Subaru Conversion Products, coldwater914.com Options

[jimkelly]

looking forward to your shift linkage setup.

and maybe a call into terry cable is in order as they should be able to make up a custom - throttle cable - and - clutch cable, for those not going hydraulic.

speedo is a whole nother story i assume.
this gps speedo that some have used looks nice.
http://www.speedhut.com/gauge_products-gau...dometer_GPS.htm
but ecu will still need a vss signal i think

who best to convert stock harness, in order to use stock ecu, mounted under passenger seat?

[my928s4]

who best to convert stock harness, in order to use stock ecu, mounted under passenger seat?

The only one i found was Small Car Performance and that is not cheap AND you need to supply a harness so you are looking at over a grand by the time you are done.

Usually enough incentive to do it yourself but it is going to take time, a lot of it.

Even with the Small Car harness it will need modification to hook up to the 914 harness although that is the easy part.

[mepstein]

Would be nice if someone could document the harness conversion, step by step. Would still take time but it's always easier with good instructions.

[my928s4]

Would be nice if someone could document the harness conversion, step by step. Would still take time but it's always easier with good instructions.

I don't want to get in the way of any plans Ian may have, if there are none I would be willing to go through this again for the benefit of others documenting the process. One thing to be wary of is there are at least two types of WRX harness (early and late) that I know off.

[IM101]

Haha, not stepping on my toes on this one... to make a wiring diagram/ how to would be ten time more work/energy than I have put into cold water up to this point. Why? Because unfortunately subaru didn't make the wiring quite as universal as there engine parts. So for example the ej22e from 91-93 ish has a different wiring diagram and plugs than, 93-98 there ae and again different for any after 98. That is three different set ups for one type of engine. Now throw in something similar for 2.5NA and the wrx and svx and... all of a sudden your looking at 30+ different instruction "how to's" that each need a massive amount of time to complete.

Furthermore small car has already done it... I have the instructions from sawtooths original wiring harness for an ej22e and am about to buy a DIY kit from them for an EZ30D. It comes with some sort of an electronic immulater that sends correct signals t the ecu, a big set of written instructions with pictures, and a full size wireing diagram. For a little north of 200$... well worth it in my opinion.

[charliew]

I'm way behind on this project, I wanted to build my own mounts but I think this will save some time. I've had way to many home projects get in the way for awhile.
PM sent.

[my928s4]

How are the axles and cable shifter coming along?

[IM101]

Axles have been ordered, and because of a slight change to the design (machining the subaru to be a replica of OEM gear to avoid sourcing custom circlips to fit) Sway-A-Way has told me 4 weeks.

Still in prototyping of the cable shifter, got my hands on an MR2 set up, which seems to be the most popular/easy shifter, and fine tuning the design of the 5mt mount. I will be sure to let everyone know when its ready.

[charliew]

Maybe someone that has used the mr2 shifter can give us some specs on the cable and it's ends they ordered and we could do a group buy or you can order enough to get a volume discount. Course there may not be that many that want shifter parts. The cables, their length and their ends would get me pretty much done. I really am going to try and make the rear a internal deal if I can but having the cables in case it doesn't work out would be nice. There is a lot of room in the rear housing and that would sure clean up the rear view of the car. I still have a sequential shifter goal in mind but it's a pretty big engineering deal for me. I'm hoping I can get my son involved with his solid works skills but he is busy with a new built motor suby project. I also have bought a plasma cam machine but really don't have a good place to set it up yet. I've still got a clausing mill setting in the middle of the main bay in my shop along with a two post lift setting out on the approach in front of the bay the 914 is in front of. I am making a cement block wall with columns and automatic gate on my driveway and it has taken way too long, almost as long as the extra 22 cabinet doors I added in our kitchen when I redid the kitchen, that was 6 or 7 months. I've been on the entry 3 or 4 months. I'll have to find a place for Ian's parts. I really need a toy/storage shed. My son says I need to give up a few projects as I'm running out of time.

[charliew]

Ian I got the cradle and tranny mounts friday afternoon. I haven't opened the box yet but the cradle looks good.
Thanks for doing this.

[76-914]

Hey Charlie, do a thread. I'd like to see your work on this. I usually follow your posts with interest. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[ruby914]

Hey Charlie, do a thread. I'd like to see your work on this. I usually follow your posts with interest. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
I second that Charlie.
Back when I started my project, you were well into collecting knowledge and plotting your best path.
You knew better than I did before I even thought of starting.
You helped me prevent some costly mistakes.
I would be very interested to see your approach and progress.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)
Mike

[charliew]

Guys I probably will do a thread and call it my 914 thesis. After the past years of accumulating knowledge and parts. The only catch is I'm now 68 and I have several really nice projects setting around. I also still have some really big home improvements in line. I have lost count in the cost of all the parts for the 914. I just got a 06 forester 5spd tranny to go with the other trannys I have so I think I may have all the ring and pinion choices availabe now. I just realized the later trannys don't have the inspection cover on top of the case in the rear to make it easier to do a internal cable shifter mechanism. I knew that but forgot it I only have one older tranny a 96 tt one with the removable top plate.

I'm sorry Ian for butting into your thread. To do my own thread will require a lot of picture taking and that kinda drags me down.

The guys that have already done this have had lots of good ideas and have saved me and others a lot of redos because I'm never happy knowing something could be done better without doing it over. What i will try to concentrate on is the details mostly.

The wiring harness stuff for me will save a lot of time.

My son hotrods a sti so he is always working and studying the suby turbo motor stuff. I will be curious to see how Jake Raby deals with keeping the head on a high pressure suby motor. Anything over about 26 lbs is a time bomb in my opinion.

[IM101]

Charlie, don't worry about it, I am just happy that this thread is getting looked at, as it seems the member vendor section can get ignored at times.

heck I'm looking forward to your thread as well, after talking with you i can tell you have a wealth of valuable knowledge.

As for the cables, I do plan on buying in volumes to keep the costs down.

the internal shift mech is cool idea id love to see you get to that project.

[Lennies914]

Any updates on the axles?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_bump.gif)

[IM101]

Yes, they have been ordered, SAW is thinking 2 weeks until they are shipping them out.

besides that i have been really busy with midterms and of course my last term of school cant be a nice easy, I've read 7 or 8 books in the last couple weeks.

still plugging away at Cold Water though, I have just recently become a dealer at Small Car Performance, so if anyone wants wiring kits/instructions or shortened aluminum oil pans let me know!

[76-914]

Haha, not stepping on my toes on this one... to make a wiring diagram/ how to would be ten time more work/energy than I have put into cold water up to this point. Why? Because unfortunately subaru didn't make the wiring quite as universal as there engine parts. So for example the ej22e from 91-93 ish has a different wiring diagram and plugs than, 93-98 there ae and again different for any after 98. That is three different set ups for one type of engine. Now through in something similar for 2.5NA and the wrx and svx and... all of a sudden your looking at 30+ different instruction "how to's" that each need a massive amount of time to complete.

Furthermore small car has already done it... I have the instructions from sawtooths original wiring harness for an ej22e and am about to buy a DIY kit from them for an EZ30D. It comes with some sort of an electronic immulater that sends correct signals t the ecu, a big set of written instructions with pictures, and a full size wireing diagram. For a little north of 200$... well worth it in my opinion.

So, to clarify for my dumb ass; I can but an EZ30D with just about any Suby 5-6 speed, buy the Small Car $200 kit to adapt to the 914 ECU, buy your kit and have basically what I need sans the cooling, clutch parts? And if this is correct will it matter whether I go JDM or USDM. TIA, kent

[charliew]

Kent this is very general in description. A few years ago I was more up to date on my knowledge. I have a 96 tt 2.0 jdm motor tranny and all the turbo and exhaust stuff. After bying it I realized the motor had different sensors, wiring and ecu than domestic subys. The wiring can be fixed but the ecu probably will have to stay with the sensors. I do remember on nasioc the discussion about the difference in cam sensors and their feedback to the ecu. In other words the best stock ecu is probably the later wrx or sti ecu. That means you probably will need the later sensors also and that means you need the later wiring connectors. I don't know if the later jdm motors use the same sensors and connectors as dm but they might.

I have decided the quickest best solution is to get a aftermarket expensive ecu and be able to do anything you later want to do including support avcs. But my son has been considering this a long time. He has a much modified built motor and the romraider control is challenging. It is a expensive thing to do. Also the 02 wrx I think I remember is a 16 bit and the 04 sti is a 32 bit ecu. I'm guessing for the avcs control.

Thats sorta what I remember. I think you are better off staying with late- 02 on domestic motor and tranny. The 05 and later turbo legacy tranny has stronger, ie, wider gears to handle more torque.

Study up on the ez30 conversions every where you can. Try to keep all the neat controls of the factory if you can. My son thinks his 04 sti factory ecu controls the knock better than aftermarket ecu's and that is why he keeps using it but the tuning is very hard when you go to e85, bigger turbo, meth and bigger injectors, bigger pulse width control fuel pumps and so on.

[charliew]

Maybe Ian will have some of small cars stuff down pat and some more answers before I get to that point. I bought smallcar's stuff a few years ago and basically it was resisters fooling the ecu on the fuel tank sensors and maybe a o2 solution I think.

I'm sure they have advanced more since then.

Again, I think when you get really serious you will go to a aftermarket control but by then you will decide you need to learn your own programing also.

[charliew]

The great thing is Ian's at the age where learning and retention is at it's peak and also he has the energy to complete more late night tasks than a lot of us and he doesn't seem to be challenged as much by the technology as some of us. In my opinion. I'm glad he came along even though there are several people here how have contributed a lot and have done some really good conversions. We all know the good conversions are always going through updating phases. We called it kaizan at work. Which really just means continous improvement.