818 assembly tips- add yours

[Wayne Presley]

The outer can be a real pain to get past the circlip when installing it. I use a hose clamp to compress the circlip, fully tighten it then back off 1/4 turn so it will slide. Put the CV on the tip of the spline and give it a good whack with a dead blow hammer. It will slide over the circlip, fully loosen and remove the clamp and then fully seat the CV to the base of splines.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1020233_zps38e85c5a.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1020233_zps38e85c5a.jpg.html)

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1020234_zps1e44b296.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1020234_zps1e44b296.jpg.html)

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1020235_zps2a410211.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1020235_zps2a410211.jpg.html)

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1020236_zps054ddd5d.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1020236_zps054ddd5d.jpg.html)

I pack them with this

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1020238_zps4c61d0e5.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1020238_zps4c61d0e5.jpg.html)

[Wayne Presley]

Rear shock spring preload, adjust it before putting it on the car. From the bottom of the spring perch to the bottom of the threaded sleeve is about 3" at ride height. Much easier off the car since you have to put 3/4"ish of preload on spring

[metalmaker12]

When installing engine/tranny, two people is a good idea, remove the up-pipe and headers, along with the FFR recommend removal of the coolant tank and oil filler neck, protect frame with pipe foam insulation and be aware of your inlet tubes associated boost line bung ( broke my bung lol), or just remove the inlet. I agree with adjusting the coil over first, not a lot of room to adjust them when there on.

[Mechie3]

Get more than 25 cleco's. 35 is better, 50 is great. It can be done with 25, just not as well. Some 3/16's cleco's would be nice for the firewall but I got away with using a series of 6 clamps.

If you are marking aluminum then removing it to drill, check the locations first to ensure you can actually drill the frame and rivet in the spots you marked.

Some panels overlap slightly. Line up adjoining panels and then mark for drilling to prevent panels overlapping on top of rivets or rivet holes in one panel that are on the edge of another panel.

I took the route of fitting all of the aluminum first so it can be deburred and powdercoated for quick assembly all at once later. For the interior panels I drilled the panels while them already clamped onto the frame and drilled the frame and panel at the same time.

Get a deburr tool (one in link or a countersink deburr tool for small holes). Some of the laser cut pieces are rough as are the saw cut spacers and could use deburring.
Straight edges and large holes: http://fierychill.com/imperial-210-f-rotary-deburring-tool?gclid=CM2NnLKJ5bgCFe1DMgodbFgA7A

[RM1SepEx]

You get tons of bolts, nuts, washers, screws etc I organized them by type on a small portable card table. Now I'm not digging through a box to find the correct fastener etc...

20370

[Wayne Presley]

Get yourself a block of styrofoam to drill the aluminum panels on.
Here is my rivet spacing guide, a carpenters square, one edge drilled on 2.5", one on 3" and one on 2". Mark the backside of all the aluminum with a Sharpie BEFORE you pull them off the chassis and then take them over to the foam block to drill them. I've done 20 FFR's this way, way easier faster way to build.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/20130806_090358_zps0b1be4ef.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/20130806_090358_zps0b1be4ef.jpg.html)

[Wayne Presley]

Early production control arms on the upper front left side need to be modified, there is a running change by FFR to correct this so please verify before doing this modification.

Trim the welded stud on the ball joint plate 1.100" and you should end up with .800" of thread past the fully threaded nut.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/20130806_085846_zps43f3a0c6.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/20130806_085846_zps43f3a0c6.jpg.html)

Flip the pivot arms so the grease fitting face down and assemble as shown.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/20130803_080312_zpsb7033de4.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/20130803_080312_zpsb7033de4.jpg.html)

[longislandwrx]

On the subject of axles

The empi boot kits are really nice and come with clamps, new clip, boot and a premeasured amount of grease. When you rebuild its a great option.

Also the tri-bearing carrier on the inner cv can be on there tight after removing the spring clip. I have used a hammer, but I did mush one once making it harder to get the clip back on. an better option was to use a press and it came off super smooth. The carrier is directional so make sure it goes back on the right way or it will not get on far enough to reinsert the clip.

[fateo66]

If you cant seem to get your coilover threaded sleeve all the way down, assemble the upper spring perch and slowly tighten the adjustable ring until the sleeve drops down into place.

http://i.imgur.com/b59As67h.jpg

[da King]

Great ideas guys, with out changing Wayne's thread I'd like to add a general shop tip, I'm sure Wayne and the other pro's around here have lots of tip's for wrenching & shop and I hope they share some of those idea's also.
Most of the build threads that I see here - it looks like the lucky guys are working day after day on the project, for me that won't be the case. When I finish with a caulking gun I screw an electrical marrette (plastic thing that screws onto 2 or more wires to hold them connected) over the tip, the threads of the marrette bite into the tip of the caulking tube, sealing it against drying out.
If you have to use a tap to make or clean up threads put a dab of grease in the flutes (the valley between the cutting surfaces) of the tap, it will pick up most if not all of the cuttings.
Finn

[Mechie3]

When making your brake lines, measuring is difficult. Use some formable wire (I used galvanized baling wire) to make the shape you need then copy that with your brake line. Mark the start middle and end of the bend with marks perpendicular to the brake line. Draw a line parallel to the line on the surface that is in plane with the bend so you know how to orient the tube in the bender.. Helps you to make lines that can hug the frame nicely without lots of mistakes.

[wallace18]

When installing the shock collars heat them with a heat gun for 45 seconds. They will fall in place. No sanding or decal removal. Also they lock in place for easier spring adjustments.

22251

[RM1SepEx]

DO NOT use masking tape to mark your harness connectors! It is NOT strong enough and some will get damaged or destroyed. tags with string to tie them on or tags held on by small zip ties are far more durable. Losing the ID of a small plug in that huge 42 lb octopus could take a long time to identify.

Ask me how I know! ;-)

[Xusia]

I've been using a Dymo Labelwriter 450 Turbo with the labels that were included. They stick very good, and being printed means I can still read them later.

[RM1SepEx]

If you have an 02-05 donor the throttle pedal can be a challenge

1 the split ferrule nut. the threads line up only one way so test it on a 1/4 x20 bolt first and mark the nut. I found that the threads lined up when the flats were rotated 1 flat from the slot. Once you find where the threads line up and it mnakes a single nut mark the flats with a magic marker, makes it easier to re-align when you are up under the dash area. I used RTV to hold it in place after it was tightened.

2 you need to slot a fender washer to place vs the firewall so the ferrule doesn't pull through the firewall

3 some of us found that the pedal works better w/o the bracket (Tom W. was 1st) It moves around quite a bit when you use the bracket. The pedal lines up better too.

4 the hole through the firewall isn't big enough at 1/4 inch (manual inst. ) if you use the black plastic piece the hole has to be just over .515 inch. If you don't use it the ball will slide through the pedal hole. I cut a slot in the plastic piece, slid the ball thriough a 5/16 hole and replaced the plastic piece to hold vs the pedal. You could also slot a washer to hold it in place vs the pedal. I also used RTV to hold it centered.

[michael everson]

Buy a metric ferrule for your front master cylinder location instead of using the FFR supplied adapter. They make the 10MM tube nut that accepts 3/16 brake line. This allows you to bend the line a little lower and not interfere with the windshield surround.
Mike

[GUNS]

Early production control arms on the upper front left side need to be modified, there is a running change by FFR to correct this so please verify before doing this modification.

Trim the welded stud on the ball joint plate 1.100" and you should end up with .800" of thread past the fully threaded nut.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/20130806_085846_zps43f3a0c6.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/20130806_085846_zps43f3a0c6.jpg.html)

Flip the pivot arms so the grease fitting face down and assemble as shown.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/20130803_080312_zpsb7033de4.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/20130803_080312_zpsb7033de4.jpg.html)

I'm guessing I need to make this modification, but how can I tell if I need to?

[Xusia]

If I recall correctly, this is necessary if you have an angled ball joint. If the ball joint is perfectly perpendicular to the pivot arms, it is not necessary because you can just flip it over and use it as is. The angled ball joint makes that impossible because it would be at the wrong angle (backwards), so you have to modify control arm.

[RM1SepEx]

\The new arms also have two hex links that are the same length vs one long and one short as seen above IIRC

[wleehendrick]

After stripping the Aluminum and fiberglass panels off the frame from shipping, also remove the rear strut tower brace or cover the fender support plates with padding. If you walk into this protruding sharp edge, it hurts. Really hurts. :(

[RM1SepEx]

After stripping the Aluminum and fiberglass panels off the frame from shipping, also remove the rear strut tower brace or cover the fender support plates with padding. If you walk into this protruding sharp edge, it hurts. Really hurts. :(

You should see what it does to your head when you hit it!

[NISMO_RB25]

In addition to the oil inlet removing the two lower heat shields on the headers along with the oil dipstick will give you enough clearance to get the motor in. Removing the dipstick tube and the plastic intake hose would make it even easier, but it wasn't required. Some ratcheting straps connected to the back of the transmission allows you to angle the motor as it is going in without having to fight it.

I also replaced the clutch and flywheel. Using a strap in the back and one in the front enabled me to get the transmission hooked back up with out any help or breaking my back.

23600

[Larry J W]

Lessons learned so far on my build:
1) The hose clamp was a little too wide to work getting the CV joint on the rear axle, but a tywrap worked great
2) Careful when you pull the front axle out of the differential in in that the retaining clip can easily catch and ruin the seal
3) A set of dial calipers are very handy to sort out the spacers use in the suspension systems
4) I had to pull both the exhaust manifold and coolant tank to get the engine in the frame
5) A 3 inch C clamp works perfect to grab the center differential. It was slippery and difficult to get a hold of otherwise. Hook it over one of the 4 holes and you have a great handle to pull with.

Larry

[JeromeS13]

For the super tight radiator tube adapters, here's what I ended up doing... Slide the inner sleeve onto the coolant tube and secure it with a clamp. Lube the outside of it and the inside of the adapter. This should help get the adapter slid on and keep the inside sleeve in place.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/JeromeS13/Project%20818/Week%206/20131223_200258_zpsjsgmk8u4.jpg (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/JeromeS13/media/Project%20818/Week%206/20131223_200258_zpsjsgmk8u4.jpg.html)

[freds]

Valuable advice from Charley (Service mngr. Gillman Subaru in Houston). None of the flanges on the exhaust parts that I have were "true flat", including the Ffr after-turbo adapters. Some were terrible! and would almost certainly have leaked, if not immediately...pretty soon thereafter. (and I would probably have blamed the gaskets, and tightened the bolts unreasonably).

Thanks Charley

[RM1SepEx]

The FFR shifter assembly at the rear of the car contacts the rear bodywork/screen when in 2nd, 4th, Reverse gears. While there are solutions that require you to buy a new shifter arm you can re-purpose the existing arm with a bandsaw, a welder and a drill.

It is detailed on my thread at

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?10649-RM1Sepex-Build-Thread/page14 go to post # 543

[Goldwing]

Nice Dan. I did a very similar mod that didn't require welding for those who don't have a welder. My setup is for the K-Tuned shifter from Wayne at VCP, but can be applied just as Dan did. Rather than weld the sleeve of the factory bracket (very clean look btw), I used a piece of 1-1/4" solid trailering draw bar to fill the space between the wings of the shifter bracket and drilled the holes for the transmission shaft and retaining pin. See post #78 on my build thread (page 2) to compare mine with Dan's. My pictures highlight the K-Tuned setup, Dan's highlights the FFR setup. For the weight conscious, Dan's will be lighter.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?13026-Goldwing-s-818-Street-The-Phoenix/page2

[RM1SepEx]

Rich, you need a welder! Missed your posts 2 weeks ago :-(

Just goes to show us how many ways there are to skin a cat! :)

[Goldwing]

I need the skills to run a welder! I'm halfway there after scoring a miller on Craigslist last year, but haven't learned how yet. This could have been an opportunity to practice, but it's been cold, and it's in storage. Ventilation hasn't been an option. :(

Rori has a similar, but stunningly beautiful option using billet aluminum. Had he done that a few weeks earlier, I probably would have picked up his.

[tmoretta]

In the assembly manual p. 59 - 61 (Cockpit front firewall aluminum) although the photos show the pedal box already bolted in, there is no mention of this. So that if, like me, you follow the instructions and rivet on the first two aluminum pieces, you will then have to drill out the rivets, bolt on the pedal box, and re-rivet the "left cockpit front upper cover". Although the emailed manual revision tells how to bolt the pedal box to the frame, nowhere does it mention that it is crucial to accomplish this step before starting to mount the aluminum.

[longislandwrx]

Im assuming they changed the frame design, because my manual doesn't show the pedal box installed, because its done after the sheetmetal.


Edit

Just downloaded the full revision I manual

I see what you are saying... The earlier frames had the pedal box MOUNT welded to the frame... The new frames it bolts on.

If you look at https://www.factoryfive.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/818_Manual_rev-1i-update.pdf

It shows the pedal box front plate (mount) being installed before the sheetmetal.

Good advice for someone with a new frame.

[STiPWRD]

Im assuming they changed the frame design, because my manual doesn't show the pedal box installed, because its done after the sheetmetal.


Edit

Just downloaded the full revision I manual

I see what you are saying... The earlier frames had the pedal box MOUNT welded to the frame... The new frames it bolts on.

If you look at https://www.factoryfive.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/818_Manual_rev-1i-update.pdf

It shows the pedal box front plate (mount) being installed before the sheetmetal.

Good advice for someone with a new frame.

Thanks for posting the rev I update. I was a bit confused when I read it and am about to install my firewall so I'd like to make sure I understand everything. On the newer chassis, does the pedal box have to be bolted in before the upper left portion of the firewall is installed? I'm guessing yes since the firewall is not shown in the rev I update pictures.

The windshield install is also confusing. On pg 16 they tell you to "Cut the area out using the rear hood support aluminum as a maximum guide". What does this mean and why does this need to be done? Perhaps for the wipers? I don't see any cuts in the picture.

Also, can the windshield be installed in its surround off of the car before any cutting is done? Or does the surround need to be on the car prior to the glass install?

[Xusia]

Im assuming they changed the frame design, because my manual doesn't show the pedal box installed, because its done after the sheetmetal.


Edit

Just downloaded the full revision I manual

I see what you are saying... The earlier frames had the pedal box MOUNT welded to the frame... The new frames it bolts on.

If you look at https://www.factoryfive.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/818_Manual_rev-1i-update.pdf

It shows the pedal box front plate (mount) being installed before the sheetmetal.

Good advice for someone with a new frame.

I'll bet they made that change to accommodate other pedal boxes, so it makes sense.

[Xusia]

Thanks for posting the rev I update. I was a bit confused when I read it and am about to install my firewall so I'd like to make sure I understand everything. On the newer chassis, does the pedal box have to be bolted in before the upper left portion of the firewall is installed? I'm guessing yes since the firewall is not shown in the rev I update pictures.

I don't know about the newer frames, but on the older ones you mount the pedal box after the aluminum. Looking at the updated manual, I would guess the same is true. What you have to mount before, is the pedal box mount.

[longislandwrx]

It appears the pedal box mounting plate needs to be mounted first ( not the pedal box itself, which bolts through both) but I'll leave that someone with a new chassis to answer.

[STiPWRD]

Understood. Any insights into the new windshield instructions?

[tmoretta]

Well, to clarify, the pedal box mount has to be bolted in before the aluminum. The pedal box comes later.

[RM1SepEx]

There is a new support for the back of the hood. It also covers the hole that you cut to access the brake and clutch cyl reservoirs. It's just a piece of aluminum with rubber on the top to support the back of the hood. Mine came last week by FedX

28040

[svanlare]

For the pedal box, what hardware should be used to mount it?

Never mind, there was a bag marked "Option Hdw" in the box with the pedal mount that had 5 button head screws and nuts.

[tmoretta]

My kit (picked up on 4/5) included a bag of bolts marked pedal box.

[tmoretta]

In the Interior Aluminum section of the manual (pgs. 136-138) you need to mount the dead pedal boxes before riveting the cockpit side panels. Although the dead pedals are shown in the photos, there is no mention of them in the instructions. Also note that the current panels have a passage hole for the cooling tubes. The pictures do not show this.

[AZPete]

Boyd Tank Sender Fix
If you have a Boyd fuel tank the sender may need to be reversed so it reads about 90 ohm resistance when empty. If yours reads low (0 - 10) it needs to be reversed.
First, mark the round top of the sender so you can re-mount it in the same position. Unscrew the round top and lift the sender assembly out. See this photo and loosen the pivot screw and then re-insert the float rod on the other side, tighten screw. Next, loosen the nut at center of the top and rotate the top 180 degrees and re-tighten. Re-install with your mark in the same position so float does not hit the wall of the tank. 28890

[JeromeS13]

Sometimes, the dipstick in the Subaru transmission can give you a false reading. After you FULLY drain your transmission, ensure you fill it with 3.5 liters (3.7 quarts) of the appropriate GL-5 75W-90 gear oil, regardless of what your dipstick tells you.

[freds]

To set ride height for torquing the suspension bushings/mounts, you do not need any particular weight at all.


1. Mount your wheels with about 10 psi inflation pressure.
2. Make 4.5" or 4.75" (or whatever your target clearance number is) spacer blocks out of lumber and set them under the chassis at all four corners.
3. Adjust the spring pre load collars to absolutely no load at all.
With the low pressure in the tires your suspension links will all be very close to ride height now.
4. Torque up all mounting hardware.

And you are done.

Later you merely adjust the spring pre-loads to get the car to ride height. As you add weight you tighten the collars to get the chassis up to ride height, and the suspension components to their "neutral" condition.

[ehansen007]

For all the bolts you plan on taking on and off throughout the build, buy standard nuts for quick mock and up and removal. Nylon lock nuts only take more time. Make sure to go over car on final approach and replace with intended lock-nuts.

For a cheap dolly system, Harbor Freight has wooden wheel dollies that are $15 each and can hold 2000lbs each. Simply put a cinder block with a wooden 4x6 on top at each corner for an easy, moveable system you can wheel around the garage. I've reused mine many times for different cars. More flexible than a fixed dolly that gets used once and dismantled.

To remove Gorilla tape residue, simply ball a new piece up and dab and twist it on on the body for quick pick up. A little hair dryer action helps even more. Cleaner and faster than goo-gone.

For fiberglass in the skin, again use gorilla tape and wrap it inside out around your hand and dab on your forearms and hands to pull out fiberglass splinters.

Spring-loaded, rubber-tipped clamps one of the easiest to use when clamping or holding body parts together or holding to the frame. Buy a bunch at harbor freight. I still don't have enough. Vice grip are strong but can take forever to adjust and get the right grip.

[Frank818]

As Dan mentioned and maybe others, for drilling the tip is oil, oil, oil, oil, oil. You can do a LOT of holes with one drill bit (if it's a good one) if you use enough oil. Dip the bit in engine oil once for every hole, or once per stop, meaning that if you stop drilling, dip again and continue.

Chances you will snap off a bit are minimal. It's the first time I was drilling in such tubing and I never broke a bit. After a while they wear off and tend to take more time to drill through, but the black oxide ones I got don't seem to snap. And with oil, NEVER they seize, nor come close to. Never.

Also, do not use a cord drill, it seems to drill forever!!!! A few holes took me 7-8mins each of non-stop drilling!!! Use a cordless drill, takes 30-90sec per hole. 14.4v is not much, you'll run out of power quickly. The 18v are much better and if you got 2 batteries, while one charges, you can do holes with the other and yes, the charging battery will fully charge before you drain your other Li-Ion battery. Hitachi green drill is quite great (Wayne Presley was using one on his thread). Choose high speed, torque it to 24 and fully pull the trigger until the hole is through. Put enough pressure, not too much, but enough. Just before puncture, you will hear, feel and see the end coming, lift off the throttle a bit to ensure you don't hit something when it drills through. Oil, oil, oil, oil, oil... I use new 15w50 Motul 300v Competition (left overs!).

[Frank818]

When you drill through the 2006 alu LCAs, plz don't use a hand drill... it will take A LOT of time for nothing. This is what PART of the drilling by hand will do after many mins:

29365

Instead, drill a bit the hole, to mark it well as a guide for the bit, and then use a press drill:

2936629367

And the result within a few mins only if not less than 60sec after you get the hang of it:

29368

[RM1SepEx]

Frank any large hole can be drilled easily, even by hand, if you use a small pilot hole to start. ALWAYS use oil! As an example on the control arms, 1/8 to start, 3/16 next, then the final size. It will go rather quickly.

I did use a drill press but still started with a 1/8 pilot hole, the larger bits always work better with a pilot, bigger chips result.

[metalmaker12]

When you drill through the 2006 alu LCAs, plz don't use a hand drill... it will take A LOT of time for nothing. This is what PART of the drilling by hand will do after many mins:

29365

Instead, drill a bit the hole, to mark it well as a guide for the bit, and then use a press drill:

2936629367

And the result within a few mins only if not less than 60sec after you get the hang of it:

29368

I used a hand drill with a vise no prob, it's aluminum man, just step drill it like Dan said and drill straight. Offcoasrsea press is better, but not always available. My press was right next to me, but I am primitive lol

[Frank818]

Good points, I didn't think about starting with a smaller pilot hole and keep increasing.

Then the tips are it's better not to drill directly using the 10mm-13/32 bit, either 1- step drill or 2- press drill.

[grayghost]

When the shock tower cross bar won't fit, there is a quick fix. First your engine must be installed with the transmission. According to the Factory the chassis needs the weight to help the fit. Next line up as many of the bolts as possible, I got 3 of them with the upper right out by a few mm.
I tried a clamp to no avail, So I called my good friend Tom Kaufman ( The Fab Man ), and he took a 4-5 ft piece of 2X4 and placed it between the transmission and the cross bar and lifted up. this flexed the bar enough to put the last bolt in.

[nuisance]

Donor disassembly --

I recommend this product for loosening really rusty nuts and bolts, AeroKroil. It has some magic in it, dissolves the rust and lubricates. Aircraft mechanics use it routinely on the nuts that hold the exhaust manifolds to the heads - aircooled engines often run at 400 degrees F or more, and the nuts are rusty after a few years.

29896

Also, I used this 3/8" air ratchet continuously as I took the donor apart. You can just rotate the handle to break the nut loose, then pull the trigger.

29897

It is from Chicago Pneumatic (which should be China Pneumatic, but it has served me well for many years).

john

[nuisance]

When I have lots of holes to de burr (I just finished the belly skins), I use this tool...

31384

It is an old Milwaukee screw driver, it turns very slowly, but easier than by hand. You can buy the hex adapter in many places.

Have fun!

[Quiny]

Don't install the floor pan underneath the seats until you have figured out your seat mounting and seatbelt anchor points. Also if you are using a wagon donor for seat belts and/or a Boyd tank you may want to hold of on the rear side cockpit aluminum. It is easer to modify the pieces to cover the seatbelt hole and gap created by using the Boyd tank before they are riveted in place.

[wallace18]

If you ended up with a very rusty donor try using this needle scaler from HF. I worked well for me on suspension stuff and was only 20 bucks on sale.

32190

[tmoretta]

A heads up: If you have "dieted" the Daytime Running Lights system from your Subie donor, you have to jumper two wires at the Headlight relay - the Yellow/Green and the Yellow/Red. Otherwise the DRL relay is still operative and you will not have fully bright headlights.

[Wayne Presley]

Here's how I mount the doors after mounting sidepods, rear panel, and engine cover.
I mount the striker support up against he body, snug the bolts in the middle of the slots. Hold a bright light behind the bracket so you can see through the fiberglass and drill the holes in the middle of the slots.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1030013_zps41a347e1.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1030013_zps41a347e1.jpg.html)
you can see the print through in this pic.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1030012_zps6cfea20f.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1030012_zps6cfea20f.jpg.html)

I mount the latches directly to the frame and countersink the screws. Latch the door frame to the striker and mount the hinges. Adjust the height of the front of the door frame to .250" above the sidepod, then tighten all hinge bolts. The door frame should now swing open and closed easily.
You can see 2 out of the 3 bolts holding the latch on in this pic.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1030008_zps475c1465.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1030008_zps475c1465.jpg.html)

Trim lower front corner off the door skin so the door can swing without the skin hitting the sidepod.

Now put a piece of masking tape along the edge of the door skin where the striker will go. Cut strips of regular cardboard and lay in the gap between the door and sidepod.
Door open, I use strips from the bottom of striker to the front of door (only one piece shown)
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1030015_zps81917e62.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1030015_zps81917e62.jpg.html)
Door closed
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1030014_zps14614538.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1030014_zps14614538.jpg.html)

Slide door skin into opening and tap on skin to mark on the masking tape where the door needs to be slotted for striker. Measure and mark door skin to allow for the complete striker to clear the skin. See pic 3 above.

Drill two 3/16" holes in the door frame as shown by the two 10-32 screws in the below pic.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc175/vcpinjectionpb/P1030009_zps451ee40c.jpg (http://s213.photobucket.com/user/vcpinjectionpb/media/P1030009_zps451ee40c.jpg.html)

Slide door skin back in on the cardboard shims, make the back of the door flush with the sidepods and drill top hole only. Install countersunk 10-32 screw in the top hole and tighten snug. Close door and recheck that the door skin is still flush with side pods and drill lower hole. Install countersunk 10-32 screw in the bottom hole and tighten snug.

On the top front of the door skin, drill the hole for the mirror mount so that edge of the skin overhangs the door frame by 3/16" and install a 10/32 screw. You will be using a different screw for final mounting, the 10-32 is to use until final mounting. Adjust front lower edge to the desired position and mark the lower frame to skin. Unbolt the 3/8" bolts and remove door leaving the hinges in place. Drill the lower hole in the skin and install the countersunk 10-32 screw, you will want a countersink due to the very limited clearance.

Install front door aluminum, mark and slot aluminum for 3/8" door bolts, install bulb seal on aluminum and final mount it to the door frame with rivets.

Install complete door back on the car with cardboard shims in place, the 3/8" bolts. Remove cardboard and fine tune hinges for smooth opening if necessary.

[Sgt.Gator]

The Subaru Factory Manual frequently calls for Specialty Tools (ST). Here's a place that has them all divided into categories. Some of them make your life much easier!
https://subaru.service-solutions.com

[Hindsight]

When installing the front firewall, make sure to install the pedal support bracket first. The manual shows it installed much later in the build process which would be impossible once the front firewall metal is in place.

Also, test fit the firewall panels before riveting them in. On mine, the pedal support bracket did not bolt-in quite flush. It was impossible to tell this until I put the sheet metal over it. By that point, the sheet metal that covered the bracket was in place so I was unable to adjust the fit of the bracket. The issue is that the part of the bracket that extends out for the clutch reservoir sticks out too far forward, preventing the sheet metal that covers that part of the bracket from making contact with the frame and leaving an ugly gap.

Will add a pic later.

[TahoeTim]

Hindsight, this should be fixed in the manual. I figured it out and even talked to ffr to confirm that the plate should be the first piece fitted to the frame as step 1. I tend to jump around when I build so I cleco'd my panels and then started mocking up the brakes and steering when I discovered the problem. I've even mocked up my front suspension and I still haven't riveted the firewall. Once I have it all mocked up I will put it all together on the same day. For me it's easier to complete an area at once so I know it's all tight complete.

[Hindsight]

The "I" version of the manual doesn't discuss the installation of the bracket. The "J" version does but it covers it in the wrong place (far too late). If there is "K" version of the manual where the bracket is shown in the correct installation order, I don't have it yet.

I didn't have time last night to take a pic and post an update of the problem area; hopefully I can get around to it tonight.

[Hindsight]

Here are the pics. The clamp is very forcefully holding the sheet metal against the frame. If the clamp is off, there is a solid 1" gap between the metal and the frame because the pedal support bracket pushes it out.

I'm actually worried that the rivets won't hold it in place once they are in.

http://i.imgur.com/mT5CtcZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sQEAxmK.jpg

[thall818]

First, I painted my aluminum panels with Rust-O-Leum truck bedliner paint to cut down on sound. As it looks similar, I accidentally purchased the undercoating one time. When I ran out of bedliner, I used some undercoating paint on an interior panel that I will later cover in carpet. What I found is that I like the way the undercoating sprays out better, and I think I like the finish better. It is slightly different. Either way, if you go this route, I suggest getting a can of both and doing a comparison.

Second, I had tons of duct tape residue everywhere. On fiberglass Acetone works great and does NOT attack fiberglass. It quickly removes any residue you have. I did find out the hard way that the dash is not fiberglass and is not as big a fan of Acetone. Do NOT use Acetone on your dash.

I used Canola oil on both the dash and windshield surround. It took longer, but is less stressful.

The dash is now very shiny where I used the Acetone. I've blended it with some polish, but it will still need more work.

[Jaime]

BTW, I've found that the best thing to use to remove duct tape residue is some fresh duct tape.

[RM1SepEx]

The 02-05 throttle assembly is very flimsy, dump the FFR bracket and mount the pedal directly to the fire wall. I cut a piece of 2 x 2 x 1/8 aluminum angle to reinforce the firewall where the pedal mounts. It is riveted to the frame tubing with 3/16 rivets. I also added an extra bolt through the firewall, stiffens it right up.

37121 37122

[Mechie3]

I would drill and fit a majority of the front splash guards and subframe sheet metal before adding suspension. Don't rivet it in place yet, but get the holes made. It would have been much easier to drill some of the holes without the suspension blocking access.

[Niburu]

BTW, I've found that the best thing to use to remove duct tape residue is some fresh duct tape.

The one I've seen from working in boat yards for several years (back in the day) was 3M Adhesive Remover - fine for fiberglass, keep it away from paint though.

[FFRSpec72]

I would drill and fit a majority of the front splash guards and subframe sheet metal before adding suspension. Don't rivet it in place yet, but get the holes made. It would have been much easier to drill some of the holes without the suspension blocking access.

Seems you would want the body panels to be on before mounting the splash panel in the front

[Mechie3]

That's the one panel I didn't fit, was the one in front of the wheel. The three that go around the radiator subframe, the one in front of the door, and the two that fit on the frame behind the wheel don't need the body in place. It's also much easier with the fenders removed.

[wallace18]

When installing your gas cap try this tip. First lube the inside of the hose and slip it on the tube just sticking out of the body a little bit. Then mark it with a silver sharpie. Cut along that line for a perfect fit when cap is installed on body. Do not forget your ground strap. I hope this is a help to some. Enjoy the build.

379343793537936

[tmoretta]

Where is the ground strap mounted.

[billjr212]

from the nut (pinched between nut and body) to the frame. This will ground the gas cap so you don't get a static spark between it and the nozzle when you go to fill up.

[Ellimist]

from the nut (pinched between nut and body) to the frame. This will ground the gas cap so you don't get a static spark between it and the nozzle when you go to fill up.

Thanks! This is really a key tip... Sounds stupidly obvious now that I know, but could've been something I and other novices would overlook. I did a quick look at the manual last night and didn't see any mention of grounding the gas cap.... Seem like a pretty critical safety step worth including!

[tmoretta]

And - I just discovered that in mounting the two panels on the frame inside the wheel well I had to remove some brake lines etc. These could have been more easily installed before other parts.

[wallace18]

Here is a tip that Huegenics, my paint shop passed on to me. When you are first mocking up your door for fit and gap, take time to do this when you are satisfied with the result. Drill 2 1/8" holes in each hinge to the door frame. This will allow you to put the hinges back on in the exact same place after fitting the aluminum front piece. You could even do this from the hinge to the frame if you want. You must take the door apart a few times as per manual instructions and IMO this is a great time saver. The photos show what I mean after I installed the aluminum. But I did it before and then drilled the aluminum to the holes and slots. You can use 2 -1/8" drill bits or I use 1/8" rod cut in 2" long pieces to realign every thing back.

381393814038141

[BC Huselton]

Great tip for the doors. It also can apply to the Windshield fitment. Once you have the windshield positioned as required, drill two 1/8 holes in both side braces so you can replicated it when you do your reassembly. It also permits you to install the glass with the windshield frame out of the car. This made it easier to install the glass while the frame was laying flat. For final assembly, realign your mocked up 1/8" holes and tighten your big bolt and you will be "right on."

[RM1SepEx]

Here is a tip that Huegenics, my paint shop passed on to me. When you are first mocking up your door for fit and gap, take time to do this when you are satisfied with the result. Drill 2 1/8" holes in each hinge to the door frame. This will allow you to put the hinges back on in the exact same place after fitting the aluminum front piece. You could even do this from the hinge to the frame if you want. You must take the door apart a few times as per manual instructions and IMO this is a great time saver. The photos show what I mean after I installed the aluminum. But I did it before and then drilled the aluminum to the holes and slots. You can use 2 -1/8" drill bits or I use 1/8" rod cut in 2" long pieces to realign every thing back.

381393814038141

use a 1/8 roll pin, spring steel easy to punch in and pull out with vice grips

[Mitch Wright]

If installing a Wilwood pedal box to gain some legroom and get the pedal height to what I wanted in relation to the throttle pedal I shortened the Brake and Clutch master cylinder rods 1/2 inch. The Clutch pedal will bottom out on the clevis, I ground a small amount of material off the bottom of the clevis and the pedal to get the throw needed. This allowed the pedals to be moved 2.5" closer to the firewall and maintain 5.5" of travel.

[Sean.keehn@gmail.com]

I just finished my 818s. Being this is my first kit this is what I learned.
1) harbor freight air Rivetter. I had one my entire kit so I done know the pain of doing it by hand but the air tool was awesome.
2) as soon as you get the kit figure out where every piece of aluminum goes. There are 2 pieces that I wasn't sure where they went, they are apart of the front splash guards. And not I've got brake lines running through where these panels go. To be fair I ran my brakes in the same place at the manual. Which has almost no mention of these parts.
3) definitely agree with the engine install info above, took my almost 4 hours of wiggling to get my engine in with the exhaust manifold still on.
4)I separated all the nuts and bolts into gallon bags by size, seemed to work out good.
5) when drilling for 3/16 rivets use the next size larger drill bit, makes it so there's no fighting to get the rivets in. Not a big issue on the 1/8 rivets. Maybe it was just me.
6) Invest in a right angle drill, would have made a lot of the drilling easier. I also bought a Dremel, which I would same is a must have for getting the body to fit.

If I think of something else I'll post.

[TrickyPete]

I just experienced having to backtrack last night due to the pedal box mounting plate not being attached. I had to drill out rivets and remove 2 panels many here have said. Wish I read this a week ago. Luckly I was able to reuse the holes I drilled in the aluminum. But still a PITA non the less...

On another note this thread edu-ma-cated me on what the firewall center aluminum is used for. :)

[Harley818]

Thought I would put a reference here to my build thread on fitting up the body.
I summarized the whole process that worked for me....

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?14763-Harley-s-818S&p=196365#post196365
See post #171 to #175

[AZPete]

My caulk kept clogging! I found this pack of caulk condoms at my Ace Hardware about 6 months ago and they work very well so now each cartridge flows even after months on the shelf:
41526
http://littleredcap.com/

And, if you have a clogged caulk cartridge you can cut off the top and replace it with a new nozzle tip:
http://www.wwhardware.com/fastcap-caulking-tub-replacement-tips-5pk

[Evan78]

Nothing new here for 5 months?

[Innkeepr]

PAGE 213 of the manual - 2wd conversion

Book says --
Remove the transmission nut with an impact gun or with the transmission in gear and still attached to the engine. If you do not have the transmission attached to the engine, wait until the engine is in the chassis and the CV axles are installed "

I jumped the gun, and removed the trans.
If you place a long Phillips head screw driver in each axle hole and rotate each so that it "pins" itself against the transmission, you can remove the rear transmission nut.

[DodgyTim]

I know it seems really obvious in hindsight but buffing the paint off the upper ball joints changes that job from "how the hell am I going to get this fitted " to "wow, that will need locktitght"
45463

Apologies for the photo, looks like I need a new phone:(

[TouchStone]

I know it seems really obvious in hindsight but buffing the paint off the upper ball joints changes that job from "how the hell am I going to get this fitted " to "wow, that will need locktitght"
45463

Apologies for the photo, looks like I need a new phone:(

Is that still safe to use? Your supposed to use lock-tight anyways.

[DodgyTim]

Is that still safe to use? Your supposed to use lock-tight anyways.
I did use locktite, and would recommend that everyone does.
The point I was trying to make, and probably wasn't very clear on, is that with paint on the threads it was a back breaking job to get mine threaded down fully.

[Zach34]

I did use locktite, and would recommend that everyone does.
The point I was trying to make, and probably wasn't very clear on, is that with paint on the threads it was a back breaking job to get mine threaded down fully.

Seems like a great item to safety-wire.

[mikeb75]

For the split-nut on the throttle cable:

slip the nut over the cable (the split needs to be aligned)
rotate the nut so the splits are 180* from each other
start to thread the nut by hand
put a 16mm deep socket over the split-nut & the end of the cable
tighten using a wrench on the flats of cable side

[wallace18]

If you are installing the Wilwood pedal assembly and FFR wiper kit in your 818 be mindful of where you mount your reservoirs. The FFR instructions location for them will interfere with the wiper kit bracket and transmission arm. I mounted them to the side of the wiper bracket as in the picture. I was fortunate enough to install the wiper kit on my last customer build and caught this right away.

463704637146372

[Mesa Mike]

I have a general question. Is there a build manual with this kit. I built a MK1 back in 2000 and still drive and still building on it. That came with a pretty good build manual.

[wallace18]

I have a general question. Is there a build manual with this kit. I built a MK1 back in 2000 and still drive and still building on it. That came with a pretty good build manual.

Yes there is. But over the last 2 years many mods have been done and the manual does not always keep up with them. Hence PDF updates.

[AZPete]

Drill some holes, go turn on the shop vac, come back with the hose, suck up shavings, go back to turn off the vac, . . . repeat. For $30 I bought a wireless remote control button that gets fastened to the end of the vacuum hose, and the vacuum gets plugged into the receiver. Now, to suck up drill shavings, fiberglass dust, and other stuff I just grab the nearby hose end, press the button on or off! Possibly the best garage gadget since the cordless drill? I have no interest in this product or company. [url]http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/viewprd.asp?idproduct=45290

[Loring]

Nice!

Similar thing for $10.77 : http://www.midlandhardware.com/710210.html

Yet another via Amazon prime: http://www.amazon.com/Westek-RFK306LC-Outdoor-Wireless-Receiver/dp/B004ZUKG6Y

[Loring]

If you're tearing down your donor ahead of your kit arrival, keep your clevis, pin, and locknut together like this:

52161

[BC Huselton]

Cutting the existing lip and moving it up and out gave me 1.5" space to avoid tire rubbing. You need a little fiber glass skill to pull it off. It actually makes the front opening more rounded and matching to the rear opening. And, provides tire travel space saving the front fender from being killed by a bump!



55731

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Cutting the existing lip and moving it up and out gave me 1.5" space to avoid tire rubbing. You need a little fiber glass skill to pull it off. It actually makes the front opening more rounded and matching to the rear opening. And, provides tire travel space saving the front fender from being killed by a bump!
55731

Hey BC,
That's a much need improvement. Good Job.
I would love o see a picture of you front bumper to see how it turned out.
Bob

[BC Huselton]

Here is the front end. It is a much more rigid structure now with the Hood, fender and splitter structures. Had to do something to assure the front could withstand and stout TUG. Ready to paint in Oct. Running great..Wayne Dyno and General inspection / set up. Put a 2006 dash in it and that really changes it out of the "Kit Look Interior." The outside deserves a better inside IMO.

See you when you get to HHI?

Best, BC55735

[metros]

I like what you've done there. Any more pictures of the fenders smoothed/filled?

[Mechie3]

I like that. Reminds me of the lower portion of the porsche front bumpers.

[nkw8181]

Here is the front end. It is a much more rigid structure now with the Hood, fender and splitter structures. Had to do something to assure the front could withstand and stout TUG. Ready to paint in Oct. Running great..Wayne Dyno and General inspection / set up. Put a 2006 dash in it and that really changes it out of the "Kit Look Interior." The outside deserves a better inside IMO.

See you when you get to HHI?

Best, BC55735

BC what are you doing to allow a tow hook? I worry that the radiators support bracket isn't strong enough to use to pull from

[BC Huselton]

Installed added bars back to the bottom of chassis past the Radiator Structure. They bolt in front and rear so the Rad Structure can still be removed, if needed. Welded in stronger front bumper bars and side bars to the upper part of the Rad Structure. Actually takes the vibration and shake out of the Front bumper along with a hood mounting brace that goes across the top. Squares everything off and provides a support structure to the center on the Front Splitter. Your front AL underpan with the loovers in it, fits right below the added bars.

57514

[BC Huselton]

A 6 Speed Lock Out Solution

Wayne made me a Lock Out lever that was more reliable than a nylock to hold it open. I added a way to engage and disengage the Lockout to assure I could not shift into reverse. Bike parts and some additions to Wayne's design along with an indicator switch to display the status of the Lock Out. Lever sit right next to the VCP shifter. 2 clicks up or back for in lock or out of lock.

57515

[Loring]

Save your self a headache or 6 and ditch the metric/standard brake adapters. When installed into the brake hoses specifically, they cause brinelling and can leak. Either cut the metric flares off of your donor, or pick up a pack of new flare nuts.

You don't want to have to replace flare nuts after you've already got brake fluid in the system.

Here's one source for flare nuts:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DAQ0MV2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[flynntuna]

Wayne's rear suspension set up pointers...

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?15132-Rear-Suspension-set-up-pointers

[BC Huselton]

There is a long term risk of Fiberglass POP through if you do not REgelcoat any place you have broken through the original Gel Coat. In addition, any fiberglass work you have done to reshape panels needs to be gel coated prior to applying any putty, sealer, or primer surfacer.

I did not know to do this, and as a result, I am getting paint blisters all the way down to the glass I thought was totally cured. Me Bad! I thought the epoxy primer I used would seal it sufficiently and it did not.

Fiberglast makes a gel coat primer and Sticky Stuff makes a Sanding Gel Coat primer with SS-10 Curing wax to assure full curing. You can even brush it on and let it cure prior to any glazing putty work.

If you are contracting out your paint job, be certain to find out the practices and procedures your painter uses. If they do not Gel Coat on the open glass areas you will get fabric bleed back and popping when it gets heat in it...like outside in the sun.

I did not do it correctly and got payback with cracks and blisters.

[Canadian818]

There is a long term risk of Fiberglass POP through if you do not REgelcoat any place you have broken through the original Gel Coat. In addition, any fiberglass work you have done to reshape panels needs to be gel coated prior to applying any putty, sealer, or primer surfacer.

I did not know to do this, and as a result, I am getting paint blisters all the way down to the glass I thought was totally cured. Me Bad! I thought the epoxy primer I used would seal it sufficiently and it did not.

Fiberglast makes a gel coat primer and Sticky Stuff makes a Sanding Gel Coat primer with SS-10 Curing wax to assure full curing. You can even brush it on and let it cure prior to any glazing putty work.

If you are contracting out your paint job, be certain to find out the practices and procedures your painter uses. If they do not Gel Coat on the open glass areas you will get fabric bleed back and popping when it gets heat in it...like outside in the sun.

I did not do it correctly and got payback with cracks and blisters.

I'm glad you posted that, I had every intention of "sealing" all my modifications with epoxy primer. I'm going to have to do some further research, especially since all my mods have been done with epoxy resin.

[turbomacncheese]

I'm glad you posted that, I had every intention of "sealing" all my modifications with epoxy primer. I'm going to have to do some further research, especially since all my mods have been done with epoxy resin.

x2. Didn't even know to think about this.

[Wayne Presley]

BC, what did you use to fill the areas with? My painter uses Rage Ultra and it lives fine.

[BC Huselton]

Areas I roughed up through the gel coat, I used Rage Ultra as well and then top coated with DP 40 a PPG epoxy primer and then finished up with PPG primer surfacer with a top sealer prior to color coat. I do not have a booth, so I cannot force dry anything.

When I finally got these parts out in the sun and heated up, that is when the popping happened. And, it is not solvent popping. Talked to PPG about it and then extensive conversations with Ecklers, the Corvette people. They described what happened before I even told them what happened, and they said it could even take a year. It can blow through any putty or primer if it has and bad reaction. I am saying it is a risk to not gelcoat it. Ecklers has a product, Fiberglast, Sticky Stuff, and others all made to avoid any bleed through. It may not happen and it may happen. I am not paying a big number to have someone else paint my car. It was a real wakeup call.

There is an application practice that assures it will not happen. It adds a step, but in my opinion it is a worthy step to invest in. Ecklers recommends 80 grit the repair site, shoot their gelcoat sanding sealer, surface prep without breaking through the gelcoat with 150 and then use the Primer Surfacer of your choice to prep for top coat.

Hope it does not happen to anyone else...not a nice thing!

[BC Huselton]

Here is the Eckler Application Guide

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/assets/pdf/corvette/10709.pdf

[Clyde's Keeper]

The build guide has you install the rear suspension prior to the engine. After contemplating this procedure, I thought it would be easier to install the engine first and build the suspension afterwards. Since this is the way I did it not sure if their way is better, but my way worked great. Had the engine, transmission and rear suspension completely installed in less than two hours. My thinking was it will be easier to install the axles in the transmission without the weight of the hubs on the other end. I did have the hubs pre assembled with all of the brackets. Installed engine/trans and built out from there. Engine, axles, hubs and suspension links then brakes.

My 2 cents.

[Wayne Presley]

The build guide has you install the rear suspension prior to the engine. After contemplating this procedure, I thought it would be easier to install the engine first and build the suspension afterwards. Since this is the way I did it not sure if their way is better, but my way worked great. Had the engine, transmission and rear suspension completely installed in less than two hours. My thinking was it will be easier to install the axles in the transmission without the weight of the hubs on the other end. I did have the hubs pre assembled with all of the brackets. Installed engine/trans and built out from there. Engine, axles, hubs and suspension links then brakes.

My 2 cents.

Agreed, I also do all of the brakes and steering before putting the front suspension on.

[frankc5r]

Here is a link to a very useful pdf of Gates hoses all the way from small to large radiator sizes. First part is listing by sizes but the 2nd has pictures of ea hose by size so you
can see all available 1.5 in hoses.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/gates-molded-hose-size-guide.656367/

Illustrations for size 1.5 start about page 80.

Think you will find this handy.

[Frank818]

I have a great wrap tip. Sometimes when you remove the inner paper by sliding between the film and body, you then start working on an area. And while you reposition the film it's possible the paper bends and stick on the film without you knowing. When you try to remove the twisted paper it tears off and leaves paper residue on the sticky film side, almost IMPOSSIBLE to remove with finger nails or stuff like that.

70694


No worries, use any cloth filled up with water and rub on the paper.

70695



Once the paper is just some rolled paper bits and it's still wet, us a dry cloth to remove the rest. Let it dry and re-apply, good as new!

70696

[frankc5r]

DIY beading tool. Professional beading tools are expensive. I searched around and built some test pieces from web sources but the best uses modified crimp tool from HF or most any parts store.
I cut the end off that cuts wire so I had left just the crimp part. If you use just like that you put on good bead but the end of tube is reduced in diameter a little
by tool. If you look at picture of tool, see the red dot which is where I filed/ground out a relief on one side so that you get a nice crimp w/o affecting the diameter.
You crimp, move a little just overlapping until you have ground around tube. Even a 3 " tube just takes a couple min and because you slide tube into tool till it bottoms, the crimp is even
all the way around and is nice and smooth for your tubing to slip over.
https://s17.postimg.org/5j4z5etjv/IMG_0174.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5j4z5etjv/)

https://s17.postimg.org/r6txfuty3/IMG_0176.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/r6txfuty3/)

https://s17.postimg.org/5lous8x7f/IMG_0177.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5lous8x7f/)

[melnjoel]

I just got the 818s kit from a second owner. Neither of the two previous had done anything! Despite taking the the MK4 build school with my sons, I am a complete novice on the car scene, but I am more than excited to get going on this build. We have inventoried parts and are removing all of the pieces from the frame now. I want to read this post to get all of your input, but almost all of the photos are saying I need to have an upgraded photo bucket account to view the pics. I just want to make sure that is really the case before I throw a couple hundred dollars into something I don't need? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you!

[fastzrex]

I just got the 818s kit from a second owner. Neither of the two previous had done anything! Despite taking the the MK4 build school with my sons, I am a complete novice on the car scene, but I am more than excited to get going on this build. We have inventoried parts and are removing all of the pieces from the frame now. I want to read this post to get all of your input, but almost all of the photos are saying I need to have an upgraded photo bucket account to view the pics. I just want to make sure that is really the case before I throw a couple hundred dollars into something I don't need? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you!

Do not use PhotoBucket; there are other free services you may use such as imgur. You may also imbed for those images for which you have copies.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Do not use PhotoBucket; there are other free services you may use such as imgur. You may also imbed for those images for which you have copies.

Why not just store the pictures on this forum. Works perfect every time as long as you reduce the resolution reasonable.
Here is a sample of a couple of my post:

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?12534-MRG-MotorSports-818S-Build&p=282620&viewfull=1#post282620

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?12534-MRG-MotorSports-818S-Build&p=267754&viewfull=1#post267754

[melnjoel]

Thank you for the tips! Here I go on the build!

[CBUS818]

Do not use PhotoBucket; there are other free services you may use such as imgur. You may also imbed for those images for which you have copies.
I think the issue he is seeing is that earlier posts are showing the photobucket error. That error is for the users that used photobucket to link photos. I bet when they first posted, photobucket wasn't charging.

It would be great if those users updated these photos, they have such great info! I can't wait to order and start! The donor is waiting for me to start wrenching on it.

[melnjoel]

I think the issue he is seeing is that earlier posts are showing the photobucket error. That error is for the users that used photobucket to link photos. I bet when they first posted, photobucket wasn't charging.

It would be great if those users updated these photos, they have such great info! I can't wait to order and start! The donor is waiting for me to start wrenching on it.

That is what I am finding! As I read the posts, there seems to be lots of great information, but none of the photos are available to see what is being discussed without a premium Photobucket account.

[svanlare]

I didn't store the photo's here because I couldn't figure out how to make them full size in the post. Photobucket seemed a good way to go. Using a free hosting site was great, until it wasn't.... Trying to switch to imgur, we'll see how much work it is.

[frankc5r]

Try PostImage hosting. Free and no hassle.

[phil1734]

Google drive works well. You can't directly embed photos easily, but you can embed a link and - more importantly - you can link to video, documents, spreadsheets etc.

And since it's Google it'll link across all your other Google accounts (Gmail, Youtube, etc.)

[Harley818]

I've noticed alot of pics are now missing due to the issue identified above.
Its too bad... there is a lot of good info there, and I'm sure that it would be a lot of work to go back and re-load the images.

I've been just uploading from my computer.
I select the pictures from my albums that I want to use, then copy it to an "upload" file, reducing the size at the same time.
It means you need to resize the jpg or whatever format you are using, but it works quite well.
Once I have uploaded to the forum, I just delete it so I don't have duplicates.
I haven't found a similar format for videos... so I just recently created a youtube account and provided the link.

[shinn497]

Imgur i think is the best.

[melnjoel]

I found that Chrome has a fix (for now). I downloaded the Chrome Photobucket Hotlink fix and I can see all of the photos that were uploaded previously from Photobucket. I've not found anything for any of the other browsers, but it is immensely helpful to be able to see all of the photos that have been posted over the years. Thank you for all that have shared and continue to help with my build!

[Sgt.Gator]

I found that Chrome has a fix (for now). I downloaded the Chrome Photobucket Hotlink fix and I can see all of the photos that were uploaded previously from Photobucket. I've not found anything for any of the other browsers, but it is immensely helpful to be able to see all of the photos that have been posted over the years. Thank you for all that have shared and continue to help with my build!

Updated Edit:
Did you read the reviews about how it is sending your info to a third party and injecting his stuff into Amazon? That is the
"Photobucket Hotlink Fix" extension.

However the "Photobucket Embedded Image Fix" has excellent reviews and so far seems to be working fine on the images in the FF forum.

[bow2091]

I used locktite , put the ball joint in the freezer , and got the loaner tool from Autozone #648617T , it has the correct socket needed in the kit. It will go right on

[turbomacncheese]

If you need to make a bracket to match some holes, grab some packing tape from the dollar store. It's thick enough that it doesn't stretch or twist. Lay it over whatever you need to match (in this case it was intake manifold holes for the de-gas tank). Smash the tape with your thumb, and when you pull it up, you'll have a template for the holes. Just stick it to whatever you're drilling, and aim for the center.

83842

[turbomacncheese]

CV joint pipe trick
https://youtu.be/pTooPkTAmIk

[Dave 53]

Install this panel ASAP before installing various systems while you have easy access. I'm doing it now and it's a bare with the sway bar, master cylinder, brake lines, coolant pipes, shift cables, steering column, etc. all in the way because the rivets are inboard of the frame. The surrounding splash guard panels can wait because the rivets are outboard of the frame. 148033