el_freddo

I’ve got rear discs on both my Brumby and L series without changing the standard system other than braided brake lines. The brumby is by far the vehicle with the best brakes now! The L series needs new rotors or pads after sitting around for a few years, plus it runs 27 inch diametre tyres so that takes some of the punch out of the brakes. If you’re running the old rubber hoses I highly recommend replacing them at the very least with new rubber hoses. Best upgrade is the braided. I had a kit for the brumby from an ADR approved kit from eBay that’s did all the stock hoses then the flexible line to the rear caliper made up and a local brake and clutch specialist for finish off they complete system. The important thing is that your fronts lock up before the rear. If you’re locking the rear up before the front I’d recommend overhauling the front brakes then looking into the front/rear brake bias if the issue persists. It’s down right dangerous to have the rear brakes lock up before the front. Cheers Bennie

And even easier if the OP is going to remove the heads. @4wdHonky- if you have a bottom end bearing issue you could swap the NA block in for the turbo one AND swap the turbo pistons in at the same time. The bottom ends are all the same, just the pistons are different for lower compression partly due to lower grade fuels and crappy tuning in the 80’s and partly for boost being applied. Personally I’d try to keep the stock turbo engine running as it is if there aren’t any other issues other than the spark plug hole. Cheers Bennie

The fuel pressure regulator is responsible for the fuel pressure. Those stats on the pump just say what it’s capable of. The fuel pressure regulator will monitor the pressure correctly as it falls within the range on the pump’s details. I’d run that pump. Cheers Bennie

A brake place worth their weight will be able to re-sleeve and service the MC so it’s as good as new. Cheers Bennie

Awesome pics and trip report as usual Todd. I reckon my favourite pic is the one you walked in for - with the two big rocky outcrops that made a saddle and the sunset in the background; the vegetation on either side of the pic give us a nice amount of colour to balance it out. Mint! Cheers Bennie

Was the torque converter properly seated before the engine was refitted? Cheers Bennie

Nah I wouldn’t touch that as it’s got the EJ25D. Smooth engine when it’s operating properly, nasty head gasket which started the whole EJ25 reputation of having forever headgasket issues. Nice looking vehicle, I’d recommend having a game plan for when that EJ25D gives you issues. STi conversion been done many times before, great candidate for it Cheers Bennie

Good effort there mate!

Springs will interchange. The only difference will be the rating of the spring and possibly the final ride height being a tad higher if they’re an uprated spring. If it levels your car out left to right it’s worth a go I reckon. Cheers Bennie

Other difference is aftermarket KYB is a gas strut and OEM genuine units are KYB oil filled. Gas filled struts naturally sit higher than oil filled struts. If a gas strut fails it collapses, if an oil filled strut fails it will leak and continue to perform its duties with diminishing performance as it loses oil. Cheers Bennie

An aftermarket head unit will always create a tiny spark when connecting the battery. Other than that the fuel pump issue is either a poorly operating alternator, old wiring with resistance points or a battery that isn’t coping as well as it used to. Lastly could be some sketchy wiring done by a pervious owner. You’d really need to check out if anything was modified before your ownership. Eg: I have a Gen1 RS turbo Liberty (Legacy over your way) that someone used the door switch circuit as the earth for the aftermarket head unit. Whenever someone opens a door the headunit turns off as the circuit becomes active. Classic (*facepalm*). Cheers Bennie

Why not replace the rear springs? There are threads on here about suitable models to find parts from. I’ve got a set of early ‘90’s civic front springs in the rear of my L series. Stiffened up the rear end nicely and allowed more load carrying which is what I wanted. I’m not sure if this would lift the rear of your 2wd significantly as I don’t know how much lower the 2wd rear sprints were vs 4wd rear springs. Spring perch is in the same spot essentially with the change in lower mount height. I hope that makes sense! Cheers Bennie

Interesting… check that you don’t have: - a snapped spring - slipped lower spring perch - crushed lower shock mount - issues with the top spring hat/mount. Other than that I’m out of ideas. If you’re in the rust belt you’ll have to discuss with someone local to you as we don’t salt roads or get snow like you do over there from what I’ve read. Cheers Bennie

G’day @libertyherb123! Checked the fuses under the bonnet? There might be some over near the battery (from memory) in a black box. Under the lid will tell you what fuse and relay is responsible for what. Did the fan ever work for you? Silly question but maybe this car is new to you and you’re checking through your list of issues to fix… Salada mate! Bennie

Measure the shocks from the spring perch to the lower mount bolt. There’s a difference between the 2wd and 4wd rear shock units. Your issue may not be a spring - it could be a 4wd shock that’s been installed somewhere along the way. Cheers Bennie