Numbchux

There's a good chance that it wouldn't be a simple swap. I have measured and compared a standard EA82 (Loyale) one to an XT6 one. The XT6 ones are bigger (front to back). For example, the distance between the control arm mounts and sway bar mounts is more (which is why an XT6 sway bar will rub on the control arms in an EA82). Also the jacking plate is longer. So I would bet that the 2 bolts that hold the crossmember to the frame are further apart. I'm sure it's swappable, but don't expect an easy bolt-in project. There will likely be some modification, that will effect the suspension geometry and engine fitment.

^That's interesting. That's a good idea to spend some of your own time to finish the production of them correctly. I had a day off today, with nothing pressing on the agenda to get done. Wanted to make it out to the shop to get some SVX parts, but it didn't happen, probably before work on Wednesday... Anyway, I spent some time on my transmissions. I decided to rock the 4.444, 1.2 and Carbonetic in the Brat. I bought some Anaerobic gasket maker and set to putting it all together today. Took a few tries to get the right order. Getting everything lined up on the input shaft was a bit of a pain (locating pin on the middle bearing, hi-lo shifter pivot, forward bearing flange, low range oil slinger). I forgot where the oil slinger went, thank goodness for the exploded diagrams of European models on http://www.opposedforces.com ! Then I got it in there, and realized it was also going to have clearance issues with the larger ring gear, so I had to pull it back off and grind it down a bit. Then I remembered why I was excited to use the 1.6 case. The speedo cable base crumbled in the 1.2 case. So if I'm going to have a working speedo with that case, I need to figure out how to disassemble that shaft and clean out the remains of that plastic base, and replace the seal in there. I think I'll put the PT4WD 1.6/3.9 case back together with some 25 spline axle stubs for a 5MT swap into my XT6. I should have everything I need to do it (If I can figure out which ring gear is right.....lots of transmissions have been parted out on my work bench :-p ).

Technically there are other options, but they are far more rare than Pugs (somewhere there is a list of 4x140 wheels, but they're all extremely rare, even compared to the pugs, which aren't exactly common). Everything else involves either converting wheels to a different lug pattern (6-lug to 4) or the vehicle to 5 or 6 lug. There are a few members/companies ( http://www.sjrlift.com comes to mind) who could do the modification required for the 6-lug conversion so it would be as easy as swapping hubs, which anybody with some mechanical aptitude could install.

You should be able to pull back on the turn-signal/flash-to-pass stalk a bit harder, and it should click between high and low beams. I know my XT6 sometimes doesn't catch and switch between them, but I haven't looked into the repair.

Love it! I was just thinking about this, and wondering if progress was being made. An XR4ti in good shape sold fairly locally to me for $1300 about a month ago....man did I want that thing, but just couldn't justify it. Anyway, as someone who now owns a brat, and lusts over Merkurs......I love this build, and I'm glad it's still continuing!

^what he said. Wheel and tire size are 2 different, and only slightly connected, statistics. If you want to get oversized wheels, you just need to get appropriate tires. Luckily, Subaru used relatively large tires, even though they're 13" wheels, so it's possible to go up quite a bit in wheel size without getting a larger tire (I ran 17s on my Loyale....which was even lowered a bit). The challenge, is that finding oversize wheels that will fit without modification is difficult. And really the only viable option (Pugeout) will bolt on, but the offset is not correct, so they stick out more, and you will have more issue with the tires hitting the fender. Here's my '85 Wagon with 205/60r15 tires on Pug alloys. I had a little issue with the rear tires hitting the fender while loaded, but I think that car was a little......uh....saggy. I still might go for some lower-profile tires, like a 205/50 or 205/55.

I had a wiring diagram.....but it's pretty simple. The switch is just a double throw. switched 12v in, then out one way or the other, straight to one wire on each of the solenoids, other wire to the ground. I set mine up with relays, but once I got it set up, I tested the draw on it, and it was only a couple amps.

Any Phase 1 gearset will drop into the XT6 front case halves (phase 2 got a beefier reverse gear, and therefore the idle shaft is a bit further away from the main shaft. no way to get around this in a phase 1 case). Center diff and housing will have to match front pinion shaft, of course. I ran my '88 XT6 with trans internals from a '94 AWD Impreza. 4.111, I think taller 5th than XT6. I loved it, don't remember what rpms I was turning on the freeway, but no complaints. If you're planning a swap, I'd baby this trans until then. Fresh fluid (Extra S!), and be a little gentle on it. It'd be worth it to be able to use an EJ pressure plate with a new-gen H6!

The new studs in a 6-lug conversion are probably weaker than the originals But there are more of them. You still have 2 in their original place, and you're replacing 2 with 4, spreading out the load that much more. I don't believe for a second that that will be on the list of weak links in a lifted subaru. Also, the whole point of using 6-lug wheels is to open up your wheel options. I own 5 sets of 6-lug wheels between my Brat and 4Runner. None of them could be redrilled to 4-lug.

I looked rather extensively into doing a Subaru swap into a 914. My uncle has one, and about the time that my XT6 was crashed his 1.8 was giving him problems (ended up being a failed cam). Anyway, he ended up getting a genuine 914 2.0, and I ended up not getting anything from the woman who wrecked my car, so it didn't happen. BUT, at the time, there was a guy on 914world making adapters from 25-spline subaru transmissions to the stock 914 flange. This means any FWD transmission that was behind a 2.2 would be a perfect match. I was planning to use a modified 2.2, but a 3.0 or 3.3 would be sweet. There's a local guy who I've met a couple times here that has a 914 with a Euro 928 engine in it.....absolutely awesome.

The guy in Colorado with the EJ swap and 4.111 D/R Trans that was built years ago (I forget his screen name...) had a Forester 5th in it. Not sure if it was phase 2, but it almost had to be.

You say that....but I bet there wouldn't be a single who would pay fair value for a long travel suspension setup for an old gen subaru A similar performing kit from Total Chaos for an '86-95 Toyota truck/4Runner costs about $2k. And that's just upper and lower A-arms and hardware: This would require custom knuckles and engine crossmember too, at the very least. That said, I think it's awesome. That camber change through the range of motion kind of makes me nervous, but it might still function well. I'm anxious to see how it performs, and how those front axles hold up

For the record, phase 1 and 2 gearsets are not really interchangeable. The reverse idler is a few mm further away from the shafts in a phase 2 set, and therefore the gears are slightly different. No way to safely use the phase 1 reverse gearset in a phase 2 case, or vice versa. Also, the VSS is interchangeable. If you still have your forester trans, pull the sensor out of it, and put it in the legacy trans. Done!

Good way to get someone killed. I knew a guy who was killed a few years ago when the tow point on the other vehicle let go. Pretty cool pictures. Hakkas FTW, for sure. I'm constantly shocked at how much snow my FWD Celica will plow through with Blizzak Revo1s (more of an ice tire, than deep snow), so much fun. I don't go anywhere in the winter without my gear, which includes a good well-oiled comealong, 60' of looped recovery straps, a collection of shackles (some tow points won't allow use of a nice big 10k lb one, but still better to use a small, ~5klb shackle than a hook) and a couple shovels (not to mention tools, clothes, etc.)

At the very least....post the link!

I talked for some time with the owner/builder that weekend, just days after he finished building it. Here are the stats, and more pics: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=108567

The switch in the dash is what actually redirects the vacuum to the different doors in the HVAC system. I don't think I ever owned an EA82 where all the functions worked correctly. On my last wagon, I ripped the whole thing out, replaced it with an on-off switch, and connected the vacuum lines so that it was always in heat/def.

Have you done any measuring of the engine bay? I've long wondered if a Subaru engine would fit between the frame rails of a Toyota.

Depends on your definition of "fit". By ditching the Subaru transmission layout and going to divorced tcase/front diff, then the longitudinal position of the drivetrain is no longer dependent on the location of the front axle. So you're only limited by physical dimensions. Which means you're limited by how much modification you want to do, and the details of your build. Subaru engines are very wide, so you shouldn't have any trouble with width. In the front, is really just the radiator, which can be moved forward, or moved somewhere else entirely. In the back, is the firewall. Which is just sheet metal. Behind it...HVAC....which can be modified/removed/moved/replaced. Underneath will depend entirely on your suspension/steering setup. If you were building a rock-crawler the center of gravity is a major concern, so you would want to cram all of that in the smallest vertical package you can, which would mean that some options would be easier than others. But, for a mudder, that doesn't matter as much. Pick an engine, stuff it in there as high as reasonably possible, and then see where your axles will fit best.

Those are both vacuum operated. There's a vacuum canister on the passenger side near the strut tower, there's a "T" fitting near that, with one vacuum line running to the engine. That's probably come loose.

Small update. Bought a Duralast clutch last weekend (I work at AutoZone...). It says Exedy on the disc....Sweet! It was about 1/3 the price of the Beck/Arnley unit I've used in the past and was planning on using.

Nothing specific for that vehicle Rear suspension is torsion bar, so you'll have to disable/declock those. And then fab in some sort of coilover shock like from an EA82 car. It's been done, but it's not terribly simple.

So, I almost didn't even believe you when I saw this post, as I was so sure SVXs were conical. But I looked on RockAuto, no listing for SVX lug nuts. hmmmm.... Well, I was out at the shop today pulling some more parts off our parts SVX, so I pulled a lug nut. Sure enough, shank seat, everything. Measured it at work, 18.3mm, about 2/10ths of a mm smaller, but I think that's within acceptable tolerances. Bad thing, SVX is 5-lug, which means I have 20 of these. Brat is 6-lug, so I need 24. And I can't find any aftermarket listing for them, RockAuto, Dorman catalog, or the AutoZone lookup program. Those Nissan ones would be OK, but they're a 21mm hex, and the SVX ones are 19. Don't really want to mix and match on that. Lots of guys putting different wheels on their SVXs though, might be able to get a handful of lug nuts from them. Otherwise, I'll try the dealer. Even if they're spendy, I only need 4....

19mm shank would probably be too much (I saw those in our book....). Stock is 18.5 and it's a tight fit. I appreciate your guys' help on finding a solution that would work, and keep it up! But, I'd REALLY like to hear from people who have done it. I've seen these wheels used more than a few times.... I've also considered just reaming a 60* taper into the wheels....and using subaru nuts...

Yea, that ones not available through Autozone. Rockauto has 14 of them, for $4.41 ea....