Brumby conversion: EJ22, hybrid AWD center lock, SUCCESS!!!

[Phizinza]

Edit: SUCCESS!!! Read down page 6!

Alright.. I've been keeping pretty quite on this because I knew it would take forever to get it done. What I am doing is putting a EJ22 in my Brat/Brumby with a Subaru Liberty(Legacy) gearbox casing, which is running a normal EA82 diff with 23splines and a normal EA82 gearset, but it is running the ring gear, pinion shaft and centre diff locker from a turbo EA82 car. This gives me AWD on road and 4WD offroad so the EJ22 doesn't just burn rubber. I am also going to have something different for the rear diff, but I'll talk more on that later when it's underway (I run a welded rear at the moment, and am not looking forward to going back to open.)

So, this all started about 5months ago. I had a Subaru Liberty wreck sitting in my driveway with a good running motor and gearbox noise for a few months and my mates "are you doing to do the swap yet" questions were getting on my nerve. See, I had decided that I was happy with my car... But well, I'm doing the conversion now.
I started looking at the FT4WD gearboxes because I like on-road driving and plenty of people say EJ22 in FWD is kinda interesting. So I decided if I'm running a EJ22 it's either with a t-case (totally illegal here) or it's with AWD.
Now the LSD centers on the dual range EJ gearboxes aren't any good for anything but road and sand. So It had to be 4WD.
After seeing lots of pictures of the FT4WD gearbox (thanks to this forum) and after removing the EJ22 and gearbox from the Liberty I relised the gearboxes look the same!!
So then after about 2months research I figured it had a 99% chance of working and I got one of those jap import FT4WD gearboxes. On a side note here, the gearbox I got was not a normal turbo diff locker box. It had already had the center diff locker rear end bolted to a normal EA82 gearbox. I think they done this because the diff locker was from a single range gearbox. So this is why I stuck with the EA82 23 spline front diff.
I pulled both the Liberty and the modified turbo box apart and found it was going to work. I also found the problem noise in the Liberty box which I thought was a bearing it turned out it was the nut on 5th gear input side, it was lose.
So after making the EA82 low range lever work with the detent, welding and some drilling with some grinding, I had the gearbox going back together.
To torque the diff properly and pinion shaft I done it home workshop style. I used the pinion shims from the Liberty casing in the Liberty casing with the EA82 gears and pinion. I then set the left side diff cap so the back lash was just feelable. Then I tightend the right side one. I done this over and over till the diff felt the same as the other 5sp gearbox I had and had a tiny bit of backlash as recommended by manuals. This was after 5 or so hours of research finding out how to do this properly (which is done with 3 Subaru special tools.) Some might tell me this won't work, but I can't see why not. We removed a mates 5sp and the left side diff caps was loose! And because this had the tooth washer holder we figured the gearbox would of have to of been like that for more then 12,000km and this mate of mine is VERY rough with his gearboxes. Also that gearbox had no noises, only removed it because the synchros were going.
Here comes the fun bit, making the diff locker work. This took us ages to figure out why once we had the gearbox together that it too 50 - 60Nm to engage the diff locker. The vacuum solenoid could only push and pull about 20Nm. After pulling the back off the gearbox 5 or so times and making three different lever and mount designs (box didn't come with original mount for the actuator cable) we figured out it was 2 missing alignment pins between the front two piece section of the gearboxs and the rear section which holds the diff and engager lever. Once those pins were installed it worked with only hand pressure on the lever. And the vacuum solenoid works great!

[Phizinza]

Now we are upto yesterday. 6th of February 2007

Then engine is out with gearbox as well. So is the welded rear diff and all the gear linkages. I have the EJ22 engine sitting there with the EJ flywheel ready to go on the EJ dualrange with EJ clutch and center diff locker with EA82 mounts.
So my first problem here was... The EA82 mounts are different to the EA81. I never remember hearing about that! So now it's time to go do some research to find out how people do that. I will post some pictures in a minute.

here are serveal pictures of the EA82 turbo crossbred gearbox (basiclly just all about the center diff locker)
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...******_onbench.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...k_onbench2.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...enter_diff.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...ff_engager.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/..._frontview.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/..._selectors.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...t_leftside.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/..._rightside.jpg

here are some pictures from a few months back when I pulled the EJ22 and striped the wiring loom (which I hope works, not tested yet)
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...gine_crane.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...iringloom2.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...iringloom4.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...iringloom1.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...iringloom3.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...m_finished.jpg

and some photo's of the detent mod to the low range shift lever, so when you shift into low or high range it holds in and doesn't pop out when on really bumpy terrain
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...shiftforks.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...rks_detent.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...ks_detent2.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...ks_detent3.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...ks_detent4.jpg


I will be editing then write up here to go on my site when I get the time.

[Numbchux]

wow, very cool.....

good luck on this!

[suberdave]

nice work. let us know how it works...

-=Suberdave=-
www.suberdave.com

[Phizinza]

Thanks guys!

I'm working on cutting up a EA82 gearbox crossmember to fit the EA81. This is because I don't have any good EA81 mounts and never in my life have seen any good ones. Where most of the EA82 mounts look good. I have pictures, but can't upload them right now.. I'll update on that later, gotta make sure it works first.

I've also pulled the left drive shaft again (second time this year) to fix the stupid boot clip things and clean the dirt out of the rubber to metal joint.

Other then that, not much has happened, but that's because I am lazy... Hopefully I can fix that before the weekend

[Numbchux]

Originally Posted by Phizinza

I've also pulled the left drive shaft again (second time this year) to fix the stupid boot clip things and clean the dirt out of the rubber to metal joint.

Big ol' Stainless Steel Hose Clamps FTW!!!

a parts guy suggested it, and so I tried it, and it worked great! I'll never use anything else again.

[Phizinza]

Yeah, I tried it, but the only ones I had big enough had to big of a screw, so it was going to rub on the caliper my brother said. Maybe I'll find some smaller ones that will fit later on.
At the moment I am just using zip ties, as the original somehow pulled itself off This time I put some silicone between the rubber and the cup, we'll see how that goes.


And some more pictures!

Here is the striped out Subaru Liberty GX I got the motor, gearbox casing, and wiring loom from.
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...libertygx1.jpg
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...libertygx2.jpg

Here is the striped out Subaru Brumby that's getting the Ej22 and funky swap box that I built.
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...underneath.jpg

And here is an unexpected problem..
I was jacking the car up to remove the plate that bolts the gearbox crossmember to the body (or in my case, the lift blocks.) Mayeb this is what was making that noise I thought was a bull joint that I replaced not so long ago...
http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/...unt_broken.jpg

I gotta get some pictures of my custom bracket for hte diff locker lever next. I warn you though, it is very cheap looking...

[Phizinza]

I cleaned the engine bay today. And drilled out the engine mount holes. I would post pictures, but the engine bay is still dirty looking (not as bad as it way, but) and the holes look terrible.. ahhaa, not trying to hard. But they will do the job and you won't be able to see them so that's alright..

My major goal is to make it look like that engine and gearbox was made for the car, eheh.

[Jerry DeMoss]

My major goal is to make it look like that engine and gearbox was made for the car, eheh.

Nice!Great job.Good job on the pictures,since many of us while looking at your project brumby are over 15,000 miles away!

Looks like it will be loads of fun!

[stinky]

Originally Posted by Phizinza

Yeah, I tried it, but the only ones I had big enough had to big of a screw, so it was going to rub on the caliper my brother said. Maybe I'll find some smaller ones that will fit later on.
At the moment I am just using zip ties, as the original somehow pulled itself off This time I put some silicone between the rubber and the cup, we'll see how that goes.

Yeah, zip ties work alright, I've used them before with no dramas. just get the big chunky ones that you can swing off to get it nice and tight.

Never tried big hose clamps, might do so next time I need to open a boot.