el_freddo

When squeezing the return line and getting the higher psi reading, how does the engine run? Better or worse? Cheers Bennie

Geez, that front end took a fair hit! It’s worse than I thought it was going to be. I love how you look at the issue and go “we got this” and get stuck into it. Over here that would be a write off for a regular vehicle unless it was something special to its owner and they either know how to fix it or know someone that does and is willing to do the work. Looking forward to the detailed pics of the work done! Cheers Bennie

I don’t know the SPFI well at all, are you sure the fuel pressure spec is 21psi? I thought it would be more inline with other EFIs like the EJs up at about 40psi. I’ve used the same external fuel pump for a NA MPFI EA82 and an EJ22. No issues. My thinking is that your fuel pressure is half of what it should be. This could be the fuel regulator or the fuel pump itself, or both. Pull the vac line for the fuel pressure regulator and make sure it doesn’t smell of fuel. If so, it’s dead. Cheers Bennie

Late to the party, if only doing clutch I drop the gearbox. On our 2000 Liberty/Legacy, I pulled the gearbox and managed to slide it back enough to work on the clutch and swap it out for a new one. This saved dropping the gearbox, I can’t remember if I managed to get away without removing the drive shafts. If I needed to it was an easy wiggle one way then the other with the gearbox because my model has diff stub axles, yours will have the male driveshafts into the gearbox to contend with. I used two steel rods that sat on the engine crossmember and the front gearbox crossmember piece. The rear crossmember and centre piece was removed, as was the gear linkages, tail shaft and exhaust. Where there’s a will there’s a way. These days I find it easier to drop the gearbox rather than lift out the engine. I put the car on ramps and go from there. If dropping the gearbox out all together I use a motorcycle jack and usually need to get the car up higher to clear the bellhousing as the engine comes out from under the car. Cheers Bennie

That’s where the thermo fans kick in! My brumby with that dashboard conversion (we never got them in the brat/brumby from factory like you guys in the states did) does the exact same thing when there’s not enough airflow through the radiator - typically when in traffic. Unless you were pulling highway speeds I wouldn’t stress about it, particularly if it came back down to normal op temp just above the first black line. Cheers Bennie

You’ll be right. Do one side at a time so you have a reference point for the removed sundial. If the dial becomes hard to turn about two notches past your original start mark, back it off so the marks line up. Can’t go wrong doing it this way! Cheers Bennie

When you say “centre seal” do you mean on the sundial? The seal is fitted from behind the sundial, so once it’s removed you knock it out towards the direction of the diff (orientation when the sundial is fitted). When you fit the new seal sure you have the correct unit to put in as they are directional. Also have a new large O ring on hand to install too. When you remove the sundial from the gearbox, mark where it’s currently located across the dial and the gearbox case, count the number of turns until the dial is free from the threads, also a good idea to mark where this point is so you’re not potentially counting a turn that’s not engaged on the thread. Cheers Bennie

G’day all, I’m after other EJ22 head gasket part numbers that might be available. I have these part numbers: 11044AA111 11044AA112 Both are unavailable over my way. Hoping the later model EJ22 you guys seem to get in the phase 2 will have another part number I can try. My almost teenage son and I are sorting out a gen2 Liberty/Legacy for him to learn to drive. It needs HGs… I like genuine parts where possible, but if I can’t find any I’ll checkout what’s available aftermarket and go from there. Cheers Bennie

Wire in a check engine light - you’ll be alerted to faults that are present and can check for any stored codes - this is a real help when diagnosing engine issues with modern efi engines, even with conversions Cheers Bennie

Have you interrogated the fuel pump relay to ensure it’s working properly? How are all the electronics stored in the beach buggy? If the relay is left to atmosphere conditions it could be dirty contacts - in the fuel pump relay and/or the main six pin relay. If the ECU is getting power but the fuel pump is not activating, how are your earth points looking? You’ll find your wiring harness diagrams somewhere. Alternatively this is where you now spend the time probing every single wire and recording what it does and where it’s located in the ecu pinout. Not fun but could help with future trouble shooting. Have you checked for codes with the check engine light? Cheers Bennie

Your brats came with hill holders?? We missed out on this. My 1990 brumby does not have one but my 1988 L series does (as did my sister’s old 1984 L series sedan). They do need adjustment. Small amounts, test - adjust - repeat until you get the release point you’re happy with. Cheers Bennie

Yeah, right up to that point. At least it’s not life threatening and you know know to expect it now. Cheers Bennie

One way to look at it would be to halve the injector size and have the two batch fire together. The MPFI system batch fired two injectors together. A similar thing could be done with what you’re suggesting. You would have to find out voltage requirements etc to run two injectors at the same time. You may need to look into throttle body size too as this will have an effect on throttle and engine response - or lack of. As for other sensors, no need to move them. One AFM will still do the trick. If you’re going to have a go at this, a) don’t waste you time and money, b) just plumb both intake tracts together to the AFM and run all the breather lines etc in the single section of intake pipe so both sides suck as much oil mist as the other. It would be cool to see I guess. At the end of the day there would be little performance gain without going into intake runner lengths to the heads, cams, lack of or addition of a plenum chamber - and what size to use if going this route. Lots to mess around with. Lots to learn about engine design considerations and performance. Even better would be getting something to run reliably on methane… Cheers Bennie

Wow, that’s some damage to the outback! Will the plan be to straighten out the front end and go again or reshell the setup again? Cool that the flat towing went well. Over here in Oz we’d get hammered hardcore if we were found towing like that. Our laws state that the towing vehicle must be 1.3x the weight of the towed vehicle. So you can’t flat tow a like-for-like vehicle. But you can often tow one on a car trailer… We’re so backwards like that, and our authorities are complete Nannies about towing weights and vehicle weight limited etc. I swear our ADRs require lower weight limits than other markets. Anyway, I digress. Glad you got it sorted. Cool little solo day trip it seems! Cheers Bennie

I’ve not heard of an “updated ECU” mod before. Unless that involves tuning the factory ecu which I believe is possible on some models. You might be able to swap in another ECU from the same model so long as it does not have the factory immobiliser gear associated with it. If it does you would need the matching ECU, key transponder and immobiliser module. As for that intake and ECU swap - pretty much anything that’s phase 2 (I believe that’s what your block and heads are) that’s NOT AVCS will work. But as you said, that’s another loom cut down. Out of interest, what knock sensor did you swap in when you swapped the engine into the brat? Cheers Bennie

Ahhh, now I know what you mean. I’ve not seen one without the C clip inside the inner cup that retains the tri-thingy setup or the ball and cage setup - they always have one! Even without one, if the vehicle doesn’t come apart while driving or doesn’t hit anything (which would probably render the car useless anyway), then the inner CV “innards” should stay exactly where they are simply by design with how the driveshaft is held between the gearbox and the hub. Cheers Bennie

I think that’s a bit rich. OEM for sure is extinct, as you kind of hint at in your next sentence. I felt the need to say something as it’s not a correct statement. It’s a bit like saying the OEM 13inch diametre tyres are no longer available, and that you might find something aftermarket that requires some extra work. There are plenty of quality aftermarket external high pressure pumps for EFI that require little fiddling around to make them fit. @scooby2 - if your fuel pump is operating fine, it could be your fuel pressure regulator or the vacuum hose that helps govern the operating pressure of the system. Rare for one of these to die though. Cheers Bennie

So you don’t have the shaft all the way out, it’s just popped out to be loose? If that’s the case, it’ll have a c clip in there. Shove it back in and it’ll re-engage, it should hold enough that it doesn’t just slip out easily. Cheers Bennie

It should have a groove with a C clip in there. And very odd that it doesn’t have one. If there’s no groove that’s even more odd. Can you see a groove internally in the diff? There should be one in there. Cheers Bennie

^ plausible!

Just wait until you get into torsion bar specs. Brumby/brat are heavier than the wagon. And a mob over your way makes new ones that are 30% stiffer from what I’ve heard. Cheers Bennie

Replace them with the MLS units. I can’t remember the part numbers but others will. They’re from the EJ25 STi WRX model. You’ll thank yourself for going to that effort later. If you don’t, they’ll end up doing the external coolant leak thing. If money is tight, drop it in and run it. Over time you’ll see the leak develop. It won’t damage anything, especially if you regularly check the coolant levels. Cheers Bennie

don’t forget to swap in the “K frame” that all mounts from, it’s got the front upper mount for the rear diff Cheers Bennie

I’d check the fuel pump relay. Maybe the contacts in that are dirty and don’t always make a good contact, making it look like the fuel pump is the issue. The fuel pump relay will be located on a bracket beside the main ignition/power relay. The ignition relay is a brown six pin relay. I don’t know exactly where it’s located in your model though. I hope it’s a simple fix like this. Cheers Bennie

An injector pump? As in an EFI high pressure fuel pump? I know it’s not a diesel so it can’t be the governor pump… If after an EFI fuel pump, use any generic external pump. Can’t recall hose size etc sorry. Cheers Bennie