Shakezilla's 98 "Black Betty" build. Updated

Thanks ill try to trim the leads up!

Swapped to the studs and did some maintenance. Specifically, the shifter was squeaking so I oiled it. I found this when i opened it up. The damn joint was pulling straight up and added a significant amount of slop.



I fab'd up a thrust bearing and fixed that sh*t ! !



Side note: I did some research on the MS-II. I can directly drive the coil pack with the MS-II ! ! I have to add a few additional circuits and remove some circuits. Another thing is the returnless fuel system will pose a problem. The fuel pump is a PWM device and there doesnt seem to be much development on MS-II to incorporate a PWM fuel pump. So the stock ECU must run the pump or I can swap to a return style fuel system.

willl u be able to shift it looks like you wont be able to move shifter. ??

Where is the retainer spring that holds it down? Also my shifter seats a lot further down then yours(my cheap eBay shifter)

Hmm, I recall not being able to get the spring onto the ebay shifter. So I left it off. Then again I can be a moron sometimes.

I would much rather reuse the spring because I have a feeling this bracket I made will rattle. The shifter still shifts fine otherwise.

edit: Think I figured it out will update

I had to use a rubber mallet to get mine in the rest of the way. I used the grease that was in the master pro bushing kit for shifter rattle. Really sticky grease

Im messing with it as I type. If I try to push the shifter into the floor it hits the exhaust. I have no idea how you did it lol. Could you post pics?

Best pic I could get.

I also didn't use rubber boot

Looks like you left the heat shield off. Mine is hitting the shield. Whatever bracket is made lol.

PITA head job
(broken head bolts)




ARP head studs:


After deleting A/C and P/S:



Pile of mass. ~18lbs not including the fluids.

Will the ARP head studs stretch and contract like the regular bolts do? I read somewhere they will work short term, like on a race car engine that gets reworked after each race.. Can we use these ARP head studs for everyday driving and not blow the head gasket?

They are reusable which is why I got them. Also, hoping they are not prone to breaking off into the block. Ill more then likely have the head off again. Ill keep you updated on reliability. Although, they are most likely not worth the trouble with a DD/beater.

Ok, I see the Ac line has to come off to pass the head and line it up with the Studs... If we were to put the studs in,the stock AC hose most be upgraded or moved over to clear... But it would most likely brake or leak at that point...

What does (DD/beater) mean?

You don't have to put the studs in first. You can put the head on and then put the studs in. I'd did that for the pics lol.

DD = Daily driver, you drive it daily to work and have no real plans for any kind of performance.

This is my DD but I plan on boosting it at some point. These studs add strength to the head/block union that will make the engine more reliable when I finally do boost it. Also, it would not be a bad idea to upgrade the head gasket to an MLS (reusable).

Beater = A car you don't really care about or you only drive it because you have too.

since your running ms,are you gonna delete the PCV valve?

The pcv system will need to be updated with turbo. I have a catch can that im going to install. Boosting the crank case isn't a good idea; MS or not doesn't matter.

2nd Amp.


Started tearing down for a new clutch. Axles still stuck waiting on tools. Newish water pump started leaking and the passenger front caliper is leaking. :/

Have down time waiting on the correct throw out bearing:

New axle tool!


Trans is out!



Old clutch and pressure plate.



Down to the rivets and uneven wear



Totally forgot to get a pic of the flywheel before machining it. Here is the old pressure plate. (Covered in dust) Has some bluing but the flywheel was much worse. No cracks though which is a good thing.



Filled the lower rear trans mount and the driver side mount, which used up the rest of the poly. So all four mounts with one tube.





All the new stuff reinstalled: rear main seal, pilot bearing, resurfaced flywheel, pressure plate, and clutch.



Leaking caliper.. Have a hardware kit coming and new seals.



Still waiting on the correct T.O.B. damn thing. After I get that the trans will go back in and I can tidy up all the loose ends: starter, ect. I'm so excited for a new grabby clutch.

Sweet.. Nice work. Which clutch did u go with?

OEM Exedy.