RM1Sepex Build Thread

[RM1SepEx]

RIT Biomedical engineering degree with a music minor

[wleehendrick]

RIT Biomedical engineering degree with a music minor

A true Renaissance man!

[RM1SepEx]

Been busy, reinstalled the transaxle, works great now.

Revised the shifter a bit and added the battery tray. I have some more powder coating to do.

Started the motor, engine knock. UGH... dropping pan next, hopefully its just a slight interference with the new STI windage tray that I installed.

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[Pearldrummer7]

Man that linkage looks amazing.

[matteo92065]

nice work.

[AZPete]

Good job on the linkage. Da, I know what you went through to get this worked out and the result is beautiful and will help others.

[RM1SepEx]

Too bad my engine is now toast... pulled the pan this evening... the bad noise is rod knock

Always a crap shoot when you start with an $1850 rolled over donor

Now do I buy JDM or a short block? And even then what will I find when I pull the heads off?

I guess I won't be at the open house...

[RM1SepEx]

Man that linkage looks amazing.

the stock cable routing and quality are horrible, the stock plastic shifter flexes, the ball stud ends are sloppy...

Lowest cost reverse cable option by far, stock FFR shift bracket chopped up and modified, one 3/8 OD, 1/4 ID bushing from ACE, 1/2 aluminum for the bell crank, 1/4 inch rod ends off EBay, FFR shift arm, reversed and welded to avoid hitting the rear vent screen, 2 x 2 x 1/8 aluminum angle for cable bracket, cable clamps from McMaster, MR2 shifter (I did replace the base plate but if you use bulkhead cables it can be re-used) new 7 foot teleflex cables (absolutely NO PLAY)

If you use the stock plate I'd use these http://www.boatersland.com/telccx43006.html the 6 footers would run better, just add the 4-5 inches in a short aluminum tube spacer vs the slight hump needed under the intake with the 7 footers I used. Mine clamp on both ends http://www.boatersland.com/telccx43307.html , running it on top of the block would be a cleaner install

Everything done with a bandsaw, drill press and hand tools

Very short throw and almost as smooth as my Miata(s)

[Hindsight]

Oh no! Very sorry to hear about the engine.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Nice work on the shifter Dan.
Bob

[Harley818]

Dan, you are a bad man!
You did such a great job on that shifter that now I am going to have to re-do work!!!!!

However, it solves part of the problem I have with my dual exhaust routing interfering with the shifter cable, and it sounds like much better shift feel.

OK, another thing to do.....

What year shifter do i need to look for from an MR2?
I will be routing my shift lines around the drivers side from the fuel tank area. Will the 7 footers reach or do I need longer?

nice work.....

[RM1SepEx]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-1989-To...b3c319&vxp=mtr

that is where mine are run, see photos above, my sevens are a bit long, 6's would be a bit short, just run some fuel line where you want them to go. See the links above and you can view the engineering drawings for the lengths. IIRC the stock cables are 17 feet long!

[bstuke]

Awesome ingenuity on the shifter Dan, sorry to hear about the motor. I am still knocking on wood on my 07 rollover engine...

[Tamra]

Too bad my engine is now toast... pulled the pan this evening... the bad noise is rod knock

Always a crap shoot when you start with an $1850 rolled over donor

Now do I buy JDM or a short block? And even then what will I find when I pull the heads off?

I guess I won't be at the open house...

So sorry to hear that, Dan. Have you considered rebuilding the one you have? Or would you prefer to buy another new/used one?

I found an EJ207 on CL that includes a lot of things you wouldn't need, including the transmission, axles, and differential. Price seems kind of high but maybe they'd sell the engine alone: http://nh.craigslist.org/ptd/4976657876.html

Drop in used replacement for $1100:
http://nh.craigslist.org/pts/5016645826.html

Or if you wanted brand new, looks like it could be had for about $3k. Just shy of $2k for the short block from Rallysport: http://www.rallysportdirect.com/Suba...7B-Short-Block
and about $1000 for the heads direct from Subaru http://parts.northreadingsubaru.com/...1008AA930.html


Still a bummer though that you're looking at around the cost of your entire donor just to replace your engine

[RM1SepEx]

Not much different than your motor Tamra... used stuff is a crap shoot. I knew it was a risk from day one.

I don't want to do an engine project and my Subaru friends don't have good rebuilding history on these motors.
I figure $2200 to do a new Subaru short block and gaskets etc...
I can do a JDM with 55K for 1700 or so and transfer my new parts to it and recover some cash by selling off aux. parts I don't need bank extra parts like a turbo etc... I'm not looking for your HP numbers, I prefer to autox my DD2 125 kart

Years ago I had a V6 Fiero motor rebuilt locally with 3 year 36,000 warrantee... I'll see if they will do a wrx turbo as well. Answers and a strategy early next week.

At least I was able to get the old JD tractor up and running again this AM...

Tamra, did you add an oil cooler, I want to add one behind the driver's side vent behind the door.

[Hindsight]

I would do the new oem shortblock as well. Good value and they are known for longevity.

[AZPete]

Oh crap! I'm sorry to hear of your engine problems, Dan, but with your experience and skills I'm sure you'll clear this hurdle soon.

[xxguitarist]

Tamra, did you add an oil cooler, I want to add one behind the driver's side vent behind the door.

We just have a fresh OEM cooler, we don't have plans for tracking, so with road use & auto-x it should be adequate. One's not too high stress, the other has rest periods and short duration.

[RM1SepEx]

We just have a fresh OEM cooler, we don't have plans for tracking, so with road use & auto-x it should be adequate. One's not too high stress, the other has rest periods and short duration.

I just see a side vent w/o a purpose...

[RM1SepEx]

Oh crap! I'm sorry to hear of your engine problems, Dan, but with your experience and skills I'm sure you'll clear this hurdle soon.

I think that it is more related to my wallet! LOL, I just sprung for a 10KW Grid Tied solar panel system Friday, my credit card is a bit stretched!

[RM1SepEx]

So I'm looking for inputs:

I can get it rebuilt, stock, new crank, rings, head all redone etc... total job 4 yr, 40,000 warranty, $3195

I can buy JDM less than 60,000 miles, about $1500 to my door, then swap a ton of stuff from mine to it. I would have a bunch of parts to recoup the cost. BUT I would have another used, unknown motor

I can buy a new short block and check out and recondition my heads, cost should be under $3000 AND I can jump to a 2.5 short block for the same cost.

So... I'm working on the new shortblock route, 2.5 bottom end with the 2.0 heads. I have a Cobb Accessport for tuning and programming, I'm going to do a TGV delete while it is apart.

Question, will I need to go to bigger injectors if I keep my tuning level reasonable???

Are diff pistons or head work mandatory?

[xxguitarist]

Dan,
A stock 2.5 block with stock 2.0 heads puts you at a pretty iffy (high) compression ratio. Aftermarket pistons are available to reduce this compression ratio, or you can have the 2.0 heads machined out to match the volume of the 2.5 heads.

Injectors : HP is a pretty well doccumented thing, what would your power goals be?

What are the terms on the 4 year 40k warranty? That'd be pretty tempting to me if it covered parts & labor should something go south, and allowed racing. Better yet if they'd be willing to install a few upgraded parts along the way.

[metros]

If it was me, I'd be going for the new 2.5 block to ensure reliability. After going through getting 'the whammy' once with a bad untested motor, I wouldn't want to go through that again.

Best of luck with it though. That's a difficult situation to be in after the complete build.

[RM1SepEx]

Racing is verboten of course it's pretty easy to determine the proper volume for a 8.5 to 1 CR.

I may just take the easy route and stick with stock displacement

[Hindsight]

Stock injectors are fine on a stock turbo, even with the boost turned up. Pistons... Some people say different things but the general consesus seems to be stock pistons are ok on a quality tune on the stock turbo but if you go with a bigger turbo, it's wise to upgrade.

[svanlare]

Oh man, that sucks about the motor. Actually one of the things I'm worried about with mine as I got a donor "kit" that I have never saw as a donor, nor saw it run before I got it. Hard choice on what to do next. On my race team we have had much better success with JDM motors vs. the rebuilds we did. I should point out the emphasis on "we did". A new motor with a warrentee would be very nice.

On the other side, nice job on the shifter. I went K-tuned because I was convinced having cables going back to the engine was WAY better than the original setup and I wasn't sure I had the skill to design something. You did a great job with your setup.

[RM1SepEx]

Been trying to figure out if I can get headwork done in a short amt of time... I've wallowed through Nasoic and think that I've found my answer but I'm not sure:

Using the 2.0 head on the 2.5 short block results in high compression and a shelf that is a heat concern. So the stock 2.0 heads cc at 49 CC, It looks like matching the outer edge of the bore where the shelf exists and increasing the head cc to 57cc solves the issue. I sure as hell don't want to replace pistons on a brand new Subaru short block.

hybrid head.jpg

For the Subaru experts out there, is my reasoning and CC number sound?

[STiPWRD]

That is a tough decision about the engine. I went with the 2.5 block (new) and 2.0 heads (rebuilt) with swapped out pistons (JE 291059) to reduce the compression ratio back down.

Pros: Basically a brand new motor, I have control over the build quality, higher torque, more power potential

Cons: Learning curve (first time building engine), need new gaskets, oil pump, water pump etc (hidden costs), more labor/time to accomplish than buying complete engine

[longislandwrx]

You will get people saying you need it, and you will get people saying you don't. My friend had a thick gasket hybrid and it made great power, tuner (MSPT) was happy with the build. Another friend had machine work done and was also happy... builds were too different to compare, machine work will in most cases let you run more timing...

http://www.builtej.com/product.php?productid=190000389

the cometic...051 is not crazy thick, and is usually the std on a hybrid build... well known players in subieland use .070 gaskets... I don't know anyone who has used a .095 but its available.
the cosworth 1.5mm, or .059ish? is also popular.

that being said.

If you have time, I think I would get it done. equilibrium does it for a very reasonable price, not sure what their lead time is though.

[Tamra]

Been trying to figure out if I can get headwork done in a short amt of time... I've wallowed through Nasoic and think that I've found my answer but I'm not sure:

Using the 2.0 head on the 2.5 short block results in high compression and a shelf that is a heat concern. So the stock 2.0 heads cc at 49 CC, It looks like matching the outer edge of the bore where the shelf exists and increasing the head cc to 57cc solves the issue. I sure as hell don't want to replace pistons on a brand new Subaru short block.

hybrid head.jpg

For the Subaru experts out there, is my reasoning and CC number sound?

That's what we did. Our 2.0 heads were machined to match the 257 block and get us the right compression ratio. We used Larry's Machine Shop in Groton, CT, and they were extremely knowledgeable. We paid about $1200 for machining and decking the heads, boring the block, honing with a torque plate, and decked. We also had our crankshaft, flywheel, and pressure plate balanced.

[305mouse]

Pull the heads and see if you have the little cracks around the spark plug hole. Pretty common on the 2.0 heads.

[RM1SepEx]

I'm tired of "issues" so I decided to go straight 2.0 build with a brand new Subaru short block, it will be here tomorrow. No machine shop knowledgeable, local and fast and delays are absolutely KILLING me. Mounting the body twice is a bear...

The engine is out, I'm going to do a TGV delete and powder coat the intake pieces. I can not believe how many tubes, hoses etc there are on this motor! Thank God my motor is being done with help from a friend who is service manager for a local Subaru dealership. He just did a stock 2.0 short block swap last weekend on his bug eye DD and his rally car has a hybrid with forged JE pistons.

The heads will be off in another day or two... fingers crossed.

Andrew, never answered your other question, I only want 240 RWHP so a stage 2 Cobb tune should get me close...

[wallace18]

I'm tired of "issues" so I decided to go straight 2.0 build with a brand new Subaru short block, it will be here tomorrow. No machine shop knowledgeable, local and fast and delays are absolutely KILLING me. Mounting the body twice is a bear...

The engine is out, I'm going to do a TGV delete and powder coat the intake pieces. I can not believe how many tubes, hoses etc there are on this motor! Thank God my motor is being done with help from a friend who is service manager for a local Subaru dealership. He just did a stock 2.0 short block swap last weekend on his bug eye DD and his rally car has a hybrid with forged JE pistons.

The heads will be off in another day or two... fingers crossed.

Andrew, never answered your other question, I only want 240 RWHP so a stage 2 Cobb tune should get me close...

Should be easy to obtain Dan. The K818S was stock 2.0 88K miles with only a low restriction intake air cleaner and catless exhaust after the turbo. 227RWHP after a tune.

[Frank818]

Bad news on the shot engine, sorry. It really seems the 818 pushes the engines hard, we all need something reliable.

[xxguitarist]

I think stock injectors should be fine for that, but be careful with a Cobb OTS tune- the exhaust is very short, resulting in a bit less back-pressure.

You said short block, seems like a safe happy option, check your heads for flatness the best you can, and inspect around the spark plug hole for the 2.0 crack. If you suspect that it spun a rod bearing for the knock, consider replacing the oil "cooler" It's a maze, and if there are bits of bearing, they could be stuck in it.

While you're at it, any plans to do oil pickup/pan improvements? Not sure if you already have.

Also, sure you know, but keep the valve shims/buckets associated with the correct valve when you disassemble!

[C.Plavan]

I think stock injectors should be fine for that, but be careful with a Cobb OTS tune- the exhaust is very short, resulting in a bit less back-pressure.

You said short block, seems like a safe happy option, check your heads for flatness the best you can, and inspect around the spark plug hole for the 2.0 crack. If you suspect that it spun a rod bearing for the knock, consider replacing the oil "cooler" It's a maze, and if there are bits of bearing, they could be stuck in it.

While you're at it, any plans to do oil pickup/pan improvements? Not sure if you already have.

Also, sure you know, but keep the valve shims/buckets associated with the correct valve when you disassemble!

I was overboosting when I had the stock TD04 and Cobb OTS stage 2.

[RM1SepEx]

I already did the STI pan and pickup, he has a full collection of shims, we will check the head, I haven't driven it 3-4 easy miles, it was a roll over and there was always a risk... buyer beware ya know! I'll stick a wideband in it and monitor closely on the dyno before pushing it, will tune as required, and yes the cooler issue has been identified... I'd like to add an external, just because!

[longislandwrx]

I was overboosting when I had the stock TD04 and Cobb OTS stage 2.

but that's a 2,5l issue, always has been on STis

shouldn't overboost on a 2.0... at least I haven't on a open downpipe, he can always run the LWG map.

[STiPWRD]

I can not believe how many tubes, hoses etc there are on this motor!

Now is a good time to replace many of the rubber hoses with new ones. When I built my hybrid motor, I replaced nearly all of the oil, coolant, and air hoses - one less thing to worry about.

[RM1SepEx]

Making good progress:

Joel tells me the heads look great, he is cleaning them up, lapping the valves, new seals and keepers.

I did Meaty's TGV delete from the NASOIC Forum http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1741045 I did find that mine were build differently! My flapper vanes are just sheet brass and they slid through a slot in the TGV shaft

I ground out the divider and the flapper seat. I then smoothed everything up with a 1 inch flapper disc. I used 3/8 inch stainless socket head cap screws and JB Weld to plug the holes

While I'm at it I've cleaned up the TGVs the Intake and the transaxle. Boy Aluma Brite does an awesome job, my transaxle almost looks new with the dull grey cast aluminum look. Should look great attached to the new shortblock

I also dieted the engine harness to remove the TGV wiring. Since I'm using Cobb I can eliminate the codes.

I'm going to powdercoat the intake and the TGVs... my valve covers are PCed wrinkle black, I'm thinking wrinkle black for the intake and a contrasting color or just semi gloss black on the TGVs. So many holes to plug during powder coating, I hope that I have enough!

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FYI, took about 3 hrs to do the delete, one die grinder bit and 2 of the flapper bits on a hand drill.