Jamie's 914-H6 Subaru Swap, Palm Springs California Options

[jamlip]

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[jamlip]

I tend to do these kind of projects in fits and starts. Nothing on the 914 for months, then in the last few weeks...

1. Exhaust manifolds welded. I have an EZ30D with the single-port exhaust outlet. I modeled a flange from a flatbed scan of a gasket, and had it cut by SendCutSend.

2. Welded up a shifter bracket from some 3/8 square tube.

3. Skimmed my 944 stub axles down on a lathe so they fit the 914 rear swing arms. This saved me a lot of money over buying 914-6 stub axles, but cost me a lot of hours. Luckily those hours are free.

4. Fixed the hellhole. My damage was minor but it was a huge PITA and I hope to never do it again.

5. Almost done fitting the stiffening kit inside the cabin. In two minds whether to do the rear chassis leg supports or not.

[jamlip]

Exhaust going in. I am waiting on header stud bolts, so it’s resting on the cradle and sitting a bit low in this photo. Blue cable goes to shifter.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756041620.1.jpg)

My shifter design. The off-the-shelf offering looked complicated for what it was trying to achieve and I just couldn’t bring myself to spend the money, so I made this out of scrap aluminum plate. It has fewer moving parts and employs readily-available boat control cables, which are cheaper than custom threaded cables. I made my own cable locks and the lever on the shaft is cut and welded from the original shift bracket + roll pin. It took a long time and multiple iterations to get it right. Still waiting on the 6ft fore-aft shift cable ($18 on Amazon!) but so far the side to side shift feels excellent.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756041621.2.jpg)

Added sound deadener. I want the car to be light(-ish), but also, I added this stuff inside the cab of a camper van that I rebuilt last fall and the effect on engine and road noise was amazing. Penalty here is 5-10 lbs and I’ll take it. Chassis stiffening kit is also in. Shifter turret is made from 3/8 hollow tube and is nice and light. The insulation in the passenger footwell is to go inside the centre console tunnel, which is next on the list (I think).

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756041621.3.jpg)

[76-914]

Nice James. I did basically the same shift set up albeit you used aluminum vs: steel & you routed the long cable on the R side vs: L side. Both of us choose this route to reduce the number of moving parts. Hopefully you'll 86 those KYB's. Hit me up on the front shocks when you get around to it. Are you going 911 on the front end or staying with stock 914? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jamlip]

Hey Kent.

The front is all 911 now. Steel crossmember, early A-arms with brackets swapped out for 16mm underbody sway bar, five lug hubs and 3.2 brakes. I've left the factory Boge shocks in because I've never found anything I prefer. Bilsteins are too stiff for me.

The KYBs on the rear are definitely going. I'm going to need a heavier spring to accommodate the engine. Not sure what to replace them with - adjustable coilovers? I don't mind the back end being stiff.

[rick 918-S]

I got a set of 180 lb coils. The car sits level with a heavy 928 engine

[jamlip]

I got a set of 180 lb coils. The car sits level with a heavy 928 engine

Thanks! That's the number I had got to after reading through Kent's thread.

[jamlip]

Been on the wiring today. I feel like a total idiot because I appear to have lost the part of the harness that attaches to the relay board and provides power to the stater solenoid, a feed to the oil pressure warning light, etc.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756110050.1.jpeg)

Apart from that, it all kind of makes sense, although it has been so long since I took the car apart that I'm having some problems remembering what certain wires did.

Can anyone help me with these two conundrums?

1. A red wire and a black / red wire, plus a third wire with a connector block on it. They're inside the sheath that carries four thick red feed wires to the battery. The red and black/red had a white circular-ish connector on it.

I believe the connect was for the fuel pump. It's fused at the relay board and would be be an excellent power source for my ECU, but I just cannot get 12v out of either of them. There's 12v at the bullet fuse on the relay board. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756110020.1.jpeg)

2. These wires exit the rear of the tunnel. I'm assuming they're seatbelt warning lights and / or engine bay heater blower controls. I can't work out where to look on the wiring diagram. Again, any help greatly appreciated!

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756110021.2.jpeg)

[76-914]

Toss the relay board James. It's just another source for problems with a 50yo car. There are just 6 or 9 wires, I forget, that you need. Cut the harness before the multi-pin connector. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jamlip]

Looking at it in the cold light of day, you're absolutely right. I only need a few wires from this bundle, anyway. I can extend the harness, replace the antique cylindrical relays with modern units and eliminate the multi-pin plugs.

Anyone know what the wires that exit the tunnel are for? I'm trying to locate them in the schematic but no joy.

Toss the relay board James. It's just another source for problems with a 50yo car. There are just 6 or 9 wires, I forget, that you need. Cut the harness before the multi-pin connector. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[76-914]

Looking at it in the cold light of day, you're absolutely right. I only need a few wires from this bundle, anyway. I can extend the harness, replace the antique cylindrical relays with modern units and eliminate the multi-pin plugs.\

Anyone know what the wires that exit the tunnel are for? I'm trying to locate them in the schematic but no joy.

Toss the relay board James. It's just another source for problems with a 50yo car. There are just 6 or 9 wires, I forget, that you need. Cut the harness before the multi-pin connector. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

You'll probably only add 2-3 relays. You'll need to add the Subaru FP relay, 1 or 2 for your radiator fans and I think I'm forgetting one more. Oh yea, one for the compressor if you're adding AC. Now is a good time to add a fuse for the large red wire(s) depending upon model year that run from the battery and up the tunnel. The red wire that goes from the battery to the relay board will be 86'd. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[76-914]

James, you might want to throw on a few pieces of Fire Sleeve where the shift cable and AN6 clutch tubing runs near your headers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jamlip]

I plan to P-clip all this stuff well out the way of the exhausts. Everything (well, mostly everything) to AC.43.13-1B!

James, you might want to throw on a few pieces of Fire Sleeve where the shift cable and AN6 clutch tubing runs near your headers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jamlip]

Todays' steps forward (and some steps back).

Started badly with this stripped nut on my stupid Uro tie rod end. I've had such bad luck with Uro stuff in the past, it was not a surprise. Must stop buying this garbage.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271994.1.jpeg)

During my search for a non-Uro tie rod end to replace it with, I noticed one from a 1977 BMW 320i has a part number interchange. There are loads of supplier options available, so I've ordered two, Delphi brand, to check.

M10x1.25 exhaust nuts arrived so I was able to tighten the flanges up to the heads and see where my pipework was sitting. Looks OK to me. I stuffed some cut-off sections in the mufflers to see where they'll exit, and they're too high. I also don't like the pipes being so far apart. I think I'm going go with two 90s angled downwards to meet at a period-correct dual center exit.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271996.2.jpeg)

Stuck the O2 sensor bung in there whilst I was at it. For some reason I have accumulated a supply of seven of these over the years. I guess like projects.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271996.3.jpeg)

Subaru inner CVs are on.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271997.4.jpeg)

This is where I could use some help from someone who has been down this road before. This is the 944 CV and driveshaft in place on the hub, with the trailing arms at full droop on the shock absorbers. The axle obviously needs shortening. Anyone know how long? Or maybe the question is, where about does the tripod need to sit inside the cup?

The 922 shafts are 21.25 inches long, and I estimated removing 2.5 inches to make them 18.75 inches.

Based on forum search, I'll be using Dutchman for the work, unless anyone has other suggestions.

Next up was the front sway bar. Way back at the start of the project I decided a through-the-body bar was not going to work due to all the new plumbing below the gas tank, so I bought a 911SC-era under-body bar on eBay, plus some urethane mounts on Amazon.

I shouldn't have done this - the through-the-body bar is a better design for maintaining suspension geometry and travel, and it turned out I did have room for the bar where it crossed under the gas tank - my radiator plumbing is just below, out of the way.

It turns out what I actually didn't have room for was the under-body bay, due to my hydralic clutch master cylinder and the bracket I made for it. So I had to do some surgery on the master cylinder, cutting off part of the casting (that would probably be tapped for a port in another application) and also the bracket on the car.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271997.5.jpeg)

This also gave me a chance to rethink my remote reservoir fill situation. I used a lightly used airplane brake line, that I had in my box of stuff, with an AN elbow fitting pushed into the rubber plug.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271997.6.jpeg)

The 10mm thin stainless washer on top is to stop the end of the fitting bottoming out in the cylinder. Works nice. Once back in place, I cable tied the braided hose to a neighboring hard brake line to stop it coming out.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271998.7.jpeg)

The bar just clears it all.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756272112.1.jpeg)

My A-arms had tabs for the through-the-body bar, so I cut those off and made some loops to accommodate the under-body style bushings. The bushings I had were polyurethane and would not squeeze in, so I've ordered some rubber ones. They were hard to find in 19mm.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756271998.9.jpeg)

After this, to offset any feeling that I was making progress, I decided to investigate why the top level on my heater controls was jammed all the way to the right. I managed to snap the handle off it. Great. After pulling the airbox out from under the scuttle and detaching the cable at the air box end, it's still jammed and I'm none the wiser.

[mgp4591]

Toss the relay board James. It's just another source for problems with a 50yo car. There are just 6 or 9 wires, I forget, that you need. Cut the harness before the multi-pin connector. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Kent, are original relay boards something that could be rebuilt for use in a stock build or are they readily available? If so, donate it!

[76-914]

Toss the relay board James. It's just another source for problems with a 50yo car. There are just 6 or 9 wires, I forget, that you need. Cut the harness before the multi-pin connector. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Kent, are original relay boards something that could be rebuilt for use in a stock build or are they readily available? If so, donate it!

I either sold or donated mine Michael. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jamlip]

In case anyone is reading this on their own Subaru swap adventure, the way to measure the axles is as follows.

With the car in the air and the suspension at full droop on the shocks, seat the outer CVs in the stubs. Slide the Subaru CV cup onto the output splines of the gearbox. Eyeball how long you think the axle would have to be to sit inside the cup and -just- have enough clearance to slide onto the gearbox output stubs.

Cut the axles a little longer than you think, then try them. Keep doing this till the assembly will slide onto the stubs. Mark everything up and send off to be cut (I'm using Dutchman in Meridian ID).

My lengths were 19.00" driver side, and 19.25" passenger side.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-26060-1756333041.1.jpeg)

[jamlip]

OK, planning out cutting the harness at the 14-pin relay board connector block. Here's what I've worked out each wire does. Figured this info could help someone down the line. There may be errors.

Pin 1 - Yellow - Power from ignition switch to starter solenoid.
Pin 2 - Blue - From board to dash alternator warning light.
Pins 3 & 4 - Gray / Brown - To and from backup light switch on transmission.
Pin 5 - Green / Red - To oil pressure warning light.
Pin 6 - Unused.
Pin 7 - Black / Pink - Tach feed from coil.
Pin 8 - Black - Power from fuse box to ignition coil.
Pin 9 - Green / White - From heater fan switch.
Pin 10 - Brown - Ground to power supply relay (#74).
Pin 11 - Green - Power to heater fan.
Pin 12 - Red - Power from battery to fuel pump relay.
Pin 13 - Black / Red - Power from relay to fuel pump (relay is controlled by ECU)
Pin 14 - Red - Power from Battery to power supply relay (#74).

[76-914]

Ahaa! #1 is another relay I'd forgotten. Take that yellow wire to a relay that will provide power to the starter. Then take the ground from that relay to the neutral switch on the transmission. You'll need to change out the OEM neutral switch which is NC to one that is NO. This will ensure that you can't start it in gear. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jamlip]

Thanks Kent. I was going to send the yellow wire direct to the starter (no relay) seeing as it’s heavy gauge and the solenoid is doing the work of a relay anyway. Otherwise I have a relay controlling a relay. What do you reckon?

The neutral switch is a complication I will forgo on the basis that the first item in the first lesson for learning to drive in the UK is “how not to start a car in gear”. If you don’t understand and successfully execute that section, you don’t move on to the actual driving part.

Quite deep into the wiring now. I have removed a lot of it! Using the black switched 12v to trigger a set of fused relays which will send power to the ECU, coils, injectors and fuel pump.

Ahaa! #1 is another relay I'd forgotten. Take that yellow wire to a relay that will provide power to the starter. Then take the ground from that relay to the neutral switch on the transmission. You'll need to change out the OEM neutral switch which is NC to one that is NO. This will ensure that you can't start it in gear. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)