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Octobersknight's 818 Build
Hi everyone. I’ve been working on this build for almost two years now. Sort of. What I really mean is that I bought a donor in September of 2016 with a plan to buy an 818C kit in fall 2017. That didn’t work – it took longer to disassemble the donor and sell parts, so the bank account didn’t fit the kit into that year. I’ve completely gotten rid of the donor now and have shelves of parts to sell and some to keep. I’m almost ready to jump in and buy the kit. So, what follows is a series of entries on the history of the work I’ve done, the things I’ve learned, and shots of the engine work that make me proud. Eventually this thread will catch up to real life.
I’m hoping you follow along and can offer pointers and tips, and answer some silly and serious questions I have along the way. I’ve already messaged a few 818 guys out there and was already lucky enough to meet mikeb75 and see his awesome ride (I’m about 20 minutes away, by the world’s greatest stroke of luck!). And I’ve gone back-and-forth with AZPete about his brilliant A/C work, since I think that’s a must-have. Thanks both!
Now, on to the good stuff:
Here’s the donor – a 2006 WRX wagon, 108k miles with some front passenger door damage. I took a gamble on a Copart auction, sight unseen, going on only the “run-and-drive” description. I think I got lucky! From the engine bay, the previous owner clearly did some minor mods. Exhaust was a 3” pipe from the downpipe back. I wouldn’t find out what other mods were done to the engine until I got further in there …
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Last edited by octobersknight; 07-12-2018 at 06:14 PM.
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Well from the pic of the engine bay, other than the obvious perrin inlet/ai intake, GFB clone BOV and koyo radiator, looks to have an aftermarket bcs(that blue pigtail isn't stock), aftermarket injectors and possibly aftermarket rails (the brackets from hell that go over the rails have been taken out), could have an aftermarket turbo (the TMIC inlet hose has been extended), the car used to have a bunch of gauges (can see the capped off boost gauge line and there are loose grounds where the oil temp and pressure gauges are normally tapped in), I see what what could be a meth injection port coming out of the passenger's side of the TMIC, the car is lowered and the brakes have been upgraded to the 4/2pots.
Someone has definitely been tinkering with that thing.
As long as it runs you probably got a good deal. About $2000 in upgrades parts visible in those pics alone.
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fasterer and furiouser
yeah and a ARP sticker, so there's probably some head studs in there also those silicone ebay hoses are good to use for various things.
A well stocked beverage fridge is the key to any successful project.
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Looks like a very nice donor with plenty of upgrades, as ssssly pointed out. At that milage the timing belt should be changed and the prior owner probably had that done since he added so many other goodies, but it'd be good to remove the timing belt covers to make sure. I look forward to following your build thread. When is your kit coming from FFR?
818S/C : Chassis #25 with 06 WRX 2.5 turbo, ABS, cruise, PS, A/C, Apple CarPlay, rear camera, power windows & locks, leather & other complexities. Sold 10/19 with 5,800 miles.
Mk3 Roadster #6228 4.6L, T45, IRS, PS, PB, ABS, Cruise, Koni's, 17" Halibrands, red w/ silver - 9K miles then sold @ Barrett-Jackson Jan 2011 (got back cash spent).
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Hey all, thanks for chiming in so quickly! Glad to see I'm getting some readers here. it's encouraging and makes me want to post more stuff as fast as I can. I think ssssly nailed most of the upgrades, and longislandwrx also has sharp eyes for the ARP sticker. I don't think the car was lowered, and I think the brakes are the stockers for an '06 WRX steel 4-pots up front and aluminum 2-pots in the rear. I don't know what a bcs is.
I agree AZPete that the timing belt and water pump are items that need attention at that mileage, and I had a plan to take care of it during the engine cleaning. Also, I haven't ordered my kit yet. I have this master plan that I'd like to pick up the kit in early fall, take teh family and have a nice driving vacation to see the New England foliage autumn display. So I think that means an August purchase, but I;m keeping an eye on it. Sadly, the sales barely seem to help the 818, given the limited options and low cost of them.
But first back to my story of the donor breakdown: being the responsible Earthling that I am, I wanted to haul the donor to a nearby auto shop to have the refrigerant extracted (for free!), so i rented a trailer and had my first time hauling anything ... in the wife's truck.
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Just my luck that there was only 0.6 lbs of refrigerant in there ... the truck in the picture leaked twice that the summer before when we had a busted hose! So much for being environmentally conscious. But hey, I know I did the right thing, and I got some towing/loading/unloading experience, and I got to test at least first and reverse (and rowed through all the gears) and I made sure the car ran. I couldn't drive it very far or fast, because the accident that sent it to the auction block had bent the front passenger strut and made the tire rub.
Last edited by octobersknight; 08-30-2018 at 08:17 PM.
Reason: removed attached pics (duplicates)
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I also was lucky enough to stop by the FFR factory a couple times in 2016 on side visits from work trips - once in June and again in September. They're very nice there, and i took a tour both times. The second time I went to go see the 818C in person; but just my luck, it was out for graphics in preparation for SEMA or something. As a consolation, they did show me a coupe packaged for delivery so I could at least see one, and they did let me into the back to see the 818 that had the Ford EcoBoost engine installed (sorry no pics allowed!).
I really think they are an awesome company. I'm a mechanical engineer, and my favorite show is probably How It's Made. In my experience, I really believe that FFR's blend of hand work and technological solutions, as well as a very healthy dose of cleverness, allows their products to be high quality and repeatable. I was very impressed when I went, and it made me want to get started right away! It's no coincidence that I bought my donor between those visits.
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Last edited by octobersknight; 06-30-2018 at 10:05 AM.
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I think this is going to be a good thread. No idea how your ride is going to turn out, but I can see that you enjoy telling stories. Makes for good reading!
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What field do you work in? I'm currently doing post bac work for mechatronics engineering (motion, controls and manufacturing automation).
The 4pots were only stock on the WRX limiteds. Don't believe any wagons had them from the factory. Could be wrong though.
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I work in materials (polymers). The subaru parts site has the 4 pots listed as the parts for my car, so I had assumed they were the standard kit.
Anyway, back to the donor breakdown. First thing I wanted to do was remove the doors, to get better access to the interior of the car while clearing it out, and to try to get the doors sold ASAP to make space in my 1-car garage.
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Then it was pull the driver's fender and the hood.
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Next out was the radiator
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Then of course the whole engine and front suspension system (Nov 5th 2016).
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Separating the trans from the engine to get the engine on a stand for checkout and refurb.
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And everything stored neatly for fall/winter so i could take care of the other bits inside the car while keeping (somewhat) warm in the garage (Nov-Dec 2016).
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Last edited by octobersknight; 08-30-2018 at 08:18 PM.
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With the engine on a stand, it was time to start stripping the interior for all the goodies I need for the 818.
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Then pull the rear suspension and gas tank to get to the fuel pump and level sender (Jan 15 2017).
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And finally pulling out that monster-spider-of-a-wire-harness (Jan 21 2017).
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As you can see, I've taken the leisurely approach to stripping the donor. I was hoping to sell more parts along the way so that I could have more space and also afford the kit, but since parts were moving slowly, so was I.
Last edited by octobersknight; 06-30-2018 at 10:05 AM.
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Stripped donor and a garage full of parts, most to try and sell and a few to keep (May 25 2017).
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There was so much stuff that I had to build shelves to store it all, so I could have enough space to move around and do the engine work I knew I wanted to do (June 5 2017).
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And to hold all the engine parts during engine rebuild, I built a simple but sturdy workbench that had room for the transmission on the bottom shelf. Earlier pictures show the trans stored on the engine stand under the engine, but that prevented my from rotating the engine so it had to move. (June 11 2017)
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Last edited by octobersknight; 07-14-2018 at 07:03 PM.
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Family and friends
The best about about the donor teardown and the build process is how excited family and friends get, and how much people want to help out with everything. So far, I've had my son, daughter, dad, wife, and friend Chris help out with everything. I owe them a ton of thanks for their encouragement, support, and hours of hard labor.
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Engine rebuild begininng
From looking at the engine, I could tell there was oil leaking past the head gaskets, so I know going in that my goal was to replace those. I also planned to get the heads machined if possible, and replace the water pump and timing belt sicne my donor was just past the 100k mark and I had no idea if the previous owner had done it.
First step is to remove the accessory belts.
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Then the exhaust
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And then remove the crank pulley. You can buy the expensive Subaru tool or use a couple of 3/8 socket extensions and a pry bar to hold it still while you loosen the bolt. Got the idea from someone on NASIOC.
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Turbo removal and inspection
After the crank pulley removal was the turbo removal and inspection.
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Just a few bolts to the support bracket, the oil supply and drain lines, and the coolant supply/drain lines, as well as the air inlet.
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Then, you can take a look at the turbo compressor and turbine, check for shaft play, etc.
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DANG IT! Compressor blades toast. Guess I'll be looking for a new turbo. At least that saves me the trouble of cleaning that godawful lime green paint off of there ...
Last edited by octobersknight; 08-30-2018 at 08:18 PM.
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Timing belt removal
Next step is to take off the timing belt covers and look at the glorious complication beneath. Nothing's aligned properly (yet).
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I could also tell I wasn't the first person in here - note the orange paint marker on the alignment marks to make them stand out. How handy!
So, to align everything, turn the crank sprocket clockwise until all the alignment marks ... ahem ... align.
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Then take off the bottom left (from this view) idler pulley. TA DAAA! The timing belt is loose.
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Save the old timing belt. You can use it, with clamps & vice grips, to hold the cam sprockets as you loosen the (very tight!!) bolts.
And, later when you put the cam sprockets back on.
818S/C : Chassis #25 with 06 WRX 2.5 turbo, ABS, cruise, PS, A/C, Apple CarPlay, rear camera, power windows & locks, leather & other complexities. Sold 10/19 with 5,800 miles.
Mk3 Roadster #6228 4.6L, T45, IRS, PS, PB, ABS, Cruise, Koni's, 17" Halibrands, red w/ silver - 9K miles then sold @ Barrett-Jackson Jan 2011 (got back cash spent).
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Thanks AZPete, I did retain it for this exact purpose. Not to get too far ahead of my progress, but that didn't really work out for me because the belt kept slipping and I couldn't find a great place to anchor the belt. That and/or my vice grips just didn't work too well.
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Keep trying with the old timing belt around the crank pulley. Several YouTube videos show how they've used the old timing belt and this one shows using an extractor. I was able to loosen the hex bolt with a breaker bar once I had the timing belt clamped, but it took several tries to get the belt clamped tight so it would hold the cam sprocket. I didn't have to use an extractor or drill so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sID5DWP3Tk
818S/C : Chassis #25 with 06 WRX 2.5 turbo, ABS, cruise, PS, A/C, Apple CarPlay, rear camera, power windows & locks, leather & other complexities. Sold 10/19 with 5,800 miles.
Mk3 Roadster #6228 4.6L, T45, IRS, PS, PB, ABS, Cruise, Koni's, 17" Halibrands, red w/ silver - 9K miles then sold @ Barrett-Jackson Jan 2011 (got back cash spent).
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DANG IT! Compressor blades toast. Guess I'll be looking for a new turbo. At least that saves me the trouble of cleaning that godawful lime green paint off of there ...
Have you thought about a twin scroll? I've kind of committed to one and I have no idea how it will work... BTW totally jealous of your clean donor.
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I'll hang on to the timing belt.
I haven't thought about a twin scroll because I've heard they're not right for our car. Check out the NASIOC thread "Turbo FAQ: Read if you are thinking of upgrading!" For tons of good info.
Yeah I'm pretty stoked about the donor, I feel like I won the lottery, especially given that I only went by 10 pictures. Now if only my luck holds with being able to sell parts ...
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I have a stock EJ205 with a JDM VF37 twin scroll and header. My engine is stock other than deleting the secondary butterfly's and 1000cc injectors. At 14lb of boost it make 260RWHP and at 18lb 285RWHP. Talked to a couple of Subaru buddies that have the same set up on a 2.5 that are really strong (in the low 300rwhp range) and torquey.
I paid $700.00 for the turbo, manifold and STi intercooler.
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Don't know where you heard "they're not right" for a given car.
A twin scroll turbo will always outperform an identical single scroll turbo.
Whether you want to spend the money to install everything required to support a twin scroll turbo is another question.
But if you take 2 turbos that are identical except one is TS and one is not, the TS turbo will always spool faster and maintain full boost longer.
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Welp, schooled again! Thanks for all the info, guys. In any case, my plan has always been to build this with as much stock stuff as possible. So I decided to hunt craigslist for a used TD04L to match the one I had with busted vanes. I also considered rebuilding my own. It just depends on what gets done first.
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After taking off the belt idler, I moved to take off all the other things that need to go before the heads come off. Starting with the spark plugs & coils, and then the oil filler neck:
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Notice that duct tape on the filler neck? I ignored it. But once I had the tape off, I think I found part of the oil leak source!
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Then started unplugging fuel injectors, cam position sensors, TGV motor and position sensors, (oil pressure?), etc. to start loosening up the wire harness.
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I found out later that the 2006 WRX doesn't need those rubber/copper washer grommets, so I saved myself quite a bit of dough by not having to buy new ones! Not sure why they're on there in the first place. Also note that the green shields of death are gone from my injector rails. Another time savings!
Finally - I did take TONS of pictures as I went, practically every step of the way so i would know how to go backwards and plug everything back together. In fact, I'm printing all the pictures out and putting them in a binder in reverse order in page protectors as my rebuild manual! I have tons to share if you need them, but to prevent eyes-glazing-over levels of detail, I'll just post the highlights.
Last edited by octobersknight; 08-30-2018 at 08:19 PM.
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I took off the A/C compressor next. It worked well when the car was intact, so I'm saving it in the hopes I can follow AZPete's footsteps and get some chill in my 818.
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And in the process of trying to remove the hard fuel supply lines, I busted an old rubber fuel hose.
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Luckily it's a pretty cheap part, and I can pick up stuff (no shipping $) from my local Subaru place, which also has a great online discount rate and is close to work - close enough to pop out at lunch and still make it back in time.
Last edited by octobersknight; 07-27-2018 at 05:56 PM.
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plug or tape-over the AC compressor ports.
818S/C : Chassis #25 with 06 WRX 2.5 turbo, ABS, cruise, PS, A/C, Apple CarPlay, rear camera, power windows & locks, leather & other complexities. Sold 10/19 with 5,800 miles.
Mk3 Roadster #6228 4.6L, T45, IRS, PS, PB, ABS, Cruise, Koni's, 17" Halibrands, red w/ silver - 9K miles then sold @ Barrett-Jackson Jan 2011 (got back cash spent).
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Good wrenching and have fun
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Okay so I just looked up again about the twin scroll turbos to find out why I thought they wouldn't work. The twin scroll case splits the exhaust from each port (head?), so there would need to be some exhaust mods to make it work in the WRX. To me that was a non-starter since I'm trying to keep as much stock as possible to keep costs down. Plus, doesn't that change the character of the boxer rumble? Maybe not if the pipes are built right, but still more expensive ...
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Yes, twin scroll headers are equal length. A good part of the boxer rumble is created by the stock unequal length headers. So it is much less pronounced with twin scroll systems.
The full factory service manuals can be found with a bit of googling. Very helpful when tearing down engines and transmission.
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Donor shell disposal
After letting the stripped donor sit unsold in the driveway for months last summer/fall, I gave up and decided to have a cutting party.
https://imgur.com/a/a1jRvPG
I then loaded all the pieces into the bed of the pickup and took it to the local scrapyard ... and got a measly $31.50 for my troubles. Ouch. I was sad to see it turn into so much scrap, but no one wanted a stripped wagon chassis as far as I could tell - and I tried all over the place to sell it.
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Took off the intake manifold. That and the TGV's were painted (not well) with some silver/gray spray paint. That had to go.
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After that, I removed the wire harness.
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Then I removed the hard fuel lines, injectors, fuel rails, and TGVs.
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Next went the oil and coolant line combo, and then the coolant crossover. I found a broken-off bolt in the block where the coolant crossover mounted, so I backed that out with some vice-grips and ordered some new hardware.
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Last edited by octobersknight; 08-30-2018 at 08:20 PM.
Reason: removed duplicate images
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After all that, I finally removed the timing belt and cam spockets. I tried the "old timing belt as a clamp" trick, but it was before I watched the video and didn't have much luck with it because I had one vice grip and didn't lock it in the right place. I broke down and bought the 2 Company 23 tools that hold the AVCS intake and non-AVCS exhaust sprockets. Those things work great for a one-person job, but I did manage to chip my RHS exhaust sprocket when I tried to pry it off the camshaft. It stuck on a little due to some surface rust, and a little wiggling got it loose. Add another thing to the list of replacement parts for the engine.
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Also removed the rear timing covers, and one of them had a captured nut that just spun in the plastic. Another item for the shopping list! Then off go the valve covers to check out the cams.
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Looks good, except for the wrench marks on the shafts. At least they're in non-critical areas, and with solid camshafts I wasn't worried about out-of-round damage or anything like that. I tipped the engine up so I could remove the cams and get to the head bolts. You can really see how oily the engine is on the underside.
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Some more shots of the cams being systematically removed. I like how all the parts have marks to show proper orientation. It makes reassembly that much more foolproof.
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Whoever had been in here before was VERY generous with the grey RTV, and I had a heck of a time getting off the front bearing/oil seal land parts (on both sides). With the bearings off, I removed the cams (actually they came off with the front bearings because the RTV stuck the oil seals on the bearing body), valve spring buckets, and then finally got to the head bolts - wait ARP head studs! Hooray!
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Finally I removed the head. SUCCESS!! A first look at the RHS pistons. Plenty of carbon buildup, but great condition for the mileage, and no scoring on the cylinder walls. I'm liking this.
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Repeat other side: Note how the RTV plugged the oil galleys leading to the oil seals. Not good! I made sure to work to avoid this when reassembling.
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Last edited by octobersknight; 07-27-2018 at 06:55 PM.
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I got my timing covers from an online saab parts store. SUPER great price. Check the engine forum for the website. I shared.
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thanks @turbomacncheese, I'll take a look!
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Thanks, I found it by hunting too. Now I don't have to hunt again - and I bookmarked the site.
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Buying the kit next week!
Okay I've got my engine rebuild done, pics to follow. But I wanted to post that I'm planning to take the plunge and order my kit next week!!
I'm going to visit the factory and test-fit myself into the car in the showroom. They better have it this time, as it's been missing the last couple of trips. I was assured it is there (again), so fingers crossed! Unless there are MAJOR hurdles, I'm planning to place my order right then-and-there. Current orders are about 8 weeks out, so that lands me square in mid-October, which is right where I wanted to be (okay maybe it's late for a fall foliage trip, but it'll be close).
Planning for 818C with options: powder coat, padded dash, full carpets, wiper kit, CF splitter, CF road wing, CF rocker panels. Also planning to get Craig's shifter setup (and buy an MR2 shifter), but I want to set it up facing backwards to minimize cable lengths. Ii know there's a thread about that around here somewhere ...
Any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations?
Trying to keep everything else stock - seats, steering wheel, pedals, wheels/tires, mirrors, etc.
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Here's a link to the MR2 shifter thread:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...42-MR2-Shifter
Depending on how tall you are, you may want to consider thinner seats and a thinner fuel tank to gain more leg room. I saw that you mentioned living close to MikeB, which means you're probably not too far from me. Let me know if you'd like to test fit yourself in my 818S with tall man mods. I also did the MR2 mod.
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Thanks for the link, I'll check it when I have a little more time. I'd love to come test fit myself. I'm 5' 11"ish, 195 lbs., if that helps for comparison. Any availability Thursday night this week?
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Originally Posted by
octobersknight
Thanks for the link, I'll check it when I have a little more time. I'd love to come test fit myself. I'm 5' 11"ish, 195 lbs., if that helps for comparison. Any availability Thursday night this week?
Sure, stop by. I replied to your PM.