Apollo Racer Build Thread, Numeric 981 Shifter Upgrade Options

[rnellums]

You have been working! FWIW, flaps have these small spring thingies that slip over the hose and will keep it from kinking. Or, use old pieces of wet vac hose which will also guard against abrasion.

The wet vac hose is an excellent idea. It may also add a bit of insulation and keep the passenger compartment from getting so hot!

[rnellums]

BIG WEEKEND!!

I started it up for the first time! I only ran it for a few seconds ad everything is only halfway hooked up, but it still felt like a big step!

In other news I starting to finalize the cooling system routing. found that it makes sense to run solid aluminum lines in some places, but the cost for pre-flared pieces with a bead was exorbitant and a bead rolling tool is a couple hundred.

I saw on a Shelby forum that someone made a manual bead-maker out of a pair of vice grips, and I gave it a try. I feel like it was a huge success, now if I could only get the cramps in my hand to go away!

[Chris H.]

Wow you're really moving on this one. Nice work.

[76-914]

Wahoo (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) Congrats

[JRust]

I'm not a big fan of the radiator laying down in the from trunk. My v8 was setup that way & it would not cool. The forced air is lessoned quite a bit that way. Having said that my suby setup barely has an air inlet & it cools fine. So it will probably work just fine even if it isn't really my thing. Great progress on your car. Getting it started for the first time is huge. Congrats (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

[76-914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/hijacked.gif) Hey Ross, I just ran into this today so thought I'd ask you. How much tranny oil did you use. Book called for 3.8qt's but if the center diff is removed and some other mass is also removed how much gear oil should we use? Also, when level the dip stick said full with only 1.5 qt's. If I tilt the tranny down enough the dip stick reads closer to true. I'm going to go with the recommended amount and read the dip stick when it's in the car and pretty level. It really is sensitive to for/aft angle when measuring the tranny fluid. High jack over.

[rnellums]

I'm not a big fan of the radiator laying down in the from trunk. My v8 was setup that way & it would not cool. The forced air is lessoned quite a bit that way. Having said that my suby setup barely has an air inlet & it cools fine. So it will probably work just fine even if it isn't really my thing. Great progress on your car. Getting it started for the first time is huge. Congrats (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

I agree that laid flat definitely won't be as efficient, but my car was already cut for AC so I figured I might as well try this first. Plus if it does work I can still use my front trunk!

[rnellums]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/hijacked.gif) Hey Ross, I just ran into this today so thought I'd ask you. How much tranny oil did you use. Book called for 3.8qt's but if the center diff is removed and some other mass is also removed how much gear oil should we use? Also, when level the dip stick said full with only 1.5 qt's. If I tilt the tranny down enough the dip stick reads closer to true. I'm going to go with the recommended amount and read the dip stick when it's in the car and pretty level. It really is sensitive to for/aft angle when measuring the tranny fluid. High jack over.

I haven't filled mine yet, but I'll probably use the recommended amount or until the dipstick says full, whichever is more fluid.

Also, with regards to the speed sensor issue, I'm buying a 2001 2.5rs 5MT that has a 3 wire sender for the ECU. I'll let you know if that works !

Now I'm trying to figure out how high to mount the shifter. Pics to follow soon.

[rnellums]

I finished up the coolant plumbing this weekend! Everything from the windshield forward is complete for initial test driving!

I also hit up the junkyard Saturday and found a 2003 legacy outback H6 in there, apparently I had just missed the engine, but I grabbed the gauge cluster to use in the interim while I decide how I want to do my dash gauges.

I also pulled the engine back out and swapped in the 2001 2.5RS transmission with the correct speed sensor. I made up some custom axle lockers out of some old CV's and driveshafts too.

Speaking of driveshafts, my coldwater 914 order came in with the sway away axles and I should be able to get those put in by next week. The biggest hurdle I have this week is the clutch actuation - I'm hoping to stick with a cable clutch and run a bellcrank linkage near the rear of the transmission.

My list of things I need to finish up is getting smaller and smaller!

[76-914]

Way to go Ross. I know where you can get a couple of gages ready to go if you want to remote that board. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Yours for the shipping.

[Mike Bellis]

I had a flat radiator on my first V8 conversion. It cooled just fine. I built a shroud to force the air through the bumper and down. It looked like a raised trunk floor after I covered it with perlon.

The down side was driving slow on a dirt road. The fan under the radiator would kick on and blow dust all over the place. If the top was off, I would get covered in dust.

I had a radiator shop add a tall sideways filler neck and the hose connections were under the car. The hose on that car ran through the tunnel and made the cabin really hot.

I did love the partial front trunk in that car. I've got no front trunk now. My next conversion will have Boxster radiators grafted in and a usable front trunk.

[rnellums]

Way to go Ross. I know where you can get a couple of gages ready to go if you want to remote that board. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Yours for the shipping.

What do you mean remote the board? Like plug the subie gauges into stock cans like you did? That would be pretty much ideal.

[rnellums]

I had a flat radiator on my first V8 conversion. It cooled just fine. I built a shroud to force the air through the bumper and down. It looked like a raised trunk floor after I covered it with perlon.

The down side was driving slow on a dirt road. The fan under the radiator would kick on and blow dust all over the place. If the top was off, I would get covered in dust.

I had a radiator shop add a tall sideways filler neck and the hose connections were under the car. The hose on that car ran through the tunnel and made the cabin really hot.

I did love the partial front trunk in that car. I've got no front trunk now. My next conversion will have Boxster radiators grafted in and a usable front trunk.

That's kind of what I'm hoping to do! Eventually a shelf will go in that will double as ducting and the front trunk floor. I am worried about how hot the cabin will get though. My hope is that since the houses are in the longs I'll get a bit of an insulation bonus.

I'm going with a pressurised reservoir (next to gas tank) that will function as a filler, bleeder, and reservoir!

[76-914]

Way to go Ross. I know where you can get a couple of gages ready to go if you want to remote that board. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Yours for the shipping.

What do you mean remote the board? Like plug the subie gauges into stock cans like you did? That would be pretty much ideal.

Yep. Run 4 wires from the board to the gage. LMK

I had a flat radiator on my first V8 conversion. It cooled just fine. I built a shroud to force the air through the bumper and down. It looked like a raised trunk floor after I covered it with perlon.

The down side was driving slow on a dirt road. The fan under the radiator would kick on and blow dust all over the place. If the top was off, I would get covered in dust.

I had a radiator shop add a tall sideways filler neck and the hose connections were under the car. The hose on that car ran through the tunnel and made the cabin really hot.

I did love the partial front trunk in that car. I've got no front trunk now. My next conversion will have Boxster radiators grafted in and a usable front trunk.

That's kind of what I'm hoping to do! Eventually a shelf will go in that will double as ducting and the front trunk floor. I am worried about how hot the cabin will get though. My hope is that since the houses are in the longs I'll get a bit of an insulation bonus.

I'm going with a pressurised reservoir (next to gas tank) that will function as a filler, bleeder, and reservoir!

If the longs get too warm I'd try to vent the longs. Wouldn't be difficult to do.

[Chris H.]

Bob was telling me the EG33 at precisionchassis is vented through the floor.

Looks like it runs well:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_vWc87e1c


It'll cool fine. I only veered away because I want to drive the hell out of my car and could see a dust storm situation happening or some water getting in the trunk. Probably won't happen to you on the autocross circuit. Plus you have TWO 914s (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

[rnellums]

Way to go Ross. I know where you can get a couple of gages ready to go if you want to remote that board. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Yours for the shipping.

What do you mean remote the board? Like plug the subie gauges into stock cans like you did? That would be pretty much ideal.

Yep. Run 4 wires from the board to the gage. LMK

Yeah! I'll go for that! PM sent!

[rnellums]

It'll cool fine. I only veered away because I want to drive the hell out of my car and could see a dust storm situation happening or some water getting in the trunk. Probably won't happen to you on the autocross circuit. Plus you have TWO 914s (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

I hope it cools well! And you are right, having a backup 914 really takes the pressure off!!

[rnellums]

Well, it aint pretty, but I think I have an exhaust setup that is good enough to get the car on the road. Its definitely not optimized, and I'm sure I'll get around to a nice exhaust eventually, but this was pretty cheap to fab up. the resonators are Harley pipes from a local bike salvage yard for 30 and they fit perfectly into the OBX 2" SS pipes.

It will be interesting to see how close they sit to the ground when I put the car back down!

[brant]

those are very cool..
can't wait to hear it in person

loving this thread

[76-914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif) Any idea's on ground clearance? Did you modify the length of the down piece off the header flange? SS welding is not in my skill set. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)