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View Full Version : 2nd Generation Wagon (BG/BK) Crowboy's 1997 Legacy Outback Ltd MT



Crowboy
03-14-2012, 09:56 PM
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/2012-03-14%20BluRoo.jpg

Current mods:
Engine:
- Rebuilt and blueprinted EJ25D w/ EJ251 pistons (higher compression)
- Rebuilt heads w/ coated valves
- ARP head studs
- NGK plugs
- NGK plug wires
- MSD coil

Transmission and Shifting:
- Kartboy bushings and short shifter (ordered)
- ACT Streetlite 13lb flywheel
- Exedy Stage 1 organic clutch
- Trans snout bushing

Suspension:
- KYB struts for a 2002 Forrester XT

Tires, wheels, brakes:
- 205-75R15 General Grabber AT 2s
- EBC Greenstuff pads
- Stainless brake lines
- Russell speed bleeders

Electrical:
-4 ga grounding kit

Interior:
- Kenwood double-din touchscreen
- LED overhead lights

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I traded a set of 18" wheels from my GMC Sonoma for this car. Well, there was $300 involved but it stayed in my hands for less than an hour so I'm not sure it counts. A previous owner had failed to ever replace the timing belt idler pulleys so at 225k, the geared one exploded. Like candles on a birthday cake, it bent all 16 valves. I towed it to my property where it sat for about 6 months.

Recently, I've been working 10-14 hour days at the office and the savings account has been growing...It is time.

http://www.at0m9labs.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120221-093826.jpg

I shoveled the foot or so of snow from the road up to the car, borrowed an engine hoist and dug in. Took the engine back to a friends garage, tore it down, and brought the heads to my local machinist for rework. I had a 200k mile engine from a 1998 which was misfiring, but running, so I took that back up the hill and dropped it in to make the car mobile.

The engine is in the process of getting new valves and a valve job, new rings, new head gaskets, seals, o-rings, water pump and timing belt kit, lightened flywheel, stage 1 clutch

I'll not bore everyone with the rest of the planned mods until parts are ordered.

More updates (yes with pics) after the weekend.

chuckthefuk
03-15-2012, 09:49 AM
For a set of rims!! Score!!

Pulling a motor out in the winter.. epic..

Welcome to SLi :-D

-Chuck

Crowboy
03-19-2012, 01:38 AM
Well, Santa didn't make it with as many of the parts as I was expecting for the weekend. The grounding kit will have to wait to be installed with the new brake pads, rotors, stainless lines, and performance brake fluid, struts, stainless clutch line and slave cylinder, and stereo.

The single most important install was this:
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/radcap.jpg

My coolant system was not holding pressure so when the fluid expanded from heating (and boiling) I would lose almost a quart in one drive. Took me a day or so to figure out, and the cap was already on order. New cap=no problem.

Ebay UEL headers:
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/UEL%20Header.jpg

And the reason they're cheap is build quality isn't consistent. While all the welds were complete and strong, the alignment was not so good. I had to pull one engine manifold plate almost two inches to one side to get the bolts to line up. After the header was in place, one tube was touching (I think) a power steering line. I'm sure header wrap will help somewhat, but I'd like to figure a way to bend the header pipes for better alignment and clearance.

http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/UEL%20Clearance.jpg

The exhaust had been the victim of a weld-happy exhaust shop at some point in the past. They had welded on a new flange on the outlet of the first cat, but the inside weld was blocking almost a quarter of the 2" dia opening. A die grinder with a 1" sanding drum fixed that.

Last, the trans got a refill of full synthetic 75w-90. I had overfilled previously, due to the car being on a hill, and had noticed an extra whirring when the car started moving under power. New fluid at the proper level seems to have fixed that. Here's what the drain plug on a 200k mile trans looks like.

http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/Mag%20trans%20drain%20plug.jpg

The metal particles look large in the picture, but after smearing on a piece of paper to see if there were really any large chunks, there weren't. Transmission feels really good so I'm not going to worry about it right now.

It's a good thing brakes are on the way. One pad on the driver's side was worn all the way to the metal backing on one side, effectively destroying the rotor. It looks to me like one of the two pistons may have been sticking so full rebuild kits all the way around are on the way. Slotted and drilled rotors from an SL-I member are on the way along with a full set of Hawk HPS ceramic pads.

Cheers!

Crowboy
03-19-2012, 03:03 PM
Grounding kit supplies

http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/groundwiring1.jpg

chuckthefuk
03-19-2012, 03:09 PM
Fancy..

I hate how cheap those UEL manifolds are made.. I had to have 2 guys on side to pull the pipes away from each other slowly.. Mine was also 2 inches off :-(

But the rumble is worth it
-Chuck

anothernord
03-20-2012, 01:12 PM
Those UEL are definitely hit and miss. My pair fit almost perfectly, but nothing beats the OEM piece for fitment.

Crowboy
05-29-2012, 02:37 PM
Made some time this weekend since I'm at a standstill on the engine build until the pistons get here. Replaced all 4 struts with KYB struts for a Forester XT. No lift involved, but that's fine as I started with Outback suspension anyway. The rear's got a little tricky as the springs had to be rotated to get things lined up. Just multiple compression sessions with each spring.

Also replaced all 4 brake discs, pads, and installed stainless lines. EBC green stuff for the pads. Had slotted rotors for a Legacy GT, which from my research should have worked, but they were almost 2 cm to large on the fronts. Rebuilt each caliper with new seals, and boy did the rears need a rebuild.

before:
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/StartBrakes.jpg

after:
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/FinishedBrakes.jpg

chrish8r
05-31-2012, 07:26 PM
Id love to get a car by trading a set of rims!! but im glad to see that you are rebuilding this and putting it back on the street. Cant wait to get mine back up and running

Crowboy
06-26-2012, 02:39 PM
Everything is apart!

The shifter bushing is toast. New full set w/ short shifter on the way from TIC.
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/IMG_0504.jpg

Trans snout bushing installed.
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/IMG_0505.jpg

This little piece on the side of the trans is listed as a "clutch damper assy." I bypassed it as a lot of the WRX guys do with their clutch damping mechanisms to improve clutch feel. We'll see. Even Exedy recommends it.
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/IMG_0506.jpg

All apart:
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/IMG_0507.jpg

This will go in there.
http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/IMG_0508.jpg

More this week as the engine goes in.

Zack

chuckthefuk
06-26-2012, 02:59 PM
sweeeet

Crowboy
07-09-2012, 09:38 AM
Hitch is on, it tows fine but the raft rig is only a 150 lbs or so.

http://www.at0m9labs.com/Subaru/pics/IMG_0528.jpg