I have got to the point of putting the motor and Subaru gearbox into 'Vincent'.....It may take a while but I will be starting with the IRS conversion.
I am getting this from a member of this forum by the name of Birdman. His real name is Ron Bird.
In the mean time here are some of his pics
Each time I post I will Add some new pics
The rear scoop is custom made from steel and welded onto the boot...It is to bring some fresh air into the intercooler...Well thats the theory anyway
maloo ·
And Some more...
The dash is leather with WRX dash cluster and the Ipad plugs into the ECU and can display loads of gauges plus custom dash's...Well worth a look if you haven't heard of it...Its called Dash Command' and costs about $15
The front and back seats are from the WRX and have been reupholstered in Black and Grey velour
The radiator is from a Kia Sportage and the sealed off bit is from the WRX bonnet Scoop
maloo ·
Some bigger pics
Bullet holes have now been taken off!....Went a bit mad with a sheet of stickers!
You can see a different dash on my IPad...This is from a GTR cluster......Had I have seen this program before I would have built my whole dash around that.....
tristanm ·
Keep posting heaps of pics! Iam just putting a ej22 into a 60's beetle atm and its good to get comparison and inspiration 😀
maloo ·
Hi All
Its been a while as I have been waiting for my IRS parts from Ron Bird (Birdman on this forum). However it is already to go for the IRS and gearbox to go in. Hopefully I will be taking some pictures of the Subarugears modification with bits to look for and check.
Anyway here is the modified engine bay that is all the way to the back seat. You cant tell inside the car as I have made a parcel shelf and covered it in black leather.
I have placed a bit of mild steel plate where the old firewall was and you can see the extra distance which is around 450mm. Basically it is the whole length of the frame rails extra as the metal that shows the distance is resting on the very end of the rails. Plus I can also remove the back panel and expose everything making it easy to work on if i have to.
I welded some square tubing all around the hole I cut in the body that left me with a flat surface to bolt the back panel on and also giving me a bit more strength. I cut a slice along the tubing that allowed me to slip it over the existing rippled panel and also making it completely waterproof.
This allows the standard intercooler to remain where it is on the WRX engine.
To make it look a bit better I tried a number of options but in the end flat black vinyl wrap looked the best
I have welded the sides to the existing engine bay and then covered the welds with a strip of steel (25mm) and used stainless cup head Allen bolts to secure them. It looked so much better than having welds in the engine bay. But then again after the engine is in you probably wont notice anyway! The pic is a bit dark so you cant quite see this.
I have also cut the rear valance from the body and welded some new tangs onto it so that it can unbolt with 4 bolts to make engine installation so much easier
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi all
A small update while I wait for my rebuilt IRS conversion to get here. However I am starting to doubt that I will get it as it has now been nearly 4 months since I paid for it in full ($950).
In the mean time I would like to thank the members of this forum. Brad from Westside mufflers, Steve Carter, Mick058, Joel, Jak, who without looking at your threads and knowledge I would have got lost!
First picture is of the wiring. What a mess this is! I was going to do it myself but after I pulled it all out and looked at it on the floor I decided 'no way' so I am shipping it to:
Andrew at AGTengineering to complete a plug in system that will run all of the bits I have used from the WRX.
maloo ·
So I have now concentrated on the radiator and have followed the advice gleaned from this forum. I was not going to seal the back in but I decided to go ahead as it was obvious that nobody was having any cooling problems with thiers.
So I used the boot from my WRX donor vehicle as well as the WRX bonnet scoop to make a front and back sealed area under the bonnet
maloo ·
I have now concentrated on the radiator and have followed the advice gleaned from this forum. I was not going to seal the back in but I decided to go ahead as it was obvious that nobody was having any cooling problems with theirs. So I used the boot from my WRX donor vehicle as well as the WRX bonnet scoop to make a front and back sealed area under the bonnet
maloo ·
This is how it looks at the front with the holes cut in the grille. Needles to say I cut the holes in the bonnet before i completely understood the radiator theory as discussed on this forum! However I like the look of it now and intend to keep it
maloo ·
I thought I would give you a rundown on costs and what is required when you are doing this conversion as it all can mount up pretty quick with things you may not have considered when you first started! The learning curve is huge!
So first thing I needed was to convert the swing axle to an IRS system. In order to do that I needed the following things:
IRS trailing arms of a late model beetle and weld in pivot boxes. I bought the IRS system of a member from this site which included new bushes and bearings etc and finished in such a way that it would be a straight weld in installation. However as it still has not arrived (Despite paying in full) I am coming to the opinion that I wont get it even though there is a huge text/email trail of promises from Birdman.
There is not other choice if you want to use the Subaru 5 speed gearbox.
$800
Then you also need new Stub axles in order to use kombi CV joints.
$250
As I would be using the Subaru gearbox I had to get new shorter axles (13 3/16) and also the 4 x Kombi CV joints.
Total cost with shipping from the US $1250.
Then As I was putting a 4 cam turbo motor into a beetle I needed to buy (will this week) a few things from Subarugears here in Australia
Reversed crown and pinion wheel
Extended Suba flanges so the engine can sit lower in the body and the result is it fits without having to cut holes in the rear deck lid.
I also need the engine and gearbox mount that is available from Subarugears.
As the Subaru transmission is to long you need to modify the nose cone. This involves cutting it with a grinder and tig welding the holes in it OR Subaru gears have a new cast replacement available for $200.
All up that bunch of gearbox parts adds up to $2850. Although you could save on the IRS if you picked one up from a wreck for around $150
So by the time you have paid for shipping and other bits and pieces you need to consider that it is going to cost you pretty close to $5000
At the end of the day the gearbox costs amount to round about the same whichever way I went. If I kept the Beetle gearbox and got it upgraded with all nice bits I would still be around that much. Or if I went Kombi gearbox the same. I even considered a performance automatic built by Kombi20 on this site but that still results in around the same price all up.
The clincher for me was that the Subaru was a 5 speed and as it was the factory one from the WRX it should have no problems. Plus it made sense to me to have the motor and gearbox as One item rather than having adaptor plates etc. Plus I could also keep the Subaru clutch and hydraulic slave cylinder. So there will be no problems with slipping etc
I should be getting all those parts I have ordered within the next couple of weeks and then I can continue on with the build.
Of course there was one other option to just leave the existing beetle box and take it really easy all the time in order to not strip the gears off! Really how much fun would that be by babying the car around all the time! Anyway after it is finished and your driving it it does not matter what you spent does it? What matters then is it not breaking down all the time and pulling gearboxes out and constantly replacing them!
Ater all I would like to take it to the strip and see what 1/4 mile times I can get and be comfortable that nothing will blow up! Hopefully a high 12 will not be out of reach.
I hope this has been some advice for someone who is considering the conversion but is not sure of what is required!
Just like I was when I started this conversion in the first place!
The way I thought was to get a VW to put out around 220hp it would cost me around $12000 and still another $5000 on the gearbox.
I spent $4000 on an unlicensed 2002 WRX so it was for me the most sensible decision considering what I wanted it to go like with cost also in mind.
The step by step process I will continue to post as I do it.
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Well I have just been notified by UPS postal service and there is $249 for GST for my axles and C/V joints shipped from the US. You have to pay it on-line very quickly OR they ship the parcel back to the sender and charge you for it! In my case it was $491!!!
The reason I mention it is that I got an email at 1230pm on the 16th of November that said I had until 5.00pm on the SAME DAY to pay the GST OR it would be shipped back to the US!!!!
Had I not checked my emails daily I could of easily missed this and I would be out another $491 PLUS the $249 that I already paid to UPS! I also had to give my credit card details over the phone!
Starts to look very expensive doesn't it?
So the total cost (with the added GST) for my 13 3/16 Axles with Kombi CV joints shipped from the US was $1500 OR it could have been nearly $2000 very very easily!!!!
So you need to be aware of this as it would have been so easy to miss this deadline!!!!
Also I think I was speaking to a person who did not seem to be located in Australia! I had to then decipher the bad accented English to understand the situation!
What was good however is that Brad from 'Subistuff' also sent me an email with the contact number of who to call to pay the GST. Which was really good and saved some time and searching for it as it was already 4.15pm when I read the email!
Hopefully my next post will be welding in the pivot boxes for the IRS and showing you the parts you need to do the conversion so you know what parts you need and what you are looking for and how much it costs.
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
The standard Subaru gearbox is too long to fit in a beetle body. So you have only 2 options
1. Buy a new custom cast cone from Subarugears for $220
2. Cut 90mm of the length leaving just the shift support at that length. Tig weld 2 hoes in the cone and cut a circle that is a 90mm piece of aluminium plate and welding that in.
3. Buy a 90mm 'plug' from Subaru gears for $100 and weld that in. Leaving the 2 other holes to weld up.
I thought that as I already had the nose cone there was no harm in trying to do the modification as described on Subarugears website. I had recently bought a Tig welder and even though I am still learning to weld aluminium I thought I would give it a shot.
The 3 black lines indicate where you need to fill in holes
1. There is about a 12mm hole in the shifter support
2. There is about a 90mm hole that you need to fill in by making a circular bit of aluminium plate and cut it to size.
3. The last is half of a stainless steel plug which is an unusual shape but around 25 - 30mm in diameter.
I thought that as it is under the car and I would hopefully not see it again I did not require an awesome weld as I could just sand it down with a flap disc and then paint it.
The overall piece turned out not to bad and where it is located is more than good enough. This was my first tig welding job on aluminium and it is a lot different from welding steel and I needed a fair bit of practice before I was confident in welding it.
However if I did not have access to a Tig welder I think that it is the best to buy the Nose cone from Subarugears.
Cheers
Mark
Camo ·
Good on you for having a go yourself, but sometimes just buying the part is a lot easier 😀
Also, what's this with GST. I thought if it was under $1000 you were exempt, maybe things have changed. The BASTARDS 😬
Will be bloody great to drive when finished 👍
Kev
maloo ·
Hi All
Here is the axles and C/V joints from 'Subistuff' in the US.
I still have not got my IRS from Birdman but he assures me that it will be shipped on Monday.
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Well its a learning curve to understand a fuel injection fuel system! I had no idea of how it all worked as the closest I have come to is a Holley fuel pump providing pressure to a Holley carburettor!
So I bought a Speedmaster Aluminium tank that had a small sump in it and with the whole base covered in 50mm foam.
I used the original WRX fuel pump but I had to shorten it by 50mm so it just touched the bottom of the sump. I cut the foam around the fuel pump filter and it gave me a sump of about 90mm which now will function as the surge tank.
The bonnet closes with about 50mm clearance.
The tank is mounted on to a strip of steel that is bolted to the top of the front beam. The beam is a custom one from Airkewld and has a large flat section at the top of the shock mount which does the trick nicely.
My reversed crown and pinion are on the way from Subarugears and Todd has very kindly offered to assist with the install.
Thanks for looking
cheers
Mark
kombi-man ·
maloo wrote:My reversed crown and pinion are on the way from Subarugears and Todd has very kindly offered to assist with the install.
Interested to hear your thoughts on the Subagears conversion being attempted by the Home Enthusiast?
I have access to the gearbox and have watched the videos a few times, but still hesitant.
maloo ·
I thought the same thing about installing the crown and pinion as well. The video on the subaruGears website has the install already on the pinion shaft and hence assumes you know something about gearbox's!
I had no problem grinding the clearance for the Crown wheel and the modification and welding of the 'Nose cone' just using the video's on SubaruGears website. In order to know how much you need to grind out you place the gear on the housing bearing and see where it hits and remove the aluminium. It pays to mark it wiht a texta pen to minimise how much you take off.
I found that most of the spots get touched due to the bolts so you dont need to grind heaps off just enough to clear. I used a normal flap disc and grinder and a Dremel for some small areas.
However, in discussion with Todd, I believe a video will be taken from start to finish for the home enthusiast to follow and thus get the confidence to do it themselves.
Cheers
Mark
1303Steve ·
Nice work
kombi-man ·
Thanks Mark,
If the noises I hear in my gearbox fall silent, I think I will be confident enough to give it a try 🙂
May outsource the welding though.
maloo ·
Hi Carl
Last night Todd from Subaru gears generously came over in his own time and a video was taken of every step in the process of installing the crown and pinion gears. I would be more than comfortable installing the items based on the instructions and attention to detail from this video. All the tricky bits you need to watch out for are discussed and thus improving your confidence.
I would download the video to my IPad and watch it 'section by section' and only move to the next bit in the process after completing each section. This way it would be hard to make a mistake and easy to follow.
The first time it will take you around 5 - 6 hours.
It is the fear of doing it that gets you worried but once you have done it you think, 'That was not hard I could do that again'. The video should give you the level of confidence to achieve this.
Todd is going to post it on his Facebook page. Also I will be posting the link in this build.
Shortly I will be posting some pics of what you get in the kit and what tools you need to do the job (Nothing special) before starting the project.
Now I am not a mechanic and I did not know anything about gearbox's before I did this so prior knowledge is not necessary. I did not even know how they worked and the thought of such small tolerances that are required scared the shit out of me!
But I did it! All within factory tolerances!
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
You will notice that I started this build thread on the 30th of July and I still have not got my IRS kit despite paying for it then in full ($950) from forum member.
Hopefully it will still get here (but I seriously doubt it)and when it does the build can continue
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
This is what it looks like when you unpack the box from SUBARUGEARS. It has everything you need for the conversion
1. Crown and Pinion gears
2. Adjusting tool for the splines on the gearbox from the diff
3. 90mm plug to install into the nose cone (Hammer fit)
4. Diff Lubrication
5. Seal for the old dipstick
6. New oil sight window
7. CNC gearknob
8. Pinion depth tool for adjusting clearance (very easy to use)
9. In my case extended Subaru flanges to drop the engine lower in the body
Tools you need
1. Digital vernier calliper ($30 from Bunnings for measuring shims)
2. Dial gauge ($40 however Subarugears may now include this in the pack
3. Large 12 - 14 inch adjustable spanner for around a 25mm nut or large socket
4. Shims (I used the original ones and they made the factory tolerance without any issue)
5. 12 +14mm spanners or sockets
6. Gasket sealing compound
7. Loctight
So there is not a lot of things you need to do the job. However set aside a good 5 -6 hours to install it.
I believe the full video is going to be available next week and then you will have everything you need step by step. It also includes tricky bits and things to check along the way
The wiring is from Andrew at AGT Engineering in NSW and he did a great job. The loom came back (2 week turn around from WA) in 5 pieces. Four are in plastic bags that are labeled for the particular spot. I had the WRX cluster and steering column which had the key,lights.wiper etc
Then the main loom. Every wire is labeled to where it goes and also included is a wiring diagram should you need it that is colour coded.
This is now going o be easy to install and not a long trial and error headache. For me it is worth the $500 It costs.
The gearbox is now finished and ready to install and I have started the water lines while I continue and continue to wait for my IRS kit.
It is 38mm pipe which is the same size as the radiator and motor. It runs along the centre of the car and comes up in the engine bay close to the back of the firewall and in the front near where the pan finishes.
I hope that this may help you and thanks for looking. Oh the pipe cost me $150 shipped to my front door!
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Hopefully my IRS will be here soon. However I have given up hope as it is now 6 months since I paid for it
cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
The DIY video on installing the Subarugears into the transmission is in the link below. Or it is on Subarugears Facebook page.
It is very easy to follow as each step is clearly shown so that no mistakes will be made.
If you are considering buying the reversed gears from SubaruGears but are not sure on who or how to get it done your concerns are now over!
Check the video out now and after watching I am sure that you will say to yourself, 'Yeah I could do that'.
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Water lines are now in as well as the 10mm Aluminium fuel lines. For the 38mm water lines I used 2 x 45dg bends and 6 x 90dg bends and Tig welded it all together. as one fixed line. It is now really tight and secure with no movement anywhere.
The fuel line comes in a 15ft length rolled into a 400mm circle. It rolls out easy and straight.....
Both lines are secured on the back of the firewall and are ready for the flexible hoses.......
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Well I cannot continue with the build as I still have not got the IRS bits . Being as now it is the end of January I will be looking for other people who can provide me with the late model trailing arms etc.
If you have some can you contact me please.
Thanks
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
I decided to give vinyl wrapping a go.......REALLY REALLY sticky stuff!
I wasted heaps of it until I understood how it works...It is a flat white and really makes the car look cleaner than paint would
Although it is no good for covering over body imperfections..If you can see or feel the crack or dent it will show...
Hopefully I can get my IRS from someone else and then I can move on with the build. and get it off jack stands where it has sat for the last Seven months.
Cheers
Mark
KalgoorlieGreg ·
I have commented on your wanted post regarding the rear suspension bits. Hopefully the arse end from a 73 Superbeetle will do the trick.
karmann141 ·
maloo wrote:Hi All
You will notice that I started this build thread on the 30th of July and I still have not got my IRS kit despite paying for it then in full ($1000) from forum member.
Hopefully it will still get here (but I seriously doubt it)and when it does the build can continue
Cheers
Mark
Mate just wondering if you reached an amicable resolution and got your money back. You obviously didn't receive the parts as you're looking to get them elsewhere.🙁
Enjoying the build - excellent work. Would love to go with the Subagears conversion but have to much invested in my Porsche 901 box.
maloo ·
Thanks Karmann
I am happy that people are watching as there are not many comments.
As far as the IRS is going no money and no parts!
I am also looking to borrow/buy an IRS jig so I can weld in the pivot boxes that I got from Brad at Subistuff.
cheers
Mark
KalgoorlieGreg ·
Would the rear half cut be better for your needs? It's just as easy for me to do the rear half cut as it is to unbolt everything.
adlbeetle66 ·
I'm watching closely mate... that wrap looks a million bucks 👍
karmann141 ·
maloo wrote:Thanks Karmann
I am happy that people are watching as there are not many comments.
As far as the IRS is going no money and no parts!
I am also looking to borrow/buy an IRS jig so I can weld in the pivot boxes that I got from Brad at Subistuff.
cheers
Mark
Almost 1500 views, people are definitely watching. You have some great skills, attention to detail and thinking outside the square.
As far as the IRS goes - Not Cool🙅 This is a relatively small community and I can assure you it hasn't gone unnoticed.
Keep up the great work
vduboy ·
Does anyone know him? maybe he died.. Or really sick? It would be nice if we didn't have to add another name to the list of shonky people in this community.. I have some axles and cv's off my semi-auto that I don't want much for if you need them?
maloo ·
Hi Vduboy
Thanks for the offer but I have the axles and CV joints
Cheers
Mark
steveo169 ·
awesome effort to date.
nice to know there is some local knowledge about this.
keep up the efforts and I hope you resolve the outstanding issue.
Cheers
steve
Dannyred ·
Great video and much needed! Can I ask what gearbox code did you start with? If I end up doing this myself I'd rather start off with the same gearbox too!
Cheers
maloo ·
Hi Danny
A standard TY754 WRX 2002 5 speed.
Cheers
Mark
nils ·
Hi Mark,
I made a IRS jig back in the day, was pretty ghetto but did what it was suppose to do.
When I was finished with it it was passed around the VW community. Last record I have of it (2009) were AVD forum users psimitar (Mike) and then 1916baja (Mick)
Try sending those blokes a PM maybe you'll track it down, and tell them they owe me a 6pack plus 7years interest 😂
maloo ·
Hi Nils
Thanks for the assistance.
Paul from DownSouth Motor Sports has contacted me and he has a jig in stock.
I have located a jig to weld in my pivot boxes and hopefully I will be able to load up some pics of what is required in the next couple of weeks.
I have still had no luck with my IRS kit (not answer my email/texts) so I have got a Solicitor involved and sent him a pending legal action document.
Well he did answer an email after I advised him of the pending legal action but it was abusive and due to that I could not post it.
Anyway thank you to the forum members who have contacted me and have offered me the parts I need in order to continue the build.
In the mean time I have almost finished my fuel cell. I need the fittings for the braided lines and the radiator hoses still have to be installed. You can see the hole next to the fuel lines where the radiator hose will come through. I have also enclosed the rest of the bonnet with vinyl wrapped aluminium sheeting. I made it in a few pieces so it is easy to get off for future maintenance and fiddling!
I have put the engine in temporarily by using the SubaruGears engine mount. It fitted an absolute treat and no cutting of the body is needed as the engine sits 75mm lower than standard. If it was higher you would need to cut holes in the deck lid for the cam covers.
What you cant see is behind the engine. But it has 450mm of open space from the flywheel to the back of the bay. Heaps of room!
You can also see how close the water line is to the body. I will get a 90dg hose and cut the body a bit so it can move easily.
Hopefully Rear suspension and gearbox install next
Thanks for looking
cheers
Mark
johnharte ·
Hi Mark,
Thanks for sharing, just read through the 2 pages!! Mammoth effort and I tip my hat to you!
John
KalgoorlieGreg ·
Highlight the bits you need and I'll get them out asap for you! The rain stopped and the young fella has been helping me.
KalgoorlieGreg ·
A better view.
maloo ·
Hi All
Well the time is almost over (22nd Feb) since a solicitor drafted up the letter of demand on the 1st of February for a refund of the money paid on the 31st of July last year for a rebuilt IRS. That's almost 8 months waiting!!!!
Anyway I do not believe for 1 second that I will have the money returned nor the items delivered by that time.
Anyway that disgrace of business I will leave it to the Court to proceed in its process.
I would like to thank all of you who have also attempted to assist in getting him to complete it as promised.
NOW GOOD NEWS!
The good news is that Greg from Kalgoorlie has removed the IRS from his beetle (as posted above) and has arranged shipping for today!
I also received the IRS jig today from Paul at Down South Motorsports. Which means with picking up my IRS tonight and having the jig it should all come together now yeeee haaa!
I have also started on the exhaust which is pretty tricky as there is not much space! I am waiting for a 75mm donut so I can make the 75mm pipe. However to do it right the first time I need to have the rear suspension in so I can place it above the axle and near the inner wheelwell with enough space so that it does not hit it. At the moment I have just used a broom handle as an approximate location but the trailing arm is a lot thicker and space hungry!
Great to be able to continue my build as the 8 months on jack stands is now over!!!
cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Today I have nearly finished one side of the conversion to IRS. The Trailing Arms etc came from a 1973 Beetle. I have painted the spring plates and trailing arms and just waiting for it to dry before putting them in!
It is a bit tricky to cut out the frame horns with the car on axle stands and the body in place. There is not much room to cut or weld. I used a 125mm thin stainless cut off disc to do most of the work as well as a standard flap disc to finish it off.
Welding was a bit cumbersome but you can definitely do it. I only say this as I have read on other forums that you cant do it with the body on. Well yes you can!
I intended to take the engine out to do it as well but in the end I left it in with no problems at all.
The handbrake cable tube that runs in the frame horns gets right in the way and prevents the pivot box from going where it needs to be. I ended up cutting a longer slot in the horn and bending the tube in a dog leg and out of the way. If you do this conversion you will know exactly what I mean!
I was quite surprised as the pivot box goes about 20mm inside the frame horn but you can weld it on the inside of the pivot box itself. I welded all 4 sides of the pivot box on
the inside as well as 3 on the outside top, bottom and one side..
The welds wont win any competition for beauty but I am confident that they are strong welds.
I thought it would take a lot longer than it has (4hrs) but once you have cut the hole and bolted the pivot box on to the jig all you have to do is weld it in and your finished.
So if you are hesitant about doing it don't be as with the jig it is not possible to stuff it up and weld it in the wrong place. If you can weld you can do it no problems.
There is very little information on the net that tells you what to do and hopefully this will help you in the right direction.
Thanks for looking
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
I have finished installing the IRS. After you have welded in the pivot box's it is really easy to bolt in the trailing arms.
Then you have to use the old spring plate off the IRS suspension to measure the hole layout and then cut your old ones to the correct length.
You cant use the IRS spring plates as they don't fit correctly and the splines for the torsion bars are in the wrong place.
If you are considering changing to an IRS suspension instead of a swing axle then you need the following items.
1. Complete trailing arms.
2. IRS spring plates for use as a jig
3. I need new stub axles as I am using Kombi CV joints
4. Weld in pivot boxes
5. A jig to locate the right position to weld the pivot box's in
6. Axles to suit your gearbox
7. CV joints
8.CV joint bolts
Anyway I have started on the exhaust. It is really tricky trying to miss everything. I had to clear the trailing arms, shock absorber, axles and CV joints, the body, and the engine. If I had not of cut the back firewall to make it larger there would be very little space and it would be really difficult to make an exhaust with the engine in as well.
The exhaust is 75mm all the way through. I bought the down pipe off the turbo, a donut, a 180dg bend and a 90dg bend.
At the moment it is just tacked together as it is too hot in my shed to carry on! It is 40dg outside which is way to hot to be in a tin shed. I have insulation in there and an air conditioner but you still sweat at this temp! So later on tonight I will start welding (Tig) them together.
I welded 2 flanges on to th epipe so it is easier to put on and remove rather than trying to make it one complete pipe. I am also going to put a flange on the end of the pipe before the muffler so if I need to it will be easy to use different mufflers in the future. .
The pipe finish's in a 90dg bend that will make the pipe and muffler next to the existing exhaust headers. The muffler will be located behind the rear apron. However I have cut the inside of the apron to create more room. You could leave the apron standard but your muffler choice would be really limited and it would be close to everything. Now I have plenty of room available.
I have also modified the rear apron by removing all the spot welds that join it to the body. Then cut out the inside of it and then welded on a flat strip as a flange so it can be bolted in place by the original fender bolts (4). All I have to do now is remove 4 bolts and the apron comes off and this makes it really easy to get to the engine.
I think the way to go to give you great access to the drivetrain would be to have the rear fenders and the apron as one piece (Probably fibreglass but the original apron and guards would be OK as well) with about 6 bolts to hold it in place. Might look at doing this after it is running and drivable
maloo ·
I am pretty pleased with how the exhaust is turning out. If you have to get someone to make the exhaust for you it would cost a fair bit as it is a lot of work and mucking around.
I also cut about 6 inches out on the inner rear guard firewall to create more room so I could see from the side instead of lying on the ground and looking up
I am lucky as I bought at Tig welder and then taught myself to weld about 6 months ago.
You could use a Mig but as the stainless is not that thick you don't have the control like you do with a Tig.
I am not sure if my welds are worthy of being viewed (which I think is pretty cool) or ground off with a flappy disc!
We will see after I have finished which it will be. A virginal weld or a ground to smooth one!
Thanks for looking and your comments.
cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi all
In this pic you can see the space behind the rear apron as discussed above.
You can see the difference in size from a VW gearbox and the Subaru 5 speed.
The exhaust pic shows how much clearance there is from the trailing arm looking at it from underneath.
hulbyw ·
Cool. Great thread. Congrats on your progress so far
Cheers
karmann141 ·
maloo wrote:I am lucky as I bought at Tig welder and then taught myself to weld about 6 months ago.
You could use a Mig but as the stainless is not that thick you don't have the control like you do with a Tig.
I am not sure if my welds are worthy of being viewed (which I think is pretty cool) or ground off with a flappy disc!
We will see after I have finished which it will be. A virginal weld or a ground to smooth one!
Thanks for looking and your comments.
cheers
Mark
Mate your welding looks excellent and are definitely worthy.
There's someone on here whose welds look like they've been put on with a spoon and they have no problem sharing it with the world.
Keep up the great work.
maloo ·
Hi All
Well I could not decide weather to leave the weld virginal or grind them down!
So I did both!
I have also cleaned the pipe up a bit with a wire brush on a grinder.
The welds are not beautiful by any imagination but I am confident that they wont leak and are strong.
The most difficult thing about welding it is having to stop every 50 or so mm in order to turn the pipe to weld another small section. Plus having to get inside the beds with the torch and trying to keep it at the same distance from the metal. You can see in the last picture where I start and finish in order to turn the pipe
I got a few burns for my efforts as well!
So much easier to weld 2 bits of flat metal together!
Thanks for the good comments it is appreciated.
cheers
Mark
nbturbo ·
Mate,I have seen welding jobs from professional exhaust people that come no where near the quality of what you have done-be proud.
1303Steve ·
nice work
maloo ·
Hi All
Thanks for the comments about my welding!
If you want to learn to meditate and 'be in the moment' then Tig welding is for you!
cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
After I removed the rear apron it was so easy to get the engine and gearbox in as one unit. if the apron was still there it would have been really difficult to get the engine in even without the gearbox connected.
If you scroll back to an earlier post that shows the engine in situ you can see how close it is to the apron. In fact it is much worse than this as I have used the Subaru engine mount I have lowered the engine 75mm to make clearance so I did not have to cut the body for the cam covers
If you are thinking of putting a turbo twin cam motor in I could not recommend highly enough that you do the mod to the apron so that you can remove it.
I used the 'Subaru gears' engine and gearbox mount and it fitted a treat and easy as to install. Although the fixing where it mounts to the body is right on the pivot box's and therefore you have to remove the trailing arms before you can mount it. Also there is not much room in between the trailing arm and the pivot box so it is really tight to fit bolts in. I have decided to weld the mount to the pivot box;s instead. It makes no difference for engine/gearbox removal. The only issue would be if you wanted to remove the gearbox and leave the engine in (I wouldn't as it is easier to remove both as a unit).
I have not completely decided which way to go yet but will post a pic after it is done.
I also would really recommend that you also move the rear firewall to give much needed space. From the inside you cannot tell that it has been modified but the space for easy access and installation is well worth it.
Had I not done this mod I would have still had to cut some of the rear firewall away to fit the Subaru gearbox in.
Anyway check out the pics to see how much room there is to work on.
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Well I have hit into another problem. With the engine mount and gearbox mount in place I could not bolt the gearbox to the mount as it was about 10mm short from mating.
It was the extended Subaru flange that was hitting on the frame horns. I also had to have the gearbox lower than it was sitting as it was not low enough to connect up to the shift rod. As it was sitting on the horn it could not go lower. I even tried to raise the engine and put it on a slight angle with the hope that at the end of the gearbox it would be low enough to be in the right position but it did not work it was still too high.
I think that the frame horns on an early beetle (62) are straight and dont have a 'dip' in them like later models.
In the end the best way to continue on was to cut into the frame horn and make a 'dip' in it and then weld it all up back together again so it would still be strong just a slightly different profile.
So out with the grinder and cut off wheel and here we are!
I am going to cut up some flat bar and weld it all up with the dip in it. At least this way there is plenty of clearance and will still be rigid with the new section welded in.
But for now here is the cut.
cheers
Mark
1303Steve ·
could you use a bit of a radius from a 4 inch pipe to make up the weld in section?
KalgoorlieGreg ·
Would you like the horns from the Superbeetle chassis I have for the patch? If you can't get anything closer to home?
maloo ·
Hi All
Thanks Greg and Steve for your comments.
BUT I found some 4mm flat bar that is about 3 x as thick as the original horn size. I just cut it up and welded it in and it works fine.
Good idea with the round pipe though! Greg thanks for your offer of your super bug horns.
It is more than strong enough and here is the pic before I grind back the welds......
cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
I have not spent too much time on making this modification super pretty as you will not be able to see anything once the flanges and Cv joints are installed.
The main thing for me is that it is strong and it is. I deliberately put a lot more weld on than was needed just to make sure the horns will not bend with Subaru power.
Now I have done this I am thinking of bracing the whole rear end with the Kafa bars that fix the horns to the body of the car.
Cheers
Mark
1303Steve ·
a piece of 3mm strip on its edge welded under under the horn would help.
I bought some cheap rose joints and threaded inserts from eBay UK and made cup bars using moly tube, nice and thin and fairly cheap to make
maloo ·
Hi Steve
Thats a great idea with the steel bar on its side. I will do that as my next job. If I weld 2 bits of bar together (say 300mm long and 50mm wide) then run some good thick welds down the length of it on both sides it will stiffen it up a lot for minimal effort. Watch this space!
I have now put the engine and gearbox in and it fits a treat. It is so good being able to get plenty of access from the back seat area.
More welds coming up!
cheers
Mark
KalgoorlieGreg ·
Mark, 25x5 flat bar would be more than enough, and give better underbody clearance.
maloo ·
Hi All
Well I went and found some flat bar and then I noticed a bit of 40mm x 40mm x 5mm angle iron and thought yep thats better than flat bar!
I looked underneath and rather than weld it directly to the frame horns I decided to weld it to the engine and gearbox mounts. Then I put a few small welds along the length of the frame horns to tie it all in.
I think this a good strong support for the engine now. Whilst it will still want to twist when the power is on but I think it should minimise it a fair bit.
Well thats my hope anyway
Thanks for your comments Greg and Steve it is appreciated.
Cheers
Mark
1303Steve ·
great work
KalgoorlieGreg ·
Not bad! Happy to offer advice on welding and fabrication where I can.
maloo ·
Hi All
Well its been a great week and I have got 'Vince' back on his wheels! It has been up on jack stands since last July waiting for my IRS that I never got nor my money back.
Now only 3 weeks after I got an alternative IRS from Greg in Kalgoorlie it is all installed and ready for the next section.
I feel like I am on a down hill run now with not a huge amount left to do.
In the below pics you can see what parts you need to install the IRS with a Subi gearbox. All of these axle parts I got from Brad at 'Subistuff' in the US and Todd at Subarugears it all fits a treat.
Just to recap you need.......
1. Kombi CV Joints and 8mm bolts
2. Extended Suba flange from Todd at Subarugears
3. Custom axles that are 13 3/16 OR 335mm. you only need this axle length if you are using the 'extended flanges that drop the motor 75mm lower so you don't have to cut the external body
4. Type 1 to type 2 stub axles which you need to use the kombi CV joints I got these from Rod Penrose
maloo ·
Now he is back on all 4 wheels I will finish off all the mechanical bits like: Radiator hoses, brake and Clutch lines. As well as all the associated stuff that is attached to the engine
I used the slave cylinder for the hydraulic clutch from the standard WRX gearbox mount. I have also finished the exhaust and I will take a couple of pictures soon as it is dark and wet outside.
I am not looking forward to the wiring and am also thinking of the best place to put the Engine Control Unit. I was thinking of under the back seat would probably be the best spot.
It is a bit of a pain wherever I put it as I have to connect to the steering column and dash but I will get there....
The marks you can see on the door are 'bullet holes'...I know it is tacky but I like it as it also goes with the blue fluffy dice hanging from the inside door handle!
Thanks for looking and following the progress. I wanted this build to be step by step so that if you were considering doing this modification that you can have a rough idea of what you need to do....
Cheers
Mark
1303Steve ·
A tip with coolant hoses that I learnt, put all the bends in solid pipe and use bits of straight hose to join it all up, that way you only need a length of straight hose for repairs and after it has been running for a while give all the hose clamps another go over with a socket and rachet
maloo ·
Hi Steve
Thanks for the tip I will do that.....
cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Well I have now got the engine and gearbox in. Feels like there is not much left now. I have done the fuel lines and water lines.
You may notice with the water lines that I have gone the other way and made it go across the engine bay to the other side. I felt that the turn on the pipe was too tight to do it on the other side. Plus my 38mm water pipe also went along the drivers side.
I maintained the standard radiator overflow but I had to make a bracket to move it into the centre about 5 inches to make room for the air cleaner. You can see the placement in the first pic.
In the last pic you can see how much room there is from taking a pic whilst sitting in the back. Very easy to work on like this. I made some stain less steel brackets out of pipe to mount the intercooler to the gearbox.
I am hoping to have him started in the next couple of weeks. All I have left to do is the wiring (going to be a bit a headache I think). I have mounted the ECU under the back seat on the passenger side and I currently have all the marked loose wires that need to go to the front ready for connection. I bought some 7 core wire and will just use a couple of bits and that should be plenty.
There are heaps of small jobs that I have done that if you do this conversion you will need to work out how to do it. Things like the gearbox to standard shifter connection etc.
1. A question where do the 2 pipes go from the overflow????? Into another container maybe for a completely closed system????? Or just allow the excess to go on the floor???? At the moment I have no idea????
2. A question though what gearbox oil do you recommend?
3. What are the stainless steel pipes that run parallel to the intercooler??? I dont know what they are for but I connected them anyway.
Anyway thanks for looking
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
I had decided that the dash that I previously had lost something 'old looking' inside the car and I wasn't happy with it. I wanted a blend of the old and new and it seemed a lot more new than old.
SO I pulled it all out and tried numerous different combinations to get it to 'work' as per my criteria. My other half was really helpful as when I called her to have a look if it was not looking right she would say 'that looks shit' and then go on to explain why!
I tried all sorts of wraps, stainless steel, polished aluminium but in the end decided on wood!
I got a nice piece of jarrah laminate and started from there as well as getting new dash knobs and a steering wheel.
I am now really happy with how it looks and fells like a good blend.
I found a good IPad mount from JB HIFI and fixed it to the dash. It is magnetic so if you leave the car you can just remove it in a flash. I really wanted to use the IPad because of 'Dash Command" as it plugs straight into the OBD2 plug on the ECU and you can see everything it is outputting. You can even design your own dash's to display what items you consider needful. Plus for $15 what a bargain! There is also loads of custom dash's online that people have made. I like one that is a big Tacho. Another feature is that it uses the accelerometer and has a quarter mile timing section that even gives you 60 foot times. As it is on a swivel mount I can have it facing me as it is in the pic.
The wiring was giving me a real headache in trying to use the Subaru loom as well as the old VW loom. So I thought fuck this I am starting from the beginning!
So I went and bought a complete loom for a standard Street Rod ($300) that had every wire labeled where it needed to go and a new fuse box and relays also included. If you are considering re-wiring your car then I highly recommend you look at this option both for cost and ease of doing it.
Not much left to do now before he can run. But I am apprehensive and almost scared to complete him and find myself fluffing around the edges and making changes to things rather than getting on with it and getting him to go!. The dash is another example of this fluffing around however it could have waited until he was going to fiddle with that.
My other half kept saying to me 'what are you doing that for you should be getting him done not doing things 2 or 3 times! You cant see it properly in the pics but I have put in a new 'push button start' like in the latest model cars. it is where the old ignition switch was. I will wire it up so you use the key to turn on the ignition and press the button to start. Bit of 'Wank factor' but I like it!
Anyway this is the current progress which is the direct result of my fiddling around the edges!
cheers
Mark
KalgoorlieGreg ·
Super neat work on the wiring! Only thing is get rid of is the turbocharged badge on the dash. Kinda looks tacky to me.
maloo ·
Hi Greg
Yep you said exactly what I was thinking!.......My other half also said the same thing!.....Truth of the matter is that the 'Turbocharged' badge was covering up some holes in the dash where the Tacho was mounted!
As the dash is leather it was a pain in the arse to redo it again....BUT I have!.....All clean and neat now!
Thanks for 'encouraging' me to fix it......Glad I have done it now.
Cheers
Mark
kiwiev ·
Hi mate just read your thread from start to finish so glad i did thank you. I am doing a Superbug same conversion with Suparu gears can't reccomend Todd enough.
Do you have more photos of your firewall mods did you space it into the cab and is it screwed back on?
Cheers Kiwi
maloo ·
Hi
I made a 'box' that was the same width and height as between the rear wheel tubs and the drain under the rear grille.
I used a angle grinder and cut out the same size as the box I made.
So it also has a 'roof' to it as well. It goes as far back as it can as the original body will let you as it curves up on the floor and that is how far I went.
The metal sheet is directly behind the back seat. Then on top of this I made a wood panel to fit behind the back seat and it is covered with leather from the back window to the seat. Basically a parcel shelf to put some speakers on if you wanted to.
What I did do was make the sheet directly behind the seat removable with about 8 nuts and bolts.When I have taken pictures I am in the rear seat area.
I have welded the box to the rear wheel tubs but you could just as easy bolt it in.
This mod makes it sooo much easier to work on as you are not cramped for space at all and you cant tell from the inside that any mod has been done. With the motor installed you cant even see where it is joined to the tubs. Unless you were a real VW person you would think it was standard.
I also lined the metal box with insulation to cut down the noise...
In my opinion to not make this mod makes the conversion so much more difficult to install the engine and then work on it in the future........I am so glad I did it
Hope this helps.......
I agree Todd at Subaru gears was extremely helpful and he could of not done any more to help and advise me so I 100% recommend him to anyone considering the Subaru gearbox mod. Also the engine and gearbox mounts from him make the conversion a bolt in fit with no issues. Other than the one with my frame horns that needed mods as already shown.
I am loving doing this build. It seemed a huge headache and job before I started but now it is all worth it!. Most of the issues is finding out what you need to do! This forum is the best place to look by far!!!!
Some other info is also on VWKD in the UK and also 'shoptalk forums' is also helpful...
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
I have just about finished all of the wiring now and therefore getting close to 'seeing if it will work' and that is scary!
Anyway I thought I was going to have to find a cable to plug into my OBD2 connector to get access to the ECU but you dont!
All you need is a WiFi 'code reader' that plugs into the OBD2 port and links in with my IPad via the 'dash command' app that I bought for $15 from the Itunes store.
I could of bought a Chinese code reader off Amazon for around $25 (US) called an ELM327. However I found out that JCar also has their own reader for $70. So I decided to go with the local version.
As my VW is not in a running state yet I connected my VE ute to it and it was easy to connect and all I had to do was download code reader software (in instructions) from ITunes and it connected in with no issues. I wanted to see if it had any lag to it but there was nothing that I could notice.
JCar have 2 options one for Ipad IOS devices and another for Android. If you have an Ipad then 'Dash Command' is required for it to run. But if you have an android then it is a program called 'Torque". In looking at the reviews of both apps they are very close to each other.
I am expecting quite a few 'error codes' when I attempt to start it and at least this will show me the codes and make it far easier for me to fix had I not had it.
For a total cost of $85 to display anything I believe is a real bargain.
Cheers
Mark
maloo ·
Hi All
Well I have almost finished everything now! However I had a wiring issue with the ECU but Andrew from AGT Engineering was really helpful and pointed me in the right direction.
I now have another problem it wont start!
Fuel pump comes on, Main relay, TGV valve and I can feel the fuel line and there is petrol at the engine...It cranks..
I have damaged both of the TGV on the LHS of the engine and have removed them to get some new ones. Could this be a reason?
Any Ideas?
I have also put some 32 Ford door handles on and I am happy with them as it gives a bit of a Street Rod look! Probably crap but I like it!
Cheers
Mark
kiwiev ·
Great work mate not sure of your start issue is there spark when you crank?
Cheers Kiwi
maloo ·
I was not confident that I had done my loom with no errors. So I started tracing wires and then I thought beggar it I will check it all right from the start! I did find a couple of wires that I had missed!
So off came all the tape and I traced each wire to make sure I had put it where it should go. Now I have just finished putting tape back on it and putting it back into the car.......Now Iam confident that it Is all spot on now....
I know I have petrol and next I will check to see if I have a spark and then go from there.
It is so close to being able to drive. Another problem that I need to fix is the hydrolic clutch ......I used the master cylinder from the WRX thinking that it should be fine. But! It wasn't! It is pretty hard to push. I have put it down to the length of the pedal pivot. The WRX pedal is about 2 1/2 times longer than the VW and hence you have far more leverage....
So I am going to get another master cylinder with more uummppphhh....
Water is in the radiator with no leaks! I thought that my welding would let me down but all good! Next check will be the exhaust when it fires up. No fuel leaks either..
Question though has anyone had any issues with the Scat gear stick coupled to the 5 speed box?
I don't know for sure but the gear stick does not seem to move much from side to side and I think it is not enough to select all the gears. I will know for sure when I drive it..
Cheers
Mark
kiwiev ·
Hope it works out mate isn't there a clutch kit on that USA web site where Subugears send you to get the shorten drive shafts not sure on the gear stick I was wondering that too? I guess Todd may know is ne still in the states??
Cheers Kiwi
vduboy ·
On the gear lever, I too had a short shifter, but it made the gear change quite heavy, especially the 5th gate. Ended up using a stock one and it is nice and light.
The hydraulic clutch kit I used was a in tunnel master cylinder from Paul at out front motorsports, but it had slight ly too much throw so I had to put a stopper on the back of the stock clutch pedal as not to push the pressure plate through the clutch!
maloo ·
Hi All
Well its been a while since I posted!
I have had a huge problem and have only just nearly sorted it out!
I didn't realise that I needed the original key and key reader as well as the immobiliser controller! So I had to find a matched ECU and key as well as the immobiliser controller and key reader! Anyway if you are considering doing this conversion make sure you also get the steering column as well!
Now I have sorted the immobiliser problem out I still have a problem but I have no idea what it is. I have connected a WiFi OBD reader to the ECU and there are no fault codes. I turn the ign on and the fuel pumps turn on and the engine cranks but will not start.
I dont know how to how to check if the injectors are working nor if I have a spark. I do have 12v at the coil but I dont know what triggers it to fire!
HELP!🙁
I am so close yet seemingly still miles away!
Cheers
Mark
karmann141 ·
maloo wrote:HELP!🙁
I am so close yet seemingly still miles away!
Cheers
Mark
Mark give Miles a call at (just realised the joke typing this)
he's extremely helpful and has done many VW /Subaru conversions. Well worth the phone call.
surfbeetle ·
Hopefully you have already sorted this out. For me, I too could not start my car. I took out all four injectors and let them soak in injector cleaner and also checked my fuel pressure. After doing this, it started up. My engine had been sitting for a few years and I believe that my injectors were plugged up.
maloo ·
Hi All
Well my VDub now runs!........YYYEEE HHHHAAA
BUT I am moving to Tasmania and will not be able to take him with me to finish him off as all I will have is a block of land and building a house so I have no time.