ML's Whiteout

[ML]

Went back to 17s so I could try out some slicks. Carolina Motorsport park tomorrow, and Road Atlanta Sunday!

[Takumi788]

Random question. Why did you go to 18s? More options for meat?

[ML]

Originally Posted by Takumi788

Random question. Why did you go to 18s? More options for meat?

I got the 18s when the car was still a street car and I just wanted 18s at the time. Then I stubbornly tried to make them work for the track....which led me right back to the 17s. Cut 3 seconds off my PB with them yesterday though (and the stiffer rear springs)!

[ML]

Got my type S oil pump kit, pre ported by 4 Piston racing. This is supposed to be the most difficult part to get so, just waiting on K Power to release!

[Irace86.2.0]

I added you to the list for a K24 supercharged build, correct?

[ML]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

I added you to the list for a K24 supercharged build, correct?

Yup, I haven’t updated this in awhile. KPower K24 with the rotrex from the jrsc adapted. Shooting for 2200lbs/350hp

[ML]

Ok, so I guess I need to start updating this again since this build will be one of the first KPower 86 builds. My goal is to have a more reliable track car while reusing the Jackson Racing Supercharer kit as much as possible to make 350 hp and about 2200 lb dry weight. Some issues that I had with the FA20 setup was low power, oil burning, fuel starvation, which I hope to solve all these issues with this new setup.

So here is a pic of the car at the last track event it went to below. Jzilla at VIR, it was amazing day as we camped on the paddock and drank beer the night before and weather was perfect. I was experiencing some issues with the car being slow....what do I mean? its a 86 after all! The car last dyno'd at 267 with the JRSC setup making 10psi but I could barely hit 121mph on the back straight and 105mph on the climbing esses. That's slower than a N/A 86 on e85! I played with the wing a bit thinking it was at too much angle and making too much drag, which it was but...even taking the wing completely off my top speed was only on par with a n/a 86 on e85 (I was driving at probably 8/10 by the end of the day and still the fastest I could get the car around VIR was a 2:13). So I really think something was going on here with the power of the motor.


Que getting home and ripping the whole car apart....

[ML]

I already had the k24 purchased from a local salvage yard so all the prep work has already been done. 50degree vtc cam gear, k20 type r oil pump from 4piston, new timing chain, tensioner and guides, new gaskets, cleaned as much of it up as I could without removing the head.




Here I discovered that the oil sandwich plate from the FA20 is going to work on the K24 with some new lines.




Image of the old front end and cooling system. The bashbar also supported the front splitter, oil cooler, rad cooling, and rad. With the new setup I'm hoping to make a more effcient cooling stack and duct work as the k24 with be further back in the engine bay I can make a full exit duct to the hood.




and its out....it was easy with the entire front end off! So many/much fluids




Mockup of how the radiator is going to sit with the new setup. See it is leaned more forward to all the air to be directed up immediately after it exits the radiator.



close up of the stock rad mounts adapted to the bash bar. really didn't take much to make a new mount.


Here is the finished bash bar, updated with the hood support, fender mounts, and light mounts, riv-nuts in place and painted

[ML]

moving on to the suspension there was some things here that I knew need some attention, and also I discovered a few things that I'm glad I caught.

I got a good deal on some RacerX rear upper control arms that would let me dial in some more camber in the rear safely and drop some weight. The rear really needs another degree or so of camber. Also got some new lower control arms as well with spherical bearings to replace some worn out bushings in the old LCAs, plus these are full aluminum and saved some weight. Pulled the whole subframe out so I cleaned everything up and removed the EVAP system while I was under there to save some more weight....we don't need that where we are going.


While pulling the engine out I discovered the bushing for the Front lower control arms had melted due to the gasket between the header and overpipe CONSTANTLY blowing out despite any thing I tried....another thing I hated about the fa20 setup.


Guess I'll just get some parts shop max front lower control arms with full spherical bushings, and larger track width, better sway bar mounting points, and more strength...only $740 for the arms and required outer tie rods. Only thing that needed to be modified was the OTR mount on the knuckle needed to be enlarged slightly as its not tapered.

[ML]

Got a clutch in from Mantic Clutch based in Australia. It was only $440 shipped from overseas and got here in like 4 days. Its a "stage 4" clutch and they claim can handle 600 hp. I was willing to try it out! Mantic Clutch


Another issue I always struggled with on the FA20 was fuel starvation....now I know this isn't specific to the FA20, its an issue with saddle style fuel tanks in general...I was very much on the edge of buying a full radium fuel tank and cutting out the rear end, but in the end I decided to keep the oem fuel tank with the AEM fuel pump and Verus fuel flap and just run a surge tank. 1 to save money and 2 the oem fuel tank is just in the perfect spot and an aftermarket fuel cell would move too much weigh rear ward and require WAY more work with a rear firewall and mounts.




So this is how I ended up mounting it. One great thing about this swap is that the FA20 had two fuel lines coming from the fuel tank, 1 for the port injectors and 1 for the direct injectors. Since the K24 is returnless and only has one set of injectors and the surge tank needs a return to the fuel cell I was able to convert one of the OEM fuel lines from the fuel cell to a return line and made the setup really clean! built in fuel regulator as well as all AN lines.



oh yeah and in the middle of all this we decided to trade our 2012 honda fit in for a 2021 wrx....

[ML]

So here is where I am now, and here is where I have been struggling....wiring....I love learning and this has been a huge challenge. I have some back ground in electronics from the military but I haven't really used it much until now. I decided, sigh, to rebuild the entire chassis harness. The old one was just really old and gross with exposed wires from cutting things like airbag connectors off, and there was just so few OEM circuits left I figured it would be worth it in the long run to just do it. So here is some ECU porn to start off. Only thing I'm waiting on is the Haltech IC7 dash.


Got some switches from a local redoing his wiring, and made a switch panel. Still waiting on some connectors to finish it but the mounting is done.



Still trying to figure this out but this is how I'm thinking of mounting the ECU and controllers/relays. Either this or at and angle more forward. I don't want to run a passanger seat, but there might be some instances where I have to.



This prefabed relay/fuse controller from MGI speed is pretty sweet, and will hopefully make everything easier.


Wiring diagram I spent about 5 hours on last night....first iteration, and I probably need some help on it (if anyone wants to take a look)

[ML]

one more small tiny project....Making a flat floor to finally tie in all the aero. I got some 4x8 sheets of dibond and attaching a center section to the car, with some extensions after this on the side.


Figuring out a good mounting system has definitely been the most challenging part of this, but I think I have a good system with some quick release latches. 8 of them in total with some support from the diffuser as well.



my biggest unknown is the exhaust. The floor either needs to be lowered some more, or the exhaust flattened, or a side exit. IDK as you can see here the oval 3" exhaust won't fit between the subframe and the floor in an effort to try and exit above the or into (blown diffuser) the diffuser.

[captain awesome]

Can you put a small bump where the exhaust runs under the subframe? I know you obviously want a full flat floor, but maybe a slight compromise is in order?


Also really interested in how you run the Rotrex unit and piping. I have opted for A/c with my kit and really want to go supercharged at some point. Never been a fan of lag so turbo is out. Looks like my biggest issue is wanting to keep A/c. I know your bracket places the unit right where the compressor would be so maybe I can figure out a different bracket similar to the JR or KW kit with the Rotrex facing the opposite direction.

[ML]

Originally Posted by captain awesome

Can you put a small bump where the exhaust runs under the subframe? I know you obviously want a full flat floor, but maybe a slight compromise is in order?


Also really interested in how you run the Rotrex unit and piping. I have opted for A/c with my kit and really want to go supercharged at some point. Never been a fan of lag so turbo is out. Looks like my biggest issue is wanting to keep A/c. I know your bracket places the unit right where the compressor would be so maybe I can figure out a different bracket similar to the JR or KW kit with the Rotrex facing the opposite direction.

Yeah, you have a good point about the exhaust. Maybe cut a hole under the subframe to allow the exhaust through, and then cover the hole with a some really thin aluminum sheeting. Or maybe cut a hole under the subframe and just do a turndown exit right there?

I'm still unsure about if the Rotrex is going to clear the kpower oil pan, but I'm like 80% sure it will, then it should be easy to plumb it up.

I have seen another rotrex c38 setup with a custom bracket on some crazy carbon lotus build. but it uses a FWD skunk2 intake, so I don't think it would work on a 86 without cutting into the firewall?