My 73 Suby drivetrain conversion upgrade!, Added a quick video on page 25 Options

[76-914]

So whats the plan Jamie? Get everything bolted together and wired up then take it to the mechanic/tuner for exhaust and start up? Still thinking about AC? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[JRust]

So whats the plan Jamie? Get everything bolted together and wired up then take it to the mechanic/tuner for exhaust and start up? Still thinking about AC? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

A/C is still on the table. I'm going to see what my wrench says about making it fit. With my turbo in front it will take a little work as my oil lines & such to the turbo need changed a bit as the would interfere now. Need to rotate them a bit. I'll see about getting the lines made for the A/C at the same time as I get the hydraulic one for the clutch.

You happen to have a link for that Clevis joint for the clutch pedal?

[76-914]

https://www.mcmaster.com/#clevises/=1bjgud3

I'd suggest you plan on several trips if your having someone make your AC hoses. Otherwise use my crimper and make your own. All of your engine related AC equipment will go over the top the engine and down n out the right side long. Should be plenty of room for it.
I noticed they have metric clevis' now. The clevis I used was 5/16" so it required changing out the Honda MC plunger which has the metric threads. Easy to do. Just buy a long 5/16" bolt, cut to length then round and polish the end. I still have a bunch of this stuff around here somewhere. PM me and I'll see what I have for you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[JRust]

https://www.mcmaster.com/#clevises/=1bjgud3

I'd suggest you plan on several trips if your having someone make your AC hoses. Otherwise use my crimper and make your own. All of your engine related AC equipment will go over the top the engine and down n out the right side long. Should be plenty of room for it.
I noticed they have metric clevis' now. The clevis I used was 5/16" so it required changing out the Honda MC plunger which has the metric threads. Easy to do. Just buy a long 5/16" bolt, cut to length then round and polish the end. I still have a bunch of this stuff around here somewhere. PM me and I'll see what I have for you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I called to order my cables from Control Cables . They work quickly & it was $128 per cable. I ordered 2 7ft cables with high temp sheathing. They are 1/4-28 ends with 3" of throw. I also got my Clevis from them. Ordered them today & they will ship Wednesday. My kinda place so I may have them by the weekend.

[JRust]

Okay parts came in this week. I got my Hydraulic conversion plate for the Honda MC from Ross. I got my new shift cables from Control Cables 5 min ago. Hoping my tranny hangar's make it from Ian today or tomorrow as well.

So this weekend I am getting my hydraulic conversion done. With the exception of my actual hydraulic line. Which my wrench will get done for me along with my A/C line I hope. My hope is to have my car buttoned up. Then off to my wrench to finish my turbo setup & Exhaust.

Also I will have my new cables for my Mr2 Shifter in place. It has a short shift on it which I'm not crazy about as it already sits pretty low. So I went on Ebay & Ordered one out of 2000+ MR2. Sits higher but I am entirely sure it will work as I want. I figure I'll have 2 to play with though. So one of them I am sure I will like.

[76-914]

Okay parts came in this week. I got my Hydraulic conversion plate for the Honda MC from Ross. I got my new shift cables from Control Cables 5 min ago. Hoping my tranny hangar's make it from Ian today or tomorrow as well.

So this weekend I am getting my hydraulic conversion done. With the exception of my actual hydraulic line. Which my wrench will get done for me along with my A/C line I hope. My hope is to have my car buttoned up. Then off to my wrench to finish my turbo setup & Exhaust.

Also I will have my new cables for my Mr2 Shifter in place. It has a short shift on it which I'm not crazy about as it already sits pretty low. So I went on Ebay & Ordered one out of 2000+ MR2. Sits higher but I am entirely sure it will work as I want. I figure I'll have 2 to play with though. So one of them I am sure I will like.

I hadn’t seen that plastic based model of the MR-2 shifter. Stay with it Jamie. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[JRust]

Yeah I screwed my day yesterday for car work. Went up to WA & bought a 88 944 turbo that was wrecked. Front end is a little jacked up but only has 68k on the car. Still runs & I plan to rebuild it. IT did however wipe out my day. All I managed for my 914 was painting my tranny ears & my Hydraulic conversion plate. Hoping to get a little time this afternoon but the wife has my day pretty well booked up. Although she & my son have a little trip this week. So all my nights are open to work on it again

[Amenson]

Unfortunately for the plastic shifter will swap 1,3,5 and 2,4,R. The cable needs to attach above the pivot.

Does your short shifter look like the top of this picture? If so you can easily remove it from the ball and make something like the bottom to get the height you want.



I whipped that one out when setting up my lathe. I didn't add the snap ring, the set screw should be enough to hold it in place.

[Chris H.]

I added a small extension to my short MR2 shifter. Stainless steel (avoid the aluminum version, they tend to break).

Looks like this:

Stainless 3.5" extension

I used a stock MR2 knob which screws down onto the shifter a bit. Makes for a pretty good height.

[JRust]

Unfortunately for the plastic shifter will swap 1,3,5 and 2,4,R. The cable needs to attach above the pivot.

Does your short shifter look like the top of this picture? If so you can easily remove it from the ball and make something like the bottom to get the height you want.

Well crap. I knew they were different but figured it would still shift the same because of the mid engine setup? Oh well no big loss. That Extension you added the link for will probably have to do it.

Quick pic of the tranny hangars painted & my conversion plate for my hydraulic conversion. The highlight of my work this weekend. LOL

[76-914]

Whether you need an extension depends upon where you locate your shifter and how long your arms are. Mine is within arms reach and I like the short shifts. Why have a 10-12” throw when you can have a 3-4” throw? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[JRust]

I did have mine mounted a few inches off the center tunnel before. That was with a Stock MR2 shifter which did not come up to high. Worked great but I figured with the short shifter it would have it sitting to low again. I will play with it & figure it out. Hoping to spend a couple hours Tuesday night on it

[rnellums]

Haha, I should have told you Jamie. The clutch plate is stainless, no painting required (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

[JRust]

Okay I got my hydraulic conversion plate in. Added longer bolts for the pedal cluster that attach the MC. With the adapter plate I didn't the bolt was long enough. Guess I could have gone a 1/4" shorter but at least it works fine. Although I wish I would have bolted it in place to mark the whole I need for the clutch MC. Looks like I am a little off. Although my hole is a little bigger so maybe it will work as is. I've got to press out the studs from the Honda MC. The lower one just needs a short bolt through. The upper can be a little longer but the ones it come with are just to long.

I also installed my Tranny ears. My motor is sitting where it is going to be. It is still farther forward than I would like. In retrospect I wish I would have not sold my previous cradle with my old drivetrain. Wanted to make it easier for whoever bought it. MY old cradle had the drivetrain shifted farther to the rear by a good 3-4". Which with the way I have my turbo out in front of my motor. This puts my turbo to close to the firewall. I'm going to have to modify my header to have enough space I believe. It also screws where I had my battery mounted (down low on the firewall behind the passenger seat) My header is up close there. So my old mount my header just barely caught it on install when I though the drivetrain placement was a couple inches back. I had planned to run the smaller Miata battery which would let me cut down my mount. Even with that I am not sure it will work. One thing to mess with later

[76-914]

Keep on keeping on, Jamie. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Do something everyday to your car and it will be finished before you know it. Way to go, stay after it.

[Amenson]

How about this for a shifter? Even comes with built in central e-brake!

Lotus

Regarding engine placement...instead of modifying the header why not move the engine. After working with the coldwater mount on Grey, I really think that the best thing to do with it is to direct bolt the engine to the cradle and use the stock location 914 isolators for the front and rear mounts. Having soft mounts for the engine to cradle but not for the trans to cradle has always bothered me a bit. It is working in the field so it is not a real failure mode, but still...

If you ditch the Subaru engine mounts and modify the cradle to direct bolt the engine a few inches back it solves a bunch of problems. Including the axle alignment and and CG if you use the opportunity to lower the engine the thickness of the suby engine mount.

[lastwolf69]

Okay I got my hydraulic conversion plate in. Added longer bolts for the pedal cluster that attach the MC. With the adapter plate I didn't the bolt was long enough. Guess I could have gone a 1/4" shorter but at least it works fine. Although I wish I would have bolted it in place to mark the whole I need for the clutch MC. Looks like I am a little off. Although my hole is a little bigger so maybe it will work as is. I've got to press out the studs from the Honda MC. The lower one just needs a short bolt through. The upper can be a little longer but the ones it come with are just to long.

I also installed my Tranny ears. My motor is sitting where it is going to be. It is still farther forward than I would like. In retrospect I wish I would have not sold my previous cradle with my old drivetrain. Wanted to make it easier for whoever bought it. MY old cradle had the drivetrain shifted farther to the rear by a good 3-4". Which with the way I have my turbo out in front of my motor. This puts my turbo to close to the firewall. I'm going to have to modify my header to have enough space I believe. It also screws where I had my battery mounted (down low on the firewall behind the passenger seat) My header is up close there. So my old mount my header just barely caught it on install when I though the drivetrain placement was a couple inches back. I had planned to run the smaller Miata battery which would let me cut down my mount. Even with that I am not sure it will work. One thing to mess with later

When I built my cradle and 5mt mount I ran into the same problem with it being so fare forward (made to spec with one of coldwaters; just with heavier duty steal) I end end up starting over and moving the entire cross beam back 3" this made my drive lines line up perfectly straight.

[JRust]

Regarding engine placement...instead of modifying the header why not move the engine. After working with the coldwater mount on Grey, I really think that the best thing to do with it is to direct bolt the engine to the cradle and use the stock location 914 isolators for the front and rear mounts. Having soft mounts for the engine to cradle but not for the trans to cradle has always bothered me a bit. It is working in the field so it is not a real failure mode, but still...

If you ditch the Subaru engine mounts and modify the cradle to direct bolt the engine a few inches back it solves a bunch of problems. Including the axle alignment and and CG if you use the opportunity to lower the engine the thickness of the suby engine mount.

Problem is the oil pan & the cross bar on the cradle. I can't just move it back a few inches as there is maybe an inch between the oil pan & that cross bar. So barring making a completely new cradle. Modifying this one isn't going to make sense.

Doing a new cradle is not completely out of the equation at this point either. I'll be taking it to my wrench for all my turbo work soon. I'll see what he has to say on what would be easiest. He does have a good fab guy. So making another cradle may just happen.

[JRust]

I bought another MR2 shifter off eBay tonight. The one I got from a late model won't work as someone pointed out as it would reverse my gears. My other mr2 shifter has the short shift kit which I didn't like. I just noticed it also doesn't shift worth a crap. The shifter hits the side to side post keeping it from going into first. So I ordered one from an 86. I also received my new cables. I'm gone all next week for work. I've got a few things on tap tomorrow but it will sit for about 10 days while I am gone.

Tomorrow will be installing the Hydraulic MC. I went to HF to get a small press. Need to press out the studs in the honda MC for shorter bolts. Picked up the 6ton press which was the smallest at HF. Been wanting to have one for years. I'll make good use of it tomorrow & get it mounted on my bench. Nice as it is compact & will go on an end. I also need to get one of my brake MC lines back in as I popped one out a bit during my install of the plate. I hate those damn feed lines (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) . We have history

[A&P Mech]

Sounds like we share some of the same history. Of all the things I have done to my car the MC lines have to be the biggest pain. Good luck and may the "patience" be with you.