Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Catching up

It has been awhile since my last post, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working forward on the conversion.

I have finally buttoned the engine up.

I have installed the Small Car shortened oil pan.

I have the Small Car engine mount installed, Vanagon rubber mounts, and will be building a custom cross bar to fit the Small Car mount system and work with my frame rails.













I came across a post on aussieveedubbers forums from Hellbus who worked with Custom VeeDub, which used to be Custom Offroad (COR), out of Australia to build a throttle body reverser. I decided that I would do the same thing and avoid the troubles of reversing the manifold, reversing the wiring harness, and avoid having to relocate the alternator and A/C compressor. With the reverser, everything stays stock!


I am using BMF Perf. out of Brighton, CO. Chris is the owner and he does fantastic work at reasonable rates. Take a close look at his welds on the throttle body reverser!

Other small tasks I have completed are to install the flexible dip stick tube, finish up the gas tank reinstall, order a custom radiator with dual pusher fans from Wizard Cooling, which hopefully will be here in about a week (pic to come!). I am working with Chris from BMF Performance to create a custom air duct and scoop to fit the radiator between the frame rails.
I have also dropped the transmission and differential for service. I ordered a reseal kit for both the transmission and the differential and drilled out the stud and nut hole on the top driver side of the bell housing to bolt on the adapter plate per KEP and Tom Shiels' instructions.
And finally, I have started in on the wiring harnesses. I have meticulously identified each and every connector on the engine harness, the front wiring harness in the engine bay and the bulkhead wiring harness in the cab. Each of the blue items is a piece of tape the denotes the wire number and function according the the wiring schematics out of the factory manual.
This is a shot of the Front wiring harness with the connectors all identified with blue tape.

Here is the location and function guide. The red lines suggest the components of the wiring harness I will delete and remove from the harness. I cut the harness just before it crosses the front of the car and this may have been a mistake. I may need to extend and re-wire some of the harness to fit my application.














Here is a shot of the bulkhead wiring in the engine bay:

And this is the intended delete list for removal:














Here is the in-compartment bulkhead wiring:

And the delete list:

3 comments:

  1. Where did you get the Throttle Body Reverser? I'm jumping in to do this task in the spring...I have a '77 Westy and a complete '93 Subaru I'm going to be swapping.

    Keep the updates coming! You inspire me to get mine going ;O)

    Thanks
    -Jim

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  2. Jim,

    Sorry I am just now seeing your comment. I actually had the throttle reverser made locally for $200. I know Richard Jones from RJES in England sells them already. Not sure his cost or what shipping might be.

    I hope mine works alright. I've been worrid about the idle air control valve being upside down and at the bottom of the coolant passages. If I get this thing fired up and discover it idles rough, I may be selling the reversre (some say that the reverser only works up to 1999 year models; mine is a 2001. We'll see...).

    Dan

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  3. Howdy, I am currently doing a similar conversion in my 74 baywindow. Putting in a 2000 EJ25. Am curious how your throttle inversion worked out. As you said, Richard at RJES said inversions shouldn't be done in post 99 engines. But you did...so how has it performed?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete