Colonel Red Racing 2005 STI Race Car

[Sgt.Gator]

The April PRI Magazine is out. lots of racing goodness in it for builders and racers. You can download it here:

 

http://cdn.coverstand.com/1840/393304/956b7781cfd15938e2689eabefdb6a16bd2d9c33.10.pdf

[Sgt.Gator]

What A Day! The good news is the new engine started on the first 1/2 second of a crank. The expected but painful was all the leaks and other issues.

 

Here's how first start day went:

 

My friend and wife are gong to standby at 5:00PM with fire extinguishers and sharp eyes for the start up so I've got to get everything ready by then.

I start the pre-prep at noon. I *think* the dry sump and oil system are ready. I've pre-primed the system with my HD pump (see the LGT Thread on that). I realized that because I'm using a Prosport remote mount oil pressure sensor on the back block port that this will be easy -peasy, just screw the HD pump into the 1/8" NPT fitting and pump it up. When done put the pressure sensor back on and good to go. All done in easy reach at the firewall using the rear block port. No removing the alternator.

 

Well no. Remove spark plugs. Pull the IGN fuse and give her a crank. No pressure on the new oil pressure gauge. Do that 10 more times. No pressure. Crap.

 

Remove electric sensor and replace with analog gauge, put remote with gauge up on the windshield so I can see it move. Crank several times, no needle movement. Now I'm starting a panic attack. Trace every oil line. Did I get the dry sump out and in lines reversed? Is the DS pump or the main pump dead on arrival. NO!!!

 

As a final check I take the gauge off the remote line and stick the line down in an empty oil bottle. Give the engine another series of cranks, check the bottle. Eureka, there's oil in there! Praise Be ! I surmise that crank speed is not generating enough pressure to move either the sensor or the needle.

 

If you're wondering about the OEM oil pressure switch in the front of the block under the alternator, the switch is gone, replaced with a oil temp sensor.

 

Reinstall the spark plugs. See the Tips below for a tool that helps when doing this awful chore.

 

Next up: Verify fuel pressure. I put the IGN fuse back in so now the fuel pump will come on in the "On" key position. Turn on the key, no sound from the intank pump. No pressure on my fuel pressure gauge next to the fuel pressure regulator. Crap!

 

Pull the plates off the tank to access lines and electric connector. I verify there's 12 volts coming into the connector. Dang, now I gotta pull the intank pump out. Drain tank using the Holley transfer pump. To drain both sides of the saddle I unmount the Holley pump and flip it so I can suck both sides empty. Take the tank cover plate off and start working it out of the tank. It's a tight fit with lots of rubbing. It's 3/4 out when I notice the electrical connector to the new Deatchwerks 300 pump is not fully seated. Give it a push and click, in it goes. Now how the hell did that happen? I'm positive it was connected when I put it in the tank! Somehow working it around and into the tank it had come unconnected. Curse a little bit but happy it was a simple fix. Put everything back together.

 

Well no. As I screw down the Holley transfer pump the rivnut for the mount pulls out of the floor. Crap.

 

Luckily I have a RivNut tool and the right sized riv nuts. 20 minutes later I have a new Rivnut in the floor and it's tight. ( A lot of times when a Rivnut tears out you have to drill a new bigger hole and go up a size.)

 

Ok, let's check the fuel pressure. Key On. I hear the blessed sound of the in tank pump whir up and stop. I check the fuel pressure gauge at the Perrin regulator. Zero. Crap.

 

Did I reverse the pressure line with the return to tank line? I checked that over several times before I fitted the lines to the regulator. It was a pain because the way i had it figured the lines had to criss cross over/under. I loosen the clamp and tug on what should be the pressure line. no drips. Do the same with the return line, now I have fuel under pressure. They are crossed!

 

Uncross the lines, now I have 3 lbs of fuel pressure! Should be more

 

Then I see drips. A lot of drips, more like a light spray, one of the AN fittings on the driver fuel rail is leaking.

 

Tighten AN fitting. 43 PSI!

 

This all takes hours.

 

Good to Go Now! I brief my wife and friend on their duties, supply them fire extinguishers, and get behind the wheel. The car is about 2 feet up on the lift so they can still see inside but also easily look under the car for leaks dripping or spraying down.

 

Contact! Barely touch the start and the engine fires right up!

 

5 seconds and no pressure on the electric oil Pressure gauge. Shut down. Crap,

 

This time I decide to verify pressure as close to the pump as possible. I remove the alternator and oil temp sensor. Screw an analogue gauge straight into the front port on the block.

 

The engine fires right up and my friend gives me the big thumbs up. At 2,000 RPM it's 100PSI. Praise Be!

 

Uh Oh, my friend sees a lot of clear liquid dripping off the bottom tha smells like gas! Crap.

 

Trace down the leak to the OTHER AN fitting on the front of the driver's fuel rail. Tighten.

 

Reinstall oil temp sender and alternator.

 

Start it up. looking good. Well for a few minutes. Friend spots red liquid dripping off the middle of the engine. Not really the engine, it's off the cross member. Shut down. Leaking power steering fluid from both the Chase bays PS cooler hose connections on the P/S rack. I decide that's too involved to fix now, we put a bucket under the drips.

 

Start it up. Now we're getting some heat. My friend spots steam and drips in a new place under the car. I get out and look, one of the AN lines supplying the EWG coolant is leaking under the hot pressure. Crap. It's in a hard place to reach when hot so we let it go for a couple more minutes.

 

I notice the coolant temp gauge getting hot. The new Spal Fan is not kicking on. Apparently I don't know how to read a wiring diagram correctly. Crap.

 

Meanwhile my wife is perfectly happy at the back of the car, no issues with the trunk mount dry sump tank or cooler lines, and the fuel tank lines are good.

Happy Wife, Happy Life!

 

That's it; we shut it down and have an adult beverage.

 

Saturday To Do's:

Fix the EWG AN Coolant leak. This leak explains the Airlift not holding vacuum in the above post #349.

 

Remove subframe(s) and re-tighten the P/S line connections.

 

One of the AN-12 dry sump fittings has a very slight leak thru the swivel. Fixing will mean replacing the whole fitting. Not a big deal but may be a pain if I have to pull the whole line out. That will be the last repair because it's in a place where all the oil will drain out, and I have to drain the oil very soon anyway. Probably later tomorrow.

 

Figure out what's wrong with the dang radiator fan.

 

Figure out what the hell is wrong with the new Autosport Oil Pressure Gauge.

 

All in All I'm very pleased. The engine fired right up and ran great. Just a bunch of minor annoyances that don't cost anything but time to fix.

 

Tips:

 

When you first start it's invaluable to have a second and even third pair of eyes. Especially when armed with fire extinguishers.

 

ProSport Remote Oil Pressure/Temperature Sender Install Kit. Useful for more than attaching a pressure sensor to the firewall. I just wish the elbow was swivel, it's not. I should make the dang things myself out of AN-4 lines with swivels. Next time I will.

 

GearWrench Tools KDT41740 Magnetic Universal Spark Plug Service Kit, 5/8-Inch, 3 Piece. The best $40 you'll ever spend. Makes it so much easier doing Subaru spark plugs. The 4" is the one you'll use, they probably sell it as single tool at less cost. https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-KDT41740-Magnetic-Universal-Service/dp/B000NIEECO

 

More tomorrow night with pics!

Edited April 8, 2017 by Sgt.Gator

[Sgt.Gator]

I bought a part from Rallispec that happened to ship in a Koyorad box. Apparently whoever took the Koyorad radiator for the STI out of the box can't read or disregarded this warning label which is in two places on the box. Now we know what happens when you put a brass temp sender with a faulty ground on a aluminum radiator!

[Th3Franz]

Yeah basically if you buy a Koyo rad, it has no warranty after you drive with it. Mine started leaking where the core met the end tank. No warranty. Had a repair shop epoxy it. So far it's holding.

[shralp]

Nice Gator, glad to see that no major catastrophe occurred! I see a recurrent theme of loose AN fittings, whats the deal?

[Rhitter]

Gator, it's like your mechanic (i.e. you) doesn't know how to tighten AN fittings Edited April 9, 2017 by Rhitter

[LatentWagen]

Gator, it's like your mechanic (i.e. you) doesn't know how to tighten AN fittings

 

Wife's a keeper, tho!

[Sgt.Gator]

Nice Gator, glad to see that no major catastrophe occurred! I see a recurrent theme of loose AN fittings, whats the deal?

 

Gator, it's like your mechanic (i.e. you) doesn't know how to tighten AN fittings

 

I always tend to under tighten them. You don't want to reef on an AN fitting particularly when dry, because it's aluminum on aluminum. So I tighten them with a wrench but apparently not enough!

 

I'll have to figure out how to torque them down. There are specs for that but I don't think I have the right tools.

 

http://speednik.com/files/2014/05/Torque-640x461.jpg

 

This method looks good for when there's no room for a torque wrench:

 

http://speednik.com/files/2014/05/Flats.jpg

 

Counting Flats Method

 

1) Tighten the nut by hand until it bottoms the seats.

2) Using a marker, draw a line lengthwise on the nut and extend it onto the adapter.

3) Using a wrench, rotate the nut to tighten. Turn the nut one flat or approximately one quarter of a turn. This applies to all sizes of fittings.

 

Alternate Tightening Method Two:

The second alternate method of tightening is very simple and easy to remember. Bring the nut to hand tight and then rotate a quarter of a turn. This applies to all sizes. Mark the fitting as indicated in the flat method to confirm the quarter turn.

 

Here's the Aeroquip Spec Sheet for Torque: http://aeroquipperformance.com/file/2791-Torque+Specifications.pdf

 

Wife's a keeper, tho!

 

Yes she is!!

Edited April 9, 2017 by Sgt.Gator

[Sgt.Gator]

All leaks fixed. The radiator fan issue fixed after I unplugged it and plugged it back together.

 

I changed the oil/filter, running all the oil thru a 50 micron screen. Just the barest little bit of metal. Less than all my other rebuilds at the first change.

 

However I still haven't figured out why the oil pressure gauge is not working.

[ehsnils]

Just make sure you don't have an internal oil leak in the engine causing the oil to circulate back without building enough pressure. Worst case is a missing seal/O-Ring between head and block or between the blocks.

[Sgt.Gator]

Just make sure you don't have an internal oil leak in the engine causing the oil to circulate back without building enough pressure. Worst case is a missing seal/O-Ring between head and block or between the blocks.

 

Thanks.

It has oil pressure. I can put a mechanical gauge on the front or back port and read pressure. It's something electrical. Either it's not grounded right or it could be this, I know i dropped/lost at least one of the nuts. I didn't realize they weren't just for a ring terminal connection: http://www.autometer.com/resources/index/faq_view/id/5

[ehsnils]

I see - hopefully it's electrical. A lot easier to deal with than an internal leak.

 

I'm just paranoid when it comes to strange readings. As long as proven otherwise I always imagine worst possible. http://www.bedug.com/pics/smiley/26.gif

 

Some sensors actually have two connectors - one for the oil lamp and another for the gauge, and if you mix them up then you will also have a faulty reading.

[Sgt.Gator]

I fixed the oil pressure gauge. It was in fact the nut on the back has to be tight. It's not just for a ring terminal.

[boxkita]

I fixed the oil pressure gauge. It was in fact the nut on the back has to be tight. It's not just for a ring terminal.

Most racing issues are because of the loose nut. It's a common failure point.

[Sgt.Gator]

Most racing issues are because of the loose nut. It's a common failure point.

 

In my case it's the nut that holds the steering wheel.

 

In other news:

I got a CEL P2092 Intake Cam Position Actuator 2 (LH) Control Circuit Low. A quick inspection found the AVCS connector had a loose pin that had backed out. Apparently all the yanking in the removal/installation had strained it to the point of popping out, and now it won't stay clicked in. I attempted a quick repair with Silicone RTV to hold the pin in place. For the long term I ordered a couple of connectors that are already assembled with pigtails.

 

https://www.bmotorsports.com/shop/product_info.php/products_id/3233

 

It looks like the right one and the Applications and Part Compatibility Tabs indicate it's probably the right one. It's green instead of oem blue.

[Sgt.Gator]

This is a very interesting interview: Subaru H6 SVX engined WRX, Dry Sump, Closed Deck, 1,200 HP Time Attack car that runs 7.7 quarter miles!

 

https://www.facebook.com/HPAcademy/videos/990196814405772/

Andy's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/andy.forrest.94

Edited April 11, 2017 by Sgt.Gator

[Sgt.Gator]

The Colonel Red Racing Economy Racer Heat Extraction Hood is almost complete. Extraction vents are cut out and lip bars added. The Aerocatch hood pins would have been completed until I realized the Flush Aerocatch pins that mount from below don't allow the very short hood pins I already mounted. Plus you have to be perfect on your alignment and cut or they look straggly since they have no trim ring on top. So I have a pair of the standard top down mounts ordered. If anybody would like to have the 125 Series Flush Mounts they're yours for 1/3 list price.

 

The Grimmspeed hood struts went on easy once I figured out from reading reviews that the directions online are outdated. I wasted 25 minutes looking at the parts and looking at the directions trying to figure out what the heck they were talking about. I do love them though, they hold the hood way back and out of the way!

[shralp]

No no no, you've got it all wrong Gator, this is the new custom, highly expensive, spec flow tested, "ERHE" hood now being produced for sale to the general public for the low, low price of $6100!! Marketing, sir!!

[Sgt.Gator]

And a quick reminder on the importance of a Hans device. Simpson makes a new hybrid Hans that works with OEM 3 PT belt systems, no need to wait until you have a full roll cage and 6pt harness. Although an oem airbag would have deployed in a new car and helped a lot here.

 

 

http://simpsonraceproducts.com/hybrid/hybrid-s-fia-and-3-point-belt-compatible/

Edited April 14, 2017 by Sgt.Gator

[GTEASER]

My son in his Quarter Midget two weekends ago. You can see how the device kept his head atop his shoulders versus letting it rotate forward in front of his torso. Hans device's are very important to avoid injury. This is an Impact NecksGen. Another kid in an earlier wreck which was much the same as this one, didn't run the rest of the day because of a sore neck as a result of the lack of protection from the donut helmet support he was using. His dad is purchasing a device before the next race in reaction to seeing my video below.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vds-E2UwOQ]2017-04-01_TVQMA Race#2_Sr Honda_Heat 1 Crash1_Sequence - YouTube[/ame]

Edited April 14, 2017 by GTEASER

[Chris GTO TT]

This reminds me I need to find a decent middle ground between spending thousands and staying stock in my Miata for safety equipment. I can't really stay stock as I'm close to not passing the broomstick test, but I can't really justify full wheel to wheel race levels of safety equipment either.

[shralp]

What he said. I'm in the same boat. Still looking at $600-$800 to get into a HANS set up that doesn't suck. Worth your life? Obviously, but still a chunk to pay. Happy I've got a legit driving suit and gloves. Hope to look at HANS gear when I can afford.

[Sgt.Gator]

GTeaser, Glad your kid is ok, a T-Bone is a hard hit!

 

What code did you use to get the You Tube to show in the post? I've never been able to figure that out!

 

Chris if you're still oem 3pt get a Simpson Hybrid. If you've already made the change to 5-6-7 pt you're stuck going full monty. There is no "in between" or "better than stock but not full race" in cage/belts. Stay stock safety belts/airbags or go all the way. The worst possible solution is a 4 pt belt on oem seats with a harness bar. The only viable better than stock but not full race option is the Simpson Hybrid, but they are $1,100 because there is no competition yet.

[GTEASER]

GTeaser, Glad your kid is ok, a T-Bone is a hard hit!

 

What code did you use to get the You Tube to show in the post? I've never been able to figure that out!

 

 

Thanks, he shook it off just fine. Kids go into the wall all the time at full speed, which is a lot harder than his hit.

 

With the YouTube videos, copy the link, paste the link, edit the link to remove the "s" from https: to make it http:, and if there is an "&_feature" or something like that at the end after the "watch=v", remove it. Something like that, I can't remember exactly without doing it.

[boxkita]

What he said. I'm in the same boat. Still looking at $600-$800 to get into a HANS set up that doesn't suck. Worth your life? Obviously, but still a chunk to pay. Happy I've got a legit driving suit and gloves. Hope to look at HANS gear when I can afford.

 

My first wreck occurred in a car with a 4 point belts. The lack of HANS almost killed me due to spinning into the wall. I hit the wall at 23 mph (gps video logger). My helmet has scratches from hitting the B-pillar. I was wearing a donut that I'd just bought, which helped. But did nothing for the twisting force. I woke up in the ambulance 45 minutes later. I was about 6 months recovering from the side effects.

 

I use a Necksgen 1st gen unit (no longer for sale) and won't get in a car without it. For non-racecar, I'll be getting the Simpson 3-point system.

 

If you have belts in your car, buy the HANS.