Andrew's WRX conversion update

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:14 pm

Originally the plan was to take photos every step of the way and write a step by step instruction manual. Unfortunately with my limited time I've had to concentrate on just getting it done. I will endevour to do this late on when it's complete.

So far I've done the following...
- prepped engine for fitting to the car (took bloody ages - wise men buy frontcuts)
- removed front guards, bonnet, bullbar
- fitted new clutch/flywheel/beefed-up pressure plate to engine
- installed 4.111 diff with custom shortened tailshaft to car
- ran the EJ20 wiring loom thru the car
- installed hydraulic clutch master cylinder
- fitted turbo EA engine crossmember
- dropped engine/gearbox into the car

Still to do...
- splice the EJ wiring harness into the EA harness
- connect up fuel system + all other engine connections
- slight welding modification to clutch pedal to operate hydraulics
- welding/fabricating gearbox crossmember
- welding engine stayrod
- welding/shortening gearbox shifter linkages
- complete new exhaust system
- hook up driveshafts to gearbox
- connect up gearbox wiring
- fit universal accellerator cable
- fit radiator/aircon
- fit water/air intercooler
- re-fit front guards, bonnet, bullbar
- get engine running!

Seems worse now that I've written it all down, I thought I was more than halfway through! Probably still at least a couple of weeks away now that I'm back at work. Pretty much only 1 day a week to work on it now if I'm lucky. I'll get there in the end, itching to get back to some bush bashing!!

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:25 am

Dude, I really wish I could have helped you already. I owe you a day's work, don't forget that! I'm not that good at welding, I can sort of do it but not to any real standard so I'm not much use to you for the rest of the project. But if you need a hand just let me know.

With your accelerator cable run the Liberty item. It's nearly a straight swap in on an MY, can't be that far out on an L surely...

If you don't have a Lib one then yeah, get a custom one.

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:49 am

I am in the same boat > but I am working on mine after work untill 10pm then around the clock on weekends .

Mind you I am doing some far out mods with my control arms & some other items that take time to fab up .

BlackMale · Post by **BlackMale** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 10:14 am

Sorry its taken you longer then you thought - ultimate last words hey.

Still she soulnds like she is comming along nicely and you'll be out with us in no time (not that we went anywhere) killing us with the EJ20T

You need a hand give me a yell.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 2:05 pm

Yeah its gonna have to be a generic accellerator cable....

*slap* *slap*.........should have got a front cut......*slap*........

Oversteer · Post by **Oversteer** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:59 pm

Hey Tim, does your gassless mig wire feed aight ?..... we may need one that doesn`t do the machine gun! to tack up Andrews cross member etc in place. If so can we borrow it ?

Did you smack the crossmember round a bit Andrew ?... like I forgot to tell you the other day ! ?

OS

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:34 pm

Yeah it feeds alright, only problem is it's pretty low current, it's quite gutless. I've also found it to be a bit sensitive to power supply, at one of my mate's houses it won't behave, everywhere else its fine.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:19 pm

oh does the turbo crossmember need to be bashed does it? no, I left it how it was. Engine is sitting on it now....doesn't seem to be fouling?

Suba · Post by **Suba** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:52 pm

Have you got the exhaust connected to the motor .

Mike.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:57 pm

Yep... headers, crosspipe, up pipe - basically everything up to and including the turbo.

Engine is sitting on the crossmember in the car with the only contact points being the engine mounts - but that is stationary without the engine running. I'm guessing it might hit something if the crossmember does require modification?

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 1:33 am

Update...

Still to do list from before...
- splice the EJ wiring harness into the EA harness - DONE
- connect up fuel system + all other engine connections - DONE
- slight welding modification to clutch pedal to operate hydraulics
- welding/fabricating gearbox crossmember - DONE
- welding engine stayrod
- welding/shortening gearbox shifter linkages - DONE
- complete new exhaust system
- hook up driveshafts to gearbox - DONE
- connect up gearbox wiring
- fit universal accellerator cable
- fit radiator/aircon - RADIATOR ONLY, AIRCON REMOVED
- fit water/air intercooler - PARTIAL FIT - HALF DONE
- re-fit front guards, bonnet, bullbar
- get engine running! - DONE
- connect up driveshaft
- fit and wire up electric radiator fans
- hide and tidy all wiring

Getting there, slowly but surely!

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:33 am

Well its driving....kindof.

Took it down the street and back last night. When I first took off down the road in 1st gear I thought "hmm clutch feels like its slipping slightly". Put my foot down very slightly and the engine basically free revved. After that it was like there was no clutch at all. I still had full pressure but the car acted like I was in neutral. Engine idling and I could select all the gears without even putting the clutch in.
After abit of a look under the bonnet I tugged on the High/Low selector (remeber I've got the Dual range AWD Outback gearbox) and it turns out it had jumped into 4x4 neutral (halfway between high and low). Took it for another quick ride down the road and it still had problems. It was like I had my foot 3 quarters on the clutch. Now I could hear abit of a noise from the front passenger drive shaft area. Turns out that the shaft has popped out of the inner CV (I must have done that when fitting the gearbox).

So sometime during the week I'm going to have a go reassembling the inner CV and take it for another spin.

Still need to..
Wire up thermo fans
Wire up intercooler pump and fill it with coolant
Put bonnet and guards back on
Weld up an engine stay rod
Buy an exhaust and fit it up
Finish mounting and ECU and hiding under-dash wiring

vidler · Post by **vidler** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 7:09 pm

Hey Tim, does your gassless mig wire feed aight ?..... we may need one that doesn`t do the machine gun! to tack up Andrews cross member etc in place. If so can we borrow it ?

Did you smack the crossmember round a bit Andrew ?... like I forgot to tell you the other day ! ?

OS

i got one set up and near by your welcome to borrow, or better yet, tack it up with a stick welder or such and bring it round and i'll zap it up

SuBaRiNo · Post by **SuBaRiNo** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:35 pm

Damn... i can see a lot of use of the word "wire" there. I guess i have to step up to the plate.

Dave

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:14 pm

Thanks Jay.
In the mean time Oversteer has got himself a brand spankers new Mig welder (over 2 grands worth) and done a bang up job on my shifter.
I'm still hell keen to come over and check your machine out though, I'm dead set on getting myself one so I'll be using all the tips everyone can give me!

Update - bought myself a genuine RS Lib accellerator cable from Jap Wholesale today. Usual fantastic service from them (not).
- Call up, confirm the price and that they have stock.
- Arrive approx 3 hours later and ask for the item
- Receive a filthy look and a comment "hmm not bloody likely mate"
- After hastilly explaining that I only checked a few hours ago he begrudgingly gets up and wanders out the back.
- He comes back after a few minutes with aparently the correct product.
- I pay for it via Eftpos, he gives me the Eftpos slip
- me "could I have a receipt please"
- him "thats your receipt mate"
- me "erm no, this is just an eftpos slip, it doesn't have the product I bought or even your ABN"
- He goes and checks with another guy then hand writes a receipt from a paper tax invoice booklet.

So thats how I bought my "1 ONLY EXELARATOR CABLE" (yes...that is how he spelt it).

I also picked up my brand new complete 3" stainless steel WRX exhaust today.

SuBaRiNo · Post by **SuBaRiNo** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:30 pm

Where is that joint Andrew?

Dave

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:40 pm

Wangara.
They have alot of stuff, but only import stuff. An EJ22 will cost you like $1800 cause they are rare in Japan.
They are also only really interested in helping you if you are enquiring about a $4000 STI motor or a whole front cut.
Still worth a shot when doing a ring-around tho.

BlackMale · Post by **BlackMale** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:06 pm

Mate, good to hear that she's progressing nicely.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 9:18 pm

Car is fully driving and on the road as of today.

Had few dramas with faulty air flow meters (which resulted in fouled spark plugs). Finally got hold of a known working afm and put new plugs in today and she's driving.

Still need to
- sort out some minor issues with the gear selector
- fill the intercooler system with coolant and bleed
- wire up the intercooler pump
- wire up the thermo fans

Other than that its driving fine and pulling fairly hard (although it might be in limp mode). I'll have to stick a boost gauge on soon to find out. Can't put the boot in too hard yet without getting the intercooler setup properly but I'll do that during the week sometime hopefully.

subanator · Post by **subanator** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 11:44 pm

Good to see she is a goer Andrew, will be a beast!

I believe the AFM curse is a common problem from EA82 MPFI to early WRX.

Did you get your WAIC with the engine, or separately (if so what do they go for complete)?