OK here goes . . .
I sold my beautiful Ravenna 914/2.0 so I could develop a custom 914 in good conscience. The sweet Ravenna was to stock to cut up and customize, & an admiring buyer wanted to return her to full stock - so it seemed like the perfect match.
Now I've found a 74 1.7 that someone has already led down the path of the Dark Side (as the puritans see it), and I'll simply take it the rest of the way. Just as a warning - this is not meant to be a factory GT look alike or anything close. I want to incorporate some of my own ideas and those I like that others have done. In fact at this point its not even going to be a Porsche six. My initial intent is to go with the Ford 3.0L SHO. Plans may change when I get to that point, but that's where I'm headed.
It seems reasonable to start with Before pics, so heres a couple of the car before I started any dismantling:
OK now we get down to the fun stuff - stripping!
First are the bumpers and that very overstated rear spoiler.
You'll note that the original color is black, and it doesn't look like there are any other colors between that and the current white. This should simplify some of the prep work for a complete strip sown and repaint.
Next I wanted to clean out most of the interior. The seats are in good order as is the upper & lower dash. The seat rails had the adjustment arms jammed up in between the rails, so it was necessary to use a lonnnnngg screw driver to lift the rear portion of the arm so I could move the seats forward.
Anyone with a used set of seat rails in good condition - let me know.
The back pad was already in pieces, no console, or A/C (though all are on my list of desirables).
I'm limiting the stripping at this point to just what is needed to ascertain the overall body condition, locate any holes or rust, and identify any repair work for the FG flares.
So here's the interior as it stands. I'm wondering if this insulator pad can be removed all in one piece. I know its glued on, but I think it will stay together. Anyone BTDT?
Floor material is still in good order also. I've cleaned around some areas where surface rust is visible, but removing the edge of the rubberized sealer reveals clean metal. Since this stuff is still pliable, I'm going to leave what I can. I'll just expose the surface rust, treat it, then recover with Wurth's or something similar.
Being the suspicious type that I am (especially of PO's) I decided to focus my initial efforts on the FiberGlass flares. After viewing them from underneath it was evident that someone (I suspect Maaco since I found their business card in the car) took some shortcuts installing the flares.
The metal was cut to overlap the FG joint & this was good. However, it doesn't look like any kind of sealant or adhesive was used between the metal and the flares - this is bad. They used the rivet method, and all the rivets appear to be holding. There are only a few minor cracks around the flares, but I don't know how long they've been on.
So its on to see what lies beneath the paint.
However, before starting all that sanding I need to find a simple way to contain this mess. So I made a trip down to the local hardware store and picked up some 3/4in PVC and fittings to build myself a 3x5x6 ft sanding booth.
I enclosed it with some 4-5mil plastic I had around on all but the bottom and half the front - to give me an area to work. I could then drape the rest over the car.
Well the portable sanding booth worked well. I started on the right rear fender using a 6in orbital sander. Since I'm new to pneumatic tools I wanted to start off with just 80 grit so as not to sand right through the fender. Within 30 minutes I moved down to 40 grit and was able to make good progress.
What I discovered though only indicated that more work was ahead. It appears my friends at Maaco used Body Filler as their means of bonding the flares to the metal. This won't do. After consulting with the body shop that did the terrific repair work on Ravenna's tail end, it seems there will be more work needed as I thought.
Since they did not use any FG matt and resin to bond the flares to the metals fenders, I will need to sand down the existing filler so that this can be done. I also want to repeat the similar process underneath and close off the gap between the flares and the cut fender edge to prevent moisture from getting up underneath the fiberglass.
another one saved (sort of )
Andy
PS: wouldn't hurt to add it to our VIN database either ...
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=membervins
Thanks for posting the progress pics. Looking forward to future installments.
Jim
bondo to attach the flares!? seems like a good push on the flare would have broken them off...is this normal for shops to do that?
Very cool Gerard. When will we see it completed at a local dinner?
Thanks for the encouragement guys. I think this one is going take more than the summer to complete - maybe two!
OK, I've reached one of those - "Am I on the right track" moments (Bodyshop newbie). I've sanded down enough to see that adjacent to the edge of the FG flares there is body filler over the metal all the way around the flare. Here's a pic. Yellow indicates metal, red indicates body filler.
Since I want to do this correctly and apply FG & resin to adhere the flare to the metal, I need to get all the adjacent body filler sanded down to metal - right?
And I should have a small lip where the flare overlaps the metal fender that will get filled with the bonding FG - right?
See some more pics.
Now to move over to the driver's side. This is not going to be pretty.
AT this point I'm planning to leave them riveted on since they appear to be securely attached - at least in that regard.
Go to your local Harbor Frieght and pick up a portable sand blaster and blast all the filler off. They are inexpensive. Do it in the yard, the sand is good for the grass! The is the only way to remove it all.
Try this: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34202
Randy,
That's not a bad idea. My only concern would be how to keep from affecting the FG at the same time. Can you direct the flow of the sand that accurately to get precise?
PS: Harbor Freight has become my second home.
Thanks,
OH the shame of it! I've never seen anything so up!.
I knew something was squirly with the drivers side, but I couldn't tell exactly. That is until I got past some of the body filler.
All I can say is SEE FOR YOURSELF!
It appears someone cut out the lower portion adjacent to the flare. Probably before the flare was added.
I was at the point of chipping away filler with a CHISEL!
Now it looks like I'll have some metal work to do. Guess I'll get some use out of that welder finally. Now I just have to find a decent quarter panel to cut pieces from.
I'm just glad I didn't pay more for this car than I did.
This is the first I've been able to get back to the "black hole" since last week. After a couple hours of sanding, cutting, banging, I've cleared out the bulk of the filler to expose the metal around the edges that I have to work with.
It's as I thought. But there is enough there to do either a lap joint or a butt joint, depending on how badly mis-shaped the metal is. I feel a lot better at least knowing whats not behind there anymore. The filler is typically 3/8-1/2in thick!
Its also a given that the entire flare will have to be removed from this side. That's the next step.
Oh yeh!
About the propane & bondo thing, and the sand-blasting. How do I protect the flares so that they are unaffected by the heat or the sand?
TIA,
here is what I did....I actually cut each and every section you see here @ about 1.5" and then bent in in 90 deg and then moved outabout 1/8" and bent it back up(with simple vice grips) in essense I recessed the metal to allow the flares to sit almost flush and therfore minimized the amount of bondo. I should also add that this was VERY time consuming and took 50 rvits per fender but damn it looks good!!
BTW this was from my "jackstand resto" 8 yrs ago!
Sorry for the poor pic!
Josh
Its been a while but I haven't been slacking. . .
I stayed with just sanding for the time being, using 60 grit and an electric orbital sander. I'm comfortable with this technique and can accurately control how much I take off. On the flares I'm going down to the gel-coat (if its still called that) - its white in this case.
I've drilled out the rivets on the drivers side & removed the tire for better access. I've discovered that they did use some type of bonding material between the flare and the metal - as its apparent from the underside, even though there is a 1 1/2 - 2in overlap of metal. The material appears blackish in color, is very hard, and seems somewhat brittle. I've encountered some areas of this near the bottoms of the flare where they connect to the body panel.
So its not going to be just a matter of removing the rivets and filler and pulling off the flare. I'd like to be able to get them off without damaging them.
Ideally if this bonding agent is satisfactory, I'd be glad to leave it & the flares in place, and continue with FG cloth and resin on the outer part of the flare/fender. I also came across a combination bonding agent/filler called Dyna-Weld. It would be better to have this material between the flares and metal. But if I can't get them off without breaking them off, it will serve well as an outer filler/bonding agent.
Well, some good news.
I took a break from the back flares and decided to see whats under the front flares. Starting with the right-front, I found some good news. It appears this one was done correctly in that they used FG cloth and resin to bond/blend the outer flare to the body panel. I can still feel rivets underneath, but at least this technique should provide a better basis to work from.
If the left-front flare is the same, I'll plan on leaving them in place and just remove all the extra filler. It almost seems like they wanted to change the shape of the flares because all the nice radii are filled with putty to increase the radius. Weird!
I also checked on the underside, and here they also used cloth and resin to completely enclose the seam. Sure hope the left-front flare is the same.
i think you're taking a real sensible approach to the flares. how was the trapped area behind the sealent? any rust?
k
rhodyguy,
No rust in the fender/flares at all so far. Its been real clean aside from the mediocre assembly in the rear. I'm sure it helped that the car has been limited to CA & AZ.
Well, I made some important progress this weekend. I set aside the sander and started getting measurements for the transmission and the cross-section of the engine bay. From this I feel I can get a good idea of engine fit. I've entered all the data into CAD and here is what I have so far.
The different colors should be obvious as to what they represent with the exception of the two blue lines. Those are the front-to-back limits of the SHO V6 engine relative to the forward face of the tranny - or in this case the adapter plate in front of the tranny. The upper part of the heads/intake over-hangs to the rear. I don't have the various heights yet.
I have a local contact that I'll be following up with to get some accurate dimensions of the engine. Once these are plugged in and I do a back view, I'll have a decent idea of what interferences I may have.
Keep you posted.
OK,
First let me say a big THANK YOU to Tom ( a local SHO rail owner) for allowing me access to his shop to get the necessary dimensions. Tom's been using SHO motors in his rails for years and has amassed a great deal of data and insight into these engines - including turbos & super-chargers.
Here's how it came out. The engine of choice for a longitudinal mount would be the 3.2L used in the automatics. One main reason is that the 3.2 has a single auto-tensioning serpentine belt, whereas the 3.0L has two and require manual adjustment and more space.
Take a look at the final best-fit I can come up with.
Magenta - engine bay and body parts.
Red - 901 Tranny
Green - 24" dia wheel/tire
Blue - engine outline
Here's a few things I have to consider:
Have you given thought to either transverse mount with the SHO manual tranny? What about the Duratec 3.0 V6?
Bryan,
Yes, I've thought about both. No on the transverse. And the Duratec 3.0 is on my list of engines along with the EG33 and another Ford, the Essex 3.8L. I need to get a weight on the EG33 to compare. I know the Essex is cast-iron block, while the Duratec is alumiyumyum.
A strange thought occurred to me - what would it take to machine an aluminum block for the SHO motor? Probably more than I think.
I'll also have to get an idea of what some of the V8's weigh in at. If its comparable to those, then I'd go for it.
It may seem like a lot for 220HP, but I'm thinking down the road. In turbo or super-charged form, the SHO is good for upto 500hp or more.
Still thinking . . .
I'm having a hard time deciding since I'd really like to use the SHO, so I decided to wait and collect more data on my top engine choices before I commit to one. It may just be a process of elimination.
Here is my current list of potential swaps. The blue rows are top choices based on the data I've found so far.
I did get the remaining front flare sanded this weekend. So now I have a better scope of the repair work.
For the fronts I'm just going to remove the remaining filler; leave the existing bonded flare in place; leave the existing clothe and resin blend, and put added clothe and resin on the back side as extra precaution.
For the backs, I'm going to visit the body shop and see if they can give me some idea what the bonding material in the back is. If its acceptable, I'll leave the flares attached, but go through redoing all the blending and sealing of the front and back sides as it should have been done. If the bonding material isn't acceptable - they'll have to come off.
I am no expert but 500hp and a 901 transaxle may not be compatible.
Are you sure?
Well - excuuuuse meeee!
If you can't stomach Ford's, then perhaps a Subi EG33 will suit you pallet.
Here's my fit check for the Subi EG33 (SVX) motor from dimensions Kent (914Helo) provided. This looks a lot more promising, fit wise. Especially since Ken't had the engine in his 914 and has verified the fit.
Still . . . it is tempting to try something no one else has done yet - even if it is a FORD!
EG33 Fit check:
Come on guys - give me a break. If you've read any of the previous posts you'd know that this is not my first 914 (my 4th) and that I purposely picked a delinquent car and not a nice roller to do this Non-Standard conversion on.
(Previous three 914's)
I want, as much as anyone else, to maintain those nice stock 914's as much as possible - which is the very reason I sold my previous Ravenna beauty and didn't do a conversion (not even a Porsche six) on her. And I was careful to sell her to someone who intended to return her closer to stock that I had.
I can assure you this is not going to be an everyday "hack job". In fact I'm going to great lengths to undo someone else's "hack job". So let's keep this all in perspective - shall we!
Here's an http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=20374 you need to view if you think that non-porsche motivation in 914's is an uncommon thing. Keep in mind also that http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=20374 is over three years old.
Enjoy!
Now back to the show!
Thanks Kelty,
I'll add that to my database info.
Didn't do much this weekend. My son was home from college for just a few days to get everything ready for his summer internship. This included lots of little prep items for the 924S he taking over to CA to use during the summer. Biggest job was replacing the drive and balance belts & one tension roller. Went real smooth though.
I did take an extra couple days off though. So I was able to work on the front end a little. Started off by removing all the adhesive from the trunk firewall. Used the Aircraft Decal & Adhesive Remover. Works OK.
I also removed the head lights, motors, assemblies, and all the associated wiring.
And removed the trunk lid.
You may not be able to notice in the pic, but the spliced every single wire in the front and only crimped the connections. I'll have to go through all this and solder connections, and add appropriate heat-shrink. Don't need any flaky electrical problems. I'll be deleting some of the wiring in the process - like the side marker lights.
I also spent some time taking measurements on the engine in my wife's Windstar Ltd. Its the Ford HO 3.8L (200hp) motor. I've always thought this would be a good motor for the 914 because of its decent torque. Since its on my list I wanted to see how it would stack up to the other sixes since its a 90deg.
Here's the fit results:
As you can see, even though its 90deg, with the FI intake its just as high as the other 60deg V6's. It is much shorter, though they waste nearly 6 inches for all the accessaries in the front.
So far the Subi EG33 is looking the most promising. Its under 400lbs, and the fit is good. It should only require minimal adjustments to make everything work. Now I'm going to get a hold of a local supplier to get more info.
So which will it be:
___SHO_____^______EG33__
(SHO)
Well, I got quite a bit done today. I found an awesome http://www.spaceagepaint.com/ over in Mesa, AZ. They have everything you need from start to finish. It was mind numbing. They also sell the POR products I was looking for.
I'm using the following: POR-Strip for paint-stripping trunk and areas difficult to sand.
POR-Marine-Clean to clean all bare-metal after sanding, prior to treating with POR Metal-Ready.
I also picked up the fiberglass clothe and resin/hardener I need to redo the rear flares. First I needed to remove any of the body filler still adjacent to the flares. I haven't found anything to do this cleanly without possibly damaging the flares, so I just used a hand-help chisel and dug out the filler. It worked quite well and was actually faster than trying to use a small diameter wire wheel.
You'll notice there is black paint adjacent to the flares. This was under the body filler. They didn't even sand it down to bare metal before adding the flares.
I still have some hand sanding to remove the black paint. I ran out of 60-grit paper and need to pick up some more. I was able to get the drivers side done though.
More fun ahead . . .
Since that final prep before applying the fiberglass took me nearly six hours, minus a short break for the root-beer float my wife brought me, I won't have time today to get to the fiberglass part.
That's a good thing though. What I realized in the process was that there is still a fit problem that I have to address along with sealing up the underside of the flares as well. To get to the underside I'm going to need to build my rotisserie first. I guess I'll work on that during the week.
However, I still have a bit of a fitting problem at the bottom of the flares. Here's a couple of pics.
Front of flare:
Back of flare:
The normal line of the body panels should continue through the flare (marked in red), but doesn't. It's almost like they didn't bring the flare up high enough on the top of the fender. But when I look across the fender and the flare from the back, the flare seems to be high enough - and continues the gentle arc.
So my thoughts are to cut the flare (front & back) to match the line of the body panels, then buildup a new bottom edge at the same angle as the body panels. I would think this is whats needed so that the valance and outer rocker panel blend correctly as shown in this example (from someone's else's progress thread - I forgot who):
I have the FG outer rocker panels - though they are not very good ones. It looks like I'll need to locate the appropriate original style front & rear valances with the flared option to check fit before I do any major FG cutting & repair.
In the meantime I can continue getting the two trunks stripped of paint.
On with the show . . .
Space Age is an awesome store isn't it?
Yes it is. I didn't see that car, but I did see this one . . .
Progress today was minimal. I've started the paint stripping in the rear trunk while doing interim sanding while I wait for the stripper to work. It seems to work really fast on the enamel that was sprayed on top of the factory color, but the factory paint - probably a lacquer - takes several iterations of spray and wait to loosen it up.
Its going to take some time to get the whole trunk done. Just have to chase it a couple hours at a time during the week. I'd like to shoot it with primer next weekend.
Now my question is what to do with the factory rubberized seam sealer they used throughout the trunks. If I clean all this out - can it be replaced & with what?
I think I'll post a separate question on this to get some more feedback.
Well, I found out that Wurth's makes a flexible seam sealer that can be brushed or sprayed on to replace the old stuff here. Guess I'll visit the http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearch/PEL_search.cgi?command=show_part_page&please_wait=N&make=POR&model=9144§ion=MISCLL&page=9&bookmark=26&part_number=WRTH-8901021.
Back to work . . .
Progressing slowly.
Earlier this week I picked up all the pieces I needed for my rotisserie. I'm using the two engine stands method, with a support beam connected between them. I'll post assembly and parts pics after I finish cutting all the various sizes.
With my sons help, I pulled the gas tank out. Fortunately there was enough lose rubber fuel line to reach down and cut it without having to jack up the car and cut it from underneath. The partial metal/plastic fuel lines running through the car will get replaced with all metal fuel lines. I'll save this for when the car is on the rotisserie.
From there we removed the fresh air vents, motor and housing. There are some metal spring clips where the wire cables connect to the various vents (in red below). Care is needed to remove these without deforming or breaking them. On the left side, cables attached with small 8mm nuts, but on the right side the cable had a Z shaped bend that requires the spring clips, mentioned earlier, to be removed first.
During the process of removing all the venting in the front, it was necessary to remove the two small 90deg elbows located up underneath the cowl & behind the hood hinges. What was even more surprising is that I saw a round obstruction in each one. At first it looked like the back of a gauge of some kind. What kind of gauge would someone put in there?
With a little effort I was able to turn it around to look at the front, and to my surprise I see a tiny little speaker. Someone put a speaker (probably a tweeter) in each of the fresh air vent tubes. At first all I could do was laugh -
Then as I thought about it - it was actually quite creative. I'm not sure how well it would work, but it was certainly an unconventional idea.
After we had our good laugh, we continued to remove the windshield wiper assembly. All that was needed was to remove the two 22mm nuts at the wiper blade studs, and cut the rubber standoff plug that holds the center bracket to the firewall. It may be possible to remove the rubber standoff and keep it in tact, but with the dash in place it was difficult to see how it attached to the other side of the firewall. Since the nut was rusted on ours, we chose to cut the rubber and replace the whole piece.
Its seems like there has been little progress and things are moving more slowly than I would like.
I started on my rotisserie, then ran into problems with my air compressor. My suggestion for others taking on this kind of work - keep it simple and go with electric tools unless you already have a 4HP+ air compressor. Anything less will be marginal for this kind of work.
I was able to borrow a compressor from a friend - thanks Tim - and got all the pieces cut for the rotisserie. I was continually hampered by small things. First the compressor, then running out of cutting disks, yada yada . . .
I just have to accept that any custom project like this is going to require constant trips to the hardware, auto parts, paint & body stores - there is just no way around it.
Anyway, I did manage to start the welding on the rotisserie. I really enjoyed this. I've been reading about it, viewed a few videos, then just decided to go try it. I was amazed at how easy it was, and how much I enjoyed melting metal together.
Here's a picture of the first section I completed today. I just held it in place, but I'll be drilling holes so that it mounts through the bumper holes in the frame.
Right side
Left side
Its been a very satisfying day . . .
Might I suggest that when you encounter a rubber isolation mount, that you check price and availability first before cutting. Three that spring to mind are the wiper rack mount, the fuel pump mounts and the late engine mounts. In all cases they have simple nuts on the studs on each end.
Good tip - thanks Dave.
Even though I got a little zealous with the the welding and mis-welded a couple of pieces - I was able to cut them to the correct size. I feel like I have opened a whole new world of possibilities now that welding is available to me.
So here are some of my NEWBIE WELDING INSIGHTS . . .
Well I've got my new bumpers on. I always thought the 914 would make a great car for the Demolition Derby . . .
Front
Rear
I was planning to weld the support pieces onto the cross-piece but decided to use 1/2in bolts instead since this allows a little more flexibility. Just need to pick up the hardware later this evening when I go out get an electric grinder/cutter.
Waiting for my daughters to finish making their home-made pizza
then off to the hardware store.
I spent a couple of evenings this week getting the engine stands ready. I had the pieces already cut, but each one needed grinding to get rid of any variation in the mating edges. The stands are the 1000# variety from Harbor Freight. One is an older style and was taller, so I ended up with two different sized insert pieces.
The inserts do two things. THey raise the housing for the rotating flange to just over 36". Since the base is raised and the front wheels are mounted under the tubing this won't allow full 360deg rotation of the car body. That was intentional on my part. I wanted to keep the body as low as possible. To allow for full rotation, one would need to raise it another 3-4 inches. That would put the center axis at about 40 inches, and the portion of the car aobve the axis would be another 34 inches; giving a total of 74 inches of vertical clearance needed.
The second thing the inserts do is negate the 7.33deg angle designed into the vertical 3"x1.5" tubing. I cut the stand tubing 90 degs across its width, then cut the insert piece so that one side has the 7.33 deg cut, and the other is a 90 deg cut. When welded together, this will make the cylindrical housing axis horizontal.
Here are the two stands. I'm not going to bother with painting - just keep them functional.
I guess I forgot to add the info on the rest of the parts for the rotisserie. I spent $50 for the one stand, and $30 for the older one IIRC. All the steel totaled to around $65, so my total for materials was under $150.
Today I was able to complete the remaining steel support that connects the two engine stands. Once I got the measurements right & cut it, I needed to grind it to fit the two angles used to bolt it to the stands.
It was then welded to the the angle pieces. The angles can then be removed along with the support until the car is up on the stands, then re-attached.
It was too hot to do much else. I spend all day in the sun working, so I can only last a few more hours in the garage with no cooling. Then its a cold refreshing shower and I've got my second wind.
Wednesday I hope to get the car up on the rotisserie. Can't wait.
Bryan,
Where did you get it?
You can get high CFM fans like that at Home Depot. They are not too expensive. I'm going to buy one to use for ventilation on the next car I paint.
Thanks Jim & Bryan,
That explains why I haven't seen them - I rarely frequent the Home Depot. I'm more of an Ace Hardware kinda guy. I'll have to check them both out.
Well I got the car up on the rotisserie tonight. A friend of mine came over and helped. It went pretty well except that I need to build a small (12-18" high) extension for my ATV lift so that I can jack a greater distance. I'm not fond of using wood blocking - so it will give me chance to develop my welding skills a little further.
SOo now I'm ready to get back on the body work and get the flares finished and the rear trunk stripped and primed.
May have some exciting news tomorrow regarding power-train. Stay tuned!
Today I drained the brake fluid and inspected the disks & calipers. Three of the four disks are under-sized, so I'll be replacing them.
The front calipers are getting replaced with BMW 2002 4-piston calipers, and the backs I'll rebuild and reuse.
I'm continuing to strip paint in the rear trunk. I had no idea this would be such a slow process. It takes several applications with 15-20 minute wait between apps. And of course you all know how flat and smooth the trunk is in a 914 - NOT!
DID I MENTION . . .
I found a 3.2L V6 SHO motor to rebuild for $200.00. That's complete from exhaust headers to intake. All I'll need to add is the ECM. The gentlemen that let me come over to measure the SHO engine had one he had pulled from a local junk yard. I'll start with an inspection of the crank and mains, water pump, and rod bearings. If all that looks good I'll proceed with cleanup and the rebuild. I'll get some pics next week when I'm over there.
Sweet!!!! SHOpics please!
Hey Bryan - I can hardly wait to get started on this engine. Should make some basic progress next week. And I'll get pics also.
Well I spent MORE time in the trunk stripping paint - and I'm still not finished. In between applications of paint remover I was working on the engine bay. I removed a metal plate that someone installed as a band-aid for the "hell-hole". SO it looks like I'll be hunting for the pieces to fix this. Battery tray was garbage, and I knew there was some work to do there since the rust was obvious in spite of the band-aid.
I'll likely relocate the battery, but I may end up with more room in the engine bay than any where else. And if it stays in the engine bay, it may still get relocated to a lower, more stable location.
I also removed the rubber liner behind the back-pad. If you're interested in saving this liner, the best way to remove it is with a chisel or stout paint scraper. That way you can get behind the pad everytime you encounter cement, and free it before it tears the pad.
Everything else looks clean except for the lower right corner where the "hell-hole" came through the firewall.
Well, the pretty pics of the engine will have to wait a while. I got the engine torn down, but found that the crank was broken just behind the front connecting rod. I've got a replacement crank and rod, but that means a complete tear-down of the engine to replace the one rod, inspect/replace rings, etc, . . .
I'll get some staged pics as soon as possible.
Well the fun continues . . .
Engine - Had the block magna-fluxed and found a crack by one of the upper core plug holes. Fortunately Tom had another block, so progress is continuing. I'll get some pics once I get the heads back on.
Body - Took some extra time off over the holiday, but I didn't get to use all of it working on the body since I had a side project that came up. I did manage to get the right rear inner part of the fender/flare glassed. I used three layers of material. I'll clean up the edges and cover the whole inner wheel well with some under-body sealer. Pic inside the wheel well. THe black behind the FG is the factory paint. I stripped a couple inches down to metal, but ran into the painted area a little.
I also got most of the rubberized seam sealer off in the rear trunk. I tried the torch method, but it still required as much scraping. I found that a good chisel was an excellent way to get under the sealer so I could remove it in bigger chunks. It actually turned out to be faster also. A wire wheel came in handy for some of the small corners - but I found that unlike the scraping (with chisel or paint scraper), which left the factory primer, the wire wheel stripped clear down to the bear metal. Even though this will all get primer, I like the idea of putting new seam sealer on top of the old primer - as the factory did.
I'll get some more pics when I get the trunk completely stripped and get some new batteries for the camera.
This week I've been working on the engine. It works out better to spend time on the engine for a few hours in the late afternoon and save the body work for the weekend.
The engine is coming along. Tom's been a big help getting things squared away. We've got a good block, crank, rods, pistons, heads, intake, etc. I've started cleaning and some assembly. I'll begin prepping for paint next week.
There are two complimentary colors on the car in addition to the Orange. When racing the GT's the factory would color code the bumpers so that each car could be identified easier when viewed head-on. I plan to apply this to my car and use yellow and red for the two halve-colors on the front & rear bumpers. These are the same colors I'll use for the engine.
Here's a quick image my son modified for me to illustrate. The block and oil pan will also be yellow to match the intake. I wanted to avoid black since the engine cover is a black mesh. This way the colors will be more apparent behind the black grill.
Can't wait to get the engine painted and together.
I worked on the left rear quarter today. I needed to get the access metal behind the flares trimmed out. To do this I went ahead and trimmed the adjacent area where the new body panel goes in.
I used my 4in cutter to rough-cut the area.
then followed with my Dremel tool to get a nice clean cut.
I was able to pry off the sheet metal under the flare without damaging the flare at all. Since the sheet metal was a thin strip a couple inches wide, it flexed quite easily and there was no real pressure on the FG flare. Here's a shot from behind the flare. Now I just have to grind off the adhesive on the back side of the flare before applying new adhesive.
All that was left was to trim the access sheet metal behind the flare. I use my Dremel tool for this since it provides good control and I don't have to worry about damaging the flare. I use the big cutter to remove the strip of sheet metal once it reaches 18in or so. Here's the trimmed underside ready to be prepped for fiberglass.
It's getting there - slowly but surely.
Currently I'm working on three things at the same time.
The Body work - getting ready to attempt the butt-weld of the new piece, but I have several things to complete before then . . .
Well I've managed to get the transaxle completely cleaned. I used POR-15's Marine Clean. At a 1:1 dilution with water it does an amazing job. I use both nylon & soft-metal brushes to loosen the grease and grime, then just rinse with water. Too easy.
Here's a before and after.
I ran out of POR Paint Stripper and Marine Clean, so I think I'll work on painting the valve covers and modifying the intake manifolds this weekend. The tranny inspection can wait till next week.
Stay cool
Did anyone else notice that this car has holes for the factory six oil tank???
Are you sure this car is not a lost six????
This is a cool project.. I like watching the unconventional done.
Clay,
The previous owner converted this original 1.8 to a six - then it was stolen and the thieves removed the six and left the rest. PO put the 1.8 back in and later sold it to me.
Clay,
I just wanted to do something unusual & non-Porsche. I had three nice cars already that were kept Porsche, but this time I wanted to try something different - hence my choice to go SHO.
Speaking of which - I worked on the valve covers & intake manifold today. The valve covers just needed minor cleaning and light sanding. They have a coating on them (I don't think it anodizing), so I need to find out if this can be painted on or not.
Started to disassemble the intake manifold. Here's the beast with most attachments.
I need to remove several bosses that I will not be using and will help reduce the length for a better fit. The first to go is the DIS flange.
To remove it I first cut off large sections top & bottom, then started to grind and file down close to the desired shape. I continued to rough the shape with a file, then did some sanding with 60 & 100 grit. The hole will get welded in and then I will finish it all off. But there are several other smaller flanges that need to come off also.
I like aluminum . . .
Now that the Valve covers are dry, here's how they look in Ford Red (Duplicolor 500deg paint)
and
purty . . . (but not the best JPEGs)
You know, I hate to meddle with your paint choices after you've already started but....
That intake looks bitchin in raw Al. Reminds me of something you would see on a vintage aircraft. And, I would do the valve cover in red wrinkle coat. Like the Maserati Spyder...
Jason,
I agree - that wrinkle affect looks cool. I'll have to save that idea for next time though - too far along to backup now.
Still workin on the intake manifold. I removed the intake runners and noticed that they would look much better with the casting seams removed. So I dug out the Dremel with the course sanding disk and went to work. Once I got the seam flat I used a file to feather and contour.
Went from this . . .
To this . . .
I still have to have these media blasted to remove the paint, but I have done a little sanding on them. The paint on these is thicker than the paint on the valve covers - for whatever reason.
When I was in the SHO club there were some guys who had theirs polished... talk about a dramatic effect.
OK, I know there hasn't been much action here lately . . .
because its tooo dannggg HOTTTTT.
I am getting a few things done on the weekends. Pics to come when I have something together.
Stay cool!
Good thread, lots of hard work, I don't know how you can work in the heat. I am retired and last summer I would work early in the morning till about 12 noon then clean up and eat and take a siesta and go back out at 7pm and work till 12 or 1 am. It worked pretty well except that you gotta have good lights and the painting must be in the early morning or it will get bugs in it. I also use a few big fans. Of course the fans gotta be off to weld.
Practise a lot with the scrap body metal before you try to put the repair panel in. You said the body metal is 16 ga. but I'm pretty sure it's thinner than that. It's probably 18 ga. Spot weld about 1 inch apart and keep going around the panel if it gets too hot to touch do something else and let it cool. You can buy the little butt weld gadgets at HF. I use a thick piece of copper to back the weld up if I can get it in position. Eastwood has a magnetic copper strip but it's not cheap.
My experience with pop rivets are they will show up later as little circles no matter what you put over them. After you get the fiberglass bonded to your satisfaction, drill them out and fill the area over with fiberglass strand. I haven't tried it but the product Kitty Hair, made by Evercoat, is a bondo type putty with fiber strands in it. There is also one by the same company that has short strands it probably will be easier to use, the long strands are harder to work with. They are both waterproof. I use them both but I haven't had to deal with pop rivets lately.
On the rotisserie I thought the practice was to brace the door gap to keep the tub from sagging as now the support is on the very ends not at the suspension where the tub was designed to be supported. I guess if the door gaps haven't changed it's ok, although it would be something if the fenders are stressed at the front and rear and you do all the body work and they relax when you take it off the rotisserie.
My experience with painting aluminium motor parts is that unless they are bead or sand blasted and painted with a epoxy paint it doesn't stick very well.
Good luck you are really working hard, I'm sure you will be proud of the finished product.
Isn't car life full of lessons?
Charlie,
Thanks for the insights. Things have been progressing very slowly the last few weeks. On top of the heat, I now spend 4 hours at school a couple of nights, and reading/homework a couple more nights. But at least its time spent indoors - cool!
You're correct on the sheet metal - mostly 18 & 20ga in a few spots.
I've been trying to finalize my trunk and get it at least primered. The shop doing the final paint work suggested a self-etching primer to protect the bare metal. So now that I have most the paint off, I'm just cleaning up some areas of surface rust in the trunk, prepping down to bare metal, cleaning & treating with Metal Ready, then shooting with a couple lite coats of primer. Took eleven hours over two days last weekend just to get 1/3 of the trunk done.
Once I get the entire trunk to that point, then I'll move on to the sheet metal. I bought some other replacement/add-on panels, so I've got to start focusing on welding again. And then there's the hell-hole that I have to investigate.
Regarding the rotisserie; I still have my doors installed in order to maintain integrity. I also left the suspension in tact so that I can lower it as needed to do a couple of body cuts that shouldn't be done in the air.
I managed to get the aluminum manifold welded, so now I just need to finish up the metal work, blast it and get it ready to paint.
No work on the teener this weekend though - my son is in for the weekend from college - so I get to spend some time with him & working on his car.
PS: You're right about the lessons. I keep looking for them.
School Schmool... get ta work on that car. I want a ride!
OK, finally the engine is going together. He's where my list is at compared to a couple months back.
Engine rebuild . . .
OK, got some more done on the engine this weekend - thanks Tom!
Heads are on & valve covers are just sitting there waiting to put the seal/gasket on.
The crank position sensor is mounted and gapped.
A remanufactured waterpump Tom had available is also installed, along with the main tubing and housings for the head cooling.
Here are the pics so far:
Purtty,
Did you swap in 3.0 cams?
Wow, that's a tall oil pan. You may need to shorten it. Have you test fit this in the car? Nice looking engine!
No 3.0 cams. I think the stock 3.2 is going to be more than enough to start with. And I can always upgrade - right?
I've done a test fit via CAD. The oil pan is low, but it won't sit more than 1/2" below the bottom of the rear firewall. You can see my layout on a previous page.
Once I get the intake on it will look even bigger. Once engine is running, I'll have to pull the intake off again to get the engine in from underneath, then install the intake from the top.
It'll be interesting . . .
OK - latest progress.
The engine build continues. Did a valve-adjustment on new years eve, and have numerous plastic covers cleaned, painted, and ready to install. New engine pics coming when I get it all buttoned up.
Next issue I've been playing with is the intake. The huge, but cool, intake manifold on the SHO requires an equally large throttle body that is preceded by a MAF sensor.
So the dilemma for me has been how to route the intake air from the engine lid to the throttle body without giving up my entire trunk. Here's a couple of things to keep in mind:
Side = Clean
A lot of time has gone by, but progress continues slowly. Here is the pre-assembly of the famous SHO Intake Manifold. I've been taking my time making sure everything is fitting together properly.
(Here are two pics. For some reason the yellow gets washed out in the sun)
Since the wiring harness sits under the intake between the fuel injector rails, I have a lot of work to do on the harness. I got it cleaned up & removed all the old dried out tape and insulator. Some lines will need to be extended for my application so all that will get done before the test run.
More to follow . . .
I think the down the middle is the most direct, and elegant approach. with a minimum of bends you dont have to worry about any pesky flow dynamics, and you know it will be a more laminar charge. also if the pedistal faces fron, it will be RAM AIR!
Mark,
Sorry to see you're selling your project. I'll be relying on your current project thread for some insight into the typical body mods (hell-hole, flare fit with rockers & valances, etc). Don't stray far from the group - gotta keep that 914 fever!
Best of luck,
I'm sure this seems like a snails pace compared to a lot of projects out there. Been out of work for two months now so I've been focusing efforts there. I have managed to get the engine wiring harness all checked out and modified. Once its wrapped, the injectors & fuel rails go on - then its time for the intake manifold.
Gerard, keep a keen eye on that oil pan, it seems like it will be a sure candidate for asphalt injections. I think you can build a suitable m/mount to take care of that.
Marty
Marty,
Yeh - that things deep, but it won't sit any lower than 1/2" below the bottom of the fire wall.
Well I set aside the fear and decided to cut into the perfectly good body panel just behind the right-side door. It was the only way I could come up with to get good access to the "hell hole" and jack receiver plate.
As you can see, those receivers are great for trapping water and causing rust. This side will get some new metal - maybe two panels worth.
The left side still has the panel removed from all the body putty I cut out of there. All I needed to do was cut a clean edge and find a piece to replace it when I'm done with the jack receiver.
I also spent some time, with my wife's help, checking all the body measurements. Everything checked out very good - worse difference was within 1/8". Not bad for these cars. I was especially concerned since it looks like someone drover this car over a bunch of parking curbs. Nothing that can't be popped out - but at least the body is straight.
Now back to the engine for a day or so.
Gerard,
Looking good!
Is the driver side cut open to where you can get more pictures?
See my thread about pics request of the 1/4s...
I've started digging more into the outer longitudinal at the jack point. It seems there were some previous residents making their home here.
Once I finish cutting out the top of the shelf below the battery tray, I should be able to get a clearer look into the long. It appears as though there are two layers of metal, and I don't want to cut through both at the same time. I'd like to stagger the cuts and the welds.
Dang - need a new cutting disk.
Don't want to run out yet to get a cutting disk, so I'm planning the cuts I need for the firewall between cockpit and engine bay.
The raised middle section is what I need to widen by 8 inches (4" each side). I already have a replacement 8" wide section for the center, with all the necessary radiuses. So the plan is to work from the existing center and move each side 4" out.
THe outer-most black line is the cut line for the new edge. The area between it and the second line is what will be removed. Then from the second line to the centerline will get shifted over to the new edge. They'll be another cut in the section to be moved to allow the rotation needed.
I've also decided it would be better not to cut into the larger of the three reinforcing channels on each side. This means I'll have to due some angular blending between the two pieces. This should be much easier than trying to form all the radiuses.
OK, scratch out those lines.
I drove over to the garage where my engine's at to update my dimensions - and a good thing I did. I did not include the pulleys for the various accessories because they were located low enough and wouldn't interfere with the firewall - all but one. The alternator pulley will just interfere with the firewall by 1/2 inch or so.
So now instead of adding 8" I'll have to add 10". That will put the pulley in the deeper portion of the firewall with an inch or more of clearance.
Worked on the engine this weekend to finish up the fuel rails, injectors, and fuel lines that connect to the rails. Didn't have my camera so I'll get a pic before I install the intake early next week.
Did get to spend some time last week cutting out the remaining rust areas around the hell-hole - with the exception of the long. I'm going to wait to finish the long until I've patched the other panels. Hopefully this will minimize the amount of weakness in this area.
I removed the upper panel above the inner long on the engine bay, a section of the inner fender above the long, and a corner section of the lower firewall.
Upper panel:
Inner fender section:
Lower firewall corner:
Here are the replacement pieces I cut and bent using my vise, a piece of 2x4 and a 2lb hammer. The bottom piece shown is to reinforce the wide part of the inner long. The long has holes from drilling out all the spot welds in the upper panel, so I'll place the reinforcement panel underneath the long and use the holes for welding it in place. It may not be necessary, but it's easier to do while everything's open - and I can be sure I've retained sufficient strength in that part of the long.
For reference I wanted to show how the longitudinal looks from this side. The inner long is two separate pieces with a big gap at the top, and a smaller gap at the bottom.
The upper panel (or shelf) sits slightly above the inner long until it gets close to the inner curved edge. The welds from the battery tray went all the way through the shelf and into the inner long.
I started removing the shelf by drilling out the spot welds that connect it to the inner fender. You can see the string of holes in the picture. I did likewise with the welds along the top face of the shelf - drilling through it and the inner long. I used my Dremel cutter to carefully cut the limits of the shelf - trying not to go all the way through. I succeeded at the upper end, but cut slightly into the inner long near the lower end - hence the reason for some additional support.
I then slowly pulled the upper shelf off - pulling toward the engine bay. I had to cut it length wise a couple of times as I exposed more welds I couldn't see from the surface. Its important to drill these welds out because pulling will just rip the inner long - and thats the load-bearing portion we want to keep in tact and in good shape.
Once I got the shelf out to the radius edge I was able to cut it with my 3" cutting wheel and get a decent edge. I then pounded that edge back down onto the inner long. It will be used as the mating edge for the new piece.
You'll notice that the engine shelf is missing. It was rusted in spots and needed to be removed anyway to get better access. It could go back on, but since I'm doing the SHO V6, I won't bother. The front and left engine shelf will get removed also just to clean things up and provide some more room.
I've managed to squeeze in some time to get the engine in its semi-final form. Purty eh?
With the engine harness and intake manifold on, the remaining items are minor in comparison. However, with a pending move to southern Arizona in the next six weeks, its not likely that I will get much more done until after that.
As a reminder, here are a few things left to prepare for the bench run.
Just a quick update. The car is sitting, covered, outside the garage for the moment. I relocated to Benson, AZ back in May starting a new job, bought a new house in September and am still settling in.
On top of that the 924S is down for some new rings, so it will be a while before I get back to the teener.
ENjoy!
We need an update!
No
That is one of THE nicest engines on the planet. Would love to see a teener tooling around with one of those in there.
Just an update. Finally got the garage free from kid's cars (924S & 914) and rolled the project 914 in. With the rainy season down on us, I was glad to get it out from under the tarp and into the dry garage. Still haven't started back on it, as I have to get my cabinets built so that I can work in my garage.
For anyone looking for a similar project, I came up with a very efficient cabinet design - which minimizes materials & maximizes storage space. Since this is related to the project - and it's the only thing I'm working on right now - I'll divert and share the design & progress.
Along the west side of my garage I have nearly 24 feet of wall space, and have already designed some built-in cabinets. These cabinets start one foot above the floor and extend 9-1/2 feet to the ceiling. The upper most sections will be open without doors to use for body parts like bumpers and exhaust pieces. They're 24 inches deep, so they provide a lot of storage area.
I left two sections at the ends open to the floor to allow storage of vertical items and some hand tools. These two sections and the center (open section) will get peg-board that will be used as a mounting medium for various hangers.
I'm quite pleased with the design, as my goal was to provide a maximum of storage space at a more reasonable cost compared to cabinet components sold at the local home improvement stores. They build sectional units that you connect together. The drawback is all the duplicate side-walls and backs you end up with.
I eliminate all that by building then right onto the back & side walls of the garage. I begin with 2x4 stringers, screwed to the wall studs, and run horizontally at the bottom, middle, and top of the cabinets. End panels are fastened to the side walls at the studs, and are notched for the stringers. These end panels, together with the stringers, support the cabinet frame. To provide additional support, metal legs are added at the front of the cabinets and extend to the floor to alleviate side loads on the back wall.
At this point everything is primed and ready for paint. The unpainted portion of the stringers doesn't get primer since I'll be gluing and fastening the faces to the framework. I've also taped those mating surfaces in preparation for paint.
Well I've made decent progress on the cabinets - which should make it easier to get to the 914. Cabinets aren't done, but at least everything is off the floor and I have room for both cars again. Just in time to get side-tracked for a couple of weeks to put up a fence.
Hey, but at least the 914 is in the garage and in the right spot. I know - it needs to be up on jack stands. Be patient, I'm getting there.
Started back to work on the 914 removing parts, cleaning the parts I'll keep and putting away on shelves. I removed the remaining roll-bar trim and windshield inner trim and rubber. No surprises here.
Also went around the doors and decided to investigate a peculiar behavior. If I close either door till I hear the "clunk" all is fine and the outer surface of the door lines up nicely with the outer surface of the rear quarter panel. (I'll call this position one)
If I push the door a little more it continues to close further and I end up with a very ugly gap between the door and quarter panel. (I'll call this position two)
When I inspected the door latch I noticed that at initial closure the locking cam lines up almost vertically. I associate this with position one.
Yet I'm able to rotate it further, which I associate with position two.
I haven't taken the mechanism apart yet, but can the internal stop for the locking cam wear that much, or is there something else I'm not seeing?
Adjust the position of the strike on the door jam. Door latch looks fine.
Mike, is there that much adjustment in the plate?
Hi Gerard!
Good to see progress on this project!
Hey Bryan,
Looks like you've been about as scarce as I've been. What's new?
Well a not so unexpected Surprise today
I thought I would remove at least the floor pan rubber under the seats since I'm fabbing new mounts for 944 seats; only to find . . .
Bummer
Appears to only be surface rust, but now I'll have to remove all of it to make sure I don't have any through holes.
Also worked on the door jam today. I removed the strike plate and there doesn't appear to be any movement possible for the mounting screws of the plate or for the strike.
Mike was your thought that I make my own adjustment, or should there be some factory adjustment there?
A couple things, from a SHO owner standpoint.
1. Are you using the 3.2 or the 3.0 oil pan? They are shaped differently, and the 3.0 pan may give you more clearance.
2. You do know that the intake can go on either way, right? One way might work easier for plumbing than the other.
3. Please stop calling it a Ford engine. It is a work of art made by Yamaha and installed into a Ford vehicle...
Keep it coming, it looks good so far!
Well, let me pull off some more floor pan rubber and we just might!
Got the door latch plate figured out - speaking of rust - it appears that the receiver plate on the drivers side is rusted to the sheet metal and not moving as it should. I'll drill out the spot weld and remove it and see how it looks.
Kevin, its the 3.2 block and pan. No gains from intake shifting since I'm going longitudinal install. And I like the feathers it ruffles when I call it a Ford engine.
I've been considering my install options for the radiator. The stock SHO radiator will fit with no problems, and I can mount in the front trunk of the 914 as do the subi & V8 guys. However, the main draw-back is routing the coolant hoses back to the engine (behind the driver) and venting the heated air out of the front trunk. I really don't like hacking big sections out the wheel wells to vent air. Better, but still not ideal, is venting through the hood.
As an alternative I've been considering a couple different paths:
I would like to see a cooling system work in the rear. I would love to have a front trunk!
Whats the volume of the stock radiator? Whats the volume of each small radiator?
Here is what I would do.
Start with the radiator that lays flat and then warm up the car and let it idle on the street mid day. Watch the temp. If normal operating temp is 190 and 225 is overheating see if it goes over 200. If not then take the car on the road and see if it can keep it cool at speed (since you dont have any air being forced through the radiator).
If it doesnt hold its on at speed but its good at idle, add one of the small side radiators in the fender (or both) and then do the same test. The problem is those little radiators dont have much volume. I think you should step your game up and get a couple of honda half radiators. They would cool much better than the tiny piping in the motorcycle radiators.
The stock core is single-core/single-pass, and covers 360 in.sq. I would configure the smaller sets to be just over that, say 380+.
I think the rear option - between the engine and side of bay - looks promising. Two half-sized radiators, pulling air up from underneath and venting in the engine bay. Appeals to me more than hacking the front trunk & bumpers.
Its not surface area, its volume and surface area, you need to have as much volume and surface area in your system to make it work (Combined with airflow...)
Thats why those motorcycle radiators just wont work. Their inlets are TINY.
Andrew - I hear what your saying, but if the core tubing is the same diameter, and covers the equivalent surface area - you are getting the same volume. Agreed the MC radiators probably don't flow the same volume, that's why I somewhat prefer the larger ones for option 2. Also I don't add more body work - adding side scoops.
OK here's my first mockup for the mini-radiators. These are 11x14.38x2" dual-core, with fans mounted on the back side. In this configuration they would mount on the engine bar with a floating frame. This way the engine and radiators would be removed together when dropping the engine out for service.
From the side you can see that the exhaust will drop down near the back third of the radiator. The exhaust manifold has heat shields added to it since on the stock config one manifold is less than an inch from the radiator fan.
From the back, the radiators will sit just inside the motor mount frame with plenty of clearance for exhaust pipes.
Thoughts?
I think it will work. Heat shields will be mandatory though. There is some neat stuff used by the turbo guys for when their intake is on the same side as their turbo. A very trick insulation.
You'll need to figure something to increase airflow to the radiators at speed. Scoops or something.
It's going to be tricky to determine if your proposed configuration will realize a pressure differential at speed. No pressure differential and you'll get no flow through the radiators. Fans are ok for standing still or moving very slowly, but it's what happens over 25 or 30 MPH that's key.
Andys
With all the air flow under the car I would think there would be sufficient - but as you say the trick will be getting it directed to the radiators. The stock air deflectors might be helpful in disrupting the high pressure air underneath and allowing it to be drawn into the engine bay.
Being somewhat close to the firewall, it wouldn't be difficult to construct some custom fg scoop/ducting to enclose them. Again I could drop down at least as far as the stock deflector to scoop air - without worrying about them getting torn up.
I was also thinking about positioning them farther back, just behind the drive shafts & below the trunk. I think this position would be more difficult to direct air directly into though.
Well I'm confused then. What happens to all the low pressure air flowing underneath the car? It would create a higher pressure shortly after the fire wall without something to continue it to the rear valance.
The air under the car would actually create a low pressure area in the engine compartment due to venturi effect as the air travels to the rear of the car.
Well the whole mid-mounted radiators may be mute point, as I've been working on engine mounting configurations. Here's my first configuration based on the biscuit style mounts. I'm using a 1-1/2" sq tube horizontally across the mount points.There is a 1/4" flange welded in at each end to conform to the surface of the mount. The angled pieces are 1" sq tube up to a 1/4" plate.
The bar is installed from the front, after the engine is in position, as the back of the receivers block the bar. I can use this config to improve installation using the rolling engine test stand I'm designing. It will have a set of rigid mounting brackets that approaches from behind the engine bar's position. On the left it will mount to the same points but at the back side. On the right it will mount to two mounting holes that are slightly higher and extended.
I'll think about a couple more possibilities, but I think this looks like it will work best. There is plenty of clearance for the shift rod, and it sits forward of the exhaust headers. The centerline where I positioned the engine turned out to be precisely where the center of the engine bar would be - too cool!
OK, did some additional thinking and came up with another mounting option that enables me to still work for the rear-mounted mini-radiators, and also enables me to install the engine using an engine cradle design I'm modifying.
Here's what it looks like from the rear. Green is the engine bar with vertical 1/4" plates supported by 1/4" gussets. The dark red is the vertical support bar for the engine cradle, and the orange is the mounting bracket on the engine block. I have the gussets facing inward to allow space for the mini-radiators to the outside.
The right side shows four mounting holes. The two upper are spares used for the cradle vertical support bar. The lower two are for the engine bar. The cradle support attaches from the rear, allowing the engine to be move into position and the engine bar installed from the front.
The left vertical support for the cradle required a slight 1" sq. extension added to support that side of the engine when the mounting plate is removed (Two thru holes for the vertical support and two for the block with bolts form the outside). Once the cradle's mounting plate is removed the engine bar's plate can be slid into place and bolted up from the inside.
Next job is to gather the needed material and start fabbing the engine cradle and engine bar.
With the design of your bar, it looks difficult to drop the engine and tranny without dropping the mounting bar first. That will make it more challenging to fuch with the engine.
Mike, right, but that's intentional. The cradle I've redesigned will be moved into position and connected up before the engine bar is removed. The cradle supports the engine & tranny while the engine bar is removed and the cradle is fastened up. The engine bar exits the from the front of the engine.
The cradle is also designed to fit with my ATV lift. Of course the radiator supports are removed for engine install.
Bought the basic cradle design on line from Russ Green.
Can the cradle be put in place before the engine bar is removed? If not, how do you hold the motor up ahilw installing the cradle?
Mike, read previous.
Came up with a bracket design for the engine cradle that supports the tranny just behind where it mounts to the adapter plate and motor.
Here's a pic of the brackets on the cradle. I save locating the mounting holes until everything is located at assembly. Portions of the cradle are hidden for clarity.
Been getting quotes for steel to fab the cradle and engine bar. Hope to have all the material together and assembly started by end of December.
Didn't get much done today - the weather turned crappy & cold. Did manage to get my door supports finished.
Had to find these heim joints with big enough thread (5/8-3/4) to fit inside the 1" sq tube without to much slop.
I tried going thru the 1" square tube first, but it didn't want to swing over where I could weld it to the top of the long. The angle bracket is welded on two sides, and another nut & washer will go on the back side.
Here's the heim joint end connected to the upper safety belt mount point.
Well my old Craftsman compressor died a week or so back, so it was time to up the ante. Since I want to increase the level of tasks I take on with this project, it made sense to upgrade one of the main tools as well. I can now consider taking on all the base primer work - instead of relying soley on canned primer.
Now I just have to find someone locally to assist with the electrical circuit.
Spent the weekend & Monday working on my son's 914. Pulling the engine to reseal everything.
I said I'd never pull another 914 engine without the use of a lift. Never say never. It went pretty well - except that he needs seals bad so everything is an oily mess.
It occurred to me that since I was building an engine cradle for the SHO project, it wouldn't be much effort to build supports that would work with the 914 engine & transaxle. I could have them done before the engine is ready to go back in.
Did manage to get some time in on the engine cradle - one of the side benefits of my son's infatuation with games. Spent the morning cutting, beveling, and cleaning pieces for the base, and the caster extensions.
Got the base welded together and ran out of welding wire just as my son showed up.
Got more done on the engine cradle today. Added the radiator support brackets, built the supports. Also added the cross-supports that match my ATV lift.
Next are the support tubes for the engine. I found a place that will plasma cut my brackets for reasonable price. Gotta put each in a DXF file though - good thing I got CAD.
Been working more on the engine cradle while waiting on parts for my son's 914. Have the horizontal and vertical supports done for the SHO motor. It's actually starting to look like an engine stand.
The mating brackets for the engine are going to be plasma cut by a shop in Tucson. The varied shapes and steel thickness was beyond my hand tools. Once their done, I'll get them test fit and attached.
This has been a good welding exercise. I ran out of the good Lincoln flux core wire and tried some from the local ACE hardware. No comparison, this ACE stuff makes flux welding a B!#&%*!. Ten times the cleanup as the Lincoln flux core. Guess I'll hunt for good stuff and put the other on the shelf for emergencies.
Hoo Raa! The parts for the cradle and engine bar came in from the plasma cutter. Looks like I'll get to do some more welding this week.
Lookin good!
Wow, what a thread! Very cool Gerard. No offense, but if I were your son, I would be out there workin on the car with you rather than computer games! My dad helped me get my old Thunderbird back on the road when I was in high school, but he had nowhere near the ability that you have. Plus, its a 914, which as much as I hate to admit it, is much cooler than the T-Bird
-George
Wow, what a thread! Very cool Gerard. No offense, but if I were your son, I would be out there workin on the car with you rather than computer games! My dad helped me get my old Thunderbird back on the road when I was in high school, but he had nowhere near the ability that you have. Plus, its a 914, which as much as I hate to admit it, is much cooler than the T-Bird
-George
Hey Jason, you're still in Tucson right? We should get together sometime. i tried a couple of times to connect with Guy also, but kept missing him. I'm forty minutes east in Benson.
Thanks George. Since he's in the Marines and typically works 10-hours day or more, I don't give him too much sh#t about the game time. He's only able to make it out here when he has 72 or 96-hour leave.
Yeh, Tbirds are boats, but they're cool boats. My Dad had two, a 65 & a 68 IIRC.
Well I decided to ditch the radiators mounted at the engine bar and drawing air from underneath. I would have to force more air under the car - which is undesirable - and the shrouds would have to sit below the body & would be a candidate for speed bump fodder.
After spending some time discussing it with a 914 racer friend of mine who has studied the air flow of the 914 at the roof/engine lid/trunk area, we've concluded the best approach in the engine bay is this.
The advantage of this location makes use of the air being drawn into the top of the engine bay. Tests ran by Tim showed that air pulls off the top and into the engine bay, and also pulls forward from the front 12 inches of the trunk lid.
I'll have to modify my engine lid from the standard, which is half painted metal and half metal mesh, to a GT style lid that is all mesh.
Here's the twin rad placement from the rear.
Well got to work on the engine a little while electrician was here hooking up the compressor. Had to move stuff to the middle to run conduit along the wall - so garage is a mess.
Thanks to some used parts from Sierra Vista I now have the pieces to put together sufficient exhaust system for the bench test.
Started off by welding a fitting to the muffler section.
Now I've got the makings of a short, but complete, system.
Been a decent weekend. Aside from getting the tires rotated on my wife's mini, I also made my first exhaust mockup for the final exhaust. http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=167910&st=16#
Also had to take a couple steps backward since mocking up the exhaust. I now have to raise the engine support posts on the cradle at least three inches. I've only got a 10.5" section of this rectangular tubing left - so decided to cut it in half and add to each post.
Turned out to be a good welding exercise. Got a chance to see how the metal pulls in the direction of the first weld. See if you can tell which support I did first. On the second one I alternated sides and only welded a small section to see if I could manage the pull. Seemed to work as it came out nice and straight. Since the left side is capped I cut it first and inserted the new piece between - more welding practice that way.
HooRa! Finally got the SHO-914 adapter kit. This guy on the SHO forum had a kit he purchased back in 93' and never used. Now I can get the flywheel, clutch, and tranny assembled with the engine so I can get this puppy on the test stand.
Worked on my sons 914 today - had three gallery plugs to put in. Went with the 3/8 NPT plugs.
Also got to finish up the front supports for the SHO motor. Will get to the rears this week, and hope to put it on the engine test stand next weekend.
After a ton of research on oil filters and rod bearing failures on these SHO engines I found that the K&N filter has the best results for not restricting flow. The oil return holes are much larger than on cheaper filters. 2 engine failures prompted lots of research...
I mention this because I see your Carquest by Wix filter.
Thanks Kevin. It's temporary - just for the bench test and FI wiring shakedown. When the engine is installed it will get a remote dual-filter setup. I'll check out your filter suggestion.
Well got the adapter, flywheel, clutch & disk assembled. Tranny went on like a breeze once I got the spline lined up correctly.
Now just need to verify the starter. I already checked that the teeth mesh properly with the flywheel. The distance from the mounting face on the starter to the top of the teeth is 35mm and on the tranny mounting face to the rear face of the flywheel is 37mm - so I've got 2mm clearance.
Now just need to verify the amount of throw-out the starter has when engaged.
WOW Just found this thread..don't know how I missed it in the past. And now for some fun. Should it be a 3.0 or a 3.5? The Ecoboost SHO is 3.5ltr and 365 lbs torque ! This is the same motor used in the F-150 re-engineered for the SHO. I've said here many times on other threads.....wait until one of these motors hits the 914!
This is a great build and I'm enjoying the pictures.
http://www.ford.com/cars/taurus/
Thanks Bill, and the fun continues.
Got some time to test-fit the supports and drill their holes. Been looking forward to getting to this point. Next step is to drill all the holes for the extending legs and install the pins.
Got the engine transferred to the cradle. Hoo-Ra!
Had to put the cradle on blocks so the engine lift would fit underneath - needed 8" of clearance.
Pins are in the leg extensions and we're ready to roll.
Now need to refit and adjust Y-Pipe for test run and ID any other clearance/fitment issues.
Found an issue on the left with the Y-Pipe flange - interfering with the vertical support. It'll have to come off and get trimmed.
Had to trim the back corner off to get the Y-pipe flange on. All connected up and ready to go. Even got the O2 sensors installed, and starting to mock-up bracket for the radiator.
Not much done this last weekend. Managed to sort out all the various coolant and vacuum hoses needed for the SHO motor, so I'll be adding those over the next week or so.
Need to take time and get some gutters on the house before the serious rains come. I don't call them monsoons. Arizonians don't know what monsoons are!
Still working on gutters, but did get a chance to play with this Flash visualizer tool someone built for the 914. I posted to get some input on different color combos.
This looks to be my current choice - Nepal Orange over dark red.
Also spent some time this week working on my son's tranny. Needed cleaning really bad and new seals.
Looking better . . .
Finished my radiator supports, got the radiator mounted, hoses on and ready for fluids.
Took a break from the engine for a while and went back to body work. I have a 6" x 8" section of the longitudinal to patch on the right side. I'm basically replacing the jack point on this side as I never use them and they just attract rust.
The small triangular-looking piece with welds is to finish off the first of two layers of metal. Notice all the holes from drilling out spot welds.
Then I needed to go back and fill the holes left from drilling out spot welds. Since my welder doesn't have much control (Low, Off, High) I needed a way to fill-in the holes.
I came up with a unique method. I found some steel nails with heads very near the diameter of the holes. I then place the nail pointing out with the head in the hole and use a magnet to suspend the nail in place. I can then weld around the base of the nail and it fills in nicely - then just grind off the nail that sticking out.
Seems to work pretty good.
OK, now the patch for the inner piece. I wanted a good fit, so I'm doing a butt-weld, without clamps, using a wire core welder - they said it couldn't be done.
Little bit of splatter, but I'm pleased with the results.
Note the blow-out in the lower-left corner. Trying to fix its tough because of the tight fit against the outer long. I can't trim the outer long back farther because the inner has a large stamped hole to the left.
It patched pretty good though. Now the grindings done and ready to fit & bend the outer long patch.
Making good progress today. Been at it for almost seven hours now. Got the outer long patch bent, fitted, and ready to weld in.
Got a pic after I tacked it in, then went ahead and finished welding it. I'm done for the day. I'll finish it off tomorrow.
Finished up the weld and grinding. Tried out one of the 3M abrasive pads today. I like the finish it provides, and it doesn't heat up the metal the way the grinder pad does. So I've been using both, one on the pneumatic die-grinder the other on my electric grinder. I use the grinding pad to get the welds down to the metal, then use the abrasive pad to clean it up.
The few spots remaining to the left are outside the butt-weld. I was just filling in low spots on the adjacent piece - no end to it though.
Worked on my son's 914 today. Found all the parts to assemble the engine & tranny. Always seem to have to go to the hardware store for new washers. It's gettin there.
With the outer long done, I went back to finish up the longitudinal shelf section under the battery tray. I had this welded up, but didn't do the finish work. Now with a working compressor again I was able to get this cleaned up.
I still have to replace a section where the battery tray mounted, but I've got some surface rust to deal with and decide what needs to be cut out.
I also had some time to cut off the center shelf section. It worked well to cut from underneath, using the edge of the lower piece as a guide. I'll add a few more spot welds and likely weld the edge of the two pieces together at the seam.
I decided to finally fill all the holes in the longs left from removing the shelf. I've been using a technique to accommodate the limitations of my welder. It enabled me to weld up holes in the single ply sheetmetal without blowing through.
So here's what I'm starting with - holes in the longs from using an angled drill to drill out spot welds.
Since I know there are other teener owners out there in the same situation, I thought I'd share the technique. I've seen others accomplish this with sheet-metal plugs, but the problem then is holding the small plug in place while you weld. I decided instead to use steel nails whose heads were the same diameter as my holes. Here's what I found.
These have a galvanized cap on them but the nail is steel (w/o galvanizing). I just push the cap off. May be I'll find something useful to do with them.
Next, I position the nails so the heads fill the holes and the protruding nail is held in place with a small welding magnet. I picked these up from HF.
Then, I do the first weld to secure the nail so I can remove the magnet.
That let's me get all around the nail to complete the weld.
Lastly, I grind off the nail and grind down the weld with a disc grinder. I'll use a 3M abrasive pad later to finish up with.
If the holes are too small, I just match my drill to the nail heads and re-drill them.
Place the nails again using the small magnets.
Grind it all off with the disc grinder.
And finish off with the abrasive pad.
The other technique I use is for butt or plug welds. In these cases I use a small block of copper to act as a backing plate. Here are some holes at the top of the engine bar support. They don't need to be filled, since that upper piece doesn't serve any function now that the shelf is gone - but the results will be cleaner if I fill them.
When the back is open & accessible like this I just clamp the copper plate behind the holes to be filled. This one was made from copper tubing I just flattened.
The weld won't stick to the copper, and it helps by absorbing heat. If my welder had more controls this wouldn't be an issue - Low & High is it.
Repeat to weld up the rest. Now their ready for grinding.
For less accessible places, I made another tool from 1" dia copper tube and a 1"dia wooden dowel. Using about 8" of tubing I slide the tubing over the dowel about 3" and fasten it with a couple of screws. Then just flatten the remaining portion of copper. This really helps when butt-welding pieces, and if necessary I have a helper hold it for me while I weld.
All finished up.
Continue work on the right side of the engine bay. I cleaned up the surface rust near the battery box area and cut out the bad parts. Got my pattern made, but need to cut it out.
I did get the remaining piece for the hole in the lower-left recut, fit and partially welded. I'll get more pics when both pieces are done - this will wrap up the right side. Can't wait to get this side done. Been too long. And I still have to come back and do reinforcements.
I was working on my son's 914 engine for a couple of days, but need to replace the alternator bracket. So I decided to continue on the SHO wiring for the engine. Had to build two custom cables to connect the Engine harness to the DIS (Distributorless Ignition module). Since the DIS will be mounted to the firewall, I added some mounting plates (upper and lower) on the engine cradle for components like this; fuel pump, ECU, etc.
Fuel pump is next.
Been a busy week at work so not gettin much time for teener stuff. Did get my PCM (ECU) wiring harness spec'd out and labeled. All items marked in blue will go, but nothings getting cut until the test run is completed.
I will also want to complete the test install of the engine before deciding where other engine components will go. So this harness is a rough draft. There are several components like the DIS that get mounted in the engine bay.
Big question is locating the battery. I'm planning on using the power distribution box from the SHO and the new style 914 fuse/relay panel. (Thanks Engman) I want the fuse/relay panel somewhere other than under the front dash - so I was thinking - front trunk/drivers side.
If the distribution box is up front also, then it makes sense to put the batt up front. If the distribution box is in back (engine bay or trunk) that makes a long run for primary power to the fuse/relay panel - but not that different from stock arrangement.
Not much happening today. Finished up some welding and did some running around to get small parts to mount fuel pump temporarily on engine cradle. Also started wiring diagram for fuse/relay panel and how it all ties to the SHO power distribution box.
I'll post some details once I get the diagram done.
Got to work for a couple hours this evening. The son's 914 now has gear oil in the tranny and I got the fuel pump mounted on the engine cradle.
Got the fuel lines connected up. One will just run from the the FP into a gas can, and of course the return will run directly into the can.
Also built me a mount for the PCM up front. There are a couple of open loops in the back and I'll use a small bungie cord to hold it. All my small cords disappeared somewhere.
Built some brackets to support the component harness. One also provides a mounting place for the IMRC. I'll need to extend that wiring for its connector, but I'm gonna need to do that for final install anyhoo. Also took care of one of the main grounds in harness - one to the engine block & one to the cradle frame. You can barely see the connector on the PS bracket in the lower-left.
I'm thinking I'll do one more bracket that extends back and up (at the left side of pic) so that I can drop straight down for the various relays - since that's where the CCRM connector is at.
I finished my instrument panel yesterday. It's just tac-welded on back for the moment. I plan to drill holes to mount it to the angle then grind off the welds. Got a SHO tach sourced and need to start locating an ignition switch and some idiot lights for oil pressure, hi & low speed cooling fans. I'll also use two separate switches for BOO & Clutch position.
Almost forgot I mounted the main power distribution box (lower-right, previous post) as well. I'm using nine of the SHO's stock 12 fuses. One 40amp will power the 914's internal fuse/relay panel. Also have plenty of fusing for upgrade head-lights & driving lights. Of course with associated relays. By the time I'm done, I look to have over dozen relays. Now I just have to package them all.
Continuing to get things connected up between the engine harness and the main PCM (ECU) harness. Just using crimp connections for the bench test. I'll sort out routing and final harness once the motor is test fit in the engine bay.
Well finally got the patches on the right side of the engine bay done. Had some time last weekend to fit & spot weld this patch in. Got around to finishing off the welding & grinding tonight.
Piece was a pain in the a$$ to fit because of bends and contour, but a close fit makes the finish welding so much easier.
Went from this . . .
to this . . . so I'm happy.
Decided to roll out the 914-SHO and shoot some primer on the repairs made so far. Also gives me a chance to cleanup well, dust the car off, and regroup.
Also decided to do some work on the son's teener. It needed the cobwebs cleaned off. Rolled it into the working spot and will get the engine/tranny installed this weekend. Should have it running by next.
Got the son's teener runnin. Took it out for a short drive and some pics. Sure miss the low ride of a 914.
Nothing special this weekend. I had a little time this weekend to continue working on wiring for the bench test. Still waiting to get the switches and misc gauges I need. Picked up a nice instrument cluster for the SHO. I'm actually going to see if I can use more of the cluster. It's a very close fit to the stock 914.
I've decided not to tear it apart just for the tach, but I'll find a way to mount the whole cluster on the test stand and connect to just the tach. Maybe use a couple of idiot lights and the CEL light.
Spent the last couple of weekends finishing up the wiring. Got everything hooked up except the battery positive, related fusable links, and the ignition switch. Been a challenge finding a multi-deck, 3-position ignition switch to mount on the stand.
Right side
Left side
Decided to use the SHO instrument panel as-is which saved worrying about other gauges/senders. Looks funny, but it will work fine.
Got the hose for the PSP yesterday. I'm only keeping it for the pulley. I'll run a loop with fluid. And the ignition switches I needed cam in - so I hope to get this finished up and ready to test this weekend.
I'll post an invite to see if anyone's interested in coming out to SE AZ for some 914/SHO fun & see if this thing runs.
ENjoy your Thanksgiving!
Purdy 74.
Can't wait til that SHO gets running. I remember burying that speedo coming back from Flint to Lansing one night.
Wiring is all in and going through double-checks now. Expect to do the turn-over to build oil pressure this weekend, then next weekend is the http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=198854.
HooRa! Got oil pressure. Just finished spinning up the SHO motor to test oil pressure before starting it the first time (next Saturday).
Using the stock instrument cluster simplified things. With power on I got Oil, Batt, and Check Eng lights. Once I started the motor, all went out except oil pressure. About 45 seconds later - oil pressure went out. Gotta love it when things work.
http://youtu.be/12JweTAiARo
Hi Gerard,
I'd like to make a run down to Benson one of these weekends and check out your project. It's looking really good.
Guy
Well we had a nice gathering for the "Get the SHO Started - Take 1". Here's some of the cool vehicles that showed up.
Jason's 993 Carrera
Rich's SHO
Guy's 914-V8
OK, now for the event details. Let's just say we had partial success. The motor started, fuel pump & relays all worked, tach signal was good, etc.
http://youtu.be/r0WZo9-Kjhk
There was some bad news though. Something in the wiring caused the PCM to go into limp-home mode - permanently. We weren't able to even pull codes on it. We tried a second PCM and got the same thing.
So now it looks like I'll be retracing all the wiring (again) to find the issue. Keep ya posted.
You'll get it figured out.
I'm afraid of the same thing when I start mine. I did have my ECU flashed to take out all the devices that can put it into limp mode. We shall see...
Keep at it. I want to see that thing drive!
Hi Gerard,
Glad I came down to see your project yesterday, as well as see you again since its been a few years. I know you'll do fine chasing down a few snags. That's the fun of doing these conversions (except when it costs $$). You're not that far away from me. We'll have to keep in touch. Thanks again for the food too.
Guy
Guy, Glad you could make it & I can use the support. As much as I'm enjoying this approach, I sometimes wish I'd taken a simpler route. Those V8's like yours sure sound sweet!
When you get that Yamaha engine dialed in you will be smiling from ear to ear. My brother had a '91 SHO and that car screamed. In a 2100 pound 914 that is going to be blistering fast.
Yamaha engine? Enlighten me please?
Gerard, how is the wire tracing going?
I'm not completely done yet, but all my checks on the wiring so far are coming out fine. I'll be testing the sensors themselves this weekend & I do have to replace the 4-wire O2 sensors for 3-wire, so when they come in it'll be time for another test run.
I also have a D-type ICRM (CCRM) coming that I will try out if I continue to get errors. This is the stock relay module for FP, ECU, Fans, & A/C. Also gonna try a direct reset of the JX2 PCM that appears to be frozen. Keep your fingers crossed.
See if you can find an ECU breakout box. When I did my 914 5.0L Ford conversion, I had trouble running. I plugged in the breakout box, ran some tests and found a bad ignitor and low fuel pressure.
You might be able to find an old used no more breakout box somewhere
May not be the exact one...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Rotunda-104-Pin-EEC-V-Breakout-Box-w-2-Adapters-LH-18329-/390512195716?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item5aec573884&vxp=mtr
Some good news today. I installed the 3-wire O2 sensors and worked on the MAF sensor today. The MAF was cleaned and passed the various tests, so I'm concluding its OK.
There were some good signs that the JX2 PCM is fine. The startup sequence was correct.
Slow progress. Been chasing http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=124592 for most of the last two weeks. Got some of the running/code issues addressed, still chasing the other two:
Well, got around to doing test run #2. Unfortunately the results were the same. Even with the new FP regulator it still seemed to be flooding. Beginning to think the entire fuel system needs to be pressurized. I'm doing my test with an open can with fuel supply and return hoses into it.
Also got the same PCM codes as last time. I did get another code (81) earlier, but it has cleared since. Looks like I'll be wiring up a stock "D" ICRM/CCRM and trying that. Keep ya posted.
Spent last week getting the stock "D" type ICRM/CCRM (relay module) hooked up in place of my custom one. Reviewed all my ignition wiring. Ready for test run #3.
OK, got around to test run this morning. I still don't have a throttle cable hooked up, so I set the idle at 2000rpm so the motor can warm up.
http://youtu.be/Ud1RlmnBVNI
Also did http://youtu.be/xVwBr38lgXw with the idle set down to 1000 rpm.
Looks like I got me a running SHO motor.
Sounds pretty good! Now stuff it in that car already!!!!
if you need some help putting that baby in, let me know!
Thanks, but it will still be a while. Now that the motors running, I need to get all the wiring I have in place fully documented. In the meantime I'll get back to finishing up the engine bay so I can do a test fit. Will definitely need some help then.
Found a stripped thread for one of the valve cover bolts. These heads are aluminum, so a time-sert will be needed. Since it wasn't 45 degrees today, I was actually able to get some work done in the garage. Shims came in so I finished up the valve adjustment. Some of the measurements I took previously were slightly different (+ .001 or .002). I was able to adjust my shim usage to get my desired gaps.
For anyone unfamiliar with the time-sert install process here are some pics. I went with a kit so I wouldn't have to chase around looking for the right drill bit, tap, etc. The kit is sized by the thread you're repairing - so for the cover bolts it was a M6-1.0x10mm. All the work can be done by hand - power tools would be complete overkill. First & easy step was to drill out the hole, then use the c-bore tool. These tools are nice quality, so even work by-hand goes quick.
They suggest using compressed air to blow out material, but with the cover off I didn't think that was so wise, so I used my small vacuum instead.
Result was a nice clean counter-bore.
Next was the tap. Like the drilling, I used a 90deg allen wrench as an angle guide since there isn't much room. Oil was also needed to cut cleanly. Note for reference: the fitting for the tool on the tap was larger than the others so a #12 or larger T-handle is needed.
Finished result. Already got the cover back on, but will wait till morning to torque it down.
Hoo-Ra! Motor is now CEL-free/No codes!
Just got in my new MAP/BP sensor (Standard Motor Products #AS13), plugged it in, fired up the motor, and no CEL lite.
Congratulations Gerard! Your persistence is paying off. Did your friend who swapped his ECM off his car to try to debug yours last month get back running OK?
Not much going on recently. Was out visiting family last weekend - had a real nice trip. Been cold all week and working late so not planning to run the motor until this weekend. Here's the breakdown on what I need to do:
Well got throught the first few items in the list, but no improvement inthe running condition.
Been inspecting things as I tear the motor down. Checked all the timing points. Everything looks good. Chains are under tension. Cam shaft flats are vertical and rear index marks all line up with the top face of the head. The crank sprocket index lines up with the mark on the case. all looks good. So I know the poor running condition wasn't due to timing.
Found answers to a few other things while tearing down.
OK, here's what I got done so far on the right head.
Pulled all the seals on the right head and preparing to lap the valves. Once right head is done, will move on to the left one. Will get seals ordered shortly - so new seals all around.
Pics once the heads are refreshed.
OK, got the first six valves done on the right head. They really needed lapping. Guess I should of done this initially. Got some nice clean seats now. Had to post a pic.
Spent part of the weekend pulling the left head. Got all the valve hardware off. The exhaust seals were shot on this side also. Will get the valves lapped this week and be ready to thoroughly clean the heads this weekkend before reassembly.
Decided to remount the heads after installing seals to get compression for each cylinder. Will decide about pullling cylinders & rings based on that.
Were your valve guides in good condition?
Guy
About all I got done this weekend was to clean up the left head. Got some sinus infection & its been slowing me down. The seals came in, but before I work on those I need to get the engine block up off the floor and onto a stand.
Finally pulled the tranny, clutch assy, and flywheel off.
Did notice on the flywheel that the starter teeth don't seem to be engaging fully - only about 1/4 the tooth. I'll have to contact Kennedy to see what they say.
Just an update. The tear down is proving to be a slippery slope. First bad valve seals - not too bad. Pulled pistons to check them - only a couple of partially stuck rings. Checked the ring gaps - way out of spec. So that means at least a new ring set.
Now I'll have to measure the cylinders to see if they're within spec or not - and may have to go over-sized. This is just too much fun - think I need a break!
Well you could always bring it up to Doc's machine shop in Tucson and simply write him a check
Guy, have you used them before? I may have to have the cylinders oversized. Got a micrometer on order so I won't know for a while.
Since my micrometer is on order, I decided to use the ring gap as a gauge for preliminary cylinder bore taper measurements. Took the top ring from piston #1 to use for all cylinders in three locations along each bore. I was also able to inspect the cylinders better with some daylight. I don't see any traces of cross-hatching in any of the cylinders (pics included).
Here's the preliminary taper results and pics.
Cylinder #1:
I think you should hone the walls, get new rings and get it running!
Must not have been much of a ridge at the top of the cylinders if you got the pistons out without cutting it down. So as Mike said you might get away with freshening up the cylinders with a hone and new rings.
I've had Docs (real name Bruce, his dad went by Doc) do my machine shop work for probably 20 years or more. He's done full engine block work, heads, and we rebuilt the old 2.0 that was in my 914. He did a lot of friction/thermal coating for me also. Most recent job I had for hm was boring and honing a block for a jetski a year or so ago.
Mike, I hoping that's all that's needed.
Guy, No ridge at all. It's hard to tell from the photos, but there is a slight chamfer at the top of the cylinder. It's different material than cylinder coating. A few of the cyls have slight scrapes in this chamfer, but nothing significant. I was planning to clean these areas up with some light hand sanding and leave it at that.
If I get the micrometer by next weekend, I'll get some actual measurements. Maybe I won't need Doc. Wish me luck.
I took the nominal bore diameter (3.622) then added the tolerance of .0012" gives me a max diameter of 3.6232".
I made two measurements near the top. One (A) at .25" below the bottom edge of the chamfer - where the cylinder coating material starts. The other (B) is .75" down from the face of the block. This is equivalent to top travel of the oil ring.
OK, got a honing tool on the way and rings ordered. Spent the last two evening getting the seals, valves, and spring assy back in the heads. Ready for cams & seals. Oh shit - gotta order new camshaft seals too!
Well seals came in and got the right head assembled - only to strip threads putting on the #1 bearing cap. Decided to go with 8mm studs to replace the 7mm threads. After drilling the clearance holes I found out why they pulled out - helicoils! I don't know if these ever work - but they certainly don't work in aluminum.
Got nice results from the studs though. Now on the left head.
Left head is now completed - cams on, sealed up and ready to go.
Found some used pistons in Tucson. They all measured in at the low end of the clearance range - which works great since I still have to hone the cylinders and will loose a few .0001's.
Got DNJ rings ordered, finished assy on the left head, and located some head bolts to replace 5 or 6 of mine that were mucked-up.
Hope to be up & running again in a couple of weeks.
Spent most the day cleaning used pistons I found in Tucson yesterday. I did get some time to hone at least three of the cylinders. Since my crank is still installed I needed to take extra care to avoid getting material in & around it, but also to limit the mess on the upper parts of the block.
Here's what I came up with.
1) First I taped off the cylinder to be honed. I later modified this and taped off the whole surface for the remaining cyls also. I cut a 13 gallon garbage bag in half and laid it over the one side.
2) I took another garbage bag, folded it a few times so it was the width of the cylinder. This one I draped over the crank to protect it.
3) I also cut a circular piece of heavy cardboard (over-sized for the cyl) and slid it down to the bottom of the cylinder so it could rest on the crank. I didn't want to have the hone hit the crank at all. It was necessary to rotate the crank before doing anything so the big counter-weight was out of the way for that cylinder.
As added protection I stuffed a rag between the cardboard and the garbage-bag wrapped crank. This allowed me to be able to slide the hone down until I heard it hit the cardboard.
4) I added a third garbage bag and taped the upper two together. Here it is already for surgery.
5) Now to keep the oil on the hone from flying everywhere (which turned out wasn't that bad since the drill is used a such low speeds) - I modified a small box I had so that the hone could spin freely in it before entering the piston. The height of the box needs to be around 6.5" for the shorter ball hones. I'm using the 92mm hone. This worked out really well and I had almost no spill-over or mess.
6) As I did each cylinder, I just held the drill in one hand and the box in the other - with the hone positioned inside the box. I lined up the box & hone over the cylinder, set the drill at the correct speed, held the box against the block, and started honing.
Here's the results. Even though it's only a light hone, it took 8-10 in & out cycles to get that. The glaze on these cyls must be hard.
Got the other cyls honed this week, and finally got to fit the new (used) pistons. I think I went from one extreme to the other. Though I'd rather be here. I fit each group of pistons per side (R or L), and I ended up below the clearance using a feeler gauge.
I'll do more accurate measuring tomorrow with the micrometer. Here's the cyl-piston gaps I get with the feeler gauge:
HooRa! Pistons are back in.
First I did a test fit of each piston in the cylinder. Each had smooth movement up & down the cylinder. I didn't have the rod cap on so I was just letting the piston gravity drop on the down side - without rings in.
Everything looked good, so I continued to check the ring gaps. Results looked great here too - no grinding required.
Got the motor back on the stand. Valve covers are on, oils in it, just need a few more hours to finish up the accessories, coolant plumbing, and connect up the wiring. Should be ready for a mid-week startup.
Good news! Its back together, full of fluids, and ready for round two of bench tests.
Just got the oil pressure test done, and the light went out in about 20 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AMw0tBDdS0.
Should be ready to run this weekend.
Good Luck!!!
Thanks, Jason.
Spent yesterday doing a basic breakin of the motor. It will still be many hours before these chrome rings seat fully, so I'll just keep running it off & on while finishing the bodywork on the 914.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnFFG40E5ac. Sound pretty good, but still getting some mild surging. Cold start seems to have more, but I'll sort that out as I go along.
Nice- Looking forward to seeing that in the car.
Thanks, Cairo. Been working on some motor issues - mild surging has turned into stumbling. Will post some more when I have something solid.
I did decide to get back to the bodywork even though the engine isn't in peak condition. I'll just have to balance both.
Been dealing with stumbling idle and mid-rpm surging. Decided to pull the intake to check injectors, injector wiring, timing sensors, etc.
All the timing sensors checked out and injector wiring is correct. Got the O2 sensors cleaned along with the IAC (air by-pass). IAC was filthy - so it was likely contributing to cold start stumbling. I also checked all the injectors and all had good healthy spray of fuel. All held full pressure individually - so no leaking concerns. I did notice some cracking in all injector's black cushion rings so a new set is on order.
Should be ready for another test run next weekend.
Will report back then.
Well injectors seals are back on, fuel rails in, manifolds on, fuels lines are all hooked up and I'm ready to test this motor again.
But wait - daughters HS graduation is this evening so rest of the afternoon will be spent elsewhere. But I'll be back bright and early tomorrow to see how this runs.
Congratulations and good luck
After long last - Yee Ha - I've got a good running SHO!
Spent the weekend working out the final bugs, here's what it took:
Sounds really smooth! Nice work!
Get it on the road! Time to drive!!!
Gerard- Sounds good. Really looking forward to seeing it in the car. Love those Yamaha engines - they rev so nice.
Thanks guys.
Next up is a rolling stand for the car so that I can do test fitting of the motor. I'm sure it will require multiple attempts so the body will sit at a fixed height. I'll use my ATV lift under the engine cradle to lift it to the needed height.
Pics to follow.
Well got the steel for the car dolly Saturday so I hope to start on that during the week. Had a good run of the SHO motor today. With a single fan/shroud I borrowed from a buddy I was able to run it longer. Did a 30 minute run today. I varied the rpm range every little bit and only let idle twice. Will do a 60 min run sometime this next week.
OK another good test run, this time an hour long. Still getting codes on the IAC valve - which makes sense because the values were off when I tested it at cold start. Time to order a new one.
Other than that the run went well.
OK, well rainy season hit before I got the gutters on the house finished so I've been dodging the rain. Got them finished up Friday though with the long weekend.
Spent today building a fixture for the car dolly weldments from some scrap wood. The weldments are made from 3-inch and 6-inch 1-1/2 inch sq tubing - all at right angles. So hopefully I can do a decent job of getting them to come out right. There are ten separate weldments.
Should be able to get some time during the week to begin welding, so I'll post some pictures as I do.
Here's the first of the three weldments. This is a three-way bracket for the lower four corners of the dolly. They're rotated at each corner so that each side gets one pass-thru and one butt joint. This allows me to adjust the fit. The lower cross pieces will be approx 54" in length, bolted at the butt joint and match-drilled and bolted to fit at the pass-thru end.
Got the 3-ways mounted to the casters and cut the cross pieces that will be match-drilled. Next are the vertical pieces.
You must be German, the time and effort spent on engine test stand, dolly, WOW.
I had three inch casters on my dolly. The tube without engine or suspension was difficult to move and kept popping ball bearings out. Just went to the 5" rubber casters from HD. The car rolls so easy its scary. Cant tell what your are using but you may want to consider putting big ones on before you get it all finished and the car loaded.
Well it's been a couple of weeks but I haven't been idle. Got the dolly finished. The next time I have to drill this many holes I need to get me a drill press.
Now I just have to figure out how to get the body up on it. (We need a jacking emoticon. Ca' mon, they're 914s)
Haven't done much on the 914 until today. Been distracted. I did spend this morning getting the body up on the dolly - with success. I did have to readjust the length of the dolly so that it would not protrude into the engine bay at all - but that's why I made it adjustable.
Been busy over the last week and a half finding a replacement for our 15 year old Windstar. Its a 2001 Outback with 120K miles. Unfortunately it suffers from the same thing that plagues all 4-cyl Subys - head gasket failure. Its in excellent condition other than that so I felt it was worth it. My daughter in Wyoming will enjoy it first and when she's done with school it comes back to me.
So needless to say the next couple of weekends will be dedicated to getting the heads gaskets replaced and basically doing the equivalent of a 60K mile service on the SHO.
While I'm waiting on Subi parts I decided to empty the coolant on the SHO and strip it down. Its now ready for initial fitment.
My height measurements came out pretty good. I was able to roll the motor in from the back. I did have to make a 1/2 inch upward height adjustment because the fuel pressure regulator sticks up above everything else.
You may not be able to tell but I'll have to move the lower-rear cross-support of the dolly forward another 4-6 inches so that I can get the motor's cradle farther forward. Flexible plans are the best ones - just can see everything in advance.
Great build, this will be a fun engine for the 914.
John
What is the weight on that SHO?
That will consume mass quantities of rice rockets. Nice work. That's going to be one sweet ride.
Still working on the Subi motor. Got the head gaskets replaced and a valve adjustment done. Will try to get some photos up this weekend.
Kinda off topic (but hey it my thread - right). Got the Subi motor back together and ready to go in. Cleaned up the engine bay, so hope to tackle the install tomorrow.
Didn't spend a lot of time cleaning the motor up too much - just the essentials, since I need to get this back on the road and test it all out before the long trip to Wyoming.
Here's a good pic of a 2001 EJ25 SOHC motor. They are really decent to work on. The intake and fuel rails come off as an assembly, as do the heads, cams, and cam caps. Even the valve adjustment is easier than the Porsche four. The DOHC appear to be a little more work, but hard to tell from the manual.
Got some time on the project today. Modified the car dolly so that I could get the engine cradle farther forward - enough to lift the engine in its correct position.
So started the fitting tests. Here's the motor from above - though only partially lifted into place.
The left head falls where expected & there will be approx 1/2 inch clearance. The issues will obviously be the thermostat housing/return hose and coolant hose #2.
So I'll have to work out these two fittings. Hose #2 should be the easiest to either bend or replace with an equivalent 90 degree elbow. The Tstat housing will be more work to get it modified to a 90 degree bend within two inches.
That also means I'll need to modify the rear firewall about three inches back - which was expected.
The firewall mod will need to be at least 8 inches - probably 9. This will fit with the trunk mod of 9 inches to accommodate the TPS.
Had to pull the motor out from underneath the car to set the intake back on so I could remeasure. Good thing because the 9 inches I suspected wasn't enough since the outlet and coolant sensor are offset to the left, but the TPS cable connection is offset to the right. I increased the cutout to 10 inches since I also need to taper the side walls slightly that cover the TPS - this lets me match angles with the B-pillar of the car.
Here's the cutout. Also added some reinforcement until I get it all finished off and closed up:
Also started to work on the rear cockpit firewall the forward bulge is only 8 inches wide and needs to be 18 inches wide to fit the front part of the SHO's intake as well as the upper part of the cam cover. I'll be able to leave large portions in place so it won't be a complete cutout and should have enough support I won't have to reinforce this area.
Made some more progress on the left side of the firewall. Started by reshaping the curvature on this side with a spare piece - as it had a convex bulge that needed to be concave. It took a lot of cutting and shaping with a hammer but I'm nearly there.
Also cut out the portion to be replaced so I can start matching edges for the butt joints. I also decided to retain the ribbing toward the center for added strength. The sloping curve along the bottom edge will be cut to match the upper edge of the rib.
Did another test fit. With the trunk section cut out I was able to lift another 8-10 inches. The right side of the cockpit firewall has not been cut yet so that's a restriction. The bulge provides an extra 4 inches which will be enough for the intake/surge canister.
The alignment of the drive shafts will be spot on.
Plenty of clearance at the thermostat now.
The only thing I'm questioning is the clearance for the alternator and the extended bulge. I'm currently adding 2 inches of material to each side at the middle (see gap in previous post) - but I think I'm going to test fit again with 3 or 4 inches. This will push the bulge left & right even farther. My concern is that I'm strongly considering relocating the A/C to the right side in place of the PS pulley. If I go this route I want as much space at the firewall as possible.
More progress this evening. Was able to cut two 3" sections for the middle bulge. Applied to each side that will give me an added 6" of clearance - which should be plenty. Was able mock up the left side with the added section.
Then went on to cut up the right side of the firewall. The farthest vertical edges have been undercut until I get things shaped and fitted.
So here's the mockup with all four pieces. Next challenge is to shape the bottom blends into the angled ribs.
I'm guessing your seats will fit?
Nice work. Did you make those with a sand bag? What are your plans as far as finishing that area after paint? It's purty enough to leave bare, however.
Had a couple of hours today to work on the left side lower transition piece. Hope to get it tacked in tomorrow.
Got some .030 wire - which improved the butt welds on the right side, but still can't fill small gaps without blowing thru. Gonna go on the hunt for a used welder, but need to narrow what I'm looking for first.
Also got some time today to do another test fit. With the front firewall cutout I was hoping I could get the intake on, but it looks like I have some more trimming to do on the rear firewall.
You can see on the left side how the valve cover is going to interfere with the angled portion of the rear firewall. And the motor is positioned 3/4" too far forward in this pic.
Looking real good on the right side.
You can tell from the output shaft flanges that motor needs to come back almost an inch.
Also getting real close to the power steering pulley - need that extra 3/4" or so.
Got some time in this weekend to continue shaping the main firewall pieces. Feel like I'm chasing my tail on this left one. Every time I get one part of it to fit - something changes elsewhere. I've been using large magnets to hold the piece in place while I make adjustments, but they don't seem to hold very well. So I spent some time modifying my sheet metal clamps - used when butt-welding - so they will fit better and leave a smaller gap. I'm going to use three or four of them to hold the piece in place while I mark & make final adjustments.
Also spent time cleaning up the back side of the main firewall. Got the glue and paint off the upper firewall, except for the smaller sections in the corners. This will make the remaining cutting & welding work easier. Looks pertty - wish I could keep it this way.
Doing another test fit. I widened the trunk cutout - partly for the left head and partly for the intake. Now I can get the motor to its full and proper height.
Things are looking good - although there are a few issues - so the bad first:
OK, now for the good. With the motor in the correct position I have all the expected height needed install the motor mounts on the 1.5in 12g square tubing. This will give me about 3/8in clearance between the engine bar and the forward oil pan.
Speaking of the oil pan, you can see that it will be just above the bottom of the under-body.
Also have good clearance for the alternator.
And good clearance for the power steering pump - soon to be A/C.
Had several hours in the garage yesterday while my wife worked on dinner and her ancestry project. With the short days of sunlight and long days at work it's a nice break to work on the 914-SHO.
Did get the wiring done for the welder my neighbor let me borrow. I just added a connection to the 230/20a circuit for the compressor. Welder testing will get done this weekend.
First I wanted to get the final mods to the trunk done. With the final rib gone on each side I should have no interference with surge tank or left head.
Also cut & drilled the pieces for the engine bar and mount disks. These sit on the 914's stock receiver where the stock engine bar hangs. Next step is to position the motor and locate the bar for final position.
Left
Right
Did another test fit to verify dimensions before final drilling on the engine bar, and the bar receiver plate. I got the 3/8" clearance at the front oil pan, alignment at the drive hubs, and surprisingly really good alignment on the tranny mounts. I was expecting more than the 1/2" shown here, but I still have to mount the surge tank on top intake and check my height there.
Well Saturday I managed to get the engine bar, receiver plate, and biscuit mount positioned and drilled. Now I just need to do another fit to verify assembly and height with the surge tank on.
OK did another fit today and added the surge tank. It definitely changes a few things. You can see that the surge tank wanted to hit the front firewall, so I needed to lower the motor and move it back 1/2 inch. This give me good height and clearance for the tank.
That means though that I don't have enough height for the biscuit mounts - they end up being too tall. That gives me plenty of clearance between the engine bar and the oil pan.
When I add the motor mounts on both sides - they do line up in the correct longitudinal position in relation to the engine bar, but when attached to the bar, they will close some of the large gap between the bar and the oil pan (to approx 3/8 in).
Left motor mount
Right motor mount
So overall the height and the length are proving to fit well. I only need to adjust the height between the engine bar and receiver plate. I figure I can do this with a thick high-density rubber washer.
With this longitudinal position of the motor, I get good tranny drive shaft alignment to within 1/4 inch of centered.
I also get the large gap I was expecting at the rear tranny mounts. So I will have to come up with either a custom mount, or a custom adapter plate to mount the stock pieces.
Attached image(s)
Just install a spacer like the Renegade cars. Their spacer also moves the tranny back 1.5 inches. But you could bolt the mounts up to the body and machine a spacer between the mount and the tranny.
The front brace being on top of the factory mount will make it hard to drop out the drivetrain. Will it not?
BTW, please work faster because I like watching you progress...
Spent over five hours on the 914 today. Wish I had more to show for it. I started out getting the engine bar and motor mounts positioned so I could spot weld them in place. That went quite well.
Now its just a matter of doing another fit check to get the tranny mount offset and the new position of the engine bar on the receiver. I got the motor mounts attached and was able to get everything positioned correctly. I was even able to drop the engine bar onto the receiver with 1/4in thick washers I found as Ace.
From there I remeasured the offset at the tranny and it looks like the vertical offset will need to be 3/4in. The longitudinal alignment is right on the money.
So then I just needed to mark the hole center from the engine bar to the receiver plate - which I did with a black marker. At least I though I did. Once I pulled everything down and looked for my marks - nada! Turns out the marker was too fat to reach all the way through the bar - missed by 1/16in. So I get to do that part over tomorrow. $#@$#@%!
Most of the V8 kits have the bar hanging down below the oil pan. Although it's not ideal to have anything too low, the bar will take an impact before the oil pan does.
Your oil pan look like an easy target! Just something to think about...
Last of my six days off so I needed to get something done. Spent the first four days driving over to TX and visiting my daughter for a couple days. Spent yesterday just catching up on stuff. But today I got some time on the project - mostly cleanup stuff.
Finished the welding & grinding on the engine bar/motor mounts. Decided to cap the ends also for a more finished look. Will get primer and paint soon.
Tried out the mig/gas welder I borrowed and not too thrilled with it. The wire feed is way too fast, even on slow and the welds build up too high. I could probably track faster, but that makes it harder to push the beads so they overlap.
End cap
Also replaced the casters on the engine dolly. The rubber like wheels didn't role easily after some time so I went with steel wheels rated at 175# each. Much better.
Looking good Gerard. Why don't you eliminate most of the rear firewall, or fab a new one farther back? Working on that engine once installed looks like it will be difficult.
With your motor in place. It sure looks like it sits to high to have a stock engine lid or even the stock rear trunk lid. Sure looks like your intake sits about an inch over where the trunk lid should sit? Is it my old eye's? Or do you have custom trunk plans? Good looking project & nice to see you get some time to spend on it. Funny how they can sit for months with no work done. Then you spend a few hours multiple days & get so much accomplished. Wish I could master the minimum couple hours every week
Relocate the new firewall back to where you have that square tubing tacked in. You probably know a lot of the v 8 guys hack the entire area out. I welded a piece of angle iron vertically in the corner between the long and the shock tower.
Engine bar is primered/painted and ready for another test fit so I can decide what option to use on the tranny mounts.
OK, spent the rest of the day getting the tranny mounting squared away. By using a level on the engine bar I was able to adjust the spacing between the stock tranny mounts and the mounting flange on the body. It worked out to be 3/4 inch.
So off to Ace to find all the appropriate hardware. Got the 8mm bolts with some extra length and found some steel spacers that fit nicely.
Also added some large washers on the 12mm bolts (not shown in pic) since the positioning is a little forward of stock. Still sitting squarely on the flange of the arm though so I think this will work fine.
So engine is sitting level and I have plenty of space (approx 1 inch) between the front firewall and the surge tank.
Hoo-Raa! Another milestone. The engine cradle is down and the motor/tranny is mounted in the body!
OK, so the last two positional checks are for the stock shift bar and my exhaust mockup. The shift bar fits as expected and clears the engine bar, the oil pan, the adapter plate, and the exhaust. Even though the exhaust appears to touch - my mockup is oversized and the radius' are too sharp.
I had to remove the ATX manifold on the left (front) side because I'm going to use the MTX version on that side since it fits better. Wasn't that bad getting the manifold off. Lots of space - more probably than in the stock SHO.
The right (back) side manifold off the ATX stays since it drops straight down - and this is where I'm going to blend the 2 inch pipes into a single 2.5 inch pipe. Except my blend will be a vertical one instead of horizontal.
Looks like its time to go mandrel shopping so I can fab the exhaust.
Wanted to see how the engine lid would fit so I cut up the one that came with the car to illustrate where I'm going with this. You can see there is plenty of clearance with the cross-support removed. I'll add the cross piece back after I modify how it mounts so the cross-section extends up into the cavity instead of down into the engine bay.
I'll be using this lid & the trunk to mock up my final parts. I already have a new engine lid that will be customized and covered with grill all over like the GT/6 version. But the middle section at the back (where its cut out) will have its shape/height match the front section & then I'll transition the two side pieces in.
Took a few hours before dinner to work on the trunk and air filter location. The air filter will have a custom box built to hold the 8-1/2 x 11 inch air filter. The box will need to be deep enough to feed the 4-inch diameter supply tube to the MAF sensor.
I can adjust the position of the air filter/box as needed based on how I decide to size/locate the NACA duct(s) that will feed the air through the trunk lid.
I want the filter to sit as high as possible so that there should be some room left under the filter box, and it will require some legs to elevate it.
Of course there are some obstructions on the underside of the trunk lid I'll have to adjust for also.
Here's what it looks like with the trunk lid on. It's been modified to fit around the surge tank and throttle body. Cutting through the support channels weakened it of course, so I'm planning to scavenge support channels from this trunk & another used trunk lid and add them to my final lid.
To cover the surge tank & intake I'll continue the slope and curvature of the forward part of the engine lid, down along the trunk to the stopping point. The sides will be tapered in & upward toward the centerline at 22.5 deg. This will match the angle on the 914's L & R sail panels.
Gerard you will have to cut out the rear firewall section before you put the angle iron in. If you look carefully you will see I only cut the forward section on mine. I think since you already cut through the entire firewall it wont make a difference if you remove the remnants. I was able to preserve some usage of the rear trunk.
Spent some time trying to finalize how I'm doing the air intake. Here are the primary requirements/constraints:
Well spent the day mostly indoors on the computer. After I pulled the necessary dimensions, I needed to bring my air box design into CAD and make sure things fit. Good thing I did. The tight angle of the MAF and the size of the K&N filter I chose didn't work. I also mis-measured the MAF intake size. I was going by the coupling that was on there - which isn't needed in my case - so that reduced the needed hose ID down to 3.5 in.
Because space is tight I don't really want to have a straight sleeve between the filter's flange and the elbow to the MAF. So I decided to size the ID of the filter to the OD of the elbow. The silicone elbows are rigid enough it shouldn't capsize. I got lucky and the filter I found has an offset flange - so that works to my advantage also.
The only thing that's not ideal is the amount of space between the end of the NACA duct and the back wall of the air box. I wanted to keep the box under 12 inches since it's easier to find material in that width. Box width is at 10 inches now, so I may decide to use the rest of the space - but I'll wait until I have the material in hand and can mock it up first.
Here's how it looks so far:
Got some time in this weekend - but not a lot. Spent yesterday working on the welder my neighbor let me borrow- Hobart 170. The shielding gas wasn't getting out to the weld - so I checked all the hoses to verify nothing was clogged. Turned out to be the gauge - it was misreading. Now to find a 10-50 CFH dial gauge for argon. Also tested the wire feed. It has infinitely adjustable feed rate, but when I had it on the first setting it was too fast. After testing there was only 20-IPM difference between setting 1 and setting 10. Up to neighbor whether to get it serviced or not. I'm off to buy my own. Gonna go with the Longevity 140 since it has optional spooling gun for aluminum.
Spent today doing metal trimming for the two firewall sections. Its been very time consuming to get things to fit right on all four sides + curvatures. So I decided to fit three sides and do the lower part as a flat face instead of the curved I was attempting. Just don't have the tools to do the job properly.
Even fitting three sides takes a lot of fit & trim, fit & trim again, fit & trim again, . . . But finally got both side ready for tack welding. The lower edge trimming will be done once they are tacked on, since the cut is related to the main firewall.
Right side
Left side
Back
New welder came in Friday afternoon - so spent some time assembling and setting it up. Got to do some testing today. The Longevity 140 I went with has 25-140amp range so I can get the arc volts down to work with this thin sheet metal. The thinnest stuff is 20 gauge, but some areas are thicker 18 & 16 gauge.
I tried flux core wire first. It worked better than my other welder - fewer blow-thrus, but I still couldn't get the amp volts below 55 - that wire just doesn't work well below that point.
Then decided to try the .023 steel wire and use gas. This helped a lot. I was able to get the arc volts down near 35 - and with the C25 gas was able to do more than just spot welds. It even worked well to fill previous blow-thrus. There's a little more material build up than with the flux core, but I'll keep tweeking the settings.
Still reasonable happy with the results.
That's a TON of work you've done fitting that engine in there- May the Forsche be with you!
Had to spend some time today doing additional fitting on the left side, but did manage to get it tacked in. I'll also have to add some fill-in pieces and cleanup up some of the curves, but its well on its way. Going to try and avoid any warpage if possible.
Busy weekend so not a lot of time on the project. Did get the left side of firewall welded up, but still have the fill-in pieces to do. Felt like crap so only worked a couple of hours.
Wow you are making nice progress.
Great metal work and welding.
The 914 is going to fly with this motor in it!
Looking forward to hearing it scream.
John
Thanks, John. Looks like you've got a few screamin projects going on. Got all the cool tools too!
Hello 3d914
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your conviction to this project.
I am no longer active in the 914 scene as I finally sold my 914 after 24 years a few years back, but every now and then I come back here for a peek. I was a Ford tech when the first SHOs rolled off the trucks, and I was sent to a factory training course for this motor. This is hands down the best motor I have every worked on, and in 88 I just knew I would own one, and I did
I almost did this conversion in 07, I bought a 914 that already had a reinforced rockers, complete SHO motor (harness ecm etc....) out of my own car, and another intake in case I needed to modify it. The project fell from grace and regret to this day that I did not have the balls to see it through....
Glad you did it, when I get more time I will read through this thred in entirety and maybe I will come back now and then and have a peek at what up in your world.
Regards
Hi
I just had a look at the page before this and have to say its almost exactly how I was supposed to do it, this thred caught my attention immediately.
I remember calculating that some of the firewall had to go as well. I was not going for the Ford tranny, but granted it would have been easier, but I wanted to keep the orientation of the motor north south, and IIRC there was an issue with the Ford half shafts as well. Back in the day there was a smart guy on this board that dropped a V8 Porsche motor in a teener, that was similar type of swap and he did it a year before I was planning to so it really peaked my interest. I remember finding plans for a cable shifter that I was going to try, and at the time there was a successful Audi trans swap that was done somewhere, I was looking into that as a possibility. Nice idea with your exhaust but I was going true duels but in honesty I never got that far in the plans. I would think about your air cleaner placement, the mass air flow sensor is sensitive to air vibrations, and the new "china" rebuilt units are even more so, I remember thinking about tucking the air cleaner up and to the right, this gives more intake tube length to help dampen the air pulses and stabilizes the mass signal, putting it in the direct path of the rear trunk scoop well...idonno but one things for sure...you gotta love the sound of a motor breathing behind your head targa off. Maybe check with the SHO forum (I'm a member also) to see if air turbulence is still an issue, but it definitely was when I was working on them. IMHO this motor is as good as it gets, I can tell you from talking to engineers that built these motors, its a one off. Did you know it was supposed to be an 8 cyl? Apart from a slight tune to lower the secondary venturies start up rpm, I would leave it as is, not too much can be gained from messing with it. Ford tested this motor on a oval track only stopping to gas and change drivers, they set the rev limiter to 11000 rpm and turned on the track in fourth gear at 11000 rpm. After 8 hours the motor blew, rod bearing. They stripped it apart and concluded that the oil was sloshed to the side of the pan starving the motor for oil, do to the track angle and g forces. They welded some baffles in the new pan, then ran for...wait for it...wait for it...32 hours at 11000 rpm - and they called it quits not the motor. I heard this from a staff member in the Windsor (Canadian Detroit) office. Nice huh?
I'm going to read the whole thred later
I think it was 05 when I tried to do this swap, my join date looks a little off, maybe because of the change of ownership of these forums back when. Who owns it now?
Regards .
Frank, thanks for sharing your ideas and the cool stories. You're right on about the MAF sensor and air flow. The SHO guys say that if you can keep the radius above 3 inches you should be OK. They also suggest rotating the MAF so the sensor window is on the outside radius. However, I'm not sure I can find a 3.5 in ID hose at a 22.5 deg angle and at least a 3 inch inside radius - so I just redesigned the box to eliminate the radius all together. (See pic below)
One of the SHO guys suggested this
or this
Its good to hear that Ford did such thorough testing on this Yamaha designed motor. There are a few guys who have boosted these motors and can make 400-500hp. What a wild dragster that would make - eh!
I like your idea about dual exhaust. The one drawback on the 914 is finding room for a cross-over tube - which would be necessary to eliminate drone. With the stock setup the front (left) crosses over to the back (right) just ahead of the oil pan. There's a large notch in the front of the pan just for this. In my case it will sit right beneath the engine bar.
Once I get all the sheet metal squared away I plan to spend some serious time on both the cooling system and exhaust mockups. Maybe I'll find the space I need to go dual.
Here's the revised filter box and air feed into MAF
Spent a solid six hours today working on closing up the main firewall. Had a lot of little areas to fill on the left, and one in the middle. Also had to correct a few areas that had warped slightly by reheating, reshaping and cooling - much better now.
Also took couple of hours just to get the upper edge of the two openings right so that I can put a flat piece in. Thought I had some 20g but I must have used it elsewhere. I'm going to scavange some from the engine lid I'm mocking up - but that means spending some time calculating my cuts.
Also decided to close off the two-layer support channel that runs along the top of the firewall. Cut and tacked both pieces in, but not real sure how I'm going to weld these seams. Maybe do some more tests with lower arc-volts to see if that will work.
It's getting there. Hope to have firewall closed off this weekend.
Well didn't get as far as I planned. Not having the 20g sheet on hand slowed me down. Had to work on my engine lid mockup to get the pieces to use for the firewall. Here's what I've decided on the engine lid. David M did a nice write up on one of the 914 forums about how he built his own GT style engine lid - and it gave me some ideas.
Instead of doing the whole lid in mesh material - like the GT, I decided to just install mesh where the intake will feed directly to the radiators. So I cut a 7x11 inch area out on each side and will make a 1/2 inch 90 deg bend at the dotted lines. This is where I will attach the mesh material. The main support ribs will get a bunch of 1 inch holes to aid air flow as well.
The large area left in the middle will be mostly sheet metal as will the transition piece to each side where the mesh will be fastened.
These cutout pieces are what I needed for the firewall. First had to strip all the layers of paint off both sides. Managed to get one marked and rough cut, but still have the other side to do.
A lot of other things going on this weekend so I still didn't get everything done I wanted. That leaves me one three-day weekend left this month - I gotta finish this firewall!!!
Did manage to get the other side cut, fitted and tack welded. I also had two smaller pieces near the center to cut, bend, and fit. They got welded in completely. Now all that's left is welding the lower edges on the back side and the upper edges on the front side. Can't wait till its finished.
Well a few hours of welding and grinding finishes up the front firewall - Hoo Ra! Now I can move on to something else - like maybe the rear firewall.
Here's a shot from the back
And from the front
Got some more time in on the project. Even though I was working all weekend, I managed to get afternoons/evenings free to take care of the left inner quarter panel. Someone did a real hack job - layers of welding that wasn't finished off, holes poorly cut, etc. Here's a pic from way back. You can see the carnage. The outer panel had to be removed also because, I'm guessing the same someone, had it filled with 1/2" thick of bondo.
So out came the crap. It was interesting trying to cut this out with all the odd shapes. There's also some double-layering of the panel in spots.
The real work was trying to get the replacement piece cut and fit correctly. It's still not ready for welding, but I decided to call it a night.
Have a bunch of hours to put in this weekend for work - but thanks to mobile computing and waking up at 3 am I was able to get stuff for today done early. That left me with time to work on the teener.
Had a lot of fitting to do, but finally got the outer part of that replacement inner panel welded. Still have a small section I'll weld from inside the engine bay. Here's both views.
Got a good six hours in today. Finished grinding welds on the main patch panel and got two other holes welded up - along with filling some holes where I had to drill out spot-welds. Should be able to finish this side up tomorrow & be ready for rear firewall.
Got started on the rear firewall. Had to tear down the used section I bought and make sure its going to work for what I need before cutting out what remains of mine. Has a lot of spot welds and a couple of layers - so a time consuming job.
I'll add a nice pic once I get it prepped and ready for primer.
Spent numerous hours this weekend getting one of the two layered panels of the rear firewall (to the trunk) removed. Required drilling out lots of spot welds - so very tedious job.
Then used Andy's idea of welding angle iron in the corner to reinforce the connection between the shock tower and the upper part of the longs. New welder made the job a breeze. Still had to do it in 1-inch or so sections, but I'm happy with the results.
I haven't gone through this whole thread and it may have already been discussed but will this engine cause the CG to be a bit higher? Any idea how this will change handling qualities? Like many others, I am looking forward to see how all the hard (and excellent) work will turn out.
Elliot, I'm sure it will get shifted some with the cast iron block of the 60deg V6. But the crank is right on the centerline of the tranny, and everything above the block is aluminum - so it shouldn't be terrible.
Also ,I'm not building a track car, and with proper suspension setup and wider track it should handle well enough for my driving skills to improve some.
That is one AWESOME build!
Thanks Mike. Been distracted finishing up on some projects in the house for the last couple of weekends. Withdrawal startin to kick in.
Still working on "the Wall", wife's Mini, and sons RSX. May be a couple weeks before I get back to the 914.
Well the wall construction is done - except for the shelving trim. My wife will finish up the priming and painting, and I'll get all the component wiring routed.
So next weekend its back to the 914 project - and welding. Hope I can remember how.
Cut it, weld it, grind it, love it
Thanks, Bob.
Well the wall's done - well mostly. Started working on the shelf trim and the switch on my table saw went out. SO now I'm delayed until part comes in.
This SHOULD buy you some garage time Gerard. Lookin' good.
Thanks, Chris. And garage time it was today - over six hours doing templates for outer long reinforcement pieces. Also dropped the rear control arms.
The pieces turned out slightly different for each side so I couldn't just flip the patterns. Also the right side is minus the jack point already so I extended the bracing there forward another six inches. Thinking seriously about deleting the jack point here too since the reinforcement piece can cover the location - and would be stronger & not a water trap.
More time in today. Got four of the large reinforcements cut and have the templates setup for drilling holes.
Very nice work. Keep posting please.
Thanks, Mike.
Was out of town most of this weekend but I did get some time in this morning to cut off the jack point. I started drilling out the welds then realized I'll leave the flat sections and just build my reinforcements into them.
First photo shows why I don't like these. Even though they have drain holes I've yet to have any of mine actually drain. They all seem to collect crap that adds to rust. Fortunately its not bad. and the metal is till solid. It'll get treated and protected, then covered with reinforcement.
Felt kinda crappy so decided to quit for the day. Turned out I had a 103+ fever. Not sure where that came from.
A little more cleaning then ready for treatment.
Making progress this weekend. With the jack point off, I was able to put in a filler plate - and then this will connect to the reinforcement piece. Got the plate cut, fit and drilled with 1/4" holes for welding.
Also cut, fit and drilled the right side.
I have been making some progress over the last few weeks - while taking vacation, hosting visiting relatives, driving to cancelled car shows, etc.
Anyhow, got all the welding done on the on the pieces that cover the jack point. Got the wheel well pieces cut, trimmed, fit and tack-welded. Will continue the welding as I can.
Wheel wells
Took a break from welding for the last couple weekends to get my garage cabinet facings cut, fit, primered, and mounted. Hope to get back to welding this weekend while I wait for cabinet hardware.
Still working on the car & the cabinets. Mostly grinding welds on the car - and there are lots of em. Will get some pics once I get it done and primed.
Decided how to finish the cabinet doors. Didn't want to spend an arm & a leg for hardwood, but needed something straight. My neighbor had some 12-foot 1x6s he was willing to sell so I started with those. They're kiln-dried #2 so they have more knots than I'd like, but their straight - so I'll live with it. After all they'll be painted garage cabinet doors - so I'm trying to keep my perspective and not go overboard.
The real challenge was finding 3/8 panels to fit in the style & rails. I went to one HD and two Lowes before I could find some straight sheets. I decided on these siding panels with grooves & decided to run the grooves horizontally - just to be different.
Here's some pics of the rough fit before any sanding.
I love this car, the upper end of the engine is one of the coolest looking units.
Your craftsmanship is fantastic, looking at your garage and project screams organization / clean work & work area. Love to see it in person.
Nice work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still doing welding and grinding on the 914 longs in the wheel-wells. Also spent one whole day ripping, cutting and grooving all the panels, rails, and styles for the remaining 18 doors.
Fortunately there are only a couple pieces that I'll need to replace since they're slightly curved. The rest are nice and straight, so assembly can commence later next week. I've got training certification I need to complete nights next week - so no garage time until Friday.
Been working on cabinet doors when I can. Been too cold to do much on the car. Laid out the scope of metal work left on the under body though:
Haven't been working much on the car lately - been really burnt out. Getting ramped back up though as the weather starts to improve some. Decided to do something constructive and non-maintenance - so I hung up my schematics that I mounted on some thin fiber board. There are two pages for the 914 wiring and two for the SHO motor wiring.
I expect to reference these a great deal as I rewire the car and the engine.
Been decent weather this weekend so spent some time on the cabinet doors. Not happy with a couple of the smaller doors - they have slight warp to them. Will likely take both apart and try to reassemble if pieces aren't too bad. Otherwise they'll get redone.
Just got some pics from my son of the 02 996 Targa he bought. Same color as his 914. Too cool.
Finally got all the rough and finish grinding done on the wheel well reinforcements. If I take this kind of job on again, the fenders are coming off completely. Makes everything else more work with them on. I'll get some pics up once I get them primed - hopefully this week if I have any daylight after work.
Next weekend the RSX gets a 160K mile service. Gonna tear it down past the heads to check valves, replace seals, gaskets, belts, etc.
I should head down I-10 and check the progress you are making.
Guy
Well the RSX got pushed off for a couple of weeks. My daughter will be in town next weekend and I'm not certain I'll have it all done by then for her to use. It looks like all the valve train on the K20A3 has to come off to remove the head. You'd think you could leave it all in tact. And I may have to pull the engine anyway to get the timing chain off. So this job could turn into a couple weekends.
Anyway, got to spend time today on the reinforcement for the inner suspension. Decided to take a different approach and extend the reinforcement all the way up and over the top of the longitudinal. Pieces will get spot welds and edges welded all around.
Made up the patterns, cut them out of 14ga steel, then spent a bunch of time getting the four pieces to fit. Lots of bends in varying directions. At least the patterns I cut for the left side match the right perfectly - so that's one less step.
Got the right side cut out and fitted. Started drilling the holes for welding also. Hope to get to the welding part Wed/Thur of this week.
Had the day off so I got some time in on welding the inner suspension reinforcements. Sure enjoy melting metal.
Left side
Right side
Weldings done. Now I have the cleanup to do. Reasonably happy with the results. Got a little tight in a view places. Need to look around and see if anyone makes a smaller gun for a wire/gas welder. Of course that won't help in places where my big head and helmet get in the way!
Left side
Right side
Making more progress on the scope of metal work for the under body so I wanted to track what's getting done:
Spent part of this weekend deciding how I was going to handle the rust areas on the left floor. Got it cleaned up enough to tell that it was mostly surface rust as first suspected. There are a couple of thru holes though, so I got around to cutting those out today. Couldn't cut from the inside, so I drilled holes at the corners of my cutouts, and used those as a guide to cut from underneath. Cutting, shaping, and fitting wasn't too bad - since the parts are small and relatively easy shapes.
These floors are less than 16ga, so butt-weldings gonna be a challenge - especially where they're located. I'd like to just get them tacked in and finish them once the car's on the rotisserie. I have some reinforcement panels that go in the cockpit along the longitudinals and back cross-member first though - while its still on the dolly. I'll need to sort out if there's any interference with these patches before I decide how far to take the welding.
Here's the back-left cutout.
And the front-left cutout.
Got the pieces fit and ready to spot weld.
Had some time this weekend to work on two 914's. My son wants to get his running and take over to CA. It's now in the garage on stands and getting prepped for some minor maintenance, gas tank replacement, and maybe fuel lines.
I dug out the Engman reinforcement kit I bought for the inner longitudinals in the cockpit. There are three pieces that cover three sides - left, back, & right. I wanted to check the fit for the left side and see whether it would block access to the patch I need to weld. . .
Yep, it does.
That means I'll have to do at least the side welding for the patch from the outside before I put the reinforcement piece in. I need to be able to get a copper backing plate behind the weld when working on the thin flooring material. Not what I was hoping for - but gotta be done that way.
Here's shots of test fit for left, back & right sides. I'll get all the rust on the floors along these pieces cleaned and treated before starting to weld - since the corners won't be as easily accessible afterward.
Note the angle on the back pieces. It measures roughly 22.5 degrees and fits good if you pre-bend the piece first.
The right side still had some seam sealer which had to be cleaned away from bottoms and corners - otherwise the piece doesn't fit right. Instructions suggest an air chisel, but I had good luck with a hand wood chisel - feel like I have more control that way.
Before seam sealer removal
After
Don't forget to drill out for the 4 bolt holes that the seat back has.
OK - one more thing to cross off the list of what's getting done. I wasn't happy with the material I used for the patches - it was too thin. So I cut them out and used some 16g instead. It was barely thicker than what's in the floor and welding went better:
Had some time during the week to make some metal plates to replace the dried out rubber ones that cover the four oval openings in the longs. I spot welded the rear ones in place and ground the welds down so they won't interfere with the reinforcement pieces. For the fronts, I'm going to widen the cutouts in the reinforcements so these plugs can be cemented or screwed in. This will allow me to use these in the future if I want to route coolant hoses from the front and thru the longs.
I also sprayed primer along the bottom edges where the longs meet the floor before I attach the reinforcements. It will difficult to get primer up in there once they're welded on. Now I just need to redrill some holes, add my cutouts, grind some edges, and clean the reinforcement pieces. I found some nice welding clamps at HF to hold pieces in place to start welding. I'll spread my welds out to tack each side down, then continue from there.
I used TEK screws to pull the plates flush against the chassis. They also helped the pull any concave sections, especially in the top of the longs, up against the plates. If you don't have door braces, then be sure to monitor the door gaps.
Good luck,
Andys
I used a hammer and just hammered just about every bit I needed to after a weld before moving to the next one. Tek screws would work I think, but welding and hammering is a lot of fun
To clarify; The TEK screws are temporary......I didn't mention that, but I figure you guys knew that.
Andys
Got the mods to the left reinforcement piece done this evening. I added a cutout at the forward oval section to provide access to the heater tube inside the long. This will get a metal plate to fit that I'll cement or screw on. I also scribed two lines to improve the bends for the recessed portion of the long - which provides access to the e-brake handle. And my seatbelt attachment point didn't fit centered in the slot intended for it so a notch was needed.
You'll notice the e-brake cable guide is missing also. I removed mine to get to the rust underneath. Turns out it had some rust also - so it will get replaced with a new one. Calling Restoration Design . . .
Got about 4 hours on the 914 today. Pulled all the wiring out of the cockpit floor. Continued fitting the reinforcement panels. Marked the weld spots for the left & back piece and cleaned off the paint with a wire attachment. Also pulled the shifter and shifter bar along with the original fuel lines. These metal/plastic lines will get replaced with all metal.
I also have plenty of surface rust inside the center tunnel, so I drilled some additional holes for clean-out and to be able to apply rust treatment. I wanted to ad some holes in the forward part of the tunnel, but my drill won't fit under the dash. Like most 914's that sit for any period, little critters like to nest in this spot - and mine was full of nesting material. Perfect kindling for a possible fuel leak and subsequent fire.
Got the mods for the right reinforcement panel finished and got some time this morning to start on the welding. I've put in over six hours but am only about a third done. Been taking long breaks between welding periods to diagnose issues on the Mini and Subaru. The welding has to go slowly so as not to warp the longitudinals. Plus it takes longer when you're down on your side - head stuck under the dash.
Fitment looks good! I remember it took me 6 hours of straight welding on mine...
Put a few more hours in today - continuing welds around the three pieces. Spent a little extra time to get the left inset area (for the brake handle) shaped and welded in several spots. Because of the way the reinforcement is made, there is a gap on three sides of this area that I'll fill with weld. Even though carpet will go over this, I don't want any sharp corners that could work through the carpet and scrap up ones hand.
Looking good. Take your time. You don't want to deal with shrinkage issues. It does take longer than you imagine it will.
Thanks, I keep moving forward. Been at it since around 7:30 this morning, but getting too hot now and my legs are tired from all the bending. Have all but half a dozen welds along the top on R & L side, then a few seam welds to do. Not much changing visually, but here are some pics anyhow.
Got more welding done today until I ran out of wire. Guess I'll switch to grinding till it comes in.
Switched gears for a while to put in a 10x12' shade area for my daughters horses. Unfortunately the daytime temps have really jumped - and working out in this heat for hours really tares me up. Gonna try shifting to early mornings before work, but if I can't swing that it'll have to wait till it cools down some. That would mean back to the 914 - darn!
Well, been working a few mornings for a couple hours before work to get the horse shade up. Got the four posts leveled and ready last week and cemented in yesterday. Then spent this morning getting the two side channels up, leveled and attached. That is after I spent half an hour corralling the horse back in after they got out.
So next are the cross purlins and the R panels.
After spending most the morning in Tucson chasing my tail, I was able to get one of the rotisserie legs extended (at both ends). There's very slight difference in material dimensions, but thickness is the same. Depending on the weather tomorrow, I might get far enough to have the rotisserie done and the car up on it.
Got both Rotisserie stands done, but not gonna get the car moved onto it. Between a crappy nights sleep and heat in the garage - I'm pooped. Also, gotta wait for the wind to settle down before I can attempt to put up roof panels for the horses shade. I'll need the room on the floor to slide the car dolly out.
Got the stylish bumpers on also.
Well, aside from some fun on the fourth & great fireworks, I was able to be a little productive on this three-day weekend. I did manage to get the roof on the horse shade, even though I was up there in the dark finishing it.
Also got another 914 distraction earlier in the week. HF has a sale on their 4x8 trailers so I picked one up and started working on it in the garage. Here's after about an hour.
Got a few more hours in over the weekend and just have the wiring to complete. It's a nice setup. I'm surprised at the high grade hardware and decent fit. I only ran into one spot where I had to loosen some bolts so I could line up thru-holes. It should do the job for hauling hay and stuff for the horses.
This is what you need to haul hay! 100 bales all loaded by me myself and I right out of the field.
Attached image(s)
Got to take a break last weekend and make a run out to the G&R 914 Swap meet in Riverside. Was able to meet up with my son. Got to drive his Targa. Also picked up a couple of rear trunk lids from Bruce - thanks.
You might be thinking - what do you need two for? Well to do the mods planned (see first pic) I need to cut the ribbing along the front, and I'm cutting two small openings for the NACA ducts, and a big chuck out to clear the intake tube. That will get a new piece, but I want to reinforce the underside with the same ribbing - so one trunk is for the finished lid, the other is for the ribbing. Plus I have my original white lid for ribbing also.
I lucked out and Bruce had one that already had the duck-tail spoiler - which I was thinking about adding. Unfortunately it's got a slight tweak to it - but I thought I can fix that - so bought it with that in mind. It's in pretty good shape & I like the smooth transition from the spoiler into the lid.
From the on-end view you can see how the right side (left in photo) doesn't curve as much as the left, and so its raised up slightly.
On the underside, you can see the bent rib. I'm thinking I can make a wood form of the correct curvature & use that to re-bend the lid into shape. If it doesn't work, I can use this lid for its ribbing, and use the other lid for my final one. I'll just have to add the spoiler myself.
This one still needs some minor work, you can see there's some cracking under the paint. They probably used just bondo, instead of something with a little more strength.
Also decided to up the height of my rotisserie stands by 7.5 inches. This will enable me to move the car right from the dolly onto the rotisserie and back onto the dolly without having to do a lot of jacking. I just have to raise the adjustable pads on the dolly to their max, connect the rotisserie, then lower the pads & slide the dolly out. Now I just have to get over to Tucson to buy the steel.
No work this weekend on the teener. Got the mini torn down for a new thermostat housing - what a bogus design. Put up some extra fencing for the horses, and replaced rear struts & springs on a neighbors Toyota.
Finished work early so got to spend some time on the teener. Added almost eight inches height to each stand to match the car's position on the car dolly. I'll probably need to jack the front up a little extra to get the height I need. Probably won't get it on there until Sunday.
Got rained out on Saturday morning, so spent the time getting car on the rotisserie. Had just enough space to jack the front a couple of inches and fit that end of the rotisserie on. Slid jack out, then slid dolly out. Now swinging free.
Spent several hours today removing front struts and suspension. This is all original so I know it was going to be a bear. The only easy part was the nuts on the top of the struts - neither was torqued properly. Everything else took grunting and penetrating oil, and more grunting. No broken knuckles though.
The 914 suspension is actually well designed and easy to maintain. I haven't decided completely on what's going in to replace it. Soo many options.
And one with it all off. Going to wait to remove the steering. Need to do a little more research.
Great build, and yes, I will be using some of your ideas. Like the rear trunk hinge setup, been trying to figure that one out for a while. With out using a Buick LaSabre piece.
Now that its up on dolly, I'm finishing up the welding on the reinforcements and grinding all the welds. It'll be a while before that's all done. Lots of welds!
Nice to hear from you and know progress is being made. Remember your eye protection
Making progress on the welding and grinding. Its much easier to do certain areas with the car on the rotisserie. Spent more than a couple of hours on this section. Lots of welding and I had to let things cool before continuing. Filled in the time gaps with grinding.
This is what it started out like.
Mostly finished except for the gaps along the top. There was no material there, but I'm thinking about cutting some pieces to fit and fill it in.
Got this area finished along with rest of the grinding for this side. Got a couple of welds in areas near the floor where my 4" won't fit. Need to find something to get these few welds down.
Also fixed the two plugs in the floor that were bent inward. Looks like the seam sealer was supposed to hold them in place - but these two were pushed in. So I cleaned off the seam sealer and welded instead. They'll get more seal sealer once the rest of the floor is done.
Reinforcement kit is done and ready for primer - which I just happen to be out of. Now I just have to remember if seam sealer goes on after primer or before.
Edit: It can go on after primer.
Got some time this afternoon to get the steering rack out and look closer at both sides of the floor-board under the pedal cluster.
Here's the outside before cleaning.
Here's the inside before cleaning.
Now to the cleaning. It looks like the outside was light surface rust - no pitting at all. I think I'll go ahead and re-enforce the portion I've cleaned. Even another layer of metal the same thickness will help a lot.
Got far enough on the inside to see that its not as clean & there is some pitting, but it's not as bad as I thought. Definitely salvageable. Treatment with some rust inhibitor should do the job.
There is a circular plug (just sheet metal) that came off of the gob of seam sealer under it. I'll clean most that out so I can weld a new cover on it. Not sure why this one is different then the others.
I've cleaned out the sealer on both sides and cut the end off the support piece - now you can see the sheet metal tab. I'll cut a new support piece that covers this and extends up into the area where the master cylinder mounts.
On the inside there's a shelf for the plug. I'll need to cut a new one out of slightly thicker material and weld it in. First will be rust treatment, then weld in a new plug on both sides, then finish off with seam sealer.
Working up front on the underside, here is something else I discovered. I know this car was beaten up when it was previously stolen - but I thought I had found all the damage - Not!
Gonna look to see if I can find a decent replacement section. If not I'll have to cut it out, repair it and weld it back in. Got a break with the floor - just to find more work under here.
Finished up the underside of plug by welding the piece I cut off back on. I filled in the hole and then drilled a couple of holes for spot welds to keep the plug in place.
Welded in the plug cap on the inside, and with all the rust already treated, was able to get several coats of self-etching primer on. All that's left will be to fill this area with seam sealer.
Making more progress on the scope of metal work for the under body so I wanted to track what's getting done:
Also finished up some welds on the dog ear reinforcements that I couldn't get to until now. Rotisserie sure helps.
Got it up on its side now to work on the underbody. Trying to locate a replacement piece for the front trunk area. Started stripping the remaining underbody treatment. There's not much left after all these years, and I'm just taking it down to the factory primer. It'll get seam sealer in a view places, more primer and black paint, then finally some fresh underbody treatment. I'm only focusing on the cockpit area since there's still work to do fore & aft.
Got the underbody coating off and mostly down to the factory primer. There are plenty of places where its fresh metal. I also treated any of the surface rust areas - so they'll be ready for primer tomorrow.
Front trunk floor is what you need?
http://www.restoration-design.com/store/product/PP337B
Great work Gerard! Way to keep at it!
Also got some new parts in from Mark at Restoration Design - the left & right jack donuts for the rear. The parts are premium for sure.
Unfortunately, the underbody on this 914 isn't. It's quite beat up. You'll notice in the corners ahead of these donut pieces, someone has jacked the car repeatedly - and deformed the metal.
On the left side - this doesn't appear to be much of an issue.
On the right side - it's a difference story. There's quite a gap between the double-wall shelf and the new piece. Also the angled ridge adjacent to the shelf is smashed in - also leaving a considerable gap. I'm gonna have to research a little to see if that corner piece is available. I don't think I have the tools to fab those small radius' and sharp angles.
Was reading trojanhorsepower's restoration thread and saw a couple of good images of the corners from his new rear floor panel.
So here's the corner I'd have to form up for each side. Seeing the finished form, I think I have a way of doing it right on the body. I won't be able to get to this for a while, so that'll give me some time to think more about it.
OK, just so ya know I did get something done on the 914-SHO last weekend. Since I couldn't find a replacement section for the damage in the front trunk floor, I decided to cut it out, patch it and reshape it. Got err done!
Here's the damaged section
Repaired and ready to weld in
I was also able to get the left jack-donut plate welded in since there wasn't any repair work for the body on that side.
Had some time today to rough-in the replacement piece up front. Also spent time pounding out the dents in the trunk floor. Just need to finish grinding welds, do a little reshaping, and prep for primer. Still trying to decide whether to take the car to someone to soda blast the remaining paint off, or try to do it myself.
Finished cleaning up the welds on the repaired area inside & under the trunk. Also pounded out half a dozen dents in the trunk floor. SOoo, unless I find something else, the majority of metal repair work is done. Now I'll go around with some metal filler to clean up all the pinholes from welding, etc.
All that should be left are my modifications for the rear trunk and lid, but that's quite a bit itself.
Underside view of repair. Discolored areas are from heating metal to fix deep dents.
Inside the trunk needs a lot of paint removal. Still have to decide how I want to tackle that - especially with winter approaching.
Nice progress. I vote media blaster for paint removal.
Haven't been doing much on the 914-SHO. Been finishing my work bench so I can get the garage cleaned up. Ongoing projects have a habit of spreading all over the garage. Been pretty good at preventing that - but it's been kinda crazy lately. Feels good to have things somewhat under control. Yeh- I know its just an illusion - but it helps.
Now I just need some warm weather so I can lay down some primer and under-coating. Hope I don't have to wait for Spring. Plan is to get the body to paint in late spring.
Got my work-bench finished and everything moved over to it. Here's a pic before I put the bench top on. I used a solid-core door, cut to size. I'll add retracting wheels and other finishing touches later.
For the 914, I was able to get a few hours in after replacing the timing belt on a neighbors truck. Got the right section ahead of the rear jack post finished and spot welded. Will get the rest of the welding done one evening this week.
Had some time today to finish up the welding, grinding, and mounted the right jack post as well. Now if it would just warm up I can get the primer, seam-sealer & undercoating on the underside. Guess I'll have to work on the cockpit until then.
Well, the last thing I worked on for 2015 was getting the rest of the holes drilled in the center console. Aside from the good access for rust-proofing, it will also aid in routing the new fuel lines and tying down the break lines.
Had a decently warm day today so was able to get the wiring & under-dash relay panel pulled, along with the gauges, steering column, lower dash, etc.
All that's left is the dash top and the dash facia. I'd like to get this painted body color and just leave it metal, but I'll have to see how things will fit.
Was able to get the upper dash off today. Just required locating the 9x10mm nuts holding it on. The two visible from the gauge area are the hardest & require a open-ended wrench. The rest can be done with a small 10mm socket wrench. I could get to everything form the doorways and didn't need to get upside-down!
Now it's down to the inner dash. Aside from the two screws on each end, there are four 10mm nuts in the front trunk and one under the dash in the center. However, I'm not sure there is enough clearance to get it out with the windshield still in. Gonna have to search or post about that.
The dash face has a thin metal cover (off in this pic) that the plastic material is attached to. The material is going and I don't intend to replace it. The metal cover may be needed to make things fit properly. You can see the raised areas where switches go. With the thin metal cover this all looks smooth & flush.
Dash will come out no problem. The dry rubber seal between it and the windshield will be destroyed.
Been watching this one for years. Nice progress.
Got some time on the project this last weekend, but mostly mocking up pieces for closing off the trunk firewall that was cutout for the SHO intake and TB.
Did get to spend some time with our A-10 crew chief building a shelf unit she wanted for her bedroom. Nice having someone with an interest in this kind of work.
Doing mostly maintenance stuff on other cars this weekend. Should get some time Sunday to cut metal for the 914-SHO project.
Got some time to finish mobilizing my work bench. Now I can get it out, use it, and put it away with ease. The wheels are mounted to some scrap pieces and hinged to the base of the bench. When in storage, the wheels are down so I can roll it around. When in use, they are swung out so the bench sits on its wide base - that way it doesn't move when I'm pounding on things.
Took some time this weekend to try and close off the rear firewall to the trunk. Since I'm trying to reuse some of the original panels - its been slow piecing things together.
Also getting to use the new work-bench. This is the first metal-work/welding that I've done on a flat surface. Everything else has been welding in-place, on the car.
First I had to add a piece to close off the ribs.
Then had to extend the lower section so I can cut-off the excess.
This is where it will go. The gap just off right-center is how much the whole piece is lowered, marked, then trimmed.
Gerard, some technical reference if you need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XR9SoQU16c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
3XR9SoQU16c
Haven't been spending time on the 914-SHO for over 6 weeks. Been going through some tough stuff with my brother, but I think we got him through it. My son was home on leave so spending this weekend with family. Got some time planned for next week and the weekend though. Keep watching.
I know I haven't been on in a while. After getting my brother squared away, I was having difficulty getting back to the 914. My garage had become unmanageable, so I did what I thought I'd never do - buy a shed.
Well this is more like a small barn - 10x16 and lofted so that it has storage under the roof. Once I put my son's 914 in I built another loft a few feet lower - giving me more storage space that was easier to access.
And just when I was ready to get back to the 914, my LS400 starter took a crap. SO while I'm in there, I'm going to do a 150K mile service on it first.
So nice to have my garage back though.
Made some progress this morning before it got too hot. Got the side pieces for the rear firewall extension fit, trimmed, and bent.
The sides have 90deg tabs front & back to reinforce the extension. I'll also be adding a tab at the bottom. What remains is to add the L-shaped piece (seen on the center extension) at the top where the molding is mounted. The trunk will also get the rib added so the molding fits properly.
Another hot day, but I was able to get the firewall insert mostly roughed out. Still have a bunch of welding to do on the parts and to put it in. Here's the hole with the motor in so you can see what's getting closed up.
Here's the parts spot welded together.
Left and right installed temporarily.
Tried to take a pic with the front camera, but not very good. Will get a better one later.
Your new firewall looks awesome!!! It really looks just like a factory piece; very nice!
Like your insulated garage door. A necessity where you live, huh? I clocked a 50 degree difference between O/I surfaces w/ an IR gun.
Thanks guys. I wasn't sure how this was gonna come out. But I've found that doing stuff on the bench yields better results than trying to do it on the car.
Got to spend a couple hours doing some of the finish welding and cleanup. I'm anxious to get it welded in place, but need to do more finish work before that happens. Once it's in I can move on to getting the rest of the body ready for primer & paint.
Looks like fantastic metal work! You going to notch your top as well
Wow that is a big engine! Looked so much smaller out of the car. Cool.
Haven't spent much time on the 914. Spent a couple weekends with my son home working on his bike & his 996. Mostly been working on concreting posts in between all the rain, and finishing up work on the LS400.
The LS400 turned into one of those - while I'm in there . . . jobs. Started with a failed starter, then a dripping water pump, stuck fan clutch, and a leaking power steering pump. Water pump is off and power steering pump has been resealed and haven't even gotten to the starter yet - which just happens to be buried at the back of the top of the motor underneath all the intake stuff.
Gotta love it.
Thanks for the detail Stephen. Here's vid with one On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XR9SoQU16c.
Finally took some time on this three-day weekend to work on the 914-SHO. Spent a couple of days finishing up a fish tank stand for my daughter.
It was my plans to get the 914 into paint by now, but other priorities pushed it back. I did however get around to getting part of the underside in primer. Now I feel a little bit better. Hope to finish up the front this week. Got some metal cleanup to finish before primer.
Got the front portion cleaned up and primered. Once I decide on the undercoating, I'll get a paint that contrasts in color so I can make sure I get the undercoating where it needs to go.
Getting ready for the 2017 Build-Off Challenge, so I decided to put my outline of work here. It's more accessible and I can review and mark things off as I make progress.
Rear Trunk
Finally got the rear firewall section welded in. It will get some finish work, primer, and seam-sealed - hopefully before the end of the month.
Got some time to mockup the air box based on my CAD data. I already have the plastic, so this just verifies dimensions and fit. I'll also use it to position pieces for cutting on the plastic sheets I bought.
Looking good, I love this build.
Spent the early afternoon doing ignition service on the LS400 - new wires, plugs, caps, etc. Even doing it with my short-cuts it still took longer than any car I've worked on before.
Spent the rest of the afternoon positioning the NACA ducts and filter box on the trunk lid. The ducts get quite a bit of trimming, but I wanted to make sure they would clear the filter as planned. I also need to fabricate the cradle that holds the filter box. I think I'm going to design it to act as the mounting point for the trunk lid hinges as well.
So here's the NACA ducts positioned. They'll be trimmed up and formed slightly curved so they fit the curvature of the trunk lid. At final assy they get cemented in.
The filter is centered and angles toward the bottom of the box, and the ducts are to each side so there is no interference. Since the ends of the ducts get cut off - they just dump air into the box.
Here's the box as it sits on top the ducts. There will be rubber seals that seal the air box to the underside of the trunk lid. Part of the seal will likely end up mating to the back side of the ducts.
Finally, I've placed spacers under the air box mockup to represent the ducts and the seals. Tomorrow we'll put the trunk lid on and measure the remaining space to the floor of the trunk. From this I can fab the framework to hold the air box.
My son's home so we spent the morning replacing motor mounts on the 996. We did get the trunk lid on the 914 and I got some dimensions. Gonna post them here for reference.
Spent some time this weekend checking the design for the trunk lid opening in the opposite direction - hinged at the back. Now that I have the mini hinges I can verify dimensions and fit. I'll need to extend the end of the hinge by six inches and decrease the bend angle for the arm by a little more than 11 degrees.
Here's what it looks like in CAD with the modified Mini hinge. The thick portion under the sheet metal is the support webbing. I'll be adding additional webbing from spare trunks so the hinge can mount to that.
Also had some time to prep & fit the right side body panel to weld on. Should have some daylight Friday while I'm off to finish the welding. Have other things to prep for welding during the week.
Working on closing up the left quarter panel - right behind the driver's door. Started cleaning the used panel I bought and removing paint - only to find some damage in the lower-left corner. Aside from the damage in the corner the panel's in good shape.
So this section will have to get cut out and I'll make a patch to go in its place. Then it will get cut with the rest of the panel to fit between the door and the flare.
OK, got the lower-left corner repaired and the panel pre-cut.
Then got it trimmed & test-fitted so I could mark it for cutting. Marks came out good on the back, but I'm going to refit it tomorrow and mark it again to see if they come out the same.
Great progress. I like this build.
I think going with Bosch on the air box was a good decision.
To all you guys who cut large chunks off your cars as part of your build:
Great progress, keep it going!
Thanks guys, I appreciate the encouragement.
mbseto: Nice catch.
tygaboy: Cutting good panels out to gain access was one of the most agonzing parts of my build. I'll be much relieved when they're back in and finished.
Thanks tygaboy,
I spent over six hours this weekend just working on the fit for this panel. That's on top of helping my daughter with her car, working with my wife on the pond, and getting a little chill time relaxing with my wife planning our bedroom renovation.
I don't have a lot of experience with this other than what I've gained working on this car for the last (I'm embarrassed to say) eight years. I don't have all the time-saving tools a regular body-shop would have either. The typical challenge fitting panels on the 914 is all the curves and radii. In this case I had the door handle pocket to act as a guide at the upper left of the panel, and the alignment along the bottom of the door for another. There were two more alignment references needed; a dimension from the front quarter-panel seam (under the door) to the lower-rear edge of the fender; the other a dimension from the back side of the lower channel to one of the fixed suspension mounting points.
Because my patch panel overlapped my cutout edges (see pic above), and with these four references, I was able to start at the front curved edge and mark it on the back of the patch - using the edge of the cutout as a guide. All marking occurred after checking each of the four positional references. I then would cut half the material off up to the mark. So if there was 1/4 inch of material, I took off an 1/8 inch. That allowed me to creep up on the mark. I didn't have another panel on hand - so I was careful not to botch this one.
Next I worked on the door handle pocket. The patch was different than mine, so I had to spend some time reshaping and getting the two to line up properly. I continued to do this all the way up until the final fit. As I completed fitting each edge, I would re-verify the four reference positions.
I then moved to the top edge. This was a little trick because I didn't have a good way to secure the bottom channel and every time I wanted to adjust the panel at the top, the bottom would move also. Finally I started using the support bracket that connects under the back channel to the inner body. Mine was pretty beat up, but I was able to reshape it and make it usable.
The next section to fit was the back edge along the hip of the fender. I left this as an overlap because it gave me one less loose corner to have to deal with when fitting the panel. Now with the others fit and the four positions verified, I was able to mark this on the back and cut.
Then I was able to use a couple welding clips to fasten things and verify the fit and all dimensions. This is also when I did additional sanding of the patch edges to provide a small gap for welding. I generally use a black marker to mark the front of the panel where the edge needs to be sanded/filed.
The final cutting needing to be done was behind the FG flare. I've already cleaned it so it will be ready for panel bonding cement - which I'll do after all the welding is finished.
Here's the final fit with the level as a straight edge - carrying the line from the door backward along the panel.
In addition to getting the left panel fit, I was able to get it tack-welded in and had time to tack the right patch in also.
Left side
Right side
DUDE! Looks like your careful planning and patience is paying off. Fit is looking really nice.
Got a little more done on the right panel this weekend. Weekend went kind of crappy, so didn't get all I wanted done. Decided to take Monday off to make up for it. Glad I did.
Welding on the panel went well. Just combined multiple spot welds at alternating positions and used compressed air to keep things from getting too hot. I'll save the grinding with a 80 grit flap disk for during the weekday evenings.
Picked up my cut mounting brackets for the trunk hinges. Started working on the flanges already and will finish the others once I get the circular flange tool in this week.
Also had time to start cutting the air box out of the 1/8 inch ABS sheets I found online. I was concerned about the amount of heat this may take in the back of the trunk above where the muffler sits, but I'll be retaining the stock heat shield and will also have this mounted a couple inches up off the trunk floor. We'll see how it goes. I may need to rebuild later from slightly heavier material.
Had to move part of the work indoors because the garage is getting too cold to work with this plastic. The glue I'm using also requires warmer temps. Next time though I think I'll try a plastic welder over the glue, or find glue in a better dispenser so it can be applied cleaner.
Now I just need to add the rubber seal that goes along the top edge & mates with the underside of the trunk lid.
Didn't work on the 914 over Thanksgiving weekend. Promised my wife I'd get the flagstone laid out for the patio and work on setting her step stones. I did get the flagstone laid out and numbered - and fortunately I won't have to do much chipping/cutting for fit. Now I'll have to pull it up to put the aggregate down to set the stones in.
Had just enough daylight left today to get six of her 18 step stones set in mortor.
Since I'm up here posting end-of-month for challenge, figured I'd post update pics for the trunk hinge mounting brackets. Picked up a 1.5" flange die and used it to get the angled flange I was after.
Also have some work to do on my daughters car that threw a rod. That may wait till next weekend when she has some time off. Ohh, the fun never ends!
Spent part of Friday getting my daughters car ready for a transplant. Here's the car & the new (used) motor.
Good car!
Well it looks like I won't be getting the 914 painted as soon as I had hoped. With the motor to swap on my daughters MR2 and a bearing replacement to do on my son's 996, I spent my painting money on a single-post lift. I've done enough repair work under cars on my back - figured it was time to upgrade.
This is the Eagle single-post lift rated at 6000lbs. So I'll likely be busy getting this together over the weekend.
My wife and I already spent the most of the day unloading the beast. Here's all the packing material: a metal support frame, encased in a wooden crate. And my make-shift ramp I build from some of the crate material - so we could roll pieces off the trailer.
Cool lift. Enjoy that.
You will never regret that investment. I've had mine for about 1 yr and wonder why I'd waited so long.
Thanks guys. As of around 2:30 this afternoon, I now have a working lift in my garage. What a relief. First car to go on will be the daughters MR2 - so we can get the motor pulled next weekend.
The fun continues . . .
OK, first of the year is over, got caught up on all vehicle maintenance, now I can get back on the teener.
Spent this last weekend on the soda blasting. I've decided the larger outer panels will get paint removed with flapper discs. But the trunks, engine bay, etc, will get soda blasted. It's ideal for all those irregular shapes, little corners, etc.
Before I could do any blasting I had to build a ramp that I could roll the rotisserie out on. Gravel just doesn't cut it. Had lots of scrap left from the car lift crate so it's not going to waste.
The blasting progressed a little slow until I got things dialed in properly. Had Friday afternoon to work on that. Love the look of the clean metal. Using a tarp under the car and plastic sheets surrounding the work area I was able to reuse almost 75% of the material.
Then was able to spend most of Saturday working on the engine bay and under the trunk. Cleanup after soda blasting is a big job, but it's well worth the time saved. Sunday started to get humid and rained in the afternoon, so didn't get much done then.
Decided to remove the muffler heat shield. I wanted to drill the welds from inside the trunk but was unable to locate them accurately. Decided to do them from the shield side. I've got nuts I'll weld to little stop plates that will go behind the drilled mounting brackets. They get flood welded then a single hole drilled for a hex bolt.
Very nice to see clean metal.
Nothing worth photos today. Just paint removal on the muffler heat shield and cutting metal backing pieces to reinforce the mounting points for the heat shield. Was cloudy and humid all weekend so had to put soda blasting off till next weekend.
Nice work with the soda blasting. I need to do my front trunk and after stripping the engine bay on another car with aircraft paint remover/flap disk/wire wheel on a drill/will this never end/please make it stop I was thinking blasting might be the way to go. What set up do you use?
Had another 3-day weekend so spent Friday & Saturday blasting. This is tedious work - especially in the engine bay. Put my sanding booth together hoping that would make it easier to move around and still collect the media so I could reuse it. Worked OK, but not great.
I kept the opposite side covered in plastic also to help contain the media. That and the booth weren't air tight but I was still able to collect about 50% of the media. I've only been able to get one reuse out of it because it starts to break down into finer particles and just blows away when collecting it.
The other factor is keeping dust off the hoods plastic lens. It collects soda dust after 5-10 min and makes it hard to see. I keep missing little patches that will have to be cleaned up later. Gettin a little frustrated, but still making progress. Probably have a couple more days just to finish off the engine bay and rear section of the trunk - then I can primer.
That is looking really nice, can't wait to see it in paint.
Heck yeah! That is the way to make progress and do it right.
Spent some time finishing up the heat shield. Decided to add some reinforcement to the back-side of the supports - so I could use bolt & nut. Also added reinforcement to the underside of the heat shield where the welds were.
Support reinforcement
Heat shield pad reinforcement
Heat shield bolted in. Since it was cool out I was able to get it primered.
Been slow progress this month with other projects & traveling. Did get to speak with the shop that will be doing the primer/paint work and got some guidance on materials.
Also was able to get a form built to guide the metal work on the raised portion of the trunk lid. Of course I also found that I don't have any steel of the right gauge so I'll have to run over to Tucson for that.
Good progress this weekend. Now that I have the materials to finish all weld seams, repaired surfaces, and reblend the rear flares. Found a local shop that is assisting with prep materials. Using Durglass for reblending the rear flares. Got a good quart of All-Metal to finish weld seams before applying seam-sealer (which I also picked up).
Found a good body cement to reglue the portion of the flare to the new panel. Had to order a couple special clamps though to hold things, so looking do get that done next weekend.
Also have some good finishing bondo to smooth surfaces. So bulk of work now is to get ready for primer. I still have a lot of body paint to remove (via media blasting) but focus for now is finish all repair work areas first.
Picked up a small piece of 18ga steel to finish off the rear trunk mods. (See previous post).
So spent the bulk of my time finishing grinding & sanding repairs. All under body & engine bay soda blasting was also completed this weekend.
Left panel:
Right panel & door jam:
Had Thursday to work on the car so I spent the day prepping repair areas so that I could get them all finished. In doing so I realized I had some minor issues with the forward firewall in the engine bay. I had some minor issues because when I butt-welded these I didn't leave enough gap between a couple of the pieces.
I just made a single thru-cut over top the seam, reclamped it and rewelded. This was necessary in a couple of places, but it really made the difference. Now panels have no buckling/flexing in the slightest. Real happy with the results.
Spent today doing the rest of the prep work over welds. I'm using All-Metal as a surface filler over the weld seams to fill pinholes and blend. This seems better suited than Duraglass or Bondo since neither of them is watertight where All-Metal is.
It's a challenge to work with only in that you have to use only enough that you can cover in a couple of minutes. It sets up real quick. So it ends up taking time to mix up all these small batches. But the results will be worth it.
First areas were the front & back side of the main firewall.
The left panel
And the right panel/door jam
I also went ahead and covered the rear portion of the trunk. This had some surface rust that's been treated, but rather than leave the rough texture, I decided I'd cover it with the All-Metal and sand it smooth. This should provide some additional protection as well.
Spent more than six hours on the trunk lid riser section. Because of the curve along the length of the trunk each piece had to be curved accordingly and fit. My back is sore from all the bending over the substitute bench (folding table), but at least the pieces are all cut and mostly fit. I'll spend some time Monday doing some more spot welding to locate everything from above, then I have to add the bracing underneath along the front.
Been an exhausting day. Been moving a lot of earth around - even though a neighbor helped with his tractor. Trying to finish up the planters I promised the wife.
Did get some time to work on the 914 though. Still working on the trunk lid riser section. Wanted to add reinforcement at the front edge consistent with factory. Plus it will be needed to keep things strong. Unfortunately I failed to cut the trunk side at an angle - which would make fitting much easier. But I'll add a wedge piece & get er done.
Did get some time on the teener this weekend. More sanding and filler on welded parts.
Spent more time finishing the fit of the front support ribs on the trunk lid. Got the pieces spot-welded, now just need to close it all up. And of course I still need to media blast the trunk lid, add the horizontal mid-support ribs, cut the holes for the NACA ducts, etc, . . . I'm sure I'll be done one of these years . . .
Made some good progress on the riser portion of the trunk lid. Managed to get most the outer and inner stitch welding done and grinding finished. I was actually surprised by the results. Working with this thin metal has turned out to be much easier when doing it on the bench - as opposed to doing it on the car. At least on the bench I can clamp things in place so they can be fitted and welded better with less movement.
Outer trunk lid
Inner trunk lid
Some nice metalworking Gerard. Looking forward to seeing the finished project.
Well focus keeps getting shifted to other things. Daughters MR2 sprung a leak at the oil pressure sensor (another plastic part) and dumped most the oil before she could shut it down. She now has one bent rod and a hole in the case. Looks like we're going to give up on the 1ZZ motors and try a 2ZZ some time in the future. In the meantime she replaced it with an 03 350Z. It's a very nice car but showed a P0300 right out of the chute. Started digging into it and looks like one of the two cats is completely gutted - just a few pieces rattling around. The other, surprisingly is in pristine shape. Somebody must have miswired something on that bank to cause just that one cat to go bad.
Anyhow, you can guess what I'll be working on for at least the next couple of weekends.
Continuing to work on the trunk lid - to finish up the welding and seams. Then will get the reinforcements added before cutting out the NACA ducts.
Keepin at it.
OK, still working on trunk mods; NACA ducts, support frame (for new hinge), and finish work for raised section.
I was able to cut up some spare trunk lids for ribs, although they will require some slight rebending but nothing drastic. This of course needs to be coordinated with the placement of the hinge supports and hinges in the trunk and the air box.
I've trimmed the plastic NACA ducts on a couple sides to center them up and get their longitudinal dimension from the rear edge of the lid.
Right NACA duct:
Left NACA duct:
Just an update since I haven't been out here in a while. The 914-SHO is currently in storage. My daughter wants to complete a 2ZZ engine swap in her MR2 to replace the failed 1ZZ motor. So for the few months this might take (also doing other upgrades) I needed the extra garage space. Be back soon.
Haven't been out here for a while, but did get the 2ZZ motor in. It's been running over a month now and doing great. Here's a couple of pics at the end stages. The swap required an ECU change and some rewiring in the cars harness. It also required the fabrication of a custom 2zz/1zz exhaust manifold so the old exhaust could be merged to the 2zz flange.
All worked out well and oil consumption is now a thing of the past.
For June & July, I've been doing a JDM motor swap for the 350Z. Even though this is just a direct engine swap, there have been some issues since the motor came out of an automatic and a different model. Motor mounts, A/C bracket, and Alternator turned out to be completely different. The motor mounts I caught before the motor went in. The others differences were so subtle I didn't notice until after the motor was in and the components wouldn't fit.
Still finishing up wiring, reassemle the front end, add fluids, etc. Hope to have it running next weekend.
This motor (minus tranny)
In this Z
Almost there . . .
Just an update. I've decided to pass the 914-SHO project onto the next person interested in this custom combination - if there is such a person. I want to move on to other things and prefer not to divide my time.
Here's the http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=341015.
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