FFR818

I've been building this car for just over 3 years, on and off. While I frequently read this forum for years, I only recently signed up as I didn't really have anything to add. A moderator suggested I put the build thread here as the engine is what we have in common, and I usually just read about FD builds anyway.

The 818 is a Factory Five Racing kit/component car. It's a mid-engined rear wheel drive two seater, comes in a roadster, coupe, or race trim. The name is the original project name based on a goal of 818kg(1800lbs), and it just stuck. Most finished cars end up being closer to 2000lbs, I'm not sure where I'll end up, but hopefully under 1900lbs. The "kit" gives you a tubular frame, some suspension, brackets to reuse a bunch of Subaru parts, and the body. The idea is you buy the kit, an 02-07 Impreza, and bolt it all together. To put it mildly, I've taking a different path. I originally toyed with the idea of shoehorning in a H6 (it's been done), but once I realized I could fit a 13b I never looked back. I found an old guy in Australia that made an adapter and flywheel for a 13b to a Subaru transmission, and purchased a jdm series 7 or 8 13b-REW.

Here's a pic of the rolling chassis from back in October.






And here a video of it idling. I hadn't realized it at the time, but the rear leading plug wasn't firing. Fixed it now, but haven't started again since.


Here's a list of current mods.

96+ Jdm 13b-REW (came with 16bit ecu?)
-BW 8374 IWG on custom stainless manifold
-AEM Infinity ECU
-AEM smart coils x4
-GM DBW throttle body via Full Function Engineering adapter
-heavily ported upper intake manifold
-cx racing a2a intercooler
-magnaflow strait through muffler and high flow cat
-(2) cxracing 19 row oil coolers -10an lines
-10an vents from rear turbo drain and oil fill tube to catch can
-Banzai under drive crank pulley
-Pineapple Racing BT idler pulley.
-Subaru 5mt via Volks Conversion adapter plate

Round Stuff
XXR 531's 18x11 +20 and 18x8.5 +20
Nitto NT01 305/35/ZR18 245/40/ZR18
Z32 Nissan aluminum callipers
DBA STI 2-piece front rotors, WRX rear

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but for reference here is a link to my original build thread on the Factory Five forum.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...y-818-SR-Build

You can also follow me on Instagram @brap818

Narfle

iTrader: (16)

You forgot the link, and I need pics!

Johnny Kommavongsa

iTrader: (13)

in for updates

FFR818

Sorry guys, hate being "that guy" not posting good links. I typically use my iPhone for everything, but this forum doesn't agree with it most of the time. Two pics are up, and the video link is there, just gotta figure out how to embed it. I'll post a bunch more to get you guys up to date once I fire up the laptop.

FFR818

So this is how the engine showed up, its amazing how big it is fully dressed with the twins. I removed just about everything I could, turbos, A/C, power steering pump, air pump, OMP, oem ignition, and a mess of vacuum lines. Installed block off plates for everything.


Here's my modified engine mounts. There's a hockey puck in there, shh, its a Canadian thing. Also the frame mounts are new, as the subaru ones were too high. These are very similar though.



Sorry for the terrible quality pic, old camera back then. Here's how much I ported the UIM out since I'm using a GM throttle body. Note, welding was required.



I made my own phenolic spacer for between the UIM and LIM. It would've been nice to put it between the block and LIM but due to the angle the runners enter the block it just wouldn't work. Also, I'm not sure how absorbent this stuff is, so its nice to have it above the fuel injectors.

Narfle

iTrader: (16)

I feel dumb for not reading well and expecting an 818/808/rx3 with an FD motor.
That would've been cool, but this is way cooler.

FFR818

The transmission adapter.



Thought you guys might appreciate the exhaust tips. Don't worry, the fiberglass around it will all be cut away, this was just for mock up.



Here's my exhaust. I was worried about how loud it would be so since it's so short, so I'm using a magnaflow hi flow cat, not sure if it'll hold up though. A redesign maybe in my future but I need room for a wing mount and a more radical diffuser, so once those are sorted I'll know how much room I have to work with and an idea of noise level.



My AEM smart coils mounted to the block.



Dual 19 row oil coolers mounted up front. Around 25' of -10an lines to get to them. The extra oil capacity is always nice, but I'm worried about pressure drop, so I might go with an upgraded oil pressure regulator.



This is how she sits now, working on the body. Both front and rear body work has been widened by almost 3" to accommodate larger tires and get the look I'm after. In this pic you can see the intercooler scoop which has been made significantly larger. Also I was figuring out a height for my rear wing. Plan is to have two different sets of stanchions, a really low one for street, and a really high one for the track. To get it out of the path of the roll bar and windscreen it needs to be imo obnoxiously high, so why settle on one height?

FFR818

So far the only engine running I've done was idling. And not for very long. Coolant temps got to mid 90's C pretty quick. I don't have the radiator fans hooked up yet, but should they normally be needed shortly after startup?

I also definitely have air trapped in the system due to my poorly designed rad cap location. I'm trapping air at the thermostat housing, I have to be, so I'm going to modify this by welding a small tube from the top of the pipe going into the t-stat housing to just under the rad cap.






I also have no idea the condition of the motor's coolant seals, or any of it really. Hand cranking it resulted in even and distinct "poofs" of air, and visually from the exhaust ports everything looked good. After I modify the coolant plumbing I'm going to try using a "head gasket leak detector" to see if I have exhaust gas leaking into the coolant. This might also be why the coolant heats up so fast. I'd like to postpone a rebuild until after I go through the registration process, but that might not be possible. Is there any point in checking compression with a regular style tester?

I also need to address the fuel system before pushing this turbo. Right now its stock injectors and a walbro 255 in-tank. This cars pull some serious G's so a surge tank is a must before hitting the track. The Radium and AI units are really nice, but I'm not sure I want to spend that much. I'd also prefer to spend the money on a quieter pump and mount it externally next to a homemade tank. Any suggestions on an quiet external pump that can support 550hp on gas?

I'm planning on running ID1050x and ID1700x injectors, as they should handle this turbo maxed out on gasoline. I have 94 available, and will probably add water/meth in the future. Definitely going with FFE primary rail, however I'm not sure about secondary rail. The cxracing and rotary works LIM comes with a fuel rail and its a really good price. At least compared to FFE secondary and excessive LIM. But perhaps its not worth it to switch out the LIM at all.

I welcome all feedback, especially those of a constructive nature. I'll keep this build thread mostly rotary related. Anyone interested in the body and chassis mods check out my original thread listed in the first post.

Adam

7_rocket

iTrader: (6)

Whoa, never seen this before..

Moe Greene

iTrader: (2)

Is the tranny from WRX?

FFR818

Any Subaru transmission will work, however only 02-07 Impreza and wrx are technically supported. A "coupler" is supplied with the kit which after removing the centre differential converts the transmission to front wheel drive. It's the front wheel outputs that connect and power the rear wheels.

The transmission in the car right now is from a base model 07 non turbo, and so is the clutch. Neither will hold up to even low boost with my setup, but they came with the car I scraped for all the other bits. I've since purchased a JDM STI 5 speed with oem helical lsd and spec stage 3 clutch but have yet to install. Some of the high hp cars have gone with the more robust 6spd from the '04+ STI's, but IMO the extra weight hanging off the back of the car isn't worth it. Whenever I blow this one up I'll rebuild with PPG gears.

Narfle

iTrader: (16)

Little bit surprised if it got hot real fast, but the stock thermostat opens at 180f and the stock fans don't kick on until like 205f. They don't seem to kick-on, idling my FD. But, I haven't watched it hard.
If you can't regulate temps after you get your fans set up, I would check the thermostat. Burping the coolant system is also key.

Cool project, makes me wish I had somewhere to build (and skillz).

IAN

iTrader: (3)

This is awesome. Subscribed!

FFR818

I definitely didn't have all the air out of the system, and I'm reading temp at the back of the water pump housing, exactly where I suspect air is being trapped. In a couple of weeks I'll be mostly done the body mods and I'm going to modify the filler neck plumbing and try to bleed the system better. I'll also wire up the fans and tell them to come on early, that should allow me to idle longer and aid in pushing out that air. I've been reading the Big Fat Cooling Thread and it seems I'm not in any real danger at 95C, and can push it a little longer to get it bled. The thermostat is new, 170f, and I've drilled out two holes in it.

FFR818

Making some good headway on the body work!

Moe Greene

iTrader: (2)

I have a GR chassis STI tranny built at Jacks Transmission with Rallispec Group N kit, let me know if you are interested.

FFR818

As of right now I'm not, as I have 3 transmissions and haven't driven the car yet. However I may go through those quickly once the spring comes. Thanks

WANKfactor

iTrader: (1)

That transaxle - is that what would drive the front wheels on a Subaru of some kind? How much abuse are they good for?
Awesome work and about the coolest thing I have seen all year. Subscribed!

FFR818

Thanks very much! The centre diff is removed and the transmission is converted to front wheel drive, which becomes rear wheel drive due to the new location at the rear. How much abuse isn't such an easy question, especially since no one in the Subaru world has tried to put all their power through the front wheels. All we have to go by is a few 818's that upgraded from stock wrx power. Keep in mind that under 2000lbs, this car is seriously quick even with 220hp. Some have broken them around the mid 300's and hard abuse, however the Subaru is a much more torquey motor, so whose to say what the rotary will do to it. Basic rules of thumb are the strongest 5mt's are newer wrx and legacyGT's, and case flex is considered the weakness not u like the FD's transmission. Mine being a rare JDM STI 5mt with the upgraded RA gears and helical LSD might be the exception, but there's so little info in English about it that only time will tell. I don't want to have to baby it though, so once the suspension and tune are sorted I'll start driving it hard and find its weaknesses.

FFR818

Small update. Recently did a compression test, rear rotor was good, front rotor was quite low like 5-5-30psi. I glanced at the seals through the exhaust ports briefly before installed the motor, so I knew they were intact. So I removed the exhaust/turbo/manifold this morning to inspect the apex seals to see if they were stuck. Since the rear rotor's compression was good I could compare the two and see the difference. The rear rotor seals springed back as they should, and front rotor seals barely compressed and any spring back was unnoticeable. So, some cleaning and lube should bring back compression.

However when I first looked in the exhaust ports there was some greenish fluid pooled in the housings. My first thought was coolant, but it could've been gas since it has been premixed with 2-stroke oil which also has a greenish hue. I soaked it up with a shop towel, it wasn't much, just needed to know what it was. It kinda smelled like gas, but it wasn't flammable. I had let the injectors fire briefly before doing my compression tests a few weeks ago to lube everything, so in theory it could be what remains of the 2-stroke oil after the gas has evaporated. But more than likely it's coolant, as it is a used engine that's been sitting for years and has stuck seals.

I'll do a quick pressure and vacuum test of the coolant system, but my hopes of not rebuilding right away are pretty much shot.

FFR818

I pressurized the coolant system to 15psi and it held fine, and I remembered the first time I filled it that it held vacuum fine. Another thing I remembered is that most of the coolant had been drained to modify my rear rad cap housing and change my rad, so how would coolant get into the housing during my compression tests if the water pump had only residual coolant to attempt to pressurize? So it probably was just oil.

Sprayed each seal with carb cleaner, got them moving better, and then covered them with MMO. I put a bunch of MMO in both housings and cranked it backwards by hand a bunch to get it everywhere, especially on the side/corner seals. I'll probably put a bit more in this evening, hand crank some more, and then do a compression test in the morning. If it's a bit better, then I'll start reinstalling everything and fire her up!

FFR818

It worked! Not to get ahead of myself, but after just a few cranks of the starter compression jumped from the previous 5-5-30psi to 70-70-80psi. So I'm going to put everything back together, fill the coolant, and get her running again, this time with some front compression and both rear plugs firing! Hopefully a few heat cycles will free up the seals a little more and compression will get closer to an even 90psi across the board.

t-von

iTrader: (8)

If you want a little more drivetrain isolation, you should be able to fit in either the rubber 1st gen or 2nd gen Rx7 engine mounts.

Edit: Do you also have a way to bleed the air from radiator end? If not, the coolant level will never reach the top of the radiator because of the big air pocket. Also the FD style water pump vanes do a poor job of moving coolant because they simply dont have the surface area on the vanes so you'll absolutely will have to get all the air out for it to work well.

FFR818

I'll be using vacuum to fill the coolant which helps, there's a rad cap up front too so after my initial fill I'll jack up the front of the car and top it up.

FFR818

Thanks man, I can't wait either! Won't be long now, I'm just wiring up the rad fans today, trying to cross a few more things off my "Needed to start" list. Also plan to sign up to Horsepower Academy today and start watching some webinars on using the AEM infinity, especially the one on setting up fail safes.