Cool Article about the 05 SCCA wagons floating around still.. :)

I have it (Swaintech White Lightning) on the KB HHs and you can't knock that stuff off with a hammer and a chisel...well maybe a little, but it is some tough stuff, with excellent thermal protection capability, especially on the 310SS construction.

yeah it's worth it, but i think it also depends on the use case.

 

as in, i think it's worth it (and better when in conjunction with heatshields) on daily drivers where exhaust temps probably aren't high and for sure don't stay high. most DDs arent't tuned at the edge of high performance either.

 

as you said, for a racecar it may be better not to do it on 303ss tube (thin or "thick") or cast. might still be iffy for better ss tubular manifolds. might have to fix cracks often i presume and would have to remove a bit of swaintech to get there. but maybe it won't break your bank next year to try it out.

 

it's ~$120 for a turbine housing (i have mine done), ~$250 for a header (depending on length merges, etc.). oh, plus shipping back and forth... [emoji4]

 

coating the inside would be awesome, since you want the heat to stay inside, and the metal is just pulling it out and dumping it into the air/engine bay. but on pre-turbo piping, that's a bad idea (no coating has perfect adhesion over life and a few flakes can trash a turbine).

 

and the "ceramic" paint's (VHT for rattle cans, Techline for "official" stuff) are just too thin and not nearly as much ceramic to do anything but dress up the parts you paint.

Kip and I pulled the motor and transmission out of Erik's wagon today. So much for plans, as we wanted to pull it as 2 parts. The cover for the clutch fork bearing is frozen in place and we've been unable to remove it. Tried brute Force, heat, and pb blaster. Next up we'll try freezing the cover and try to shrink it a bit.

 

The clutch from the racewagon looks like it needs a rebuild. Still need to check thickness and get expected values from docs or Exedy. Looking at the specs for the clutch, it might have been undersized for the power of the motor. For the motor going in this time, it should be perfect.

Edited March 16, 2018 by boxkita

~3 weeks ago, I drove home with Fjuan's sedan. Today, I finally have all the motors and transmissions out of the cars. Kip & Randy & Doug were a big help.

 

Clutch is headed to the machine shop to be ground down. Using a super flat bar (+/- .00005 in 10 inches), checked the flatness of flywheel & clutch housing. The flywheel is off 2/1000ths outside to inside. The clutch housing is off by less however there is a warped section. The 6 puck clutch is worn down to the rivets. Hoping the everything checks out. If so, I'll be overnight'ing a rebuild kit. :-)

 

Picking up a new Sparco fire suppression system next week. The current one still shows green, however, date of manufacture is 12/2004. Better safe than sorry. Bad memories of our lucky dog car catching fire and the fire system not working.

 

Sorting thru the transmission & drive axles. Existing config is JDM FXT 6mt transmission with LGT axles. New transmission is 08 sti with sti axles. The sti axles are a little bit longer. I can swap over the sti hubs, too, leaving 5x114.3 in front and 5x100 in rear :-) Need to re-read the 6mt swap thread again for a better solution.

 

Pulling the dry sump system this weekend as I don't have time to clean and refurbish before track day. I'm debating buying a KillerB pan & pickup to give more life to an older motor. It would be mean opening it up, something I'm reluctant to do.

 

Fjuan's motor will get new valve cover gaskets. Also, need a new oil cooler. Still looking for the mishimoto system i bought awhile back. Will be checking the motor very carefully looking for any issues.

 

The SmartStrings setup was delivered Wednesday and came with a demo and setup. Also a chance to talk with Jon Ament, who built my Spec Miata. He knows the ppl who worked on the SRRT when it was racing. He's put in a call to one of the lead fabricators to get more info and/or a contact. I'm super excited to hear more about the wagon.

 

Had a chat with Ezra1234, who I met on the way back from Fresno with Fjuan's car. He's building a radical quarter mile LGT. Outfront Motorsports v4 closed deck with sleeves and nitrous. He's going to convert to lexan windows and is willing to share the template with me. Lightening the greenhouse will help lower the center of gravity.

 

Picked up a HF 20 ton press. With coupon, it was the same price as the 5 ton. I'll be putting the new Whiteline bits into a S402 aluminum LCA & trailing arm setup.

 

Erik's wagon has the full STI steering race,including solid steering shaft. I'll be swapping the entire setup over. Was looking at the XRP catalog today, and noticed they have a really nice PS braided line setup. I'd like to clean up the current routing and make it a bit cleaner. Still looking for an electric PS pump and do away with the engine mounted pump altogether. Still need more the PS cooler to a better/more secure location.

 

Erik's wagon has the DCCD setup. Need to swap that over. Had to cut the wires to get the transmission out of the car. Left enough color to figure out how to re-attach.

 

Front of racewagon where the radiator goes is a bit thrashed. Debating whether to run as is, take to a body shop to pull out, visit a local junkyard and cut the front rails off, something else. The radiator still mounts up, just looks bad. :-)

 

I'm sure there's other stuff happening too, but been up since 6 am yesterday and today will be another long day.

 

Would really like to make the 17th track day in the racewagon, but it's not looking good at the moment. Going to keep pushing...

great, then you won't need all those LGT 5MT front axles.

 

canz i haz one or more?

Sparco is on Sale with10% off at Colonel Red Racing until tomorrow if you want to order a new fire system.

~3 weeks ago, I drove home with Fjuan's sedan. Today, I finally have all the motors and transmissions out of the cars. Kip & Randy & Doug were a big help.

 

Clutch is headed to the machine shop to be ground down. Using a super flat bar (+/- .00005 in 10 inches), checked the flatness of flywheel & clutch housing. The flywheel is off 2/1000ths outside to inside. The clutch housing is off by less however there is a warped section. The 6 puck clutch is worn down to the rivets. Hoping the everything checks out. If so, I'll be overnight'ing a rebuild kit. :-)

 

Picking up a new Sparco fire suppression system next week. The current one still shows green, however, date of manufacture is 12/2004. Better safe than sorry. Bad memories of our lucky dog car catching fire and the fire system not working.

 

Sorting thru the transmission & drive axles. Existing config is JDM FXT 6mt transmission with LGT axles. New transmission is 08 sti with sti axles. The sti axles are a little bit longer. I can swap over the sti hubs, too, leaving 5x114.3 in front and 5x100 in rear :-) Need to re-read the 6mt swap thread again for a better solution.

 

Pulling the dry sump system this weekend as I don't have time to clean and refurbish before track day. I'm debating buying a KillerB pan & pickup to give more life to an older motor. It would be mean opening it up, something I'm reluctant to do.

 

Fjuan's motor will get new valve cover gaskets. Also, need a new oil cooler. Still looking for the mishimoto system i bought awhile back. Will be checking the motor very carefully looking for any issues.

 

The SmartStrings setup was delivered Wednesday and came with a demo and setup. Also a chance to talk with Jon Ament, who built my Spec Miata. He knows the ppl who worked on the SRRT when it was racing. He's put in a call to one of the lead fabricators to get more info and/or a contact. I'm super excited to hear more about the wagon.

 

Had a chat with Ezra1234, who I met on the way back from Fresno with Fjuan's car. He's building a radical quarter mile LGT. Outfront Motorsports v4 closed deck with sleeves and nitrous. He's going to convert to lexan windows and is willing to share the template with me. Lightening the greenhouse will help lower the center of gravity.

 

Picked up a HF 20 ton press. With coupon, it was the same price as the 5 ton. I'll be putting the new Whiteline bits into a S402 aluminum LCA & trailing arm setup.

 

Erik's wagon has the full STI steering race,including solid steering shaft. I'll be swapping the entire setup over. Was looking at the XRP catalog today, and noticed they have a really nice PS braided line setup. I'd like to clean up the current routing and make it a bit cleaner. Still looking for an electric PS pump and do away with the engine mounted pump altogether. Still need more the PS cooler to a better/more secure location.

 

Erik's wagon has the DCCD setup. Need to swap that over. Had to cut the wires to get the transmission out of the car. Left enough color to figure out how to re-attach.

 

Front of racewagon where the radiator goes is a bit thrashed. Debating whether to run as is, take to a body shop to pull out, visit a local junkyard and cut the front rails off, something else. The radiator still mounts up, just looks bad. :-)

 

I'm sure there's other stuff happening too, but been up since 6 am yesterday and today will be another long day.

 

Would really like to make the 17th track day in the racewagon, but it's not looking good at the moment. Going to keep pushing...

 

If you're using the STi front axles, you'll want 08+ STi LCAs as well as the hubs and knuckles in order to keep the axles in their working range. However, this will increase track width quite a bit so you're going to have to source some high offset 5*114.3 front wheels.

 

Freerangeracing mentioned 05 STi hubs are a direct fit for the ABS sensor and he used them instead of 08 STi knuckles.

 

Keep up the awesome work!

I have FreeRangeRacing's 08 STI hubs already in the aluminum LCA. His wagon has 05 hubs and knuckles.

 

Only it leaves the car half and half. I need to pull the suspension out of his wagon this weekend. See what works.

 

If the front can be all STI, I can go-to tss.fab and get the super nice upgrade bits and knuckles.

 

I wonder how much spring would be in trailing arm if made a set with a bigger bend where the tire rotates?

Thinking on internet...

 

If I use 08 STI front parts, which is about .5 inches longer on the axles, can I use wider fenders and go with it? A wide front track is better, right?

IMHO - You're spending too much money on bits. Build with what you already have and get a season of seat time in before you start widening tracks, STI hubs, STI axels, etc. The 6 Speed tranny that was in there worked fine, use it till it needs a rebuild. In the ST class you're never going to beat the Lowe Group BMWs or Corvettes anyway, at least not without spending a good $250K, so run what you brung and have fun!

 

The only "add" I can think is worthwhile is a better tranny cooler.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Sgt.Gator

^^^ we talked, you understand. Moving forward with the"bits" I have. Still trying to make my Saturday track day. :-)

Pulled the STI steering rack out of the blue wagon, before realizing it actually STI width. Then remembered the rack sitting on the floor is actually a LGT trimmed STI rack. Sigh. However, the blue wagon donated it's solid steering shaft. The super awesome jdm Cusco steering rack brace is gorgeous and JDM. Let that ruminate for a bit. I apparently didn't before buying it. It's for sale, BTW.

 

While the rack was out, Kip asked if I was going to put in the new arms and sways. Hilarity ensues as we find the WL end links don't fit the WL sways but do fit the stock sways. More happens as we find out super awesome S402 kit I bought only has rear setup not fronts. A mad scramble occurs as I look through the pile of parts for front arms. A set of spec b arms from Underdog is removed from their wall art location and put into play. I've never used a press before. My collection of sockets only worked on the smaller bushing. The larger one got cut out with a Dremel and chisel. Ugh. Need to find the right size. New bushings are in.

 

Pulled the dry sump setup. Don't have time to find out how to clean all the metal from the system, so pulling it for now. Not having the special AN tools made the task much more fun. Having a Snapon tool helped alot.

 

Flywheel is surfaced and looks good. Sgt.Gator came through with a last minute order for a clutch plate and throwout bearing. Literally, made the cutoff by 30 minutes. Showed up yesterday at 10am. We'll do a light sand on the housing to shine it up a bit then put it on the motor.

 

Pulled the heater defeat from the racewagon motor and moved it to Fjuan's motor. It's officially the new racewagon motor. Still need to get a oil cooler as the current one is leaking.

 

Will be using the original racewagon transmission as we figured out the STI transmission is a different size. Would have liked to use it. STI axles are much beefier.

 

Used the HF steam cleaner for the first time. Cleaned up the front subframe as axle grease was everywhere. Looks all shiny again. Looks like I'll be doing that every Monday after race days.

 

Unless something goes tragically wrong, the "Silver Bullet" will be on track this coming weekend.

 

Pics tomorrow. Going to be another long day today.

Edited March 16, 2018 by boxkita

Having used a bunch of AN tools now I can help you spend money on the collection you need!

 

Does the new tranny have the external oil pump pipe? In the pic above it's turned to show the wrong side. If it does, that's how you want to plumb in your tranny oil cooler.

Edited March 11, 2018 by Sgt.Gator

New one doesn't.

Best laid plans and all that. Not going to make it this weekend in the wagon. I'll be doing the instructor clinic in the commuter car.

 

Stymied last night with a few issues:

- Up-pipe is aftermarket and the thermal wrap was cooked. I can rewrap and insulate surrounding items (power steering lines were cracked and had to be replaced). Nothing I can do on the engine mounts.

- extensive oil cooling systems aren't compatible with oem oil system. Without tearing down old motor, idk extent of damage. Opting for extreme, because any metal particles is bad.

- not sure why I thought this would be easy, but fuel system is different. 2 lines on racewagon and 3 lines on OEM. Have a third manifold, so going to put all 3 side by side to see what I can figure out.

 

Moving deadline to a more realistic number saves a lot. I've been paying air freight and skipping things trying to get done. Taking tonight to rethink plan and get organized.

 

Positives:

- I've learned a lot. Like I can recognize parts at a glance. I get the right socket the first time most of the time. Yeah, I started from zero...

- big tool chest has most of my tools now and it's labeled in large high contrast font so I can see it across garage. Still need to build out raceday rolling tool chest. That'll come with time.

- Light bar has been great. Moved it to shine in wagon engine bay which moved it from the work bench. The bench is noticeably darker. Need to build out the bar to handle more light.

Edited March 16, 2018 by boxkita

This may help: I'm sure this is all buried in this thread but here you go:

 

Top Feed fuel rails with Cobb 1000 cc injectors. (Converted from side feed oem).

 

Motiv TGV deletes.

 

There's two fuel lines because there's the tank to fuel rails, and fuel rails return to tank. There is no evap line to a charcoal canister which is the third line you are seeing on the stock wagon, no evap PCV junk, in fact, no pcv stuff at all.

 

I'm not sure what you mean about the dry sump not being compatible with the oem oil system. They actually work together. Call me if you need an explanation.

I should know better to post when I'm sleep deprived. :-(

 

A good night's sleep and skipping the shop for a night helps get the focus back. Spent part of the work day looking for heatshield solutions and fueling solutions. Not knowing what you don't know makes it hard to ask questions.

 

Found this picture showing the layout of the fuel lines that made a bit of sense, as have to convert from OEM 3 pipe to no-evap system 2 pipe.

 

Found a place that sells, so they claim, actual 2000 degrees, sustained, heat shield products. I'll call them today to see how much is hype and how much is true. Both cars had wrap on the exhaust and both are cooked. The fiberglass based product has a max sustained heating of 1100 degrees. The 30 second one time heating is 1800-2000. The exhaust temps on a turbo run in the 1500-1800 degrees range. Whether this is on the dp or up, doesn't really matter. It's over the sustained heat range, so the wraps get cooked. If you're lucky everything just gets hot. If not, your engine mounts get melty.

 

Picked up a new Sparco fire suppression system as the current one dates back to the first day of racing - 12/2005.

 

Bought Schroth enduro belts for the driver. 2inch wide so it fits my Nexsgen system better. Easy slide bars so I can get out without help. Also, because I liked them so much in the Spec Miate. Passenger gets hand-me-down ropes I found on the side of the road, or something like that.

 

And I'll be calling Sgt.Gator to find out what else I forgot or don't know. I've been reading thru this thread making notes on what got done and when, but missed the part on the fuel system.

 

Back to work...

I have a PTP lava blanket and it's pretty damn cooked. I honestly expected more out of it for how much it cost. But, it's brittle and sort of falls apart a little every time I replace my downpipe.

 

I currently have a thermal zero blanket on my up-pipe and DEI Titanium on my headers and my downpipe. On my downpipe it has lasted pretty well. But that's probably because the downpipe is ceramic coated.

 

I'll be curious to hear if they are actually sustained heat shield products / reasonable to purchase for non-race car drivers.

 

I think I missed it, but what are you doing with the Forester STI JDM transmission? Are you installing it in your black wagon?

For the time being, I'll keep the 08 sti transmission as a spare. The unicorn transmission from the racecar will go back in. I should try to find another one, then I can sell the 08 sti.

 

The black wagon will always be a 5mt. It maxes out around 160 plus/minus so fast enough for anything I need. I've been updating the driver comfort items as I never did that before. Turning it into a high-speed touring wagon and upgrading the bits that have bugged me for years (lights are useless, interior lights are dim, music doesn't sound quite right, interior is not dark enough, dog claw marks everywhere, etc).

 

I've tried the DEI stuff, even wrapped the black wagon's DP with it. Hoping for a one and done on that. The Mustang had it and cooked it, too. You need a moving air gap of at least one inch in order for it to survive, maybe. Even then, over 1100 cooks the membrane and you're done.

 

I'm hoping its priced in the non-race driver pocketbook range too. :-)

When Boxkita gets done with his mods to the Silver Eagle we'll have:

 

 

 

Thanks for making me LOL.

Bend? Did you win another auction, Gator?

Bend? Did you win another auction, Gator?

 

No, but it looks like a deal you would jump on!

 

That Gambler500 wagon has inspired me. Going to cut the front off the blue wagon and weld on an additional 6 inches to the Slippery Pig. Then I'll section the fenders to add 3 inches so I can run 335's. Finally, I found an aero rear window from a 90's Monte Carlo and I'll graft that onto the rear after welding the hatch closed. I'll have to add a bit to the rear fenders to make it fit, but it should be super aero.

In other news, Kip took the Spec B arms to AWD in Kirkland to get the whiteline 334M bushings pressed in correctly. Looks good. The other whiteline bits are already added, so the new arms will be going in tomorrow. The upgraded ball joints and end links are already fitted.

 

The pics of the 14 year old Perrin alk bearings are interesting. I'll be sending pics to Perrin as well. Measuring Whiteline vs Perrin, the Whiteline bearing parts are ~30% thicker.

 

Still working on the up pipe wrap. Racewagon wagon motor has Grimmspeed unit. The donor motor has a no name unit. Both had fiberglass based wrap that had failed completely. In the case of the racewagon, much of the material had been converted to a hard transparent substance. Much of the manifold appears to be covered in burnt glass. The SS bands are multiple colors and fragile, as most broke before the cut was finished.

 

The steam cleaner is getting a workout. Cleaning oil, grease, dirt, etc off everything. Went through 5 gallons of steam yesterday. Still have the underside and interior to do.

 

Pulled the wing. It's in the wrong location (not putting weight on wheels) and can't adjust it easily. Look for it in the classified section. :-)

 

Will be pulling the rear suspension this week and replacing everything.

 

Looking at LIC Motorsports STI to LGT hubs. Spendy but neat solution. I'd still like to get a contact at SKF bearings and see if they will custom make a lgt sized STI hub. Their catalog says it's possible.

 

Re-read the rules for the race. I have to have another driver, no ironman'ing the race. Looking at expenses and working up numbers.

 

Working on numbers for the cost of a full season. Looking for a title sponsorship and realized I have no idea what I need/want nor what I can provide in return.

 

The days of just driving are over. :-)

Edited March 16, 2018 by boxkita