Phizinza

I would go to a carpark, drive in circles, then stick it in 4WD and drive in circles again. If it jumps and skips the second time around then it is in 4WD.

Agreed. But the EJ gearbox is wider than the EA 5sp 4WD box. And if the EA81 is a manual FWD you will find you have to chop and stretch, or cut the trans tunnel out completely and replace it. There isn't enough room in there to fit a 4WD box without serious work. As you've seen from my website I am sure. With that said, I'd still go a 4.11 EJ AWD box. But if your budget is screw all, and you don't end up going an EJ engine, then you can run a 4WD 4sp which is a smaller box and would be easier to fit. Just run it in 4WD on the black top when you need it. I had a 4sp 4WD box in my Brumby and I done over 2000km on the road with it. Then went racing offroad 3 weekends as seen on my YouTube profile... They are strong boxes. But it did eventually blow second gear.

I use a 600mm half inch drive breaker bar (600mm = 2'). Add 4' of pipe to the end and it has always worked. The bar bends a fair bit sometimes but hasn't broken yet. Also a very handy tool to have for tightening them back up.

Thanks guys. I've been reading more on boost and compression ratio. I understand it now and how it works. Same pressure more volume. Yeah, I've heard LPG is like a 110oct rating. So it should love boost. The reason we want to go with no engine management is to simplify. After a race weekend having trouble with the weber carb loosing power over bumps and seeing all these $100k+ racing 4WD's having fuel issues I thought just keep it simple! And with running LPG, no need for a computer so may as well not have it. But I see what you are saying about the distributor. Hmm, will need to think about it! As far as I know, we don't have EJ22t's in Australia. All the turbo Liberty's we got here had EJ20's. I've been thinking using an import STI block (forged internals) and SOHC heads (to fit into the Brumby). Along with some other parts...

Ok, I've read some text about turbocharging. I understand the figures and how to work it out, but still don't understand why dropping the pressure and then replacing it with boost makes such a big difference but I trust it works. So here are my latest thoughts. EJ20t block, EJ18 heads, EJ Disty from NZ, LPG, Supercharger from V6 engine. This is all for a mate, he already has the supercharger and wants to use it for something a little different. Due the conditions we'll be using the car in I've decided LPG is the best fuel for the job. And simpler the better! I know LPG isn't popular in the US, but in Aus it is used on plenty of cars and can be had at every servo.

Yes, non-turbo EJ22. We would be running it purely on LPG with a distributor, no electric management. So would you get more power with less compression and more boost, and how would that work surely less compression means less air thus negating the extra boost?

Would like to know about boost and EJ22's. As in, how much can they take, reliably and the most people have got out of them? Is it the ECU that is the issue stopping it from having more boost, or mechanical strength?

At the moment the most I could offer would be $50 for both. I'm tight on money, and the car only cost $75...

Yeah, but I'm concerned after blowing up second gear the piece in there will ruin the other gears. Also that gearbox has been through a bloody lot. It was in my Brumby years ago with over 2000km of 4WD hard top driving. And 3 race weekends in the race wagon. So I don't want to go to all that effort putting a gearbox in which might just blow up more at any time! I realised something was wrong when the wagon wasn't moving and stopped revving it. My brother said it wasn't spinning. Pulled it out with the Toyota, seemed fine after that but then didn't reverse. I've been reading much about autos and looking throughout my service manual which goes into much detail about the 3sp 4WD Auto. From everything I read it isn't the forward clutch but the band that is stuck. I tried pulling the band solenoid off the side, got the circlip out but no luck getting the rest out while it is in the car. Tried adjusting out the band on the other side and its still locked so that tells me the band is fused on.. I have come to the conclusion the box is as good as a boat anchor. I'll be looking for a good D/R 4 or 5 speed to put in it, until then its just gonna have to sit with the rest of the wrecks. Didn't like the auto anyhow, nothing like having proper 100% drive through a gearbox that you can control! Oh, and the fluid was right near the full mark when I got the car. But after draining it it did look a little merky. On top of all this I have number 3 and 4 compression rings sticking, so the engine sounds like a tractor and barely moves the car! hahaha. I've got another ok engine I'll throw in it when I do the gearbox though.

Actually this didn't weigh much. It was all the cut wood stacked in the back going up probably something like a 20% grade that killed it! :-\ She just would move.

Not all of us live in North America, any suggestions for alternatives that I might be able to source? NorthWet, I've been looking in a manual I have on my computer for the EA81 auto and I've found the right plate on the side of the box that covers the band solenoid. I've taken out the circlip but am having trouble getting the plate out. Also due to no room at all (haven't pulled the trans out) its hard to get to it. But I'll keep trying. From what I can see and understand in the manual and on general websites describing autos when the band is engaged it engages first (or "low"). So I assume the solenoid is just stuck not letting the band go. But who knows, the band might just of fused on to the drum? Like I said, I was full revs, no movement and no wheel slippage. Only let it go like that for no more then 15 seconds. But whatever, it hated it! hahaha... If I can get a manual without a blown 2nd gear (like the spare I have) I'll put a manual in it.

Fluid is nice and clean looking and there seems to be plenty, can't check it while in neutral as its locked in first. Yeah first thought I had was the first gear band solenoid got stuck when trying to hual more than 600kg of chopped wood in the back up a steep slope. The revs went up to 5000 or so but no wheel spin. I think I over done it trying. I've already shifted it between all the gears many times and its still stuck, more you say?

I know you said a couple, but I couldn't resist getting the old photos out!

No, I am not from India!

So I over heated the auto in the property work wagon and now its stuck in first gear. When in park the engine is constantly under load, when in reverse it rocks back and forth a little and is under load but won't reverse. When in neutral it drives forward, and in D 2 or L it drives. I haven't tried to get it into second gear because I don't drive this car fast. But I'd bet it would hate it! So question is, anyone know how to unlock it out of first gear? I'm thinking the solenoid has stuck and is holding it into gear. I really am not a fan of auto 4WD's! This is the first I've owned but I've driven a 3sp EA82 and it was the same as this EA81 3sp. I've also driven a '00 model Land Cruiser with an auto.. All of them have had issues related to being autos that I get annoyed with. Maybe I need to find a manual box for this work wagon and swap it in! But while I have no money, it would be sweet to know what I could do to free up this auto box...

I would suggest using a more detailed subject line to actually attract the people who may know what the ... you are after. Something like "Wrecker near Maryland with Subarus?" Seriously.....

At worst you would need new rubber seals, but it should be all good to reuse the old ones.

Sesame oil that was a joke...

Well I used the good ol' Australian sun and a piece of nylon fishing line. Worked very easy. Bit of meths to clean of the paint work ready for sanding. Now I just need to find something to glue them back on with... Thinking maybe some of the sikaflex windscreen glue I've got...

I'll try the hair drier... it appears to be held on with double sided black tape of some kind.

I need to respray the rear door on the Outback, want to take the badges off to do a proper job. So, best way to remove them so I can glue them back on later?

Just to update... I've changed the throwout bearing for a brand new one. Cleaned up the shaft it slides on, greased, new retaining clips, etc.. And it still makes the noise. So I've changed the friction plate. And the throwout bearing. And put a return spring on the lever. Still getting the same noise.. I'm selling the car now so I don't know if I'll ever find out what was causing it. But I thought it might be a good idea to update on this thread that the throwout bearing wasn't causing it.

My parts guy has listings for Brumbys (BRATS) from 85 to 94 with EA82s. This never happened in Australia or the US. So, don't trust the books!

First off I'm not talking about the spline the hub goes on or the spline on the gearbox I am talking about the splines the CV race slots onto the shaft itself. I've seen different size and number count splines on the inner "DOJs" from 2WS to 4WD to Aftermarket shafts. But is this the same case with the outer CV joint? I need to replace a joint and a new shaft is too expensive. But just a joint is much cheaper and it is no worries for me to do the work. Problem is I don't want to buy the joint then find out it won't fit to either of my two shafts I have to play with. One of the shafts looks original, the other is quite obviously aftermarket (and very new looking). They are both the 4WD thickness.

Quite often the strut is actually bent. The wheel with ok camber is the bent one. The bad camber wheel is the one with the original straight strut. Are the bottom ball joints in good condition? And the tie rod ends? Obviously get the wheels balanced first if you haven't already