Subaru Transmission into 914, DAMN that turned out good!! Options

[DBCooper]

Some photos of my 914 being fitted with a WRX transmission. I'm sorry, we replaced bushings, adjusted and aligned three times and that 901 never even got close to being acceptable. The WRX motor was such a huge improvement over the VW that it only seemed logical to make the transmission just as modern. And "while we're in there" the air-to-air intercooler is being replaced by a water to air. You just don't get the air flow in the back of the car you'd want to make big power, and the next step with this car will be an STI motor. Power is addictive. Yes, I know better and you've been warned.

Anyway, the WRX five speed with Quaife gets introduced to engine.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145993.1.jpg)

The forest of jackstands as positioning is worked out.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145994.2.jpg)

The WRX transmission axle outlets are a little closer to the flywheel than the 901, which meant the engine had to be moved back to keep the axles aligned with the stubs.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145995.3.jpg)

Flipped manifold. Enough space in there now for an EZ30 six, easy. Nice looking hellhole too, don't you think? Still needs detailing of course, but first things first.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145995.4.jpg)

But moving the engine back meant he had to box a small part of the rear trunk. That's OK, this car isn't for hauling luggage anyway. Or lawn tools. Or groceries.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145996.5.jpg)

Cable shifter at the transmission. Beautiful work.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145997.6.jpg)

And inside the car, the modified MR2 shifter. Feels notchy, accurate, and good, which is what this is all about. That and more strength, especially in first.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145998.7.jpg)

A video of the shifter, still in the prototype stage, showing the action in the front and the rear.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncmaxYd1WNI


Ask Abby what she thinks of Grandpa's car. She likes to show off those pretty new teeth.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145998.8.jpg)

The water-air intercooler. It will go just ahead of the engine on the driver's side.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268145999.9.jpg)

In the car, you can see part of the new cradle, just tacked for the moment.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268146000.10.jpg)

Axles are aligned.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268146001.11.jpg)

Business end, seen from the rear. It looks so good we'll probably go without a valence, it's gotta be seen. I can't wait until in the rearview mirror I see another 914 guy who's pulled up behind and is trying to figure out what all happened back there.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268146001.12.jpg)

This work is being done by a wizard at a shop called 40-Thirteen in Modesto, CA. Quality of work is unmatched. If you're curious there are a lot more pictures of this transmission project, the engine cradle, what the car looked like with just the WRX motor before these changes, or more pictures of that beautiful granddaughter in an album at: http://photobucket.com/Corinthiano

More to come later. It was a monster before, but you had to be real gentlemanly with the shifter. To hell with that. I can't wait.

.

[DBCooper]

OK folks, it’s party time!! It runs and drives, and we can now confirm that we have we have indeed found a cure for the SLAP. It shifts like butter and should be more than strong enough now, even in first gear. We haven’t gained any weight so it still handles Like a 914, but with the WRX transmission it shifts like a modern car, and with the WRX motor it runs like one, too. Like a very very fast modern car.

Kind of a dark photo, sorry, but the new view from the back:

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855708.1.jpg)

Underneath, the shifter and cables.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855709.2.jpg)

See the axles and those nice flange adapters Steve? You need to be proud! And thanks, Andy, for letting us borrow that camera!

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855709.3.jpg)

A closer view of the flanges:

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855710.4.jpg)

The Tilton pedals in place. Still some work to do on that interior. It should have been done already, but once that WRX motor was in it was so much fun to drive I yielded to temptation every time and headed up into the hills instead of working on it.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855711.5.jpg)

The shifter, cables and ECU. That will all be covered with an armrest/storage cubby.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855712.6.jpg)

Going to get rid of the gauges on the console where they're hard to see, so will just need one quad gauge.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855713.7.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855714.8.jpg)

Engine compartment, now complete.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855714.9.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855715.10.jpg)

Miata battery hiding under the air filter. Smaller and lighter than a stock battery, with that lighter weight located down lower, too.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855716.11.jpg)

Talk about attention to detail, look at this powder coated muffler hangar. With nylock nuts even!

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855717.12.jpg)

And the blowoff routed back into the intake instead of being vented. I can live without the “pfffttt!” sound, don’t feel the need to impress no ricer boys.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855718.13.jpg)

The forward intercooler heat exchanger, and still enough space for an A/C condenser in the future.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855719.14.jpg)

And the prize at the end of all this work? The car key.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i379.photobucket.com-2618-1268855720.15.jpg)

I haven't driven it yet, it's in California and I'm still in Texas, but we're going to meet up soon. The kids say it shifts like butter, and the Quaife hooks up just as advertised. Springtime in the Sierras, I can't wait. In the meantime Jeff of 40-Thirteen, the builder, and my son are going to be doing some serious shake-down testing. If anything can break those are the boys who can do it. I can hear Jeff saying "Let's just turn up the boost, that's all!!" and my son saying, "With the Quaife it won't get sideways when I powershift, right? We need to test that." They're destructive testing specialists, by training and practice, and they're good.

Suspension's not set up yet but I think they're going to try autocrossing somewhere next weekend, Sacramento or Alameda. They've promised videos.

If you want to see more detail there are photos HERE