August '08-'09 Buildoff '92 Subaru Loyale "FrankenWagon"

[Numbchux]

alright, so I had planned to be a bit secretive about this.....but it's going to be a rather long-term project (hope to have it up and running by next summer though), so screw it....


Few weeks ago, I bought this:


As I mentioned earlier, it's a v4 Link LEM ECU. mmmmmmmmm........still need a few things before it'll be fully usable, but the bulk of it is here. not bad for $250. also came with 2 02 sensor, and EGT sensor, and a coolant temp sensor. and a harness that looks like it's supposed to be plug and play for something, but despite the fact that it says "subaru" on the sticker on the unit itself, the plugs on the harness don't look like anything I've ever seen.


And after studying the manual for it, I realized it's only designed to control a 2-wire Idle-air solenoid. and subarus are 3.....so I picked up this on ebay for $10.


from a '90 Audi 200. 2 wire, and doesn't mount right to the intake. shouldn't be too hard to fab a flange to bolt to the subaru intake where the old IAC was, and plumb this in there.


then, this showed up......


an Eaton M62 Supercharger from a '00 Mercedes C230. only has 25k miles on it. I took the intake and exhaust manifolds off it and polished them on the wire wheel on my bench grinder. now they're all shiny . I also re-mounted the high-pressure one 90* from where it was stock so it points more towards where the subaru tb is.

you can see the line that I drew on it, where I plan to cut it off, and weld a plate over the hole to only use the one output.


from the back:


again, line drawn where I'll cut off the low-pressure manifold. a few measurements, and it looks like a 3.5" coupler will fit perfectly over that spot.


then I noticed the little chunk of heater hose left over from the new water pump on the '96 imp motor I put in the '86 wagon. I used it to put the IAC valve right off the blower:


ideally, you'd want it on the low-pressure side, but any time the valve is open, the blower will be off, so it shouldn't be a problem.


Also, I've got a Jaycar voltage switch, that will be calibrated to engage the blower at ~75% throttle.



plan is, to get my hands on a dual-port phase I EJ22e.
partial rebuild (rings if necessary. but certainly headgaskets, all seals, timing belt, pumps, etc.).
Leave it at stock N/A compression
Delta Cams, possibly head work
phenolic intake mani spacers
t-leg intake manifold and injectors
possibly parallel fuel rails
keep my existing exhaust (mmmmmmmmmm)
use this AWIC, plumbed between the blower and TB. should keep piping down (click image for more specs):

another voltage switch controlled by an intake air temp sensor to control the water pump for said AWIC
stock pulleys should yield 4-5 psi
I'm also planning on mounting 3 LEDs on the dash. one for the supercharger clutch, one for the AWIC pump, and the third for the radiator fan.


mounting system originally planned to be something like this:


but then a different setup just appeared on rs25 (which, of course, just switched servers, so I can't access the picture to post here...). so things might get switched around before then.



also, there will be paint involved on the new engine. still trying to think of a color scheme.....

[TheB1GDude]

Wow.... looks like someones going to be busy for the next year....

Very impressive man!

why didnt you go kenne bell!

JK!

awsome plans, cant wait to see em come together! but man i still hate link haha.


what about a dark grey and bronze for the engine color scheme? i think dark grey on the heads and block with a nice bronze intake manifold would look killer!

oh hey! i just remembered a buddy has the block your looking for. bare bones nothing in else, block only. i think he was asking 50 bucks for it. but shipping would be killer of coures, and probably would kill the sale. but if you cant find anything up there, and your interested LMK.

[Numbchux]

Originally Posted by SPR

oh hey! i just remembered a buddy has the block your looking for. bare bones nothing in else, block only. i think he was asking 50 bucks for it. but shipping would be killer of coures, and probably would kill the sale. but if you cant find anything up there, and your interested LMK.

yea, if I can't find something with known history, there's a junkyard less than 5 miles from my house that easily has 20 cars with the motor I want....

[xmodzracer]

this is one crazy project. SPR why not use the EDIT button? but seriously this thing is a miracle of modern science that i happen to love

Originally Posted by Numbchux

yea, if I can't find something with known history, there's a junkyard less than 5 miles from my house that easily has 20 cars with the motor I want....

well your set!

Originally Posted by xmodzracer

this is one crazy project. SPR why not use the EDIT button? but seriously this thing is a miracle of modern science that i happen to love

because i thought of it some time later? and i didnt think to go to the last page, and edit my last post.

[Numbchux]

the other mounting setup I mentioned earlier:

[Numbchux]

a Group A throttle body spacer arrived at my house last week. I installed it yesterday. Very noticeable shift in the torque curve. gobs more low end grunt....lovin it!


I hope to dyno it in this relatively stock setup within the next month or so to get a baseline before I go nuts this winter.

[Numbchux]

anticipation bump.....just spent a #@$%#$^load of money the last couple weeks. will be so worth it. as far as I know (and I've been a regular on numerous nationwide subaru forums for years.....NEVER heard of one), this is the first subaru part of it's kind to EVER land in North America. very common in Australia (where this one came from, out of a '91 Subaru Liberty GX) and Europe. but never available in North America and probably not Japan either (but concrete info about that is hard to come by).

will be a couple weeks, probably, before that actually arrives....


will also be going to get a "new" motor tomorrow. since I'm planning a full rebuild, and head-work, I just needed a used-but-good block to rebuild so I don't have to have the wagon entirely out of commission for months.

[texan_idiot25]

Super charger?

Please tell me since it's from aussie land, it's like this:

YouTube Video

[Numbchux]

nope, factory subaru part. and I already have a blower.


and no, no burnouts. I prefer traction, thanks.

[Numbchux]

Picked up a motor and FWD 4EAT from a '90 legacy with about 180k miles on them for $100. appears that the motor was cared for fairly well while it was in the car, but has been stored very poorly. so some brackets bent/broken, and a few things dried/rusty (mostly tbelt pulleys). Started tearing it down the last few days:

got it unloaded, and started taking some things off to ease the trip down into the basement:




Subaru timing belt.....possibly original :eek:




got it in the house, and set up on the bench:


a table just for the engine:


pulled the flex plate, and found this......somebody must have dropped it through the access panel.


one of the mounts where the PS bracket bolts to the block is broken. nothing behind it though, so I'm thinking I'll tap threads in there, and run a slightly longer bolt.


still got the crosshatching:




Came with a power steering pump, pulled it apart, and it's in great shape. which is awesome, because mine is.....well.......not

[Numbchux]

parts purchasing is still mostly on hold. picking up some new fenders and other cosmetic parts in the Cities this weekend. but next paycheck.....should mostly go to rebuild parts. either that or I'll save up to put towards sending my Heads/cams to Delta :banana:

But, did some work tonight. Basement looked like this when I came up awhile ago:


cut the un-needed parts off the supercharger plenums (see the whole parts bolted to the blower above):


now looks like this:


keeping the little piece to help pull air around the corner (I don't know if it's really necessary....but mercedes thought it should be there......so I'll leave it).




and this:


also cut a piece of sheet aluminum to block off the hole on the high-pressure side:

was going to alumiweld it on there.....but couldn't get it hot enough. might have to find a better way to insulate it from the vise.

got the freeze plug out:




and block heater ready to go in:


got the rear access panels off:


so, what the heck, pulled the pistons too:


1 & 3


2 & 4


some scoring on the skirt of #2. but not too bad (almost cannot be felt....I bet once I clean it up, you'll hardly be able to see it)


topside of #4 cylinder


#2


some signs of contact/friction. but not any deeper than the crosshatching. so I think some fresh rings/hone will solve that "issue". next I have to buy a 12-point 12mm to split the case. then the parts to reassemble....

[Numbchux]

put together a list of all the parts I need yet....the number at the end scared me a bit probably won't be done as soon as I had hoped. unless I can find a cheaper clutch that will work well.

anyway, a few more pictures...
case split:


soaking the halves in the wash tub:


a little SeaFoam and a wire-wheel shined up the pistons real nice




once clean, the scoring on the #2 piston skirt looks better. but still kinda nasty. but doesn't interfere with the ringlands at all....so I don't think it'll be an issue. although does make me happy that I pulled the shortblock apart.

[texan_idiot25]

What are you using as the supercharger?

Looks good so far..

[Numbchux]

Originally Posted by texan_idiot25

What are you using as the supercharger?

Looks good so far..

Originally Posted by Numbchux

an Eaton M62 Supercharger from a '00 Mercedes C230. only has 25k miles on it.

got the XT6 tranny crossmembers today. which will allow me to put an EJ-series tranny in it

[snowboi1289]

What are you using in the wash tub for the halve, just soapy water, are chemicals (if chemicals, what kind, a friend of mine likes to open up old engines and sell them for parts). I told him he can just spray everything with Seafoam Deep Creep, but thats like $8.+ a small can. I was told putting some zmax on a shop rag and cleaning the pistons and cyl. will make it smoother but wont make the deep scratches disappear, is that ture?

It looks like your project is coming along well. Any updates on the body or chassis? Suspension?

[Numbchux]

the wash tub is just hot water and lots of dish soap. I had already used a can of Deep Creep and about an hour with a nylon brush to get most of the grease off, but wanted to get the rest of the dirt and stuff off.


nothing to report on the rest of the car. starter brushes finally failed on my XT6, so the wagon is serving DD duty again this week. hopefully that'll change tomorrow (unless NAPA ordered the wrong parts.....). almost entered it in a car show this weekend, but with the XT6 down, and we got snow last night, I didn't have a chance to get my summer wheels and front lip back on. so it's pretty ugly.

[xmodzracer]

chux i have to say that i love your wagon. this shows your true creativity and abilities. good job and keep it up!