el_freddo

Sam, what gearbox mounts are you using in the 5 speed conversion? The tailshaft vibration could be a dying uni joint. I assume these are new from the modification of the shaft length and were possibly not greased properly. Blue-printing the engine (I’m sure that’s the same term used for balancing an engine) would’ve been quite expensive, and in the end it’s still an EA81 that would have noises and vibrations they probably can’t ever get rid of. Don’t hang on to this, just drive it for what it is and enjoy Hopefully you sort this vibration soon! Cheers Bennie

G’day Matt, The single range EJ gearbox internals will fit into the single range EA front cases AFAIK - unless there are differences in the input shaft bearing, which I don’t know for sure. You end up with the same diff ratio you have now as this is stuck with the locking centre diff due to the unique pinion shaft design. With the PT4wd boxes you might be able to use the parts out of them but you can’t make it into an AWD box as the pinion shaft has the lower gear sets fitted to it, in the AWD boxes the lower gear set is fitted to a tube that the AWD pinion shaft passes through. I too had zero gearbox experience until I heard that the EA and EJ stuff swaps around - then I began playing with exactly that! Let me tell you that the AWD boxes are 1000 times easier to work on than the PT4wd boxes - simply because you don’t have to work out the dedent ball and spring mind maze of the PT4wd’s rear housing to remove it! Putting it back together is harder if you do the work over several weeks and forget the process… That’s where I started and have since played with the exact box you’re talking about - but it’s got some mods and the only thing original to the original locking AWD gearbox is half the pinion shaft, the locking centre diff and the rear housing. One thing I haven’t done is pressed gears off either lay shaft to replace bearings or synchros, which is what you’re wanting to do. If a shop does the work, expect to pay through the nose for their efforts. And make sure they know Subaru gearboxes! Now would be a good time to learn to rev match when down shifting to help the synchros out of you don’t already do this Cheers Bennie

The fuel pump doesn’t change speed with engine loads. The tacho signal is from the dizzy, most likely a yellow wire. Check your fuses! If the fuse is good I’d be testing to see if the engine runs with a fused wire directly to the pump. If this works there’s possibly an issue with the “magic box” under the dash that gives power to the pump. If the engine won’t run but the fuel pump works with the direct power trick then it’s most likely a dead ignition module in the dizzy. Also a good idea to test the coil as when these die they also kill the ignition module. Cheers Bennie

This is how rare a vehicle like that is - in Australia we only got them in the WRX trim for a short number of years, there’s very few of these WRX model around here!! So to have a base model impreza coupe that’s a great body to build from is something special, even I can see that from here! As GD said, it’s a blank canvas for someone else’s dream. Go have a look at what factory WRX coupes are pulling now, then you’ll understand why all the interest in your base model coupe! Aim high, as a seller you can always negotiate down but NEVER UP!! With the title of this thread I thought the 81k meant $81,000 - not realising it was a base model coupe I thought “that seems about right” All the best with the sale! Cheers Bennie

The synchros look like they’re brass, at least in colour, they could be some sort of alloy but really I don’t know. I do know that the early (and any phase 1 gearbox with other mods) EJ AWD drive gears fit in the EA82 front cases - BUT - and this is the catch for you in the states - the EJ internals MUST be the same spec as the EA82 front cases they’re destined to be fitted to. This means the dual range RX AWD box can use DUAL RANGE EJ drive gears. Just use your pinion shaft, EA centre diff and rear housing. The trick for you here is finding a phase 1 EJ dual range gearbox… I’d suspect that many parts of the Gen 1 series 1 EJ gearbox are the same as the EA82 gearbox but really can’t be sure. Good luck swapping in WRX subframes, not an easy task if it can actually be done in a non-lifted EA body. The track would be heaps wider and would probably look odd too. Suspension bushes - there’s always an alternative out there, you just need to know what you’re looking for or know a good parts interpreter that’s willing to hunt around for you. Aftermarket will be the go here. Superpro or Nolthane would be my guess for possibilities. Struts - talk to a suspension mob and see if the can do an insert replacement or make struts that will accept an insert that’s easily available. Or convert to EJ brakes and have all the EJ strut options at your fingertips Good thing with this is you get better brakes and better rim options too. It all depends on how far you’re willing to go to keep the original drivetrain and look of the vehicle alive. There’s always some sort of a work around! If you go the WRX drive train you can keep the locking AWD with some gearbox mods. Basically you replace the ring, pinion, centre diff and matching rear housing into the EJ gearbox you want to use. It doesn’t matter if the gearbox is dual range or not for this, but you are stuck with the (most likely 3.7) diff ratio your box has now unless you do a cut and shut on the pinion shaft to your desired diff ratio… ^ this gearbox mod allows you to run the EJ standard flywheel and clutch setup with your EJ engine of choice while retaining your RX factory gearbox crossmember, shifter linkages and prop/tail shaft. Cheers Bennie

The ENTIRE ‘97 harness into the ‘81 GL?! That’s nuts, and effort! Any tips or tricks for ppl that might consider going this way? I’m curious as to how you dealt with the length of the wiring loom in the smaller MY body! Cheers Bennie

Interesting way of tidying up the engine bay! I’ll be keen to see what it looks like once the engine is back in. Will they be east to remove with the engine in place (I’m sure you’ve got this covered!)? Cheers Bennie

NA MPFI manual shafts are also 25 spline count too like the EJs Cheers Bennie

That difference could be in the makeup of the speedo. Under the instrument cluster trim panel there will be a statement that says something like 1km = 660 rotations - but probably in miles for you. If these are different that’ll be where the speed reading difference is. Cheers Bennie

Dunno about that one. Just use the EA82 throw out bearing - at least that’s what we do here with a 12mm adaptor plate if I recall correctly. Cheers Bennie

You’ve got to get the hose past the baffle plate in the sump to suck all the oil out. Finding the sweet spot for this will be the trick - how are you getting the pipe into the sump when the filler tube is on the head? Cheers Bennie

Correct.

*with an adaptor plate - just to clarify. What steptoe is alluding to is to check the centre diff for blue discolouration or excessive wear. If either of these are present, walk away from this gearbox as it’s essentially toast - unless you have a spare centre diff or the ability to create a replacement unit (no one has done this!). Also this box will have the wider turbo ratios, probably not an issue with the EJ22, especially with 5-8psi of boost Cheers Bennie

Yes it does, it just depends on which mechanic works on it Sorry, couldn’t help myself! Cheers Bennie

Definitely need a press of some sort. Those ones that use a threaded rod are good too, especially if you’re doing the work with the hub in the car (you need to remove the drive shaft first!). You’ll probably need a hub puller too. If using a press you can remove the hub from the knuckle then the bearing. Make sure you don’t scrape/gouge the chromed shaft piece of the wheel hub that the outer bearing lives on. I learned that the hard way by using a bearing pulling device that was too small for the diametre of the chromed shaft… I’ll know for next time! Cheers Bennie

Good old google searches. It can find anything so long as it’s not on bookface! It even finds snippets of info in YouTube videos! That’s handy sometimes! Cheers Bennie

Apples and Oranges on this one I reckon Steptoe - with the sixes and eights it is an easier job with the block still in the car compared to a boxer. Plus the sizes and eights you’re talking about are most likely not a sensitive to a HG change as the Subarus are And sadly on many fronts we throw away items rather than repair them these days, even though the item is serviceable with some time and effort. I see this as double edged - many people aren’t skilled enough to perform the repair so it’s reliable again and those that can, it isn’t worth their time when you can get a complete NEW unit generally a little bit more coin. Cheers Bennie

What EJ conversions, they don’t exist in your world! That manifold work looks great, and the paint job sets it off nicely. I guess this isn’t done often due to the need to swap heads for the dual port intake. Cheers Bennie

Yeah, that’s before they drive an EJ converted L series How far back did you have to go to dig that up? I’d like to see it’s origin to ensure it’s not a manipulated quote. Back in the day there were a few getting around in lifted L’s. I think subafury had one in his L from memory and he loved it, even though it was a money pit compared to an EJ conversion - and that was back when you could still get parts easily! Cheers Bennie

That’s a huge amount of timing for very little performance loss! Quite impressive when you think about it and a no brainer too. Cheers Bennie

Heartless is right. If you sell it with an issue you sell at a generally very low price - and expect to be low balled even further from there. How far could you go on that bearing? Your guess is as good as anyone’s. It can come down to driving style, existing bearing damage, short/long distance travel. Once that bearing collapses there’s the potential to strip teeth as they begin to misalign with the lower gearset. Either way at the moment it’s repairable/good for parts if you’re that way inclined. Once it lets go you’re stuck somewhere that’s not going to be much fun and in need of a new gearbox… All of that said, it could keep going for a long time too, it’s one of those things. In my book a grinding noise is far worse than a whining noise too. Whining will “outlast” grinding generally speaking. Cheers Bennie

Hehehe… the learning curve is steep! At least you’re learning things along the way. Did the machine shop shave the surface that clamps the disc AND the surface that the pressure plate mounts to? If they’ve only done the clamping surface they will have reduced the clamping force, probably not by much if they’ve just skimmed it but it could make the fingers of each clutch pressure plate sit differently when the pressure plate is torqued down to spec. I doubt this is the issue anyway. You could try putting a washer under the pivot ball for the clutch fork, this will move the clutch fork closer to the clutch and allow the fork to be pulled back further before the fork hits the gearbox case (I’ve had this before and it was mega frustrating). Another thing to look at is the deck height of the pressure plate from the mount plate pieces to the top pressed metal that the fingers are behind. Compare the two units and see if there’s any difference. It’s possible the old unit is thicker than the new unit, this has the fingers closer to the throw out bearing allowing better/full disengagement. Another test you could’ve tried before pulling it apart was starting the engine with the gearbox in gear, foot on the clutch. If the car lurches forward there’s definitely an issue with the clutch not releasing the way it should. Starting the engine in gear like this could jolt something that was a bit sticky into releasing properly. Lots of thoughts in one post Cheers Bennie

Gearbox work is always fun - you’re only looking at replacing bearings which oddly is something I haven’t done on the upper and lower gear set shafts. I’ve only done bearings on the input (dual range), rear output and centre diff bearings. They’re easy to get to. The front bearing should be relatively easy, that rear bearing will require a press no doubt. It’ll be easy to identify the offending bearing by spinning it You should also read up on the torque specs for that upper gear set shaft so you know what you’re up for. Check out their special tools to hold the gears without damaging them, make them up to do the job. At the end of the day you could have your cake and eat it too. Setup for the gearbox repair work but go get a replacement gearbox to swap in while you play doctor on your current box. Ditch the paper gasket and use the same goo that you seal the front cases with. You only need a tiny smear of that stuff for it to do it’s job! The hardest part of this job to me is setting the diff properly. I’d recommend marking the sun dials, back them off two or three times, write down how many turns out you did in relation to your two marks, this allows the front cases to boot and torque down properly without having the diff fight the cases. If you’re going to replace the diff bearings throw the above out the window as you’ll need to set the backlash (from memory that’s the correct term, the other one is preload) anyway and that’s a whole other procedure to follow. I’ve back yarded mine and done it by feel, no problems (yet??). Also a good time to replace all the seals - input, front diff, O ring on the sun dials, rear output shaft and the selector shaft seals. It’s really interesting and satisfying pulling down a gearbox, fixing stuff and managing to put it all back together again - then be hyper vigilant with every little noise you hear once it’s back in the vehicle! Some tips: - get a copy of the WSM for your model, read up on what you’ll be doing, find the torque specs and bolt torque sequence diagrams - use a cardboard panel to draw the gearbox outline on with all the bolt holes, number them in the torque sequence order (remove starting with last bolt number!) and place the respective bolt in the same location on the diagram (take note of which side of the gearbox the bolts come in from, I can’t remember which side without having a look) - write out the different torque specs for the various bolts. This saves time once you’re in the thick of it! There are two different toque specs for different bolts on the front cases, the bolts around the diff have a higher torque than the others - take photos as you go so you have a reference to fall back on if needed - have some blocks of wood to help sit the box on its side so it won’t wobble around on the floor/bench (I highly recommend doing this work on a bench!) - ensure all mating surfaces are cleaned properly before sealing the cases and rear housing. Use a residue free solvent as the final wipe down before applying the silicone - have those torque specs handy for the sealing of the front cases, also have the two socket sizes ready to go - it’s a good time to throw a front LSD in, just saying!! (Worth the effort in my book) That turned out to be essay spec, I hope it’s given you some idea of what’s involved. Cheers Bennie

To post pics it’s best to use an image hosting site, then drop the image code in here Cheers Bennie