99 WRX - Pt2

[c.j]

Best to start again, cheers Norbs and Woodsy.

So lets try to keep this one on topic.

I spent the weekend replacing a few components on the motor. The MAF sensor has failed, VT I don't suppose you know someone who has one? They are over $200 from the Subaru parts section.

I replaced the timing belt, all the gearing associated with that and the camshaft. Plus a basic service of spark plugs, filters, oil, etc. Checked the valve timing and clearances and inspected the pistons. I haven't checked anything below the surface of the pistons, i.e on the bottom end at this stage but will have too soon.
This is the first time I have ever done a timing belt and it was arduous. I started on the crankshaft pulley and fed it around the pulleys in a clockwise direction. Doing this and ensuring the camshaft pulleys remained in the correction timing position required 4 hands. I am sure a boxer mechanic could do it on his own but this was fiddly. Took about an hour just to get the belt on.

I didn't take any pictures doing this, was too busy trying to get it done, lol.

Matt, you mentioned the 02 STI motors at City Subaru, which I am going to go and check out tomorrow. Also tomorrow I am pulling all the panels off and replacing all the associated fasteners with stainless allen key type bolts. Other cosmetic fixes happening tomorrow will be removal of sideskirts, rear and front bars and door handles to be sanded and hand polished smooth.

In the next few weeks I will be stripping the paint off the car, smoothing out all the bumps (I have two large ones now, about 50 cent coin size thanks to shopping center car parks) and painting the car Matte Black.

Yesterday I removed a lot of the bullshit around the motor. I am in the process of running the battery terminals from the boot to the front of the car, as well as tidying up some of the area around the motor. I plan to free up a lot of the space in the engine bay to make it a bit easier to work on.

The guy I have been OJT'ing with, Air Con installer and mechanic, has shown me how to set up a water spray system that replenishes from the condensate from the air conditioning. The low pressure pipes sweat and the evaporator has a drain that feeds back into the engine bay. Our plan is to fit a second smaller washer bottle hidden away and spray directly on to the intercooler and air conditioning condensor.

I am also getting rid of the factory thermal fans and replacing them with aftermarket 14" fans. The factory ones are metal housing and the right fan has 4 blades and the left 5. I want to fit 8 blade fans that are connected directly to the air conditioning compressor switch so they are active when the air conditioning is running rather than only when the pressure builds up in the system. This takes the stress off the TX valve and the high pressure side of the air conditioning system.

That will do for now... Pics and updates to follow.

[VTRacing]

Yeah, Subaru sensors are expensive, the throttle position sensor is over $400 from memory. If you don't want to go new then try these guys, they may be able to help you: http://www.sunspares.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[c.j]

Cheers, I will buy new if I can use it on the 2.5 conversion. If not I will source one to last me until I complete that.

Thanks mate.

[bengatta]

Remind me, why do you need to fix you car again???

[Rots]

He let the timing belt go over by 7000k's.

[c.j]

lol, you bastards!

I had intended to do the timing belt as soon as I picked it up, but Subaru wanted $1k to do that service. I managed to do the 200, 000kms service complete for $551.30.

Apart from that though the rest of the work I am doing is just as a hobby. I have wanted one of these cars since I was 16. The plan is to paint it matte black and build it up for track days.

The checklist for this is as follows:

2.5 ltr conversion. (STI motor, after market bits to go along with this conversion will be almost the entire motor. Crankshaft, H-Rods, Pistons, Camshafts, Valves and Injectors internally, externally for the motor will be the fuel delivery, a fuel rail on each side as the number 4 pot is prone to starvation, fuel pump, fuel hoses, oil catchment, wastegate, 400hp rated turbo, piping and plumbing). Would prefer to keep a top mount intercooler.
6 Speed gear box. I don't want dog cut gears, just something that will handle the amount of torque I am hoping to achieve.
Coilovers, bushes, front and rear adjustable sway bars. Not planning on using PU bushes, just something a little more solid than rubber.
Brake upgrades will be out of the Subaru parts handbook, but I want to run braided lines. I used these on both my R6's and although a different situation the more confident I was on those bikes the more I noticed the extra firm feel, especially on a hot day or on the track.
Aero mods will be minimal. I plan on having another boot lid with an STI wing on it for track use. I can swap the boot lid over in less than 10 minutes. Road use I will have a small STI rear lip on the boot lid. Front lip on an STI bar will stay on the car. I want to run ducting from the driving lights to the brake calipers. The issue I have with this is filtering the crap picked up on the road.

As I am working to a budget that I have allowed myself each year I will be doing this over the course of a few years. I had planned on buying the 6 speed box first, but I have changed my mind and will purchase a 2.5 short motor or crankcase and build that up first. This will allow me to have the engine completed and run on a testbed. Then I can build the car around that knowing what I can expect power wise.
Ultimately I will be aiming for 400 atwkw but this is a high target, which may be too expensive to convert into something that can be used daily.

All electricals will be re run by me. I will be making it minimalist in the engine bay, in case of fire. So fuses and relays will be mounted in the boot, with the battery.
The air conditioning compressor will be running off a similar setup to what it currently is, except I will make it so I can pull the belt off easily by using a tensioner than is held in place with a safety pin. Remove the pin, remove the belt and the AC is then creating no load on the motor at all. All the aluminium piping will be hidden from view with the charge ports located next to the condensor.

Cosmetically, apart from the matte finish paint on the body work, the car will be fairly plain. With the induction plenum painted banzai yellow (nissan colour, I know) and all the brackets, plates and finished surfaces in the engine bay the same colour.

My list is longer than this because of all the fiddly work I wish to do and do myself. i.e replace the doors with completely straight items, if possible with side impact protection, the entire dash and center console I am taking a leaf from the supercar catalogue and plan on doing it in a suede black leather with yellow stitching. Same with the seats. The back seat will remain a conventional WRX bench, but removable. Engineering certificate for that should be interesting, lol.

I am not building this to be the quickest WRX I can build. Its to be my car until I drop dead. So I want it done my way and will take as long as I need to take to get it right.
I told Lyndell to expect the garage to be occupied until the kids finish High School, lol.

Edits are for shit house spelling. Sorry about my grammar...

[bengatta]

I had intended to do the timing belt as soon as I picked it up, but Subaru wanted $1k to do that service. I managed to do the 200, 000kms service complete for $551.30.

there's $450 well saved...

[VTRacing]

Where do I start?

A man has to have a dream, I suppose.

Or save yourself $50k and buy this one: http://www.rally24.com/rally-parts-for- ... -1857.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for a genuine 555 car.

Or save yourself $100k and buy this one: http://www.motorsport-sales.com/index.p ... ts_id=2377" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or buy a tow car and rock up to the track day with this: http://www.motorsport-sales.com/index.p ... ts_id=2282" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SE1Z]

I must have missed the 'part 1.' thread...

But if you plan on doing the engine first, with 400kw???? (crazy) then the box will kill itself very quickly if you aren't careful!

I had an MY00 subie with a 2.5ltr in it, had 220kw atw's... I ran the standard 5 speed for about a month, when it came time for the 6-speed box to go in, my humble 5speed was on its last legs and about to shatter!

Be very careful!

[c.j]

The motor will be on a bench SEiz, nothing will be done until I am certain the car is ready for it. I have be told by VT about the weakness in the 5 speed and it was my intention to put in a 6speed box from the get go. However now I have access to a workshop I will be doing the motor build first. When that is complete I will then mate that to a suitable drivetrain. All of this will be done before any of it is bolted to the car.

Thanks for the links VT. But I don't want someone elses car, I want to build up my own car. If it takes me 15 years, so be it.

The info is great though guys, it is all a learning experience and will be until I feel it is complete, so keep it coming.

Yesterday I spent the day completing working my way around the car to ensure it will be reliable and fun to drive in the mean time. Going to pick up a MAF today.
Replaced steering and suspension bushes in the front with stock replacement rubber, bleh!

Shopping around for an A-Frame and engine stand suitable, might order it in from the UK.

[c.j]

Oh happy days...

Subaru Australia wanted $262.90 for the MAF sensor. I bought an OEM one from Subaru from the USA, same part number, for $51.00.

[c.j]

Ordered an Xforce Varex exhaust today, being delived in late January. This has a feature that is similar to the bi-modal exhaust on the HSV and Corvettes.
Will not be fitted until the motor, drive train and suspension is in. Maybe, lol... once I have it in my hands I might cave in and fit it.

There were a couple of options with this setup, one is a high polished mirror finish, but I chose the mild steel option that has been dipped in a heat resistant coating.
Dump pipe, 3" mandrel exhaust with the bi-model option operating via remote. Pretty happy with it, wish it was here now so I could play, lol.

It is three inch all the way through but I have kept with the option of a stock-ish looking twin tip rated at only 90 dB+.

Info here with pics. http://www.xforce.com.au/products.php?m ... u&model=10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Heading to a few places after christmas to find my suede for the interior. Thats the cheap bit, lol... Finding someone to stitch it the way I want will be the costly bit.

[VTRacing]

I like their description: "Sound level is low, around 90+ dB".

That's still quite loud.

[c.j]

My R6 (first one) was 98 dB with a Yoshimura complete system and that used to wake the dead, lol... So I imagine this would be quite the nice boxster sound.

Matt, how big are the throws in the 6 speed? And can you explain the DCCD for me? I have googled it but I'd like to know this info from someone who drives them in anger.

[SE1Z]

90db is still fairly loud, but will sound awesome

The trhow in the 6-speed is a lot smaller and more direct than the 5-speed.
You will love it!

[c.j]

Thanks SE1Z,

Just been sending emails backwards and forwards with Jamie from subarugenuineparts.com

Awesome service from these guys. Ordered my MAF yesterday, international shipping $14 and be here in 6-10 days. Already sent. He is sending me some free stuff because my email made him laugh...
""On the 8th day God created the Subaru, with genuine and go fast parts required by all. Let there be subarugenuineparts.com and there was and IT WAS GOOD!"

[VTRacing]

Matt, how big are the throws in the 6 speed? And can you explain the DCCD for me? I have googled it but I'd like to know this info from someone who drives them in anger.

What SE1Z said, it's a really nice gearbox to use. Throws are short and engagement is direct. I would advise against any "quick-shift" kit because the standard one is quick enough, and if you try to go faster you will probably start damaging the synchros and lose reliability.

Have a look at any of my incar vids and you'll see how fast the standard 6-speed can shift. http://www.vimeo.com/11033457" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As for the DCCD, there's a good / complicated explanation here: http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/sti-trans ... ained.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Basically it's an adjustment to control how tight the centre diff is, depending on how you want the car to handle:

Tight centre diff = Best traction / less agility (front and rear axles want to turn at the same speed)
Open centre diff = Less traction / best agility (front and rear axles can turn at different speeds)

In the first days of 4WD rally cars through to the group A era the cars were set up with very tight centre diffs for maximum traction, which meant the drivers had to really throw them into a corner to get them to turn. Hairpin turns on tarmac were a major problem (if you ever driven a Land Cruiser in high range 4WD on tarmac you know what I'm talking about).

With electronic centre diffs it means that the system can have different behaviour for braking and acceleration, wheel speeds and (in later STis and most EVOs) steering angles too. So you can have tight centre for braking in a straight line, then have it open up a bit to allow the car to turn, before tightening again when you get on the power.

It's a useful tool to have in a race car / track car, and it does make the thing easier to drive if it's properly set up (and a dog if it isn't).

[c.j]

Thanks for the links, hadn't come across that one I am off for a read.

Right, so the auto mode is best for general driving and you can manually adjust it for a specific grip level?

[VTRacing]

To a certain extent it's both.

The standard cars come with a thumbwheel adjustment to go from full open through 5 steps to "lock" (which isn't actually locked but it's the tightest setting). Each step tightens up the diff to a pre-determined amount and this is enough adjustment for 98% of users.

The rally cars with aftermarket ECUs can tie in to the centre diff programming (Motec make ECUs with this capability) which allows more fine-tuning of the settings,

For example you might set it so that if throttle percentage is between 50-65% and wheel speed is between 70-80 km/h then the centre diff should provide 50% locking. (These are all made up numbers). If you've ever played Richard Burns Rally and had a look at the options for centre diff setup then you know the sorts of detail you can get into.

Of course this means that it is very easy to get VERY lost in these setup options and completely destroy the handling of the car, making it unpredictable. The best diff-mappers are highly-prized and rally car for-sale ads often include the name of the person who programmed the diffs because it can turn a bad car into a good one and vice versa.

There are aftermarket centre diff controllers for the DCCD, in fact in the GC8 rally car we had used a controller from Possum Bourne Motorsport. This was a simple two-dial box where you dialed up the amount of locking you wanted for "on-power" and "off-power" respectively. No real mucking around with maps, and it was a pretty good solution for the older model cars.

I just did a quick google and came up with this: http://dccdpro.com/webshop//index.php?m ... 059c8e612a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Which is a similar idea, in a more standard setup. Looks like it even includes a g-meter which will be handy.

The trouble with trying to introduce the full DCCD into your car, for example, will be having to install the sensors and ECU from a later model STi. This will likely involve having to install the entire wiring loom from a later car, which will NOT be pleasant.

[c.j]

If I am stripping the car to put in a 6 speed box and 2.5ltr motor I would be wanting the loom, ecu, DCCD, sensors etc to all be from the same vehicle age/type etc.
I'd love to have a straight rolling shell MY 99 or MY00 classic. Doesn't even have to have doors, glass or any accessories.

[wabbit]

SE1Zs green rex was great fun to drive. The 300kw one I drove was let's say, eye opening... As everything needed to be thought about faster than I was used to.

But 400kw, Narr I can't think what that'll be like

[c.j]

Well its something that would be awesome to accomplish, but I need to talk to a few people first about engineering it for the road. If its going to be too painful as a daily driver if I need it then it kind of misses the point of what I am aiming for.

Other 400kw WRX's I have seen have been too track focused, whilst I appreciate that the whole package needs to be complimentary I do not want to have to have a spine adjustment everytime I want to go for a drive.

300 with launch control would be fun as well,

[Sambo]

I feel sorry already for the heavy duty clutch(es) you will be installing.

[c.j]

lol, my tool kit is expanding rapidly Sambo, but I am hoping the weakest link in the chain is my the first one, my right foot.

[c.j]

"We thought you would be pleased to know that your recent order with http://www.SubaruGenuineParts.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has shipped"

Woot!