eulogious

I haven't replaced my txv yet, that comes on Sunday. Rockauto.com has the expansion valve for about $12 +shipping, so the part is not that expensive. But yes, there is some work, and you do have to evacuate the system, remove the evaporator, then re-install, and recharge. But the good news is, is that it's actually rather easy to do. The evaporator is right behind the glove box, and it is designed to be removed easily. This thread has a good explanation of what needs to happen, with pics. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=122792&highlight=expansion+valve After this weekend, I will be able to tell you exactly how easy it is

I would just use r134a. Freeze 12 is a blend of r134a and some HCFC's. It's 80% r134a and 20% HCFC-142b to be exact. And it's getting harder to source locally, while r134a you can buy in a can almost anywhere. People knock r134a for not being as cold, but that is a misconception really. It just doesn't absorb heat as well as r12, so when people convert their system to r134a it doesn't get as cold because the condenser needs to be a bit bigger to dissipate the heat better, therefore cooling better. Last time I got into my parents 2008 MDX with r134a, that car was blowing ICE cold. So to say that r134a won't cool as well is really not a true statement, since most cars on the road cool just fine. It's the conversions that don't cool as well, and that's because you just need more area on the condenser to make up for the lack of heat absorption in r134a. Upgrade your condenser when you do the conversion, and you won't notice any difference between r12 and r134a most likely anyways.

Where in the world are you buying your axles boots? $40-50 for some rubber boots, clamps, and some grease, that's NUTZ! Rockauto.com has them for about $8 + shipping. WAY cheaper than a new axle. Also, autozone, well most reman axles, suck. So if you have a good working axle that just needs a boot, it's way better to reboot what you know is ok than than take a risk and get a bum axle, IMHO.

My guess is probably not. The computer for the hight control tries to level out the car at all times, so if the front sensors/shocks aren't there, the computer will probably complain and throw a code. You MIGHT be able to trick the computer with resistors or something, I am not sure on that. Why do you want the HC just for the rears? The HC systems are not very robust systems at all, so why would you want to re add in a buggy, old, unreliable system? It seems like alot of work, for very little gain IMHO. I think there are some 4wd shocks that you can "adjust" to a point, but someone else will have to verify that. If all you care about is a saggy rear end, just get 3" blocks for the rear struts instead of 2", that should solve the saggy rear issue a little bit...

Have you checked the highside? If the low side is really high, might as well check the highside as well. I corrected my post above in saying that my expansion valve has failed on my system now, not my "evap" valve. From what I understand, the expansion valve (txv) is what really meters (or controls) the pressure of the system, and when it fails, you get some weird issues, like the low side being really high. This is a symptom of the txv failing from being stuck open. The reason for the high pressures on the low side is because the expansion valve will allow to much refrigerant into the evaporator coil, causing the pressure to rise on the low side. From the sounds of it, this is what yours is doing. The low side gets to high due to the txv being open and allowing too much refrigerant/pressure into the coils of the evaporator, so the compressor safety systems kick in and turn the compressor of, since there is too much pressure in the system. If the txv was stuck closed, like mine is, then it would seem that you need to add more refrigerant because both the high and the low side will be low. If you then try to add some refrigerant to the system you will have a low side that is low (comparatively), and a high side that is much to high. This is what happened to me, and why we got some really high pressures. My expansion valve worked at first, but then started "sticking", because it would work for a bit, then quite working, and then start working again, and then quit. When the pressures got really high, it forced the txv to open again, and start working for a short period, and then go back to it's old, sticky ways. So to answer you question, yes you thoughts are mnostly correct. If the txv is stuck open, it will cause the low side to go high, just like what is happening to you. Since the txv is open, the system is not separated, but the result would make it seem like it was.

I didn't do anything to the electronics of the AC system, it just kept compressing. I should mention what car it was on, since I didn't do that It's a 1990 Legacy LS. So maybe on the newer stuff they added in some more safety stuff? IDK, but I did not do anything to the AC compressor or the electronics, and it just kept going till it stalled the car. Usually the high side will be very hot usually. But you can only tell if it's hot, if it working... But the high side will be REALLY hot, compared to the low side. I also believe the drier is on the high side, so just follow the lines to find the high side.

I would agree that your system is just low on refrigerant, and that's why the compressor isn't working. I would check the refrigerant level, and then go from there. Also be careful about manually turning on the compressor if it's low on refrigerant. The refrigerant helps move the oil in the system along, and if it's low, it might not move the oil as well, and by using the compressor without the proper lubrication, you could ruin the compressor. For a short period it's fine, but just don't do it on long trips or anything. Just a word of warning. Make sure if you add any refrigerant, that you use a gauge before and after filling up. I just picked up a low pressure gauge form harbor freight for $10. Using that gauge and a can of r134a, I can safely top off my AC system myself. Here's a little bit of experience dealing with AC for ya that I have had recently and still trying to fix... The AC system is designed to NOT BLOW UP if it's over charged. They system can handle very high pressures without exploding. How do I know this? I just did it by accident. Well my AC guy (who knows what he is doing as he teaches AC at a local university) did anyway. Granted I might have just gotten lucky... My edit: expansion valve has failed, and when trying to figure it out, we overfilled the system by ALOT. And when I say ALOT, I mean like 450+ psi ALOT, according to the manifold gauges. It was so high that the AC compressor stalled out the engine, multiple times There was SOOO much pressure in the system, that the compressor literally could not compress anymore and it stalled the car. That's alot of pressure! What's my point with all of this? DO NOT DO WHAT I DID, and NEVER OVERCHARGE AN AC SYSTEM. But I learned that even if you do something stupid and over charge the system, it is designed to handle extreme pressures without failing. I DO NOT recommended doing this AT ALL, I merely mention it to bring up the point that AC systems are very robust, and can handle alot of pressure, and they are designed to not hurt people even when people make mistakes. Take this all with a grain of salt of course, as I could have just gotten lucky. I am still VERY careful when dealing with AC stuff just because the system is very dangerous, and can hurt/kill people if it is not respected.

If you want a really good site that will teach you the basics to how the 12+ volt systems works, check out: http://www.bcae1.com/ If you scroll down on the right hand side of the page a little ways, there is a relay topic that covers what relays are and how they work. The rest of the site is full of very, very good, easy to follow information. I studied this site intensively for a few weeks when I was first getting my teeth wet with the electronic side of things, and found that site to be extremely useful. Hope it helps! If I was closer I would be there in a heart beat to get this fantastic car running! Oh, and this whole build is just freakin' fantastic! The car is absolutely GORGEOUS! :slobber: Really can't wait to see it done!

I think that's the stuff I used. I really should've paid more attention But that sounds familiar...

I would suggest making an adapter of sorts, so you don't mess up your original wiring, and you can then just go back to stock really easily. Just get an ECU, unsolder the connector off the board, then get the ecu plugs off a car that uses the same ecu you are using, and just match the wires up. Then you can plug your exsisting plugs into the new adapter, and then plug the new ecu into the other end of the adapter. Then you don't hack up your original wiring. Does that make sense? Here's a link to the megasquirt example of the same thing. This is for a legacy: http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/diybob-breakout-adapter-nippondenso-76-pin-p-411.html I just got a MegaSquirt, and I am going to be squirting my MR2, and this is what I am going to be doing for it. I am making an adapter like I described so I can avoid hacking up my wiring. If I had a $100, I would just buy one like I linked to, but I would rather save the money and make one myself.

I dropped my pan in my 4EAT about 9 months ago, sealed it up with some grey stuff (GD, what was that stuff is used? It was locktite something or other that was anerobic I believe), wiped off the back of the trans, slapped the pan back up there, tightened all my bolts up, waited about 15 min, topped of the trans with atf, and haven't seen a leaked yet. I even drove 3 hours on the freeway to get back home about 20 mins after topping of the atf. Well, I take that back, I didn't tighten down 2 bolts in the back enough appartently, so there was a tiny little bit of atf coming out after 7 months, but I wiped it off, tighten it up, and haven't seen anything since then. So it is doable without the gasket, and I didn't even try to do it "properly" before adding atf. So I would try using some different sealer, take your time, and you should be good... Or get the gasket if it's easy and cheap. Wait... They actually have a gasket for it? What's the part number for that? I looked and didn't find one, so that's why I went with the "RTV" method when dropping my pan. I will need to order one of these up to install my new pan on my rebuilt trans I am getting shortly, so this is good info. That is if the gasket is the better method. Let us know what you end up doing, and how it works out!

I would check both the high and the low side of it, it might be the evap valve. But make sure you know what you are doing before messing with the high side, or take it to the pros and let them handle it. But I would look into getting it checked at least. Mines doing the same thing right now, and both sides are equalized which leads me to believe the evap valve is stuck open, and I am replacing it this weekend. It seems that the compressor isnt' working because it isn't building any pressure, but the evap valve is what is causing the system to not build pressure, not the compressor, since it does blow cold some of the time and not others. It's a $20 part that's looks to be fairly easy to replace, so might be worth looking into it before blaming/replacing the compressor. And even if you do replace the compressor, I would replace the evap valve as well, since it's so cheap It could also be the compressor, but a $20 part might be cheaper than buying a new compressor. Unless new to you is a junk yard compressor, which is what I would call "new", then it's a lot cheaper

Unless you want to add paddle shifters, then no, you don't need to do any soldering with the tcu. Just add it in. I was referring to the pics of the pinouts and that sort of thing, not of the modding of the TCU. Like I said my paddle shifter build thread has lots of info in it as well that will probably be of use. Really the only thing the two need that are in "common" is the tach signal. Everything else is "shared". The TPS, VSS, those sensors are all shared by both the TCU and the ECU, they don't "feed" each other if you will, they share the signal. Since the EJ switched to wasted spark, there is no way to get a tach signal from the "coil", so you must get it from the ECU. This is the only way to get a tach signal from the EJ motor, and it is also the only wire that you need from the ECU going to the TCU. Everything else is shared...

That's great! Thanks for the correction Just had to say something because it made me laugh when I read that.

The one he's looking at is a 91. No airbags till 94... And who cares about airbags? One more thing to fail... Just my opinion

Paddle Shifters FTW This is a sweet build! I will have to check out this beast at WCSS this year Keep up the good work mang, you are making some good progress!

For the cruise... I take it you are talking about the little round thing with 2 "nipples" on it, one for engine vacuum, the other to the cruise? If one of those nipples broke off, just find a small, threaded one at Home Depot or Lowes, drill the hole a little bit bigger, and then just screw the new nipple down. I think they should have something small enough to work for you. It will make it's own threads and should seal up fairly well. If it doesn't seal, then throw some silicon on it. Here's a pic of kinda what I am talking about. The pic is of a cruise control vacuum pump off of a 88 gl-10 turbo and one of the nipple broke off of it, and I was able to fix it using the method I mentioned above... The green ziptie is the location of the new nipple I added in. Not the best pic, but you can get the idea.

You need to remove the dash to install the evap. No way around that one. I just did the conversion to r134a. I have a 90' lego that the AC wasn't working when I got it, and just did the retrofit to r134a this last weekend. Works great! Replaced the drier and all the orings, add the new oil, and topped it off with r134a. Blows nice and cool now. So if your only option is to use the older stuff, go for it, it should work with very few problems. The one thing I would recommend is after installing it all, put it under a vacuum, and put nitrogen in the system to pressurize it as well. This way you can check for leaks before adding the refrigerant.

Wow, you are hardcore, FWD even. The TCU and ECU are seperate systems, the only thing in common is the RPM signal with the first gen stuff anyways. As long as you tap into the right wires for all the sensors the TCU needs, you should be able to get it to work just fine. I modded a legacy TCU and made it fit into my loyale, so it's possible to do. Granted I had a 4eat to start with, but it's possible to adapt the TCU. https://picasaweb.google.com/harris.donald/Loyale That should give you plenty of info about the 4eat, as well as some of my random pics, but you can see all the info I posted. Too many pics to link to individually. Also look up my paddle shifter build thread, TONS of info about the trans and wiring in it. Some of the diagrams are for the older 4eat (before the legacy), but you can figure out which is which. Hope that helps!

I too went from a loyale to a legacy, and I freakin' love the car. I picked up a 1990 LS w/150k on it for $1500. "Single" owner, I say that because I bought it from the grandkid of the original owner, ZERO rust, and the interior was fantastic. I dump $600 more into it to make it completely reliable (timing belt, axles, all the fluids flushed, all hoses replaced, that sort of thing) and I don't regret a penny I spent. It was a little more than some would pay, but I absolutely love the car and it was exactly what I wanted when I went looking for a new car. Little things were kinda annoying to fix, like the sunroof leaked (5 hours and $20 later), the interior handles were broke (fixed with paper clips), the door lights stayed on due to improper alignment of the doors, the sort of stuff that comes with a 21 year old car. But they were all relatively easy to fix, and didn't cost that much money. I am honestly surprised at how well the car has held up over the years. The older legacies were built to last! So if I could score a good lego for $800, get it, you won't regret it one bit

The TCU (transmission control unit) is under the steering. It's bolted to the bottom of the dash, and the skinny side will be facing you when you see it. It's right under the steering wheel. The connections will be facing the floor for it. The ECU (Engine control unit) is located to the left of the TCU, and is harder to see and is buried in wire, so most likely you will have to "dig" a little bit to find it. Also I would search for "FSM" on here or in google. I found the FSM manual and downloaded it as it contains all sorts of diagnostic tests for the transmission. They shouldn't be too hard to find. I believe the user 'Legacy777' has them on his site. Also checkout legacycentral, as they might have links to the fsm. Hope that helps!

It's official, I am going this year! Registered, paid up, and really looking forward to this year, my first year going! Should be a blast! Can't wait for my goodie bag Super sweet!

I know you were not trying to be mean. But like you said, safety is serious business, so there is no need for sarcasm. I too didn't want somebody to read this thread and get the wrong idea. That's all. I truly didn't know what those were for, so again, thanks for clarifying.

Thanks for the sarcasm, totally needed I had no idea what those were for, so thanks for telling me. Learn something new everyday...

I was thinking the same thing actually... Same idea behind airbags. If the car was made before the law was passed, it should be exempt from the law. If we were all required to retrofit our cars with airbags, I doubt any of us would be driving around in our subies. This would be true if you were replacing the seatbelts... You could just "add" them on Anyways it seems this is all a moot point anyways because of this statement: BUT I did just think of something else that might help you out. On my backseat I have this little thingy that looks like you can attach the car seat "straps" too, the ones that attach to the car behind the car seat (if that makes sense): I don't know the type of car seat you have, but all the ones I have used have those extra safety straps, and it looks like you can attach those to the top of my back seat. So you might be able to use those on top of the lap belt to hold the car seat in better. IDK, just an idea for you... I will text you in the morning...