AssYriaNrocKer's 98 GT build

[AssYriaNrocKer]

damn i love how the BD'S look. such a good looking sedan!

it does look like you are missing one part of the intake assembly, a small intake duct from the FSM.

Thanks again for the heads up. Purchaced and installed the final intake piece.



-RONI-

[xrayspecs]

Nice, looks like its in good condition too! The older these cars get the harder it is to find spares for the misc stuff like that.

[AssYriaNrocKer]

The Sunday driver is doing pretty good so far. Took it out to run some errands this weekend. Brought it back, vacuumed, wiped her down and parked it. Feels good.







Still got a trunk full of goodies waiting to be installed.







Can't beat that license plate!
Please ignore my garage door framing that needs painting.

-RONI-

[LosMan603]

Gotta love that JDM front grille & emblem! I've tried to locate one for my GTB but it was difficult to find something in good condition.

I ended up finding a Zenki grille, which "mostly" fits my Kouki front end

Good job on the build keep up the great work!

[AssYriaNrocKer]

Gotta love that JDM front grille & emblem! I've tried to locate one for my GTB but it was difficult to find something in good condition.

I ended up finding a Zenki grille, which "mostly" fits my Kouki front end

Good job on the build keep up the great work!

mysubieparts.com is a good spot to find some of that hard to find JDM stuff. I think they are closing unfortunately but still worth checking the site out before they close for good. Thanks for the kind words. Although I don't feel like I have done much, this build really has come a long way. Wish I had the time and funds to do what I really want but, one thing at a time is ok too.

-RONI-

[AssYriaNrocKer]

Finally Picked up the second front caliper. I have been holding on to the RF caliper for a couple years now. A co-worker gave me the LF caliper yesterday out of the blue. What a great find. paid exactly 0 dollars for the pair.

A big thank you to my co-worker Kyle, you duuhh man.



-RONI-

[LosMan603]

...paid exactly 0 dollars for the pair....

You lucky dog! I love that you hang on to the first caliper and it finally paid off!

[dusterbd13]

man, just read this thread. beautiful car, and amazing dedication! love the rolling restoration.

[AssYriaNrocKer]

So not sure if I can use these STI rear calipers but I did pick one up. It has a broken bolt stuck in it but that shouldn't be too hard to remove.



-RONI-

[AssYriaNrocKer]

MAAANNNNN I can not wait for summer. I am soo eager to drive the GT this year. I am going to have to take a look at the ignition wiring for the starting problem I have been having for a few years now. Also going to take care of the wheel bearing thats makin all that noise.

In other news I picked up a bit of a cherry. 1996 Legacy with 64k miles. Its not minty fresh but it is def. a looker with low miles. I will be doing some much needed exhaust work and resealing. It will be posted for sale soon enough. I will be sure to include it on the SLI classified section.

Anyone interested should send a message. Hoping for local pickup but delivery can be negotiated.




-RONI-

[AssYriaNrocKer]

Update!

With all left front wheel bearing replacement parts in hand I was excited to get rolling on a much needed maintenance item. That left front wheel bearing has been howling for a few years only getting worse with each passing season. At this point in time however, I was not really willing to remove bad brakes and re-install them again. I had recently performed a brake service and caliper coating only to find that the pads have been straight cooked! Literally the pad material was about to separate and fall off of the backing support. Not sure if this is actually due to extreme temperature fluctuation or just very serious corrosion. Either way I was not about to install them again after doing the wheel bearing. Naturally this feels like the right time to do the Brembo caliper upgrade.

Here are all my new toys waiting for install!

Stainless steel front brake lines by STOP TECH

"High Carbon Alloy" Centric Rotors. I opted against slotted or drilled, but I did choose the "High Carbon Alloy" version to help mediate corrosion.

Project Mu B-spec brake pads.

OEM Caliper bolts 901120103

Beck Arnley Brake hardware (OEM was just rediculously priced even with my discount)

08 -14 OEM STI front calipers

(to the right you can see I used all OEM wheel bearing components)




To perform the wheel bearing replacement these two tool kits are extremely helpful if not mandatory.

Gear Wrench Slide Hammer Puller Kit part#41700D
OMT Bearing Removal Adapter Kit




After removing the lower ball joint and front sway bar link you should be able to remove the axle nut and swing the axle out of the way. Re-attach the ball joint temporarily and install the slide hammer tool to remove the wheel hub. This takes some effort sometimes but it will eventually come out with the inner race still attached to the hub. I know I could have heated the race and removed it from the hub but I just decided to save the time and replace the hub. Besides that's just one more shiny new part! Once the hub is out of the way you remove the inner and outer seals along with the snap ring. This is were you use one of the cups from the bearing removal tool on the inside of the spindle while pushing in one of the plates on the outside using the large screw. This is how you press out the bearings outer race from the spindle without having to drag the whole assembly to the press. This is the method I use at work and the method I would recommend to anyone doing this at home as I did. I did not take any photos of the process but the kit comes with helpful guides.


While I had everything apart I did my best to refurbish as it went back together. I used a wire brush on the backing plate and gave it a fresh coat of paint. I also did my best to paint the spindle itself without over spraying surfaces around it. I do plan on doing more cleaning in this wheel well area before throwing the brakes on. Here is how it sits currently. Fresh wheel hub and axle nut. You can see the old caliper hanging off to the side waiting to be retired. I need to set some time aside this weekend and get the brake parts in but for now I am thrilled to have a fresh bearing installed.



Photo: A few weeks ago in the neighbors garage.


-RONI-

[AssYriaNrocKer]

Brembo brake install!

During test fitting of the pads I noticed they did not fit as nicely as I imagined in the calipers. When installing Brembo brakes you need to remove the pad guide plates and clean off the corrosion. I used a t27 1/4" drive socket to remove the torx bolt and remove the guides. a wire brush and some elbow grease got it cleaned up. I used a small amount of anti seize lubricant to minimize future corrosion. Here is a look at the caliper pad guide plates.


Shims are not included with the Project Mu pad kit. Once I had OEM shims in hand I was able to get started. You can see how pretty the pads are.


After the install you can see just how much bigger the brakes are in comparison to the old backing plate. For now I am just going to leave the backing plate as is.







Also not sure if I mentioned I had some tint installed.



Put on about 70 miles so far. It's nice to not hear the wheel bearing anymore. Gives it such a healthier and safer feel. The brakes are night and day. I actually have to get use to the way it feels now. I can actually come to a quick and safe stop now so thats good. Fresh fluid, stainless steel lines, Brembos, new rotors, and Project Mu pads. Feels pretty damn good.

The green 96 Legacy wagon and 05 Impreza in the backround are for sale if anyone is interested. I will have a classified post soon. Also my old calipers were in good working condition if anyone is interested.


-RONI-

[AssYriaNrocKer]

No start issue -FIX-

For years now I have had a no start issue. you turn the key and all you get is a single click noise. After numerous tries the starter will finally turn and fire it up. I had come across an article about the added resistance that comes with age. This vehicle is almost 30 years old not to mention at that time Subaru was not using a starter relay just yet. So the 12v came straight from you ignition for the starter. I went ahead and added a relay....and guess what....It worked! Very happy to report the starting issue I have been dealing with for years is resolved. Here is a link to the article. https://www.glenn-ring.com/tech/relay_starter.htm

Here is a quick look at what I did.


I found a stud on the fire wall that was not being used. I hung the relay on it and added a 10mm nut. Thats about as OEM as I can make it look. Very happy with the outcome.



It is not the prettiest or the cleanest but it is getting there and it's a hell of a lot of fun to drive.




-RONI-

[AssYriaNrocKer]

Seat belts

In case you didn't know, our seatbelts are suppose to be lifetime warranty. My seatbelts were having a hard time retracting. I was able to get Subaru to replace the driver side. Unfortunately the passenger side is no longer available. I was able to find one on ebay and although it does retract a little better it is no were near as tight as it should be. Driver side feels nice and tight, very comfortable.

Driver side brand new on left, old on right.


Passnger side "newer" used one on right and old on left. Not much difference but noticable none the less.




Momo Steering Wheel

Finally got around to installing this Momo steering wheel. The airbag module is slightly different but I broke a few rules and made it work. I just swapped the inflator connector onto the new inflator. No airbag light and no worries. It's an older used wheel so It's not in perfect condition but it looks at feels great.






Due for a wash and early oil change.


-RONI-

[AssYriaNrocKer]

MSD Coil Pack Upgrade

I have been getting a misfire at highway speeds. I noticed it only happens going passed 4500rpm. When I put the engine together I did spark plugs and wires but did not replace the ignition coil pack. I have had to replace this item a few times and just didn't want to waste more money on another one. The misfire was undetectable other than a check engine light coming on. I would not hear or feel it in the engine. I felt like maybe the coil pack just couldn't keep up in the higher RPM range. In my opinion mounting it on top of the intake manifold and under a hood scoop was a silly location to choose. I just feel like that location sets these coil up for failure from the heat on the intake manifold and possible moisture intrusion from the hood scoop. It has been my experience that this is a week spot in the ignition system. After some research I decided to go with the higher output of the MSD ignition coil. These where originally designed to go on the Dodge Neon offering 36000V to the plug wires. I know most people that did this upgrade cut the harness and spliced the neon harness in it's place. What I decided to do was disassemble the wiring harness and use the Neon plug in its place. Although the MSD coil is bright red and a bit unsightly it made a big difference. I know a lot of people where knocking the idea on the forums and also saying if anything it would make such a small difference you wouldnt notice. Well in my case....VERY noticable. For starters the missfire is gone. Highway speeds 4500 rpm and higher with no issues, hick ups, or check engine light. Aside from curing my issue the motor just feels a lot smoother. It feels as though I am getting a more complete combustion in the cylinders. Exhaust note is deeper, acceleration is smoother, and start up is quicker and stronger. Unfortunatley the mounting holes do not line up so you need to figure out how you are going to mount it. For now i have a 4"x4" alluminum plate that I drilled some holes through. I will have somone make a nicer plate dometime soon, this one was just made really quick to get the car runnning asap.





You can see my quickly made mounting plate. Ill have something more permanent soon.




The GT has been running great. My biggest complaint with this mod is the mounting plate. I'm going to have to come up with something clever here. Given that I am running the 8mm phenolic spacers the intake sits high. That, along with the MSD coil being a bit larger puts me in a space pickle. The coil just barley touches the hood insulation. I have been debating removing the insulation anyway so we will have to see what I come up with.


-RONI-