Not really thrilled anymore with how the front subframe is attached, I finally came to a decision about what to do about it.
First the spacers got welded to the brackets.
Then plates were made.
This is part one.
would like to reiterate that the Milwaukee 12v nibbler kicks all the ass and I should have bought it a long time ago. It cuts through 16ga steel faster than a cutoff disk and is less noisy and a lot less messy.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:Not really thrilled anymore with how the front subframe is attached, I finally came to a decision about what to do about it.
First the spacers got welded to the brackets.
Then plates were made.
This is part one.
would like to reiterate that the Milwaukee 12v nibbler kicks all the ass and I should have bought it a long time ago. It cuts through 16ga steel faster than a cutoff disk and is less noisy and a lot less messy.
Got a link to the one you like? I've messed with a few and they didn't work too well.
TIL that Subaru may have kept the same caliper bolt up interface since time immemorial but they have different rotor hat heights. At some point they made the hat 8.2mm shallower.
Hm.
As far as the nibbler goes, I have this one:
Pete. (l33t FS) said:Front control arm angles are at 3.5-4 degrees.
Control Subaru is, uh, 12 degrees.
Of course the control is a Forester XT not a GC/GD, but still.
There is no room to move the subframe higher per hood clearance. Redrilling the control arm pivots can gain an inch of up, which will change to 8 degrees, if I have my trig right.
I am thinking let's just go with what we got and see how it does.
2018 Impreza.
Note the ball joint pivot is massively lower. This is good if you had to mount your subframe too low so the engine accessories clear the hood.
Will the Neon wheels clear?
Yes. Barely. The tie rod is a very close fit, not sure what may happen at full lock. The rotor does not fit because it is too shallow. But this arrangement would allow me to build a stronger control arm. Yes, I know I spent a month of weekends building these.
It looks like I should be able to get rotors for a base '18 Impreza and machine the outside diameter down to 266mm. Hat diameter is the same. Not sure what these knuckles will do to track width, though: do the hub faces sit in or did Subaru move the caliper out?
Regardless, it's an option. Moving forward...
Part two
Welder is giving me fits again. But the engine bay is almost ready for the drivetrain to go back in for a test fit
Now let's see how much I screw it up putting the drivetrain in.
What a comedy. The engine fell off the ratchet strap twice trying to get it on the trans. First the strap unspooled itself, then it just broke the strap.
I had to reclock the band clamp holding the VF43's exhaust housing on to get the trans past the turbo. What the heck. I can't see having to remove a turbo to pull a trans on an STI, but here we are.
After realizing that I do not have all of the bellhousing bolts, and I do not have all of the torque converter bolts, we forge ahead and put it together with all fasteners on the turbo side and just the nut on the driver side. Will address that later.
This was an ordeal. Had to swing it around past my work table/E36 M3 collection horizontal plane, get the drivetrain high enough to clear the bumper mounts and angled enough to slip past the firewall, pry the trans drain plug away from the rack, and all the while trying to roll the cherry picker sideways on carpet because someone likes working on carpet instead of concrete.
notes: Firewall tunnel is exactly high enough. Can NOT be any lower, or subframe would need to be pulled to R&I as an assembly. So much for notching it for Mini HVAC clearance. Serviceability wins over comfort.
There is a small co-spatial anomaly at the steering shaft tube with the ATF dipstick. This is easy to fix. Dipstick cannot be moved because it needs to go around the starter.
Barely enough room for the starter. It needs a precise angle of entry to get it past the firewall.
Checking clearances.
Axle was rubbing a little on the subframe, that I'd already ground for clearance. Measured wheel centerline. It was at 18.75" to the line that I had marked at 18" before pulling it apart. Hm. I vaguely recall that the compression rod was not chosen for a specific size other than it was leftover RX-7 parts. Adjust it one turn, axle moves forward a quarter inch. Hm.
3/4-16 threads mean every turn is 1/16", so I pull the suspension apart, cut 1/4" off, put it back together. No more rubbing but the CV joint is still almost fully extended. Still tons of room to go back, measure again... a little over 18 3/8". Uh?
Hey Pete, when you adjust a double threaded rod, you are adjusting TWO threads. Needed to cut 1/2" off.
Think this is a sign to stop for the night...
Clearances.
And the biggies...
These finally showed up, on advice from a Subaru rallycrosser
They look very similar to the HR Partsnstuf mounts I used to install in Grand Nationals all the time. They work very well and seem really durable.
Is it to late for you to get a weight on the aluminum upright? I am interested in if they will save weight over the steel ones on the 360.
I enjoy seeing updates on this.
I'll see what I can do. I have a scale that might work for it. I can say with certainty that they are a whopping snotload lighter.
Incidentally, as best as I could figure, the correlation between the strut mounting point and the hub face is identical. The rotor has a shorter hat because Subaru moved the caliper outboard. I also suspect, but have not proven yet, that the axle is also the same for the press in hub and bearing vs bolt in, but if the hub face is in the same spot then worst case you have to put a spacer or two somewhere.
I paid $60 shipped per upright. I grabbed two from the same eBay junkyard that still had bearings and ball joints, unfortunately I did not know to check that they still had the tie rod tapers. The one not pictured did not come with the tapered insert. The insert is not available separately, so I either need to make one or buy another upright. #aluminumproblems
More clearance "fun". There's 3" between the center of the inside of the bumper beam and the crank pulley.
The heat exchanger I want to use is 1" thick and the fans are 2.5" thick. Fans, plural.
No, there is not room to use the stock intercooler. For one, I really don't like air/air intercooling. For two, it would require ducting from the Cooper S intercooler mailslot to the WRX intercooler on the other end of the engine bay, and did I mention that the intake manifold almost grazes the hood? A whole lotta nope here.
There is the possibility of putting the heat exchanger in the back, on the radiator. Plumbing that would suck, because plumbing the radiator hoses will suck, and suckage is to be kept to a minimum.
Must think more. Plenty of other stuff to do first, most of the time a solution presents itself while problem is running as a background process.
And ? Where does this project stand today?
In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :
I kind of lost my mojo. New job is extremely taxing physically, it's a lot more horse work and also less pay.
Ohio rallycross is all but dead.
Still not sure how to make the back end of the car not fold up the first time one of us hits a rut hard. It will involve welding upside down and I dont trust my ability to make good welds that way.
Still debating on how to run the fuel into the tank - options are to either run a pipe through from the left side filler to the right side entry, make a new filler hole on the left side and have to add over 5 gallons of fuel to slosh fuel to the pump on the right so it can start pulling it from the left, or put a filler neck under the hatch behind the radiator.
Coolant tubes are also a serious issue as there is no place to run them between the struts and body. May need to notch the subframe and run them over.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
If there's one thing I can relate to, it's losing your mojo as regards a large, unwieldy, maybe inadvisable project that seemed like a good idea at the time. It helps to have someone in your ear about it, both to encourage you and act as a sounding board. I also know that when I've walked away from something for a long time, it can be so overwhelming to get back into it, especially when you remember that the reason you gave up was because you got to a hard part. Or because life got in the way. It's hard to figure out where to start, then, and I guess the only answer is: start somewhere.
I'm confident you'll get your mojo back, Pete. If anyone can, you can.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Yep, I get that too. My life is filled with projects I lost my mojo on and in fact my driveway/garage has a couple of them that I need to get my E36 M3 together on.
The problem solving, engineering and craftsmanship on Colin is second to none. I really love how you've been doing this and the deprecation of the misteps is very cool. Be strong and you'll get back to it.
We look forward to the return of your mojo on Colin.
Right now my excuse is that it's too cold for a propane heater to work.
I am thinking more and more that the fuel filler compromise will be to put a new filler on the left. But this will require removing the sending units again to clean all the chips out and psychologically this seems like a phenomenally large task.
I too am having trouble convincing myself cold garages are enjoyable
In reply to TurboFource :
they're not, they suck. I haven't been out to mine in the last 2 months other than to clean off my welding table, assemble my new cart, and mount snow tires for my toyota.
The rear brakes are FUBAR.
But the carriers are sandblasted and ready. I think I have an Idea for the calipers that will cost less than a piston, seal, and pin kit.
Today's project.
Stuff that is rusted and seized because I put it together in 2014...
Last put together in 2013, my bad.
I had picked up a set of Koni Yellow inserts for the rear of a WRX for $60 at Summit. I bought them to sell to someone on Central Ohio Subarus. Nobody wanted them, so after five years or so of them sitting on a shelf, I acquired four dead Impreza rear struts and made front struts for my RX-7.
...which I had put an FC front subframe in a couple years earlier, because apparently coloring between the lines is something I refuse to do.
The long travel was nice, but I discovered that a rear drive car has more front end mid corner grip if it carries the inside tire, so I reverted to stock length struts, and these sat on a shelf again for another long while. Until this month.
Strut two.
Air chisel out the securing bolt, then insert a really long 12x1.50 bolt and go over to the press
And all is ready for the next step.
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