Big McLargeHuge’s 1990 JDM NSX Adventure Thread

[Big McLargeHuge]

Well everyone, the worst case is the present case. The right rail is pushed in and back by 1-2 inches and it would need to be pulled back and a new rail spliced on, when it was repaired before they just patched it and left as-is underneath and hid it, even though the wheel alignment is now in spec. Not sure what to say but add me to the list of suckers left footing the bill for some else's profit. Still, completely my fault for going ahead with the purchase knowing it had been "repaired" without documentation. Caveat emptor, etc., etc., buy your throwable tomatoes here. Every adventure (thread) needs a conflict to make it worthwhile, right?

What to do [EDIT: See http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...ture-Thread?p=2027836&viewfull=1#post2027836]. I want to get it repaired right and keep it for a long time like I said in the first place. I could revert back to stock auto and sell, but I'd still lose my shirt despite all the fixes I've done and basically do a transmission swap 3 times over plus wait another few months/years until the right car shows up, I don't want that.

The shop that it's at now doesn't have the facilities to fix it, so I'm looking for somewhere else around town. I don't have a quote for the work yet, but include a frame machine (est. $1k+), new rail assy (~$3k), labor for disassembly, welding, paint, consumables, etc. At least I assume it doesn't need exterior paint, panels, or suspension parts. I won't try and guess a total cost yet since it always goes up by 50% after.

The car is worth saving but I'm not in a great position to pay for it. Ultimately I will one way or another keep or sell, so I'll have to put off all my future projects for a few months until I sort this out. Yeah, not feeling great.
Would appreciate any contacts, guides, references, whatever that might help me figure out what to do from here.

 

[drew]

JP car auctions are a crapshoot. Can't really inspect all that much...

How were you notification of the repair prior to purchase?

Any pics of the cover up?

If the alignment is in spec then there is not much sense of urgency...drive until you get your act together.

Bummer though.

 

[sca037]

That's a hard pill to swallow, BUT since it's actually in alignment how about just driving it for a few years and enjoy the heck out of it until you make a decision on the long term plan?

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

The US dealer I got it from didn't really offer up any info on the repairs, I found out myself from digging through a "CarVX" report which is somewhat of a Carfax/etc. equivalent in JP. They definitely oversold it though, obviously. "Super clean pick-up" and all that marketing to push it out the door.

Everything exterior wise looked good and neither I or the PPI guy noted anything concerning. Without the benefit of hindsight I probably would've bought it all over again even now, I just didn't have the experience to recognize the subtle signs of something repaired incorrectly and went ahead with it. I scoured the internet as much as I could and didn't find anything, no pictures before it got to the US.

I'm not concerned about driving it around, still a well sorted and good driving car otherwise. It will take me a few weeks at least to even get a good idea of the most efficient path forward. Very expensive lesson and hard not to think about all the time. I'm not the type to leave something like that alone :smile-freehand:. Thanks for the replies.

 

[docjohn]

Have a pm chat with Joe..pbassjo that is....

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

He's retired, right? I recall he posted in this thread by Christian (http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...r-at-3-NSX-at-one-time?highlight=frame+damage) questioning the validity of repairing the rail like in his pic below. Putting on the complete factory piece involves disassembly of the side sills and interior/dashboard which seems to more than double the work involved and probably not something I can swing. I'll reach out and ask anyways, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[docjohn]

He is a great guy who happens to have danced your dance so many times....

 

[Honcho]

Well everyone, the worst case is the present case. The right rail is pushed in and back by 1-2 inches and it would need to be pulled back and a new rail spliced on, when it was repaired before they just patched it and left as-is underneath and hid it, even though the wheel alignment is now in spec. Not sure what to say but add me to the list of suckers left footing the bill for some else's profit. Still, completely my fault for going ahead with the purchase knowing it had been "repaired" without documentation. Caveat emptor, etc., etc., buy your throwable tomatoes here. Every adventure (thread) needs a conflict to make it worthwhile, right?

What to do. I want to get it repaired right and keep it for a long time like I said in the first place. I could revert back to stock auto and sell, but I'd still lose my shirt despite all the fixes I've done and basically do a transmission swap 3 times over plus wait another few months/years until the right car shows up, I don't want that.

The shop that it's at now doesn't have the facilities to fix it, so I'm looking for somewhere else around town. I don't have a quote for the work yet, but include a frame machine (est. $1k+), new rail assy (~$3k), labor for disassembly, welding, paint, consumables, etc. At least I assume it doesn't need exterior paint, panels, or suspension parts. I won't try and guess a total cost yet since it always goes up by 50% after.

The car is worth saving but I'm not in a great position to pay for it. Ultimately I will one way or another keep or sell, so I'll have to put off all my future projects for a few months until I sort this out. Yeah, not feeling great.
Would appreciate any contacts, guides, references, whatever that might help me figure out what to do from here.

Oh no, Tyler, I'm so, so sorry this happened! Docjohn is right, you should give Joe a call and discuss. TBH, if the car aligns correctly to spec, it might just be worth driving it for a few years and saving up for the repair. I believe Joe's concern for the ATR repair stemmed from the below-referenced section of the body repair manual. Honda specified very exactly what frame parts should be replaced and what could not. They said the "front side frame is critical for the rigidity of the front compartment". I believe the issue is that if you cut and re-weld the rail itself, you're introducing a failure point (crumple zone) where it is not designed to be. Kind of like folding a piece of paper- it's more likely to tear along that fold. No matter how good the weld is, it's not the same as the original extruded metal piece and it would introduce a safety risk if the car were to have another impact in that area. In the US, that could have serious legal and insurance consequences. Not sure about the EU. Anyway, in the page below, we see what Honda says must be replaced (shaded) if there is damage to the frame rail. If you look closely, it is welded all the way down to the side sill, which would fully preserve the original structural rigidity and alignment. It's not that bad, actually, and I'm sure you can find a donor piece through helpful people on this forum. For example, Christian has a pile of NSX pieces and can send you the right cut. I'd buy it, let it sit in the basement for a couple of years and, once I have the money saved up, pull the trigger on the repair.

If you've decided this is "your car", then I think the above game plan is the right way to go. Joe may have additional thoughts- he is a really great guy and truly cares about NSX owners. Tagging him: [MENTION=4046]pbassjo[/MENTION]

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

Thanks for the comments. I agree on all of that. I emailed Christian a few days ago and he has some LHD rail cuts available, no RHD but I'd just need some rivet nuts for the ABS brackets and wire harness. I'll be lucky if I can find somewhere anywhere close to me that can actually do the work, that's the first step. Especially with the right tools/jig/aluminum setup.

I would probably disassemble as much as possible before I eventually take it in, probably involves taking the dash and trim pieces/carpet off, maybe delete the ABS while I'm at it (temporarily or until S2K/NA2 replacement), CC unit removal. They'd have to take out the rad & coolant, probably the A/C condenser which would need an R12 recharge, and the brake master/booster, and all the suspension parts...lots of stuff in the way since that front side frame piece extends into the front of the cabin. Supercharger kit or new frame rail? Hah. Lots of work ahead of me and I'll keep the updates going.

 

[Honcho]

Thanks for the comments. I agree on all of that. I emailed Christian a few days ago and he has some LHD rail cuts available, no RHD but I'd just need some rivet nuts for the ABS brackets and wire harness. I'll be lucky if I can find somewhere anywhere close to me that can actually do the work, that's the first step. Especially with the right tools/jig/aluminum setup.

I would probably disassemble as much as possible before I eventually take it in, probably involves taking the dash and trim pieces/carpet off, maybe delete the ABS while I'm at it (temporarily or until S2K/NA2 replacement), CC unit removal. They'd have to take out the rad & coolant, probably the A/C condenser which would need an R12 recharge, and the brake master/booster, and all the suspension parts...lots of stuff in the way since that front side frame piece extends into the front of the cabin. Supercharger kit or new frame rail? Hah. Lots of work ahead of me and I'll keep the updates going.

With all the money and motorsports in Atlanta, I'm sure there are a few places.

 

[RC-DEVIL]

Hi Tyler,

I think sourcing the proper frame cut at a feasible sum is #1 .

the rest can be sorted relatively easily if doing some of the work yourself, we have some very high end collision shops in Atlanta with proper equipment, I would stick with the big ones around here Magnum, Sugar Hill Collision Etc. . I also have the hardcopy body repair OEM manual if you need to reference that locally.

 

[Honcho]

I agree on all of that. I emailed Christian a few days ago and he has some LHD rail cuts available, no RHD but I'd just need some rivet nuts for the ABS brackets and wire harness.

I would probably disassemble as much as possible before I eventually take it in, probably involves taking the dash and trim pieces/carpet off, maybe delete the ABS while I'm at it (temporarily or until S2K/NA2 replacement), CC unit removal.

If you're talking about the square nut bosses that are welded to the frame, you could always have them take the ones off your original and tack them onto the donor cut in the correct orientation.

Also, you have a really good idea to disassemble as much of the car as you can- the shop will charge you to do that at their labor rate. In my case, the collision shop estimated that I saved about $10,000 on the paint job by doing it myself. My justification was that you are only paying them your hard-earned $$ for their expertise in the repair/paint work- not for assembly. I would do two things also: (1) have them double-check the frame to make sure it really is bent before they start cutting and torching; and (2) follow the body repair manual exactly to repair this section of the car- no shortcuts.

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

Yeah, those nut bosses, plus the ~3 ABS mount points. $10 G's is a ton, I'd actually prefer doing it myself so that you're not worried about anything being broken or misplaced. Besides the body panel re-alignment which I'm sure will be an adventure in itself .

Thanks Shaan. I'll get a hold of one of them after the holidays.

I had a long and productive conversation with Joe/pbassjo today (hi Joe!), super nice guy. I'll try not to put words in his mouth, but essentially the conclusion from pics I sent over was that I shouldn't worry about it too much since the car aligns in spec and everything bolts up like it should, so I've been metaphorically talked off the ledge. That said, he suggested having a local expert take a few hours removing the surrounding stuff and give it a three-dimensional (x/y/z) inspection to give a precise report of what might need to be done. The previous place was actually nice enough not to charge anything but they just used a tram gauge from the exterior to get a general idea and nothing else. He also suggested cleaning up the area and using some dye penetrant to check for cracks. Once I get those done I'll have enough info to make an informed decision, but I respect Joe's opinion & experience a lot so it's looking like more of a leave it and monitor for changes for now.

 

[docjohn]

Joe is the Faucci of nsx structure....:wink:

 

[Honcho]

Give it up for Daayyyy 2.

Here's the final patch harness for C161 next to the ECU. It's mostly red wires to the same old wires since there's only two pins I need to mess with.

One new green wire to lead into the ECU neutral switch input from my C499 patch harness. There's one other missing pin not included with the factory A/T harnesses, which is a PNK wire for the ECU clutch switch signal input.

Here's the end of my clutch switch wire to the ECU. There's no female pin on the ECU connector (top row, 3rd from left), so I'd need to find a terminal to add the pin myself. They look smaller than the HD-090 connector terminals I've been using so I need to do more research to find the right kind. Even the FancyCraft author doesn't really know what this input is for, presumably it's to tell the ECU not to use VTEC in neutral/with the clutch disengaged. The car should run regardless.

Tyler, were you ever able to identify the pin needed for the pink wire (clutch) into the ECU? I'm going to pirate wires/terminals from the now-disconnected AT computer harness to make all the connections, since I'm never going back to AT. Any idea if the pins are the same as the ones on the ECU? The purpose of this input is for when you press the clutch pedal in while still in gear (coasting). The ECU will adjust idle via the EACV to compensate for the lower engine load just like for the neutral switch. I'm hoping I can just clip a terminal from the AT computer harness and splice it to the clutch switch...

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

The pin from the clutch switch in that pic is still sitting there, I haven't connected it yet. With my ECU still operating as A/T, I'm not sure if the input would even be used for anything unless the ECU was changed to M/T. Still planning on doing that at some point in the future and then I'll connect that pin up. The engine RPM drops quite a bit when I'm in neutral but I almost never coast in gear with the clutch in anyways, I just shift to neutral right before a stop.

I bought female terminals for that ECU connector from Joe @ Cycle Terminal a few months ago. He said "Most of the terminals used in the ECU housing should be the Multilock 040, I believe some are hybrid connectors and also use the 070 terminal" so I bought a few Multilock 040's and 070's. The pin to use is the only terminal location in that connector that doesn't have a female terminal for the PNK wire to the ECU, you might be able to de-pin an A/T computer connector and use that for the terminal to the main ECU.

 

[drew]

You can rob both sizes of AMP Multilock from an Integra ECU connector. It takes a little practice to depin a Multilock, but takes a consistant second once you have the technique.

On my AT2MT conversion, I did not deal with any of the ECU connections and am still using the AT ECU. On cold start up I get high RPMs and when warm on neutral I get wonky idle control...

Do you folks have these issues? And, if so, how did you solve them?

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

I've not really had any neutral idle issues. On cold start the RPMs are quite high (enough that I might be able to push off without applying any gas) presumably due to the fast idle valve/EACV/whatever else as intended by Honda but it goes down to 800-850 RPM warmed up (might be a bit high since I cleaned the TB without adjusting the idle screw). Once warmed up idling at stoplights and whatever it's very stable.

Are you saying you didn't connect the neutral switch input to the ECU in that case? That's my GRN wire on C161 in the pic above. That carries the signal from the neutral switch on the transmission through C499 to the A/T ECU and replaces the neutral signal from the A/T shift switch, otherwise you'll be in Park or Drive all the time depending on which shift switch pins you shorted. Maybe that could be it. If not, then it could be one of the many idle control valves or solenoids attached to the throttle body and butterfly that need cleaning and adjustment of the idle screw like Kaz does. All I can think of.

 

[Honcho]

The pin from the clutch switch in that pic is still sitting there, I haven't connected it yet. With my ECU still operating as A/T, I'm not sure if the input would even be used for anything unless the ECU was changed to M/T. Still planning on doing that at some point in the future and then I'll connect that pin up. The engine RPM drops quite a bit when I'm in neutral but I almost never coast in gear with the clutch in anyways, I just shift to neutral right before a stop.

I bought female terminals for that ECU connector from Joe @ Cycle Terminal a few months ago. He said "Most of the terminals used in the ECU housing should be the Multilock 040, I believe some are hybrid connectors and also use the 070 terminal" so I bought a few Multilock 040's and 070's. The pin to use is the only terminal location in that connector that doesn't have a female terminal for the PNK wire to the ECU, you might be able to de-pin an A/T computer connector and use that for the terminal to the main ECU.

You can rob both sizes of AMP 1multilock from an Integra ECU connector. It takes a little practice to depin a Multilock, but takes a consistant second once you have the technique.

On my AT2MT conversion, I did not deal with any of the ECU connections and am still using the AT ECU. On cold start up I get high RPMs and when warm on neutral I get wonky idle control...

Do you folks have these issues? And, if so, how did you solve them?

Thanks guys. I have some spare 070 terminals from my ABS harness project. I'll take a look. If not, I'll see what I can pull from the AT computer plugs.

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

Radio Head Unit & Sub Amp Repair

Happy 2021 everybody . It's been a while since I made a post like this. I've been traveling for work every week since Dec. and got a bit boned with my EOY bonus which has slowed down my work pace a bit, but I still have a lot of projects planned for this year. I'm still trying to coordinate having another body shop look at the car but after my call with Joe the other week I'll probably end up just sending it

Recently my tape deck stopped playing sound through the speakers, it seemed like it was trying but it was almost inaudible even with the volume knob at max. The one radio station I can receive still worked as normal so at least everything else was probably working fine.

The radio is one of the last electronic doohickies I haven't yet touched in the car so it was a good opportunity to see if any capacitors were destroying the insides. I also hadn't yet redone the passenger footwell sub amp so I did that at the same time.

Reference this thread for head unit repairs: http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...citor-Replacement?highlight=speaker+enclosure

At this point, getting the radio out is a 10 minute affair. This is with the top cover removed.

Working on the sub amp. The sub enclosure can be removed by pulling back the carpet and unbolting the metal cover on top. Looking at the amp, this might have been replaced in the past already since the amp wasn't one of the first versions with the shiny green caps. Seems like a previous owner replaced all the speakers except for the one in the driver's door which was in the worst condition when I repaired it.

Notice in the background I bought a combo soldering/desoldering station with a vacuum pump to suck up old solder. Using desoldering wick worked fine before, but the radio has like 70+ capacitors inside and using the wick was labor intensive.

Sub amp should be good for quite a long time.

Tape deck removed. The AM/FM boards are soldered to the main boards so those have to be removed to get everything apart.

Lower main board removed with the volume knob board. This is around 70% of caps in the radio, so this is the most labor-intensive electronic repair I've done by far.

Fortunately, everything inside looked pretty good, there really wasn't any acid leakage at all. I know the JDM radio is different than other markets, but the main "trouble" capacitors that leak the most didn't seem to be part of the design of these PCBs. Was the radio also replaced in the past? It looks newer than the earliest versions to me.

This thing is a godsend especially for these through-hole components. With the right flux and temp settings, I can desolder a cap in as little as 10 seconds. Of course, some are more difficult but this was well worth the money, wish I would've had it for the previous repairs.

This is the tape deck. I didn't see anything obviously wrong but I replaced the caps on this as well. The PCB on the left can be unscrewed to get enough room to replace the caps on that side, and there's only one cap on the right board. They aren't labeled though. I also cleaned off the tape read head and the internals.

Lower board in progress. I accidentally ordered a few bi-polar capacitors and one or two incorrect specs so I had to wait a few more days for replacements. None of the caps I replaced were bi-polar which wasn't the same as the guy in the guide I linked above.

Top main circuit board in progress. There are 4 screws on the top & bottom boards that are also soldered to the boards so those have to be removed before the board can be taken out of the case.

The two largest caps have to be <=7mm tall or they will hit the tape deck when it's installed, so I had to order shorter ones which are shown here.

You can see here how the size of the caps you can use on the top board is limited by the tape deck.

This is most of the caps that were removed. None were leaking yet but I don't want to have to do this again in the future.

Finally putting everything back together. You have to be careful with the ribbon cables to make sure they're pushed all the way into their connectors and re-solder the screws and tabs holding the boards to the case. I also sprayed contact cleaner into the volume control knob like Kaz does and used more threadlocker on the nuts holding the knobs to the case to stop them from loosening up and causing the knobs to wiggle around.

The only caps I didn't touch were on the AM/FM tuner boards since those are soldered to the lower board and annoying to remove. They're not really worth the effort to replace in this case.

Radio complete . Those more astute than me will notice I put the top/bottom covers on the wrong sides which I only realized when I tried to put the radio back in the center console. Easy enough to take the 4 little screws off the panels and swap them around.

Head unit and sub amp both repaired and ready for install.

Test fit and it still works somehow! The sub is a bit annoying to bolt back in but easy enough to do. My tape to aux adapter works again, but it makes a lot of noise, like the radio is always trying to rewind it or something. The tape got spit out once by the radio so I'm not sure if the adapter is somehow jamming internally but it still works.

I would've put the center console back together but I also ordered the popular GROM Bluetooth adapter which is arriving next week (https://gromaudio.com/store/bt3_adapters/honda-acura-91-98-bluetooth-adapter-car-kit-interface.html). This plugs right into the CD player port in the back of the radio and will allow me to connect my phone with Bluetooth or a direct aux cable instead of a tape deck adapter, which should be more convenient and sound better as well. I don't have a CD changer in the boot so the CD port wasn't being used anyways. I'm looking forward to it .

One step closer to having everything completely sorted. There really aren't any more electrical oddities with the car anymore (except for the door lock connector and rear defroster which I only recently noticed), so the next big project will likely be the brake rebuilds I've been putting off. My new Redline Nappa leather steering wheel and handbrake cover should be arriving next week too, so I'll have to remove my wheel and send it off to be professionally re-covered. It will look 100x better after . More to come.

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

Brakes pt.1

I finally found the time to start working on my brake refresh project. Scope includes:

-Stoptech slotted & cryo treated rotors
-EBC yellowstuff pads
-ATE TYP 200 DOT4 fluid flush
-Goodridge stainless brake lines
-Tear-down and rebuild of all calipers
-Blasting & professional caliper painting
-Refinishing dust shields
-New bolts & hardware all around
-New RR wheel speed sensor (oopsies)
-New front wheel bearings (found out FR was noisy)

Mmmm pretty rotors. Honestly, though this project will greatly increase my braking performance, most of it is aesthetically driven. Everything attached to the hub looks pretty nasty and this is a great step to reaching my goals on overall appearance and performance.

I paid a bit more for the cryo treated rotors though Tire Rack had a good discount going on. Hopefully it'll be worth the extra money. I think the slotting looks cool too, certainly not necessary by any means for my needs but probably smarter than getting drilled rotors for longevity.

I decided on EBC yellowstuff pads after doing a bunch of research online and on Prime. I've never had performance-oriented pads before so wanted to try something well-respected and appropriate for street and light track use. Yellow seems to fit the bill for both, I understand Kaz uses Redstuff for his customers and that was my second choice for brake dust reasons. My pads right now don't dust at all, the Yellows will probably be a bit annoying dust wise but I clean the wheels often enough.

Working on getting off all the calipers to send them for refinishing. The fronts were easy, the rears were not.

My solution to prevent all the brake fluid from leaking out and getting air in the master cylinder while I wait on the calipers to come back.

Safe to say this rotor won't be reused ever, haha. Even with an impact driver for the rotor holding screws, I only got one out normally, the rest just turned into a rivet after impacting it and had to be drilled out. This one I used 12mm bolts to push the rotor off the hub just to see what would happen with the screws in, ended up shattering the rotor instead of the screw heads like I thought it would. They were trash anyways.

Had a lovely time getting the parking brake cables off the rear calipers. I was anticipating this from reading Kaz's blog about the pin seizing to the cable bracket. Took me about an hour to figure out how to get this one out, ended up dremeling off the end of the pin, drilling into it, and punching it out from the hole I made after soaking in penetrating fluid. I bought new pins already in anticipation of this happening.

Yeah, don't do this. There was no reason for me to remove the RR wheel speed sensor, I had read enough on Kaz's blog to know that they always seize into the hub, but I mindlessly pried at it and snapped it in half regardless without reflecting on what I was doing. New sensor on order and I'll have to spend some time drilling and chipping the sensor head out of the hub, might have to remove the end of the axle again to get more room. Of course this is the one sensor that's the hardest to find a replacement. Not sure if this will cause drivability issues or will just disable TCS/ABS for the time being.

Test fit of the rotors, I like them already. I think to remove the dust shields I'll have to remove the spindle before which kinda sucks. I'll strip and paint the shields and clean up the hubs as well. I found that my FR wheel bearing was also somewhat noisy but not loose so I added front wheel bearings to the future to-do list. Shouldn't be too bad of a job hopefully.

Disassembling the calipers. The FSM does a good job explaining everything. Fortunately I had compressed air on hand to pop the pistons out and didn't smash my finger in the process.

The exterior of the calipers and the insides of the pistons are pretty gross looking, but everything internally (piston walls and cylinders) had no visible marks or rust at all so pending a closer inspection I can reuse everything.

The rear calipers have a bunch more parts but still aren't too bad with the right-angle snap ring pliers, reassembly will probably be a different story.

I have new pistons for these anyways, new banjo bolts and bleeder screws all around, new seals, slider pins, and boots for everything, basically just the caliper bodies will be reused. All the old pads are still good so I'll keep them as spares. My rear tires after ~8000 miles, not so much.

I dropped off the calipers today for a professional coating in black, I'll be putting on my own gold NSX lettering which should match the wheels I've been eyeing . Yes, black isn't the most exciting color, but the traditional red doesn't do it for me with a red car and stock calipers, plus with the EBC Yellow pads it would look like a ketchup/mustard combo. Black hides dirt much better and looks good with any wheel and pad combo. The price of the professional coating gives me some heartburn with all the cheap DIY options, but I don't want to spend the time to strip & paint myself and the paint I did on my daily started deteriorating after a few months.

I should get the calipers back tomorrow, then I'll rebuild, put on the new brake lines, refinish stuff, and put everything back together. I have some other interior bits to share as well this week but first priority is getting the car off the communal lift ;^)

 

[Honcho]

Nice job! How. On. Earth. ... did you get the metal cup out of the caliper? Kaz says it just drops out, but even after banging on the caliper with a hammer, mine are stuck.

 

[MotorMouth93]

I've always just whacked the caliper against a piece of wood on the ground to dislodge the internal components. That's worked for the 3-4 sets of Honda calipers I've rebuilt over the years.

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

Thanks! I used a pair of external teeth snap ring pliers that I think I used in the past for the half shaft circlips (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00209ETSS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). If you're talking about the rear calipers, I stuck those pliers in the cup and yanked it out, bench vice helps.

Hope to see updates from you guys soon as well

 

[socalx]

People use aviation snips to cut the dust shields off without further disassembly