Loud & Low 8th Gen Civic - UBL #3 - The Final Chapter - Up to date

[scooter99]

STUPID ROUNDOVER BIT!

Let's get it in!

Used screws here. Counter sunk pre drilled it. This is just temporary to get the port situated for the rear deck and the extension. When I get it all body filled and primed and finished, I'll glue it and screw it back in.

Port holes!! Think this will cause some port noise? LOL

Just kidding, roughed out! I have the square there because I forgot there wasn't a wall to flush trim on the outsides. Just the inside wall and side walls are there to flush against.

So I clamped the square in there for a straight edge.

Time to flush trim!

Had a little accident on the back left corner there. I didn't clamp the other side because it felt tight. Guess it wasn't. I'll have to address that later.

Then I grabbed an angle bit, and 45'd the center wall. Was going to round it over, but I thought this would be better.

1/4" mdf to make some templates for the external port.

Not going to continue the center part on the external port. This is panel #1.

Cut it close with the jig saw, and then two sided tape to put it on and use the flush bit.

My wife came through with some Starbucks! Was getting a little chilled.

Cleaned up.

Had the center parts still so I sanded the nub left over with a block sander.

Nice and clean.

Ready to use my new toy! Thanks Kyle and Laura!

[scooter99]

Copying to Panel #2 so I can use the rabbeting bit and bring it back.

4 panels later this is what I have. Now I'll get some ply cut and then all I'll need to do is use the flush trim bit and copy these over. That's all for tonight. More tomorrow I hope.

So that was it for yesterday. I'm hoping to get back to doing some of it today, this afternoon. Maybe actually get the port built so I can start with the filling process. Also need to get the enclosure part finished so I can start working on the finishing work with it. Lots more to be done.

Also found out the weather delayed my parts. So I still don't have them. I talked with Honda yesterday and they're going to overnight them to me when the last part comes in tomorrow. SO, hopefully I'll have them on Tuesday, however that's Christmas Eve and there's no telling!

At this point I don't see me playing by the time I go back to work. I still have cable to run, amp racks to build, and other stuff as well to do. So I'll keep plugging away and hopefully I'll be done by February at Autorama!

Thanks for checking in! More to come!

[scooter99]

I actually forgot. After I took the torsion springs out, and the trunk hit me in the head, I decided I better do something about the trunk lid.

I had a video somewhere which I had already temporarily installed this so this time I just used the rivet threadserts tool and made my mounting points.

Works well! Although I will say that the trunk lid is heavier than I thought it would be. So while this one lifts it, I think I'm going to grab a second one for the other side so I can have equal movement as well as stability holding the lid up with the amp on it.

I need some spacers, for here, as well as, the back side too. I'm also going to use 1/4x20 bolts instead of these 8-32's. I noticed after a few uses with this much space behind it that they started bending a bit. A 1/4x20 fits perfectly in the holes of the actuator with no movement back and forth.

I tried the 6" actuator I bought, and it just won't work. Won't work for the trunk lid, nor will it work for the rear seat. SO I think I'm going to buy two more 10", one for the other side of the trunk, and one for the back seat.

That's all for now.

[scooter99]

So last night I left off with the external port template pieces. Let's move on.

Since I got the templates for the external port done, it's time to transfer them all to the birch. I cut a strip out, and copped them up with the chop saw.

4 panels.

Laid them out and traced the holes.

Cut them out with the jig saw close.

Got the two sided tape on them

and put the templates on them. Now they're ready for a pass with the flush trim bit.

Back to this beauty! Already paid for itself I think!

All flushed and cleaned up. Still have some work to do on this back flush wall, but I can either stand it, or just fill it with everything else and sand it smooth.

All lined up the way it's supposed to look. Now, liets get an idea of where they're supposed to go.

Got the enclosure back in

And stacked the first three panels, before I realized that i needed to take a touch more out of the deck for the 4th.

On the back side and the back left side.

Now the fourth panel can go in no problem. While I was at it, I cut the sides for the battery rack. Recall they needed a trim. So that's done too.

Inside view with all 4 panels.

[scooter99]

Now it's time to put it together. Again here I'm using the Nail gun and glue of course. I'm also using a chip brush so I can get a nice layer of the glue down instead of strips.

Like so

And then went Rambo on it's ass!! NAILED!!

Couple more times, same process, and we've got a raw external port!

Put it in place and did some counter sinking and screwing. This is all temporary. When I get everything finalized, these screws won't be here and the holes will be filled. The port has to be attached externally and I have an idea for that involving a couple of aluminum angle brackets threadserts, and screws.

After that was in again, I taped the outside for an idea of the placement.

So then took them out, and this was what was left. not a jagged cut. Why did I do this?

Because the trim panel is ready to be altered. Got it up there.

But forgot to take off this stupid insulation or deadener or whatever the hell it is. Worthless and in the way that's what it is. But I digress!

Got it up there and traced the tape line with a sharpie.

Took it out and Cleaned up the lines with the port itself.

This saw has paid for itself as well. What a great tool. So glad I got it. Look I'm gonna use it again!

[scooter99]

Got the port area cut out

And then took out the rear light area. That will need to be filled in, but that's no problem.

View from the front. Looks good. Sits lower than I thought it would. That's a good thing.

Cut one more panel, that I'll be using for the rear deck and to attach to the port itself with the trim piece.

I think I'll put a nice 45* cut on the front of the panel, then it will sit nicely with the front of the trim piece. Drew the contours with a sharpie, but i don't think I'm going to need it.

I got to looking and it appeared to me that the outside area of the trim panel, was very close to the level of the panel. SO I got a piece of angle aluminum out, and wow look at that.

Then I realized that it was just sitting there, and put it up there again, pushed on it a touch like it would be snapped in place, and would you look at that. WE HAVE TOUCH DOWN!! It's perfect!

I started to put fillers around the trim panel, with CA glue, but I don't think I did it right. So I may do that over again.

This is what it looks like without the last panel.

So that's as far as I got tonight. I'm happy with it.

So next I'm going to most likely take those pieces back off. I want to leave the top piece off, and then do a piece of 1/4" mdf that will go all the way across in the inner part of the trim panel. Then router out the area where the trim panel will go. It'll make more sense when you guys see it. i'll work on that tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in.

[scooter99]

Ok I've got two days worth of updates here. Been a busy two days that's for sure. Let's get started.

So after a few more days that desired, I finally got all the parts for this fix, on CHRISTMAS EVE at 9pm. Felt bad for the UPS guys, sort of. But that being said, it's here, let's get fixed.


So I tried to get the old unit out, figured I have a new one just replace the whole thing. But I couldn't get the allen head bolt to budge. SO I said eff it. I grabbed the T50 Torx Bit and got to taking the hydraulic piece off.


It actually came off fairly easily.


Did the same for the old one too.

New on the left, old on the right.




Then I got the new one back in pretty easily as well. Things are going far too easy right now as a matter of fact.


Then got the alt bracket out and took a look at it.


Everything looks good.


Bolted it in.

This is the bolt that sheered off of the other bracket. And to be perfectly honest with you, I can see why. It's not a very big bolt. Not very thick anyway. And with something like that hydraulic tensioner putting so much pressure on it, I think it should be bigger. But I'm not an engineer and I don't work for Honda. So I'll just watch it and hopefully it won't break again. If it does, I know it's $22 fix.


Got it bolted up to the bracket.

[scooter99]

New Singer alt about to go in. But first I needed to make a slight alteration to the post. It's much like the stock one, where it has the plastic around the post. So that needed to go.

Got my trusty air sawzall out. And made quick work of it.

Now that looks better. Plenty of room for a nice sized buss bar!

Then I bolted it in place. We're almost there. Bolted right in! As I said before, things are going WAY too easily!!

Now let's get the belt on and get it done!

Old belt out.

Got the pulley back on.

While I was at it I took out the last part of the Big 4 I had in there.

And then it went haywire. Belt was too long. Belt was too long by about 8". WTF. So I'll have to go back and get a new one. But, in the meantime I can move on to other things.

Pulled the stock battery tray out. I want to get something new and flat going on in there. This thing is just bent up and I don't like how the batteries that I've had in there rock around.

This was where it was at. Seems like a pretty large spot.

So I cut some wood the size of the battery base.

And did some testing.

[scooter99]

And came up with a battery tray. I'll let the next few pictures speak for themselves.

I decided that instead of screwing everything together, I'd try rivets instead. Worked very very well. This thing is solid. I would have rather welded a steel plate onto the original one, but I don't know how to weld and I don't have time to pay someone to do it for me.

So this was the final result. As I said, this thing is stout. Not sure if it looks that way to you, but I'm telling you it is.

Little test fit with the battery. Some room around it which was what I wanted, that's fine. I didn't want a tight fit. I wanted to have some room to maneuver.

After putting it in place, on the oem platform, I found out I needed a little more height. So I grabbed some 1x1 square aluminum tubing, and put a base on it.

Riveted it on.

Marked where it needed to sit.

[scooter99]

Back to the battery tray. I had made some feet attachments using some 3/4" angle aluminum. Then used threadserts for them to mount to the stock plate.

But after getting them mounted, and then putting the new tray on, I found it was going to be very difficult to attach them.

So I ended up drilling through the 1x1 square tube base and used threadserts there as well. No pic of it on, but You get the idea.

Next I wanted to start cleaning it up. It'll get a new paint job before final mounting.

heavy 80 grit

then hit with 120 grit. Couldn't get all the contours, but I think it'll be ok for what I'm doing.

I temporarily mounted it, so I could get the battery in, and double check height, as well as get other things mounted and built. Such as the fuse holder mount in the back there.

I also started working on a mount for 2 fuse holders in the front as well. It's hard to find a good place for them, cause these SHCA/Toolmaker fuse holders are about the size of a dollar bill! Large!

This one will go to the driver side rear battery bank.

These two are for the alt to front battery and then the passenger side rear battery bank.

Overall view. I'll be doing a buss bar off the positive post on the alt, which will supply the cable for these holders.