Build Log…..

2.24.03	Not too much progress this weekend (was out of town). I managed to stop by Brad’s place to pick up some parts for my 5-lug conversion. I’m also borrowing his transmission dummy box (complete transmission case, no internals, weighs maybe 15 lbs) so that I can do a mock install and see where things best line up to fit the engine compartment, fabricate the engine bar, etc. My original goal was to keep the tranny in the stock location to avoid having to customize a shift bar. However if moving everything forwards a bit helps the engine and turbos have better fitment I think it will be worth it. Again, won’t know until the Kennedy adapter kit shows up. I did manage to get a few hours on Sunday to remove the driver’s front fender from the car (the last steel fender to come off). I did this because someone on the 914Club list is in need of one and there was no good reason for me to put it off any longer.
2.20.03	Last night I tried to disassemble the primary turbo in preparation for jet-coating. I got the housing partially apart and removed the compressor. I’m not sure how the turbine or the main shaft and bearings are removed. I’ll search the web. I don’t think I can make any final decisions on the turbo manifold, turbo placement, or intake until I get the adapter kit from Kennedy and get the engine bolted up to a dummy trans and placed under the car. There’s a lot of work to be done getting this project completed and the more time and money I can save by re-using factory parts the better. However, keeping everything in the stock location means the intercooler will interfere with the rear trunk. To get around this I have to consider a water / alcohol injection system. This actually makes a lot of sense because the EJ20-TT engine has a higher compression ratio than the WRX version and was designed to run on Japan’s higher octane fuel.
2.17.03	Tonight I removed everything from the intake manifold (fuel rails, throttle body, IAC valve, intake plumbing). I’m having trouble separating the injectors from the injector bosses in the fuel rail, I’ll check the Subaru factory manuals at work tomorrow. I’m not planning on polishing the intake too much, let’s see if I can keep it that way. Also decided to disassemble the turbos so that I can get the housings jet-coated along with the turbo manifold (which I’m currently designing). The turbo housings are held together with Torx screws. I’ll pick up a Torx T-25 bit tomorrow since the screws are rusted in and I wasn’t able to break them loose with my T-25 screwdriver. I came across a potential (but minor) problem while removing the throttle body and IAC. When the throttle is closed it makes a tight seal, the only way for air to enter the engine during idle is via the Idle Air Control valve (duh!). I don’t currently have any provisions to control the IAC valve unless I possibly hack one of the MegaSquirt systems I bought. The other option would be to drill a hole in the butterfly plate for idle air to pass through. I’ll probably create a “Problems” page on this site to track things like this as they come up.
2.13.03	Removed the rest of the cast iron exhaust manifold. It looks like they had to make a few compromises with the space they had available in the Subaru Liberty (U.S. Legacy). I’m now pretty sure I’ll be designing my own exhaust headers and having them jet-coated instead of using these pieces. Still, the OEM exhaust is a perfect template for the bolt patterns on the flanges and the general pipe shape.
2.10.03	This weekend I got the engine off the floor and onto the engine stand. Now I’ll be able to turn the engine over and remove the exhaust manifolds. If I end up having to relocate the turbos to fit the engine compartment then these manifolds will be useless anyway. I finally got the intake manifold off after removing both turbos. The aluminum manifold, plastic intake pipes, fuel injectors and fuel rails came off as a unit. Just as I had heard (and hoped) the bolt pattern for the intake is symmetrical so rotating it 180° will be no problem. With everything off the engine it looks a lot like a Type 4 (flat 4 with split aluminum case). A big difference is when you look in the ports and see 2 valves per cylinder instead of 1 :-) Friday I sent my 914 flywheel down to Kennedy to have it converted to the Subaru bolt pattern. I’ll be getting the clutch package as well as the adapter kit from them because their clutch prices were as good as anybody else’s.
2.5.03	I can tell I’ll be ignoring the bodywork for a bit while I tear into the Subaru motor. I’ve started removing all the garbage on top of the engine to see what’s needed and what can be chucked. First to get yanked were the A/C compressor, power steering pump, and alternator. With those off I was able to start labeling some of the sensors and hoses. The wiring doesn’t look bad but there are a ton of hoses and I’m just starting to figure out which ones contain air, water, or oil. The goal behind all of this is to get down to the intake manifold and see if I can spin it around 180° so that it faces forward. In the factory configuration the intercooler sits behind the engine and on top of the transmission. This will interfere with the rear trunk on the 914 so I need to relocate the intercooler. Rotating the intake will help greatly with this.
2.3.03	Got back from the Dunkel Bros. Swap Meet last night. Had a great time and got to bring the new engine home. I have to say the guys at Nippon Motors are pretty cool. I recommend them and will probably go back to them for my next stupid project.
1.26.03	Received a nice letter from the Air Quality Management Board today offering me a cool $500 to crush my 914. Unfortunately I don’t qualify because the car has been in non-op status for over a year. So why did they send me the letter if I don’t qualify? Thank you for wasting my tax dollars Mr. Ineffectual Government Agency!
1.20.03	And so it begins. I wanted to put together a web page to chronicle building this car but I didn’t want to write a long diatribe about it so I figured a weblog format would be better. The current state of the vehicle is as follows. It’s in the garage up on 4 jack stands with almost everything removed. - No deck lids - No window glass (front, rear, or doors) - No engine or transmission - No suspension (shocks, A-arms, trailing arms, or springs) - No gas tank, fresh air vent, or wiper assembly - No interior - No paint (almost) - 3 out of 4 quarter panels are removed What’s left are the doors, wiring harness, and a few pieces of the braking system.