3/4/2024 – Are we winning or nah?
Hayden V -
UMS Tuning has been an absolute blast to be at, and is very fulfilling to work at. First thing I did this week, was working on a trike with a Subaru motor installed at the back. Brendan, the technician I was working with, explained to me that since the engine is located behind the axle, the trike tends to perform wheelies very easily. Our task was basic maintenance, primarily renewing fluids before sending it on its way.
After that, I had the chance to put a Toyota Cressida on the dyno by myself for the first time. Firstly, I had to attach the dyno hubs so the dyno could be mounted onto them. I was cautioned never to drop them as they are quite expensive to replace—a pair costs about $2300 if one of the ears gets bent. Following that, I had to maneuver the 150 lb dyno box onto the hub, which required some finesse, but I managed to get it done.
It’s worth noting that not every shop has a dyno due to the substantial cost—$45k for a used DynaPack system.
After that, I had the opportunity to put Tony’s 4G63 on a stand. It’s a purpose-built race motor destined for his EVO 8 race car, which sits on top in the second photo, awaiting the time when he can put the car together. While I was searching for some bolts to secure the engine on the stand, Tony approached me and casually asked, “Are you winning or nah?” His question caught me off guard and made me laugh, as Tony, being in his early 60s, sounded like a millennial talking to me.
The next day at UMS was quite relaxed, just focusing on finishing up various cars for delivery. I reassembled a red Mitsubishi Eclipse and gave both the interior and exterior a thorough cleaning. This particular Eclipse has been at the shop for about four years, which is longer than almost all of the current workers. The transmission blew up right at the start of Covid, and according to Brendan, sourcing parts to handle the 800 HP the car produces was a nightmare.
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