Mark:

Good old rule:

Measure twice, cut once and tack weld...but not in the car unless you disconnect everything! Thought you were carpet less from the start?

As to light doors:

Guy in the class above me with a killer AUDI cut his OEM steel doors free of all excess, rolled all the bare edges keeping the stock hinges and latch/rubbers.
Braced the 'shell' with tapes of carbon strip diagonally and plastic windows. Claims they were lighter than fibre glass after market USA ones.

Graham

 

Yeah did that with the Clio, just the door skin with only a cable tie as the door pull and perpex windows. I think we were a bit extreme when we drilled the door handles!!!

I miss that car, shame we never weighed it.

Carpets have always been present (sand bagging) so if I need the extra performance out they come. If it was carpetless I'd just weld some box section between the transmission tunnel and the sill and mount the seat here

Mark A

 

Could still do that and trim the poxy carpet to suit?
Graham

 

I was just thinking that, great minds.....

 

Simon I think this came off a 99/00MY classic. Did, do GM make all the MAP sensor for Subaru??

Its marked GM 466 with AA-11 by the pipe and also by the pins with A1301 C876 C

Might be easier to retain early (94MY) MAP to start with

Mark

 

99/00 classic I don't believe looks like that..

 

Yes I have some spare runners off a Sport or something They are the same as the turbo runners

Only brackets for the 2 pots from the new age and classic STI's at the moment. Will be looking into modding the brackets for Brembos soon (If I ever get time!)

 

Yesterday

Sorted out a couple of the remaining issues.

Filled the car with oil again and started it again. Took alot longer to fire this time, not sure why!!! did that annoying thing where it only just catches and when you relaese the starter it dies.

Continues to idle at 2500 rpm I think I need to plug the laptop in and see what the Link is upto.

It appears that the massive oil leak has stopped from the rear of the block. While i ran it for a couple of minutes still had oil running off the down pipe but I think this was oil being driven off the heat wrap by the hot exhaust.

Oil pressure gauge working well now since I changed the SPA sensor (6.7 bar at 2500 rpm)

Mounted the passenger seat in the afternoon. Used some old Sparco seat mounts and welded some extra brackets. It's been >10 years since I last used a MIG and I borrowed the worlds crappest MIG. The wire kept getting jammed and the rate of wire feed was very variable. It got better after a couple of hours. I need to clean the brackets up and hide the crappy bit welding. I plan to make up some similar brackets for the drivers side but make them adjustable and bolt-on.

Mark

 

Remember it's your **** in the car, so those welds need to be GOOD!

Went to see Jeff Stokes peddle his new EVOIII around Curborough today in the searing heat...that car is deceptivly quick to be sure.
Second car I've seen with a charge cooler instead of an intercooler (smaller version of Pavlo's). Very neat job done.

So, just an MoT now then Mark?
You can get about 3 or 4 events in if you are quick.

Pics?

Graham

 

Anybody care to look at my Link data log and tell me why it wants to idle at 2500rpm ?

Mark A

PS still leaking oil, now from the passenger side camcover!!!

 

 

Makes a great noise at idle with a little pop when pressing the loud pedal

Away for 2 weeks now so no progress till I return

 

Mark,

Email me the logs Simon@JollyGreenMonster.co.uk and I'll have a look.
If it is map related then I would expect it to be the MAP or TPS signals, however have you tried loosening the Idle valve screws and turning it anti clockwise to see if the idle speed lowers? Also if the top on the right way around? The electrical plug should be front of the car iirc.. it will go on the other way around with the magnets then pulling the wrong way on the idle control valve.

Simon

 

Another Saturday means another day fixing the car.

Outstanding problems/issues from last time;

1. Drivers seat needed mounting
2. Fast idle needs addressing
3. Leaking oil from passenger side rocker cover

Today started with charging my mini battery and then a quick photo of the engine bay as it is now. No major changes or additions expected, except may be a turbo heat shield


Close up of the air filter, breather/oil seperator, PS tank, ocation of the coils and the heat shield.


Set to work on the driver seat. I was very lucky and found a sparco seat bracket on fleabay for £4.50 One of my best buys, its made by Wisteria (which I thought was a plant) It needed a little adjusting to fit the seat bracket I have. It's adjustable but not at the moment if that makes sense, the release handle fouls the seat upper mount.


It looks good with the OMP harness in and feels so nice to sit in a tight low seat I had to sit for a couple of minutes and play.

Need to keep an eye out for another to replace my welding abortion of the passenger side.

Plugged the laptop in to the Link and as Bob Rawle suggested fiddled with the TPS which I did till it gave a reading of 10. Started the car and it jumped back to the fast idle of 2500rpm. Simon aka JGM had suggested checking the idle valve and at first it appeared OK but then I noticed it was stuck and freed it off and replaced it. Started the car and it idles at @ 850rpm Thanks guys for the help

Finally, with less than a hour left, I removed the cam cover and used some Loctite gasket sealer to re-seal the camcover. Once replaced started the car and I've managed to make it worse. I'll need to take my time when I do it again and find some Subaru sealer. If anybody could tell me the correct steps to this proceedure I'd be grateful.

Mark A

 

Mark, the loctite gasket sealer, was it black or orrange?

Subaru uses Threebond can't remeber the specific product off the top of my head though.

Did you use new rocker cover gaskets, or old ones? Old ones have a habit of going hard if they've got too hot in the past and you'll never get them to seal properly if they have. The same thing hapens with the rocker cover bolt seals, so check them too. You really only want the lightest smear of sealant on the mating surfaces and in the gasket groove, add a bit to the bolt seals. While your there check that the semi-circle platic 'plugs' are sealing properly too.

And don't overtighten the rocker cover bolts!

 

Cheers Tim

Loctite was black.

Noticed a difference to the thickness of the bolts seals, I had some other which are newer and appear thicker so I'll use those.

Thanks Mark

Which of the 3 bond products would you recommend?

 

TBH, if it's that Loctite sealant (598) that comes in the self propeling can it should be up to the job...

I think the Threebond equivalent is 1207D But I'm not sure if that's the exact one Subaru use.

There is a difference between the bolt seals used on the early and later heads btw

 

598 is specified by Porsche for these jobs and I've used that in the past with total success.
Clean (with celulose thinners) all surfaces of everything and as Tim says only a thin layer.
The sealant (any sealent) will not compensate for bent parts.
The rocker covers on 911 engines are absolutly notorious for leaks and are all assembled with dry gaskets, but most bond the gaskets with the 598 on the lower covers (2 per side, 4 in total.
911's have nyloc nuts though not bolts so it is easy to torque them up (6mm nuts) and they use aluminium crush washers to seal the cover holes.

Good luck with it Mark, so nearly there now.

Graham

 

Tim it comes in a small tube not self propelling, I also have some Renault 3bond which I might try.

I also have a cam cover gasket from a 2003 STi would that fit my early heads?

 

Yes they can be 'modified' to fit. In other words get some scissors and get cutting!!

 

I much prefer this: http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/lo...d=335&layout=2 also sold as "Blacktite" in self propelling cans.

 

Paul do you buy it from anywhere in particular?

 

My local motor factors stock it which is handy, in the past I've purchased it from RS.

 

Superb!!!



Simon

 

The continuing saga of the Exxon Valdez

Replaced the cam cover again and same old story, I investigated further and I think its actually leaking from the exhaust cam seal.

So I need to remove the cam belt etc

Spent the rest of the day fitting some inlet spacers which was a pig of a job.

Going to have a pint now...... I'm so bored of this, contemplating towing it to somebody else to finish off

On a positive note it runs really well.

I'll load the pictures later

Mark A

 

My hill climb season FINISHES this weekend, that is 2 seasons gone.
How do you have the patience?

Keep at it and get it oil tight at least.

Graham.

 

Mark, Did you put sealer compound under the front cam caps? [ The ones that hold the seals in ] It needs to have a small wipe under every one otherwise oil leaches out of them faster than you can pour it in at the top........

Gives the appearance of cam seal leaks but actually comes from the gap between the cap and the head.

Just a thought

David APi

 

Well having a break this weekend. Next week I'll tackle the end caps, a couple pics from last week

Inlet spacers in place



Leaking oil but from where, this is taken underneath the car looking at the bottom cam wheel



the small brown speck is oil dripping off the rear of the cam cover

Mark A

 

Replaced the cam bearing seals with some others I had around and followed David @ APIs instructions regarding the end caps. Looking at the cam seal I think I'd not seated it properly to start with.

Started the engine and no leaking from them, but as is always the case a steady leak from around the oil pump and ?? the sump is leaking again.

I think I'll take the engine out and check the turbo oil pipes, replace the sump and check the pump etc.

Dropped the car off the axle stands and drove it up and down the lane, it seems to misfire under strain but at least the clutch and gearbox work in 1st,2nd & reverse.

Deciding what to do with it as the weather is changing and don't fancy fixing it in the cold & wet.

I was slightly concerned with the engine noise on start up, not sure if anybody else using the CP pistons has noticed this till the engine gets hot. I have a video clip which I'll put on google video tonight

 

Funny, thought about you about 60 mins ago and what was going on.
Seems to me you are doing the right thing now, taking it out and fixing the bits-n-bobs.

You have lost 2 seasons now! Talk about time flying by.

Look forward to seeing it moving!

Graham