914-SHO Project Thread

[3d914]

Haven't done much on the 914 until today. Been distracted. I did spend this morning getting the body up on the dolly - with success. I did have to readjust the length of the dolly so that it would not protrude into the engine bay at all - but that's why I made it adjustable.

Couldn't use Maurice's suggestion since the holes in the floor boards weren't positioned properly or large enough - they would have been mangled by what ever strap/chain I used. I just went with the cinder blocks.

Been busy over the last week and a half finding a replacement for our 15 year old Windstar. Its a 2001 Outback with 120K miles. Unfortunately it suffers from the same thing that plagues all 4-cyl Subys - head gasket failure. Its in excellent condition other than that so I felt it was worth it. My daughter in Wyoming will enjoy it first and when she's done with school it comes back to me.

So needless to say the next couple of weekends will be dedicated to getting the heads gaskets replaced and basically doing the equivalent of a 60K mile service on the SHO.

 

[3d914]

While I'm waiting on Subi parts I decided to empty the coolant on the SHO and strip it down. Gettin closer - its now ready for initial fitment.

My height measurements came out pretty good. I was able to roll the motor in from the back. I did have to make a 1/2 inch upward height adjustment because the fuel pressure regulator sticks up above everything else.

You may not be able to tell but I'll have to move the lower-rear cross-support of the dolly forward another 4-6 inches so that I can get the motor's cradle farther forward. Flexible plans are the best ones - just can't see everything in advance.

 

[3d914]

Still working on the Subi motor. Got the head gaskets replaced and a valve adjustment done. Will try to get some photos up this weekend.

 

[Shovert]

I agree almost impossible to for see what can happen. Subaru are well built. Helped a buddy build a legacy powered Brat once. Maurice

 

[3d914]

Kinda off topic (but hey it my thread - right). Got the Subi motor back together and ready to go in. Cleaned up the engine bay, so hope to tackle the install tomorrow.

Didn't spend a lot of time cleaning the motor up too much - just the essentials, since I need to get this back on the road and test it all out before the long trip to Wyoming.

Need the engine bay clean though so I can spot any leaks quicker, plus makes assembly less of a hassle.

 

[3d914]

Got some time on the project today. Modified the car dolly so that I could get the engine cradle farther forward - enough to lift the engine into its correct position.

So started the fitting tests. Here's the motor from above - though only partially lifted into place.

The left head falls where expected & there will be approx 1/2 inch clearance. The issues will obviously be the thermostat housing/return hose and coolant hose #2.

So I'll have to work out these two fittings. Hose #2 should be the easiest to either bend or replace with an equivalent 90 degree elbow. The Tstat housing will be more work to get it modified to a 90 degree bend within two inches.
That also means I'll need to modify the rear firewall about three inches back - which was expected.

The firewall mod will need to be at least 8 inches - probably 9. This will fit with the trunk mod of 9 inches to accommodate the TPS.

 

[3d914]

Had to pull the motor out from underneath the car to set the intake back on so I could remeasure. Good thing because the 9 inches I suspected wasn't enough since the outlet and coolant sensor are offset to the left, but the TPS cable connection is offset to the right. I increased the cutout to 10 inches since I also need to taper the side walls slightly that cover the TPS - this lets me match angles with the B-pillar of the car.

Here's the cutout. Also added some reinforcement until I get it all finished off and closed up:

Also started to work on the rear cockpit firewall the forward bulge is only 8 inches wide and needs to be 18 inches wide to fit the front part of the SHO's intake as well as the upper part of the cam cover. I'll be able to leave large portions in place so it won't be a complete cutout and should have enough support I won't have to reinforce this area.

 

[3d914]

Made some more progress on the left side of the firewall. Started by reshaping the curvature on this side with a spare piece - as it had a convex bulge that needed to be concave. It took a lot of cutting and shaping with a hammer but I'm nearly there.

Also cut out the portion to be replaced so I can start matching edges for the butt joints. I also decided to retain the ribbing toward the center for added strength. The sloping curve along the bottom edge will just match the upper edge of the rib.

 

[Shovert]

Love to look at skilled work. Nice Maurice

 

[3d914]

Did another test fit. With the trunk section cut out I was able to lift another 8-10 inches. The right side of the cockpit firewall has not been cut yet so that's a restriction. The bulge provides an extra 4 inches which will be enough for the intake/surge canister.

The alignment of the drive shafts will be spot on.

Plenty of clearance at the thermostat now.

Also good clearance at the back of the left head.

The only thing I'm questioning is the clearance for the alternator and the extended bulge. I'm currently adding 2 inches of material to each side at the middle (see gap in previous post) - but I think I'm going to test fit again with 3 or 4 inches. This will push the bulge left & right even farther. My concern is that I'm strongly considering relocating the A/C to the right side in place of the PS pulley. If I go this route I want as much space at the firewall as possible.

 

[3d914]

Spent the weekend driving - no not the 914-SHO. Took the Outback up to Wyoming for my daughter to use. Get this - I've been driving that car every where since I got the motor back in with no problems. Even drove it 1400 miles to take it up to her. The morning she comes over to pick me up and take me to the airport - the alternator goes out. Go figure! Thankfully we got it started and the alternator worked long enough to drive it up to Billings (100 miles) to get it fixed. What a day!

 

[3d914]

More progress this evening. Was able to cut two 3" sections for the middle bulge. Applied to each side that will give me an added 6" of clearance - which should be plenty. Was able mock up the left side with the added section.

Then went on to cut up the right side of the firewall. The farthest vertical edges have been undercut until I get things shaped and fitted.

So here's the mockup with all four pieces. Next challenge is to shape the bottom blends into the angled ribs.

 

[3d914]

Had a couple of hours today to work on the left side lower transition piece. Hope to get it tacked in tomorrow.

 

[3d914]

Spent most of the day over in S.V. for their fall car show. Lots of cool cars. Will post some pics after I resize them all.

Did get a couple of hours in on the 914 this morning. Wanted to get that piece tacked in. Got it, but not happy with the welds. I only tacked it in 7-8 places and three of those blew thru -even using a copper backing block.

Shot from the back. This metal is slightly thinner than the previous parts I've been working with.

I'm going to see if I can get some .030 wire. If that doesn't work I'll be looking for another welder - one that has 5-6 amp settings and wire speed controls. I have plenty of sheet metal work to do and would like to be able to do aluminum as well.

 

[3d914]

Took a couple of hours to get the right side to fit. These curves are a challenge.

 

[3d914]

Got some .030 wire - which improved the butt welds on the right side, but still can't fill small gaps without blowing thru. Gonna go on the hunt for a used welder, but need to narrow what I'm looking for first.

 

[3d914]

Also got some time today to do another test fit. With the front firewall cutout I was hoping I could get the intake on, but it looks like I have some more trimming to do on the rear firewall.

You can see on the left side how the valve cover is going to interfere with the angled portion of the rear firewall. And the motor is positioned 3/4" too far forward in this pic.

Looking real good on the right side.

You can tell from the output shaft flanges that motor needs to come back almost an inch.

Also getting real close to the power steering pulley - need that extra 3/4" or so.

 

[Shovert]

Looking good I was going to recommend brass backing plate. Reread and notice done tried that. You are lot better metal worker than I am. Maurice

 

[3d914]

Looking good I was going to recommend brass backing plate. Reread and notice done tried that. You are lot better metal worker than I am. Maurice

I don't know Maurice - I'm still learning too!

 

[Shovert]

A thought. Do you need to make that panel removable? What if need to change water pump, change belts etc. Just thinking of future. Maurice