Well I started off end of last summer, thought that a bit of welding and painting would be done before the end of the year

 

But since this is my first restoration I was a bit wrong... I got the body back half way August this year so I just started work on it. I planned a lot in advance though like making sure I got all the parts I wanted to renew (as far as new stuff was still available).

 

I'm now working on getting the brake- and fuel lines done. I want to get rid of the hill-holder and I also need a bigger return line for the EJ-conversion. I'm using the original return line as evap.

 

Besides that I'm replacing all the suspension bushings. I have blasted and coated all the parts except the front cross member as it was still in good nick. The parts with bushings I couldn't get out or installed myself (I haven't got a press) I took to the local dealer and hope to get them back tomorrow. Then I can also get cracking on installing the Cross Bred Performance kit on the rear brakes for 5-lug conversion.

 

Then there still is the EJ 5MT I need to get installed (making new mounts) and modify drive shaft and gear shift mechanism. Fortunately I already have a set of modified front axles for the late EJ-hubs I'm using.

Some more progress today:

 

Routing engine wiring loom in the engine bay

 

Location of ECU in passenger footwell, youngest son watching with interest

 

Installing the front 5-lug hubs

 

Adjustable, custom made top mount installed

 

Hoisting the EJ 5MT transmission into place, need to figure out how I want to fab a mount for it though...

Slow progress but it's rolling now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ride height at the back is too low, I will have to adjust it one or two notches on the torsion beam. Mind you, it's got a 90L LPG (liquified petroleum gas) fuel tank in the back, and no engine and interior yet.

Edited September 6, 201114 yr by LeoneTurbo

Wow looking great. I hope my current wagon project can come out looking this good. Keep up the good work!

Looking so good! I'd like to see how and where you put the LPG tank in. I have seen it done in a GMC 1976 pick up, but never have I in a Subaru. That will run very clean. Will it affect the horse power up or down, I wonder? Your car is really coming together nicely. Thanks for updating, Aaron

I believe there is a guy locally running propane or natural gas in an EJ car. I've never seen his setup, so I'm also quite interested to see how it's done. How does one convert a fuel injected car to lpg?

Soobenthusiast, the GMC truck has a gas tank also and you could switch from gas to LPG with the flip of a switch. My dad still owns the truck but he only runs propane, passes smog every two years no problems. Aaron

I have the system in my Legacy Wagon now with a small tank in the spare wheel well. I wanted a bigger tank in my EA81 Wagon for greater range so it will be in the luggage compartment. It's stripped down on a metal frame bolted to the chassis.

 

From the gas tank there is a hard copper fuel line to the evaporator in the engine bay. The gas enters the evaporator, which is connected to the coolant system of the engine, in fluid state and is heated so it becomes in gaseous state. It then passes through and inline gas filter and goes to the LPG injectors. They are connected to the intake manifold via small hoses.

 

The ECU of the LPG system cuts the petrol injectors and calculates the LPG injection time based on the injector input signal from the petrol ECU.

Engine output is about 10% less on LPG (however there are system which inject fluid LPG into the intake manifold which lower the temperature of the intake charge when the LPG evaporates which actually increases horsepower) and fuel consumption is about 20-30% higher (in litres).

 

I usually get 8 km per litre of LPG (about 23-24 MPG) in my Legacy and with only a nett volume of 46L the range is about 370 km (my daily commute is 340 km).

 

I hope to get better LPG mileage in my EA81 Wagon as the engine will run a higher compression ratio (LPG has higher octane level so no fears for knock) with ported heads and a less restrictive exhaust system without cats. Oh and less aggressive cams.

Very interesting Thanks! let's see a photo when you can? That's a healthy daily commute . Have a good one! Aaron

Some pics of the tank and wiring in the EA81 Wagon. The engine bay pictures are of my Legacy Wagon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I collected my refurbished seats...

 

:eek: :eek: :eek:

 

Nice seat

Nice Looking seat! 

Edited June 28, 201312 yr by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

That is one GREAT Looking Roo. Im partial to this gen wagon and you seemed to have found quite a gem! keep up the amazing work and ill keep following your posts:grin:

Some progress...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to get the car up and running by the end of this month, but there's quite a list of things to do:

 

- make crossmember for transmission

- modify/fit gear linkage

- make front exhaust pipe

- have a stainless steel fuel tank made

- install dash

- install front axle shafts

- rebuild one front brake caliper (one's already done)

- install/modify hand brake

 

That's about it

OK another update. Last week I rebuilt the brake caliper and installed both on the car. I also modified the shift linkage and the transmission cross member they just have to be welded.

 

I wanted to install the front drive shafts but found out I got the wrong EJ outer cups to fit the EA cage (25 splines fit the transmission but not the cage) so I ended up sending a pair of BE/BH Legacy shafts to be shortened (yup, cut and weld), expect them this week.

 

As I got a box with nice parts from GeneralDisorder I continued with the dash (I got the pig tails for the older style cluster - which I like better than the later ones). Yesterday I spent the whole day to figure out how to wire in the new old cluster but it's done now and I also made the adapter loom between the ECU and the cluster (for CEL, speed sensor and tacho signal).

 

This is what the car looks like now:

 

 

 

 

About the color I'm going for with mine just a bit darker. It looks very nice. I really like that cluster a lot as well, ours never had the silver trim around it, I may have to look into doing that! Glad to see somebody else fixing one of these up, most people just drive them into the ground.

Today I collected my SS tank and installed a 2WD Legacy tank and gauge unit (had to bend the arm for the gauge a bit to clear the tank wall):

 

Remove the hand brake cable holder plate from a Legacy handbrake and welded it onto the EA81 handbrake:

 

Had the SS exhaust pipe welded in place after I did the measuring and cutting over the weekend:

 

Stil have to weld it up to the last bit of the front pipe (with the bracket to the gearbox) and install the O2-sensor bung.

 

So some major hurdles have been taken. I hope to have the car mechanically 'ready' in 2-3 weeks now.

This weekend I filled the rear diff, transmission, engine and cooling system with the required fluids and installed the intake stuff.

 

Some more pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

I still have to get a go at that transmission mount and I have to get a spacer made for my front struts. The spring hat is now in contact with the top mount so when I turn the steering wheel it grinds a bit.

 

More to come...

I decided to halt this project until spring. I'm not happy with the way some things have turned out (mainly transmission mount, exhaust routing) and the crap weather... I will repair my Legacy (rear whel bearings and rear brake lines) and run it for another year.

Woah! Care to shed some more info on the fuel tank?

 

Is it a custom jobber? Does it use OE hardware to mount?

 

Car is looking excellent btw!

Any Updates on this Awesome Project?

 

Kind Regards.

 

Re-installed the das now with digital cluster (which actually works - or so told my buddy who gave it to me).

 

Now it's time to concentrate on the driveline again...