crankwalk (Forum Supporter)
crankwalk (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
5/7/24 9:50 p.m.

Florida four wheeling looked like a good time. Always wondered what it would be like on some of those trails. The thought of gators would freak me out too much though ha!

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
5/9/24 7:41 a.m.
crankwalk (Forum Supporter) said:

Florida four wheeling looked like a good time. Always wondered what it would be like on some of those trails. The thought of gators would freak me out too much though ha!

It was really a lot of fun!  The lil Cherokee did great.  Didn't see any gators, lol!

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
5/14/24 10:42 a.m.

Did a "Track night" at Sebring last week and the e36 gave me the first bit of trouble ever.  In the 3rd session, the car began backfiring on deceleration.  My buddy said it was putting out a decent fireball to go with the sound.  Afterward, all of the plugs and wires look to be fine.  I've tightened up all of the V-band clamps in the exhaust - some were a hair loose.  I've ordered new plugs and wires and am getting the oem injectors cleaned and rebuilt.  I've not found any obvious cause, but hoping these things take care of it, because I'm about to sign up for the West Virginia Hillfest and do my first ever hillclimb!

Last weekend a buddy hosted a backyard lawnmower race.  I got excited and bought a mower that had already been pulley swapped for higher speed.  Then after some more thought, I realized I didn't want to take the chance of getting tossed off the mower and whacked by another mower.  So I talked another buddy into being the driver.  It was pretty wild and entertaining.  There were a few spills, but no major injuries.  15 mowers showed up and we made it to round 2 of 3 before getting eliminated.

hobiercr
hobiercr UberDork
5/14/24 1:15 p.m.

That jump picture hurts MY back!

ojannen
ojannen HalfDork
5/20/24 9:40 a.m.

I am sure you have heard about it but there is an official lawnmower racing series near Avon Park/Sebring.  It looks a lot like this without the jumps.  I briefly considered it a while back and decided I liked my kidneys unbruised.  The center of gravity seems so high due to the belt drive going under the driver.

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
5/21/24 12:51 p.m.

In reply to ojannen :

I'd like to build one of the lowered ones for the local backyard races, but I don't think I need to get into "real" lawnmower racing.  I'm also struggling to find time to make progress on the 914 lately, which means I don't need to add to the list of projects soon.

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
5/25/24 8:59 a.m.

Finally a bit of progress on the Porsche.  Its air cooled days are over :(


Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
5/29/24 12:34 p.m.

I brought the e36 to my buddy after not being able to track down the cause of my backfire.  Took him about 1/2 hour to find a crack in the header.  He said it was causing the fuel trims to be off side-to-side.  I'm very pleased it's not a bent valve or other internal issue!  


welded

I've signed up for Hillfest at Snowshoe, WV August 9-11.   My first hillclimb event!  Pretty excited!  Participating in one has been on my bucket list for a bunch of years now.

hobiercr
hobiercr UberDork
5/29/24 6:41 p.m.

In reply to Lof8 - Andy :

Great that was a relatively easy issue to fix! Can't wait to see your hillclimb report. 

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
6/1/24 8:52 a.m.

Added a lower radiator shroud to the bmw.  It needed some trimming to fit behind a non-M bumper.  Temps were creeping up a bit at Sebring, so I've added a 165 thermostat (was running a gutted thermostat previously) and added this shroud.  Changed the oil, torqued the lug nuts, she's ready for a hillclimb!

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
6/3/24 9:04 p.m.

The way my brain works, I have a real hard time turning wrenches on a new project while any of the other cars are in need of repairs. So the Porsche has been taking a back seat while the bmw was getting sorted and the YXZ got some steering repairs and upgrades.  Bmw and yxz are now both up to speed and I can make Porsche progress again. 
 

very few 914s came with a rear sway bar, so when I saw a used setup listed on 914 world a few months back, I jumped on it.  With the drivetrain out, it's a perfect opportunity to weld in the mounts and reinforcements. 

 

I received the car with the rear view mirror laying on the floor. I ordered a Porsche adhesive pad to reattach it to the windshield.  While pressing it to the glass, the windshield cracked. 🤬🤬.  Eventually it fell off again.  So I eBay'd a bmw 2002 rear view and modified it slightly to mount to the windshield frame, as I'd seen done by a cool 914 safari build. 

 

also, my buddy, who has a vw rail buggy wants to buy the old engine.  Clutter out and cash in!

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
6/11/24 1:50 p.m.

Lower shock mount bolts with lil nubs are needed to mount the sway bar.  Perfect time to bolt in the fresh rear konis, purchased with $2k Challenge Tire Rack bucks :)  I stuck with the springs that were on the car, hoping fresh shocks and a sway bar stiffen things up without creating a harsh ride.


hobiercr
hobiercr UberDork
6/11/24 4:06 p.m.

Making progress!

Is the Safari 914 above a goal? I like the look.

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
6/11/24 5:35 p.m.
hobiercr said:

Making progress!

Is the Safari 914 above a goal? I like the look.

Mine won't be a safari style car. But his is a super clean build - Subaru powered.  He's where I stole the idea of using a bmw 2002 sourced rear view mirror.  

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
6/12/24 7:00 p.m.

Pulled out the useless HVAC system and found an old student parking pass. 

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
6/26/24 8:14 a.m.

I hit a bit of a snag while installing the Renegade hydro clutch kit.  Turns out they design it for use with an aftermarket drive-by-wire gas pedal.  The bracketry to mount the master cylinder penetrates the firewall and mounts to the hinge point of the factory gas pedal. I'm planning a cable throttle, so I had to cut up the Renegade bracket and add some reinforcement. I also had to trim/shave the throttle pedal linkage and master cylinder clevis to clear each other, but it appears that it's going to work. 

 

I've ordered a "center feed" intake manifold to help clean up the overall packaging and minimize cutting into the trunk space/firewall. Photo below is from the guy in Idaho, the only guy I've found who has put a k24 into a 914

 

center feed manifold (in a fwd configuration)

 

the Idaho dude tells me he's going to fab up the engine mount for me this weekend, so things are looking good to have all the needed parts on hand soon!


 

I've also talked my wife into a stop at Deals Gap (tail of the dragon) on the way up to the Snowshoe Hillclimb.  We'll have to leave home super early to get much daylight at the Dragon, but that should also help avoid traffic.  I'm excited for a Killboy photo in the BMW :)

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
6/29/24 3:25 p.m.

I was a bit surprised when this popped up in my feed. 

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
7/3/24 5:28 p.m.

I've been jumping around between several different small projects as I hit snags and have to figure out a solution/order parts/order tools.  
 

beefier renegade hybrids axles (to mate the Boxster trans to 914 hubs)

 

haltech ic7 display 


boxster shifter with elevated mount


 

chopped a hole for the k24  and retained the trunk/hood latch mechanism  👍


plugged up the HVAC holes and mounted a clutch reservoir


 

renegade trans mount bracket.  I likely need to get some spacers fabbed to move the mounting ears a bit and get the engine positioned where I want it, as the kit is designed for use with an LS  

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
7/8/24 7:08 p.m.

First time using rivnuts.  Pretty cool.  Trying to keep it serviceable since the back side is under the gas tank. 

 

new stainless fuel lines front to back through the center tunnel.  

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
7/10/24 10:21 a.m.

The machine shop went extra fancy on my transmission bracket spacers - some hydrodipped graphics that I didn't pay for and that will be completely hidden 😂

dyintorace
dyintorace UltimaDork
7/10/24 12:22 p.m.

I am always excited when this thread pops up on the first page! Your progress is going great!

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
7/10/24 6:50 p.m.
dyintorace said:

I am always excited when this thread pops up on the first page! Your progress is going great!


thanks man!  It's been several years since I did a real full car "build" rather than just individual mods or repairs. It's a long tedious process. Sometimes feels like you're not getting very far.  But, hey, it gives me something to do in my 2 ish free hours after work each weekday!

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
7/14/24 8:32 p.m.

I made it to an SCCA rallyx on Saturday, it was my first one in a while.  I threw on the Yokohama Geolander tires, which are what the whole UTV field ran at the Nitrocross event at the Firm a couple years ago.  They look like they'll be good for the mixed asphalt and clay surfaces at the Firm but they weren't great at the rockier St Lucie course.  I had significantly less grip than any of the other tires I've run there. 
 

in order to beat the afternoon rain, the group agreed to do all of our competition runs at once - only a single changeover between the two run groups.  It was glorious!  I was on the road, headed home by 1pm!  If I have any complaints about the scca events, it's all of the wasted time through the day.  This format eliminated the inefficiency.  I really hope they continue to do it. 


 

...and the 914/k24 engine mount is boxed up and ready to ship to me!! 🤘🤘

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
7/18/24 6:08 p.m.

Got the intake manifold bolted up.

 I'd considered a baffled oil pan for the engine, but every option out there required swapping to a K20 oil pump (that needs to be modified to work in a k24) and it was just a snowball from there.  "While you're doing the oil pump you should do this and that blah blah."   But very recently, Kpower released a baffled pan that bolts straight on.  So I ordered that last week.  It's the last piece I'm waiting on before the engine and trans get bolted together!

Bolt on K24 baffled oil pan   
 


and the cheapest source for the necessary 1-1/4" green stripe heater hose is from Rockauto in a quantity of 50' 😂. Its got some kind of use on an F350 in this length but its more than double what I need.  Hoping I can sell the leftover to a future 914 engine swapper. 

Lof8 - Andy
Lof8 - Andy UltraDork
7/19/24 6:55 p.m.

Brake system buttoned back up with an upgraded 19mm master cylinder and a Tangerine Racing brace to fight firewall flex. 

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