the rest...

Hey Tony...

I'm in the middle (nearing the end) of a 914/WRX conversion myself. I'm considering changing the old fuel lines to steel lines, mainly because to make the WRX run it needs both the main fuel line and return line to feed the 928 fuel pump. A separate return line is required.. Sooooo,,,,I'm considering bypassing the existing lines in the center tunnel, teeing the two lines at the tank to 1/2" and running a 1/2" SS line back and a 5/16" return.

The lines you ordered, were they stainless? The only ones I can find on the Mcmaster Carr site that are 6' are ~ $70. The steel ones are inexpensive, but stainless is $$$. Can you give me the specs on your lines? Sure would appreciate that.

AND by the way....your work is amazing. Shows real imagination, engineering expertise, and GOBS of patience. I have really enjoyed keeping up with your progress. I took the easy way out (if there is such a thing) and bought everything Renegade had. Had my harness done at smallcar. Did all the welding/repair/stiffening/paint/rewiring/rebuilding myself. Nothing is easy when you take one of these cars COMPLETELY apart. I basically gutted my car and started with the shell. I told my helper (my daughter's boyfriend Mike) the other day, we must be putting this car back together now because we can't possibly take anything else off.

Anyway, any info you can provide on the tubing would be mavelous.

see community.webshots.com/user/fat73

Thanks a bunch.. Ed

fat73: Sounds like a nice conversion you have going!

Here are the part numbers for the stainless steel tubing...

8989K48 Type 304 Stainless Steel Welded Tubing 3/8" Od, .319" Id, .028" Wall, 6' Length $8.45 each

8989K46 Type 304 Stainless Steel Welded Tubing 5/16" Od, .257" Id, .028" Wall, 6' Length $7.63 each

Also, the vice grips I got for free. A few years ago, ACE hardware had a deal where you could get free vice grips with rebate. So i got 6 of them

-Tony

More progress to report.

Gas tank is back in, fuel lines are connected, fuel pump is conencted, ECU is mounted, shifter work progressing.

After finishing the stainless steel tubing installation, I put the gas tank back in, reconected everything including the pump in its new location. It sits below the battery tray, on the old engine mount.

The ECU is now mounted in the car. It is strapped to a 1/8 inch aluminum plate which I cut to fit between the seats. The plate is held onto the car with rubber isolation mounts, much like those used for the fuel pump. The ECU is then strapped to the plate using a compression strap I bought on the way home from work today at REI. The ECU sits on top of a 1/2 inch thick piece of foam rubber which I cut from a "sitting pad" that I also got at REI. On top of the ECU is the sensor simulator box. Sandwiched between the two is a piece of special silicone rubber made for reducing vibration on the inside of submarine bulkheads. (its really amazing what you can get shipped to you as free samples from companies).

So the ECU is now as safe as can be from vibration

Wiring to the ECU comes in through an enlarged hole to the center tunnel. The cables are then held in place with insulated wire tie-downs. Still left to do is mount the volt meter/OBDII conenctor plate, but that can wait.

The shifter should be bolted down to the center tunnel soon. As usual I used a lot of aluminum and screws to make the pedestal for the shifter.

-Tony

last one

Tony, You're doing an awsome job, that engine compartment turned out real nice.

Updates coming soon...

Today I received a new Tach (Autometer), a coolant resevoir, and radiator fans. Saturday I picked up CV bolts, pins, grease, throttle cable, and 911 sport mounts for the transmission.

I also placed an order for the exhaust primary tubes and gaskets from Outback Motors.

Also have an order into Kennedy Engineered Products for a flywheel, clutch kit, bolts, etc. 2-3 weeks lead time quoted on the flywheel.

Pretty much the last few things left to figure out are:

Exhaust - how to route tubing around, where exactly to mount mufflers.
Shifter - Need to finish machining the transmission end of things, and get push/pull cables
VSS - Probably going to make my own speed sensor using a hall sensor. not sure what to use as the rotating part though.

-Tony

That is CLEAN work Tony!

Have you fired up the engine?

KEP always uses the 2-3 weeks shipping moto. It normally arrives within 5days.


B

First project this weekend while I was waiting for parts was to recover a door panel. The panel was in bad shape so I bought some new board and cut it out using the old one as a template. Took quite a while to get the board nicely cut out, but it came out decently.

New tachometer sitting in place. not yet hokoed up. I guess now I need to get spunone's guage bezels for the remaining stock gauges.

Also got the radiator fans in place. Need to order some weatherpack connectors from Jeg's to wire them up, and put relays in the relay/fuse box.

It looks like I could have fit two 12 inch fans on but I didn't think it would work when I was ordering them. If I have heat problems that will be the first upgrade. I could then use this 10 inch fan on a motorcycle radiator or use it on the engine grill, etc.

-Tony

Last one for tonight...

Neo9146: Nope, havent fired up the engine yet. I don't have a flywheel attached to it and pull starting it via the AC pulley might be kinda hard

Once I get the flywheel bolted on, clutch installed, and bolt the transmission together I could fire it up (without exhaust, which I'm sure my neighbors would LOVE). But I will probably wait until its installed in the car. That way I'm assured something will be wrong requiring me to pull the engine. Luckily I'll have no shift linkage to deal with and my trusty custom drivetrain dolley (which acts as a docking port for the transmission jack) will come in handy for those many one man engine drops.

Brad: good to hear about the KEP excessive lead time. Perhaps this thing will make it to the German Autofest after all.

-Tony

I want to see it @ GAF... Get on it dammit

BJH

Awesome work Tony...Hope that sucker cools.

Ed

Nice work and you are inspiring us all!

Today I picked up a coolant expansion tank and cap from Importedcarparts.com (who happens to be down the street from me). This tank and cap are standard equipment on most Audis and VW made in the last few years. Its a really well made tank, far nicer than the ones you can get at FLAPS. Mounting may be trickier, but I'm sure I'll figure out something. The best part about it is that its high quality and cheap! $16 for the tank and $5 for the cap.

-Tony

my passat had that tank...

albeit with a crack LOL

Dangit bro, make it go so we can see how cool she will run!

Go go gadget swullem member!!!

When wiring my EJ20 motor I found the following source for WeatherPac connectors. Good price and fast shipping.


http://koskowskimotorsports.com/kms/index.php?cPath=21_43

For connectors I ended up going with something other than Weatherpack connectors. I used something fairly similar made by Molex called a mate-n-lok conenctor. They are really cheap, water proof and well made.

I ordered them through Digikey, got a few spares for stuff I still need to do like the O2 sensor and VSS. Speaking of VSS, I also ordered a few Hall effect sensors from Digikey. These are made by Melexis semiconductor and are self-contained 3-pin Hall sensors, made for the automotive environment. At $1.87 each they are a bargain compared to an OEM sensor at as much as $80-$90. Even packaged hall sensors tend to be in the $30-$40 range. I'm packaging these in small glass vials potted with epoxy. Hopefully this weekend I'll finish them up and post pictures.


-Tony

Digikey rocks! Which connectors? The mate-n-locks I saw were not sealed, although they were made by AMP I believe. Did you consider the "waterproof automotive type connectors" on pg 263? Did you notice the "ASSMANN" computer cables (pg 44) I heard the LEGGMANN stuff is better.


Andrew

Weekend update:

I built a Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) this weekend. It uses a Hall effect sensor from Melexis Semiconductor (its a German made part!) and cost me a whole $5 to build. This compares to $80-$100 for the stock Subaru VSS. I still have to figure out where to mount magnets (requires one of polarity, the sensor is a 'latch.')

Today I decided to put the engine and transmission into the car to check for clearances and see that things fit. Well, things don't fit

Here's a list of issues I need to take care of:

1. Alternator runs into part of the radiator. Need to lower the alternator and get a shorter belt. Easy fix.

2. Radiator fans are too close to the crank pulley and alternator. Need to put fans on the other side of the radiator. Another easy fix.

3. Intake simply doesn't fit. Need to cut some of the tubing to bring it in closer, probably need to redo the bracket I made. Not so easy fix, but not a show stopper.

So thats pretty much it for fitment issutes. I still need to find a good location for my coolant reservoir. Once I have the engine in and mounted up I'll work on making up a bracket for it.

Other things I noticed while the engine was in the bay...

The engine cover shroud will really have to cover the whole engine. I'm thinking a large sheet of thin aluminum will do the trick. This will keep rain off the engine.

Lastly, I picked up a couple more 12 inch radiator fans at an electronics swap meet yesterday for $5 a piece. These are going to go on the engine bay lid to help with cooling. Its going to be cramped, so I might only get one in.

Hopefully the new flywheel and pressure plate, clutch etc. comes in early this week. Once I get those installed, the engine/trans will go together for good (until I realize I need to adjust it). Assuming all that happens and I fix these fitment issues this week I may be ready for a fire-up next weekend. Chances are though it will be two weeks. These issues will all take some time to figure out, and I've never installed a clutch before.

-Tony

patience of a saint.

methodical like a mo fo. LOL

great work.... again. =-)

Update for this weekend...

Getting closer! Yesterday I installed the new KEP flywheel, Sachs clutch disc and pressure plate. I was about to install the throwout bearing when I discovered the ball cup bushing is totally wasted (someone should make a bronze replacement) and the piece that holds the clutch arm to the ball was wasted. Additionally I found that two of the bolts I was using to hold the adapter plate on were too short, so I've got to get a couple more of those before putting this thing into the car.

The radiator fans are fixed (re-arranged them) and the alternator bracket is fixed (need new belt still). Intake and coolant tank bracket fabrication began as well.

First picture is my Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) that I made. As a troubleshooting aid, I have a green LED inside this thing. This way I can look to see if the sensor is working rather than trying to measure a signal. Still need to seal the thing with silicone. Also need to make a bracket to hold it onto the transmission. If I someday go with an electronic speedometer I wil get rid of the stock speedo drive cable and modify the right angle drive to work with this sensor, or maybe even fabricate a new sensor. I'm all for getting rid of mechanical cables.

-Tony

Got a LOT done this weekend.

Installed engine and transmission - fixed the mounting plates and installed the aluminum shim.

Installed the starter

Bolted up the CV joints to transmission - new bolts, correct lock washers, gaskets

Installed all coolant hoses except from the reservoir to the radiator.

Installed speedometer drive cable

Installed accelerator cable

Installed coolant reservoir

Connected fuel lines using high pressure fuel hose.

-------
Major things left to do:

Exhaust system - mandrel bends are on there way from Summit, need to order mufflers and O2 sensor still

Cable shifter setup - need to order cables and machine the transmission end parts.

Other than that I have a few minor things like wiring up the starter and alternator.

Question....

The Subaru engine has a fuel pressure regulator with a return to the fuel tank. The fuel pump I'm using also has a return. Should I use a TEE so that both returns can go to the tank or should I just cap off the fuel pump and use the Subaru pressure regulator?


-Tony

That's looking pretty sweet!

Tony...I haven't hooked up my fuel pump yet (928 pump) but it doesn't have a builtin return, so I'd say use what came with the engine. You might want to ask the guys on the yahoo subaru vanagon forum. btw- some new pics on http://community.webshots.com/user/fat73

Ed

Tony...

Where do you get the project box mounted in your engine bay you used for your electronics?

Ed

I don't think you can use a stock pump - because it's designed to fit IN the fuel tank. I've never seen one, so I don't know if it can be adapted or not.

As for the current situation - I think I'd try T-ing the two lines together to return to the tank... perhaps run the pump and measure your fuel pressure (I have a spare Oil Pressure guage I use for this - which you can get from FLAPS for not much $$$).

I upgraded my pump to a Walbro 255 l/hr pump. They have a universal model which mounts in a neoprene sleeve. Mine sits just below the battery (an optima). It's much quieter than the stock pump. I also changed to a subaru spec filter which is a little different from the 914 filter - I think mainly in terms of higher flow rate and longer lasting (bigger). The walbro pump just has input and output, so the return line is a direct hookup to the fuel pressure regulator.


QUESTION:
Have any of you subaru peops had problems with air getting trapped in the heater loop of the cooling circuit?

I bought it at a local suprlus electronics place maybe a year ago. It was the only one of the size they had. Not sure where you'd find something like that for a reasonable price. I payed maybe $10 for it (brand new).



I think a T-junction will be the way to go with the fuel pump. I bought a brass T-junction at my FLAPS yesterday, so I'll hook it up and I suppose that will work.


-Tony

sick....

Ed,
Looks like one of these:
http://www.integraenclosures.com/Cat3/PremiumHT.asp

I think McMaster Carr also sells some limited sizes of these boxes.

Jeff

Tony...

Where do you get the project box mounted in your engine bay you used for your electronics?

Ed

thx

Radio shack carries a few sizes of project boxes, but you need to find a electronics store to find LOTS of sizes. Went into one the other day and they had 15 different sizes at least.

They also had the 14 pin IDP connector i needed (.75 cent project stopper....)

BJH

There are a few cool features of the box I bought that you won't find in Radio Shack boxes. First, they tend to be fairly small. Second, this one is very heavy duty. The plastic is around 0.2 inches thick, and the front cover is a clear plastic hinged type. The screws that hold the lid shut use metal threaded inserts so the plastic of the box won't strip out from repeated opening and closing. There's also molded-in standoffs at the bottom of the box for mounting either a printed circuit board or other objects. This way you don't have to drill holes in the bottom for screws and standoffs.

I've built many many electronics projects and finding good cabinets/housings is always one of the hardest parts. I got lucky with this one.

In other news...

Went to a muffler/exhaust shop down the street from me at lunch today. Took a look at some mufflers etc. Tonight I'm going to mock them up in cardboard, place them where I want them and start figuring out how to route tubing. I received several mandrel bent tubing pieces from Summit on Monday, which I'm going to cut up to fit.

-Tony

Tony...

I haven't figured out what I'm going to do for exhausts yet either, but I only have one to deal with coming out of the turbo. However, I want to run Duals out the back, or possibly modify the back bumper to let the pipes come out F40 or GT40 style. One thing I found out you can do to mock up the exhaust was use those foam noodles kids use in the swimming pool. You can take those and put some of the thin strip aluminum through them or heavy wire and bend them around whichever way you want to figure it out and go from there.

Ed
1973 Porsche W9R1

At long last, the moment we (or at least I ) have been waiting for....

IT LIVES!!!!

Its noisy but it runs great.

Only had a few wiring issues to take care of. There was a +12v line that was connected to ground, and blew a couple fuses. Found that pretty quickly and then discovered I had another short inside my sensor simulator box. Melted teflon smells funny. So I disconnected that wire, grounded the neutral position sensor, and fired it up.

Here's a video.

Engine startup

The sound isn't great, but you get an idea.

-Tony

That is awesome, congratulations!

Does it have any exhausts at all yet? We spent all weekend working on getting the engine clean. I'm taking a bunch of stuff to get hi-temp coated tomorrow, and going to order a bunch of new nuts/bolts to replace the rusty stuff (Michigan engine). Hope to have the engine back together by the end of the week so we can start putting it in. When's the first test drive?

Ed

great work tony
thanks for the video im sure it will inspire many of us to remove our jackstands much sooner

Way to go Tony!! Thanks for sharing this thread though out the process. It was a big boost for the Suby conversions.

Ahhh, just hearing it run gives me new inspiration! Hopefully late this fall I can return the favor with a clip of my own.... Thanks Tony!

Dude! Awesome! Nice work!!!




Is it running with no exhaust - or some other setup....?

This reminds me: I need to post a video of my car......

Right on Tony!!!!

Sounds awesome. I am glad to see and hear that you are almost out of the woods. Can't wait to meet you and go for a hybrid drive!!!

Woo Hoo!! Right on Tony!!

Sounds cool. thanks for the video.

-Rob

was way cool hearing it live. thanks for the call tony!

Thanks! I was pretty ecstatic yesterday. I terrorized the neighborhood by calling my friends and saying "You want to hear something cool? " and then firing up the engine.

Currently it has no mufflers or exhaust other than the Outback Motors primary collectors. It also has no O2 sensor, so its running rich. When I blip the throttle it makes funny noises on decel. Once I get everything installed I'm sure it will kick ass. It idles super smooth as it should.

I can't wait to get it on the road!
I still have a couple more weeks of work on it (finish cable shifter, install exhaust and mufflers, etc.)

-Tony

Awesome job Tony!!

get'r done by GAF