09 Aug Recent Arrivals
While several parts on other builds are still out or waiting to arrive, we’ve been hauling along on the LS-swapped WRX.
We’ll start with the motor today. Yes, it’s out again; while we had to make sure the engine fit in place with the oil pan installed, we had one problem — we weren’t given baffles for the Holley oil pan on the LS. So we kept working until the owner provided us with the proper baffles, which we then installed in the oil pan, which required us to pull the motor briefly. What the baffles didn’t include, however, were the bolts that hold it to the oil pan. So, in the interest of not waiting around any longer, we found bolts in the proper dimensions and cut their lengths to match exactly what we needed. It’s nice when you have literally buckets filled with extra bolts; you never know when one will come in handy.
The owner also brought along a group of other new parts, as well. He brought a new Wilwood master cylinder to help keep the car’s fluids in check, a new clutch and flywheel, and a set of some very serious wheels and tires — STi wheels with Hoosier drag radials on them. With all that power going to the rear, in what is a relatively lightweight vehicle, it’s going to be necessary to maintain some degree of traction, and since the owner will be drag racing it, this seems like a step in the correct direction.
With the recent arrivals out of the way, and the motor back in the car, we’re back to the fuel cell cage. With the tacks in place and everything measured to fit, we set about applying the final welds to both the top and bottom half of the cage structure.
With the cage welded, we set about preparing to put it right back where it belongs — in the trunk. So, after multiple checks and measurements, we made sure the cage was aligned exactly as we had it before, which we’ve now MIGed into place on the body of the car itself. Even though the trunk’s gone, that floor was relatively thin; these steel bars should go a long way in keeping the back end nice and straight with all that torque being thrown back there once the car’s running.
We also devised a “kinda-quick-release” system to remove the fuel cell if necessary. By removing the bolts between the two levels of fuel cell cage (which we are using BMW head studs for, at the moment, until we can get properly sized bolts for it), and then removing the rear sway bar and all the attachments to the fuel cell itself, the owner will be able to drop the cell from the bottom of the vehicle in case it needs to be serviced or replaced.
And in case you’re wondering what the fuel cell will look like inside this cage, we snapped a couple quick pictures when we dropped the cell into the cage just to triple-check fitment. Obviously it’ll be held down in the cage from above the cell, as well, but we haven’t gotten to that point yet. Soon, though.
Lastly, here’s one extra shot of Zak doing some MIG work on the fuel cell cage, prior to all the final welding. It’s just a neat shot, not really part of today’s story, but fitting enough for inclusion.
It’s almost Friday! One last big push before the weekend!
No Comments