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Thread: Ken's 1996 Subaru Legacy LSi.

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    Ken's 1996 Subaru Legacy LSi.

    Hello, all! My name is Ken and it's been a long time since I've posted a car on a forum. Many of you may remember me as DOHCEJ22E1 or EJ22D from other forums in the past from either the legacygt.com forum or other places, like rs25.com. That being said, it's good to be back here. First, let's do a short history review.

    1. '97 Legacy (4eat), owned 2008-2010.


    2. '98 Legacy Outback (4eat/no pic).

    3. '98 Legacy L (5mt/no pic/first EJ22D).

    4. '98 Legacy GT Limited (4eat/2nd EJ22D before going on to build a rash of them).


    5. '98 Legacy GT (4eat).


    6. '97 Legacy Outback Safari. (4eat).


    7. '96 Legacy LSi (4eat/current Legacy).

    I picked up the LSi on Spetember 11th, and it has issues, but nothing I haven't handled or dealt with before. It rides smoothly and the 4eat shifts equally as smooth once the transmission is warmed up and past 1st gear. I have only driven it something like 500mi before having to putting it to rest again. It's got head gasket issues, even being a reman, so I am saving up for an immediate EJ25D fusion build ('98 heads/'96 block for instant 11:1 compression ratio), which will hold me over until I build a 22D of some kind for it.
    Last edited by Alucard; 12-08-2016 at 08:58 AM.

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    I have done some little things to the LSi, like the 420A coil and the voltage stabilizer with the Big 4 done on it, and the Loyale Design, Stage 1 for the grille it came with.

    Fused 420A coil connector.


    Diamond Coil vs superior 420A coil.


    Loyale Design grille start.


    Splitters painted and cut completely.


    Peeling the chrome plating off the grille.


    Color matched grille surround.


    Loyale Design grille finished.

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    Loyale Design grille on car (hood is a little banged up, but the car is a work in progress). The reason for the grille comes from the fact that I dislike nearly every single grille (OEM or aftermarket) for the 2nd Gen Legacy. I feel like the 2nd Gen Legacy is TOO Italian designed for lazy or poorly designed grilles.


    Pic 2.


    Pic 3 (rear).


    Pic 4 (artsy).
    Last edited by Alucard; 12-07-2016 at 11:15 AM.

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    More pics pre-mod of the LSi I intend to restore.

    Mileage:


    When it was first purchased back in September:





    Head gasket issues (evidence is, well, evident) and 420A coil shot.


    Shots before being parked and taken off the road:











    Rust:


    Since 2G's are getting scarce quickly around these parts, I jumped at the chance to have this, and bought it so I can restore and mod it.

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    Some maintenance done (battery replacement and fluid checks, ended up topping off coolant) during the snowy cold. Next will be securing a tie-down of some kind, new negative terminal, then a full winter prep (tires, diff fluids, etc).

    Pics.






    New battery to replace the crappy green top that was in there.


    More pics.






    It's a gradual process, but as I really like Project Hope, I will continue until it comes out right.

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    Pics from last week. Grainy, but whatever. The 25D is a trooper, I'll give it that, but to extend it's lifespan a bit more, I have had to remove the thermostat. I'll probably be like that until I drop in the 2.2L. Until that time, a portable car heater will have to suffice. I would have waited longer, but I can't keep stressing being brought to work, especially if it's hard on someone else. So, she's back on the road. Whoever rated these engines at 155bhp needs to be rechecked, because this thing is SLOW. The peak torque at 2800rpm is nice, though. Barely needs to be at 1800rpm to keep up in traffic. Highway...that's another story. Still, I'm happy to drive her again, even when she needs a fair bit of work.








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    Taken tonight. The silver is easy to get used to. Dare I even say it looks better than the silver on my old GT wagon. After driving this car pretty hard tonight, I have learned the difference between it and the GT's. With the GT's, you can get the tail out, even if it requires a bit of work. With the LSi's, unless you're trying harder, you will NEVER get the tail out. The softness of the suspension prevents wilderness heavily in the rear end.






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    - - - Updated - - -

    I also had the liberty of playing with engine control units this weekend...

    LSi ECU:


    '99 SUS ECU:


    '96 2.2 Outback ECU:


    - - - Updated - - -

    So, to continue on from the ECU post, the 9P is absolutely terrible compared to the 85. They're not even in the same league, with the 85 adapting to the engine within moments while the 9P does it in a few days, as it is programmed to run only on 91-93 octane, and will accept no lower. WOT on the road 3x is how you get them into their "proper" modes. The 2N doesn't compare to the 85, either, but it is better at adapting than the 9P, as it isn't locked to just high octane usage.

    HOWEVER, I have discovered these anomalies:

    The 85 will throw these codes constantly when installed in a Legacy older than 98


    And the 2N is currently throwing this code, which I think is odd considering the ECU comes from a car made in the same year as the LSi ('96)


    Also interesting to note is the airbag system in my LSi not being able to communicate with the 85 ECU. The red light comes on in the dash and it indicates that my airbag system was rendered inert.
    In terms of redline limiters, the 9P and 85 both top out at 6500rpm while the 2N tops out at 6000rpm on the dot. I'll be sticking with the 2N, as it will allow me to use both 87 octane and keep my airbag system operational, but at some point, I will secure a '97 GT ECU and see how that plays out, as it will also allow me to use 87 octane as well, has a 6500rpm limit like the 9P and 85.

    - - - Updated - - -

    More pics of the LSi. The winter makes it tough to do any sort of real maintenance on her, but the basics have been done, so I'm happy about that.


    Her bad side.


    The rest.



    Rear defroster only works sometimes. Can't seem to find the issue.



    I love this car, despite its flaws.




    - - - Updated - - -

    Update: The 2N ECU runs the engine flawlessly on 87. Has been doing so since I installed it and refilled the tank with 100% 87 octane. No misfires or anything like what would happen when using the 9P ECU. The engine pulls a bit more linearly through the rpm range than it did when the 9P was powering it, and there is still a bit more punch on the low end.

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    Are these ECUs plug and play between the 22 and 25 engines, or is it unidirectional, use a 22's ECU on a 25, but not the other way around?
    2002 Outback H6 VDC "Blitzen 6"

    Quote Originally Posted by Lancaster6
    A sherpa could rip ass somewhere high up in the Himalayas and my Prius will be blown almost off of the road.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Muse View Post
    Are these ECUs plug and play between the 22 and 25 engines, or is it unidirectional, use a 22's ECU on a 25, but not the other way around?
    They are plug and play. In a 2nd Gen, a 2.5 ECU will run a 2.2 ECU and an 2.2 ECU will run a 2.5. This is because the cam/crank triggers are the same between both the EJ22E and the EJ25D.

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    More pics from past week.






    The 2N ECU turned out to not be all that bad. Highway mpg was 30.9, where the 9P ECU could only accomplish 29 hwy mpg flat.


    Pics from last night.


    LED plate bulb upgrade.


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    A trip to a parts yard in RI resulted in an encounter between me and this Outback, which has the same exact option list as an Outback Safari except for...


    ...this. I have been tooling around on Subarus since 2008-2009 and I have never seen this in any 2nd Gen aside from this one. It is an extra set of power ports, and so I grabbed it, and the wiring harness that powers it.





    I also pulled the 7X ECU out of it for my LSi.


    On my way out, I encountered a fairly riced out 2G Eclipse and looking closer...



    The some of the fruits of the trip and about 30mins of labor.


    Also taken from an Outback Limited there was the center trim. That being said, this is the LSi's original interior with a Limited weatherband radio I installed 2 weeks ago...


    ...and this is the LSi interior with full Limited trim.


    Much better. Next up, the 2N was removed for the 7X, which is now running the car with NO check engine lights for things that aren't there.



    Perfect. Still had the MSD 8239 coil to deal with. After cleaning the nasty appearance of the MSD 8239, only 2mins of time was needed to swap it out.




    Main goal accomplished for this week:
    Finding a suitable ECU that will NOT throw a CEL, run the engine on 87 without issues, AND communicate with the airbag system.

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    Update: A few days later, the car still continues to run much better on the 7X ECU + MSD 8239 than it ever did on the 2N ECU + 420A coil combo. It is adjusting to my skill and creating the needed fuel trims for me. The MSD 8239 operates flawlessly. The car is doing well and should carry me for a good while as I save up to an EJ22D replacement.

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    Update: As expected, my constant travels on the highway shave integrity off the 25D each time. A significantly greater amount of coolant is consumed and the car is now hesitating and jerking until I force it to go. It is still much too soon for my EJ22D replacement, so here's hoping Esperanza lasts long enough for me to save what I need to pull the parts it takes to create one.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Well now, I got a nasty little surprise in the mail. Turns out that my car still adheres to emissions compliance, so I had to take it in to get it passed.

    Emissions testing at Ford dealership.


    Co-worker felt the need to park next to it. It's a Subaru thing.


    Filament turn signal bulbs.


    LED turn signal bulbs.


    Pics with a '97 GT.





    A little something I tried yesterday. I pulled a McIntosh/Clarion unit out of a 3rd Gen Legacy Outback VDC H6 3.0 thinking that just plugging it in would work. Now I know that I need the amplifier and it's harness to go along with it, so that will be done next weekend.


    I am pleased with my interior so far, but there is still so much more to do to it.


    Reverse LED's. I assure you, they are MUCH brighter than the filament type that were in the housings before.


    Pics from last night.




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    Did you pass? The world wants to know. Also are the reverse LEDs just plug in. Mine are terrible.
    1996 Outback 5 speed
    1997 Legacy L wagon 5 speed Member's Ride I thread

    "You want a real kick? You go Bernoulli." Pops Racer

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    Quote Originally Posted by Go Mifune View Post
    Did you pass? The world wants to know. Also are the reverse LEDs just plug in. Mine are terrible.
    The car passed. No idea how, but she did. Both turn signal and reverse LED's were plug-ins.

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    I just put reverse LEDs in, too. they're fantastically bright.
    2002 Outback H6 VDC "Blitzen 6"

    Quote Originally Posted by Lancaster6
    A sherpa could rip ass somewhere high up in the Himalayas and my Prius will be blown almost off of the road.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Muse View Post
    I just put reverse LEDs in, too. they're fantastically bright.
    People should have ZERO issues seeing us at any time, day or night. I ordered LED rear stop light bulbs to finish off the full taillight LED conversion, and they should be here today.

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    So, the LED's came in (red lumen discharge) and I ended up displeased with them overall.

    Pics:





    The LED's at work:


    More Walmart lot pics:





    Shell Gas Station pics:



    Only serious rust spot on the entire car:


    Obligatory engine bay pic. Yes, it's disgusting. Haha.:


    During my time at the gas station, the car suffered an electrical failure and the battery died. I ended up getting a jump by a stranger, and then by Muse himself, who I didn't recognize at first because it was dark, but then he walked closer and then I was like, "Hey!" We spent time speaking about each other's Legacies for a bit, after which he gave me Grimmrican's old UEL header (Thanks, Muse!), then we started deducing the issue to what could be draining the battery faster than the alternator can charge it. We found it to be the aftermarket triple power port I had powering my phone, external cabin heater, and the AM/FM transmitter. He then gave me a jump and we bid each other farewell.

    Our Legacies:






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    In looking on Amazon, it seems like no one but Sylvania makes dual-intensity LED 1157 bulbs. They claim that they do, but there's hardly any difference.
    2002 Outback H6 VDC "Blitzen 6"

    Quote Originally Posted by Lancaster6
    A sherpa could rip ass somewhere high up in the Himalayas and my Prius will be blown almost off of the road.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Muse View Post
    In looking on Amazon, it seems like no one but Sylvania makes dual-intensity LED 1157 bulbs. They claim that they do, but there's hardly any difference.
    I spent another $4 on a white LED set to put in the housings. They're said to be dual-intensity, but we'll see. If they don't work out, I'm going straight for the Sylvanias. The only reason I want LED rear lights is to lessen the draw on the wiring since it is 21yrs old. Also, I had an incident where the triple power port I showed you actually MELTED due to my constant usage of three things at once. The car's circuit can more than handle it, but the connector on the triple port couldn't. No damage otherwise.

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    Update: EJ25D is on it's final leg and can no longer operate as it should. The EJ22D I plan on putting in will be unlike any I or anyone has put together before.

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    So, I passed off two of those LEDs to Rkrenicki. He kept burning out his outer halogens. They seem to have more of a two-stage effect in his car than either of ours for some reason...
    2002 Outback H6 VDC "Blitzen 6"

    Quote Originally Posted by Lancaster6
    A sherpa could rip ass somewhere high up in the Himalayas and my Prius will be blown almost off of the road.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Muse View Post
    So, I passed off two of those LEDs to Rkrenicki. He kept burning out his outer halogens. They seem to have more of a two-stage effect in his car than either of ours for some reason...
    3g's have improved grounding and lighting than 2g's do., so I can see that happening for sure. The LED's are dirt cheap. In fact, to satisfy my need for a lighter strain on the lighting, I've ordered more LED's, this time high intensity. Let's see how that goes. The new turn signal LED's are even better than the last set.

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    Okay. Since I positively need my car for work, I have done some unholy things to the EJ25D to get it running and keep it running for as long as I possibly can. I also noticed a block heating unit in the reman block, and I was told that it was an option on all 2G's. I am interested because I have never seen than on anything other than GT's and Outbacks before.

    Pics of current EJ25D:




    Obigatory wash pics:


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    And to prep for the future, I have picked this up to continue an old endeavor.

    Pics of future project for LSi:




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    Recently, we'd gotten a snowstorm and it wasn't so bad, but I thought I'd take pics anyway.






    To avoid t-boning an out of control Jeep, I drove off the road to save us. Quite an embarrassing situation. Womp womp...


    New Tail LED's. Let's try this again.


    Perfect.


    Just to show you a teaser as to what kind of performance I am expecting from the EJ22D, the intake cams are a dead giveaway. These suckers have a fair bit of lift. JDM heads, btw...


    I LOVE my custom grille. Only one in the world like it so far.

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    222 timing center.




    Water pump removed.


    Crank sensor destroyed upon removal.


    Crank gear is next.


    Cleaning up pistons.



    My weapon of choice against carbon


    Crank gear removed.


    Oil pump off. |


    - - - Updated - - -

    I went searching for a few parts. I wasn't disappointed.

    This is the Outback from which I took the hood and rear cupholder.


    Score.


    Silver Panda appearance.



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    Block on stand, all removed from it.



    222 head gaskets.


    Straight pins.


    More parts.


    Moroso pickup.


    "EJ22" stamp brightened.


    Baffle, filter, and pickup installed.


    Magnetic drain bolt.


    8 pin conversion.



    205 oil pump and timing belt bracket installed.

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    Left head installed.


    EJ20D head innards.


    Small work station.


    Ej222 head gasket laid onto block.


    Where I left off last night, heads torqued down and such.

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