418 replies to this topic

[dattoman]

About time stupid Subaru things came in useful for something

[axistr]

Not wrong mate they also sound the same as my ride on lawn mower, but steer much better thank christ, Hmm you got me thinking might have to convert the Husky to power steering? ofter all it's got 27hp it couldn't take that much power to drive a subbie rack. Or do I get a Subbie and wack some blades under it ????. Nah the husky would go better and no transfer case to shit it self.

[axistr]

Hi All, I am getting heaps of PM for power steering racks to suit LX with chev GEN3 engines, I have attached photos of a rack in the setup cradle. Check to see if your engine falls inside the envelope of the steel rule measurments, if it dosen't then the engine mounts may have to be modifyed to suit. CRS never made there mounts to do this conversion. It may mean you only have to raise the engine by 15mm or shift it to the passengers side to clear the rack mount cradle bracket. My concern is more to do with the sump and sump rail clearance on the drivers side not the hight of the rack in the centre.

Lenny.

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[ls2lxhatch]

These are the measurements using the center of the cradle mount bolts as the baseline that I would like.

Measurement #1 appears to be 120 mm which would put it around 10 mm into the oil pan.

[axistr]

Thanks ls2lxhatch nice work on the lines in the photo, 10mm interferance is around the number I come up with to, can you move the engine over to the passengers side by 12-14mm ?

[ls2lxhatch]

Thanks ls2lxhatch nice work on the lines in the photo, 10mm interferance is around the number I come up with to, can you move the engine over to the passengers side by 12-14mm ?

If you can fill in the other measurements then I will be able to see how much clearance is required and can look at options

I would not be prepared to move the front of the engine off centre as it would most likely cause problems with vibration at the tail shaft. It may be possible to move the engine and transmission across but this would probably require a redesign of the headers.

It may be possible to cut into the oil pan for clearance.

It may also be possible to redesign the rack mount bracket to improve clearance. Possibly rotate it 90 degrees.

[axistr]

ls2lxhatch,
1= 116mm
2= 11mm
3= 70mm
4= 75mm
5= 18mm

#1 is from the original rack mount bolt centre to the edge of the front cad plated rack retaining plate as in your line in the photo.
Note; right rack mount bolt is not level across to the lower cad plated bracket retaining bolt the line you put on the picture is not level in relation of the rack. also check the other photos for measurments for hight. I sent five racks out yesterday to get them reconditioned so I carn't get a one hundred percent measurement untill I set one up again. For #3 if you put a straight edge on the K-frame section this K-frame section hads about a 8 deg slope down at the rear and then increases to about a 20 deg angle further back put it on the 8 deg flat section and the measurement would be around 3-4mm to the top of the power steering rack cylinder to the underside of the straight edge. Where you have #3 on the photo the line and the aluminium hex would be no gap under the straight edge i.e this hex is raised by 3mm.

Hope this makes sense and I didn't confuse.

Axistr.

[myss427]

One thing to take into account is a small and big block chev has engine mount offset to one side already and vibrations only seem to occur on the big block, because the engine sits higher because of sump clearance to rack issues. I like the idea ls2lxhatch said of the the rack mount bracket to improve clearance idea.

[ls2lxhatch]

I think that the HQ-WB CHEV mounts rotate the engine but maintain the centre line. If the gearbox is skewed then that would create uncancelled angles which if large enough will cause vibration.



I have 75 mm between the center line of the rack mount bolts and the oil pan. I can lift the engine around 5 mm but much more than that starts causing issues with bonnet and header clearance. I can cut another 10 mm out of the oil pan which would make it the same depth as the Camaro oil pan.

If you could come up with a revised mounting bracket then it should fit with minimum of 10-15 mm clearance.

Do we have the same issue with the passenger side mounting bracket?

Edited by ls2lxhatch, 12 February 2010 - 10:10 PM.

[axistr]

ls2lxhatch, no problems at all with the left side as it's over to the passengers side by around 35mm more than the right mount.
as for tailshaft angles my hatch has a tremec TKO500 with the front working angle of 4.5deg tailshaft level gearbox is down by 4.5, rear uni is .5deg (pinion down) they class this as broken back style, running 4.5deg isn't a problem if you run 4.5 at the rear also as they cancel each other out but running to differant angles that are in the same plain can give vibrations. I have just fitted a C.V joint to the front of my tailshaft and still run a uni at the nine inch. I didn't have bad vibrations before but I did have some and it rumbled on float.

As for the rack position the rack is over to the right, far back and as low and as I can get it which is basicly in the same spot as the original Torana to get all the steering geomertry right. I must have looked at around 150 rack before going for this model Subaru rack. It is as compact as they come and still be front steer. The only thing I can think of is to bend the top mount bracket foward or backwood so it's level and make a new front plate to suit this would save space at #5 of around 18mm. Remember that the fitting into the rotory will stick out facing the sump rail by about 40-50mm.

Axistr.

[ls2lxhatch]

The only thing I can think of is to bend the top mount bracket forward or backwood so it's level and make a new front plate to suit this would save space at #5 of around 18mm. Remember that the fitting into the rotary will stick out facing the sump rail by about 40-50mm.

If the mounting tab can be modified so #5 measurement is reduced to 0 - 5 then that problem is solved for the CRS HQ-WB LS1 mount position. People using CAE mounts with have around 10 mm more clearance.

Can you provide the measurement for the hose fittings?

Going by the pictures I have seen the lower fitting will be a problem.

A couple of options.
1. Machine the steering box to accept banjo fittings.
2. If the thread in the steering box is NPT then there may be an XRP fitting to suit.
3. Weld an aluminium Male flare fitting to the steering box

I think the banjo fitting is probably the simplest and most compact solution.

[axistr]

Hi ls2lxhatch, I went into the hydraulic fitting clearance issues and tried to use banjo fitting but not available as the rack has o-ring seals at the bottom.

Lenny

[ls2lxhatch]

If you machine the face of the steering box to seal the banjo fitting then the o-ring seal will not be required.

[axistr]

Yep I know what your saying and will look into it further, I dont have a mill only a lathe and will have to speak to my mechinest but I think there was some other reason why I used this type of fitting.

Axistr.

[axistr]

G'day rb25lc, Having enough problems sorting it for LH,LX,UC with so many engine combos. Sorry but I'am not going there.

ls2lxhatch I did some more checking on the bango fittings and they can be used but the space saving would only be around 8mm it all helps, but I think there is still some reason why I didnt go that way.?the problem might be trying to attach the flexable hoses, needs 1,200 p.s.i fittings. There is a small recess where the fittings go into the rotory valve which will take a copper washer so we shouldn't need to do any further mechining.

As for the drivers side bracket, because the bracket is layed back around 35 degrease the space saving by turning the top section foward and making a differant front bracket may not save much space either maybe 5mm vertical. I carn't get the rack over to the right any further without cutting out the K-frame big time, major structural would be needed for only 10mm gain. You could grind off a further 3-4mm max from the top and side of the right mount bracket without any problems and if you move the engine over 5mm you may just get enough room for sump clearance.

Axistr.

[ls2lxhatch]

Based on the measurements so far I think there is a 50/50 chance of being able to fit the rack. The only way to find out is to try the rack on the car and see what can be modified.

[axistr]

Sorry about the delay on the rack kits guys, the mate that does the rack reco for me has been in and out of hospital since late December and the racks just had to take a back seat I just couldn't hassle him if he is genually sick but he was much worse than we thought. I know what most of you are thinking but I have been using him for over twelve years and he does a fantastic job and has been very reliable over the last eleven. I just don't wont to change my rack people now, and he does one of the mods needed to complete the conversion and I wouldn't trust anyone else to do this mod. The good news is he is now back on deck and hopes to get a batch of six finished in the next two-three week and a further eight in four weeks, all going well and fingers crossed they shouldn't be to much longer and thanks for being patient guys.

Lenny

[axistr]

Hi all, I got some spare time today to check out the bango fittings for the rotary valve with my hose people, the bango bolt and fitting is no problem and will save around 25mm of room over the current fitting. The down side is that the only bango fittings that are available only in push lock style connection for the hose, this would be ok for the return but no good for the supply from the pump. The push lock type will handle 400 p.s.i the pressure side needs around 1,000 - 1,400 to make the connection work. They would need to cut the tail off and drill out the bango fitting, and silver solder a threaded nipple into it, this would be getting close to the rating of the fitting and solder. Allthough the bango fittings will work they would be more supseptable to leaks as the rotary valve was designed for an o=ring seal fitting at the base of the fitting.
It can be done but you would need to be carefull when fitting the hoses and bango fittings, the bango bolt will need copper washers on both sides but do not over tighten the bango bolt as they stretch very easy.

Lenny

[axistr]

G'day ls2lxhatch, Andy I have now had a chance to sort out the fittings to reduce some more room needed in the supply and return hydraulic fittings on the rotory valve, sorry about the bad photo on the old motorolla mobile but it should give you some idea between the two types. The revised fitting should save around 25mm. These fitting have been modifyed to take standard hydraulic fitting and takes a lot of time to do just like every other mods with these racks, they just take up so much time to do and the lack of time has been the killer. The racks are not designed to take banjo fittings and should work ok but I would still prefer to use the nipples fittings with o-ring seals where possible as the banjo and copper washer would be more acceptable to leaks on the pressure side. I even had to mechine the banjo bolts because they are not available in the right length.

Axistr
Lenny

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[ls2lxhatch]

Lenny,

The banjo fittings will help with the clearance issues. I am still doubtful that I will be able to fit the rack with my setup however there is only one way to find out for sure. Let me know when you have a rack ready to trial fit.

[A9X]

Andy, i've asked Lenny to put me down for one.

I'm happy to give you mine for a trial fit, no hurry , or i'm happy to take yours if it doesn't fit.

That way we all get what we want without Lenny worrying about it fitting...

I'm in no hurry, it's for the lads 4 door.

Edited by A9X, 29 April 2010 - 11:04 PM.

[ls2lxhatch]

Welby, sounds like a good plan. I figured that I would not have any problems finding a buyer if it didn't fit so I asked Lenny to put me down for a rack in Aug 09. One of the reasons I went to Toranafest last year was to have a look at Lenny's hatch.

Edited by ls2lxhatch, 30 April 2010 - 12:31 AM.

[axistr]

Sounds like a good plan guys, Andy your rack will be ready to go next week as the rack is now in stock and just have to do the final set on the cradle. I have had the girl in the office chasing quots for freight for over a week now and the price difference is bullshit. To QLD from Sydney $45-399 and only the most expensive quotes offer freight insurance, I don't want to take the risk of one going awall. Due the the size of the package they want more money it's not the weight, aussie post will not ship them because they are over 1.2m long and the racks are 1.3m long.

Lenny

[ls2lxhatch]

Lenny,

Post up the dimensions, weight and pickup postcode. I will get a quote on my TNT account.