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Full Version: Out with the old...in with the new...Britain's Racecar Development
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Britain Smith
For those who don't know me or the car, I have a '74 914 that is a dedicated AX car. It previously had a high compression 2.7 6-cylinder motor and made 205hp/205ft-lbs at the wheels. This set-up wasn't all that bad considering that it won the 2008 and 2009 914 Shootout events, however the quest for more speed continues.

Here is the car in the 2010 season trim.

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I have recently sold the 2.7L 6-cylinder engine and all the remaining 914/6 conversion parts. I have used the proceeds to fund the conversion to Subaru power. Now most would say that a Subaru conversion can be done on a budget, however I have found that the money goes flying out the window when doing something like this.

Regarding the engine...logical choice would be to go for a EJ257 2.5L USDM STi engine. However, all the SCCA rules for AX are built around displacement which in turn dictates the minimum weight. Therefore, I have gone with a JDM STi version8 Spec-C engine which is a 2.0L, twin-scroll, hand ported/polished, 8500rpm animal. I will get slightly less hp and torque numbers than the 2.5L, but save 150lbs of weight.
Britain Smith
So, I have been working on the conversion for about a month now and have made significant progress. My goal is to have it running on the dyno by end of Jan. That will give me time to clean it up and complete some of the cosmetic items before the season starts.

Here is the engine as it arrived:

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First thing I did was strip it down to the longblock and start cleaning things up.

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It is mated to the original Porsche 914 transmission with an adapter plate from Outfront Motorsports. Because I now have the Porsche bolt pattern, I could use my Porsche engine stand yoke...Bonus!

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Here is a nice view...factory ported heads.

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Ok, back to work...

I mounted a Outfront Motorsports alternator relocation kit to flip the alternator to the side. I also flipped the intake manifold as this is how it will fit into the car.

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Now for the moment of truth...will it fit...more specifically, will it fit like I want it to. Here is the first stab into the chassis.

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Britain Smith
First thing I did was cut out the 914/6 bulkhead engine mount in front of the engine...you will see why I did this in just a bit. You can also see the nice stainless steel fuel lines that I installed here.

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Back to the engine block. The JDM Spec-C came with an external oil cooler. This engine also had an additional sandwich plate for oil temp sensor. This stack was way too long and would put the oil filter at the lowest point of the car.

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This is how long the oil filter mount bolt was to accommodate this length. I have since ordered and fitted a oil filter mount bolt from an N/A engine and it eliminate all the extra lenght so now I just have the oil filter mounted directly to the block.

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Britain Smith
I purchased the Synic Motorsports header which is equal lenght, but not exactly for a twin-scroll set-up.

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With the header installed on the engine, you can see the engine mounts that I am utilizing for the conversion. They are actually for a Vanagon conversion, but with a little modification they fit just fine.

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Back to the header...the first order of business was chopping off the pipes right after the merge collectors...getting closer to a twin-scroll set-up.

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The only problem was that when I cut off the pipes, I was faced with a failed attempt at properly building a header. The merge collectors were not the highest quality that I have seen.

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Little bit of time with the die grinder and they look much more acceptable now...and I bet the flow better.

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Ok, now with the header mounted you can see my thinking on the positioning of the turbo.

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With the engine back in the car and everyone suspended with straps, you can see how the turbo will fit just perfectly in the factory recessed firewall location.

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To get the turbo in the correct orientation, I had to re-clock the compressor side. To do this, I took off the small retaining bolts/clips, applied a little heat and some motivation from a mallet and it popped right off.

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Britain Smith
Now that I have an idea where the turbo will fit and how the headers route around the engine, I could fab up the engine mount bar. The bar attaches to the Vanagon mount that I showed earlier and extends to the frame rails. At the frame rails, there are rubber bushings. Here is the engine suspended in the car for the first time.

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Now I just have to connect the dots between the exhaust ports and the turbo...

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Here is the turbo hard mounted to the engine mount bar. I had two threaded bungs machined that the turbos mounts to.

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I found it difficult to source JDM uppipe and downpipe flanges for my use, therefore I just had them waterjet at a place down the street. I am running external wastegates so the internal wastegate port was blocked off. They turned out fantastic and if anyone needs a pair, just let me know and I can get them cut for you.

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Using left over piping that I had cut off the header, I fab'ed up the connecting pieces for the header to the turbo.

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Here it is mounted in the car...everything fits like a glove.

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With the turbo mounted in this location, the gravity drain has no where to go to get back to the oil pan. I was very restricted on space, so I had to fab up a custom drain pipe using the oil coolant hard lines off the engine.

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It is all downhill back to the oil pan...just barely.

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Britain Smith
With the engine mounted, it was time to address some necessary items on the chassis. First off was the radiator. Here is my first mock-up of the radiator location. This one is 16x22, however I went with a 14x22 to add some additional clearance. It will mounted it at about a 30deg angle in the front trunk and vent it out the hood. It will also have a Spal fan mounted to help with cooling while sitting in the pits between runs.

My tiny 5 gallon fuel tank is just not going to fit properly and I will probably have to make a new one that is narrower and wider.

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The radiator lines are Gates Yellow-Strip hose snaked throughout the body. In the front, I opened up some of the body panels and run the lines thru.

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In the cabin, the lines jog over to the frame rails and down what used to be the heater ducting tubes.

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In the engine bay, they come out of the heater duct tubes and will connect to the engine.

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One issue with the engine mount bar that I fabricated was the clearance for the thermostat housing cover.

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After a little sleuthing around ebay, I decided to take a chance on a Subaru 3.0L engine thermostat housing which was for sale for pretty cheap. Here you can see the differences.

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Low and behold, it fits and gives me just enough clearance...

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Britain Smith
While waiting on more parts, I decided to start tackling the wiring nightmare. Unlike a lot of swaps on here, I have no WRX to compare to. Nor was I able to initially locate the proper wiring diagrams. Therefore, I started by mapping out the entire engine harness. This should be all the wires that I need to make it run.

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Here is my daughter lending me a hand.

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Here is the harness about 90% done. I have a few more issues to work out in regards to main power and ignition power, but it is basically ready. I will clean all of this up and make it look nice and pretty after the engine is running.

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Here is the engine with the harness back installed and just about completed.

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Britain Smith
The beautiful pair of Turbosmart wastegates, Turbosmart Blow-off Valve, and Turbosmart Fuel Pressure Regulator...pure works of art.

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Britain Smith
From this weekend.

First order of business was rerouting the water coolant lines coming off the waterpump housing. The Outfront Motorsports bracket interferes with the stock routing of the heater hardline and the line that goes to the coolant reservoir tank was pointing in the wrong direction after it was relocated. Therefore I got some extra hardlines and starting cutting and welding away.

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Here is the pipe off the back of the water cross-over pipe. I am obviously bypassing the heater core but that line was interfering with the bulkhead.

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Fab'ed up a small bracket to secure the Turbosmart FPR to the intake manifold. Had to order some additional AN fittings for the fuel line routing $$

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Finally got started on the exhaust downpipe routing. Here is the front section, however I still have to stuff two wastegates in here.

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Here is the routing down the length of the car. You can also see the bracket I made to secure the Coast Fabrication Muffler.

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This muffler weighs less than 5lbs. This one was scuffed a bit so I got it less than half off...gotta love the scratch and dent sales. I sure hope it is quiet enough to pass sound regulations...if not, I might be adding another.

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Got to get some additional flanges cut at the waterjet place today and then I can finish up the wastegate routing.

-Britain
Britain Smith
Well, that is about a month worth of effort...time goes by quick when you are doing this sort of stuff.

-Britain
JmuRiz
Looks like a lot of work, I'm sure it'll be a rocket seeing the motor you got rid of to upgrade to this!
Britain Smith
QUOTE(JmuRiz @ Dec 6 2010, 09:44 AM) *

Looks like a lot of work, I'm sure it'll be a rocket seeing the motor you got rid of to upgrade to this!


Yea, I hope I choose the right path. The car might actually end up slightly lighter with this set-up.

-Britain
McMark
So awesome! Everything looks really great!
Cupomeat
VERY nice, Installs like this make me want to consider a Porscharu conversion.

Can't wait to see more! popcorn[1].gif
URY914
Nice work. Go to see someone doing something different.
McMark
QUOTE
however I still have to stuff two wastegates in here

Why two wastegates? Staged?
Britain Smith
Because it is a twin-scroll turbo. If you merge the two headers for a single wastegate then the benefits of twin-scroll in terms of exhaust pulses is lost.

-Britain
Rand
Nice work Brit! Can't wait to hear your impressions after racing it.
McMark
QUOTE
Because it is a twin-scroll turbo.

Apparently I have some Googling to do tonight.... idea.gif
0396
Very very nice! I can only wish I had the skills to do what you've just accomplished!

Once done..your going to kick some A with that set up:)
Congrats and good luck!
diggatron
Can I ask where one might be able to get this Vanagon Engine mount?


QUOTE(Britain Smith @ Dec 6 2010, 11:34 AM) *

With the header installed on the engine, you can see the engine mounts that I am utilizing for the conversion. They are actually for a Vanagon conversion, but with a little modification they fit just fine.

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forcefed
Allow me to make a suggestion,
You have the turbo hard mounted to the engine bar. Your gonna want to make the exaust tubes going to the turbo flange a "Slip fit" (one tube slides inside the other). You have a perfect space on the straight for it. From my experiance I can guarentee that if that is stainless tube, you could be chasing cracks everywhere in the header. Stainless moves so much when it gets hot. With a hard mount there is no where for it to expand. btw Excelent choice with the coast fab muffler, the best out there by far. With the turbo and the muffler, it should be quiet enough.
forcefed
instead of a slip fit , you could add two more bellows, or you can get rid of all your bellows all together and make them all slip fit.
Borderline
WOW! That looks great! It's hard to imagine you being so much faster than you were at the Shootout. Are you going to go larger with the rear tires to handle the new power or do you think the existing setup will handle it? Your work is amazing! Good luck!
Britain Smith
QUOTE(diggatron @ Dec 7 2010, 11:40 AM) *




The Vanagon Engine mount came from Small Car Performance.

-Britain
ONTHEGRIND
If you ever yank the heads or need coatings let me know I'd like to run a sticker on that car...
Britain Smith
Thanks for the offer...hopefully I won't have to do anything to the motor itself. I will know in Jan.

-Britain
jpnovak
Britain,

You have made fantastic progress! I am impressed.

I would like more information on the alternator bracket. i have yet to relocate mine but that will be soon.
Britain Smith
Got the Alternator Relocation bracket from Outfront Motorsports. It isn't listed on their site, you have to call them for it.

-Britain
bandjoey
Where does the AC compressor go? (just kidding happy11.gif )
what a lot of work. What a professional looking job. biggrin.gif

If you compare this conversion against your old flat 6 which one is harder - easier and cheaper - more expensive?

Great work and enjoying the build pictures.
Cheapsnake
VERY nicely done. I especially appreciate your routing of the hoses through the cockpit. It solves a lot of problems.

Tom
andys
QUOTE(forcefed @ Dec 7 2010, 01:29 PM) *

instead of a slip fit , you could add two more bellows, or you can get rid of all your bellows all together and make them all slip fit.


+1 for the two additional bellows. They'll help alleviate issues with not only expansion/contraction of the header, but also any shift in the turbo location due to slight motor mounting shifts (between routine removal/install); though my personal preference would be to anchor the turbo to the motor.

Nice work!

Andys
DanT
Brit, the transformation to Porscharu is going nicely...
anxious to hear your impressions after it is all buttoned up and sorted out. biggrin.gif
d914
your making me look bad... all that work in a short time.. NICE job..
Britain Smith
QUOTE(d914 @ Dec 7 2010, 03:40 PM) *

your making me look bad... all that work in a short time.. NICE job..



I have a schedule...gotta be ready to sort out the car by the beginning of the season if I want to be competitive at nationals.

-Britain
Britain Smith
QUOTE(DanT @ Dec 7 2010, 03:40 PM) *

Brit, the transformation to Porscharu is going nicely...
anxious to hear your impressions after it is all buttoned up and sorted out. biggrin.gif


I am going to try to make the event at Medford with everyone...that track was a lot of fun. When I went down there in August I set the track record for EM by 10secs and I ran outta gear halfway down the straightaway smile.gif

-Britain
J P Stein
QUOTE(bandjoey @ Dec 7 2010, 02:04 PM) *



If you compare this conversion against your old flat 6 which one is harder - easier and cheaper - more expensive?




At this point...he's not done spending, but close......it's about a zero sum swap moneywise. All that old stuff sold quickly for about .50 cents on the dollar.....you do the math
The degree of difficulty would seem a toss up, me thinks.
He's making it tougher on himself by compressimg the time frame needed to do the work. That said, he's doin' gud.

God help him if he sets it up & ready to go racing by Feb 1-15. "Stuff" (including the weather) don't get rolling up this way till the middle of March at best.....he'll go nutso. biggrin.gif
r_towle
QUOTE(J P Stein @ Dec 7 2010, 07:52 PM) *

QUOTE(bandjoey @ Dec 7 2010, 02:04 PM) *



If you compare this conversion against your old flat 6 which one is harder - easier and cheaper - more expensive?




At this point...he's not done spending, but close......it's about a zero sum swap moneywise. All that old stuff sold quickly for about .50 cents on the dollar.....you do the math
The degree of difficulty would seem a toss up, me thinks.
He's making it tougher on himself by compressimg the time frame needed to do the work. That said, he's doin' gud.

God help him if he sets it up & ready to go racing by Feb 1-15. "Stuff" (including the weather) don't get rolling up this way till the middle of March at best.....he'll go nutso. biggrin.gif


Cheer him on..I got that.
Still must be somewhat sad to watch your baby be taken apart.

Rich
Britain Smith
JP has been involved every step of the way...in fact, he is the one who pushed me off the cliff.

-Britain
DanT
I kind of thought JP might be in the middle of this biggrin.gif
He would love nothing better than to get this car to the top of the SCCA national heap. biggrin.gif
bandjoey
Ah...now I understand. JP's motto...Bigger and Faster is Always Better
Britain Smith
It is actually smaller...engine displacement speaking.

-Britain
Britain Smith
QUOTE(DanT @ Dec 7 2010, 07:53 PM) *

I kind of thought JP might be in the middle of this biggrin.gif
He would love nothing better than to get this car to the top of the SCCA national heap. biggrin.gif


It is my car now and I agree, I would love to get the car to the top of the SCCA National heap.

smile.gif

-Britain
diggatron
QUOTE(Britain Smith @ Dec 7 2010, 02:47 PM) *

QUOTE(diggatron @ Dec 7 2010, 11:40 AM) *




The Vanagon Engine mount came from Small Car Performance.

-Britain

Thanks, Britain! I haven't picked my '14 up yet, but that will happen this week... Just making the rest of the plans!
Britain Smith
Another thing to consider from them is their vehicle speed sensor. I have found that my engine ECU requires a vehicle speed sensor for the active valve time to function. I ordered mine today.

-Britain
DanT
QUOTE(Britain Smith @ Dec 7 2010, 09:12 PM) *

QUOTE(DanT @ Dec 7 2010, 07:53 PM) *

I kind of thought JP might be in the middle of this biggrin.gif
He would love nothing better than to get this car to the top of the SCCA national heap. biggrin.gif


It is my car now and I agree, I would love to get the car to the top of the SCCA National heap.

smile.gif

-Britain

Yes I know that, I should have said HELP you get it to the top of the SCCA heap biggrin.gif
Chris Pincetich
What, no yellow? That intake would look good in yellow.
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Britain Smith
QUOTE(ChrisNPDrider @ Dec 7 2010, 09:58 PM) *

What, no yellow? That intake would look good in yellow.
biggrin.gif
beerchug.gif



Ha...I was actually thinking about painting the timing belt covers in yellow.

-Britain
dlo914
QUOTE(diggatron @ Dec 7 2010, 08:13 PM) *

QUOTE(Britain Smith @ Dec 7 2010, 02:47 PM) *

QUOTE(diggatron @ Dec 7 2010, 11:40 AM) *




The Vanagon Engine mount came from Small Car Performance.

-Britain

Thanks, Britain! I haven't picked my '14 up yet, but that will happen this week... Just making the rest of the plans!


Brit, how much were the brackets?
J P Stein
QUOTE(r_towle @ Dec 7 2010, 05:28 PM) *

Still must be somewhat sad to watch your baby be taken apart.

Rich


I was kinda burnt out on it. What Brit is doing is pretty much what I would have done and he is better equipped to do so on many levels.....which means he's as much of a lunatic as I ever was. biggrin.gif

Dan:
The car needs some serious mods to the front end to get more tire up front.
"The Kid" has plans for that but it is another project that will be a serious time/money eater.
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