Hello Guest

" my first sami "

  • 4 Replies
  • 1280 Views

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

" my first sami "
« on: February 02, 2010, 08:19:37 PM »
i just bought a 1987 sami softtop that is stock(so far) and  had a few questions. first of all i have been looking for intake mods and cannot find any. when i say mod i mean get rid of the airbox or something else that would help my baby breathe. next is the important one.....i have a tranny noise only in the first 3 gears that i can hear and notice making loud noise. it is not really a grinding or a clunking it is kinda like a serpintine belt when it wears out....kinda like that i guess....another question is i am kinda on a budget right now and need to know where to start with the sami. like center console's...has anyone have a good idea where to put my drink at? i won't be doing any SERIOUS off roading but will occasionally take it in the mudd/snow/sand. it will be a commuter for the most part but still wanna be able to count on it when i need it...and it's gotta look good at the same time. .i would also like to know what parts innerchange easy or not easy so when i go to a junkyard i know what to lookfor.  i just registered to a few zuki forums and could use all the help i can get and thanks

*

Offline Drone637

  • *
  • 8121
  • 116
  • Gender: Male
  • Evil Cow
Re: " my first sami "
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2010, 02:23:43 PM »
Tranny noise is probably your bearings.  Put some new gear oil in it and see if it goes away.  Otherwise plan on a rebuild at some point in the future.

For the intake you can probably build a short ram without a problem, or even a snorkel kit so you have a cold air style intake.  Most people go for a 2" exhaust first, then possibly a header and either a webber carb or the MySide carb conversion over to a side-draft carb.  Both will help add some extra ponies to your 1.3.

What size tires are you looking at running?  235/75R15 will go right on without any lift at all, just some trimming of the front bumper.  With some nice MTR it looks pretty cool as well.

A nice adventure rig build is to put a 2" OME Spring lift on the Samurai and some 30" tires with either 5.12 gears from a couple of Geo Tracker/Suzuki Sidekicks (Only the front gears are swapable) or by installing a 4:1 Transfer case set, my preferred way of dropping gears in a SJ.

Another common swap is to put a 1.6L engine in the SJ, but if your going for a budget build it might not be in your budget at the moment.
96 Geo Tracker, x-SJ-410,  x-White Rabbit, x-Project Trouble
Crawlers NorthWest
x-Trouble Racing

Re: " my first sami "
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2010, 09:08:44 PM »
a few good ideas......................thanks

*

Offline Merlin93

  • 170
  • 4
  • Gender: Male
Re: " my first sami "
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2010, 08:41:27 AM »
Spend some time searching out what others want and have done.  Try to fit that into what you want to do.  Larger tires are a common modification, but almost always require additional clearance. They also make the vehicle taller and more "tippy", a consideration for a daily driver.  Lower gears are another common mod. When/if you change the ring & pinion ratio, you'll need to do both front & rear, and it will affect your speedometer. Only a few R&P ratios are available.  If you change the R&P along with your larger tires, you can maintain some speedometer accuracy. Lower transfer case gears are probably the most common gearing change, and do NOT affect the speedometer, since the speedo drive is taken from the T-case output.  If you plan your changes, you may avoid changing something twice.
If you live in a smog state, like I do (Calif), then consider the smog impact of any engine changes (Calif. requires a valid smog cert. when you sell the vehicle). Everything you might want to do has been considered and discussed before. Spend time researching what's been done and you might save yourself a lot time and effort. There are at least a half-dozen serious Suzuki aftermarket vendors. Most support several boards. Visit their websites; see what they offer, and what fits into your use of the Zuk.
These are getting to be old trucks. You might start by changing all the fluids and getting the rig running as best it can.  You'll find the stock Samurai is a surprisingly capable vehicle. After you've lived with it a while, you'll have a much better idea what you want to do next.

*

Bobthebiker

Re: " my first sami "
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2010, 09:38:38 AM »
look around on lowrangeoffroad.com  for fuel system improvement ideas to gain you power/improve your fuel system a little.