RM1Sepex Build Thread

[RM1SepEx]

being removable sounds great. only thing on rivnuts i was able to find was cutting the top off or using a vice grip to crimp and pull/push through the hole. is this what you mean? or are you talking about rivscrews? i found this site RivScrews which seems like its very easy to remove. Not sure on reviews for it just yet

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rivet-nuts/=ohprqc F5 provides us with a box, I have a tool and various sizes always in stock

[RM1SepEx]

Does anyone else have sway bar mounts that look like mine? The mounting tabs mount at an angle:

How about the anti rotation tabs of the seat belts... when I bolt mine up they stick out 1/2 inch or more and the covers won't fit over them. Just bend the mount???

sway bar mount.JPGright belt.JPGleft belt.JPG

[wallace18]

Does anyone else have sway bar mounts that look like mine? The mounting tabs mount at an angle:

How about the anti rotation tabs of the seat belts... when I bolt mine up they stick out 1/2 inch or more and the covers won't fit over them. Just bend the mount???

sway bar mount.JPGright belt.JPGleft belt.JPG

My sway bar mount is only bent on one side. I flatten it out with a BFH.

[RM1SepEx]

I cut the other one where the bend occurs and flattened it, the holes are too close together. Do your's line up after the BFH treatment?

[Wayne Presley]

Are you using the rear seat belts?

I got the sway bar mount close with a hammer then put the bolts in a tightened them up.
BTW, I've seen 3 different mounts for the bars... :-(

[wallace18]

I cut the other one where the bend occurs and flattened it, the holes are too close together. Do your's line up after the BFH treatment?

No only one hole lined up. I had to drill new ones for both sides.

[RM1SepEx]

Yes, the rear belts, I don't have two front belts, the owner of my donor rolled the car... I found beer cans in the trunk and interior! LOL They cut his driver's belt The front belt mounts with two bolts and no anti rotation tab too... If I bend them out when you pull on the belts it will try to force the aluminum seat belt cover inwards towards the occupants.

There is absolutely no overlap of the holes if I put in one bolt, no way to muscle it together. Tony Zullo told me the ones on his wagon donor (RHD) have one bolt and one interlocking tab that uses a slot! So yes this one is an issue. I just ordered a chunk of 1 x 2 aluminum to make a couple billet mounts.

[RM1SepEx]

No only one hole lined up. I had to drill new ones for both sides.

If I try to do that I'd have an end with a slot all the way to the edge... I'd have to weld on an extension to have an enclosed hole. I would also want to weld the intersection of the rubber bushing supporting area with the flat mounts as I have to cut that area to bend it straight, it is/was quite reinforced. Between that I thought billet would be better. Maybe I'll make a billet rack mount for the right side too...

[GUNS]

The front swaybar tabs fit better, but the bushings obviously don't.

[Mechie3]

Billet is always fun!

[RM1SepEx]

Billet is always fun!

says the guy who works with cnc equipment for a living... :-)

So I just read that the front sway bar bushing seems to line up pretty well:

I remembered the photo in the manual pg 50, you can see the removed REAR sway bar BUT the bushings sure look like my FRONT mounts! notice the funky shape of the rubber, the three humps appearance of the rubber...

It almost looks like someone put the wrong mounts on the rear bar and the front bar mount dimensions were used when the bracket was designed. The front bar is 3-4 mm bigger so you can't use the front rubber and mounts for the rear bar. Are there ANY customer cars where the rear sway arm bushings actually fit the mounts?

DSCF0018.JPG

BTW the rear bushings will not fit in the front mounts, the profiles just are not even remotely compatible. Also note that both the front and rear mounts on my 2005 WRX do not bolt to a flat surface...

[Mechie3]

says the guy who works with cnc equipment for a living... :-)

So I just read that the front sway bar bushing seems to line up pretty well:

I remembered the photo in the manual pg 50, you can see the removed REAR sway bar BUT the bushings sure look like my FRONT mounts! notice the funky shape of the rubber, the three humps appearance of the rubber...

It almost looks like someone put the wrong mounts on the rear bar and the front bar mount dimensions were used when the bracket was designed. The front bar is 3-4 mm bigger so you can't use the front rubber and mounts for the rear bar. Are there ANY customer cars where the rear sway arm bushings actually fit the mounts?

CNC work on my part is mostly extracurricular. I think I'd get bored if all I did was run/program CNC's.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone did funky stuff to their donor that FFR ended up picking up. I've seen all sorts of sketchy things done on tuner cars passed off as legit wrenching/tuning. On my current 02 WRX DD, the mechanical oil pressure gauge was leaky. The fix? Put paper towels underneath it inside the dash. I was a bit unamused when I discovered that.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

says the guy who works with cnc equipment for a living... :-)

So I just read that the front sway bar bushing seems to line up pretty well:

I remembered the photo in the manual pg 50, you can see the removed REAR sway bar BUT the bushings sure look like my FRONT mounts! notice the funky shape of the rubber, the three humps appearance of the rubber...

It almost looks like someone put the wrong mounts on the rear bar and the front bar mount dimensions were used when the bracket was designed. The front bar is 3-4 mm bigger so you can't use the front rubber and mounts for the rear bar. Are there ANY customer cars where the rear sway arm bushings actually fit the mounts?

DSCF0018.JPG

BTW the rear bushings will not fit in the front mounts, the profiles just are not even remotely compatible. Also note that both the front and rear mounts on my 2005 WRX do not bolt to a flat surface...

In my 06 NA wagon donor the rear sway bars are only 13 mm while my front is 20mm.
sway bar spec.jpg

In 06 the front mount are for 20mm and the rear bar is only 13 or 17mm.
I suspect getting aftermarket bushings is easy.
Does anyone know what size bar FFR is recommending for the front?
Bob G

[RM1SepEx]

does anyone have rear bar bushings with the weird triple hump rubber bushings shown in the manual?

Bob, that is an excellent question, since their donors were both 06 WRX for the development mules, their work would have been done with the 17 mm bars, right?

[Bob_n_Cincy]

does anyone have rear bar bushings with the weird triple hump rubber bushings shown in the manual?

Bob, that is an excellent question, since their donors were both 06 WRX for the development mules, their work would have been done with the 17 mm bars, right?

Dan
take a look at this picture from the manual.
It looks like the used the front bracket with the large bushing with a smaller rear bar.
The bushing will have to be changed to match the bar.
That looks like a 17mm bar but can't be sure.
Also LCA bushings mounted incorrectly.
Bob
front sway bar.jpg

[RM1SepEx]

the rear bar bushing sticks up past the bushing clamp, the front one does not. Sorry that is a rear bushing clamp. you can see it more clearly on the lower photo on page 196

the page 95 photo shows the flat bushing clamp from the rear, not the front's 3 hump clamp

And I can't tell you how many times they show the LCA bushings incorrectly, it was double digits... I went through the original and informed them of each and every one BEFORE this printed revision.

[Mechie3]

I didn't see many changes to the printed version aside from added info. My rear bushings were flat with a lip on both ends.

[nkw8181]

Gotta say RM1SepEx I'm loving the build! Keep it up!

Nolan

[RM1SepEx]

Thanks Nolan,

long weekend, volunteered at local BMW open house autox Sat and went to a CMC autocross Sunday. Ran Frankenstein, my Rotax DD2 shifter kart. A but sore today, the kart is rough on my old bones! I did get a rather unpleasant 1/4 circle burn from the exhaust on the back of my hand! Lucky I have MS, such a burn is a nuisance... the pain is no big deal :-)

Started working on the cooling tubing today. Early builders have to cut the aluminum tubes to 42 inches from 50 (GTM spec I assume) and I was hoping to put a new tube "barb" on the cut end... however the tube is too damn small for the eastwood bead roller tooling that I have avail. My milling machine capable friends are either out of state or too busy for me to get too creative right now. A smaller roller may work with the eastwood bead roller but I don't want to wait to get access. I'll have to just use some pop rivets for a tube/clamp stop as they recommended. I was hoping to do a more elegant soln.

Bummed that my aluminum block didn't come in today with my add'l stainless screws from Mcmaster Carr for some riv-nut work on the rear firewall. I'm going to use 10-24 riv-nut and stainless pan head with flange screws to hold the two fire wall pieces together.

No answer yet from F5 on a couple other "issues" that I'm dealing with. Hopefully later builders won't have to deal with this stuff, slows you down a bunch... Dr Appt and helping my mom tomorrow, won't get anything done.

[nkw8181]

I really like the riv-nuts idea on anything you want removable.

Nolan

[RM1SepEx]

got my new course spline axles today.... they don't fit either! UGH

[C.Plavan]

Yikes!

[Mechie3]

Well.....that sucks. My axles were 30 spline axles, all OEM. We'll see what I get when my box shows up.

[RM1SepEx]

My problem is that I installed a Quaife, so I went from the new, male CVs to old style female CVs... I bought new aftermarket axles... Now to find a source that fits either one as I have both types in hand!

[metalmaker12]

Dan I have 02 inners if you want them

[RM1SepEx]

Thanks Chris, I took care of it...

the answer for all of us is actually rather simple. If your donor has ANY replacement axle sold as new replacement, it WILL have an odd spline. You need to buy a reman axle replacement (they are between $60 and $80 if you shop around)

I called my local NAPA (they know me well, I'm first name basis with every counter person!) and to NAPA remanufactured means actual OEM reman. I bought a set of reman 02 axles and it only took a few minutes to assemble my 818 axles using the reman inner CVs and my original 05 rear outers. Tony had a replacement axle on his donor for the RHD example, he bought a reman rear axle from autozone and got the correct Subaru OEM spline, solving his axle issue.

Another point:

I talked to Tony and yes we are correct re sway bars... his wagon donor provided a 13mm rear bar to use in the front, all of the development on the red car (destroyed frame) and the blue/white 818R was done with 06 WRX donor parts and the 17mm bar.

BTW Thanks Wayne! Your hose clamp over the circlip trick works awesome!!!

[Bob_n_Cincy]

I talked to Tony and yes we are correct re sway bars... his wagon donor provided a 13mm rear bar to use in the front, all of the development on the red car (destroyed frame) and the blue/white 818R was done with 06 WRX donor parts and the 17mm bar.

Dan, did Tony say what the solution is for wagon donors like me.
Are we supposed to go with the 13 bar.
Bob

[RM1SepEx]

His RHD car is using the 13 mm bar. You will have different handling and need to adjust setup. Wayne could def tell you more... I'd bet that they did some no bar driving too.

I'm firmly in the camp that between Factory Five's people, the race car development driver's like Wayne and Koni's team I want to start with my 818 using their recommended setup... and that is using the 17 mm front bar. I'm a decent driver and have years of experience but I'm taking advantage of their hrs of testing. If I was using a wagon donor, I'd source a bigger bar...

[Wayne Presley]

BTW Thanks Wayne! Your hose clamp over the circlip trick works awesome!!!

Your welcome

[RM1SepEx]

Worked on the cooling today, the manual is a bit confusing... says don't put the tubes over 5 inch high but shows it higher than 5 inches on page 251 and 252. It also has you mount the lower hose two ways... on page 244 - 245 using one of the five adapters and then on page 247 - 248 using 1/2 of the original lower hose.

I'll button it up tomorrow and I want to go a bit higher than the 5 inches to clear the rear trailing arm mount with the flex tubing. I also think that the lower radiator hose should be fine for the lower engine connection


Wayne, Erik, Chris, how did you do yours?

[metalmaker12]

I will shoot you pics to your other email

[Erik W. Treves]

the critical point is at the front..if you go over 5 in the front on anything it won't fit under the body...the rear doesn't matter...you can look at my build thread to see what I did.

[RM1SepEx]

I went out to my portable garage and noted that in the back there appeared to be plenty of room. To connect to the front it HAS to be damn low to meet the flex coming out of that corner where we have a hole in the aluminum...

Did you guys use the radiator hose or the connector for the lower engine hose connection?

Other than a light coat of oil is there a trick to getting those flex tubes inside the adapters?

[metalmaker12]

I used the FFR connector on the lower engine outlet and soap worked for me for the stainless hardline to rubber connectors, and some heat and soap from oem coolant hose to stainless hardline. You need some Kung fu grip!!!

[RM1SepEx]

No kung fu grip w/my MS... Sadly even my 110+ lb 17 year old cheerleader daughter is stronger than I am.

Add that to the left thumb that I broke autocrossing last month (70+ MPH 3 foot tall slalom cone while driving a kart) and my hands are pretty useless...

Did you use the "dip in boiling water for a while" heat or a more aggressive approach with hot air or gingerly with a torch?

[metalmaker12]

I wish i was there to help you, but I am a working stiff

[RM1SepEx]

I'm pretty capable and have a great batch of friends to help when needed. My issues give me a perfect excuse to buy additional tools!

It's nice to finally have virtually all of the parts now!

BTW I decided to bend the anti rotation tabs over underneath the seat belt reel covers. I wasn't comfortable with the tab moving in and out as you pulled on the belts when the reel was locked. It didn't look very user friendly and would have interfered with my interior upholstery.

I'm wondering what Factory 5 is coming up with for new interior door panels and what the wiper stuff will look like.

[RM1SepEx]

Built some temp makeshift shelves to store body pieces to take my 4 post lift back, my 325IC needs an oil change!

Installed the cooling tubes today. How high do they need to go to clear suspension movement? My car is still on the jack stands tho I can drop it on the wheels soon... I ended up using the lower radiator hose to connect to the bottom water connection. It allows some add'l clearance from the flex to the motor due to the slight angle molded in to the tube vs the short connecter...

Did you guys do anything with the flex tubes where they wind thru the hole by the footwells? I'm thinking some high temp RTV where contact occurs would quiet down any noise and stop any wear over time due to the flex tube's contact with the frame and the aluminum sheeting.

I misplaced my tubing clamps for the coolant tubes... time to wade thru everything again. Not too many parts left from the kit's original 10 boxes!

[wallace18]

Built some temp makeshift shelves to store body pieces to take my 4 post lift back, my 325IC needs an oil change!

Installed the cooling tubes today. How high do they need to go to clear suspension movement? My car is still on the jack stands tho I can drop it on the wheels soon... I ended up using the lower radiator hose to connect to the bottom water connection. It allows some add'l clearance from the flex to the motor due to the slight angle molded in to the tube vs the short connecter...

Did you guys do anything with the flex tubes where they wind thru the hole by the footwells? I'm thinking some high temp RTV where contact occurs would quiet down any noise and stop any wear over time due to the flex tube's contact with the frame and the aluminum sheeting.

I misplaced my tubing clamps for the coolant tubes... time to wade thru everything again. Not too many parts left from the kit's original 10 boxes!

I think silicone or wrapping the tube in some sort of rubber sleeve. I did the rubber sleeve on my 33 where the tube hit the frame.

[RM1SepEx]

like an inner tube?