Sponaugle's H6 EZ30R 818S

[sponaugle]

Since I am a month away from my kit arrival I am starting up my build thread.

Donor Car:

I was originally going to use my 2002 WRX as my donor car:



I purchased this WRX in 2001 when they were first imported to the US, and in 2005 Jeff Perrin and I installed custom EZ30R H6 6 Cylinder motors in our cars. I also had a complete JDM drivetrain swap from a 2001 JDM Spec C. There are extensive build threads about each of these cars at:

Jeff Sponaugle's H6 WRX: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1437246 and http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1215617
Jeff Perrin's H6 STI: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1187722

However, I had the opportunity to purchase Jeff Perrin’s 06 STI when the second owner in California put it up for sale. Since my WRX is in fantastic condition, and I just spent 5k on refreshing the suspension, this was a perfect opportunity. This car was at SEMA in 2005:





I purchased the car from the guy in California that purchased the car from Perrin. On delivery to me it looked like this:



The engine is slightly different then the EZ30R I have in my WRX. It has been sleeved:



As well, it has larger head studs.



And custom rods:

[sponaugle]

The second owner had switched the car over to a ViPEC stand alone ECU, replaced the doors, hood, and trunk with carbon fiber parts, and left the engine and transmission just as Jeff Perrin had built it The car only has 20,000 miles on it, with about 5k on the EZ30R. It makes about 600whp and 560 lb-ft of torque with the 4088 at a medium boost level as Jeff Perrin tuned it.



Here is the engine removed from the car on an engine stand. It currently has a twin scroll manifold with a GT35R, although I plan on going back to the GT4088 that Jeff had originally used.




818 Goal:

I’m building an 818S, so this will be registered street car. My 02 WRX is my dedicated track car, I have an 08 STI with ~500whp that is my daily driver (especially in the rain), a twin-turbo 2006 GTO that is my' I have no traction' car, and a new 2014 GT-R that is my 10 sec street car. So…. For the 818 I am going to try and build the fastest 0-60 and ¼ mile acceleration 818S. Given the power output of the EZ30R (~600whp), and the weight of the 818 (1950 lbs with the heavier H6), I think a high 9 second time is reasonable with the right tires, and perhaps mid 10s on a street friendly tire. So.. that is my goal.

I’m doing the build in my shop at my house, which is helpful as I can do small amounts of work at a time and leave everything setup… and I have an 18 month old baby so time is already constrained! I have a lift in the shop, although that won’t really be needed for this build.



I’ll be tearing down the rest of the 06 STI in prep for the arrival of the kit. I would like to have ABS working, so I plan on moving those pieces over. I am using the STI drivetrain including the hubs and brakes as well as the 6-speed transmission. I have a spare 6-speed that I am going to have custom gears made for once I get everything moving along. To get a decent ¼ mile time I need taller gears. Oh.. and a RaceLogic Traction Control setup (as per http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...ol-for-the-818)

[Kurk818]

I cant wait to see what youre going to do. Subscribed!

[sponaugle]

I cant wait to see what youre going to do. Subscribed!

Ah, your reasonably close by, and if I remember correctly you are also using STI hubs and a 6-speed transmission?

[sponaugle]

Current Donor Status:

Removed interior pieces and wire harnesses:





This car had a set of the Perrin adjustable rear trailing arms, which are not made anymore. Sweet!



Hubs Removed

[sponaugle]

Brembo Brakes Removed. Pretty dirty calipers.



After a little cleanup



Transmission removed. I am going to get some custom gear ratios for this one.



Most of the important bits removed:



The remaining chassis is pretty much completely stripped. I'll weigh the chassis once I get it off the lift to see how much it weighs. If anyone is in the Portland area and wants a chassis, let me know. It is a low mileage never wrecked frame!



Jeff

[Kurk818]

Yup, I have everything figured out as far as installation goes. The only thing left is to fab the bracket to hold the cables at the transmission (the easiest part).

Ah, your reasonably close by, and if I remember correctly you are also using STI hubs and a 6-speed transmission?

[Kurk818]

You have to love the NW cars for how clean they are at dis-assembly. After seeing what other guys are going through, it makes me feel great knowing that is one hurdle i did not have to tackle.

[sponaugle]

Yea.. There was not a single rusted bolt, or even spot of rust on this entire car! So glad the car wasn't sold to someone in Michigan.

[Scargo]

Nice. A rebirth. Such a pretty skeleton.

[mikeb75]

<sigh> such a nice looking disassembly. Looks like this is going to be a monster build, can't wait to see where it goes!

[AZPete]

Are you sure 600whp will be enough? There are hills in Portland.

[Canadian818]

Wow! I'm also planning a H6 build, but nowhere near this magnitude. Post pics of EVERYTHING!!!

[Frank818]

You copied my garage floor pattern! lolll

With 600whp are you sure this is going to be an S or an R? loll

[Wayne Presley]

My turbo H6 818 is going to so slow in comparison.... I do have a FFR Cobra with a supercharged 4.6 with twin turbos though, its well into the not enough traction arena

[thestigwins]

this build is going to be epic. Best part is I live in Portland. I can't wait to see this thing when its all finished up.

[Xusia]

Yeah. I may have to visit you in Portland sometime down the road!

[longislandwrx]

Great start but are you sure you have enough gun safes?

Nice shop, donor, build, etc etc etc; And you know so many great local Subaru resources. This will be fun to watch.

[sponaugle]

Are you sure 600whp will be enough? There are hills in Portland.

True True. Hills do eat HP!. Of course the real killer isn't the hills, it is the rain. Even with the RaceLogic traction control there is only so much two tires can do. I'm not really sure what the upper end of power possibilities are with the EZ30R. Jeff and I never really pushed much above 23-24psi. I'm planning on running E98, so I'll be using 6 ID 2000 injectors and a triple pump setup. I would think 800whp is possible, as that is only 133whp/cylinder... but the heads might not be big enough for that.

Wow! I'm also planning a H6 build, but nowhere near this magnitude. Post pics of EVERYTHING!!!

I will. I have a camera in the shop setup ready to go, and a gopro on the ceiling.

You copied my garage floor pattern! lolll

With 600whp are you sure this is going to be an S or an R? loll

Nice! I just picked that pattern at random.. well .. random except that I have a lot of blue cars so that was an easy color choice. I love the tile floor.. it is much softer then concrete so easy on the feet.

My turbo H6 818 is going to so slow in comparison.... I do have a FFR Cobra with a supercharged 4.6 with twin turbos though, its well into the not enough traction arena

Honestly traction will be the nemesis for this build. Even with a lot of custom work to support larger tires, to get a good 1/4 mile time I will have to run some kind of slick tire. In drag racing it is all about the tires. I was out of Woodburn two weeks ago while ETS was testing their GT-R at the drag strip. It runs slicks in the rear, and drag radials in the front, and the rear hookup is absolutely amazing. (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn9ALi1Mh5E). 0-60 in 1.51 seconds, and a 7.81 1/4 mile time. That is moving. I had my GT-R there and it's weak sauce 10 second runs were just embarrassing. I never thought I would say that!

In any case, it will be fun to see what we can do with this platform.

this build is going to be epic. Best part is I live in Portland. I can't wait to see this thing when its all finished up.

Cool.. I was thinking about have an 818 get together this summer, so anyone withing driving range keep on the lookout.

Yeah. I may have to visit you in Portland sometime down the road!

Anytime. I can always use a hand!

Great start but are you sure you have enough gun safes?
Nice shop, donor, build, etc etc etc; And you know so many great local Subaru resources. This will be fun to watch.

Well, you never really have enough guns, or gun safes. You know.. just in case.

Jeff

[metalmaker12]

Wow, I am excited!!! But your crazy (in a good way lol)with thinking of putting anything over 400whp in the 818. It's going to be insane fast. I am making like maybe 250-260 whp on a base map and it does like 3.6-3.8 to 60, I am going to get it up to maybe 325 max. It's very fast the way it is. Your car is going to be super nuts fast!!!!awesome!!!

[Wayne Presley]

I'll be using 6 ID 2000 injectors

Speaking of injectors, what type of injector do I need in my EZ30, there seems to be a passage above the injector tip. I've so busy at the shop since I got my car back from SEMA to pull them off to figure that out. I just know they were different.

Well, you never really have enough guns, or gun safes. You know.. just in case.
Jeff

I couldn't agree more....

[longislandwrx]

I hope you have the motor in by June... i'll be in Portland and would love to see this Monster.

[svanlare]

Really looking forward to watching your build!

[Oppenheimer]

Now THAT is a home shop!!

Not sure which is more extreme, your 818 plans, or your home shop...

[metalmaker12]

Sick shop

[sponaugle]

Speaking of injectors, what type of injector do I need in my EZ30, there seems to be a passage above the injector tip. I've so busy at the shop since I got my car back from SEMA to pull them off to figure that out. I just know they were different.

Both of the EZ30Rs I have are currently running WRX blue injectors (with the tips removed so they flow about 750ccs). Normal topfeed injectors (from the WRX and STI) work fine in the EZ30R head... but I'm not sure what fits the heads of the EZ30. I *think* the EZ30 heads use the sidefeed injectors, but I have not looked. The STI in 2004 used side feed injectors, and there are some sidefeed to top feed converters.

Jeff

[Wayne Presley]

They are top feed but the recess in the head looks way different. I'll pull one when I get back from the Mitty at Road Atlanta this weekend.

[metalmaker12]

The second owner had switched the car over to a ViPEC stand alone ECU, replaced the doors, hood, and trunk with carbon fiber parts, and left the engine and transmission just as Jeff Perrin had built it The car only has 20,000 miles on it, with about 5k on the EZ30R. It makes about 600whp and 560 lb-ft of torque with the 4088 at a medium boost level.



Here is the engine removed from the car on an engine stand. It currently has a twin scroll manifold with a GT35R, although I plan on going back to the GT4088 that Jeff had originally used.




818 Goal:

I’m building an 818S, so this will be registered street car. My 02 WRX is my dedicated track car, I have an 08 STI with ~500whp that is my daily driver (especially in the rain), a twin-turbo 2006 GTO that is my' I have no traction' car, and a new 2014 GT-R that is my 10 sec street car. So…. For the 818 I am going to try and build the fastest 0-60 and ¼ mile acceleration 818S. Given the power output of the EZ30R (~600whp), and the weight of the 818 (1950 lbs with the heavier H6), I think a high 9 second time is reasonable with the right tires, and perhaps mid 10s on a street friendly tire. So.. that is my goal.

I’m doing the build in my shop at my house, which is helpful as I can do small amounts of work at a time and leave everything setup… and I have an 18 month old baby so time is already constrained! I have a lift in the shop, although that won’t really be needed for this build.



I’ll be tearing down the rest of the 06 STI in prep for the arrival of the kit. I would like to have ABS working, so I plan on moving those pieces over. I am using the STI drivetrain including the hubs and brakes as well as the 6-speed transmission. I have a spare 6-speed that I am going to have custom gears made for once I get everything moving along. To get a decent ¼ mile time I need taller gears. Oh.. and a RaceLogic Traction Control setup (as per http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...ol-for-the-818)

With that power 8's might happen

[Wayne Presley]

BTW, how big is that rocket?

[TahoeTim]

what, no reloading bench???

[sponaugle]

They are top feed but the recess in the head looks way different. I'll pull one when I get back from the Mitty at Road Atlanta this weekend.

Interesting. I may have a set of the older EZ30 heads laying around.. I'll have to take a look. It might be possible to make a custom fuel rail such that you could use the normal top feed injectors.

With that power 8's might happen

By power it would seem possible, but traction is really the key. I'm also a little concerned about the car lifting... there is not a lot of weight in the front when you launch with drag slicks. It will be fun to experiment with.

what, no reloading bench???

Of course! In the shop picture above the wood bench with the two red chairs is a reloading bench. You can see the green heavy press and red turret press on the right side, and on the front left side the out of round bullet micrometer. I primarily do long range shooting with 338 Lapua Magnum for the long reach (>1000 yards), and .308 for the shorter range (<1000 yards). Sako TRG-42 for the .338, and Accuracy International AW for the .308. I love .338LM.... such a great ballistic round.

Jeff

[sponaugle]

Now THAT is a home shop!!
Not sure which is more extreme, your 818 plans, or your home shop...

Sick shop

Thanks for the complements! This is an interesting shop. When I purchased the property a few years ago, the 'shop' was a corrugated steel sided building:



The internal structure of the shop was the most amazing part. The entire thing is built out of steel. Lots and Lots of steel.



The guy who built it in the 50s worked at a shipyard, and had good access to lots of steel and loved to weld. The main beam supports are 8 inch steel posts that I am not kidding are over 1/2 inch thick pipe. (Schedule 100) The beams alone are well over 1000 lbs each. I have no idea how the guy actually built the place.

Even the foundatation is steel pipe.



I built a wood 'shell' around it both inside and out so I could insulate, add drywall, wiring, welding plugs, new exterior walls, and a new roof. I brought in a dedicated 200 amp circuit so I have 2 50 am welding plugs plus the usually other power stuff.



Once it was done, it looked just like the house.



Before moving tools, etc in:



I was originally going to 'replace' the concrete floor since I didn't know how strong it was. I paid a guy to come out and cut it up, and he started with an 8 inch deep cut, which didn't do anything. He switched up to 10, then 12, then 16 inches, and still could not get through.. so the floor is at least 16 inches thick. That is a mind boggling amount on concrete. It calculates to something like 300,000 lbs of concrete. I think the guy was a little crazy. Either way, there was no way I was going to remove that floor... the concrete cutter guys said they could get it out, but would have to use explosives. I added some sealant to the concrete and then put the floor covering on... in the end it was a good deal because the floor is both super strong and easy to work on... and the lift has a really good base to hook into.

One cool thing this guy did was bury steel pipe across the floor just a tiny bit above the surface so that if you had steel laying on the ground it would contact the upper edge of the pipe and conduct to ground... an those pipes were all grounded to the building for welding. Cool Stuff.

Anyways, I lucked out in finding this as a starting point for a shop. 1600 sqft of main space, and 1600 sq ft of storage space in the attic. My wife thinks I am a little crazy, but I'm cool with that.

Jeff

[Kurk818]

Awesome. Thanks for the write-up.

[longislandwrx]

One man, armed with 80 cans of spray foam. Worst day ever. LOL

[sponaugle]

One man, armed with 80 cans of spray foam. Worst day ever. LOL

Yes, yes indeed. It was everywhere.

On an unrelated note, i am considering that switching to a 5 speed might be a good idea considering I need custom gearing and I will not be using more then 5 gears. The 5 speed is lighter.

Any of you guys have recommendations on transmission builders? I have used Andrewtech in the past, but he is on the east coast. I would love to find a builder somewhere out west, perhaps that does ppg or albini gears.

Any recommendations?

Jeff

[Frank818]

My wife thinks I am a little crazy

She's crazy not thinking you're smart! But I bet she's cool with that too.

[Xusia]

I have 2003 5mt transmission case with 2009 internals with virtually no miles (like 20k, IIRC). Wanna trade?

[STiPWRD]

Yes, yes indeed. It was everywhere.

On an unrelated note, i am considering that switching to a 5 speed might be a good idea considering I need custom gearing and I will not be using more then 5 gears. The 5 speed is lighter.

Any of you guys have recommendations on transmission builders? I have used Andrewtech in the past, but he is on the east coast. I would love to find a builder somewhere out west, perhaps that does ppg or albini gears.

Any recommendations?

Jeff

Stick to Andrewtech There's gotta be some good shops on the west coast but Andrew does a quality job

[sponaugle]

I have 2003 5mt transmission case with 2009 internals with virtually no miles (like 20k, IIRC). Wanna trade?

Unfortunately I want to keep the 6-speed as a spare for my 02 WRX track car.

Stick to Andrewtech There's gotta be some good shops on the west coast but Andrew does a quality job

Yea.. I contacted Andrew and he is getting me some quotes for straight cut dog box setups. It a somewhat untested setup, as no one has really put 600+whp through a 5 speed while ONLY using the front diff. Time to learn!

Jeff

[sponaugle]

Here is a look at some gear ratios:



I am thinking of doing the PPG Synchro Straight Cut gears. With a 3.9 front gear set, I can hit 159mph in 4th gear at 8k rpm, which looks decent for high 9s.

Once nice thing about the 818 is the ease of removing the transmission and changing the front gear set. I can always switch to a 3.7 if I want more speed, or go to 4.1 if I want less.

Thoughts?

Jeff