Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Ultimate Subaru Message Board

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

All Activity

This stream auto-updates

  1. Past hour
  2. Sure will. I have another unit on order so I can create the step-by-step instructions and also take some better detailed photos. I plan to offer the bracket adapter, dust cover and a small hardware pack at a nominal fee so people can buy their own SERA484-10 TPS and then modify/install it themselves. It's hard to see the bracket in the image below but it is medium gray in color and wraps around the TPS. Red arrows in the photo point to the bracket and longer screws are required but easy to find. The wiring sounds confusing but is actually straight forward. Since the TPS is reversed (but then installed upside down) the wires go to the same A,B,C &D positions as before. I'll post up some more details soon.
  3. Today
  4. Wow! This is great news. I've been trying to sell my 87 GL-10 Wagon, as is, with the TPS missing. I've had 4 or 5 people want it. But as the OP of this thread and in the spirit of full disclosure, I've pointed them here and they each lost interest. Would you be so kind as to post more details and photos of this solution, including the mounting bracket you created?
  5. No, not yet, just arranged the wire transfer and shipping is being arranged currently. Bill Rigsby - Florissant, CO - 8,213 feet 1982 Brat
  6. Have you received it yet?
  7. dsa1203 joined the community
  8. I'm quoting my own post from 2025 because I have since revisited the question of using a SERA484-10 4-wire throttle position sensor as a $30 alternative to the OEM TPS that, when available, sell for over $300 (if you are lucky enough to find one). It's not a quick PNP solution but it is working for my 1987 EA82 DL wagon with the SPFI engine and not that difficult to install. The functions of this substitute TPS are all a mirror image of the OEM part and it even had the Hitachi logo on the plastic case. By mounting the TPS upside down, and creating a new mounting bracket, I was able to make it work quite well. I have about 150 miles on it so far with no issues. The idle switch is still adjustable and functions properly. The resistance range at idle and full throttle are easily within the range of the factory service manual recommendations. I will clean up the wiring in the near future but for now, I have simply made a set of jumper wires to go between the old TPS plug and the new TPS body as the 4-wire plugs are not compatible.
  9. They do have a very extensive manual, was not familiar with that site thanks. Bill Rigsby - Florissant, CO - 8,335 feet 1982 BRAT GL
  10. You need to study the pinion shaft setup as this is the key to a conversion like that. If the PT4wd gearbox has a pinion shaft that floats on the pinion shaft and is independent of it, then they’re interchangeable. I haven’t fully investigated this but I believe the PT4wd’s pinion shaft is press fitted with the lower gearset. This is why you can use an EJ gearbox to make a dual range AWD locking centre diff gearbox that mates directly to the EJ engine (like I did). The nasty way to make a single range AWD LCD gearbox dual range is to find an RX turbo PT4wd gearbox with the same gear ratios, pinch the upper gearsets with the dual range setup and fit it with the lower gearset from the AWD LCD gearbox. ^ insert potential gear whining followed by potential early retirement of one of those gearsets. But you’d have a dual range LCD AWD gearbox..!
  11. I have the physical book somewhere, but yeah, all the scans I've seen are missing those pages. Does https://charm.li/ have what you need?
  12. A couple forum posts I read said the XT6 came with a single-range locking center diff box with 3.9, and if you can find one of those too, you can make a dual-range 3.9 box, and have a spare center diff. I wonder if you even need an RX box or if you can mix-and-match a single-range full-time with a part-time dual-range front half...
  13. Finding one is the challenge - and one without a shagged centre diff. Finding a 3.9 is the unicorn. Hence why my box was put together with a modified pinion shaft for 4.111:1 diff ratio. From memory a 27 tooth speedo drive pulls the speedo back in perfectly with 27 inch diameter tyres. Again, from memory this came from an early Liberty gearbox - a gen 1 series 1. Need to find a suitable locking AWD gearbox first…
  14. Yesterday
  15. Wondering if any one has a PDF of the 1983-Subaru1600 1800 ENGINE AND BODY SERVICE MANUAL, that is complete? All of the copies I find on-line starting at page 765 have missing pages and starting at page 775 every other page is black to the end of the book? Bill Rigsby - Florissant, CO - 8,335 feet 1982 BRAT GL
  16. The harder part might be finding more than just a pic of one... and then figuring out how to get 3.9...
  17. Got the AWD box and if you decide to get a dual range version it’ll bolt straight in place of the single range gearbox ;) Really though, if you don’t go offroad, you don’t need the dual range. Plus the shipping will be more than the gearbox will cost you! My thought on the rear subframe would be to cut the mounts to the body and relocate them to where you want them to be on the chassis rails, maybe even pick up the old diff hanger bolts. Leave everything else so it’s all stock geometry to work with. It’s not a wearable item so once it’s sorted you don’t need to replace it for the life of the vehicle. Well this is the tricky bit. Each state is different in what they require. Here in Victoria you need to find an engineer that’s on the approved list with Vicroads, our vehicle department. Then you need to meet their requirements and they may change a bit between engineers. I do know that any welding needs to be certified as done by a qualified welder. Brake changes may need a performance test for stability. Using a complete swap like you are makes that easy. It’s the welding of brackets for major components that trips us up here. Same for things like the transmission tunnel grafting. Can be done, but you need to discuss with your engineer about how you’ll do it and they’ll let you know if they’re happy with it. Of course, the more you modify, the more engineering generally costs - and you want to get EVERYTHING modified on that report, otherwise road authorities can pick you for things they find that aren’t on the list if you’re pulled over and they decide to inspect your vehicle. Doesn’t happen often, but it’s something they can do if they want. Once engineered, you need to carry a copy of the certificate/report with the vehicle at all times. And further modifications need to be engineered, so you really only want to do it once then enjoy the vehicle! I heard of one model like yours that someone over here crammed a wrx drivetrain into and got it engineered. Not sure which state they were in, maybe Queensland… My 1990 brumby will end up WRX swapped, but without cutting chassis rails to do it like everyone else. It’s halfway there in a rusty old halfcut with everything dummies up. Engine and wiring loom all works which was a big hurdle with the cut down (my third, first turbo though). I wish my gearbox mount was as easy as yours to make too! Sorry for the long post! Good to see your progress and hopefully you have it back on all four permanently soon!
  18. Okay all - mini update. The diff crossmember adjustments are done. I dunno what it is with this build but anytime I do any welding anywhere near a thread... no matter how I prep or what covering I do, I always seem to absolutely wreck at least one bolt and captive nut. So replacing that took another extra chunk of time I didn't plan on, but I got it done. Things on the adapter / subframe still need to be perma-welded in, but I'm going to leave them as is until I'm totally certain I don't need to shift things around any more. Once I've got it sitting lightly on the ground again, I'll strip it back down, weld it, paint it, and forget about it while I work on the front end again. Rear differential now hangs unsupported and centered. Is it super pretty? No. Does it look centered in the photo? No (I promise it is). Is it fuctional as hell? Yes. Do I need to invest in a real fixturing setup? Also yes. Am I going to anytime soon? Strong maybe. I'm also pretty excited that I finally can put my transmission jack away in the garage where it belongs and not worry about it being stolen in the night. This coming week or so I'm going to start ruin-I mean experimenting on and/or adjusting the stock lateral links to bring the wheels and knuckles closer underneath the car, and then I'll start locating the strut towers. That'll be a wild ride. Re: Subframe and adapter width - your thought is likely going to end up being pretty prophetic, but I have thought about the potential issue before going this route. I have some room to move and shorten things inboard, far more than I would have were I to have kept the Impreza struts and springs. The coilovers buy me at least an inch of clearance towards the centerline and offer quite a lot of adjustability in terms of ride height and length, but If my hunch is correct I'll likely need to do some kind of mild fender flare on the rear end at minimum even with those. It'll probably be some version of Amazon special plastic numbers, but like you said for the struts - I'll figure that out in good time. Fender flares are a minor problem compared to everything else I've set myself up for, so I'll deal with those first. Oh, one more thing as a small post-script: This may seem blasphemous after all the effort I've gone through to put the EJ in there, but I've fallen down an EV rabbit hole, and I'm considering down the line converting to electric at some point. Thoughts on that?
  19. Quick response to this before today's mini-update: In short, thanks! I'll have to at least peek at an import gearbox, but I'm coming to terms with all time AWD. Not the worst thing to have. I thought about it a lot and I figured the more i cut up the subframe from the Impreza, the more suspension problems I would have to tackle later, especially the closer I get to the differential. at the end of the day my intent is to keep any and all potential wear items as close to stock as possible so I can buy replacement parts off the rack. Cutting up the subframe is in direct opposition to that directive. Re: doing a build like this in Australia - I definitely appreciate the distinct privilege I have being able to just "grip it and rip it" over here. I'm curious to what engineering is necessary to have this sort of thing done if it's all above board where you are. I know I've seen at least one or two WRX swaps from your part of the world, although those were the next generation brumby from the 80's.
  20. Last week
  21. I found a pic of a ft dr... it has both a vacuum pod cable and a manual lever.
  22. You would need to import a gearbox from Australia that’s a dual range. Easier said than done sadly, but not impossible. I’m glad to see that you didn’t move the lower lateral arm pivot points - they’re positioned where they are to work with the inner CV joint through the pivot motion of the joint. Move the suspension pivot point and you’ll have issues with the compression and extension of the drive shaft. I love this build and wish we could do stuff like this over here in Australia - but engineering would be prohibitively expensive to complete to get it road worthy. Other “trick” is to get the original vehicle registered, modify it and either not tell anyone until you’re pulled over and the officer wants to look closer at it… Part of me thinks your rear subframe and adaptor frame are too wide for the sweet spot that the struts require, you’ll know in good time. It’ll be a ripper ride once it’s done and one to be proud of! Keep up the good work, after reading this front to back I’ll stay updated as they come in from now on!
  23. Hi all, I'm putting an 84 Brumby back together, has anyone got a diagram of the different lines in and out of the tank/vapour thing? I believe the fuel out to the engine come off the front of the tank, but I'm a bit lost how the return and vapour lines connect around the fuel tank. Thanks, Simon
  24. Hey Todd, I was meaning to ask about what oil you used when you serviced your struts - then the forum went down. I have a set of MY front struts that are (were, I pulled them apart!) oil filled. What I didn’t think about was what oil I’d refill them with and that project sat on pause. Keen to hear your thoughts on this and how different weights/viscosity affects handling. My brumby will end up EJ’d with a water to air intercooling and AC if that’ll make a difference. Regards Bennie
  25. G’day @bushytails The L series AWD locking centre diff gearbox came in the RXII coupe, some XT4s and JDM GT wagons. I’m unsure about the XT6 - we didn’t get them here, infact all of these models except the XT4 were personal imports. How to tell them visually apart from the single range PT4wd gearbox with the vacuum actuator to engage the rear drive: this PT4wd single range gearbox’s lever to engage the rear drive is arm above the pivot point. The AWD locking centre diff gearbox is the opposite - the arm is below the pivot point for the locking centre diff engagement. I believe the dual range version will have the rods passing through the rear housing like the DR PT4wd gearbox. The AWD gearbox comes in single and dual range. Pick the one you want as it’s not easy for you to swap it to dual range without another dual range AWD gearbox (EA or EJ). The 3.9 ratio is out there from what I’ve heard, it’s hard to find. Mine was a 3.7 ratio. All of these dual range AWD boxes are 1.19:1 low range. The 1.59:1 transfers in without any issues, it’s a direct swap - need a donor NA dual range PT4wd gearbox. The EJ AWD gearbox pinion shafts are too short. I heard of a bloke that modified two of them to make one pinion shaft for the L AWD locking centre diff gearbox to get 4.44:1 diff ratio - to do this with the good L series low range requires the crown wheel to be shaved to clear the low range selector ring and gearset. I have not seen pics or videos of this done (the double EJ pinion shaft to make one L series AWD pinion shaft). From my understanding, L series PT4wd gearbox internals do not swap over to the AWD version, other than the low range. Everything will physically fit but it’ll become a part time box that requires the part time rear housing as well. My gearbox is made of EJ parts (drive gears and front cases) and the L series AWD bits for the locking centre diff and 1.59:1 low range. Ultimately if you’re on dirt that’s somewhat loose, you want to lock your centre diff, especially if EJ’d as it’s very easy to be spinning the front wheels faster than the rear, over working the centre diff that will lead to its destruction. You could be better off sticking with the PT4wd dual range box, the AWD is only worth it on solid surfaces. ^ PT4wd in the foreground, AWD in the background, you can see the locking lever on the side here with the pivot point above the arm. I don’t have any better pics than the above sorry. I believe the dual range AWD gearbox is fitted with the same rod looking setup in the background of the gearbox as the PT4wd gearbox. My dual range AWD gearbox is built from a single range box originally, so my rear housing lacks the rods that I believe pass through the rear housing for the low range dedents/position retainer setup. Make sure you get the vacuum actuator and it works, plus the matching vacuum switch solenoids too, or have access to them. The single range PT4wd gearbox units work fine with the AWD box ;) I hope this helps.
  26. Rob Allen may offer some insight. Wizard of the RX ;)
  27. Would be for 1975-79 4WD Wagons and 1977-81 Brat 1600 EA71 Top starter location is the give away. They’re fairly plentiful for their age. I scrapped and gave away several and now still have at least two sitting around.
  28. Okay. Sketchy repair maybe (because I don't know 100% what I did) but it is running as well as it ever has. I set out to shoot a short video of the issue last night and decided to check the IAC one more time. It is NOT a b-metal control. It is an on-off solenoid that has the flow metered by a small adjustment screw that is in the throttle body, not in IAC itself. That screw allows minor adjustments to the idle speed while the IAC is active. I turned it in a few revolutions and then backed out to the same spot where it was. I went to start the engine and then do the same adjustment while it was idling but nothing else was required. The engine started as well as ever but never stuttered or bogged down. It idled perfectly and I've now driven it about 45 miles with zero issues. Maybe the port was blocked inside and turning the screw opened up something that has been blocked or too restricted. It runs like a champ now so we'll see if it ever repeats again. The really cool part about all of this is trouble that I figured out a way to use those reversed TPS sensors (SERA484-10) that others have experimented with. I'll detail that in another thread.
  29. There in spirit. Got it. Ordered a timing light gun. Not sure when I'll tackle this.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.