Since the EEE only supports stereo 2CH output and I had 6 speakers I got a 5.1 USB audio card, also from eBay. You'd be best off finding a mini-ITX board with HD audio and multi-channel audio support, they should be pretty standard nowadays.
Yeah, I have been working on an touchscreen interface for an ICE system for a while, so the software shouldn't be too hard. The drivers for the system might be a bit of an issue but. Will be interesting to see how Xorg supports touchscreen's.
Right, well... Tonight I put in my newly reco'd Brake Master Cylinder and another Brake Booster. I think my original booster was stuffed because the center pin that goes into the BMC was loose and you could pull and push and angle it any which way.... The one I put in tonight (thanks Sideways!) was not loose at all. A quick test with the brake pedal confirms it feels much much different to the old one... this was before installing the BMC. The BMC went on without a hassle except the nuts for the brake lines are mostly stripped so I ended up using a pair of multi-grips - those nuts ain't going anywhere anytime soon All this took about 15 minutes. I then remembered I still hadn't got myself a 12mm wheel key, GRRRRRR! All I could do was take off 1 nut from 1 wheel with the unique key and an impact wrench, then drive around hopelessly looking for something to be open that sold the key I needed.... but to no avail Oh well Ill buy one tomorrow and take my wheels off tomorrow night. At least I finally got to use my new hydraulic jack and jack stands - and this time I chocked the wheels so it wouldn't move sideways and fall over!!!!!!!! Why didn't I think of that before I destroyed 2 scissor jacks.... oh well - live and learn.
Whew! Drama, drama, drama.... you'd never think so much drama to change the damn BMC... but it's all done now - all lines bled, new DOT4 fluid throughout, no air bubbles. The brake pedal actually feels like a proper brake pedal now, not a block of wood Just took the Zed for a test drive and while it's braking performance is only slightly better than before, it doesn't require Hercules' right leg to push the pedal down anymore. I gave the old girl a fair shakeup with start-stop all around the back streets and it was going well. I decided to go for a little trip down the main road to find a longer street to get some speed up - everything was going well. Did 1 run up the street, not fast, it's a neighbourhood and only 50kph limit - still OK. I came back up the street to head home and slammed the brakes on 1 more time for good measure and..... nothing! Ok well a little bit but I overshot the turn I was going to make by a good 10 metres.... argh! I got out to have a look and my front right was on fire!!! Lots of smoke and a tiny bit of flame.. the rotors have turned a blue sheen on the inner part and the pads have some bubbling showing and look old and stuffed... I let them cool a bit until there was only a little bit of smoke and nursed her home. So, 1 problem fixed, another shown... Now I'm really hanging out for those brake pads from GSL Rallysport to come into stock!
I got the S2 PTU from heavytrevy today so the first thing I did when I got home was install it I didn't even bother going inside first, just straight out of the Yaris and onto working on the Zed... PTU went in without a hitch, same with the near-new fuel filter. I had a look at the fuel that was coming out of the old filter.... If you've ever drunk plunger coffee then you know about that muddy mess left at the bottom - that's what was coming out of the filter! I cross-ziptied the PTU to one of the brackets that used to hold the stock airbox but used a couple of sq.in. thermal transfer pads in between to help transfer the heat from the PTU to the chassis. Test drive was successful
Hurray! I've lost my oil-changing virginity It wasn't on the Zed though, just the Yaris. I've been meaning to change the oil since before the Mt Tambo cruiZe but postponed it continually. I finally bit the bullet and bought a pan, filter clamp, funnel, oil flter and 5L of Valvoline 5W30 Durablend. I took the plug out of the sump pretty much right after driving the car for half an hour so lovely hot black oil goes all over my hand - OW! Oh well, that's the price you pay for being impatient The Yaris has only done 2300km since the last oil change (usually done by Toyota @ 10000km intervals) but it is already really dark, like a charcoal colour Good thing I changed it. I let it drain for about an hour and came back and reinstalled the sump plug and cleaned up the oil I'd left behind. I began filling the engine up with new oil slowly. By now the engine was mostly cool so I wasn't worried about putting cold oil into a hot crankcase. After putting in 3 litres I realised DOH! I forgot to do the oil filter....why you little.....! Oh well, too late now. I don't have enough oil left to drain it all and fill up again. I'll keep it for next time. 3.5L of oil went in. Let it sit for 10 minutes, checked and added a bit more, let it rest, checked again. Started the car for a minute, turned it off, let it rest, checked the level again, added a bit more, let it rest, checked the level was indeed at the FULL mark and..... TADA! My first oil change is complete Took it for a test drive. You can't tell the engine is even running when sitting idle at the lights. I have to keep checking the tacho - "is thing thing on???" It's great! My only gripe is that it sounds like I'm making popcorn everywhere I go... under mild to medium acceleration there's a constant crackling noise It's been like that since about 3 months after I got the car. Oh well... It only disappears at idle or WOT - probably because it's drowned out by the resulting intake and exhaust symphony. Such is life
Been a while, done a few things since last time. - Reco'd and shift-kitted auto trans fitted - New brake pads - Cleaned and lined car from rear seat back with insertion rubber - Installed sound deadening in doors - New full boot floor - Wheel wells coated with bitumen - Rear strut brace installed Pictures of the work will follow soon
Time for a photo story The rear strut brace - $49! Preparing to spray the wheel wells: The result: THE BIG PROJECT Boot before the work begins: It's clean! Much time spent scrubbing everything with warm soapy water. WHY????? Time to lay down some rubber! Time to do the doors: Coated the back of the speaker brackets with bitumen: The door is complete Time to make a template for the new false floor: Now we have a 3-piece full-boot false floor FINISHED.... FINALLY!!!! Carpet in, trim in, and strut bar installed I shall get some spilt tubing to cover the edges of the holes in the trim for the strut bar. OH and the strut bar works!!! When straightening out from a turn, before the Z would tend to be lazy and start turning the opposite way. Now, it just goes straight! It feels tighter, made the rear a little more hard-riding, but turns well . If you brake hard in a fast corner, it makes the car turn in even harder! Fantastic Very happy with the result, but my neck isn't, not my back
Hurray! New slotted front rotors, stock wheels (no more spacers) and sub are installed and cranking! Rotor fitted Stock wheel fitted Check out the spacers that were fitted!!!!! They're the same width as the length of the stock wheel studs! Couple of wider shots Sub box mid-build. Everything is caulked up. End result is a completely airtight box! The sub that went in the box - 12" Clarion SW1251. I think it's rated 350W RMS - more than enough for me, for now... I will eventually cover the box when I decide what material to use... one day... it's good enough for now. I just can't wait to break it in so I can start to really crank it up! Now I have wheels with tyres, rotors and spacers I no longer need. Anyone interested? Rotors were new when I bought the car in December. Tyres were also fitted at the same time. Wheels require the spacers to fit a Z. Here are some pics. I've included photos of the back of the rims if the info is helpful... Now to see how we go on the dyno day on Saturday... fingers crossed for 200rwkw!
Looking good, but secure that sub box! Lots of traffic cops around Mt. Gravatt. They all meet at Mt. Gravatt maccas every morning at 6.30, so keep an eye out
Hmmm true... I mean, it isn't going anywhere in a hurry - i've strapped that thing down so tight with the cargo straps... but how would you properly secure it? Would strapping it to the strut bar be enough?
I didn't know that the GTR rotors would fit under standard Zed wheels! And interested in your spacers, how thick are they?
With it secured with the cargo straps, in a crash you are going to have a nice 12" sub in the back of your head . This is more of a saftey thing than a lets not get defected post. I have seen people drill holes in the bottom and secure it to the floor, sealing the holes and so on. Sure it's a pain in the ass, but it is a hell of a lot safer. The strut bar might also work, but would look ugly as
They're just the RDA 909S rotors. Don't know what the old ones were... I lost my tape measure so couldn't measure the spacers yet but they look about 20mm... will get a proper measurement for you later. I should find some way to secure the sub box to my masonite floor and still be able to remove it within a minute or 2 should I want to put something large (like targas) in the boot.
