
sufficient.  A few months now down the road, I find that the tie rod is shot
and the outer CV shot all its grease inside my new rims.  Being oblivious to
where the grease came from (I saw no breach in the boot), I continued to
drive the car this way.  Last night, I raced a new SLP SS Camaro from a
stoplight to 120mph  (o.t. had to put this in-still have a smile on my face)
and put about 10 cars on him--then beat him up on some 40+ rolls.  I drove
the car this morning and hear the CV making grinding noises.  Dealer told me
that out of 4 VR-4s they had in this month, none of them could be repaired
w/o replacing everything since the Hub would not release from the axle.  He
told me to expect a $1500 bill.  I know I can buy a reman. axle for $150.
Can I do this myself?  Will a standard hub puller work or does this car
require something special?  I am assuming the mechanic who did remove it
only had problems cause I hit the curb and it was the first time.  What size
hub socket do I need?  Should just the outer CV be replaced?  I bought new
tire rods inner/outer and new sway bar bushings/ endlinks.  This car has
given me grief every time something had to be changed, so any advice would
be very helpful.

Sam

***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***

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Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2001 17:07:21 -0500
From: "xwing" <xwing@wi.rr.com>
Subject: Team3S: Transmission Upgrade Update

Dear 3S Community:

With the many brave souls who sent in donations to the cause for the
purchase and shipping of 2 (sort of broken) 5 speed cores to Jim Rowe at
Metric Mechanic to tear down, inspect, science out and machine our
transmissions so they would utilize the synchros harder/more
efficiently/make them last WAY longer, I can report what is becoming more
and more obvious about many people and businesses dealing with high
performance cars:

THEY ARE ALL LIARS.

Or, put more nicely, many aren't liars, many seem like nice people, and will
promise you they CAN DO, WILL DO, WILL DELIVER...then don't.  Uniformly, you
are strung along for weeks, months and sometimes years before they admit
they AREN'T going to do your job, or do it wrong.

Jim Rowe took my NEW synchros, the 2 TRANS we all donated for/shipped to
him, as well as a 3S member's REAL TRANS he was willing to have them "do the
first job on" and did nothing significant with them, for month after month.
He then sent the stuff to Blanton Transmissions (who used to work with Rowe)
who told me HE would try to do our job and make a 3000/Stealth "Super
Getrag" like Metric Mechanic already DOES with BMW Getrags.

I called Blanton again, last week, "ya know, I just haven't had time to do
it, maybe sometime"...well, I asked him to at least send me my new synchro
assemblies back.  For now, I am leaving the core with him, maybe he'll do it
someday, he "seems nice" etc...

Like many, I have several other stories of this kind of BULL SH*T that have
been perpetrated (and I am very patient, I don't come on the boards
complaining) but lately they are REALLY piling up so now I vent.  I also
wanted to give an accounting of where the donation money went.  I know, I
know, at the beginning I said "these donations may end up doing NOTHING, it
is a leap of faith" etc but I sure bought Metric Mechanic's promises because
they are already DOING it for the BMW's, they had a proven track record!
Still, I apologize to all involved, it is very disappointing and I am
ashamed to have been associated with this failure which cost some people not
only the money they sent but the faith in me to do something GOOD with it.

I do say hats off to Frank and all at Kormex Transmissions  for taking up
our transmission's cause and making some parts etc, they are walking the
walk, and I hope they continue to fabricate more and more parts/improvements
as time goes on; I hope we support them with our business when the occasion
arises.

Thanks to all...
Sincerely,
Jack Tertadian

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason Barnhart" <phnxgld@erols.com>
To: "Team3S (E-mail)" <Team3S@stealth-3000gt.st>
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001
Subject: Re: Team3S: Transmission Upgrade
> Last I heard was that Altered Atmosphere was also rebuilding our trannies
using the Kormex parts.
> Just so people understand, according to Kormex themselves, the synchros
are
> NOT upgrades.  They are simply replicas of the factory parts that are not
> available for purchase.  Kormex told me "they seem to grip better than the
> used factory synchros we tested..." so they might not be an improvement at
all.

> From: "Joshua G. Prince"
> > Is kormex the only company has built the *supposedly* upgraded synchros?
> > 3SI#0136

> > >  The last E-mail I saw from Jack T. he said he was not doing anything
on our transmissions.

> > > From: Richard
> > > Searching the old posts it seemed like Jack T was working on an
upgrade
> > > to the Getrag tranny. Jack or anyone out there anyone know of anything
> > > that exists or anyone capable of doing this. I think this is worth
some
> > > effort since this seems to be the weak link in the drive train once
you
> > > upgrade the standard parts. I can't see the value of going through
> > > multiple getrag trannys if this could be done. Any information or tips
> > > would be appreciated

***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***

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Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2001 17:20:42 -0500
From: "xwing" <xwing@wi.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Team3S: Maximum boost with stock cast pistons

Based on what I DID, you can go (spike, but small turbo not able to hold) to
about 28 psi with a little nitrous and still not break anything, with race
fuel.  Of course, you can go to about 26 psi on 93 octane at Road America
because your EVC craps out, and crack some pistons (what happened to my 93
engine when it broke the one time it broke :).

With race gas and forged pistons, go where you want, if you can log knock
especially.

I'd say with 93 octane short duration 20 psi is my limit and iffy; 16 psi is
safe, with the knock sensor protecting you.  No guarantees, but you asked.

Jack Tertadian

From: "Mark Wendlandt" <stealth_tt@hotmail.com>
To: <Team3S@stealth-3000gt.st>
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001
Subject: Team3S: Maximum boost with stock cast piston

> If I were to take all precautions against detonation, what is the maximum
> boost that the stock pistons can handle.  I know that there are several of
> you out there that have found the melt down point(Jack, Arty and probably
> everyone else with forged pistons)..but, what is felt is the same limit?
It
> is just a function of boost(i.e. stay under 20psi) or more of EGTs(i.e.
stay
> under 1900F.)
> I'm going to be running race gas(110) and have datalog capabilities as
well
> as EGT probes.  I have 15Gs with RC560s and an ARC2 controller.
> I'm not ready to tear into the motor quite yet and I don't want to be
reckless.
> What is everyone comfortable with?
>> Mark Wendlandt  '91RT/TT

***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***

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Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 00:32:34 -0500
From: "Christopher Deutsch" <crdeutsch@mn.mediaone.net>
Subject: Team3S: Prying open the Glove Compartment

My glove compartment's lock is broken.  I found some old posts about the
issue and I will be cutting the metal loop with a hacksaw.  Any advise on
the best way to pry open the glove box to minimize damage?

Or, has anybody found a better way to get the compartment open?

Thanks,
Christopher

Silver '94 TT

***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***

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Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 10:08:18 -0700
From: "Bob Forrest" <bf@bobforrest.com>
Subject: Team3S: Off Topic: Some TV trivia about the Stealth...

It was announced recently on The Late Show w/ Craig Kilbourne and the Conan
O'Brien show that David Hasselhoff has purchased the rights to "The Knight
Rider", and that his production company intends to bring the show back to
using the same "future-car" concept, possibly as a Fox "Movie of the Week"
(pilot for a new series) or as a stand-alone movie.  A quick check with
their publicity office verified that (for economy reasons) they intend to
use the same basic vehicle (actually, 5 similar vehicles) as in the original
shows, the 1982-1986 series "Knight Rider" and 1991's "Knight Rider 2000".

For those of you who are not aware of it, the talking futurecar in both
shows was called "KITT" (which is the acronym for "Knight Industries Two
Thousand").  It utilized a combination of Chrysler's original (pre-Mitsu)
Stealth body design from 1982 and a 1st gen Stealth frame, and the
retracting wings/fins, rear-view TV (no mirrors), and Heads-Up Display (HUD)
that appeared on (and derived from) what finally became the 2nd generation
('87-'88) Pontiac Banshee.  The HUD never appeared on the 1982, 1st gen
Banshee, although Pontiac had been working on it since the '70s.  Obviously.
"KITT" had LOTS of later Hollywood body work, but also had major help from
Detroit.  It also incorporated the 2nd gen Stealth headlight design with the
1st gen Banshee's retractable headlight covers.  Since this was done before
Mitsu came "on board", it is assumed (but not verified) that the engine was
the original supercharged Chrysler Hemi 4-banger (mid-engine) from the
original "Stealth" (which at that time was still called the "Intrepid",
before the Stealth and Intrepid programs were separated and Mitsu joined in,
circa '88).  Later versions of the show used a custom front engine, origins
unknown, but all they could verify was that it was supercharged, so it was
not the Mitsu 3.0L engine that we know.

Those pretty, but now-useless vents on the side of our 3S cars were
originally designed to cool that mid-mounted 4-banger engine in the
pre-Stealth concept car.  Now some 15 years later, the Pontiac HUD, (to
monitor speed and gauges without having to look down), is an option on a
number of production cars, including the Cadillac; the rearward-facing
camera is now standard in the top Infinity models, although the mirrors are
still there.  It just gives you an idea of just how far ahead of their time
the Stealth and Banshee concept cars were...  The "hourglass" body design
came out simultaneously on the Pontiac Banshee and the Stealth (Intrepid)
concept cars - could it be that some corporate espionage was taking place in
the mid-'80's?  Hard to tell who was the 'thief', though.  Chrysler's Hyland
Park design team's work in the early-to-mid-'80s with Ferrari and Porsche is
well known, but it's hard to say if Pontiac came up with the same idea at
the same time, or "borrowed" it from Chrysler.  Next year's Firebird will
incorporate the (our?) hourglass body shape...

For those who dream of a real supercar, below my sig are the "technical
specs" of the 2nd generation KITT (according to Amy Martin, Hasselhoff's
niece).

This is off-topic, so let's keep replies *off* the list, please...

Enjoy!

Forrest
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- ---------------------------


KNIGHT INDUSTRIES TWO THOUSAND
- ------------------------------

VEHICLE TYPE:  Front engine, rear wheel drive, two passenger, two door coupe

DIMENSIONS:  Wheel base (101 in.); Length (189.8 in.); Width (72 in.);
Height (37.2 in.)

ENGINE TYPE:  Knight Industries turbojet with modified afterburners

TRANSMISSION:  8 speed microprocessor turbodrive with autopilot (needs no
driver)

STEERING TYPE:  Modified rack-and-pinion

TURN-CIRCLE:  2ft. with rocket assist

BRAKES: Type- Electromagnetic hyper-vacuum disc

CHASSIS/BODY TYPE:  Unit construction

BODY MATERIAL:  Classified (compound is virtually indestructible)

PRICE NEW:  $11,400,000 est.

ACCELERATION:  0-60mph:  .2 seconds with power boosters.  Standing 1/4 mile:
4.286sec. @ 300mph

BRAKING:  14ft.(70-0 mph)

FUEL ECONOMY: Classified (to avoid heart attacks in Detroit)

ACCESSORY FEATURES: Operationally controlled by the Knight Industries 2000
microprocessor. Features include: Auto Cruise, Auto Pursuit, Auto Collision
Avoidance (with
over-ride option), and separate Right and Left Emergency Eject. Knight 2000
microprocessor is equipped with a computer "voice," known as "KITT."
Complete audio/video in-dash entertainment & surveillance capabilities,
including radar, sonar,and x-ray.

***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***

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Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 17:54:14 -0400
From: "anthonymelillo" <anthonymelillo@home.com>
Subject: Team3S: how to check aftermarket BOV operation

I just put a second Greddy Type-S BOV in my car, the first one was
defective. This one opened when I put my hand vacuum pump on it.

The valve came with the adjustment bolt sticking about 1/4 in.  I put the
valve on the car, and didn't have any problems, that I could tell.

But how can I tell if it is opening ?  I drove a little, and didn't hear
anything, during shifts, which I was told I would hear.

Maybe I just can't hear very well over my Borla Exhaust.

Any ideas ?

Anthony Melillo
anthonymelillo@home.com

***  Info:  http://www.Team3S.com/Rules.htm  ***

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End of Team3S V1 #516
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