Autocross Build Evo 1 - Going Overboard

It's the R2CD, which has always reviewed very well (search this forum for a review in a DSM). A member here may be selling a very nice used unit shortly, keep your eyes peeled.

 

Maybe time for the annual update. I'm still being dicked around on a job I "accepted" closer to home, where I could finally work on the car. I initially applied for this job July, 2018, did some testing and interviews, and signed an offer October, 2019 - but I still don't have a start date, and I'm still 1,500 miles away from where the rest of my life is. I've passed over promotions at my current job and I stopped looking for jobs closer to home because I had that signed offer in hand. To say I'm fed up is an understatement.

So, where are we on parts collecting, then?

The engine is pretty much ready to go to the machine shop, it just needs to be removed and disassembled. I placed a big order through RTM Racing for all of the smaller stuff, so I'm pretty sure that I have everything at this point. Full spec list of everything that's in my possession, which I'd like to assemble this winter:

OEM Evo 1 block (standard bore)
OEM Evo 1 crankshaft (standard journals)
Wiseco 85mm "HD" pistons - 8.5:1 compression - skirt and crown coating done through High Tech Coatings
Howard's 156mm billet steel connecting rods - stated weight 599 grams
King XP main bearings (both standard and +0.001" for oil clearance) - shooting for 0.025"
King XP rod bearings - shooting for 0.020" to 0.025" (coated)
Fluidampr balancer
RaceFab oil pan for later Evo OFH (incoming)
OEM Evo IX OFH
OEM Mitsubishi BSE
Kiggly 12-tooth trigger
OEM Evo 456 camshaft position sensor assembly
ARP main studs, misc bolts
Curt Brown Racing ported 2G cylinder head (RIP Curt)
JUN Machine cams
Competition Clutch cam gears
Topline lifters
Zaklee timing belt cover
OEM Evo IX timing belt
ARP L19 head bolts
Cometic 0.051" head gasket
Hyundai shaved/welded/coated valve cover
OEM Evo 1 intake manifold (going out to Boostin' Performance for porting)
OEM Mitsubishi Outlander 65mm DBW throttle body
Hellion vertical flow intercooler
Turbosmart IWG75 wastegate
Magnus fuel rail
SouthBay 2200cc injectors

Morrison Fabrication is doing a manifold & downpipe for the IWG EFR 7670, it should be featured on their instagram/facebook pages within the next couple weeks. I'll update this with pictures once it happens.




I've planned out an entire fuel system that uses a surge tank underneath the car with AEM 50-1005 400lph fuel pump. According to my math, the pump should be *barely* enough at 550whp, but the surge tank I'm eyeing has provision for a 2nd pump if it somehow runs out. Either way, it's going to be 8AN to the rail and 6AN back to the surge tank, which should never starve the engine on any condition. At full-tilt with two pumps, it's a 900whp+ fuel system.




What else is new?

I got a reconditioned set of Brembos at a price I couldn't refuse, so I'll sell my Brembo cores. The whole braking system is going to be new Evo 5-9 spec. That's new bolts everywhere, new shields, Centric Hi-Carbon rotors, StopTech Sport brake pads, Girodisc titanium shims, new brake master cylinder to fix the pedal issue, etc. I'm tired of braking issues.



Got a set of Ohlins DFVs from an Evo 789. Some additions required as previously noted, spring rates will be 9k front and 10k rear. Also got an Evo IV rear subframe and HKS Kansai 24mm rear sway bar for Evo 4-9. I had the rear diff bar fabricated for usage with bushings, because it is a street car, after all. I have every Ralliart bushing to do the rear now, just need some Whiteline bits and misc. small stuff.





I've stopped trying to build the car to compete in local Street Mod specification - running an EPAS column and Evo 4 subframe disqualifies me according to the rules, so I would be in E-Mod, which is ridiculously fast. It's going to be a raw-time only car for autocross. It would be eligible for most "Street" class Time Attack events as long as I keep the tire size at 255, and aero within reason.

My shopping cart at Amayama for OEM hardware is $1,977 CAD right now. That's almost $2,000 on brake shields, e-brake cables, e-brake handle, and nuts & bolts. Mitsubishi is apparently jacking up prices by an additional 20% on their already stupid prices, so this has to be done now. My cart on Rock Auto is $780 CAD for brake parts. My cart at RTM Racing is $1,290 CAD for fabrication pieces, fuel pieces and engine ancillaries. My cart at Hot Rod Fuel Hose is $743 CAD for AN hose and fittings. In all, I have a spreadsheet that adds up to around $30,000 CAD for a full car build & restoration, which I'm feeling like going through with.

Right now though, I'm getting protests from my parents who have told me to stop buying things because there's "no room" (despite them filling my old room at their house with useless trash), my job and COVID have made it absolutely impossible to visit Winnipeg to build an engine, even on vacation. I've asked my father if he wants to pull the engine from the car so it can go to the machine shop, and I can pick it up and get right to work building it. He declined, even though he's an extremely competent mechanic and the engine is being held in by a bolt and a 2x4 piece of wood, because we have "no room" for an engine. After telling me this, he pulled the engine from my brother's 1965 Mustang and tore it apart because of a terminal crack in the block, which is now taking up space in the garage. I wanted to take the car apart to have it towed to a fabricator to have a rollbar installed, but we have "no room" to put the interior parts, so that's also a "No". I hate to complain, I'm getting absolutely no support on this from anyone, which has dragged this out by years. I can't wait to finally move and get my own house so I can finally do things for myself.

There will be an enormous part out list of stuff I won't need anymore once I start sorting through parts, I will be listing it here.

 

I was certainly concerned about power, that's why I stepped away from the stroker. E85-level compression, aftermarket intake manifold, higher flow EWG turbine and gnarly cams typically put torque above the 450 ft/lbs mark in the midrange on a 2.0L, which is what I've tried to avoid. I designed my setup to maximize boost response (both transient and threshold), but not create excessive torque. Smaller cams, stock intake, a well-ported head and the smaller turbine effectively broaden the torque curve by coming in early, similar to a stroker, but without the torque spike or midrange torque run that would weaken gears over time. I don't see it making more than 425 ft-lbs at 30-35 psi on E85, and probably under 400 on 94 pump, but it should still do 500 whp without much trouble by winding it out on E85.

The trans cooler and "Stage 4" transmission build give it a fighting chance, plus my car is 500 lbs lighter than the average DSM and has a shorter final drive, so the gears don't get loaded up as badly, or as long. Emergency gears are on standby though, because I know it's not unbreakable.

 

The order for OEM parts at Amayama just went through - 278 items, including:

-Full set of brake shields
-OEM clutch master cylinder
-OEM ebrake handle to replace my ratty one
-Pair of ebrake cables for the conversion

The rest is basically just driveline/chassis hardware. A whole suspension, diff, brake system, fuel system, transfer case, etc worth of nuts and bolts. Since the whole rear suspension is getting changed, I got Evo 456-spec suspension hardware just so that everything is there and the proper fastener is used instead of cobbling something together and inviting disaster. Ground-up restoration is a go.

 

Big update time.

I finally moved away from Ottawa to a place with a reasonable real estate market, and now closing the sale on my first house. Of course a garage was a major priority, so my new house has a 24x30 heated garage that I'll finally be able to work on the Evo in! My monthly budget wasn't entirely decimated by the purchase, meaning there is still some room each month to spend on the car.



Next, Morrison Fabrications finished the hot parts kit for the IWG EFR 7670. I had a long list of requests for them, including clearance for a BW EFR 8374 on the compressor housing if I ever want to change out the 7670, which they were able to make happen. The result is fantastic.







The Brembo calipers that I bought got absolutely hammered in shipping, so all 4 will have to be refinished. Not the end of the world and hopefully insurance covers some of it. Oh well. Onward!

 

The calipers were brokered in, so they'll have to handle it anyway. Visa customer support on standby if not

Thank you! I made sure to buy a house that needs absolutely nothing other than furniture for this very reason. The car gets everything!

 

The turbo setup has landed. It's the same as above, but it made a detour for some inconel heat shielding before it arrived here. It's a bit of a shame that I won't see the bare manifold/downpipe though.




Also, a silly exhaust hanger with a silly price tag. It's a Ralliart piece and it feels like a brick.

 

It gets real hot on my parts storage shelf, I need to be ready!
But yeah, I prefer something that will stay totally consistent and reliable. Dyno numbers don't mean anything if your engine bay is heat soaked by the second lap. Turbos don't make power, setups do.

I would have used a manifold and turbo blanket but nobody I know makes custom manifold blankets and I doubt anything off the shelf would have worked. Plus I really didn't want to deal with changing header wrap on the downpipe constantly and god forbid an oil leak burns the car down.

 

It's meant to be joined to the existing exhaust by the user. I'll just route it to the stock catalytic converter with 3" stainless pipe, so it mounts like stock. I'm going to remove the car's existing high-flow cat (2.5" I think?) and fab up a full 3" pipe with a GESI cat (again, fitting like stock), and my idea is to get a titanium exhaust from an Evo 7-9 to adapt. It honestly looks as though a later Evo exhaust can be flipped upside down, and with new hangers, would probably be very close to fitting without any tweaking. The muffler would have to be cut and flipped, but that's minor. I'm on the lookout for a Ralliart RACT9 exhaust to use, since it's got a muffler that would fly under the radar with the authorities, yet it's still 3" and super light.