Oregon 818S build maybe the first?

[waruaki]

Since I heard from Stewarts this morning that my 818S is now In Phoenix and should be here next weekend I think it’s a fine time to join the build threads and contribute. I’m doing a father and son build with my dad. He’s 70, I’m 43. We have each owned, restored and raced Lotus Europa’s although at different times. More recently he owned and raced an Acura NSX and a while back I spent a year building a Monster Miata (See YouTube link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCRLMTwDfXE I also have some build picture in the album associated with my profile.

For our 818S build we started with a 2002 WRX sedan as our donor with around 87K miles with driver’s side front corner damage. After we dissembled the car, clean and painted our parts and performed a timing set replacement on the motor (timing belt, tensioner, idler and water pump). We removed our intake manifold, replaced all the cracked vacuum lines we plan to retain. During the disassembly I re-built the main engine harness and removed all four TGV connecters as well as the power steering pressure connecter. We then performed a TGV delete ourselves and mounted the manifold back on with phenolic spacers to help with heat soak. As our 2002 had a catalytic converter in the uppipe we removed it and fabricated our own. We cut off the existing flanges then bored them out on the lathe and welded in a mandrel bent piece of 1.75” ID exhaust pipe and had it coated. We also replaced the font wheel bearings and pressed in new seals.

Currently we are working on the electrical harnesses and have finished removing the ABS and air bag systems from the headlight harness. We have finished deleting unneeded wires and connectors from the primary fuel pump harness and just started on the rear wiring harness and trunk cord.

I would like to give a big thanks for all the great information provided so far. It’s made the start to our build so much easier already.

Brett

[waruaki]

Here are three diagrams I put together after I disassembled the intake manifold and turbo inlet to help me remember down the road what connected to where. Excuse my terminology if its not perfect on the diagrams. I also included a picture of the first clump removed from the headlight harness containing the ABS module connector and some of the air bag leads. I think we have four or five times this much removed from the harnesses now and still have a way to go!

[waruaki]

Only one day late and just three parts unaccounted for out of 10 boxes, very happy!

[Mechie3]

Very nice. I'm partial to blue myself.

[Xusia]

Oh man! I'm going with a blue theme as well. There will some differences, but our color schemes will be more similar than different. :)

[Bob_n_Cincy]

I'm going Blue on my Chassis, it's at Powder coaters right now. This color23409

[Xusia]

Now THAT's nice!

[VD2021]

Shiney!.....

[waruaki]

That powder coated chassis is nothing but cool!

[svanlare]

pretty awesome!

[Frank818]

That cerulean blue is quite eye attracting! I like that!

Cerulean blue.... cerulean blue... where did I hear that before... oh!!!!!! God... The X-Files... got it, Pusher, 17th episode of 3rd season. Call me stupid.

[Mechie3]

My garage is painted cerulean blue. :)

All of the solenoid purge stuff can be deleted. It hooks up to the charcoal canister and solenoids which aren't reused.

[waruaki]

Agreed it's a choice. I have deleted the dump valve and the OEM charcoal canister assembly at the rear of the car and will replace it with a mid 90s Miata canister (much smaller and less connections) so the gas tank can vent out. Allowing the Miata canister to connect to the purge solenoid shouldn't affect performance. For those builders that don't want to vent out gas fumes and want to use some type of (charcoal) vapor canister the Miata unit would be another option as they can be had inexpensively. I purchased the one pictured for $15.00

[Xusia]

Do you mind disclosing where you got that? I like it and I need something.

[waruaki]

I purchased it off eBay but you could find the canister at most import wrecking yards. I know there is a decent Pick A Part in Eugene. Get the mounting bracket off the car too if you can. Mazda used that style canister on the 90-97 Miata's

[RM1SepEx]

There is a thread on the forum of people building their own... I may do that, just use an aluminum canister and fill it with activated charcoal

[Xusia]

Not sure I could build something that nice for $15.

[metalmaker12]

I'm going Blue on my Chassis, it's at Powder coaters right now. This color23409

Nice!!

[metalmaker12]

Since I heard from Stewarts this morning that my 818S is now In Phoenix and should be here next weekend I think it’s a fine time to join the build threads and contribute. I’m doing a father and son build with my dad. He’s 70, I’m 43. We have each owned, restored and raced Lotus Europa’s although at different times. More recently he owned and raced an Acura NSX and a while back I spent a year building a Monster Miata (See YouTube link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCRLMTwDfXE I also have some build picture in the album associated with my profile.

For our 818S build we started with a 2002 WRX sedan as our donor with around 87K miles with driver’s side front corner damage. After we dissembled the car, clean and painted our parts and performed a timing set replacement on the motor (timing belt, tensioner, idler and water pump). We removed our intake manifold, replaced all the cracked vacuum lines we plan to retain. During the disassembly I re-built the main engine harness and removed all four TGV connecters as well as the power steering pressure connecter. We then performed a TGV delete ourselves and mounted the manifold back on with phenolic spacers to help with heat soak. As our 2002 had a catalytic converter in the uppipe we removed it and fabricated our own. We cut off the existing flanges then bored them out on the lathe and welded in a mandrel bent piece of 1.75” ID exhaust pipe and had it coated. We also replaced the font wheel bearings and pressed in new seals.

Currently we are working on the electrical harnesses and have finished removing the ABS and air bag systems from the headlight harness. We have finished deleting unneeded wires and connectors from the primary fuel pump harness and just started on the rear wiring harness and trunk cord.

I would like to give a big thanks for all the great information provided so far. It’s made the start to our build so much easier already.

Brett

Very nice man

[waruaki]

Just received the call from the Stewart's driver, looking like a Friday delivery for our 818S!

[Xusia]

Awesome! Mine is scheduled for pick up tomorrow. :D

[Frank818]

Awesome! Mine is scheduled for pick up tomorrow. :D

What? I thought you had it already! But it's true I don't see your build thread. I have opened mine 1 year ahead of time, so open yours! :) You won't have time tomorrow anyway. :)

[Xusia]

I don't want to hijack his thread, so I'll be brief. If you have any questions, please PM me.

Bottom line is I'm not ready to start a build thread. Nothing secretive here, I just don't have the time to put into it. New job is getting in the way (of that and lost of other things). I haven't even had time to finish stripping my donor (no biggie, I made space so I can have both in the garage). I have some time off planned in December, so maybe I'll be able to make some headway then. :)

[waruaki]

In an effort (like most builders) we are trying to pick up horse power where ever we can and the exhaust system is one of the easiest ways on the WRX. Unfortunately I couldn’t find many options to get away from the OEM WRX flanged downpipe (see picture) other than buy a new or used aftermarket downpipe that had a bellmouth already. The problem is you end up cutting a pretty good chuck of the exhaust pipe away just to get the bellmouth and unless you get a deal on a used cast downpipe their expensive $250.00 plus. My donor had the stock exhaust so I wasn’t lucky like some who have had COBB or Invidia exhaust systems on the car already so my solution was to buy just the downpipe elbow.
Kamak Dynamics AKA Kinugawa turbo sells the elbow pictured below. Its cast stainless steel so no welds to crack and is very smooth on the inside.
ID is 2.835 and OD is 3.050

[JeromeS13]

I went with the same one, but for my JDM twin scroll VF37. ;)

[waruaki]

Its a nice piece, I was impressed with the quality.

[waruaki]

Our kit arrived this afternoon see post #3. Now the fun part begins.

[longislandwrx]

Hope the quality that part is better than their turbos. How is the fitment? all the bolts line up without fighting you?

[bil1024]

Congrats!!!!

[Mechie3]

Hope the quality that part is better than their turbos. How is the fitment? all the bolts line up without fighting you?

My FFR adapter fights me. I need to drill it out if I were going to use it.

[waruaki]

Congrats!!!!

Thank you

[waruaki]

Hope the quality that part is better than their turbos. How is the fitment? all the bolts line up without fighting you?

The holes on the flange line up with the bolts, no problems there. The only issue I had was they sent the wrong elbow the first time but after a phone call they were quick to send out the correct part.

[FFRSpec72]

My daughter goes to school in Salem, We live in Kirkland WA, I'm building a 818R for her track car, getting ready for delivery. Should be fun, going to try a non donor build.

[waruaki]

My daughter goes to school in Salem, We live in Kirkland WA, I'm building a 818R for her track car, getting ready for delivery. Should be fun, going to try a non donor build.

Willamette University? Hopefully she can participate in your build.

[waruaki]

Making progress drilling holes and securing with clecos. The firewall is ready for disassembly and will scuff sand with 220 grit, wipe down with presol and paint black.

[rcotner]

Hello, I am building a '33 hotrod just a few miles away in Wilsonville. If you are entertaining visitors I would love to see your car in progress. Since you are experienced I would love to pick your brain. I am a total newbie.

[RM1SepEx]

My FFR adapter fights me. I need to drill it out if I were going to use it.

I had to drill mine out too. For me it is a short term Item. I want to baseline the output using it and go for bellmouth later, document HP gain

[waruaki]

Hello, I am building a '33 hotrod just a few miles away in Wilsonville. If you are entertaining visitors I would love to see your car in progress. Since you are experienced I would love to pick your brain. I am a total newbie.

I don't know about experience, maybe in machining and fabrication. This is the first factory five kit. PM me your contact information and your welcome to come down some weekend.

[waruaki]

Made good progress today, most of the front firewall panels are in and riveted. Still waiting for the paint to dry on a couple as it's been cold here, should be able to get them in Friday. Front suspension is assembled and torqued down. Waiting on the back ordered spring hats, spring seats and threaded sleeves for the Koni's though. Fitted the rack and pinion but was shipped the wrong size sleeves for the passenger side .320" instead of the .865" the manual calls for. I spoke with Factory Five and they were quick to see the fault and shipped out the correct spacers the same day!

A big shout out to Wayne for taking a few minutes on the phone today to answer a build question when I was tired and had spent to many hours under the florescent lights.
Thanks Wayne!

[Frank818]

Ok so you convinced me, I'm gonna powder coat/spray paint all my parts as well! Looks too damn good!

[waruaki]

Too kind, thank you. Using the orbital sander with 220 grit really helps the paint key onto the aluminum panels and the media blast cabinet makes it easy to clean donor parts for paint or powdercoat.

[waruaki]

In our opinion we think it’s a good idea to have a firewall separating the engine compartment from the gas tank. I have seen a few builds on the forum with them and pictured below is what we came up with as our solution. We started with a 1/8th inch sheet of 5052 aluminum cut down to 24"X53" and while I was mocking up the interior panels and drilling way too many holes my Dad fabricated the aluminum firewall. He started by cutting it into two separate sections and then used the metal band saw to make several cutouts to clear the chassis (See Pictures). Fortunately Factory Five's frame jigs are so good he was able to take one completed side and use it as a stencil for the other and then make the cuts to the second panel. To secure them we used 10/32" rivnuts and stainless steel allen button head machine screws. We plan to scuff sand the firewall and coat them with ceramic header paint.

On a side note as I was working on the interior aluminum panels I noticed the F Revised Assembly Manual (See Picture Below) does not show a panel that was included in our kit. It’s highlighted in one of the pictures below with a red circle. it’s called a Coolant Tube Cover Part# 80604 & 80605. So just a heads up if your panels look different from the manual you will find the Tube Cover panel wrapped in brown paper and boxed with the rest of the aluminum panels and vent screens.

[AZPete]

Send your Dad down to sunny Arizona so he can fab some panels for me. Nice work.

[wleehendrick]

On a side note as I was working on the interior aluminum panels I noticed the F Revised Assembly Manual (See Picture Below) does not show a panel that was included in our kit. It’s highlighted in one of the pictures below with a red circle. it’s called a Coolant Tube Cover Part# 80604 & 80605. So just a heads up if your panels look different from the manual you will find the Tube Cover panel wrapped in brown paper and boxed with the rest of the aluminum panels and vent screens.

I wish you had posted that yesterday... I installed those same panels today... scratched my head for a bit and I used photos in other build threads as a reference (since the manual didn't jive). Had to dig through box 6 to find those two extra parts I knew had to be there!

Thanks for the details on the rear firewall; I'll probably do something similar.

[waruaki]

I wish you had posted that yesterday... I installed those same panels today... scratched my head for a bit and I used photos in other build threads as a reference (since the manual didn't jive). Had to dig through box 6 to find those two extra parts I knew had to be there!

Thanks for the details on the rear firewall; I'll probably do something similar.

I know what you mean, there was a lot of head scratching here this morning as well.

[metalmaker12]

Yea my kit never got those, kinda late now lol

[longislandwrx]

I'm glad I didn't read the manual. A few guys' build threads already showed them so it was pretty straightforward.

[Mechie3]

My kit has the little cover pieces. Didn't put them on yet and didn't notice them until Fate066 first posted pics.

[waruaki]

If it saves someone a few minutes by knowing what part number goes where all the better :)

[waruaki]

Having looked over the majority of build threads, I realized that there was a difficulty in getting the pedal box to line up properly with the two existing through holes for the master cylinder.
The photos below show you a sequence we used in getting the proper position on the pedal box so the mounting holes clear the side of the pedal box plates.

The first step is to widen the holes in the pedal box at all four corners, mostly the top two. Put the pedal box in your vice, and squeeze the upper corners of the box together approximately 1/8 to ¼ of an inch. The pedal box will naturally spring back slightly and that’s fine. Next mount the box onto the firewall. Carefully mark through the firewall onto the pedal box using the master cylinder mount points. A Sharpie pen works great. Remove the box and drill a 1/8 inch hole through the two marks that you made on the box. Bolt the box back onto the firewall and follow the manual and drill the 5/16 holes through the firewall and the box. This should now give you the correct alignment of the box through the firewall and allow the 5/16 bolts to come from the cabin side and go through the firewall to be used as studs to mount the master cylinder.

[freds]

[QUOTE=waruaki;128515]In our opinion we think it’s a good idea to have a firewall separating the engine compartment from the gas tank. I have seen a few builds on the forum with them and pictured below is what we came up with as our solution. We started with a 1/8th inch sheet of 5052 aluminum cut down to 24"X53" and while I was mocking up the interior panels and drilling way too many holes my Dad fabricated the aluminum firewall. He started by cutting it into two separate sections and then used the metal band saw to make several cutouts to clear the chassis (See Pictures). Fortunately Factory Five's frame jigs are so good he was able to take one completed side and use it as a stencil for the other and then make the cuts to the second panel. To secure them we used 10/32" rivnuts and stainless steel allen button head machine screws. We plan to scuff sand the firewall and coat them with ceramic header paint.

An honest question.....why not put the engine/fueltank firewall on the tank side of the chassis frame? That way it requires almost no notching.

fred

[Xusia]

I'm not sure about them, but for me it would be for 2 primary reasons:
1. Extra space between the wall (which may potentially get hot) and the gas tank,
2. Cleaner look inside the engine bay.

[waruaki]

Brian is correct it was mounted on the outside to give 1.5" +or - space between the tank and the firewall. Had we mounted it on the inside of the chassis it would have been right up against the tank and would have transferred the heat from the motor onto the aluminum and heat sinked into the gas tank.

[waruaki]

My Son says "Measure twice and cut once Dad" Good advice.

23896

[NISMO_RB25]

In our opinion we think it’s a good idea to have a firewall separating the engine compartment from the gas tank. I have seen a few builds on the forum with them and pictured below is what we came up with as our solution. We started with a 1/8th inch sheet of 5052 aluminum cut down to 24"X53" and while I was mocking up the interior panels and drilling way too many holes my Dad fabricated the aluminum firewall. He started by cutting it into two separate sections and then used the metal band saw to make several cutouts to clear the chassis (See Pictures). Fortunately Factory Five's frame jigs are so good he was able to take one completed side and use it as a stencil for the other and then make the cuts to the second panel. To secure them we used 10/32" rivnuts and stainless steel allen button head machine screws. We plan to scuff sand the firewall and coat them with ceramic header paint.

On a side note as I was working on the interior aluminum panels I noticed the F Revised Assembly Manual (See Picture Below) does not show a panel that was included in our kit. It’s highlighted in one of the pictures below with a red circle. it’s called a Coolant Tube Cover Part# 80604 & 80605. So just a heads up if your panels look different from the manual you will find the Tube Cover panel wrapped in brown paper and boxed with the rest of the aluminum panels and vent screens.

Thank you for sharing. I dropped that part and a few others off today to get powder coated and still didn't know what it was for. :)

[waruaki]

Thank you for sharing. I dropped that part and a few others off today to get powder coated and still didn't know what it was for. :)

You're welcome, appreciate the feedback.

[Xusia]

Hey Brett, Just an FYI to save you some time. I've been talking with some folks at the DMV to ensure I know all the steps in the process, what's required, etc. This car is going to be a bit different from other FFR kits because it's not a replica. In Oregon that means the process is slightly different. I'll share my findings with you, of course (as well as update the registration thread). Just thought I'd mention it so you don't spend any effort on the same thing. :)

[waruaki]

We mounted the pedal box, steering wheel and throttle pedal today. There was some clearance issues between one button head machine screw and the master cylinder. I also had to trim the edge of the power booster cover plate (See Diagram Below) for everything to mount flush against the firewall.

[waruaki]

Hey Brett, Just an FYI to save you some time. I've been talking with some folks at the DMV to ensure I know all the steps in the process, what's required, etc. This car is going to be a bit different from other FFR kits because it's not a replica. In Oregon that means the process is slightly different. I'll share my findings with you, of course (as well as update the registration thread). Just thought I'd mention it so you don't spend any effort on the same thing. :)

I would appreciate that. Thanks Brian.

[wleehendrick]

There was some clearance issues between one button head machine screw and the master cylinder.

The manual says to remove that button head ("Remove the bolt in the upper left side corner of the pedal box for master cylinder clearance, p 140"). I like your idea better (retaining the screw and trim the plate)

[waruaki]

The manual says to remove that button head ("Remove the bolt in the upper left side corner of the pedal box for master cylinder clearance, p 140"). I like your idea better (retaining the screw and trim the plate)

Agreed, I deviated from the manual on this. On a assembly that critical there was no way I was going to remove that corner screw and leave it secured with only three.

[JeromeS13]

Agreed, I deviated from the manual for this. On a assembly that critical there was no way I was going to remove that corner screw and leave it secured with only three.

When you add the bolts for the master cylinder, you're actually securing it with 5 total (if you do not deviate from the manual). With your method, you'll have 6.

[waruaki]

When you add the bolts for the master cylinder, you're actually securing it with 5 total (if you do not deviate from the manual). With your method, you'll have 6.

Actually you could say 8 if you count the addition two for the clutch master. I was only counting the 4 for the pedal box itself. Good catch.

[indiana818]

I'm new to subaru so I don't know a lot about these engines.
Did youput spacers under the manifold? Why? I like the look

[waruaki]

I used Phenolic spacers under the manifold 23904 to reduce heat soak. Is that what you are referring too? Installed you cant really see them. Maybe you're talking about the TGVs 23905 ?

[wleehendrick]

Agreed, I deviated from the manual on this. On a assembly that critical there was no way I was going to remove that corner screw and leave it secured with only three.

I'm going to button up my MC tonight, and will probably trim the panel to use the 4th bolt like you did. Don't know why FFR designed the panel like that, seems just as easy to have a cut-out to allow all 4 bolts.

What... brakes critical? :p

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Agreed, I deviated from the manual on this. On a assembly that critical there was no way I was going to remove that corner screw and leave it secured with only three.

The reason they don't use the top driver side bolt is because the head or nut will hit the MC. See the picture below without the aluminum installed. I deviated from the manual by using 5/16 grade 8 socket head bolts. 1" for the 3 bracket screws and 1 1/2" for the 2 MC screws.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=23919&d=1386177339

[waruaki]

Here is a picture of the completed cover plate 23952 as well as a picture of the Brake Master 23953. It shows what I had to hand file off the Brake Master to clear the button head machine screw. I have added them to the original post as well.


Here is the master cylinder and cover plate assembled on the firewall. 24048

[waruaki]

The majority of back ordered parts from Factory Five arrived this week so we were able to assemble the shocks and fully mount the front and rear suspension.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

The majority of back ordered parts from Factory Five arrived this week so we were able to assemble the shocks and fully mount the front and rear suspension.

Hi waruaki,
I love the paint on your drive train parts.
Your lower trailing arms are on the wrong side. Switch left to right side of car.
The way you have them they will rub your tires. See attached photo.
Or maybe they just need to be flipped over.
Bob


23963

[waruaki]

Thanks Bob, good catch.

[waruaki]

On our 2002 WRX the rear lateral links have brackets outboard for the stabilizer links to mount too. 24006The 818 doesn't utilize this configuration and therefore the brackets can be removed. I just wish I would have known before I painted them this summer.

Cutting off the welds 24004 Ready for final grinding 24005

Some of the spacers used on the suspension were a little to large and needed to be shorted by a few thousandths 24007 We used an old drumstick turned down on the lathe to just over .5" to keep the spacer on tight and true while grinding.

[waruaki]

I have a question regarding the upper control arms supplied with our 818s kit Chassis #73. I know on the early beta kits one of the control arms had to have one of the ball joint plate studs shortened. Looking at the pictures provided below of our control arms does the driver’s side with the red circle need to be cut down to 1.100"? Anyone have experience with this?

[metalmaker12]

I have a question regarding the upper control arms supplied with our 818s kit Chassis #73. I know on the early beta kits one of the control arms had to have one of the ball joint plate studs shortened. Looking at the pictures provided below of our control arms does the driver’s side with the red circle need to be cut down to 1.100"? Anyone have experience with this?

Yea, looks like you have to cut it. If you go to my first build pages you should see a page covering it.

[C.Plavan]

Yea, looks like you have to cut it. If you go to my first build pages you should see a page covering it.

I have the new ones too. We need to ask before cutting. Measurements could of changed.

[nkw8181]

So a question for you. What are the dimensions of the frame? A powder coating shop wanted to know its overall size. I've been debating doing my own powder coating since I'm doing a 818R with the wing, I'll need to make a mount for it. I may have other mods to do as well.

Nolan

[waruaki]

I have the new ones too. We need to ask before cutting. Measurements could of changed.

Agreed.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

So a question for you. What are the dimensions of the frame? A powder coating shop wanted to know its overall size. I've been debating doing my own powder coating since I'm doing a 818R with the wing, I'll need to make a mount for it. I may have other mods to do as well.

Nolan
show them this picture. the chassis is about 11ft by 4ft long with out the radiator bracket
Bob

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24016&d=1386373223

[waruaki]

Thanks Bob. Love that color!

[waruaki]

So a question for you. What are the dimensions of the frame? A powder coating shop wanted to know its overall size. I've been debating doing my own powder coating since I'm doing a 818R with the wing, I'll need to make a mount for it. I may have other mods to do as well.

Nolan

It’s 55 wide by 124 long, by 42 high.

[nkw8181]

Thanks guys and I may have to do the same color!

Nolan

[C.Plavan]

So a question for you. What are the dimensions of the frame? A powder coating shop wanted to know its overall size. I've been debating doing my own powder coating since I'm doing a 818R with the wing, I'll need to make a mount for it. I may have other mods to do as well.

Nolan

I worried about the same thing- but any gloss black paint is a good match for touch up (My seat mount rails I welded in).

As for the rear R wing. I'm going to start designing that. I envision making a platform tower off the back of the transmission plate like old Porsche racers. Then welding/bolting in a couple of stabilizing bars.

[D Clary]

Does FFR have a photo of how they mounted the rear wing ? maybe they could post something. If it has already been done we can change it to our liking but don't have to re-invent the wheel

[waruaki]

Here is a picture of the disassembled WRX fuel pump and sender assembly 24053 and two pictures of the completed Factory Five unit with our WRX pump attached 2405424055 and ready for fitting in the tank.
You will notice in the first picture of the Factory Five unit that the bracket securing the fuel pump is held on to the main assembly by a single rivet. This allows the assembly to articulate and fold in on itself and aids in getting the unit to fit in the opening of the tank. 24056


At least on the 2002 if you are very careful you can fold and manipulate the OEM pump sock (Filter) though the hole of the tank. It was a pain but I managed to do it without damaging it. We discovered on the first attempt that the pump heidth relative to the assembly was too tall and needs to be shortened. The sock was bottoming inside the tank while the top of the pump assembly was sticking out of the opening by about an 1", nowhere near flush against the O ring.

We removed the assembly from the tank and slipped off the factory Five supplied fuel line from the pump and shorted it a little over 3/4 of an inch 24058and re-aligned the pump on the bracket by adjusting the worm clamp. 24059 If you compare the difference from this picture to the first picture of the Factory Five assembly picture above you can see the change of position the pump now sits on the bracket.

Here is a picture inside the tank that shows the sock in the correct position at the bottom of the tank (you can just see the pump to the far left). 24060
The lock ring is made from a stamping and benefits from having the three tab edges lightly filed at an angle. 24061This helps alignment and rotation in the ears on the tank opening. 24062

[waruaki]

I have a question regarding the upper control arms supplied with our 818s kit Chassis #73. I know on the early beta kits one of the control arms had to have one of the ball joint plate studs shortened. Looking at the pictures provided below of our control arms does the driver’s side with the red circle need to be cut down to 1.100"? Anyone have experience with this?

Here is the response I received from Joe at the factory this morning regarding the differences in the UCA's from the ones included with the early beta kits.

"You will only need to make that cut if the control arm perch (where the ball joint threads into) is welded at an angle". "If it is welded flush, no cut is needed". "Use the photo attached as reference, if it matches the picture, no cut needed". "Only the first 30ish kits needed to cut the control arm, and your frame is much higher".
Joe S


24148

[waruaki]

We installed our donor WRX 2.0L motor yesterday and what I thought would be a fairly straight forward installation turned into something a little more difficult. This was not my first rodeo putting an engine in an unconventional platform. A few years back I built a Monster Miata and dropped in an early nineties Ford 5.0HO FI replacing the Mazda 1.6L.
24229

After several attempts of trying to get the motor to maintain the correct angle and clear the cross beams of the chassis we stopped. Then we raised the front end of the car and lowered the back. This flattened the angle of the rear and helped with alignment.
24230

This helped greatly and allowed us to get the motor much further forward but we were unable to clear the intake manifold and found we needed to remove the exhaust manifold to lower the motor a little more. The good news was we were able to leave the uppipe attached.
2423124232

The next attempt had us within a half inch or so of clearing the manifold and by removing the oil filter we were able to drop the motor just a little more and clear the cross beams and lower the angle of the transmission. After that everything lined up and we had no other issues. Now I have to mention we have 6.5MM Phenolic spacers under the intake manifold so that increase in height didn't help us clearing the manifold. In reading the assembly manual for this procedure it doesn't mention removing the exhaust manifold but does show a picture of the motor going into the chassis with it removed. So I would suggest removing it first and at least for us having the correct angle of the motor relative to the chassis was essential.
24234

[Mechie3]

I think most of us removed the exhaust before putting it in.

[waruaki]

I will never get back the 15 minutes trying to get it in with the manifold on. Wish someone would have mentioned it two days ago :) lesson learned.

[Mechie3]

I think it has been, but that sort of information gets buried and lost.

[metalmaker12]

Just ask man, I removed em .....in July

[waruaki]

Anyway... The motor is in.

[David Hodgkins]

Anyway... The motor is in.

I gotta install a "Like" button. Congrats!

:)

[icky]

I gotta install a "Like" button. Congrats!

:)


:thumbs up

[waruaki]

CV joints are finished and installed and the tail shaft housing has been removed. The upper and lower rear transmission shafts were removed and the differential as well. We found it was easiest to remove the transmission nut with the CV joints installed and tires mounted and on the ground.

[tmoretta]

Is it merely preferable to remove exhaust manifolds, or necessary? My WRX motor no longer has the crosspipe insulating covers. Also, I don't see the intercooler. Does that have to be removed too?

[metalmaker12]

Is it merely preferable to remove exhaust manifolds, or necessary? My WRX motor no longer has the crosspipe insulating covers. Also, I don't see the intercooler. Does that have to be removed too?

For engine/ tranny install
No manifolds: option, but I wouldn't
Intercooler: no, obviously you have not picked a subaru engine before. The lift out mounts are on the alternator and the intercooler mounts. You connect the two, and it is a good balance point.

[waruaki]

It was close but was still necessary to remove the exhaust manifold. The motor and transmission at least for us had to go in at a severe angle to fit the timing cover then a little more forward and lower the motor again to clear the intake manifold. As I mentioned earlier we have spacers installed that are about a 1/3 of an inch under our intake manifold. That increase in height forced us to even have to remove the oil filter to clear the motor mount pad on the passenger side of the chassis. You look at the chassis without the motor in and it seems like there is all kinds of room but with the geometry of the bracing it's actually very tight.

No way with the intercooler on and I would unbolt and remove all the hose clips and hardware on top of the manifold as well. Hopefully this saves someone else some time installing their motor.

[waruaki]

Bending and fitting brake and clutch lines. Running out of things to bolt to the erector set at this point. Now things slow down and get tedious.

[Frank818]

What's the name of that nice tool?

[waruaki]

Hand held tubing bender and it's actually made in America!

[waruaki]

Finished forming the rear brake and clutch lines and ready to rivet them in place. Hoping to make the remaining brake lines from factory Five work for the front without having to cut and re-flare.

[metalmaker12]

Nice job using what you are given, and you made it look good too. I decided to cut and flaire, but yours looks very best and nice.

[waruaki]

Nice job using what you are given, and you made it look good too. I decided to cut and flaire, but yours looks very best and nice.

Thank you.

[waruaki]

Had hoped to use the OEM WRX seats as we were satisfied with the support and comfort they provided but unfortunately with the pedals in for the last time and some modification to create more leg room we decided to invest in a pair of racing seats to gain a few more inches. The Corbeau Forza's are a good bang for the buck and we gained more leg room and they dropped us lower down into the car.

24756
We decided for convenience to mount our brake bias control under the dash and inside the car. 24757

Today the front section of the car was mounted and the radiator installed. At the end of the day we installed the flexible metal radiator hose to the cut down OEM rubber hoses. We now will have to wait for Factory Five to ship us the backordered radiator hose adapter set so we can finish this part of the build.
24758 24761 24760

[AZPete]

Nice looking brake lines except I see you mounted the left front flex line on the outside of the sway bar brace. I did the same, but moved it when I mounted the aluminum panels in that area. This photo shows the right side but the same applies to the left front.
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/frontbraketabs.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/frontbraketabs.jpg.html)

[waruaki]

Nice looking brake lines except I see you mounted the left front flex line on the outside of the sway bar brace. I did the same, but moved it when I mounted the aluminum panels in that area. This photo shows the right side but the same applies to the left front.
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/frontbraketabs.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/frontbraketabs.jpg.html)

Thanks

[tmoretta]

Am wondering if removing the engine mounts, dropping them into the chassis holes, then slipping in engine and re-bolting mounts to engine would allow a little more room for engine/trans. assembly?

[tmoretta]

Can the Forza's be bolted directly, with side mounts, to the floor?

[waruaki]

Can the Forza's be bolted directly, with side mounts, to the floor?

The seats have 4 threaded holes as well as cap screws on the underside. At this point I think its makes more sense to fabricate seat mounts than to use the one's included with the kit for this application.

[waruaki]

While waiting for backordered parts from Factory Five to arrive we have been continuing with our build and have been working on a few modifications and some part fabrications that we have seen on the forum. We are using the stock WRX steering wheel and with the stock setup we found the steering wheel both doesn't drop down low enough (even when fully lowered) and the wheel is too far back into the driver. We machined larger aluminum spacer on the lathe to 1.25" replacing the shorter ones included with the kit. We also removed the steering knuckle and cut the center section out, then ground the ends flat on the disc sander. We finished by drilling 1/4" holes on the freshly ground flats and machined a .253 pin and pressed it in to both sides to maintain alignment while we MIG welded the knuckle back together. This allowed us to push the steering wheel farther forward into the dash and make the driving position much more comfortable.
When installing our radiator and cutting our top brackets we noticed like most builds that the stock radiator sits to tall and requires modifications to secure. So it was back to the machine shop to create (without the use of a CNC machining center mind you) a pair of upper radiator mounts from aluminum.

I want to give a shout out to Honolulu 818S for the steering knuckle idea and Mechies3 for the radiator mount.

[Mechie3]

Did you raise up you radiator at all? How long is your standoff? I made custom lower mounts since I lost the stock lower rubber pieces and dont know how it compares. They look good in the picture, cnc or not. :)

[RM1SepEx]

If his brackets are 1/4 thick his radiator is up over an inch. My spacers, using the stock brackets are only 5/8 long vs an inch plus...

[C.Plavan]

I started working on my radiator mounts also. Using my new Xmas present (Makerbot Replicator 2X). Damn this thing is awesome.

I have two versions- Version 1 (Black) is like the above where you use a spacer. I can use as is, or I can send them in to get CNC'd. It utilizes the OEM rubber insert. The second version I am tweaking a bit right now (Blue prototype). It also uses the the OEM rubber insert, but I made it so I would not have to use a spacer.

I raised my radiator also to clear the lower steering rack boot (hose hit). I used the stock rubber lower radiator mounts, then added two of the rubber bushings from the shifter that came with the kit like others have done. I have the aftermarket shifter so I dont need them. This was enough for the hose to clear the steering boot.

The second version will be printed in ABS (not PLA) at 100% fill rate for robust strength. It should hold it in nicely with a 6mm rivnut/bolt.

It's nice to be able to make stuff!

http://i.imgur.com/NFGSnaIl.jpg (http://imgur.com/NFGSnaI)

http://i.imgur.com/MLxzp5Zl.jpg (http://imgur.com/MLxzp5Z)

[Xusia]

Nice!

[nkw8181]

ditto!
Nice!

[Erik W. Treves]

neat!

[metalmaker12]

Cool

[Mechie3]

It's nice to be able to make stuff!


Yeah it is! It's so cool to be able to go from ideas to real parts.

[waruaki]

Did you raise up you radiator at all? How long is your standoff? I made custom lower mounts since I lost the stock lower rubber pieces and dont know how it compares. They look good in the picture, cnc or not. :)

No the radiator if flat on the OEM bushings. The standoffs are 1" and as guessed the material for the bracket mounts is 1/4". I also included a few more pictures of the steering column modification.

[waruaki]

As we received a few parts from Factory Five the beginning of the week including our push pull cable we started on mounting the shifter. I tried it in the recommended location but with the racing seats as low as we have them and the dropped down steering wheel it was just too high. We took a few cues from other builders and decided to undermount our shifter (see picture). We went with larger fasteners 5/16th and drilled and tapped our aluminum stand offs at both ends instead of through drilling them. We then ran stainless steel button heads on the top that will also go through the aluminum tunnel after we cut a minimum hole for the shifter. Its a little deceiving from the picture but we have nearly 2 inches of clearance under the shifter for our wiring harness to go underneath.

[waruaki]

In the continuing effort to get the racing seats back as far back as possible we (like a majority of builders) have scrapped the FFR tank. If you are 5', 8" or taller IMHO you will not be comfortable and will find your knees bent up into your elbows. The Boyd tank is an expensive option but an option none the less but we wanted even more leg room available to us so we decided to fabricate our own aluminum tank.
We started with 1/10th 5052 aluminum measuring 36"X48" and went to work on the sheet metal brake. The tank is designed to match the angle of the rear of our racing seats. We also bent the lower lip of the cockpit wall to match the seat angle (see picture). After making our bends on the tank we started on the baffle to ensure the sock on the bottom of the pump pickup stays wet with plenty of fuel. We used the WRX OEM pump and fuel level sender and the only modification was to shorten its length 2." and then tig welded it back together on the Miller Syncrowave to compensate for our decreased tank heidth. A ¼” thick aluminum locking ring was then fabricated on the lathe and 8 holes drilled and tapped to 8-32 and then the ring was welded onto the tank. We then used a 1/8” sheet of Buna-N nitrile rubber for our gasket and punched 8 holes for our allen cap machine screws.
After cutting holes for the vent and the filler we needed a section of 2 inch OD aluminum pipe to weld on for our filler hose to connect too. As things go sometimes we had several sizes available in the shop but of course no 2 inch. Dad took a scrap section of the 1/10th aluminum sheet, cut it down on the band saw and hand formed it into the correct shape and size. It was then tig welded up the seam and the welds ground down to create the correct pipe section we needed for the filler. We will pressurize the tank with air and check for leaks and address them if we find any. The tank dimensions are 46"X 6" at the bottom and 4.5"at the top and 11" tall and will hold about 9 gallons.

[RM1SepEx]

very nice!

[Canadian818]

Nice work. Any pics of the locking ring?

[waruaki]

Nice work. Any pics of the locking ring?

Probably not the best vernacular on my part as it's not really a locking ring. Its a circular flange that was welded onto the tank with 8 holes drilled and tapped through it to compress the OEM fuel assembly against the nitrile rubber gasket when you tighten the eight machine screws. You can see it under the gasket in picture #3 before it was welded onto the tank.

[jimgood]

With a flat bottom tank like that, how does it keep the pick-up submerged in fuel when the fuel level gets low and you're in a long sweeping turn? I see the baffles but are they enough to prevent fuel starvation? I would have thought you'd want a bowl that traps a couple cups of fuel that is below the bottom of the rest of the tank. I don't know squat so I'm just asking.

[waruaki]

The baffles will keep the fuel centered on the sock in sweeping turns when the fuel is low like you mentioned. Not much different than the FFR or Boyd tank design in that regard.

[waruaki]

http://youtu.be/pSQlgvaTM_0

[longislandwrx]

congrats, that's running nice and smooth.

[Frank818]

Wow no updates in 4 months, but what a great one now. :) Was worth the wait!

[Kurk818]

Congrats on the major accomplishment. Looks like you used the factory wiring. Can you post more photos (particularly the fuse box locations/mountings) and what aspects of the donor were removed?

[waruaki]

Thanks for the comments.
It’s been a long time getting to this point in the build. After the first of the year I had to cut back to two days a week on the kit because of other responsibilities and then we lost several weeks diagnosing and chasing a wiring short that was ultimately caused by the front end accident that totaled our donor.
See post
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?14085-Looking-for-some-wiring-help-and-or-suggestions-on-our-2002-WRX-build

I have a few smaller pictures of the two fuse boxes and where we mounted them. Our build is a little different as our ECM is going to be mounted in the passenger compartment rather than behind the passenger seat.
Yes, I did use the OEM harness and there are several great post’s on the forum on how and what to “diet”.

From memory we removed:

ABS
Air Bags
AC/Heater and Defrost
Security System
Radio
Rear O2 Sensor
Exhaust Temp Sensor
TGVs
Cruise Control
All the gas tank sensors with the exception of the primary fuel level sensor
Side marker and fog lights
Door switches and power windows

We did retain and wired in the power mirrors though.

[waruaki]

I need to nail down my wheel selection for my 818 and I'm hoping someone who has already gone down this path can clarify a few things for me. I'm using the stock trailing arms and wheel studs from my 2002 donor and would like to know if I use 17" and 18" wheels with a 45mm offset and (5MM spacers)? will I be able to use the stock wheel studs and have enough threads to mount the wheels safely? The wheels I'm looking at are the EKM3 by Enkei http://www.enkei.com/ekm3.shtml# and the size chart http://www.enkei.com/size_chart/EKM3.pdf Regarding tires is what FFR is recommending correct 215/40/17 and 245/35/18 with the above wheels?

Thanks in advance.


29519

[Frank818]

Thought FFR recommends 255/35/18 rears.

[waruaki]

They do and they don't. Per the manual "Rear maximum tire width: 255 (some brands are wider and may only fit a 245)"

[Frank818]

It's true all that is somewhat debatable as there are no true standards when using this way of identifying tire sizes.

[waruaki]

It's true all that is somewhat debatable as there are no true standards when using this way of identifying tire sizes.

Agreed. That's why I listed the conservative number to be on the safe side as they mentioned both sizes. I would prefer to only buy one set of tires. :)

[Kurk818]

Im going to be running 295's in the rear and 255's in front with obvious flare modification btw.

http://i.imgur.com/rlSS3Yfl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JD8vk1zl.jpg

How did you go about actually mounting the fuse boxes? I cant seem to find a sturdy way of securing them in place. The FFR supplied mounting brackets dont make any sense to me.

[waruaki]

Big tires. I'm assuming you have changed to longer wheel studs and an aftermarket trailing arm to accommodate the larger wheels?
I'm using an aluminum rear fire wall and fabricated brackets to mount the main fuse box to it. Its just cut down aluminum channel stock with holes drilled in it to allow machine screws to secure it. Nothing to fancy, similar setup in the front to hold the fuse/relay box in place. I didn't use any of the supplied hardware from FFR for this application.

[Kurk818]

There is no need for longer studs unless i end up putting wheel spacers on the front (which i will do in the future). I do have aftermarket trailing arms and lateral links. Your wiring definitely looks cleaner than mine.

http://i.imgur.com/t6aQiQbl.jpg

[waruaki]

What is the offset of the wheels you are running?

Thanks.

As for the wiring depending on how far along with the diet you are I suggest taking 2 4x8 pieces of plywood joining them together and screwing them down onto 2 2x4s and placing the new table on a couple of saw horses. Then lay out your harness so it matches as closely as possible its orientation as it will be in the 818. Then go to town removing sub systems you don't need. I didn't put mine in our 818 until the diet was done. Then all I had to do was add a few extensions when it was in the kit and mount the fuse boxes.

[Kurk818]

18x10.5 [+20mm] Rear
18x8.5 [+35mm] Front.

I will be adding a 15mm spacer to the front to clear my rotors

[metalmaker12]

Kurk, do you have your kit yet, that huge widths, flares I would guess.

[Kurk818]

Yes, i received my kit on 1/28. I have an 06 STI as a donor. Transmission is in and converted to 2wd. Shifter brackets have been made. Engine has been fired and running good. Brakes, clutch and axles all done. Looking to mount seats and go kart it in the next week or so. Excited to see it rolling!

My math estimates that ill need approx 2" of flare on the back and approx 1.25" on the front. Ive been looking at jdmflares. com for the carbon fiber flares and will see exactly what i need when i have the body on.


Kurk, do you have your kit yet, that huge widths, flares I would guess.

[waruaki]

Kurk,

Here are a few pictures (not the best) of the mounting brackets for the fuse boxes on our car.





29547 29546 29548 29549

[Kurk818]

Awesome. Are the black side tabs on the rear fuse box your addition or are they part of the fuse box? My 06 doesnt have anything of the sort.

[waruaki]

They were part of the fuse box but were removed and cut down and re drilled to work with the brackets on the firewall.

[waruaki]

Just received our wheels back from powder coat. We went with XXR 530 but wanted silver. Can't believe XXR doesn't offer them in that color. Tires will be here next week. Went with the FEDERAL 595 RS-R RACING 83W. 215/40/17s and 255/35/18s

Muffler and pipe are now welded onto the bell mouth, finalizing muffler hanger. Went with a mini flow master knock off.
•Outlet: 3" Center
•Overall Length: 13"
•Body Length: 6.5"
•Body Type: 4" x 9" Oval

Actually pretty well made but a little noisy.

[Frank818]

I laughed so much when I saw that muffler!!! It looks funny. :) What a knock off!! Not a rip off, a knock off, not the same thing. :) As long as it works and stays in place, then great! Looks like you made it yourself or something?

[waruaki]

Okay, I guess you haven't seen or owned a Flowmaster muffler before. Let the lesson begin.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Flowmaster/389/843015/10002/-1?CAWELAID=1710840139&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=230006180000514794&cadevice=c&gclid=CjgKEAjwt4-dBRCDnaTUn-mC_0oSJAC4Q6kGVAGvMG5_kDfWsrWqOJMoVBlBN_s7I2RJtC8T lSl0dPD_BwE

30264

[Frank818]

I guess the color difference tricked me off. :) Can't wait to hear the sound and compare with the others.

[wleehendrick]

Hi Waruaki, I'm interested in replicating a similar exhaust for my 818 (if I don't buy an AJW and modify it for different exit point). Do you mind sharing where you got your bellmouth; did you hack an aftermarket d/p?

Also, for $70, the real Flowmaster is tempting, not many mufflers are short enough to fit in a straight shot like that, and most are loud. Can you elaborate on "a little noisy"? Flowmaster says "Loudest Most Aggressive Sound, Recommended For Off Highway Use"; I don't mind a loud exhaust, but don't want something too obnoxious.

Thanks,

Lee

[waruaki]

Hi Lee. I have fresh video of the car driving in the neighborhood I took today that I will post shortly. The muffler I purchased off EBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200991790320?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT If you buy one watch out you don't get laughed at (see post #148:confused:)

$33.00 shipped and I would comfortable recommend it to anyone. The bell mouth off the turbo I purchased by it's self from Kinugawa turbo

http://shopping.kinugawaturbo.com/turbodownpipesubaruelbowimprezawrxstitd04ltd05.asp x

See post#24 of my build for more information on the bellmouth. Then Tig welded on a 3" 60 degree stainless exhaust pipe. As the exhaust sit's now I'm reading in the low to mid eighties on my decibel meter when I revving the motor statically. I think with a diffuser tip it will quite down even more. Its not to bad on the street.

Hope this helps.

Brett

[Frank818]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200991790320?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT If you buy one watch out you don't get laughed at (see post #148:confused:)

lolll :) I deserved it, I admit. :) I just said it looked funny, that doesn't mean it's not useful or even that I would not get one myself. I may, after reading more about it, who knows... Personally I don't care at all how the muffler looks, that's not its purpose! No hard feelings, man.

I tell yeah something. Once I get my muffler in place, I'll show you a pic. I honestly think that, if I don't get a Flowmaster and have someone build me a custom muffler, you'll laugh at it as it's gonna be the worst on this forum. I'm ready to make that bet. :)

[waruaki]

A few new pictures with the XXR 530 wheels freshly powder coated in Pacific Silver by Advantage Metal Works & Powder Coating in Albany. Highly recommend! Muffler and it's hanger are finished and welded with some silver high temp paint applied. Also a short video carting through the neighborhood, unfortunity the video camera wanted to focus on everything but the car. Trouble codes are all resolved (no more check engine light) and the car has received a mild tune. Anyone who has a kit but has yet to cart it you will be blown away by how quick these cars are!

Looks like its time to start on bodywork.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMoDwROSyIE

[metalmaker12]

They are very fast!! Looks sharpe nice job so far.
Looks familiar 30578

[waruaki]

They are very fast!! Looks sharpe nice job so far.
Looks familiar 30578

Very much so. Thanks for the compliment.

[waruaki]

Since the beginning of our build we have been concerned like most builders with heat soak forming in the stock air to air intercooler and reducing performance. We have considered improving the ducts on the top of the rear fenders (which we plan to do) as well as forming a scoop on top of the intercooler. The problem with all of these is getting adequate outside air forced through the intercooler. On our S model the heidth of the windshield makes air flow problematic for a rear mounted hood scoop. Our personal solution (untested so far except statically in the garage) has been to fabricate an aluminum shroud and install some type of pusher fan assembly. Unfortunately the clearance underneath the intercooler prohibited the use of puller fans so two pusher fans were selected. After comparing manufactures, sizes and CFM I chose a pair of SPA 30100403 6.5’’ Fans.
They produce 325 CFM each at 5.5 AMPS and have sealed motors in a water proof/dust proof housing. See attached link for specifications on the fans. The current plan is to add a screened vent on top of the intercooler in the fiberglass hood (see picture, thanks Wallace) to allow the fans to draw in air from the outside as well as using a screen instead of the sheet medal behind the seats leading into the front of the engine compartment.

Managing the fans will be an Auber Instruments automotive multimeter using a RTD air intake temperature probe. Giving real time air temperature readings leaving the intercooler and turning the fans on and off at a set temperature.
The fans and shroud weight in at just under 5 lbs total. This is just my idea and may not be the fix all or perfect solution but so far I'm impressed with the volume of air coming out of the bottom of the intercooler.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_21&products_id=19
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_15&products_id=167
https://webstore.spalusa.com/en-us/product/0164/products/fans/motorcycle-atv/30100403/va22-ap11-c-50s-6-5-s-12v.aspx
https://webstore.spalusa.com/content/files/content/PDF/30100403_SPEC.pdf

[wleehendrick]

Hi Lee. I have fresh video of the car driving in the neighborhood I took today that I will post shortly. The muffler I purchased off EBay

As the exhaust sit's now I'm reading in the low to mid eighties on my decibel meter when I revving the motor statically. I think with a diffuser tip it will quite down even more. Its not to bad on the street.

Hope this helps.

Brett

Hi Brett,

Congrats on the go-cart... looks and sounds great! Since imitation is the the sincerest form of flattery, I hope you don't mind if I copy your exhaust design. :D This is what I was hoping AJW would offer, but they've gone a slightly different route. Your design simple and elegant, so I just ordered the bellmouth, and I'll probably get the real FlowMaster muffler to keep it all SS and add a resonated tip.

Thanks again!

Lee

[waruaki]

Hi Brett,

Congrats on the go-cart... looks and sounds great! Since imitation is the the sincerest form of flattery, I hope you don't mind if I copy your exhaust design. :D This is what I was hoping AJW would offer, but they've gone a slightly different route. Your design simple and elegant, so I just ordered the bellmouth, and I'll probably get the real FlowMaster muffler to keep it all SS and add a resonated tip.

Thanks again!

Lee

Happy to help post a picture when you're finished.

[Stickshift84]

Your build looks awesome, great work!!!

I am also currently trying to figure out how to limit heat soak of the intercooler and I have fit a grimmspeed intercooler to my car (and it fits in the body!!!). I love your idea of the fans and am thinking of doing something similar. Can I ask, how did you attach the shroud to the intercooler?

Also I would recommend against using a screen at the top front of the engine compartment if you plan on a windshield. The low pressure created within the cockpit while driving will more than likely pull hot air from the engine compartment towards the back of your head.

[metalmaker12]

Doing the same thing with the fans but running the r windscreen

[waruaki]

Your build looks awesome, great work!!!

Thank you.


I am also currently trying to figure out how to limit heat soak of the intercooler and I have fit a grimmspeed intercooler to my car (and it fits in the body!!!). I love your idea of the fans and am thinking of doing something similar. Can I ask, how did you attach the shroud to the intercooler?

The stock intercooler has flanges on both sides that are just under 3/4" wide (see picture). It was just a matter of drilling 6 10/32" holes and securing with stainless steel hardware, lock nuts and neoprene washers to reduce vibration.


Also I would recommend against using a screen at the top front of the engine compartment if you plan on a windshield. The low pressure created within the cockpit while driving will more than likely pull hot air from the engine compartment towards the back of your head.

Agreed, this is something we are talking about and will do some serious testing before we cut a section out of the fiberglass. We are still looking at different ways to draw in fresh air into the engine compartment. Other than improving the ducting on the rear fenders what are you thinking to draw in more air?

Brett


30637

[waruaki]

Fitting body panels and squaring edges. Nose is attached using aluminum angle stock that has been slotted on the mill for adjustment to the lower radiator support bar. Headlight buckets are installed but will need more work to pull the edges flush with the nose. I see lots of hours ahead...

[RM1SepEx]

"lots of hrs ahead" yes... :)

your panel edges and corners are so much nicer than mine (#17) I'm jealous!

[waruaki]

your panel edges and corners are so much nicer than mine (#17) I'm jealous!

I don't know if that makes me feel better :confused: I suppose so. FFRs molds were definitely dirty. Some areas of the panels are pretty good and others are a mess and the fiberglass on the edges vey thin and crumbly. My drivers side door is decent but the passenger door was cut by someone high on resin fumes.

[waruaki]

Strikers are drilled and mounted and the door skins drilled for the latches and door frame. I'm pleased with the door gaps and the fitment and the reveal line matches the fender. After some time adjusting the hinges both doors close and latch with two fingers. Time to disassemble and paint the door frames.

31522

31523

[Ellimist]

Great thread! Definitely like the straightforward exhaust setup. Any update?

[metalmaker12]

Fitting body panels and squaring edges. Nose is attached using aluminum angle stock that has been slotted on the mill for adjustment to the lower radiator support bar. Headlight buckets are installed but will need more work to pull the edges flush with the nose. I see lots of hours ahead...

When you line up the front put the lights in, or you will be doing it twice. Looking good man!!