discopotato03

The latest information to hand is that RX (L Turbo) and a couple of variations of early Liberty/Legacy front axle shafts have 25 splines at both ends - the male ones on each end of the axle shaft itself . L Turbo shafts have 3 rings to identify them . The 25 spline Liberty ones have three similar ones , or a second variation has a fatter shaft which tapers down before each side rubber boot . The second type has one ring in the middle of the shaft . At least now I'll know what to look out for . Cheers A .

I'll have to quantify which part I call what . I see a front drive shaft as three sub sections , firstly the gearbox end joint or DOJ , secondly the axle shaft , thirdly the CV joint incorporating the hubs stub axle . Also yes I do realise that the L turbo and Liberty CV joints are different but share the same female spline size where they locate over the outer end of the axle shaft . Now from what I can tell L turbo and early Liberty/Legacy gearbox male stub shafts are both 25 spline so they both must use the same identical DOJ . If this is the case then the splines at the inner end of the L turbo and Liberty/Legacy axles must also be the same . Now provided the spline size is the same at the outer end of the axle then it should accept L turbo or early Lib/Leg CV joints . This is the combination I'm looking for because essentially I wind up with a longer axle that can use L turbo CV joints now and early Lib CV's later when the CrossBred kit goes in . I'm just trying to find out how much longer the early Lib/Leg axle shaft is with the same spline sizes either end as an L turbo axle shaft . LOL , cheers A .

Well I was talking to a Subie nut in another state earlier (original Mr CrossBred) and he said that we have Liberty gen1 cars with the same splines both ends as the L turbo ones . When they were getting aproval on their brake kit they actually had longer Liberty shafts in it with std length arms and they just didn't bottom out at the DOJ inner end . I'd like the wider track for other reasons so I'll have to pull a few shafts , remove the DOJ and compare lengths . Also with the right spline axle the Liberty and turbo L outer or CV joints interchange . Just need to find how much longer the "correct" axles are so we can play with arm lengths to get the camber/caster right . Cheers A .

Hi all , as most know L series cars have positive front camper std which is a cornering and tyre wear problem . I'd like to make extended front control arms to get the camber neutral or a tad negative (0 to -1/2) but drive shaft length can be a problem . What I need to know is which other shafts say from Imprezas or Legacys have the same splines either end as L or XT turbo ones and how much longer they are . It has been suggested here in Australia that there are a few variations in Liberty (Legacy) shaft lengths and something like 20-30mm longer than L/XT ones . Thanks in advance , cheers A .

Brief update , I now have a Rex TD04L-13T-6 but am holding out for a rare TD04HL-15T which was native to a JDM EJ205 . Basically it has the HL rather than the L version of Mitsubishis TD04 turbine which is a little larger and in a similar looking Subie type 6cm turbine housing . If I can get the turbine housing I can build a hybrid "TD04HL-13T-6" using the HL turbine and housing on an otherwise normal Rex TD04 turbo . Also should have a Liberty RS (Leg RS) up pipe soon and the spider plenum has been adapted to take an L Series MPFI throttlebody . Progress is slow but that's life , cheers A .

Hi Turbone , I have a Turbo XT engine rebuilt with higher CR (8.6) and am about to go down the spider and WAIC road . My manifold is a little different in that its had an adapter plate the same as an L MPFI TB welded to it (referenced around the top 2 holes) so I can run a 3 plug TB/TPS on this manifold . Don't ask , I don't want to run the spider TB . I would very much like to see how you mounted your IC if it's the WAIC type . Cheers A .

I like the idea of the TWE as in how the nearside engine pipe (RHD) is separate till just short of the turbo's mounting flange . No doubt we can make the same thing but just trying to work the numbers . Personally I prefer the down pipe collector the way Michael South of MSE does it . Cheers A .

Hi all , in Australia we are curious to know if these headers are still available and at what approximate price . Cheers and thanks , Adrian . PS Did hear that there was a group buy through USMB at some stage .

Hi all , thanks for the pics . We are going to be making an EA82T header in the future for my RX sedan build . I like the idea of the engine pipes merging as close to the turbo as practically possible . It makes me wonder how separate pipes and a twin scroll turbo like a VF38 would go . Can you tell me what tube size is used in those headers please , we were contemplating using 1.75" but it never hurts to compare ideas with others . Thanks all , cheers Adrian in Australia .

Why not just get a drum and re drill it 5 x 100 and machine the excess off in a lathe ? Instant pre splined hub . A .

Hi all , here in Australia I have fitted a dual range converted AWD XT4 gearbox to a previously part time 4WD RX Turbo sedan . The lengths of the steady bar and the gear selector rod must be different on part time 4WD cars compared to AWD ones . Does anyone have these two factory AWD bars/rods loose so they could be measured and if so could we Aussie's please have the length measurements . Cheers and thanks , Adrian .

Hi all , here in Australia 4WD L's inc RX Turbo Sedans were part time 4WD not AWD . I've just had a dual range converted Vortex AWD fitted to my RX and a few things are not quite right . Firstly the shifter mechanism's stay rod was too long and needed to be shortened and narrowed to fit the AWD boxes bracket stud . Also that tinny cross member that braces the transmission tunnel is touching the AWD boxes deeper rear end and transmitting vibration into the floor pan . Can anyone tell me how the factory AWD bits differed from the part time bits ? Cheers A .

My 1987 Aus spec FSM/WSM shows different power specs for RX L's in different countries , the ones that didn't require cat conversters show higher out puts - they had slightly different cam profiles as well . Maybe these are the ones with the larger A/R turbine housings . I'll have to check which turbo my 86 RX has on it . Cheers A .

I had a feeling it would only be the up pipe section . I got my engine builder to check my XT4 engine's turbo and its a VF5 with the R12 turbine housing . Bugger ! I was hoping it had the larger R15 housing from the EA82 VF3/VF6 . Just on that Turbomaster's site reckons the 87 XT4 Turbo should have a VF6 so if anyone has one it would be interesting to know . Cheers A .

That's most interesting , so it's a given that the XT header has a ~ 1/8" larger up pipe all the way down to that horrible "T" piece ? The VF3 and VF6 I'll have to search for . It could be either flanged like an EA82 turbo or an EJ20 one - no proof either way yet . Can anyone tell me if any early generation EJ20 turbo engine used a VF3 or 6 ? Cheers A .

Hi all , I was sniffing around Turbo masters site at VF turbos for Subaru and noticed that the turbine (exhaust) housing A/R size was shown as 15 for the VF3 and VF6 where the others ie VF2/VF4 is shown as 12 . I think with IHI turbos they are said to have an "R" number cast into the side of them amongst other figures near the housings mounting flange . Also at times people here in Australia have come across EA82T headers with a larger hole at the top of the up pipe - maybe slightly larger uppie inside - who knows ... Anyhow I'm curious to know if the AWD Spider Turbo Vortexes (XT4) used the slightly different header and slightly larger turbo exhaust housing to help grunt the heavier car along . If anyone knows anything about the larger (R15 ?) exhaust housing can they let me know . Cheers , Adrian in Australia .

Gannon the big thing is the WMI's control system , the most effective versions use either manifold pressure signal or 0-5v MAF sensor output to regulate the WM switch/ramp functions . Cheers A .

Subarutex yes things have come a long way in the control dept . I've read that you really need programmable management for the engine to get the most from WMI . Cheers A .

Hi all , has anyone done this to their older turbo Subie ? Cheers A .

Sorry so long , will ask Gee tomorrow . Cheers A .

Caboobaroo do you think it was the lean running that damaged your engine or was it a hot intake air detonation thing ? I am getting interested in water/methanol injection because its supposed to have cooling and fueling advantages which may suit an EA82T with factory ECU and an interceptor . Cheers A .

Thanks fellas , as mentioned here somewhere my EA82T build consists of an 87 Voxtex AWD XT4 Spider turbo engine that had been rebuilt at some stage before I got it (engine + gbox) so really good internally . They even decked the cases to get the pistons proud - works out to 8.6 static CR . Piston crowns and exhaust valve are being ceramic coated . I was sent a set of 1st gen heads which were somehow not cracked so they were ported as well . Oil pump in great condition . Will get the hone rings gaskets water pump as per usual rebuild . Cams is a big question for us , I have no idea what I can get away with in an 8.6 CR turbo EA82 . I was considering using late MPFI EA82 cams since the header/turbo/cat will be less restrictive than std . Ok do you think or just run the turbo vortex std cams ? IC will eventually be the WAIC type and yes I will run an oil cooler probably off a Toyota Corolla 4AGE powered car . Do you people reckon the Rex TD04 is no too big for a roadie ? Cheers Adrian . These std headers look really bad in the pics here , even worse than I thought . I er like Corky's and a few others ideas with turbo manifolds , I think to a degree reasonably big pipes work well because the exhaust pulses need the least path of resistance to get the least exhaust gas velocity loss . Its hard with Siamese port flat 4's because the header pipes are supporting half the engines capacity ie 900cc's per pipe . So to my way of thinking the poor up pipe has to pass all the gas the engine puts out so if its undersized (smaller than the crossover pipe) the pressure rise just before the up pipe must be ridiculous . We want to do a lot better than that so the unmolested pulsing actually gets to the turbo and is not dampened or assisting the EGR function to the same degree . With a bit more than flatulence at the turbo flange it may get a smallish TD04 off its butt .

Hi all , I've been searching here and everywhere for peoples experience with this type of conversion . Here at USMB every one's been using the WRX's TD04 13T-6 and the result seems to be good though a small tad laggy . I think Caboobaroo built an engine from an NA SPFI EA82 and used turbo heads and possibly reground cams . People generally try to do something about the hopeless EA82T header because the up pipe seems to be ridiculously small and that turbo side "T" piece a pathetic piece of "engineering" . One of you mentioned that you were going to use separate pipes from the heads to just short of the turbo mount flange and I think this holds the most promise for performance and reasonable spool from a TD04/EA82T type conversion . Did the twin pipes to the turbo actually go ahead and did it fit around the engine and cross member with decent sized pipe ? Also people are saying that they used WRX style DP which would hopefully have a better less restrictive cat than the original EA82T's DP . I've been trying to find out if any of the single turbo Subaru's used a TD04 a little smaller than the Rex one but so far I've only found the Forester GT's TF035 and they are just too small . Any updates and info much appreciated , cheers A .

I don't know about USDM but in Australia our 1st gen Liberty's were available with DR 3.9 transmissions . You run into trouble trying to use the 4.11 or 4.44 crown wheel and L lower low range gears . These crown wheels need to be modified to give clearance on the low low gears . It's probably easier to run the DR 3.9 box and L low low's , but even then you have to modify the L's range shift fork because it doesn't have the right shape for the EJ type detent ball/spring system . The L's LR detent mechanism is in the top of the gearboxes extension (shift rod not cable ) . Cheers A .

Reached a dead end , rebuild parts in Australia for the old VF8 and VF12 are now rocking horse do do . I've been looking into the Forester GT's Mitsu TF034 but I think they are going to be on the small side for anything but a very std EA82T . The TD04 family of turbos has lots of potential with the base model having turbine and compressor wheels ~ 5mm up on the TF034 . There are inctemental increases in size with compressors and turbines so lots of potential for custom builds . Cheers A .