Hindsight's build thread

[Hindsight]

My kit completion date was completed on 7/12. Stewart should have it here next week, I hope.

Donor is a 2007 WRX I found on the Insurance Auto Actions site, from Austin Texas. Has only 65k miles on it. It has a few mods done to it which is both good and bad (good because most of the stuff is good brands, bad because it was probably driven hard). When it arrived, two of the tires were off the bead. Today I had the chance to take them into a tire shop and have them fixed which allowed me to take the car for a test drive. It runs, drives, shifts, brakes, and steers perfectly. Sounds good too.

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

I'll be driving this one on the street and maybe a few HPDE track days. It will mostly be stock at first, except for wheels/tires (wide as I can go without body mods), a Quaife LSD, racing seats, an AWIC, and a Cobb Access Port with a tune (plus a few other common mods). Once I enjoy the car like that for a while and get everything really dialed in, I'll upgrade to get somewhere between 350-400WHP.

[wallace18]

Nice donor. Enjoy the build.

[metalmaker12]

Welcome

[Frank818]

Another one starting the fun. :)

[Goldwing]

Nice trunk delete!

Welcome! I couldn't help but chuckle at your donor's, um, shape considering your forum name.

[Hindsight]

I couldn't help but chuckle at your donor's, um, shape considering your forum name.

Hahaha, I didn't think about that. I got a lot of strange looks driving it around the other day.

[Hindsight]

Kit showed up today. Packing list shows that only a few things were on back order and I just got a Fedex shipment notification with an e-mail from FF stating the rest of the parts are coming. I need to double check that and do the full inventory but I'm pretty happy that it seems I have everything I need out of the kit.

I'm a bit nervous about the roll bar height though. I've been paying very close attention to the conversations and build threads about getting the seats lower and leaning them back... basically anything that can be done to keep your head under the roll bar. With me just sitting upright on the frame, no seat, my head is about 1" below the broomstick. A helmet is going to take up that 1" and a seat, even if bolted to the floor, is going to raise things up as well even if I get a thin one. Hopefully I can recline a bit but I tend to like driving in a more upright position so we'll see what happens.

http://i.imgur.com/4Jy2oNI.jpg

[Hindsight]

I got the padded dash and door panels. They look pretty nice. Probably better than I could do on my own. If anyone wants to see pics, let me know and I will post some before putting them in storage and out of the way of the build.

[AZPete]

Yes, please post pics of the padded dash and door panels. Are they fiber glass?

[Hindsight]

I can't tell if they are fiberglass..... it almost seems like they are injection molded plastic but there are what look like brush strokes or something on them - maybe that's just from the mold they made? I dunno. I took a pic of an area they cut/sanded on the underside in hopes of someone being able to tell. Looks like plastic to me.

The padding is very thin..... 1/16" or less, but I don't think that's a bad thing. It does have an OEM look and feel to it. I'm very happy with them except the dash has a big scratch right above the instrument cluster. It doesn't go through the material but scuffs it and can't be removed by wiping with water or vinylex. I'll probably call FFR and see if they'll send me a new one. There aren't any wrinkles on any of the parts so they did a great job of adhering the covering to the panels. I think it's a very worthwhile upgrade. I may add an inlaid panel of some sort to the face of the dash and the recessed part of the door panels (carbon fiber or something).

Here are the pics:
http://i.imgur.com/DzeM0PY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/R4vEFbE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FR4ak6H.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cO0KHaj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/D5PsKjr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hhYRCnP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jNR8rJf.jpg

[Jaime]

I'm very happy with them except the dash has a big scratch right above the instrument cluster. It doesn't go through the material but scuffs it and can't be removed by wiping with water or vinylex. I'll probably call FFR and see if they'll send me a new one.My first padded dash had four big gouges on the passenger side. They replaced that no problem. The replacement has a pretty big dimple right in the big smooth area - I haven't called to have it replaced yet as I'm hoping it will relax and flatten all by itself. The biggest downside to this part is that it can't be repaired.

[Hindsight]

Really wow..... maybe I should just stick to the dash with the small scuff-scratch on it and not take the chance on another one arriving in worse shape? Aside from that scuff, it's basically perfect.

[AZPete]

Thanks for the pics, Hindsight. These look like a nice upgrade.

[mjazzka]

The vinyl padding looks kind of green/grayish, is that just the lighting?

[Hindsight]

It's a bit grayish yes, but def not green. It's a dark-grey.... would look black in low light and dark grey in high light. Heh, hope that makes sense. Even the black vinyl interior parts on a new car aren't jet black... they all have a slight gray tinge to them.... this is the same IMHO.

[mjazzka]

Awesome, thanks! I'll add it to the "need to decide what I want to do" list...

Looking forward to the rest of your build, my plans are very similar to yours. Nice snag on the donor, too! That's my dream donor car right there.

[Hindsight]

I haven't been able to start on it as fast as I had hoped. So far I have spent most of my limited project-time getting my garage and shed ready (getting rid of stuff I didn't need, making room, organizing, installing HO T5 lighting). My estimate as to how much time I could spend on the weekdays was off..... due to work, commute, and a Great Dane puppy, I basically have 0 time on the weekdays. Weekends are going to be my only project time and of course, other things compete for that time as well.

So far I have managed to finish the inventory of the kit and aside from a few very minor pieces, everything is there. Another three hours of work on the garage and shed and I should be ready to start ripping the donor car apart. I'll post a lot more often once I get going.

[riptide motorsport]

Those are some nice looking panels, wish they had something like those for the coupe.

[mjazzka]

I haven't been able to start on it as fast as I had hoped. So far I have spent most of my limited project-time getting my garage and shed ready (getting rid of stuff I didn't need, making room, organizing, installing HO T5 lighting). My estimate as to how much time I could spend on the weekdays was off..... due to work, commute, and a Great Dane puppy, I basically have 0 time on the weekdays. Weekends are going to be my only project time and of course, other things compete for that time as well.

So far I have managed to finish the inventory of the kit and aside from a few very minor pieces, everything is there. Another three hours of work on the garage and shed and I should be ready to start ripping the donor car apart. I'll post a lot more often once I get going.

The prep is going to be one of the biggest parts for mine too, my house has a 3 car garage FULL of stuff. If you have any tips for organization, tools needed, et cetera, that would be good too!

[Hindsight]

A MIG welder would come in REALLY handy but I will just borrow my brother's for the couple times I need to use it (most likely pedal cluster-related tasks). A drill press is going to come in really handy. I found a big old one on CL. Shop press will be handy too but not required. Aside from that, a good set of hand tools that include torque wrenches should suffice.

Biggest thing for me was to make it bright, organized, and spacious. Home Depot sells a dual 4' T5HO fixture for cheap. Four of them with 8 T5HO bulbs comes out to about $215. More than enough light for a 2-car garage. Might throw in 2 more if you have a 3-car garage. The difference good lighting makes cannot be overstated.

Here are the light fixtures: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-2-Light-High-Output-Multi-Volt-T5-Compact-White-Fluorescent-Strip-Light-ZR-2-54T5HO-MVOLT-GEB10PS/203137160

I got rid of everything I really didn't need and either sold it or gave it to Goodwill. You don't want to trip over your donor parts and body panels and boxes of 818 stuff so I cleaned/organized my shed and am putting all the body panels out there. Home Depot sells white 12" deep melamine shelves for cheap, and has brackets that support 200lbs each for around $1.50 each as well. I lined one entire side wall of the garage with 5 rows of these shelves. Cheaper than cabinets and more flexible. Everything that hasn't been used in the last 6 or 9 months (camping gear, insecticides, etc) got moved out to the shed and the shelves are dedicated to 818 parts from the boxes, and other things like glues and materials.

The stuff in boxes from the kit can be compressed down into a very, very small space. When you inventory the boxes you can just put the parts on the shelves. It takes up a lot less space than you think!

You can see the donor and kit here, plus part of the shelving I put in on the left side wall. I still have a few things to move from these shelves to the shed. Note how bright it is!

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

[flynntuna]

Congrats! I'm in the process of clearing out the garage too, having the wife on board helps a lot. It's slow going( anything tossed or given away must have the approval of she who must be obeyed) lol. We're both getting some thing from it though, I get an 818 she gets a basement remodel.

[mjazzka]

Congrats! I'm in the process of clearing out the garage too, having the wife on board helps a lot. It's slow going( anything tossed or given away must have the approval of she who must be obeyed) lol. We're both getting some thing from it though, I get an 818 she gets a basement remodel.

That's EXACTLY the approach I'm taking.

Hindsight, thanks for the tips. Lighting is definitely a problem in our garage at the moment that will need to be addressed. I also wish I had the fortitude to just either get rid of things or send them to Goodwill. That's tough! Shelving and organizers may be necessary too, so thanks for that help. A shed may be in our future...

[Hindsight]

Long time no update. Took a while to get all the other to-do stuff done before I could really, really start focusing on the car.

I started maybe two weeks ago, and have maybe 2 hours one weeknight a week to work, and about 8 hours total over each weekend. So in roughly 20 hours, I've been able to get most of the donor stripped.

http://i.imgur.com/LJe25nZ.jpg

Have to stop for the day now but tomorrow the engine/trans/suspension should all be out quickly (everything but the clutch line and heater core hoses have been disconnected), and then I should be able to get the fuel tank stuff out, rear suspension, and then start ripping the wiring out.

I've taken a LOT of time along the way to disassemble things (like the doors), take good pictures, and post the pics and items for sale on nabisco. It slowed me down some but that isn't the kind of activity I want to keep having to come back to. Good to get it over with quickly and put the parts on a dark shelf somewhere out of the way.

For those who will sell their items, Greyhound appears to be a good and economical option for shipping large items that UPS/Fedex won't take (seats, maybe even a dash, door cards etc). I haven't tried them yet but I might have one of my seats sold and if I do, I'll ship it Greyhound.

I'm guessing I probably have another solid 12 hours or so to get to the point where I'm ready to take the remains of the donor to the metal recycling place.

My rear control arms appear to have been damaged in the accident so I'm going to pick up a set of Wayne's offset arms once I remove mind and triple check to ensure they are in fact damaged. Wayne's arms will allow me more flexibility when it comes to wheel sizes. I'll probably go with the tried and true tire sizes, but it seems like there is still a lot of grey area when it comes to wheel offsets and widths.

Oh yeah... the donor runs and drives great, but I had a really scary experience a week ago when I took it out for it's last drive as a WRX. I was doing a WOT run in 2nd gear and when I let off the gas around 5,000 rpms, it kept accelerating at WOT! The pedal wouldn't come up. It took me about 3-4 seconds to figure out what was happening, meanwhile the thing is just bouncing off the rev-limiter which really made me cringe. The stupid floor mat had come loose and had wedged itself against the gas pedal which caused it to stick wide open. I pulled the mat out quickly and everything was fine after that, but ugh, not fun.

[Rasmus]

My rear control arms appear to have been damaged in the accident...

That's probably not from the accident but from the way salvage yards move the cars. They forklift 'em up from the rear. When the rear tires come off the ground the springs are still pushing down. Pushing what down? The lateral links into the forklift tongs. Then they go bouncing around the salvage yard 'til they find a spot to put the car.

[Hindsight]

Ahhh, that makes sense. I have seen them do that at CoPart. I think I must have just blocked it out of my mind. A lot can be damaged that way. I guess I will count myself lucky if the only damage is the control arm.

[Hindsight]

Engine and transmission are out of the car and sitting on some wood blocks:
http://i.imgur.com/P5TV86Y.jpg

I used a reciprocating saw to cut out the core support and the front of the bumper rails to make it easier to pull the engine and transmission forward out of the vehicle. You can see what I cut out in the pic.

For those of you who sold donor parts.... did you find you sold more off of NASIOC, eBay, Craig's List, or somewhere else?

[mikeb75]

Nice, engine looks pretty clean.

All my sales have been through NASIOC. Mostly from the local/regional forum. Only had a few items sold on the whole car part out forum.

[Hindsight]

Thanks Mike, I didnt think to post it in the regional forum.

[STiPWRD]

For those of you who sold donor parts.... did you find you sold more off of NASIOC, eBay, Craig's List, or somewhere else?

Sold most of my donor items on CL and only a few items on ebay. Made over $5k but some of the parts were aftermarket

[Hindsight]

$5k?! Still...... that's insane. Must have been a pretty nice donor with a lot of nice aftermarket parts. Mine is just "ok". Low miles but obviously some kid had it so they did a number of wonky mods (like blacking out the inside of the headlights) and didn't take great care of the interior so.....

I'm nervous to do CL.... around here people keep getting shot over Playstations.

[wleehendrick]

I'm nervous to do CL.... around here people keep getting shot over Playstations.

Many years ago I used to sell electronics on CL, but I wouldn't now; small, high value items seem to draw the felons out! I only sell locally for big heavy items which for which shipping isn't cost-effective; small things, I eBay and ship. Used car parts seem to be pretty safe though... just meet in a public space and don't go alone. I just sold my donor's wheels on CL to a nice guy; Funny story... waiting for him to show up I told my wife "he's here, the car that just pulled into the parking lot", "how do you know that; you can't even see it yet", "cause it sounds like a Subaru!"

[STiPWRD]

Yea, gotta be careful with CL but it sure beats shipping heavy items. I've had pretty good experiences thus far but every city is different.

[Hindsight]

Had some time today to work on the 818. Got the carpet, e-Brake, and rear drivetrain removed. Rear drivetrain is now also disassembled.

Not much left of the donor car now (and look how bright it is in here lol. I love my shop lights):
http://i.imgur.com/GOOtMmW.jpg




I had to do a double take when I removed the rear brake discs and found drum brake shoes sitting under there. I've never come across that before. I quickly realized it's there for the e-brake but on all the other cars I've worked on, the caliper has a built in mechanism for the e-Brake so the e-Brake uses the discs. Seems odd to add all the weight, number of parts, and complexity on a whole drum brake setup just for the parking brake. The last time I worked on drum brakes was like 22 years ago on a '68 VW bug (my first car). I have a lot of fond memories of the car but none of them related to the drum brakes! At least I don't have to worry about them being used to stop the car.

I have a full set of wheel bearings and seals, ARP wheel studs, and rear lower control arms (one of mine was bent) on the way since that will be the first part of the 818 to assemble. I need to get some new rotors and pads too.

One question on the 2WD conversion procedure: The FF manual shows you removing the nut (with washer), then an outer bearing and splined collar, then the inner thrust bearing. Between the collar and the thrust bearing, I had a big spacer-washer. In the pic below, the parts are in order with the left side part being inner-most on the transmission. I removed all this, installed the FF provided adapter collar, then added the washer, and nut on top of that. In the pic below, the manual doesn't mention or show the spacer between the collar and thrust bearing. I'm pretty sure I am supposed to remove it but just wanted to check and make sure before I bolt the rear cover back in place.
http://i.imgur.com/NjKa3tc.jpg

[Hindsight]

Finished taking everything I needed from the donor today, which I count as a major milestone, even if it means I haven't yet STARTED on the actual 818 lol. Wiring harness and fuel pump were the last things I needed to remove and after I got those out, I started cutting the shell up with a recip saw. I am really surprised how heavy the sections I've cut up are.

Started out with this:
http://i.imgur.com/quKeExS.jpg

Made it a convertible for kicks:
http://i.imgur.com/vMLuKXB.jpg

This is where I stopped today:
http://i.imgur.com/cGwNldO.jpg

Box-O-Wires:
http://i.imgur.com/eaiwXj0.jpg



Current plan is to borrow my brother in law's trailer, load the cut up body into it, and take it to the metal recycler. But at nine cents a pound, I might get $80 for it or so. Not sure that is worth the 4 hours of driving involved in all that so I may just put it on the curb for the scrap metal guys who drive around.

I can't wait to reclaim the half of the garage that the donor occupied. With all the parts I pulled from the donor car laying around, plus the 818, it's beginning to get extremely messy in there.

[Mechie3]

4 hours to get to a scrap yard? Crazy!

[Hindsight]

The scrap yard is only 15 mins away but my brother's trailer is 45 minutes each way. Just getting to the trailer, back, and then returning it and coming back is a solid 3 hours. Makes me want my own trailer, except then I'd have to find a place to store it.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

The scrap yard is only 15 mins away but my brother's trailer is 45 minutes each way. Just getting to the trailer, back, and then returning it and coming back is a solid 3 hours. Makes me want my own trailer, except then I'd have to find a place to store it.

$24.95 a day U-Haul is your friend. My 818 go kart fit nicely in a 12x6 without the radiator bracket.
34558

[Hindsight]

That's a great idea, although after the $24 in sawzall blades it took to chop the car up, plus a $25 trailer rental, I'd be at the break even point haha. I'll make something work... maybe trick my brother into bringing the trailer over here or something in exchange for BBQ.

The donor car is no more. Everything is removed and the shell cut to pieces. Now I will finish listing all the stuff on Nabisco, CL, and eBay, do a little organization, and get started assembling the 818.
http://i.imgur.com/14DH1Ll.jpg

[MrDude_1]

I had to do a double take when I removed the rear brake discs and found drum brake shoes sitting under there. I've never come across that before. I quickly realized it's there for the e-brake but on all the other cars I've worked on, the caliper has a built in mechanism for the e-Brake so the e-Brake uses the discs. Seems odd to add all the weight, number of parts, and complexity on a whole drum brake setup just for the parking brake. The last time I worked on drum brakes was like 22 years ago on a '68 VW bug (my first car). I have a lot of fond memories of the car but none of them related to the drum brakes! At least I don't have to worry about them being used to stop the car.

This is actually very common now. Most GMs are also this way.
When you add the Ebrake to the caliper, it also adds complexity... doing it with the drum in the middle leaves the caliper free to work only as a simple hydraulic caliper.. no e-brake parts sticking. While I hate dealing with the drum during rotor swaps, its still preferable to messing with a stuck caliper.

[Hindsight]

So I come to find out that the local metal recycler requires that you give them the title for the scrap vehicle you are handing over to them, even if the vehicle is cut to pieces. I have the title and it's signed over but I don't want to give it to them in case I need it to prove ownership for when I do my 818 vehicle registration.

Any time I have had extra bags of garbage on my curb, someone goes through them in the middle of the night and removes all the scrap metal so I'm assuming there is a guy who drives through the neighborhood once a week doing this. I guess I will leave him a present.... an entire car, one chunk each week for two months.

[Mechie3]

There was one place near me that needed the title. The other place said it was cut up too small and they didn't need the title. I cut off the VIN stamps and kept those to go with my salvage title. haha!

[wleehendrick]

I guess I will leave him a present.... an entire car, one chunk each week for two months.

That's one way to do it! I recently removed two old large roll-down sun screens from our patio awning. When I called our disposal company to schedule a large item pickup, it was a month out and a unreasonable (to me) price. So I just 'Dexter'ed them... chopped into smaller pieces and put out one week at a time with the normal trash. By the time they would have hauled them away for a fee, they were gone.

[Frank818]

I have the title and it's signed over but I don't want to give it to them in case I need it to prove ownership for when I do my 818 vehicle registration.

Facing the same problem here with my 2 donors. The Subaru I let go to metal crushers (the opposite of a metalmaker loll) I went to the registration place cuz I had to let them know I destroyed the car and that it won't ever come back on the streets. I have papers of that transaction. Do you have such a thing in your State? If yes, there's your proof.

[Hindsight]

Thanks for the input guys. For the $80 I'd possibly get in scrap, I decided to just leave it on the curb. I left 1/3 of it on the curb last night and it was gone before dawn so I'll do the same next week.

Not much new to report. I spent some time separating the engine from the transmission which seems to be a pain on Subarus. This is only the second time I've done it (did it a few years ago on the GF's prior car: an Outback Sport). Both times it was really difficult. It seems the guidance pins are steel while the engine and transmission case are aluminum which leads to corrosion and that leads to the two getting stuck together. To separate them I used a paint scraper and hammer to get a little crack open at the top, then wiggled things a bit to get just enough clearance near the pins on the lower sides that I could get a pickle fork in there and gently tap it in until the transmission was free from the guidance pins.

Got a full set of bearings and bearing seals, plus brake rotors and pads. Will be installing those next. First I need to finish listing the items on eBay, which reminds me, I'm selling a lot more on eBay than I did on Nabisco. Nabisco seemed good for performance parts but for anything else it seems eBay is working much better for me. I get a lot of people on Nabisco quibbling over the price on a $20 item that already includes free priority shipping :confused: Also need to get an engine stand.

[bompus]

I couldn't even sell a brand new Grimmspeed crank pulley on Nabisco. I ended up going with eBay as well without any problems.

[Hindsight]

Uhhhhh, I'm stuck on this one. Never had this happen before. One of the front drives hafts won't come out of the hub. I've had some that needed a couple good whacks with a 5lb hammer before but never frozen on this solid. Donor has ZERO rust on it and came from Northern Texas so I'm pretty stumped at why it's so frozen.

I put it in a 20 ton shop press to try and press it out - no dice. I then heated the exposed part of the driveshaft (where the threads are) with map gas for over 5 minutes until it was REALLY hot, then put it all back in the shop press and tried again - still no luck.

I sprayed it with a bunch of liquid wrench and will let it sit like that overnight and try again tomorrow. Unless someone has any great advice, it looks like I'm going to have to buy a new knuckle assembly and outer CV joint housing if the overnight soak doesn't work.

http://i.imgur.com/mont1fY.jpg

[Rasmus]

That's totally bizarre. The axles usually just pop right out of the hub without issue. Needing nothing more than a small whack with a 5lb deadblow.

I can envision some mechanic getting a few metal shaving in the splines while reassembling and then just wailing on the axle nut with a 3/4" air impact. Or perhaps the bearings went bad before it became a donor and the heat welded the two parts together.

[Hindsight]

and then just wailing on the axle nut with a 3/4" air impact

Uhhhhh, I think you may have nailed it. Now that you mention it, I had to use a 5' long cheater pipe on my breaker bar to get that axle nut to crack loose when I was disassembling the donor car. Oh well. If the PB Blaster overnight soak doesn't work, I'll just get a used knuckle and outer CV housing on eBay - they don't seem too pricey.

[Hindsight]

No luck on the overnight soak in PB Blaster so it looks like I will be ordering a used knuckle and an outer CV joint off of eBay.

[Rasmus]

Hind,

Got a better picture of how you were pressing it in the 20 ton? The angle you shot the first time I can't see how you supported the knuckle and hub.

[flynntuna]

This happened to my rear hub on my forester. Had to take it to my mechanic, where he used his 20 ton press and lots of heat (got it cherry red ) to the point were he thought it was going to break. It finally broke loose with bearing pieces everywhere. Be careful.

I had to go back three times because the bearing kept failing within 200 miles. The third time was the charm though.

[wleehendrick]

My donor was a CA car, no rust, just the usual road grime and brake dust, but one of my axles was a RPITA... I damaged a hub puller trying get it off. Who knows what seized it up. Three came off OK, but that 4th required a press. Luckily we have a 50 ton old beast at work... That did it.

[Rasmus]

Luckily we have a 50 ton old beast at work... That did it.That's a bunch of stored up energy. Probably sounded like a .50 caliber rifle shot when it let go.

[Hindsight]

Rasmus, sorry I don't have a good pic of it and I've since thrown it in the scrap heap. I was supporting it by the area of the knuckle where the strut bolts to on one side, then the part of the casting that the ball joint fits into on the other side. They weren't even so I shimmed the balljoint housing side up with some steel plates.

RE your last comment about stored up energy - I get nervous when putting a lot of force on things in the press. I cranked it up until the point that the press apron started to flex and the whole press looked.... unsafe. Too scared to keep going and I doubt it would have helped anyway.

A used knuckle on eBay is only going to be $85 shipped so I'm not too worried about it.

Took the remaining CV joints apart, cleaned, then discarded the axles. Disassembled a few more things and cut the last parts of the body up into pieces small enough to easily lug to the curb for the scrap guy. I'm hoping to list all the rest of my unneeded donor inventory on eBay this afternoon so I can actually start working on the 818.

[Rasmus]

Of all the tools I have in my arsenal only two scare me. 1. the ball joint remover. It startles me every time. 2. The 20 ton shop press. The shop press can smell fear and growls at me every time I walk by. That thing's like death and maiming incarnate.

[Hindsight]

Yeah, I wear safety goggles while using it and wonder, "What do I wear to protect the rest of my body from the potential explosion?!" The apron sits right at about groin level.....

I don't know how I missed this during disassembly, but here is the right tie rod end. Clearly the accident had quite an impact on the right front of the car.

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

[Mechie3]

That's just for extra clearance. ;)

[Frank818]

I think it's just the picture not giving it justice and deforming a straight line, you know with those wide angled view cameras...

[Hindsight]

I only ended up with three hours to work on my car all weekend.

Sold some more parts. Up to nearly $1500 now. Some nice folks from Florida drove all the way up to buy my carpet, door cards, and seats.

I pressed the bearings out of my donor spindle and the eBay spindle I got to replace the donor one which had the frozen driveshaft in it. After that I put the eBay spindle in the rust-bucket.

Before:
http://i.imgur.com/sc75U7i.jpg

During:
http://i.imgur.com/tXa6exD.jpg

After:
http://i.imgur.com/20IuolI.jpg

I painted it with rustoleum rust blocking primer and then top coated with satin black.

I also pressed the stock wheel studs out of the hubs and have the hubs in the rust bucket now too. I couldn't get the bearings off the hubs so I will have to swing by harbor freight tomorrow to get a bearing splitter. My tool collection keeps growing.

I decided to paint the calipers black using VHT caliper paint and since I had to take them completely apart to do so, I went ahead and bought rebuild kits for all four of them.
http://i.imgur.com/Rpu4NsW.jpg

I can't believe I still haven't put anything on the 818 yet :eek:

[Hindsight]

I built a parts oven to bake my spray-painted parts (some of the epoxy paint has to be cured @ 200 degrees). This isn't heavy duty enough for powder coating but I'm not planning on doing that. It cooks with the power of two 200 watt bulbs and will hit about 250 degrees. The only thing missing is the icing packets!

http://i.imgur.com/dzkU1m3.jpg

http://www.softduit.com/images/Blog_Folders/article_images/RecallanEasyBakeHobby_10C1/easybakerecallpromoimage.jpg

I have to work all weekend so probably won't get much done on the 818 but I'm hoping to at least get the wheel studs pressed into the hubs and the hub/bearing/spindles all assembled and ready to bolt on. Would also like to have the front control arms read to bolt on.

[Tamra]

We were reading your thread, saw the oven above, commented "oh nice easy bake oven!" and then scrolled down....lol

The donor parts take awhile to prep. We spent all summer (since May) stripping our donor and then prepping the donor parts. Admittedly at a more leisurely pace, but we still spent 136 hours (probably 10 of which were spent on that stupid long bolt in the hub, and some of which were added disassembly time for being able to sell parts) til the day we picked up our kit (136 hours spent joint, so probably would take more for one person. Although I don't count as a full extra person lol). We are still building the engine too. It is more fun when you get to start putting things on the car though!

[Hindsight]

Whew, I was hoping at least one person would get the reference.

Yeah, the donor parts seem to take a lot more time than I would have thought. First you have to pull, then you have to prep. I tell you, I didn't realize how lucky I was to get a donor with low mileage from an area with no rust until I had to buy another used spindle because my driveshaft was frozen to one of the ones on the donor car. The spindle I got off eBay came from a midwest state and required a lot of time to cleanup.

But both front spindle/hub assemblies are now done, with all new bearings, seals, paint, and ARP studs in place.
http://i.imgur.com/SDgG0WZ.jpg



Working on cleaning/painting/installing cockpit aluminum and re-painting and re-building the brake calipers so I can get the front suspension brakes in. Kind of frustrated to find that the manual tells you to install the firewall cockpit aluminum as the first step, but then tells you way later in the manual to bolt the pedal cluster support bracket in place (which you can't do AFTER you install the firewall). Glad I figured it out before I installed that piece but it makes me wonder how many more issues like this I might not figure out until after the aluminum has already been installed.

I have to buy a small angle drill to drill the new hole in the brake pedal because I'm unable to do with a regular drill. Can't get a straight shot at it with the normal drill.

[Jaime]

I have to buy a small angle drill to drill the new hole in the brake pedal because I'm unable to do with a regular drill. Can't get a straight shot at it with the normal drill.
Just bought this today because my current small angle drill wasn't small enough.

http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab273/jaime398/818%20Build/20141109_145703_zpsfvoheyim.jpg

Over the next few months you are going to be drilling in a lot of very tight places.

[Hindsight]

Yeah I saw that on your thread earlier actually and it prompted me to do a google search but I couldn't find it. Do you know the model number by chance and is it powerful enough to drill 1/8" holes through steel?

[Jaime]

It's just a $20 adapter that goes on the end of your drill. I like the fact that it looks like a real drill held by a thirty foot tall giant by his finger tips.

[Hindsight]

Ahhh ok. So it has a flexible cable between it and the drill? Do you ever have the cable and its outer housing try to wind/wrap up on you? I had that problem with a cheap flex extension.

[Jaime]

This one's a bit more robust design:

35553

Here's a link to the product details on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWARA100-Right-Adapter-Attachment/dp/B00C0VSNKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415593823&sr=8-1&keywords=dewalt+right+angle+adapter). I'm pretty sure it will drill steel, their marketing photos even show using it with a hole saw:

35554

I did all my previous holes with this guy, which is one of my favorite tools:

35555

Today was the first time I've found a place so inaccessible that the close quarters drill couldn't get to it.

[xxguitarist]

Jamie,
Thanks for the link! Ordering!

When I saw the picture the first time, I didn't realize it was just an extension, and I couldn't believe they'd fit a motor in there.. Well, they didn't!

(either that or the person using it could palm a beach ball...)

[Hindsight]

Nice thank you! How do you get bits in there though? The page says it has only a magnetic hex check. I get how that will work for large spade bits and hole saws but not small bits as shown in your picture.

[Jaime]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51c5k8C%2BRHL._SY450_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-2320-Metal-Stubby-Drill/dp/B001JEOIHW)

I had these lying around.

[Hindsight]

Ahhhh clever! Thank you!

[metalmaker12]

Wow you guys get excited easy, but that's a cool tool I have had for like ten years.

[longislandwrx]

I have that red drill. man it's great.

[Hindsight]

Long time no post. I've been working on it but it seems I don't have a lot of tangible things to show for it so haven't been posting.

Front firewall is painted and in place. Front suspension is in place. I have completed the painting and baking of both halves of one of the front brake calipers.

A Momo Start racing seat should arrive around Wednesday or Thursday of this week. Hoping it will fit and allow me to pass the broom-stick test.

http://i.imgur.com/806giSH.jpg

[Tamra]

Did you remember to install the pedal box mount before riveting on the front firewall? I don't think it's mentioned in the manual.

Also, I can't find where I read it on the forums, but there is a triangle piece (one of the splash guards?) that gets installed early on too. I can't even remember why and I can't seem to find it now, but I noted that we needed to install it earlier than the manual said for some reason, perhaps accessibility. I attached a photo for reference.

ps I think you forgot your Koni's :)

Doesn't it feel great to have visual progress? When we finished bolting on the suspension, we threw some wheels on and set our seats inside just to feel the excitement of having something that suddenly looked like a car... or a go-kart at least :)

36178

[Hindsight]

Hey Tamra, yea I did remember to put the pedal bracket support in there before bolting the firewall in place (despite the latest version of the manual having you install it hundreds of pages later). I didn't install those small triangular pieces though, thank you. I had painted them, but not installed them because I figured since the manual didn't mention them now, it would mention them later.... ooops. Still time though.

Yeah I still need to put the shocks on and tighten all the bolts on (they aren't torqued yet), plus grease the zirks.

It does feel good! I have a Momo Start racing seat coming in this week and you can best believe that the first thing I do when I get it is set it in the driver's side of the car, hop in, and start making engine sounds for a bit.

[Frank818]

there is a triangle piece (one of the splash guards?) that gets installed early on too. I can't even remember why and I can't seem to find it now, but I noted that we needed to install it earlier than the manual said for some reason, perhaps accessibility.

Debatable. I did not know about them until a few weeks ago and I am glad I never installed them yet as I needed accessibility through that triangle empty space for many reasons. With the alu piece riveted in, I would have had a lot of troubles. Fine, I admit I am doing many things not by the book in that area (as well) and may not have followed the basic stuff perfectly so that I may not have installed everything perfectly in the first place, so that again I needed to go back there multiple times for things I didn't know beforehand or simply wanted to make better cuz after a while I figured out I wasn't satisfied. G, what a long sentence. loll But that's why I say it's debatable. :) It's definitely something to think about at the beginning of the build.

[Hindsight]

This weekend I mostly finished the front suspension. Coilovers are in and everything is greased up. I didn't realize it until after everything was put together but FF didn't assemble the upper control arms right so I had two of the same side. Had to remove the balljoint housing and flip it over.

I moved on to the rear suspension and unfortunately there is more damage on the donor than I thought. Both of the rear lateral links (the ones with the brackets on them) are slightly bent as you can see:

This one is really bent:
http://i.imgur.com/iUFuCV5.jpg

This one is just slightly bent (see on the left side):
http://i.imgur.com/yZTbZcl.jpg

At ~$120 from the dealer each, that's around $250. So I'm trying to decide if I want to get OEM links or get aftermarket adjustable. I don't think I'll need the added adjustability but if I can find a good set for a good price I may spring a little more for them. In searching though, it seems like Whiteline is the only reputable option? They have a pair of links for $280 or so, but they are the front links. If you want the rear links, it seems like you have to buy a kit that also comes with the front links and it's close to $500. Anyone know if they are available separately or if it's worth spending the extra money for the added adjustability?

I also disassembled the rear hub assemblies to put new bearings and seals in them and paint them. Boy, I REALLY wanted to just bolt those things right onto the car as-is instead of having to deal with all the backing plate, brake shoes, e-brake cables, etc, but I'm doing this right the first time so took the time to take everything apart.

[Frank818]

Many kits of 4 rear links on ebay for 200, aroundish. But there is some fab required to get them fitted (their metal bushings need to be machined).

[Tamra]

FFR sells the rears as a pair for $137. We got them because we destroyed one of the rear lateral links getting it off the long bolt. They seem to be of good quality and the adjustment is nice. Also, no grinding on the bushing.

[Hindsight]

Thanks Tamra and Frank. I saw the ebay ones but read mixed reviews. Will prob go with the FFR ones to keep it "OE" heh.

Oh boy.... No sooner did I type that out, I realized I ordered those with my kit lol. When I ordered them, I thought they were control arms not lateral links. Wow, this worked out well.

[Hindsight]

Got to spend almost the whole day in the garage today; was very nice.

Not all this stuff was done today, but......

Getting close on de-powering the rack. I sent the pinion off to Metalmaker to get welded and I plugged the hydraulic ports (all SIX of them) with JB Weld using some wadded up aluminum foil at the bottom of each port so the JB Weld wouldn't run down into the rack. I rarely use JB Weld for anything but I figured this was a perfect part for it since there will be no pressure and it is chemical resistant. I also cut the plunger-seal off the center of the rack and bought a new "repair kit" from the dealer which is the soft aluminum piece that threads into the end of the rack and gets ruined when you remove it. All that's left to do now is clean up the aluminum, paint the black parts, and re-assemble once the pinion comes back in.

Foil to plug the holes:
http://i.imgur.com/TNfNpky.jpg

Then after JB Welding:
http://i.imgur.com/puq6gSo.jpg



Front suspension is in. I painted the front spindles and backing plates plus all the bolt-on hardware with VHT Rollbar & Chassis satin black. It looks good and seems to be durable but it isn't as nice as powder coating (cheaper though). I am having the rear spindles and rear backing plates powder coated. All that's left for the front suspension is to put the steering track in.
http://i.imgur.com/KDmazXZ.jpg



I painted and rebuilt the front and rear calipers. I used VHT Caliper paint in gloss black. I really like it so far. You bake it at 200 for an hour and it turns very hard and chemical resistant (I baked them in my "easy bake oven" heh). I can't put the front caliper halves back together yet though; the OEM caliper rebuild kit doesn't come with the rubber o-ring gaskets that are used to seal the caliper halves together, and I took the halves apart to paint and rebuild them. I found another caliper rebuild kit on eBay that appears to have the o-rings in there so fingers crossed that they do. If they don't, I'm going to be a little worried about how to find them. I didn't split the rear calipers and just painted them with the bolts in place.
http://i.imgur.com/BTpf0ln.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DORECl0.jpg


Rear control arms and lateral links are in place. Since I have adjustable rear lateral links, I guess I don't need the concentric bolts/washers for those links? I had to use a crow bar with a rag on it to spread the mounting tabs for the front of the control arm to get it wide enough to fit the arms with spacers. I also had to take about 5mm to 10mm off the length of the bolt or it would hit the frame.
http://i.imgur.com/zbxx9tN.jpg


Next is to put the driveshafts together and mount the rear spindles with brakes etc. After that the engine and transmission go in which means I have a ton of engine and transmission work to do next before that happens. Before the engine goes in, I need to:
- Do the TGV delete
- Gid rid of the lame Agency Power fuel lines (but keep the rails and distributor block), and replace them with a custom and cleaner setup. They use AN fittings which is good.
- Get a clutch, PP, and have the flywheel machined. I think I'm set on a South Bend Clutch & PP unless anyone tells me to stay away from them. All the research I've done shows they are a great clutch that doesn't chatter. Clutch chatter absolutely kills the driving pleasure for me (unless it's a race car that's only driven on the track of course).
- Clean up the engine including removing coolant lines to the throttle body, re-working the PCV system, and removing the wiring for things I don't need
- Install Killer-B baffle and pickup
- Install Quaife LSD

I'm on the fence regarding the timing belt and water pump. Donor had 62k on it and is a 2007. The timing belt looks perfect, no cracks. I'm going to put very few miles on this car and plan on pulling the motor in a year or two after I get it running in order to put forged pistons in so I can run a bigger turbo. I think I might wait to do the pump and timing belt until then unless someone strongly advises me to do it now.

[Mechie3]

http://www.z1motorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=3366

Sumitomo made the z32 as well as the Subaru 4 pot brakes. Many have used this kit to rebuild as did I. I didn't lime their clips for the seals so reused my originals as they were in good shape.

[Tamra]

Looking great! We went with South Bend for our clutch as well, based on good reviews.

[Boog]

http://www.z1motorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=3366

Sumitomo made the z32 as well as the Subaru 4 pot brakes. Many have used this kit to rebuild as did I. I didn't lime their clips for the seals so reused my originals as they were in good shape.

Thank you.

[Hindsight]

Thanks Mechie and Tamra.

Today I cleaned up and painted the steering rack housing since the JB Weld was cured. I used the Eagle One Etching Mag Wheel Cleaner on the aluminum and it worked quite well. It doesn't bring it back to new but gets it way farther than any solvent did (acetone, etc).

Here is a before and after picture. The lighting in the picture doesn't do it justice - it looks much brighter than in the after pic. Still some minor staining on it. It may have gotten even brighter had I sprayed on more and let it soak longer but this is good enough for my purposes. I made sure to wash it off with soap and water afterward and dry it well.
http://i.imgur.com/gJSm7l2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Z4Io4UC.jpg


Started work on the engine too. Removed the evap, intake manifold, TGVs, and coolant plate warming system. Will have the TGV deletes done this week locally. I want to do them myself but don't have a welder and the "kit" you can buy that has block off plates and plugs is like $70. For only ~$150 or so I can get them modified and welded locally so I'm going with that option. Not 100% sure what I'm going to do with the unused wires to the components I removed. I am definitely not going to leave the connectors dangling there but I don't want to open up the engine wiring harness to remove all the wires for the unused connectors. So I may just cut the wires behind the connector just before the merge into a harness branch, then put a small piece of heat-shrink on each wire to keep them from touching. If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know.
http://i.imgur.com/Gr1u56i.jpg

[metalmaker12]

Looking good, that rack looks like it is missing something lol. It's all set and will get shipped by tues. Looking good man!!

[Hindsight]

The welded pinion from Metalmaker showed up last night and looks fantastic - thanks Metalmaker! I will post up some pics of it this weekend when I install it into the rack and get the rack bolted into the car.

All the stuff I need to do the Quaife install has arrived including a new dial gauge (side-level style), lead paint, new carrier bearings, and all new seals. Unfortunately the dealer didn't have any Three Bond in stock, nor does anyone local so I won't be able to button everything up completely. I'm pretty set on getting the exact kind of Three Bond that the FSM suggests because I read it is specifically formulated to withstand gear oil. Given that there are dozens formulations of the various gasket makers out there, I don't want to take my chances and find out I used the wrong thing.

[Tamra]

Not sure if it would be any easier to find, but we used Honda Bond for all of our liquid gasket areas. It's good stuff.

[Hindsight]

It is very easy to find and like 1/3 the price.... but I don't know if it works well on transmission fluid....... IE how well it holds up etc. Do you have any idea?

[xxguitarist]

Brief research seems to indicate that Hondabond is used on the transmission case halves for Hondas, as well as the engine.
Nasioc indicates that it's a very common substitution. Yamaha has a version also.

TGV Mods- they're a little annoying to grind out, but can be done with a dremel & a few diff bits, then a flap wheel to smooth afterwards. For sealing, you can pull the bearings, drill out the holes a little, and tap them, then screw in a socket cap screw with JBweld on the threads, then grind the point of the screw flat again. $150 isn't bad to not deal with it though.

Personally, I'd do the TGVs myself, and put the savings in a new (basic) timing belt, even if I left the water pump for later when you do the build. Water pump failure will suck, require pulling the engine, but it's likely that you'd have a little warning- timing belt breaks, you're a bit worse off..

TGV connectors- I think you should be fine to snip & heatshrink. It'd be pretty easy to cut off some covering & chase the wires out a little more though.
We re-wrapped our engine harness with friction tape (http://www.amazon.com/3M-3407NA-Friction-0-708-Inch-240-Inch/dp/B001AXF416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419010946&sr=8-1&keywords=friction+tape), which gets it nice and tidy, and got rid of the brittle crunchy factory wrap and corrugated tube
http://i1374.photobucket.com/albums/ag408/wrx818/Build/5D79757E-B0FE-4AE6-95B5-793AFB4EB30B_zpsl36wnwjt.jpg

[Hindsight]

Nice thank you - I was doing some research at the same time as you and found similar things. Looks like I'll stop by the Honda dealer on the way home from work tonight. Thanks again for the tip. Is it 5pm yet??

[xxguitarist]

Almost! http://www.4smileys.com/smileys/drinking-smileys/beer-smiley.gif

(edited the above post a couple times, some after your reply above. Oops!)

[Hindsight]

Hey thanks for the additional info.

What you describe on the TGVs is how I was going to do it. My only concern is that I can't plug the hole between the two intakes - I can only plug the holes leading from each intake to atmosphere. I don't know that there would be a big problem having a hole between the two intake tunnels.... seems like a lot of people do it this way without issue, but I imagine it will somewhat disrupt flow (when the intake valve closes on one side, it will cause pressure in that intake runner to rise and spill over to the other side). I'm probably over thinking it.

I like that friction tape stuff but have never used it around the high heat engine area. Will it hold up ok there?

[xxguitarist]

I'm not (personally) worried about whatever cross-talk you get from valve open/close pressures through that hole, but I do see your point.
They all head up to the same throttle body at some point, admittedly with a bit of runner. I don't think the OEM "axles" if you will for the valves are a particularly tight seal either.

I haven't got the lifetime test on the friction tape, but I hit some with a torch, and it barely got singed. Good enough for me to give it a go.
http://www.bimmerdoc.com/parts-finder/bmw/wiring-harness-friction-tape/
Sounds like they've used it for engine bay applications w/ good luck.

[Hindsight]

Worked for about half a day over the weekend and made more progress.

Metalmaker welded up my power steering rack pinion and did a fantastic job on it. I sent it to him on a Thursday I think, and I had it back on like Monday or Tuesday of the following week if I remember correctly. Anyway, the welding was perfect and I'm very happy to have done it the right way so I have no slop in the steering. I was going to take a picture of it but got so excited to get the rack back together and on the car that I forgot!

Anyway, here it is in the car:
http://i.imgur.com/qGblZrz.jpg


I also finally received the O-rings I needed to re-join the front caliper halves. I put the front brakes on too. The VHT caliper paint I have been using looks good but it does scratch off easily.
http://i.imgur.com/h25u6gy.jpg

[Frank818]

What is that blue tape on the passenger a-arm forward sleeve?

[Hindsight]

Wow good eye Frank. It was left-over from masking. I realized I forgot to paint the right tie rod so just decided to paint it while on the car. Had to mask the area around it.

I also pressed the bearings, seals, and hubs into the rear spindles but forgot that in the rear, the backing plates need to go on before the hubs. Oops.

I also finally got a reasonable air compressor. I actually disassembled the donor and got this far on the build with one of those pancake compressors designed to run a nail gun lol. It worked, but just barely. It definitely wouldn't run a die grinder to do my TGV deletes or put much power behind an impact.

[flynntuna]

How are the jack stands on the dollies working out? Are stable when you push the car around the shop?

[DruOdil]

I did the same set up but I just added a tie down strap wrapped around it. This also worked great with my donor tear down.

[Hindsight]

They are a lot more stable than I thought they would be but still make me nervous when moving. The issue is uneven floors. When I push it around, sometimes one stand loses contact with the frame and gets left behind. I like the tie down idea. I was thinking about usimg bungee cords but havent gotten around to it. I dont move it very often.

[RM1SepEx]

Personally, I'd do the TGVs myself, and put the savings in a new (basic) timing belt, even if I left the water pump for later when you do the build. Water pump failure will suck, require pulling the engine, but it's likely that you'd have a little warning- timing belt breaks, you're a bit worse off..



Nope, you can change the timing belt and water pump through the cockpit with the engine installed. My mechanic (me) buggered the water pump gasket upon installation. At first start I had a very disappointing drip from under the engine. I was able to repair by removing the firewall, even with the stock FFR gas tank you can get to the crank bolt. It is tight but was fairly easy to do.

[STiPWRD]

The VHT caliper paint I have been using looks good but it does scratch off easily.
I too used some VHT gold paint to re-spray my Sti brembo calipers and I noticed that is does scratch off easily and will bubble up if you get even the slightest drip of brake fluid on it. Luckily for me the gold paint of the brembos is a very close match to the VHT gold so it's not as noticeable. I even used the VHT clear coat on top of the gold but that didn't help. I've used the duplicolor caliper paint and have had pretty good results with that, seems much more durable, I think there's some ceramic in it.

[Hindsight]

Hmmm, despite the ease of scratching the paint, it has been totally resistant to brake fluid. I got a lot of fluid on them when installing new pistons and seals and it didnt stain or bubble the paint at all. Did you bake the calipers at 200 for one hour, per instructions?

[STiPWRD]

I haven't baked them, that's probably why they're bubbling.

[Hindsight]

Yeah the instructions say you have to bake it or it won't be chemical resistant. Check earlier pages of my build thread for the "easy bake oven" I made to bake spray painted parts. Just need around 200 watts of bulbs (single or multiple) for the heat source. I find it helps toughen up all spray painted parts like Rustoleum etc.

[Hindsight]

I've made some good progress. Have had slightly more time to work on it due to the holidays.

I went ahead and prototyped a steering rack bracket. Third time was the charm: This one fits perfectly. I'm going to see what it will cost to have cut in aluminum by a local fab shop.
http://i.imgur.com/zK0XWPq.jpg


Oh and I had a little bit of help:
http://i.imgur.com/CP1SZUI.jpg


Cockpit aluminum is all finished and seam-sealed:
http://i.imgur.com/pHI2276.jpg


Got the rear spindles all put back together after having had them and the backing plates powder coated. New bearings, seals, and ARP studs. Put the parking brake stuff on and did the rear suspension:
http://i.imgur.com/FDdFUjY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ImWKihE.jpg


Couple of questions:
1. Why does FFR not use shoulder/flange bolts or washers on anything? Am I wrong in thinking you should generally have at least one or the other? It just seems odd bolting so much stuff together with a hex head pressed up against the frame or a part.
2. Seems like the upper lateral link has to be adjusted out quite far to get the proper camber in the back. I worry about how much thread is engaged.
3. There were 7 pieces of shrink wrap tubing in the bag of hardware for the rear control links. Any idea what they are for? They are about 1/3" diameter or so. The manual doesn't mention them.

I have quite a lot to do and am trying to keep parts coming in so I don't get blocked on everything. Need to get a steering wheel on the way so I can figure out how much I need to compress the column and whether or not I need Rory's spacer in order to get the steering wheel where it feels good. Need to get the AOS now so I can install the engine-side parts on it while the intake is off and engine is out so access is easier. Still need to tackle the Quaife (something happened with my parts order at the dealer and as it turns out, my bearings aren't in yet after all). Need to get the pedal cluster in too. Anyway, bottom line is that I'm at a good and fun point in the build where I have a lot of different things I can do if I get stuck on any single one.

I keep getting asked by friends and family what % complete I am. I'm guessing 15%.

[Frank818]

Are the dogs helping or they are just resting and looking at you doing all the work? loll

1. Yeah, I try to use washers or flanged bolts as much as I can, but I missed a lot of them. I don't think it's that much of an issue, I hope.
2. Is that the small link? Mine is very far out, but I have only done an "eye" adjustment so far.
3. I did not get shrink wrap tubing.

It looks pretty good with the black paint on the inside.

[metros]

I've found the Duplicolor engine enamel to be much more durable than the VHT paints I was using initially. The duplicolor doesn't require parts to be baked (although I did in places where chemicals could come into play) and goes on with less fuss than the VHT. Highly recommend.

Congrats on the progress. It's fun seeing things start bringing the project together.

[Hindsight]

Thanks guys. I will try the Duplicolor soon. I have read good things about it.

So I cut the tip of my left index finger off tonight. Nail bed is still intact though, so it isn't too bad but it couldn't have come at a worse time because I have all the holiday days coming up to work on the car and my wife is out of town (which means even more free time). Guess I will have to do my best at working one handed.

Frank, yes the small link. Good to know you are seeing the same thing... means I didn't do something wrong hahha. On the metric hardware, are you undersizing or drilling out brackets and stuff to make larger metric hardware fit?

[STiPWRD]

Ouch! get well soon, at least it wasn't your middle finger

[Hindsight]

Hah, yeah!

Anyone know what the upper forward link on the rear suspension is used to adjust? Upper rear is camber. Lower is toe. Not sure about that upper forward one.

[wleehendrick]

It adjusts roll steer, which should be zero... Wayne posted a good how to someplace. Look for that before aligning. IIRC, you want to adjust it so that at ride height the plane of the two lateral links is parallel to the ground.

[Frank818]

So I cut the tip of my left index finger off tonight.

Uh that's bad. I fear that quite often, I hope I'll be careful. So far my hands and fingers are full of scratches and red rubbing spots but nothing more.
Hopefully yours will cure fast enough so you can take advantage of your free time.


means I didn't do something wrong hahha. On the metric hardware, are you undersizing or drilling out brackets and stuff to make larger metric hardware fit?

Or we both did something wrong. :)
Check out Wayne's magic here http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?15132-Rear-Suspension-set-up-pointers
I haven't tried it yet.
I guess we have that problem cuz our alignment is not done.

For the hardware, you are talking rear susp? I used FFR and OEM. I did not drill anything there. One of the rare places! lolll

[metalmaker12]

Suck it up, that why whiskey was invented. Take a couple shots and bandage it up good and go for it.

[icky]

Is that a cane corso I spy? Them some big dogs.

[Hindsight]

Metalmaker, I think you are trying to tell me to rub some dirt on it? lol

icky, that's a Great Dane and an English Mastiff.

I'm about to crack open the transmission to install the Quaife and all new seals, but before I do, I thought I'd clean it up a bit. I should have taken better "before pics" but here are some before and after. More progress to come this weekend......

Before:
http://i.imgur.com/Er9AyvE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/j4hfCEU.jpg


After cleaning:
http://i.imgur.com/dCJNM3U.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Sm3SGOy.jpg

I cleaned it with Simple Green automotive cleaner (different formula - safe for aluminum), some Meguiars etching mag wheel cleaner, and a pressure washer.

[Tamra]

Wow, that turned out really nice. We sand blasted ours to get it to look about the same before painting. I can only imagine how many hours you spent cleaning...

[Hindsight]

Thanks. Actually it only took about 10 or 15 minutes. Of that I only spent may be 3 minutes scrubbing with a plastic bristle kitchen scrub brush. I think the etching wheel cleaner does all the elbow grease for you.

So today was transmission day... taking it all apart and putting the Quaife in. Since I'm putting new OEM differential carrier bearings, I'm going through the hassle of starting from scratch on setting the pre-load and backlash. I'm not 100% sure I have to but it's good insurance and only costs me time.

http://i.imgur.com/MXNsbKu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/K7oTKIY.jpg


The FSM tells you that you need some special tools to do this right. One is a wrench that lets you turn the carrier adjusters and another is a glorified paper weight. Did some googling and found out the paperweight is just a 10lb chunk of metal that sits on the right side bearing race (at this point in the install you leave the right side adjusting housing off). I can rig up something for that. And for the wrench that allows you to adjust the carrier, I made this:
http://i.imgur.com/YmYvuGQ.jpg

Like many others, I had to heat up my ring gear and freeze my Quaife to get the ring gear into place. I baked my ring gear in my easy bake oven ;) I have to say, that oven has come in really handy and it doubles as a food dehydrator (that's how it started it's life).

I called it a night after getting all the new parts installed into the transmission and torquing everything down. Tomorrow morning when I get going again, I'll start on the pre-load and back-lash check. That's probably going to take a number of hours since you have to take the thing apart and re-torque everything back together after each adjustment. Hopefully I don't have to do it too many times.

[Ellimist]

Hindsight, I was reading the FSM for the tranny last night and wondering what to do about those special tools! Could you share the dimensions of that tool you made or how you figured it out? Also that wheel cleaner sounds awesome! So as long as it's safe for aluminum wheels then it sibilant eat into the transmission, right?

[Ellimist]

**Shouldn't, not "sibilant"... I don't have any idea where my phone's auto-correct got "sibilant", LOL.

[Hindsight]

Me either, I don't even know what sibilant means lol.

The wheel cleaner is safe for aluminum (from my research) but you need to ensure you really wash it off and I wouldn't let it sit too long. I spent a day or so googling ways to brighten and restore aluminum to it's like-new shine and while I read a lot of different things, the clear winner was to use a strong detergent (like simple green automotive formula) for cleaning, and an acid for brightening (the most commonly suggested one was the etching mag wheel cleaner). They make acid products specifically for this purpose (like Alumabrite) but they can be hard to find. The etching wheel cleaner is readily available at almost all auto parts stores. I think it actually says on the back not to use it on aluminum but whatever.... it's basically the same stuff as the aluminum-specific products: acid. Just spray it on, gently scrub with a plastic brush, allow to soak 30 seconds or so, then rinse. Repeat one or more times if needed to get the brightness and stain reduction you want. I did a final clean/rinse with the detergent cleaner to ensure all the acid was removed. Wear gloves and eye protection.

Regarding the tools:

The FSM talks about three tools. One allows you to rotate the transmission input shaft. You can do that by hand, or put a socket on that big nut at the back of the transmission. The other tool is the paper weight. All you need is a big socket or hole-saw with the teeth ground off, or whatever, that will contact the bearing race without touching the diff or the diff bearing. Then set a 10lb weight on top of that and there's your second tool. The spanner thing I made by just taking a piece of scrap aluminum bar stock (you can get it from home depot or McMaster etc), then drilling two holes in it and then dropping a couple big nails into the holes. I then cut off the nails an inch and a half or so below the bar. I measured the distance needed between the nails using a ruler against the transmission bearing carrier (to see how far apart the nails would need to be to engage the teeth of the carrier).

[rangerbay]

**Shouldn't, not "sibilant"... I don't have any idea where my phone's auto-correct got "sibilant", LOL.

Sibilant is a "sh" sound, like SHould'nt.

Bill

[Ellimist]

Sibilant is a "sh" sound, like SHould'nt.

Bill

Ah, so sibilant was my phone's "long" way of representing the first two letters of what I wanted to type, LOL, very efficient.

[Tamra]

A wider version of this (http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-SPA-1-Hanger-Spanner/dp/B001B6RJXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420341406&sr=8-1&keywords=spa-1) spanner wrench would work nicely for adjusting the bearing pre-load too.

Also, I'm sure you were already going to, but make sure you don't forget to replace the transmission front seal (on the upper shaft) while you're at it.

[Ellimist]

Me either, I don't even know what sibilant means lol.

The wheel cleaner is safe for aluminum (from my research) but you need to ensure you really wash it off and I wouldn't let it sit too long.....

Regarding the tools:

The FSM talks about three tools......

Ya, I was a little wary of the proper use of the wheel cleaner, but seems just fine to use as you say - not for long and wash it off completely. And using a base solution to neutralize the acid as well as wash it off is a good idea. Per the data sheet of the Pro Series Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner & Degreaser (http://simplegreen.com/pdfs/MSDS_EN-US_PS-Max.pdf), it's a pretty strong base solution is a pH of ~10.9. All sounds good to me!

[wleehendrick]

Sibilant is a "sh" sound, like SHould'nt.

Bill
And the term is often used to describe an audio system with excessive high frequencies (like from a hot tweeter) as this accentuates that particular sound in voices. It's the only reason I know the word!

[Hindsight]

Didn't have a minute to spend this week on the car until the weekend.

Today I finished the Quaife install. Glad to have that behind me. It really wasn't very difficult but the terrible FSM that actually tells you to do the WRONG thing cost me quite a bit of time and head scratching last week. At any rate, it's all back together now and I'm going to post another thread on the install to help folks.



I put the steering column and pedal cluster in, in order to help me position my seats and ensure the seats and brackets I have are going to work; also to ensure I pass the broomstick test. I tried installing the Replica Parts master cylinder relocation bracket (not the reservoir relocation bracket) but ran into a snag. I put it where I believe it's supposed to go which is basically as high as possible without it hitting the bolts that hold the pedal cluster in. I then drilled the top hole through the firewall and the pedal cluster bracket, but the pedal cluster itself is so close to the hole that there is no way the stud on the relocation bracket is going to get more than 1/8" through the hole. I'm really scratching my head on this.

Here is the top hole for the master cylinder relo bracket and you can the problem:
http://i.imgur.com/T5tcIrG.jpg

Here is where I put the template to mark the hole - you can see it's as high as it's going to get:
http://i.imgur.com/qKb0Nw7.jpg


Transmission all done and ready to go into the car as soon as my motor mounts arrive:
http://i.imgur.com/LHFzVU8.jpg


Pedals and cluster installed. Was surprised at how high and back the steering wheel is positioned. I'll probably need to get Rory's spacer.
http://i.imgur.com/ulUSivR.jpg

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Hindsight
Your lower control arm bushings are in up-side-down. This make it difficult to get proper caster adjustment without the tires rubbing the firewall.
Bob

[Hindsight]

Oh really? Thanks Bob - so I need to rotate them 180 degrees?

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Oh really? Thanks Bob - so I need to rotate them 180 degrees?
Yes
Also, Great write up on the LSD.
Bob

[xxguitarist]

I'm not exactly sure where we're looking, here:
http://i.imgur.com/T5tcIrG.jpg

But it seems like maybe you could cut a slot in it to allow the stud to come through? Or is there a plate you could just continue drilling through? What's past the weld spot?

[bompus]

I just ground a slot in mind for the bolt to fit through and to allow room for a nut on it. It was a bit of grinding, but it still seems structurally strong.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

I'm not exactly sure where we're looking, here:
http://i.imgur.com/T5tcIrG.jpg

But it seems like maybe you could cut a slot in it to allow the stud to come through? Or is there a plate you could just continue drilling through? What's past the weld spot?

Hindsight,
Mike posted pictures when he designed the bracket.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?13558-Master-cylinder-mounting-flange&p=143608&viewfull=1#post143608

He did not post a picture of the pedal box side so we could tell what he did. Please ask him to add that picture.
Bob

[Hindsight]

Thx for the reply guys. Xxguitarist: the pic is of the top of the pedal box from inside the cabin. Here is a better view:
http://i.imgur.com/KKNmZyd.jpg


Bompus: I was afraid of that. Looks like I would need to grind off quite a bit to make a slot large enough to clear the stud and nut. I may remove the bracket and do that.... haven't yet decided.

Here is a pic from Mike that shows how the 2002 bracket is different. There is a big open area where as the later models it is closed off.
http://i.imgur.com/xn2MSbp.jpg

[Hindsight]

Can't believe it's been almost a month since I have posted. My wife left the country for a month to attend a training seminar and I thought, "Oh boy, am I ever going to get a bunch of work done on the 818 while she's gone!" After she left, it quickly turned into a month long span of complete lack of any kind of motivation to do anything at all except keeping myself and the dogs fed (and going to work of course). Funny how that works.

The last few things I did on the 818 were a bit frustrating: Trying to figure out a better DBW gas pedal mount and not being able to really determine where I wanted it to go, dealing with the master cylinder bracket stuff as mentioned above (I have decided I'll just cut up the pedal cluster to accommodate Mike's bracket), dealing with seats and seat brackets, and having to remove the front control arms to flip the bushings 180 degrees. So rather than deal with any of that, to get back into it I figured I'd start on something completely different so I could make some bigger progress.... like getting the engine and transmission in. I only had 2.5 hours today to spend but in that time I did the TGV deletes. My South Bend Stage 3 daily clutch kit is here, as are my Cusco motor mounts and new OEM flywheel. Now I just need to drill and tap the intake manifold for the GM IAT sensor for speed density mode and then I can bolt everything onto the engine and get it installed into the 818. Once I do that, I think I'll be more motivated to go back to the other stuff. I guess I need to get a rear outer firewall in place first though.... need to find a local source for aluminum.

http://i.imgur.com/ySk485F.jpg

[Tamra]

Just make a list and check things off. If you're feeling overwhelmed, pick something small. That's what helps us.

Sounds like you have a lot of fun new stuff. Nice choice on the South Bend :) Why'd you go stage 3?

[GUNS]

Yea When I get frustrated I find sometimes I have to move on to something else just to show myself progress. Especially if it's something that I have to re-do.

[Hindsight]

Just make a list and check things off. If you're feeling overwhelmed, pick something small. That's what helps us.

Sounds like you have a lot of fun new stuff. Nice choice on the South Bend :) Why'd you go stage 3?

That's good advice Tamra, thank you! I went with the Stage 3 daily because stage 2 is only rated to 345 ft lbs and stage 3 is 400. I'm shooting for around 400hp/tq. I have read a couple things about South Bend, the first being that they underrate their numbers, and the second being that they rate their numbers at the flywheel instead of the wheels. If they are both true, I feel like they cancel eachother out. Since I'm shooting for 400 a the wheels, I figured better safe than sorry. The Stage 3 daily is still organic so it should be ok on the street.



Especially if it's something that I have to re-do


Right? Re-work is the worst. I purposely haven't tightened anything because I know I'll have some amount of re-work to do, but sometimes I wonder if there will ever be a point where I finally tighten everything down hahah, or worse, forget to do it at all.

[GUNS]

Right? Re-work is the worst. I purposely haven't tightened anything because I know I'll have some amount of re-work to do, but sometimes I wonder if there will ever be a point where I finally tighten everything down hahah, or worse, forget to do it at all.

Ha, I worry about too.

[Tamra]

That's good advice Tamra, thank you! I went with the Stage 3 daily because stage 2 is only rated to 345 ft lbs and stage 3 is 400. I'm shooting for around 400hp/tq. I have read a couple things about South Bend, the first being that they underrate their numbers, and the second being that they rate their numbers at the flywheel instead of the wheels. If they are both true, I feel like they cancel eachother out. Since I'm shooting for 400 a the wheels, I figured better safe than sorry. The Stage 3 daily is still organic so it should be ok on the street.


Nice, that makes sense. We went with the Stage 2 endurance which is rated at 445 to the crank (or possibly wheel if they underrate their numbers), and is still organic. Our goal is 350whp max with similar torque, which puts us right in the range. It seems like yours was a good choice too.

Are you going to autocross your 818?

[Hindsight]

I've just never gotten into autocross for some reason. Haven't tried it though.... maybe I will and become hooked? My current intended use is street and HPDE track days. And of course, "Coffee and Cars" events.

The reason I went stage 3 daily instead of stage 2 endurance is that the SouthBend verbiage led me believe that the daily clutches had a smoother engagement with less chatter. The verbiage is pretty generic between daily and endurance, and S2 vs S3 so I just went with S3 daily to be safe.

[GUNS]

I've done a few Auto-x's, but stopped doing them once I started doing HPDEs. With that being said, I'm planning on doing a few Auto-X's before I got to the track to sort out the car. I'd much rather have something go wrong in a parking lot vs. the back stretch at VIR!

[Hindsight]

It was around 70 degrees and sunny all weekend which helped with motivation. I probably only spent 4 or 5 hours total but got a number of things scratched off the list.

I modified the pedal cluster to accept Mike's master cylinder relocation. I had to remove the pedal cluster and use my cutoff wheel to cut a big notch out of the front to clear the stud and bolt. And while I did accomplish that, it wasn't until I had it bolted back into the car before I realized that while the stud and nut do have enough room, my notch wasn't big enough to allow a socket in there. Doh. I wasn't about to take the whole thing apart again so I just got in there with my dremel and cut off what was remaining on the sides and bent them up and out of the way. Not pretty but it works and no one is going to see it there. The master cylinder bracket went in nicely; don't forget to install the blockoff plate first and use silicone on the plate, the relo bracket, and the master cylinder. You don't need to drill holes in the blockoff plate though, since the bolts would be in the way of the relo bracket. I didn't realize this until after I drilled them lol.

http://i.imgur.com/0n5N5nM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NlwNCKZ.jpg

I also finally got around to removing the front control arms and flipping the hurricane bracket over. The reason it was upside down was that, while I did swap them side to side per the manual, I also then flipped the entire things 180 degrees to serve as "the free caster mod", but didn't know that you then need to flip the hurricane bracket back around again. So anyway, that was like an hour that I'm glad is behind me. I used the trick someone else posted of driving your car over the control arm to hold it in place so you can loosen and torque the big bolt on the back of that bracket. I also torqued the ball joint castle nuts in place. Unfortunately I didn't check the cotter pin hole orientation first so I couldn't get the pin in. Once the balljoint gets seated in the spindle bracket, it's very hard to remove. I had to buy a balljoint separator to get it out so I could turn it.

I also compressed my steering column using my shop press. I need one of Rori's brackets now. I found that I only needed to compress it just over an inch to have the steering wheel where I want it.

Lastly, I played around with the DBW accelerator pedal. I really don't like FFR's bracket and want to make my own. The trick right now is figuring out how far below the brake pedal I want the accelerator pedal to be. Not too far or you can't heel & toe. But I don't have a lot of experience doing that, and since the brakes aren't done, I don't know how far the brake pedal is going to go down so it makes it difficult for me to figure out the best place for it.

Here is the steering rack bracket all finished up. I have these to sell now and am just waiting to hear back from FFR on my vendor account setup. They fit and look great. I need to check this week to see if it solves the radiator bracket clearance issue as well.
http://i.imgur.com/PnBscV3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dKi8FLy.jpg



If you are interested in buying one of these brackets, go here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?17022-Moonlight-Performance-steering-rack-brackets

[Tamra]

The steering column bracket looks great!

[wleehendrick]

Lastly, I played around with the DBW accelerator pedal. I really don't like FFR's bracket and want to make my own. The trick right now is figuring out how far below the brake pedal I want the accelerator pedal to be. Not too far or you can't heel & toe. But I don't have a lot of experience doing that, and since the brakes aren't done, I don't know how far the brake pedal is going to go down so it makes it difficult for me to figure out the best place for it.

I modified my DBW pedal mount by simply adding a ~1" spacer at the bottom mounting point and bending the flange on the top. It locates perfectly for heel-and-toe (or at least as far as I can tell before actually driving it). The FFR bracket is not very rigid... it's OK for easy operation, but flexes when you hit the limit. I could see it be a problem with aggressive stepping on it. I thought about fabricating a new bracket with the same geometry, but I think I'll be OK with just putting a post or spacer on the firewall as a stop for the range of motion.

[Hindsight]

Thanks - I saw that Chad did the same thing on his R. I can't weld (yet) so I'm trying to get creative. I came up with an idea for a flat plate of aluminum that bolts to the frame, and then the pedal bolts to that. It keeps the plastic part of the DBW pedal vertical against the frame, and that puts the pedal right about 1/2" lower than the brake pedal. It would be a very stiff, and simple mount, but I'm not sure 1/2" below the brake pedal is far enough for proper heel to toe. How far behind is yours?

[metalmaker12]

Looks great!!

[Hindsight]

Very slow going still. Got my cold air intake cleaned and powder coated black and picked up some aluminum for a rear firewall.

I finally installed the DBW accelerator pedal. I basically did what Chad did which is to use the factory provided bracket with rivnuts, and then use a spacer to space out the bottom portion of it to get the pedal position where I wanted it. I'm not happy with the results due to the amount of movement the factory bracket provides. I've fiddled around with some cardboard templates to try to make a bracket that is both strong, and puts the pedal in the right place but it's actually 10x harder than it sounds. I've given up on the fight in order to continue making forward progress on the build but I WILL come back to it.

I put the steering column in with Rori's spacer. I found I didn't need to compress the column more than 1.25" to get the steering wheel where I want it. A lot of people like having the steering wheel very far away from them but in a racing school I attended many years ago, they said your elbows should be bent at, or just under 90 degrees with your hands on the wheel. With my seat position and 1.25" compression of the steering column, that puts me there.

I'm now working on the rear firewall. I'm just using some thin aluminum (forget the gauge but is the same stuff as inside the cockpit) and will line it with some sort of heat shield which I have yet to select. Leaning toward the DEI stuff but man is it pricey.

[wleehendrick]

I finally installed the DBW accelerator pedal.

I did the same; seems like it should be good for heel/toe. I like the position, but it does flex when you reach the end of the range of motion and continue applying pressure. I'm going to try mounting a stop to the firewall so I can floor it without worrying. (about the pedal, at least!) I'll fab a new bracket only if I'm not happy after that.


A lot of people like having the steering wheel very far away from them but in a racing school I attended many years ago, they said your elbows should be bent at, or just under 90 degrees with your hands on the wheel.

You mean I'm doing it wrong? Dang!

http://buttonpushingmonkey.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/lean.jpg

After I get some coffee, time to go install your steering rack mount...

[Hindsight]

I'd like to see a dude try to go around a racetrack like that on a car with racing slicks LOL

Let me know how the bracket works out for you.

[C.Plavan]

An easy measurement for the steering wheel distance for racing is your wrist. Get buckled in, lay your arms on top of the steering wheel. The steering wheel should be around that bone sticking out on your wrist.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Don't forget that you need a pedal stop on the DBW pedals.
Bob

[Hindsight]

Thanks guys. Yeah Bob, I remember either you or Chad talking about that. Fortunately on the DBW pedal, there is a ledge on the back of the housing that acts as a stop for the pedal arm. I can fasten a plastic or metal spacer on that ledge to act as a stop without having to do something elaborate attached to the floor or frame.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Thanks guys. Yeah Bob, I remember either you or Chad talking about that. Fortunately on the DBW pedal, there is a ledge on the back of the housing that acts as a stop for the pedal arm. I can fasten a plastic or metal spacer on that ledge to act as a stop without having to do something elaborate attached to the floor or frame.

Hindsight,
Sounds like you have the plastic pedal.
If you put the stop near the bottom screw mount, I would be afraid of breaking off the pedal with my fat feet.
38976
You can see the standard pedal stop in this picture. It is just below the gas pedal.
38977
Bob

[Hindsight]

Yeah originally I was going to do what you show in the second pic but when I saw the "ledge" yesterday while installing the pedal, I thought I'd just put it there instead. I feel like the pedal is quite a ways from the body and frame, and it would be tough to make something really strong that also had a good attachment point to the body and frame. I'll have to look at it more now that the pedal is actually mounted. Thanks for the pics!

[wleehendrick]

Im planning a standoff mounted on the firewall, coming out perpendicular for a pedal stop. Mounted like that, all force on it will be in compression, so a 3d printed part should be plenty strong. I wouldnt mount an additive process part on the side as the shear forces would require a beefier material.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Here is my pedal stop.
38994

[Hindsight]

Rear brakes are now fully installed. I bent the backing plates a bit when pressing the old wheel bearings out. I didn't think much of it at the time because I had forgotten the rear calipers actually mount to the backing plate which is not something I've ever seen before and is a strange design in my opinion. When I pressed the bearings out, I tried to figure out a way to get the spindle situated in my press that didn't result in pressure being applied to the backing plates but couldn't come up with anything. Now my calipers aren't perfectly centered to the disc which isn't ideal. It looks like there may be a little bit of friction on the inside pad when the wheel is bolted on but it doesn't look like much and the pad should wear quickly to adjust for it. I may buy new backing plates at some point but since you can't install them without pulling the hub, I'm going to call it good for now.

Rear firewall is in place. Used aluminum with some thin foam tape between it and the frame to prevent rattles, and screwed the aluminum to the frame with self tapping sheet metal screws. It comes off in four pieces and is made that way so I can easily remove it with the engine in the car. I have some DEI insulation on order that I will cover the firewall with.

http://i.imgur.com/sZNdnh5.jpg


Next up is going to be all tasks required to get the engine into the car. That includes wiring harness diet, bolting all the stuff back on to the engine that I previously took off to modify, adding the coolant bleeder fitting, AOS parts, flywheel and clutch, etc. Hoping I should have the engine in the car within a month.

[FFRSpec72]

Looking good, what's next ? Brake lines ?

[Hindsight]

Thanks! Putting the engine and transmission in is next.

[Tamra]

Good luck! Do you have an engine hoist and some friends scheduled to help?

We put ours in without the header, and installed it afterward. I think it made it a lot easier. We also laid cardboard around the frame to prevent it from scratching it up if it happened to shift during install.

[Hindsight]

Thanks for the cardboard tip Tamra. I wouldn't have thought of that.

I have a cherry picker from HF that I used to pull the engine out of the donor car and lift it onto the engine stand. I'm looking forward to getting it out of my garage closet after installing the engine so I can put it in the shed and get it out of the way. I'll reclaim a lot of space from that, and not having the engine and transmission taking up valuable floor space. I'll try to get my wife to run the picker while I maneuver the engine.

On the header.... I'm probably sticking with the stocker for now. If it is too hard to get the engine in with the header installed, I'll remove it. Thanks for that tip too!

[wleehendrick]

My motor went in easy wirh two people using the smallest HF hoist. I did remove the headers and oil filter, and used a balance bar to control pitch as it went in. I think it would have been much more difficult with headers on and no balance bar.

[xxguitarist]

We also used a balance adjuster bar.. HF has one that works once you douse it in grease!

[STiPWRD]

We also used a balance adjuster bar.. HF has one that works once you douse it in grease!

Just bought one of these, good to know. Did you attach it to the intake manifold? Or where is the best place to attach to the motor?

[wleehendrick]

Yeah, I used the $30 HF load leveler. It has some issues, but made it much easier.

[wleehendrick]

Just bought one of these, good to know. Did you attach it to the intake manifold? Or where is the best place to attach to the motor?

I used one chain attached to the alternator bracket, alternator removed of course, and the other end to a sling around the tranny. This helped the short hoist reach in. With motor alone, no trans attached, and the smallest hoist, the rear of the frame might be an interferance.

[wleehendrick]

I also pitched the car back (lowered rear jackstands and raised fronts)

[AZPete]

X2 on the balance bar. I removed the headers, coolant tank and the oil fill pipe and then one evening I went to test the lift because 2 friends were coming the next day to help. The engine lifted nicely, angled about right and (oops) went into position on the mounts. My friends were not happy the next day to see I had put the engine in by myself without their help. A few beers eased their pain.

[wleehendrick]

and the oil fill pipe
Didn't think of that as I have Craig's short billet filler, but now that you mention it, I think I pulled the dipstick too.

[xxguitarist]

I think we used the alternator bracket & one of the through-bolts for the transmission, as the transmission was off for us.

[Hindsight]

Thanks for all the info. I am not using the OEM alternator bracket and don't think the smaller version I got from Mike has a spot to grab on to. When I pulled the engine from the donor I used the transmission bracket and the alternator mount. This time, not sure what I'll use for the engine side. Looking at Mike's alternator mount now, I think I could just drill a hole through the side of it and hook into that.

[wleehendrick]

Thanks for all the info. I am not using the OEM alternator bracket and don't think the smaller version I got from Mike has a spot to grab on to. When I pulled the engine from the donor I used the transmission bracket and the alternator mount. This time, not sure what I'll use for the engine side. Looking at Mike's alternator mount now, I think I could just drill a hole through the side of it and hook into that.

I'm also using Mike's alt bracket. I don't remember how exactly I attached a carabiner to it, but it was no problem using it as a lift point.

[metros]

I used the HF load leveler as well. I bolted that directly to the mounting holes for the alternator bracket. I used 2 of the mounting holes on the front and the wishbone mount on top of the trans.

Wish I had thought of angling the chassis like one builder here recommended. Good idea for next time.

[Harley818]

it actually goes in really easily.
I installed engine and transmission together.
I removed the exhaust manifold and uppipe, oil fill tube and hooked to the alternator bracket and pitch stop bracket. Balances nicely and you can still lift the back of the trans for leverage if you want to adjust angle a bit.
I had my wife operate the hydraulic while I checked all around and it slid right in.
Took the two of us about 15 mins once I had it all balanced and ready to go.
I didn't need to angle the car.

[Hindsight]

Firewall completed, with DEI Floor & Tunnel heat shield. The stuff came in a roll, in a cardboard box but the box wasn't padded or anything so there were some creases and dings in the shield. The dimpled metal reflector portion of the shield is pretty thick and very stiff. Not very easy to work with. Anyway, bottom line is that you can't get it looking perfect but regardless it should do the job. I used aluminum duct tape around most edges because otherwise, some of the fiberglass batting sticks out from under the edges and doesn't look very good. The tape doesn't look great either but better than the alternative. I think if you want something that looks good for showing, go with one of the more flexible shields like "Heat Screen." It won't insulate as much as this stuff but would probably look a lot better.

Tried to start on the engine today by drilling and tapping the 1/8 NPT for the coolant bleeder fitting and the 3/8 NPT for the GM IATS into the intake manifold but realized while I have the taps, I don't have the drill bit sizes. Will pick them up and continue tomorrow. Then engine wiring harness diet, clutch/pp/firewall install, and then install the engine/trans to the car. MIGHT be able to get that all done this weekend.

http://i.imgur.com/qh5VfjV.jpg

[Hindsight]

Today I installed the bleeder fitting on top of the coolant manifold (per Wayne's mod), and also tried to install my GM intake air temp sensor into the intake manifold and also my Crawrod AOS Y-adapter. I say "try" because I wasn't successful at either.

The GM IATS uses a 3/8" NPT. There is a casting boss on the intake that looked JUST big enough to support that size, but I wasn't able to drill the hole dead center which meant one side of the boss ended up being a little too thin and after tapping it and installing the sensor, the aluminum cracked as you can see here in this pic:http://i.imgur.com/J5eGczm.jpg

I'm going to need to have an aluminum bung welded on there instead.

The Crawford AOS Y fitting isn't working out because it is too close to the turbo outlet. There is no way the hose is going on there and clearing the turbo. I have an e-mail out to them to ensure I got the right adapter for my year engine (2007) but if they don't have a different setup for this, I'll probably just try to modify it so it has more space between the top of the adapter and the turbo. My idea was to remove the short rubber hose that attaches it to the block, shorten the hose a bit, then shorten both the top and the bottom of the Y adapter. That might give me enough space to get a 1/2" emissions hose on there and clear the turbo outlet.
http://i.imgur.com/ZrBtqys.jpg

I was a little worried about not having enough threads for the coolant bleeder but Wayne and Metalmaker both say it is fine.
http://i.imgur.com/yX2SxIq.jpg

I'm going to work on dieting the engine wiring harness now, to remove the PCV, EVAP, TGV, and power steering pressure switch stuff.

[Harley818]

Hindsight,
Your threads look OK. Just make sure you tap deep enough so the NPT thread seals. If its not deep enough its easy to go deeper...... not easy if you go too deep.
Here are some pics of mine. Worked great and doesn't leak.
I was worried as well but got good confirmation from metalmaker and mechie.

391673916839169

Good luck with the wiring.
Took me quite a bit of time, but I'm happy with the result so far.... although I haven't checked it all out yet. Engine is running, but have to make sure fans come on etc.

[Hindsight]

Your threads look OK. Just make sure you tap deep enough so the NPT thread seals. If its not deep enough its easy to go deeper...... not easy if you go too deep.


Thanks Harley. I did a lot of google searching before tapping it. I have tapped plenty of holes before but never with NPT so I wasn't sure how far in to run the tap. The articles I read weren't very helpful as it seems everyone has their own opinion as to how far to run the tap in. I ran the tap in about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way.... there were about 5 or 6 remaining threads exposed on the tap at that point. It bothers me that I won't know if I did it right until I start the engine but that's where I'm at.

I got the engine wiring harness finished last night so now it's on to other stuff while I wait for the intake to get welded. Probably move on to the fuel tank now.

[Tamra]

Looking great!

[metros]

Nice job, I'm in the same boat with tapping that coolant pipe. Definitely thought it was sketchy looking after finished. Crossing my fingers and hoping I don't have to fool with it when I add fluids.

[Harley818]

just make sure you don't overtighten the NPT thread..... or you might end up with another crack.

[wleehendrick]

FYI, like a few others, I tapped the thicker square part at the flange (where the 'G' is). It was my first time tapping conical threads, and when I went to fit the hose barb, I realized I needed to tap a bit more to get complete thread engagement.

[Hindsight]

Ok, so I needed to have a 3/8" NPT bung welded to the manifold and I figured as long as I'm going to the welder, I might as well have them also weld a 1/8" NPT bung to the coolant pipe, just to be safe. So that's all done, as well as the wiring harness diet, and just about everything that needs to be bolted on to the motor is back in place.

I fixed the AOS Y fitting clearance issue by cutting down the top and bottom of it a bit, and also cutting down the height of the short rubber coupler that connects it to the block.

I tried re-installing the Agency Performance fuel rails that came with the donor and immediately uninstalled them. They don't fit properly.... the injector is not pushed down into the TGVs far enough to have a tight fit so I'd be getting vacuum and boost leaks at the injectors. Never fun trying to track down vacuum leaks so rather than chance it, I'm going to get a different set of rails. I also ordered new injector seal kits from Rock Auto for cheap but they didn't fit very well so will be going with OEM now. For the rails, I'm looking at either IAG Performance or Radium Engineering. If anyone has any experience with either, please let me know.

I guess I'll put the fuel rails in after the engine is in the car. So all I have to do now is bolt on the Cusco engine/tranny mounts, install my new OEM flywheel and South Bend clutch kit, bolt them together, and drop in the car.


http://i.imgur.com/Vq2SjjAh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VU363sIh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lH0ro66h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pGRcR0mh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vflAdkDh.jpg

[STiPWRD]

Try the agency fuel rail with new injector o-rings and gaskets. The injectors should be able to rotate freely, they're just not supposed to be loose in the up/down direction. Just saying I wouldn't give up on them yet. I'm using Boomba fuel rails.

[Hindsight]

Thanks - I actually tried putting the old seals back in and still experienced the issue unfortunately. The old seals were in pretty good shape since the donor had only 60k miles on it. But I always replace stuff like that to save headaches later.

[Hindsight]

An eventful day!

I chose IAG Performance fuel rails and bolted them in with AN fittings. They fit MUCH better than the Agency Power rails. The injectors can rotate but they don't move up and down now. The only thing I don't like about them is that I couldn't get the AN block-off fitting to bottom out when I tightened it in place. It's a -8 AN straight cut block off fitting that has an O-ring. I'm hoping it will be ok but we'll see when I get the fuel system in and run some pressure:
http://i.imgur.com/Hrr3ihxh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1kbSGBzh.jpg

I got the Cusco motor and tranny mounts installed.

Got the new OEM flywheel and South Bend Stage 3 Daily clutch kit installed.

Got Mike's alternator bracket installed too.

Engine and tranny are bolted together now and ready to go in the car. These boxer engines are the most awkward things in the world to try to set on the ground! The last boxer I owned was an air cooled VW and you could just set it right on the ground.

I also torqued all the rear suspension hardware that doesn't need the car at ride height to torque. I then lowered the car off the jack stands so I could get it to 4.5" ride height and torque the remaining fasteners.

I'm hoping the engine will go in the car tomorrow.

http://i.imgur.com/UTefpsph.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rDynfP1h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/leDbbjhh.jpg

[Mechie3]

I set my motor down on a tire with the oil pan going through the hole. Agency power isnt well respected in the suby world.

[Hindsight]

Ahhh clever. That's a good idea about the tire!

[Hindsight]

Another good day.

Engine and transmission are finally in the car. My first thought after getting in there was: Wow, after the body is on, the stuff on the engine is going to be kind of tough to get to, even with the the engine cover removed. I'm glad I got all the wiring and bolt-ons installed before dropping the engine in.

Also another milestone I forgot to mention yesterday was rolling.... I could have done it months ago but just didn't have a reason to put it on the ground until just now for the engine install.

Engine went in fairly easy. I took Tamara's suggestion and protected the frame with cardboard, which was very smart. I had a neighbor offer to help me with the cherry picker during the engine install but as it turns out, I was able to do it alone. Really wasn't that hard and I didn't have to remove the header (though doing so would have made it even easier). My transmission mount didn't quite line up with the slots in the frame. They mount studs were shifted a bit to the right about 3/16", and one of the two slots was about 3/16" too short in the forward direction. So I just used my dremel to extend one of the two slots forward a bit and then pushed the tranny to the left a bit to make everything drop in.

That's all for today. Will probably do driveshafts next and then fuel and AOS systems.
http://i.imgur.com/fZO7NVdh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pyzsMCEh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QXl9ch5h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8zIKVDuh.jpg

[Tamra]

Woo hoo congrats on the install!

You're garage is way too organized btw :)

[TouchStone]

That looks really nice!

What are you planning to set your ride height to?

[Hindsight]

Thanks. 4.5" from bottom of frame to ground seems to be what people are going with for the S model. Looks VERY low!

[Frank818]

4.5" is very low yes. I will aim for 4.75 at least, roads are crap around here, too low and you blow.

[TouchStone]

At 4" Im not sure Ill be able to get it out of my garage or off the drive way. I think Ill make a test rig later...

[Harley818]

I made a test rig to make sure I could get it down my driveway onto the street. My wifes mini cooper S front valence scrapes.
I just used a long 2x4 the same length as the frame (i don't have panels mounted yet).
I held the 2x4 to the low spot on the front, and the low spot at the back, and screwed one vertical at each wheel location.
Then when you run this rig down the driveway, it will show you how much clearance you have.
Worked like a charm.

[Hindsight]

Nice idea. Fortunately my driveway is relatively flat so I think I should be ok. We do have some nasty speed humps on our street though so that should be interesting.....

[tebriel]

That's actually a big concern of mine as well, my WRXes have 6" of clearance and the front scrapes coming out of our driveway :-/

[Hindsight]

Haven't had much time lately to physically work on the car so I've been planning things out and ordering parts. I'm at the stage where I need to buy all the engine compartment stuff now because where I mount things is going to depend on what fits where with everything installed (like a puzzle). I have to mount the Crawford AOS, FuelLab FPR, Fuel Filter, Accusump (probably), Radiator Overflow, Fuel Filler Tube, Coolant hose, AWIC, air intake, and the remote oil cooler.

I tried to get the fuel tank in today but got stuck on the pump. My kit didn't have the pump bracket piece shown in the manual. Per Lumpyguy's suggestion, I'll probably do as he did and make my own. Just very odd that it wasn't even listed in the packing list. While disassembling the stock pump, I noticed the donor came with a 255 LPH Wallbro fuel pump, so that's another nice bonus. I am kind of wondering why it had the aftermarket pump in it because it appears to have a stock turbo and on the stock turbo, I don't think a bigger pump and/or injectors are needed, are they?

Started assembling the axles but received the wrong inner boots from the dealer so will pick that up when new boots get here.

I'm considering adding a 3/4" ID vent line that would go from the top of the tank to the top of the filler neck about 3" below the filler cap. This is like the OEM setup that allows you to fill the tank at full nozzle flow without the pump continuously shutting off. But to do it right, I'd need to weld a large diameter steel bung to the top of the tank and another to the filler pipe. Not sure if it's worth the effort/expense.

[Hindsight]

I'm at the same place since my last post. Lots of planning and have ordered a lot of parts. Have not had time to actually install them though.

I've spent way more than I probably should have on the fuel system. My donor came with AP rails which didn't fit, and I didn't have the stock rails (plus I don't like the stock rails) so I got some better aftermarket ones from IAP and a Fuel Lab FPR. Between the cost of new fuel rails, FPR, new fuel filter, new Walbro pump, and all the -6 AN fuel hose and fittings, I believe I spent a hair over $700. At least it will be reliable and look very, very clean.

I also bought a TIG welder (previously had no welder of any kind) which should open up a bunch of possibilities and allow me to make my own exhaust.

Got the stuff I need for a thermostatic controlled remote oil cooler (using the Mocal plate and am planning on trying to remove the factory oil heat exchanger). Will try mounting the oil cooler on the left intake vent and my intake air filter on the right intake vent. All the oil and fuel lines will be mounted to the firewall I built.

So I'm at the point where I have a bunch of stuff I need to shuffle around to see where it will all fit and needed to have all those parts in hand to do that. This includes oil filler (went with Mechie's), AWIC, fuel tank filler hose, FPR, air intake, oil cooler, radiator overflow, AOS, etc. I decided to postpone the addition of the Accusump for now. I really want it but I also really want a lot of other things lol.

Also spent a lot of time planning my MR2 shifter which will probably be done very similar to Dan's. I'll be using a bell crank in the back. I may have to mount the shifter on a riser bracket to get the knob high enough for me. My Momo racing seat bulges out right where the shifter needs to go so I'll need extra height to help deal with that.

I also decided on going with 17" wheels/tires all the way around. Pretty set on Enkei Kojins. They are a good wheel and I love the way they look on the 818. I feel the 17" tire in the back with the slightly taller sidewall will improve acceleration traction.

[Tamra]

Wow, lots of fun parts! Now get started on installing them! :)

Congrats on the welder - it will come in handy I'm sure.

[Hindsight]

Well I owe a lot of thanks to Andrew for talking me through some purchase decisions!

[Hindsight]

Today I installed my driveshafts, ported my Mocal remote oil cooler plate, and installed my oil pressure and oil temp gauges.

The mocal plate has some sharp edges that may restrict flow so I radiused them a bit.
http://i.imgur.com/JhJP3S7h.jpg (http://imgur.com/JhJP3S7)

I'm using Prosport oil temp and oil pressure gauges. Since I'm using the versions that have the buzzer alert, I am going to run without the factory oil pressure sensor so that I can run the Prosport pressure sensor in it's place. That just left me looking for a place for the oil temp sensor. I chose one of the front galley plugs. I removed the OE plug, got a brass Prosport galley plug to 1/8" NPT adapter fitting with a brass crush washer, put some liquid pipe thread sealant on it and installed as shown in the pics below. I'm running Mike's alternator bracket kit (which is really slick by the way), and with the stock mounting location of the strut, it blocks that oil galley plug. Fortunately there is another unused threaded boss in the case that the strut can be moved over to (as shown in the pic below) and it works out great! You have to remove the long spacer supplied in Mike's kit though. If you want to run a spacer to get a better fit between the bolt and the heim joint, Mike can supply you with a shorter spacer (same one that goes on the top of the strut). Fits great like this.
http://i.imgur.com/A6LIwEsh.jpg (http://imgur.com/A6LIwEs)

I've also been learning to weld on the Eastwood TIG welder I bought. I've only practiced on steel so far but it's been easier to pick up than I thought. The Eastwood welder works great, though I have no basis for comparison. So far it's performed great and if it lasts, I'll be very happy with the value. My welds are strong and functional but not always a perfect stack of dimes but I'm getting better with each time. Harbor Freight had a coupon for their cheap little welding cart: $35, so I bought one. It wasn't deep enough for the Eastwood welder so I welded on some angle bracket to extend out forward and support it. Worked out great.
http://i.imgur.com/eekaQpFh.jpg


Next up is to figure out where I want to install the AWIC temp gauge and then install it, as well as install the pre and post intercooler air temp sensors. I will probably just put them in the end tanks of the intercooler but I get nervous drilling and tapping into that due to shavings.

[Hindsight]

I've been spending time figuring out where everything is going to fit. Reading Chad's thread and others, it's been a bit of a struggle figuring out an optimal place to put the intake and the oil cooler. Without the body and splash guards in place, it's really tough for me to see what's going to fit where, so today I'm going to temporarily clamp the side sails and rear bumper to the frame and also tape the splash guards in place so I can figure out where to mount things and how much room I have. The tricky part is figuring it out once so you don't have to buy 10 different items and only end up the one of them that fits.

[Hindsight]

For my target HP rating, the Setrab oil cooler I need is about 16 x 7.5. With two fans and a thin shroud on it, it will also be 4.5" thick so I made a cardboard template and tried two places:

Next to the left side intake:
http://i.imgur.com/ImXzrG8h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hRE60NXh.jpg



In the rear, drawing cool air up from underneath:
http://i.imgur.com/ULudWJfh.jpg



Of the two, it seems the rear may be the best option. The hot air exhausted upward will be right in front of the rear vents. The space over there is wide open and not used. If I put a diffuser on there, I'll need to cut a hole in it but I'm not worried about that.

Any opinions?

[Hindsight]

In putting the body on, at least, enough of it to see where I can fit certain things, I realized: I don't have front fenders! They apparently never came with my kit and I was so focused on inventorying all the boxes that I didn't even think to check the actual body panels. I'm obviously way outside the missing item window but hopefully FFR will do something for me.

[Tamra]

haha that is hilarious! That's a big one to miss. I imagine they'll still help you out because, well, they'd be hard to misplace on accident.

[Hindsight]

As it turns out, I'm an idiot. I called FFR and while they offered to give me the fenders at cost (which was VERY nice of them), it still amounted to quite a bit of money.

I searched far and wide around the house and shed for two hours, searching in places that I'd never imagine myself putting a pair of fenders. Right as I was about to give up, I thought, "Maybe I should look in the attic above the shed." That's where they were. I still don't remember putting them up there, but then again, it's been a long time since I received the kit.

Moving along.... I found an hour and a half to work on the 818 tonight. I got the Killer-B baffle and oil pickup in place and put the pan back on with some Hondabond.
http://i.imgur.com/JM9GaqFh.jpg (http://imgur.com/JM9GaqF)

Also gave me an excuse to get this inch-pound torque wrench which is something I've always wanted but never got around to buying. I have two other foot-pound torque wrenches but they don't go down below 15 foot-pounds. There are quite a lot of things that need to be torqued below that including pressure plate bolts (which still makes me cringe but it obviously works):
http://i.imgur.com/ohPlikuh.jpg (http://imgur.com/ohPliku)

While in there, I noticed that one of the four nuts holding the exhaust manifold to the head is about an inch away from the flange and not making any contact. I see signs of exhaust leakage there so I'm going to pull the manifold and replace all the gaskets while I'm down there.

The Mocal external oil cooler sandwich plate don't work on the 06/07 engines because they have a factory oil/water heat exchanger that sits at an angle. When you mount the mocal plate to it, it points the fittings directly at the exhaust manifold. I removed the factory cooler and the weird three piece angle plate it sits on and the mocal plate it then too high and it hits the timing belt cover. Mocal makes a 1" tall spacer for the BRZ that also comes with a tube nut that's an inch longer so it will work. I have that on order which should get here next week. Once that's here, I can install the plate and then order the oil cooler and connect it all up. I guess I'm just going to put the oil cooler horizontally to the left of the transmission with fans pulling air up through it, unless anyone else has any better suggestions.

[Kurk818]

How much do a set of fenders cost anyways?

[Hindsight]

I can't remember the retail price exactly but it's around $425 each fender.

[Hindsight]

The Mocal spacer and -12 AN fittings arrived so I installed that. The spacer is for the BRZ and is 1" high. I wish it were 1/2" but it will still clear the exhaust manifold heat shield as-is. I'm planning on getting 45 degree AN hose ends, aimed toward the firewall and slightly to the side, then clamp the oil hoses to the firewall, then run them back to the oil cooler which will be sitting in the very back left corner of the car. Need to get the hose, fittings, and oil cooler ordered soon.

I also started work on the fuel system. Got the pump/filter assembly swapped out with a new OEM fuel filter, new OEM fuel line and spring clamps (previous owner used crappy hose with over-tightened worm drive clamps), and a new Walbro 255 pump. Also bent the float arms a but to ensure everything will work in the new fuel tank. Also installed the bulk-head fitting that Wayne suggested for venting the tank to the filler neck. After drilling I got the shavings out of the tank with a magnet. I was able to use the bulk head part number he provided but not the AN to 1/2" barb because it's too high for the new aluminum that covers the new tank. I'm going to need a 90 degree fitting instead and I hope it will clear the cover.... it will be close.

Also, look at the fuel tank ports. If you are going to use AN push-lock fittings with a hose end on them, they will stick out too far and you won't be able to get the aluminum tank cover on. You'll need a 90 degree hose end instead. Fortunately I have one of those.

I should be able to make some more progress tomorrow.

Mocal sandwich plate with BRZ spacer and longer tube nut (all of which can be special-ordered from RacerPartsWholesale):
http://i.imgur.com/z0sZbeeh.jpg (http://imgur.com/z0sZbee)

Here it is installed. Note that I capped off the coolant barb that went to the OEM heat exchanger (I did that on the pump too). I used a silicone blockoff cap for that. 034MotorSport.com carries the silicone blockoff caps in all sizes:
http://i.imgur.com/yyEiNxfh.jpg (http://imgur.com/yyEiNxf)

Hose-end issue with the new tank:
http://i.imgur.com/uv3CCk8h.jpg (http://imgur.com/uv3CCk8)

-8AN Bulkhead fitting:
http://i.imgur.com/YkpQ0zQh.jpg (http://imgur.com/YkpQ0zQ)

New pump and filter setup:
http://i.imgur.com/2Ng3W1Vh.jpg (http://imgur.com/2Ng3W1V)

[Hindsight]

I'm out of town for all three days of the holiday weekend so I took today off to try and get some stuff done on the 818. It was a good day and I made good progress.

The fuel tank filler vent bulkhead wasn't going to work so I removed it and welded up the hole. I then drilled another hole all the way at the driver's side of the tank and welded a 1/2" NPT bung on it. I have a 1/2" NPT x 1/2" Barb 90 degree fitting going onto that, and will connect a 1/2" hose to that and rout it up to the top of the filler neck for venting while filling. I also welded two angle brackets to the top of the fuel tank so I can bolt it to the frame. The new tank relies on the cockpit panels to hold it in place which I didn't think was enough. I also installed the fuel pump and sending unit. My FFR riv-nut setup broke so I couldn't install the rivnuts for the tank just yet. I have one on order from Amazon so hopefully I can get back to it next week.
http://i.imgur.com/I8giJ1Lh.jpg (http://imgur.com/I8giJ1L)

My first shot at TIG welding something that goes on the car. I have a lot to learn. Any input is welcome!
http://i.imgur.com/K7CGsXDh.jpg (http://imgur.com/K7CGsXD)


I also got the coolant hoses in place, but couldn't bolt the side tubes due to my broken riv-nut tool. I'll get to these next week once the new tool arrives.
http://i.imgur.com/kHN8kxJh.jpg (http://imgur.com/kHN8kxJ)
http://i.imgur.com/ijBKtk8h.jpg (http://imgur.com/ijBKtk8)

I have a lot of things to focus on now that parts are here. I need to run all the fuel lines and add the fuel pressure regulator, fab up a fan shroud and mounts for the Setrab oil cooler, run -12 AN lines between the oil cooler and Mocal sandwich plate, figure out where to put the AOS, and get the AWIC all sorted out.

[Tamra]

Looks great! We just bought the Amazon rivnut tool because the FFR one gets frustrating. We are going to use it tomorrow for the first time.

Does the new style tank have any baffling? If it doesn't, you might want to consider adding it. Our old style one has serious sloshing issues due to no baffling, leading to fuel starve mid corner.

[07FIREBLADE]

Looks good. Why wouldn't the filler vent work out?

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Does the new style tank have any baffling? If it doesn't, you might want to consider adding it. Our old style one has serious sloshing issues due to no baffling, leading to fuel starve mid corner.

Somebody posted this picture of the inside of the new tank showing a mid tank baffling wall
42153

Tamra,
On our front mounted 14 gal tank with foam.
We were down to 3 gallons today and had no fuel issues.
Bob

[Hindsight]

Tamra, the baffle in the pic Bob posted above is all that's there in the new tank. I can't add another on the other side of the pickup or the fuel level floats won't work. Can't run foam in the tank for the same reason. The best solution would be to relocate the fuel sender to the other end of the tank but that's a lot of work and would require wiring modifications so only one of the two level senders is utilized.

Fireblade: The previous filler vent plan wouldn't work because the fittings would be sticking up too high. The cockpit cover is only 2.5 to 3" above the top of the tank. Very little room there.

[07FIREBLADE]

Got it. After seeing Wayne's post the other day I was planning on doing something similar to what you did. Fortunately though I have the old tank so room wouldn't be an issue. Did that vent come with the new tank or did you buy it separately.

[Hindsight]

I had to make it. I just drilled a hole in the tank and welded a bung in. Will run 1/2" fuel hose up to another bung I will weld to the filler cap. That's all for filling only. Main tank vent will be 1/4 fitting in the stock pump top, then adapter to 3/8" hose so I can run an inline rollover valve that is made for 3/8 hose. The new tank has no rollover valve.

[Hindsight]

Got back in to town a day early so spent a few hours in the garage today.

Nothing major done but I was able to get the rivnuts installed with the new Astro tool from Amazon which works so well and so fast that I can't believe I bothered installing a single rivnut with the FFR provided tool. So I got the rivnuts in for the tank mount and the coolant side tubes and fastened them into place.
http://i.imgur.com/sigz4Ckh.jpg (http://imgur.com/sigz4Ck)


I also attached the fuel tank fill tube. I thought I was going to have an alignment issue with it but it looks like it's going to fit just about perfectly for me:
http://i.imgur.com/nBOwbTwh.jpg (http://imgur.com/nBOwbTw)


I'm still at that point where I have to figure out how 10 different things are going to fit together, including the air intake, fuel lines and FPR, coolant overflow tank, AWIC reservoir, etc. I'm thinking I'm going to fab up my own AWIC reservoir and mount it where the Momo box is shown in the pic below so it's the highest point in the system. The hot side of the AWIC will route into a port toward the top of this and out the bottom, the hope being that any air bubbles in the system will get trapped in this tank.
http://i.imgur.com/GgGIvW1h.jpg (http://imgur.com/GgGIvW1)


Coolant expansion tank here, assuming the intake hose clears it:
http://i.imgur.com/LFR9Aajh.jpg (http://imgur.com/LFR9Aaj)


Fuel pressure regulator here:
http://i.imgur.com/e0Y70dKh.jpg (http://imgur.com/e0Y70dK)

[Bob_n_Cincy]

http://i.imgur.com/GgGIvW1h.jpg (http://imgur.com/LFR9Aaj)


I put my AWIC coolant tank in the same place. I may raise it a couple of inches.
42161

Working great.
Bob

[Tamra]

For your overflow tank, is that for the turbo coolant reservoir or the radiator overflow? We found that our radiator overflow was too small (and too angled) and had to get a bigger one. Just a heads up in case that is your plan... if it's the turbo coolant reservoir then it looks like it should work fine. Maybe better considering all the problems with the OEM one!

You have some great quality parts going into this build!

[Hindsight]

Thanks Bob and Tamra.

Tamra, it's the reservoir for the AWIC. A lot of people aren't running them, it seems, but I think most OEM cars with AWIC setups do have them, and all the VWs I have worked on have a tank. In VWs, the tank doubles as an overflow. The bleeder line goes from the top of the radiator cap up into the reservoir (like on a Subaru I believe). Really helps to trap all the air in the system. However, on mine, I'm planning on running the tank in the main AWIC coolant loop. Meaning, 100% coolant will pass through this tank as it passes through the system as opposed to just a small bleed line. This should really help it capture any and all air bubbles.

Bob, glad to know someone else mounted theirs there..... Are you planning on doing what I mentioned or just having a burp or overflow line going to it?

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Bob, glad to know someone else mounted theirs there..... Are you planning on doing what I mentioned or just having a burp or overflow line going to it?

Hindsight.
If you look at my picture closely you will see two 1/4" barb fittings on the AWIC.
The bottom fitting goes to the bottom of my filler tank. The top fitting goes to the top of my filler tank.
The idea is the filler tank and the awic will seek the same level. But with the filler tank higher, the awic will stay full.
I should take an as-built picture.
Bob

[Tamra]

I've only ever heard of ice boxes for the AWIC. Could yours be used for that too? If so I think that'd be a great option to have! I kind of wish we would have added an ice box to ours, for a "just in case" option.

I can't imagine the AWIC it would ever need an overflow. If your water temps are getting that high, I can't imagine what your post intercooler temps are getting to! We didn't have any major problems burping ours - It was not nearly as difficult as the regular coolant system. However, I'm sure having that would make it even easier.

[Hindsight]

Yeah I have heard of ice boxes as well but I can't find the room for something big enough to hold ice. I also agree with you on overflow... I don't plan on the cap ever needing to vent. The sole purpose for my reservoir is to serve as an automatic bleeder aka air-liquid separator. The reservoir will be filled so it is about half full all the time. Any air bubbles in the system loop will get dumped with the liquid into the reservoir. The air bubbles will remain trapped in the top of the reservoir and only bubble-free liquid will be drawn back into the hose from the bottom. I'm literally splicing this reservoir into my 3/4" heater hose.... there is no vent or bleeder or anything like that here, ALL coolant for the AWIC will pass through this thing every time it completes a loop through the system. So basically the flow will be: Pump, AWIC, Reservoir, Front-Mounted Heat Exchanger.

I know the supercharged Mustangs came with an AWIC reservoir and I think a few other cars did too. This setup should also help me avoid having to do things like jacking up the front of the car to fill the system etc. I plan on keeping the AWIC radiator cap blocked off and never open it. All filling will be done from the reservoir.

[Hindsight]

Only had a few hours to spend on the car this weekend. I was able to get the air filter setup fabricated, modify the Perrin overflow tank mount so I could fit it in the 818, and I was able to finish the fuel tank venting system. For the fuel tank, I made my own charcoal canister (per another members post) using 3" PVC. I am not planning on having a vac source but it is vented to atmosphere. I am not running evap valves so want to avoid all that mess. We'll see how long that charcoal holds up.

The air filter isn't exactly what is shown in the pic but close. This puts the filter right at the side vent opening. We'll see if it gets cool air. I know Chad's didn't but I don't understand why since we know the side vents are scooping fresh air.

I started working on the oil filter mount. I'm going to hang it off the side like shown below. I'm making aluminum brackets to bolt to the frame and will need to fab up a longer bracket for the far left side to tie into something.... either the upper frame or the transmission.

http://i.imgur.com/VRpSUdA.jpg (http://imgur.com/VRpSUdA)

http://i.imgur.com/MwzjBqv.jpg (http://imgur.com/MwzjBqv)

[metros]

Oil cooler placement looks good. Interested to see how it all looks once complete.

[Hindsight]

Oil cooler is mounted and I have made a cardboard template of the fan shroud. However, I don't like the upper portion of the oil cooler mount; it doesn't provide much support due to the angle. There is just nothing to tie it into straight above, or even somewhat above. I thought about connecting it to the top of the transmission but then realized that would be a bad idea.... the transmission moves while the frame doesn't so it would be putting a lot of stress on the oil cooler.

Here it is mounted to the frame with no support on the left side:
http://i.imgur.com/MDsNpbEh.jpg (http://imgur.com/MDsNpbE)


Here is what I did today:
http://i.imgur.com/lzL5FULh.jpg (http://imgur.com/lzL5FUL)


Here it the cardboard fan shroud mockup I made. I didn't finish all four corners but you get the idea. I'll make the final one out of 1/16" aluminum and I guess I will bend it on a home-made brake (which I still need to make).
http://i.imgur.com/nGQeN8Sh.jpg (http://imgur.com/nGQeN8S)

[Hindsight]

After giving it some more thought last night, I think I might weld some 1" square steel to extend the frame out to serve as the mounting point for the left side. Where the red lines are in the pic below.

http://i.imgur.com/JK3Hgjo.jpg (http://imgur.com/JK3Hgjo)

[Hindsight]

Went ahead and added on to the frame to make a mount for the left side of the oil cooler as mentioned above and it worked perfectly:

http://i.imgur.com/cdQir2Hh.jpg (http://imgur.com/cdQir2H)

Now I just need to build the fan shroud out of aluminum, mount the fan, and plumb the system with the -12AN stuff I got.


Was at the Atlanta cars and coffee event this morning and saw an RS-7 and a Lamborghini in similar grey colors that I really liked. I think the Audi wasn't metallic but the Lamborghini had a very small amount of metallic in it. Paint is such a long way away for me but I always have my eyes out for unique colors.

http://i.imgur.com/FKcCbH3h.jpg (http://imgur.com/FKcCbH3)

http://i.imgur.com/J01Kgq9h.jpg (http://imgur.com/J01Kgq9)

[Hindsight]

Here is the .063" aluminum I have cut out to function as a fan shroud for the oil cooler. My plan is to bend it up on a temporary, home-made metal brake (nothing fancy, just some hinges and steel angles), then weld the sides together. And of course, I'll need to cut a big hole in the top for the SPAL fan I have for it.

Hoping to get that done, and get the -12 AN lines plumbed in so I can completely check "oil system" off the list finally.
http://i.imgur.com/M80r8fVh.jpg (http://imgur.com/M80r8fV)

[Tamra]

Looking good! I'll be curious to see how much air flow you get there. I hope it works for you!

[Hindsight]

Without the fan, I don't think I'd get much since it has no duct underneath to catch air and make a high pressure zone in front. The shroud will go on the top of the oil cooler and the fan (in pull mode) will be mounted to the top of the shroud. It will be a like a typical radiator setup. The idea is that the fan will create low pressure in the shroud; fresh air passing by from under the car will then be drawn up through the oil cooler and out the fan. The hot exhaust air will be pulled out the rear fascia vents.

If this doesn't work I'll move it to the front of the car but I really don't want that much hose/line. I'm fairly confident this will work. The only issue I feel may come up is if the air around that part of the bottom of the car is hot (since no one yet really knows how the airflow patterns look back there yet). I'm hoping I will just be drawing from all the air that passes by underneath the car.

[Hindsight]

Whew, what a weekend. Made more progress this weekend then I have in a long time. Had two full days to work on it though I quit working at 4pm today.

I completely finished off the oil system. The cooler is permanently mounted, the fan and shroud, -12AN lines and Mocal plate. Even the oil filter.

Here is a pic of the setup I made to bend the metal. It worked "OK". The sheet metal I had was .063" which was stronger than I thought it would be. On one of the sides, I scored it a bit with a cutoff wheel before bending, which made the bending easier but also made it too weak so I had to go back over it with a welder:

http://i.imgur.com/BubapPvh.jpg (http://imgur.com/BubapPv)


Here it is sitting on top of the oil cooler before finishing:

http://i.imgur.com/AOn3ySIh.jpg (http://imgur.com/AOn3ySI)


And here it is finished with all the lines (the last pic below was taken before I added heat shielding to the hoses above the exhaust manifold):
http://i.imgur.com/zA7P7rrh.jpg (http://imgur.com/zA7P7rr)

http://i.imgur.com/m85rp1yh.jpg (http://imgur.com/m85rp1y)

http://i.imgur.com/xRQklIKh.jpg (http://imgur.com/xRQklIK)


I spent a lot of time this weekend fabricating an AWIC degas tank out of 1/8" aluminum sheet, some bungs, and a billet fill neck I bought online. You can buy stuff like this online for around $80 but it doesn't have all the fittings in the size and places I wanted, and I wanted an excuse to get more practice welding. You can see I still have a ways to go but I'm slowly getting there. I don't know what kind of aluminum the filler neck was made of but it welded like CRAP! I thought about polishing the tank and leaving it natural color but decided to paint it. I'll save the raw polished aluminum look for when my welding gets to at least B+.

http://i.imgur.com/0Nb1unAh.jpg (http://imgur.com/0Nb1unA)

http://i.imgur.com/w3TJ4Ubh.jpg (http://imgur.com/w3TJ4Ub)

[Hindsight]

Also, not sure if anyone else has this issue but one out of every three or four NPT fittings I buy (from random sources.... sometimes Summit, sometimes Amazon sellers) don't fit right. The usual problem is that they thread in by hand all the way to where only two threads are showing. Not sure if anyone else has experienced that, but the picture below is a 3/4" NPT fitting hand-tight:
http://i.imgur.com/OCXA2OIh.jpg (http://imgur.com/OCXA2OI)


Fuel pressure regulator is in. I need a couple more fittings and then I can attach the -6AN lines between the FPR and the motor, and the FPR and the tank:

http://i.imgur.com/kmQ2hoMh.jpg (http://imgur.com/kmQ2hoM)

[Frank818]

Wow nice fab on the tank!

[metalmaker12]

Not bad grasshopper!!

[metros]

Nice job on the tank and the fuel pressure regulator mounting looks nice and tidy.

Where are you connecting the degas tank for the AWIC? That's something I thought would be handy but I wasn't sure how to plumb it in effectively.

[Hindsight]

Thanks guys!

Metros, I'm going to add a hose barb to one of the end-tanks on the AWIC. I haven't 100% decided yet but it will go where one of the two dots are in the picture below. The upper one would be better but there isn't much room there before you hit the core with the drill or the tap. I could weld a bung on there I guess but it wouldn't look pretty. The idea is to have the bleeder on the highest part of the AWIC (note mine isn't mounted fully but it's tipped back a bit so any air will move to the area of the tank the dot is located), and then run a hose from there to the dedicated degas tank. Hose should be going upwards. I'm only using a 3/8" hose for that.... maybe even less, no need for something big. Out the bottom of the tank is a 3/4" barb which will go down to a T fitting. On the T fitting, one hose will go up to the front heat exchanger, the other to the degas tank, and the other to the hot side of the AWIC. This will keep some coolant constantly flowing through the degas tank and trapping any air that rides along with it.

http://i.imgur.com/ooPzNpnh.jpg (http://imgur.com/ooPzNpn)

[metros]

Thanks for the details. Careful drilling through there. That aluminum is soft and will drill through easier than you anticipate.

[Hindsight]

Had a couple hours after work this week and was able to finish off the hoses for the fuel tank. The hose on the bottom goes to the charcoal canister I made and detailed on the previous page.
http://i.imgur.com/Nn8nGl9h.jpg (http://imgur.com/Nn8nGl9)


The fuel pressure regulator and the new "fuel manifold" is finished. The manifold is really just an AN Tee fitting followed by an AN Y fitting, all of which is on the pressure side of the regulator. I'm still working on the AN braided lines that go from the Y fitting to the fuel rails. I'm trying to do it right and making little brackets with rubber lined clamps to hold the braided hoses so I don't have abrasion issues as they snake their way around the engine to the manifold. I have probably another hour or two to finish them off. Here is the FPR with manifold:
http://i.imgur.com/4UkIcWeh.jpg (http://imgur.com/4UkIcWe)

[TouchStone]

How do you make those cuts in the aluminum? Dremel?


Here is the .063" aluminum I have cut out to function as a fan shroud for the oil cooler. My plan is to bend it up on a temporary, home-made metal brake (nothing fancy, just some hinges and steel angles), then weld the sides together. And of course, I'll need to cut a big hole in the top for the SPAL fan I have for it.

Hoping to get that done, and get the -12 AN lines plumbed in so I can completely check "oil system" off the list finally.
http://i.imgur.com/M80r8fVh.jpg (http://imgur.com/M80r8fV)

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Hindsight
Did you modify your pump and plumb per FFR new manual?
Bob
42848

Note: I did not modify my pump assembly and I plumb it per Subaru manual.
Bob

[Hindsight]

Touchstone, I used a cordless Dewalt jigsaw with a metal cutting blade. I've been very impressed by the amount of metals and thicknesses I can cut with it.

Bob, no. I used the vent line for the return line so I could use the push-lock AN fittings for the feed and return. The OEM return line is a 1/4" barb, not push-lock. No idea why they would make the vent line a push-lock and the return line a barb. I did cut the metal line just below the flange (that I used as the vent line).

But you know what, your question just made me realize that I have my hoses backwards to the FPR! I was in a hurry. Oops. I have the feed going to the return side of the FPR and the return going to the feed. Need to fix that.

[Frank818]

Those are great fittings and lines, mine setup will look so old school compared to yours.

[Hindsight]

Those are great fittings and lines, mine setup will look so old school compared to yours.

I think if I had to do it over again, I might just use standard high pressure fuel hose and fuel injection hose clamps with barbs. This setup cost a lot of money that could have probably gone to better use in other parts of the build, however, Metal Maker had fuel issues that he had to resolve by going with an aftermarket rail/FPR setup, and my donor came with crappy aftermarket rails that didn't fit properly and had spots on the hoses that were worn through the outer braid (not to mention one of the SS braided lines was hose clamped to a barb) so I was forced into either buying a stock rail setup on eBay or going with a new aftermarket setup. I chose the latter. It does look nice and the AN fittings and hoses are fun to work with. Also pretty cool reading up on the history of AN fittings (dates back to WWII - Army+Navy specification.... pretty cool imagining these things on WWII aircraft etc).

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Bob, no. I used the vent line for the return line so I could use the push-lock AN fittings for the feed and return. The OEM return line is a 1/4" barb, not push-lock. No idea why they would make the vent line a push-lock and the return line a barb. I did cut the metal line just below the flange (that I used as the vent line).

Hindsight,
Subaru uses the push-locks for send and return. Subaru uses the 1/4" barb for the line feeding to the jet pump. Subaru vent is in the fill tube. You are hooked up more like I am. I capped the 1/4" barb that goes to the jet pump and have a 3/8 vent tube with roll over valve elsewhere in the tank. I'd worry about the 1/4" vent causing slow fill.

My connections are shown below.
Bob
42876

[Hindsight]

Thanks for the additional info Bob. I have mine setup exactly like yours from a feed/return standpoint. I thought the 1/4" port was for the vent... I don't even know what a jet pump is! What is it?

From a slow fill standpoint, I think that even with a 3/8" vent tube, it won't be fast enough to allow for proper fillup. To combat this, I added a 3/4" vent on the fuel tank going up to the filler neck. Then I have this 1/4" line from the pump top going to the customer charcoal canister. I have an inline rollover valve in that vent line as well.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

I don't even know what a jet pump is! What is it?


The jet pump is the white/tan plastic thing on the side of the pump assembly.

The return gas goes through it. I uses the venture effect to create a suction on the 1/4" port.
In a Subaru, that hose goes to sending unit which is located on the driver side of the driveshaft hump. It pulls the gas to the fuel pump side of the hump.

42877

The pump on the left is out of a NA car. It does not have a return hose. it uses excess fuel from the filter regulator to feed the jet pump.