Finally time to begin my journey to building an 818R. I have been learning a lot scouring this forum, build threads, and other technical forums the past year. I bought an EJ207 engine June 2020 and used it as my COVID project to rebuild specifically to put in my build. This was the first time I have taken an engine all the way down to the block and rebuilt it. I then sold my '18 STI in January to buy a truck as a "family" vehicle and to make way for purchasing my kit. Luckily I was able to salvage some items off my STI to set aside for this build. I have always wanted to build a car and have had that goal since high school. Guess the time has finally come to take the plunge.
I just placed my order a couple weeks ago with the completion date of 7/17/21. It seems far off but this will allow me time to get my donor parts, prep them, and get a head start on dieting my harness. My goal is to build a dedicated track and autocross car, but still be able to drive it on the streets. We will see how this pans out on southern California. I did get the S windshield included in my kit.
I have converted the EJ207 over to use USDM electronics so I can use a Cobb AP via OBBII. I had EJ257 intake cams machined, bought all new USDM sensors, created DBW adapter plates, and fitted a USDM STI wiring harness. My original idea was to use all STI parts, but after reading this forum and talking to a few people I am going to be sourcing all of my donor parts from a '06-'07 WRX. Thankfully there is a Subaru wrecking yard in south San Diego I can source everything from.
I am not really looking to fit into a specific race class just yet. My goal is 400hp on E85 at 2000lbs.
Planned Build List:
EJ207 converted to DBW
IAG oil pickup and baffle
Cobb fuel rails and 1050x injectors
Perrin Turbo inlet and ECBS
Delicious Tuning Flex Fuel Kit
Tomei Equal Length header
Legacy Spec B 6sp transmission w/ Comp clutch and light flywheel
AWIC
Oil Cooler
CSF Radiator
Comp Clutch
ATS-V 4 pot Brembos all around
Wilwood pedal assembly
Engine picked up from JDM imported in Long Beach IMG_0324[1].jpg
Replacing intake cams with machined EJ257 intake cams IMG_0347.jpg
Reassembled first long block with ARP head studs IMG_0442.jpg
Designed, 3D printed prototypes, and machined Aluminum DBW intake adapter plates. Referenced a NASIOC thread on converting 16 bit ECU to 32 bit ECU IMG_0452.jpg
All reassebmled 8 months later and lots of learning IMG_0764.jpg
Welcome to the insanity!
Yes, you can register your 818R in California. Mine was registered by the original builder in LA and driven to the tracks there. Here's his build thread where he goes thru the effort: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...R-Build-Thread.
Are you building to race in a class or just do track days? Have you raced before, and if so was it SCCA or NASA?
I have a couple of thoughts. These are discussed in easier to find form in the R forum.
1) Consider either a dry sump or an arctangent oil pickup.
2) Before you go further on the engine, such as buying a turbo, re-consider the 400 RWHP goal. First off 400 RWHP is a crazy lot of power on the street for a 2,000 lb car. It's hard to control on a race track. Secondly, that HP will kick you into the most expensive race class to compete in, basically all sanctioning bodies have a version of Unlimited. That means Unlimited $$$ to be competitive. At that level your build will cost at least $50K. And ongoing consumables will be very costly, mostly tires.
My advice is head out to your local race track on a race weekend and ask lots of questions. Find a class that your car will fit in, that the drivers seem to like each other. Then build the car to fit in that class. Building the car first then trying to find a class is a very expensive mistake.
We don't have NASA where I race, but if you do have a close look at building to NASA ST-3 rules.
Great to have another R in the works!
"Good Judgement comes from Experience. Experience comes from Bad Judgement"
Owner: Colonel Red Racing
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818R ICSCC SPM
2005 Subaru STI Race Car ICSCC ST and SPM
Palatov DP4 - ICSCC Sports Racer
I appreciate the information and feedback. I am planning for HPDE days at local racetracks in southern California. I do not plan on doing any road racing nor NASA events. I have done SCCA autocross events locally in San Diego with my STI as well as open track days. I am going to focus on HPDE events first to get a good feel for the car and work on the driver mod . Maybe down the road later I would consider a specific series like SCCA, OnGrid, GTA, or Time Attack.
1.) I will have to add the drysump to the back burner given its cost. I have upgraded to the IAG oil pick up and baffle. I am going to run an oil cooler and an IAG AOS. I will be monitoring the oil pressure and temps as I have seen many do given the heat build up in the rear bay.
2.) I am using the stock twin scroll on the EJ207, but plan to tune it for E85 so this would put me in the 350-400hp range. I will have the option to run either 91 octane or E85 which would give me some flexibility with power ranges and thus maybe different classes. I am really more interested in building a fun track/autocross focused car.
However, like you said I am going to dig into the different classes some of the groups I have done HPDE days with (OnGRID, SCCA SD Autocross, and AWD Subie Challenge) to see where I would fall.
I have been following all of your build threads so I am going to use a lot of your advice for all things cooling when I get to that point in the build.
I am picking up all of my donor parts this weekend from a local Subaru wrecking yard and hopefully a Legacy Spec B 6spd transmission. Then the fun will begin as I prep for my kit delivery.
I hope you know the LGT Spec B 6 speed has no LSD. With even 300 RWP you will be spinning one tire to shreds. At 400HP/TQ the power will be entirely useless. So factor in another $1,000 at least for an LSD.
It also doesn't have the built in pump, so if you want to run a trans cooler you will need an external pump too.
"Good Judgement comes from Experience. Experience comes from Bad Judgement"
Owner: Colonel Red Racing
eBAy Store: http://stores.ebay.com/colonelredracing
818R ICSCC SPM
2005 Subaru STI Race Car ICSCC ST and SPM
Palatov DP4 - ICSCC Sports Racer
I hope you know the LGT Spec B 6 speed has no LSD. With even 300 RWP you will be spinning one tire to shreds. At 400HP/TQ the power will be entirely useless. So factor in another $1,000 at least for an LSD.
It also doesn't have the built in pump, so if you want to run a trans cooler you will need an external pump too.
I have a JDM Legacy Spec B 6 speed and it does have the internal pump. I think it goes by the year, 2007 and earlier 6 speeds usually have the internal pump and the newer units do not have them.
I track my 818R with 250hp and no LSD with no issues. A lot depends on your suspension setup and the types of tracks you drive. Autocross and slow tight turns are where the LSD really shines.
Correct I have been following Hobby Racer's build and his 6spd FWD driver conversion post. I am looking to pick up a 2005 legacy 6spd transmission this week which has the internal pump. You can see the hard lines on the outside of the unit.
I am going to have to work with my local tuner and maybe reduce my hp goals. I will have to feel it and I notice the VCP differential is not working then I will have to upgrade to an LSD like you mention. All autocross in SD have been closed due to COVID. Only the local tracks in SoCAL have been running this past year.
Lots to think about and I appreciate your comments because you all have way more experience than I do just starting out.
I thought you were using a USDM LGT Spec B, none of which have the oil pump.
As for the VCP...If you are looking at a tranny chart the 2005 JDM Spec B lists 2 VCD, But neither control the front CV axles. There is the Viscous Center diff that connects the front to the rear of an AWD Spec B. It has no role in controlling the front diff (which becomes your RWD diff). The second Viscous Diff listed is not in the transmission, it's in the R160 rear diff of an AWD Spec B.
If you want an LSD you'll have to add it.
Hobby knows his stuff. We just have a slight disagreement on the value of a LSD. It's funny, I usually have disagreements with builders on this forum and NASIOC over the value difference between a Cusco plated LSD vs a Torsen/Quaife LSD. I'm in the Torsen/Quaife camp, but many folks swear the Cusco plated style is faster.
And keep in mind you are getting a 15 year old tranny out of a JDM car. I bought a JDM Forrester STI 6 speed and installed it in my first LGT race car. It worked for a couple of years but the syncros were going out. They can be a great value but they can also be a pig in a poke.
I don't mess around with trannys myself. Zach at ZF Design builds all my trannys now. He's fateo66 on the FF forum but is rarely here. He specializes in Subie trannys and knows the 818 issues too.
"Good Judgement comes from Experience. Experience comes from Bad Judgement"
Owner: Colonel Red Racing
eBAy Store: http://stores.ebay.com/colonelredracing
818R ICSCC SPM
2005 Subaru STI Race Car ICSCC ST and SPM
Palatov DP4 - ICSCC Sports Racer
Hobby knows his stuff. We just have a slight disagreement on the value of a LSD. It's funny, I usually have disagreements with builders on this forum and NASIOC over the value difference between a Cusco plated LSD vs a Torsen/Quaife LSD. I'm in the Torsen/Quaife camp, but many folks swear the Cusco plated style is faster.
I actually love the Torsen/Quaife LSD. Had one in my 5 speed. I just wanted to try the 6 speed with the open diff to see if the LSD was worth the upgrade. With 250hp it was not needed on the tracks I go to. Having said that, with my recent power bump I will most likely be adding a Quaife to trans sooner or later
Originally Posted by Sgt.Gator
And keep in mind you are getting a 15 year old tranny out of a JDM car. I bought a JDM Forrester STI 6 speed and installed it in my first LGT race car. It worked for a couple of years but the syncros were going out. They can be a great value but they can also be a pig in a poke.
Yeah, its nice if you can inspect the unit prior to purchasing it. I was able to look mine over before plunking down my cash so I was confident it was a good unit.
Yeah, its nice if you can inspect the unit prior to purchasing it. I was able to look mine over before plunking down my cash so I was confident it was a good unit.
Yes I am going to pick it up locally so I will make sure to inspect its condition first. It is a at a great price of $1200 so if if need to get a LSD costwise it would put me still a little less than an STI 6spd. My budget is very tight starting out so my goal is to get it running and to the track then I can work out the kinks and or upgrades. However, that being said having a good starting plan will help in the end...
I was able to pick up my 07 WRX donor parts last week from a local Subaru wrecker and an 05 Legacy Spec B 6 speed transmission. I got luckily and they all came from the same vehicle. This week I was able to spend some time cleaning all of the parts. I was not planning on replacing the wheel bearings, but I needed to disassemble them to clean and paint the spindles. So I ordered new bearing and extended ARP wheel studs to make it a complete refresh. I was able to convert the steering rack over to manual and cleaned it up. I am not sure if I was supposed to try and save as much fluid as I could or not, but there was some that leaked out in the removed lines. IMG_0820.jpgIMG_0821.jpgIMG_0822.jpgIMG_0911.jpg
I then started the strenuous process of dieting my harness. I am more of a mechanical person so this is a little nerve racking, but with the FSM wiring diagrams and then this forum I am going to try tackling it myself. I was able to ID every connector and then began to remove all of the loom. It definitely makes a mess of your hands with all of the old tape residue. Next I will work on deleting each subsystem I do not need. I have some time before my kit comes in July so I am glad I am getting a jump on this now while I have the garage floor space to lay it all out. IMG_0914.jpg
I am not sure why my pictures end up upside down when posted. They all appear fine with I view them on my computer.
I am not sure why my pictures end up upside down when posted. They all appear fine with I view them on my computer.
99% of upside down pictures are from an iPhone. If you hold the phone do that you can use the volume button for the shutter (which apple enabled years ago) the picture will be upside down. You have to put the volume button towards the ground. If you have them upside down, you can rotate 90 degrees in edit, save, then rotate back.
99% of upside down pictures are from an iPhone. If you hold the phone do that you can use the volume button for the shutter (which apple enabled years ago) the picture will be upside down. You have to put the volume button towards the ground. If you have them upside down, you can rotate 90 degrees in edit, save, then rotate back.
Gotcha okay yea I am using my iPhone to take pictures. I will try to remember to rotate it next time thanks.
I struggled with the iphone picture rotation as well. I simply take ALL pics in landscape mode with the top of the phone rotated to the left (CCW). They upload fine if you do that, no editing necessary.
On the steering rack, several of us (me included) have removed all the fluid. I ended up disassembling and grinding down the piston as to allow the air to easy pass right/left as the rack moves. I ground off the threaded hose ports and welded them up. I then greased it all up and reassembled and it seems to be perfect with no future leaking issues and I don't have to push fluid through the small bypass tube anymore.
I made a lot of progress the last two weeks working on dieting my harness. I think I have about 30 hours on it now. I tried to take my time and used the FSM wiring diagrams and schematics to work my way through all of the subsystems. I reference a lot of the wire dieting threads for inspiration like Mechie, K3LAG, and FFRWRX. A couple miss cuts along the way required some extra spices. I hope I left the right ones intact and it will start when I get to that point. Removing all of the loom and old electrical tape was quite messy, but now I have quite the pile of it all and lots of extra wire.
I deleted the following: ABS, airbag, A/C, secondary air pump, keyless entry, all doors, and all interior lights. I was able to cut down on a lot of the relays, but I still need to clean them up. I only have a couple wires left on the body control module so I may look at how to remove it as well. I think I am done now until it’s in the car and the engine fires up.
I have been working on a few smaller details the last couple week until the kit comes in Aug. I replaced all of the wheel bearings, completed the fronts, but am waiting to fit check the rear calipers before pressing in the rear hubs. Thanks to JForand for the Cadillac rear brake adapters they look great and so far fit nicely. IMG_0983.jpg
Next I started to use Hobby's FWD conversion thread for 6MT transmissions. I have removed the center diff and have it now separated. I need to cut out the female gear at the top of the center diff and then weld it to the gear per his thread. I am waiting for Harbor Freight to put their welders on sale so I may just have to pull the trigger and do some practicing before completing this. However, this got me thinking about the previous comments from Gator about the open front diff in the 05 LGT 6MT. Since I am already working on the trans and started the disassembly I am now planning on upgrading the front diff. Since I want to be able to street drive, autox, and track the car a Quaife LSD seems like a good fit. I have seen quite a few people here are running them with good results and seems like a clutch style like a Cusco 1.5 may be too much. I have been reading through the FSM to understand the install and think I will take the plunge to do the upgrade myself. Plus this LSD upgrade is not in the planned budget so it will help save the cost of paying someone for the install. I am hoping I will not need too many of the specialty tools mentioned in the FSM, but rather maybe can make them like Hindsight did in his LSD stickie.
If you have any tips or tricks they would be much appreciated!
Thanks I have read through this one which got me started on my investigation. Unfortunately the steps for the 6MT vs the 5MT disassembly are quite different, but still a good source to reference.
Hobby did a great job on his transmission and sadly is going back through it now for a different reason. We both ended up doing very similar deletions. He went with a set-screw collar for retaining the front/rear shaft coupler in place. I opted to cut a grove and use a snap ring with a washer. You can see it and a description of how I cut it around post #22
Just got the call my kit is being picked up next week and should be here 8/5-8/7. Time to organize the garage and complete the transmission. I was able to install the Quaife LSD, get it back together, and complete the FWD conversion just need to cut the tail housing. Full detailed list to follow with pictures. I started Go pro filing and quickly learned I am no Vlogger haha.
One warning on the tail housing. FFR tell you to Indian Shellac in the aluminum plugs to seal up the tail housing. I found that did not work. One good day at the track and the round (~2" dia) disc started to work its way out of the tail housing (toward falling back into the transmission) I think Hobby pointed it out to me as a leaking blank off plate as it had brown around the edges. In reality what they were seeing was the Indian Shellac by Permatex as FFR suggested; however, upon close examination the aluminum disc had crept inward by almost 1/8" from its original location. I can only assume that with repeated heat cycling it worked its way in, much like a nail pop on your home's siding.
What it used to look like (inside view). The stuff turns into something like solidified tree sap (think Jurassic Park Amber mosquito). BTW, if you have to remove it Acetone works wonders, dissolves it right away.
Perfect timing and thanks for the feedback! I am cutting the tail housing this week. Guess I will see how good the aluminum welding rods work from HF. I don't have an aluminum welder unfortunately. https://www.harborfreight.com/8-piec...ods-44810.html
I suggest that you save your time, money, and not make a mess of your parts. I had the same thought for some trim parts, and all I got was a mess, a refund, and some alumimum "backer" rods for future bad ideas... JB weld is great for this application.
While I have not tried this personally (I welded mine) but others have used common freeze plugs for engines. Bring your tail housing into your auto parts store and size up the closest fitting freeze plug and tap it in from the inside. The plug will wedge itself into the aluminum, you may still want to use some type of sealant to ensure a leak proof seal.
But in the end, welding would be the best seal. Any shop can weld it up in no time for cheap if you do not have the right equipment.
I did a small freeze plug on the hole associated with the wire penetration for the center differential that is no longer there. The plastic was brittle and I just deleted it entirely. It has work perfectly so far and looks just like what the factory did for the deletion of the Speed (VSS) sensor toward the front. My concern with the plug is that as the diameter gets bigger, so does the side wall depth. It is a pretty deep recess, but after my experience I like the welding.
I only have a MIG and no gas for the aluminum spoon gun, have yet to try aluminum.
I simply typed "welding near me" in the iphone maps app and started calling the dots that appeared in the order of closest to farthest. It took three phone numbers and $40. Now that the 50 cent plug costs $40.50 is can't possible fail
I have to admit I was very nervous to start this task. I have never done any work on transmissions and it was difficult to find a YouTube video or other how tos covering a Subaru 6sp tear down. I read (multiple times) the LSD install stickie by Hindsight and even printed out part of it to set the backlash. So I printed out the whole 6sp transmission section of the FSM and decided to jump in. At the time I had already removed the tail housing and the center diff so the back end was already exposed. I also followed Hobby's 6sp FWD conversion post and had cut off the top part of the center diff to have my 2 pieces to weld together to slave the driven and pinion gears. I was using a Go-Pro while I did the tear down to record video to revisit or maybe even compile a how to video, but quickly realized I am no Vlogger. Once I received the Quaife QDH3Y LSD and the gasket and seal 32001AA210 kit I was ready to go. IMG_1011.jpg
I did find a NASIOC post about 6spd gear upgrade and it has IMGUR links to photos which worked at the time, but now seem to be broken. This helped to get better visuals, but all in all the FSM was pretty good. As always there were some steps that were not explicitly mentioned that I learned in the end. It was pretty straight forward to remove the oil pump assembly, neutral spring from the striking rod, and remove the transmission case. I did miss the 3 nuts that go with the 8 bolts to hold the transmission case to the adapter plate. Should have known when something requires a lot of force it is probably due to a hidden bolt/nut rather than trying to use force to separate the case. I was wedging a blade around the perimeter because I thought it was superior RTV, but nope just missed 3 nuts and then it came right off. https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/sho...2831498&page=2 IMG_1013.jpgIMG_1016.jpgIMG_1019.jpg
I continued to follow the FSM once the case was off because this is when the NASIOC links went dead. Once I was able to figure out which was 4th gear and get it shifted then I was able to be prepared to remove the reverse idle, reverse assembly, striking rod, pinion gear, and main driven gear sets. One thing here to note on the reassembly once you put the gear sets and striking rod back in is to note the offset. There are 2 pilot holes on the transmission case which you use to check to make sure it is still in neutral once the case is back on. These 2 holes are ~36mm (IIRC) apart which correlates to the distance you need offset the main gear clutch forks. When you drop in the clutch forks they just drop in and rest on the adapter plate, but the reverse clutch fork seem to always be at the correct height. So once I reinstalled the case for the first time I notice the bottom portion of the striking rod was too low and you could not see it through the lower pilot hole on the transmission case. So you need to make sure all of the clutch forks are shifted into neutral per the FSM and then raise them up to meet the reverse fork to get the outer lobes to be ~36mm apart and align with the pilot holes. You can see the correct offset in the first picture because this is before they were removed and in the right place. I forgot to take a picture of it reassembled. IMG_1020.jpgIMG_1021.jpg
I was able to lean the transmission down to be horizontal again which allowed me to gently pull out the gears. NOTE this may cause a mess if you have a lot of oil still in it which I did have to clean up a bit of. I was able to use an adjustable spanner wrench to remove the sun dials which hold the front differential in place. Surprisingly it worked really well, but you do need to be careful because you could break the teeth if you don't find one of the grooves. I was able to "gently" pull off the bearings to reuse them and kept the outer races installed in the sun dials. I checked to make sure the bearings still spun nicely and cleaned them off for reinstall. I replaced the oil seals in the sun dials. I heated up the bearings to 200F in my oven, not sure my wife appreciated that, but it worked really well to allow just enough clearance to slip the bearing onto the LSD. Note for the 6sp it did come with special spacers so I put them onto the LSD per their drawing before the bearings. There was some gaps here, but these were taken up when I performed the bearing preload when I set the backlash. Here is the picture of the LSD installed back into the housing. I used the same heat treatment to reinstall the pinion gear onto the LSD. Note the bolts used to hold the pinion gear to the LSD are E20 and not Torx. A puller tool came in handy to remove the oil gear on the VCD housing, remove the carrier bearings on the old front diff, remove the pinion gear from the old front diff and in the end pull or compress the oil gear back on. IMG_1035.jpg
Since I did not touch anything on the pinion shaft I was able to reinstall it as is and did not need to adjust and spacers. This was also noted in the LSD install stickie so I went with it. Here is where I found it easier to follow the stickie rather than the FSM to set the backlash. The FSM language was a little vague an the pictures did not help too much, but the stickie was perfect. I came up with a similar set up to set a dial indicator on the pinion gear, a vice grip on the pinion shaft, and a weight to hold the shaft fixed. It took me 5-6 tries and adjustments until I was satisfied with my setting. The dial indicator was hard to set and seemed to move on me so this is maybe where using one attached to a steel plate would have been better. I was able to get the backlash set to 0.060" which is right in spec and was able to repeat the measurement. I also set the bearing preload at the same time. It spins nicely and has a good feel to the backlash (ha with my novice experience). IMG_1036.jpg
Working backwards to get everything reinstalled took a little time. Mostly due to what I learned about the offset of the clutch forks from the adapter plate so I could shift through all of the gears nicely. I did have to clean off some RTV learning this, but luckily I caught it before it had set. This was where I stopped to recording video, but you could use the early part of the video to work backwards and I could talk through it if I upload it someday. I did need an extra set of hands to line up the main driven gear set, pinion gear, and clutch forks to get them all back into the adapter plate. Understanding how the striking rod worked to shift through the gears took a few minutes to grasp but you can figure it out. During the reassembly I went through and replaced all of the copper washers along the way. Luckily I can say reassembled I was able to shift through all 6 gears.
Part of this process was completing the 6sp FWD conversion documented by Hobby. So as mentioned I was able to follow his steps and cut off the top of the VCD housing and needed to weld it to the gear that fit on the end of the pinion shaft. I had tried welding once or twice in high school, but never got any skills. So I waiting for the Easy Flux 125 to go on sale at HF, bought some junk metal scrap, and started practicing. I still need practice, but I was able to get some decent practice welds and get the right settings. So I was nervous to apply this new skill to real parts that need to be structurally welded together, but decided to go for it. Since the parts are pretty thick steel it helped to be able to add extra heat/material to offset my lack of skill. I think it came out pretty clean and a decent weld for my first part. I then got a 1" ID collar, added 2 more set screws to it, and ground flat spots in the pinion shaft where the set screws would sit. As mentioned in Hobby's write up I also cut off the extra portion of the pinion shaft that is no longer needed. I dropped the FWD conversion onto the gears, the collar on top, blue Loctite to the set screws, and it is now installed. IMG_1075.jpgIMG_1080.jpg
At this point the transmission is back together and just needs the tail housing to be reinstalled. To do so I need to cut off the 4.75" as directed by FFR and then either weld in or JB weld in plugs to cover the holes. I then plan to paint the whole transmission with Eastwood Acrylic Alumna Blast paint so it will look newish again .
You have a left over outer bearing race pressed in just above your coupler. My 6MT did not have the oil pump as was a little different, but I also left that race in. I tried to extract it a few different ways and failed. I believe the best way to get it out would be to burn some hot weld on the race and the overall dimension will shrink a bit when the welds cool. If done correctly it will likely fall out, but I got cold feet on trying that extreme of a measure. Also the trans is heavy and was in the basement and the welder (also heavy) was up in the garage.
Anyway, there is a piece of plastic in there. I was able to pull mine out without pulling the race. Just make sure you don't seal it up with something not held in place. Yours might be held in by the bearing race.
Thanks Justin for pointing that out. I gave it a look at I would have to remove the oil pump and plate again to remove it. It doesn’t seem like it will cause a problem is I left it. Is this true do you think?
I bought the aluminum rods because I was curious and well they do work but best on think aluminum. It was really hard to hear up the tail housing to get the rod to melt. So I got an aluminum disc to fill the hole and JB weld to hold it all together. Not as pretty as a weld but gets the job done. Pics to follow after it cures.
Thanks Justin for pointing that out. I gave it a look at I would have to remove the oil pump and plate again to remove it. It doesn’t seem like it will cause a problem is I left it. Is this true do you think?
My race and plastic piece has been in for 2 years with no issues. Like Justin said, you would need to use a lot of heat to get the race out and you might distort things. Best to leave it alone.
I think you’ll be fine. The race should really press in there hard enough to hold itself put. If it was truly reliant on the bearing to hold it in place it would cause issues eventually by spinning or the like. Mine was left in place as well, but I was able to pull the plastic piece out from inside it though. I guess yours (and Hobby’s) is held in there by the race itself. Mine was easily pulled out.
I guess there are a few subtle differences between your trans with a pump and mine. Honestly, I am envious of the pump. It makes a trans cooler SO easy and inexpensive.
Finished up the tail housing to complete the transmission. I used a chop saw to cut off the end of the tail housing measured to the 4.75" specs in the FFR 6 speed FWD conversion instructions. I ordered a 2.5" OD aluminum disc from McMaster Carr and sanded it down to fit into the opening. I used JB Weld to secure it in place and plug up the other openings to make sure it is sealed. Lastly I used Eastwood Acrylic Alumna Blast to paint the exterior of the transmission to cover up all of the previous beauty marks and think it came out pretty well. Sorry for the upside down pics again I will figure it out one day... IMG_1081.jpgIMG_1084.jpgIMG_1085.jpgIMG_1086.jpgIMG_1087.jpgIMG_1088.jpgIMG_1089.jpg
Just confirmed with Stewart yesterday my delivery date is scheduled for this Saturday! Now the race will be on to see how much I can get done before my wife has our second kiddo. Her due date is 10/6, but out first came 5 weeks early so really hoping it is closer to the due date this time.
Finally got everything unpacked, inventoried, and hung all of the body panels out of the way. I have a lot of items still on order :/ so gonna have to kind of work out of order while things come in.
One question did come up. The manual says to cover the openings under the fuel tank when fitting the underside aluminum panel. Should I make sure to cover up the holes and the slots? Or just the slots? Not sure if any of these features are supposed to be a drain or weep holes. 11194946-2016-4958-BFB2-48B4C5A20E81.jpeg
Finally got everything unpacked, inventoried, and hung all of the body panels out of the way. I have a lot of items still on order :/ so gonna have to kind of work out of order while things come in.
One question did come up. The manual says to cover the openings under the fuel tank when fitting the underside aluminum panel. Should I make sure to cover up the holes and the slots? Or just the slots? Not sure if any of these features are supposed to be a drain or weep holes. 11194946-2016-4958-BFB2-48B4C5A20E81.jpeg
I don't think the aluminum covers those slots.
I think the slots are there to let the gas out if you have a tank leak. I wouldn't want pooled gas leaking into the cockpit.
There are slots in the cockpit that I use as drain holes when it rains.
Bob
Bob
Last edited by Bob_n_Cincy; 08-14-2021 at 10:29 PM.
Yea that’s what I would think too. I don’t want gas pooling up either. So the manual must have a typo in it and should say “do not” cover the slots. I will make sure the panel doesn’t cover them. Glad I asked first! 5F9B674F-ACD1-414B-82FD-DE9F2309DDDE.jpg
Completed my inventory with minor issues so just waiting for FFR to get back to me. I am missing my Wilwood front panels which is keeping me from finishing the front firewall. I am working around that to put the front and rear suspension together, but I am still waiting on my Koni shocks. Hopefully my missing parts will ship soon.
I mounted the front under tray panel, paint it white on the inside piece, and drilled all of the holes for the center under tray panel as well. I am not mounting it yet because I am probably cutting out the X and will weld in an H pattern to get my seat low enough to pass the broomstick test. 2F100A32-5DD5-4FF5-85F7-965924F94882.jpg
I can’t seem to find in the manual where the outer nuts on the upper control arms are tightened. They also are very hard to tighten and I see strings of what looks like paint in the threads. I wonder if I need to clean the threads to lock the nuts. Anyone else have the problem or am I doing something wrong? 34CB9805-225C-448D-86F3-6AED374EA24B.jpg
Can someone show a picture of the left or right race dead pedal? I think mine are missing because there are not panels where I thought the dead pedals go inside the frame. 9C97F088-E1E2-49C8-85E0-59183E80C430.jpg
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. Maybe down the road later I would consider a specific series like SCCA, OnGrid, GTA, or Time Attack.
Originally Posted by Sgt.Gator
and I appreciate your comments because you all have way more experience than I do just starting out.
so I may just have to pull the trigger and do some practicing before completing this. However, this got me thinking about the previous comments from Gator about the open front diff in the 05 LGT 6MT. Since I am already working on the trans and started the disassembly I am now planning on upgrading the front diff. Since I want to be able to street drive, autox, and track the car a Quaife LSD seems like a good fit. I have seen quite a few people here are running them with good results and seems like a clutch style like a Cusco 1.5 may be too much. I have been reading through the FSM to understand the install and think I will take the plunge to do the upgrade myself. Plus this LSD upgrade is not in the planned budget so it will help save the cost of paying someone for the install. I am hoping I will not need too many of the specialty tools mentioned in the FSM, but rather maybe can make them like Hindsight did in his LSD stickie.
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