Newb from Houston, TX... and build thread

[SunnyHouTX]

I had to downgrade after being layed off last year and bought a '91 Loyale in June '08 for a grand total of $500. 163K miles, 5spd, 4WD. I had a CEL come up intermittently and it got progressively worse. Found USMB while researching this problem and got the CEL fixed today (bad EGR solenoid).

 

After reading about member rides and such, I have decided to hang on to my Suby long term and make it an off-road capable daily driver.

 

I have fixed all vacuum leaks and did a tune-up and the car now runs better than when I first got it. Idles like a dream and handles the freeway no sweat. I replaced the spare wheel in the engine compartment with a full size wheel that I got with the car.

 

First hop-up is this from Craigslist. Picking it up tomorrow for $85 from approximately 1.5 miles from my apartment.

 

 

Plans for the future are to rebuild rear diff (bogs car down in 4WD mode), lift, off-road wheels/tires, light bar, cargo basket on roof rack, and fix body dings/dents/paint. Oh, and I have to recharge the AC as soon as possible. I had the system evacuated to fix a leaking shrader valve and haven't come around to recharging it. Need to do it this month since we'll be warming up pretty soon down here in Houston.

 

I'll post photos of the Loyale tomorrow.

 

My main hobby is RC drag racing. I am a co-founder of Gulf Caost RC Drag Racing and the co-owner and chief designer at Urban Assault Racing which I started with a friend after I lost my job.

 

Thank you so much for all the information contained in this forum and I am glad to have joined.

 

Edit: This is my second Suby. First was an 87 XT back in '97. Had it for about year before selling it to a friend.

Edited January 19, 2010 by SunnyHouTX

[SunnyHouTX]

Here she is. Carpet needs to be replaced obviously, and there's a tear in the driver seat. Full size spare wheel fits well I think. Couple of dents on the driver side front fender and on passenger side fender below bumper. You can see the passenger side fender bulge out in the last photo because of this. No rust whatsoever. Will start cleaning up the engine compartment bit by bit after replacing valve cover gaskets. I sprayed all the rims with black engine enamel to get them looking uniform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SunnyHouTX]

Just got back from getting the car smogged. Got a scare. Before I left I thought I had the EGR solenoid vacuum lines routed wrong and I routed them like this:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~davidtief/solenoid.html

 

I installed the Corolla solenoid as-is without reconfiguring it when I put it on. So this morning I corrected it.

 

Here's the first smog test result:

 

 

The smog computer froze in the middle of the test and failed me But I noticed that the HC levels were a little high and rerouted the EGR solenoid vacuum lines like I found them on the Corolla, put about 10 gallons of premium and some Lucas injector cleaner and drove a few miles and came back to the inspector. Here's the second test:

 

 

Success!!!

[eppoh]

Welcome. Looks like you scored on the Loyale. They handle like a go cart ( for a wagon) and are really fun to drive around town.

 

I sold one, a 93 that looked just like that with 80,000 miles in Houston about 2 months ago. He paid a lot more than you did.

 

I am an hour west of Houston, and have 2 Legacy's. If you are passing thru Columbus sometime and need a hand let me know.

[SunnyHouTX]

Thanks for the welcome eppoh. I'm very glad I found this joint, because it has turned my Suby from just a car to a hobby! Yes, I did get a deal on it And for having 160K+ miles on the odo, it runs very well. The inspection guys were commenting on how well it ran. It was satisfying, knowing that I had tinkered with it to get there. Speaking of handling, my right rear strut is shot and needs to be replaced. I'm holding off on that till I get the lift kit and do it all in one go.

 

Columbus huh? I go to San Antonio for RC drag races so if something comes up and need a hand, I will keep you in mind. I will do the same for you if you are in Houston. Anytime. Being laid off has it perks

 

BTW, just got the roof rack and paid $80 for it. Seller didn't have the nerf bars so I asked for the $5 off for that even though I don't need them. Come to think of it, should have asked for more off. Still a great deal for $80.

 

I need to shorten the cross bars a little bit (they are 50") to fit on the car right. Will do that tomorrow and put it on the car.

[SunnyHouTX]

I think I just figured out the deal with the "dragging" rear end: I was confusing AWD with 4WD. Looks like everything might be OK, I just need to quit testing it out on pavement. DOH! I'm learning, trust me

[rainman19154]

Welcome! Nice little wagon sure enough.

... yeah, running the 4wd on pavement isn't a good idea. I had an 86 with that same pushbutton on the shifter and it was tempting to use the 4wd for some crazy cornering. DON"T DO IT!!!

[SunnyHouTX]

Thanks rainman. Hey I have a buddy from Cali who goes by that moniker minus the numbers. Would have been cool if he was on here as well. But he weighs around 375lbs, so I doubt he has a Suby

 

I won't push the 4WD button on pavement again. I am glad that it's one less item on the to-do list

[idosubaru]

You got it - 4WD is true "locked" 4WD and should never be used unless you're offroad or in slick conditions...like all that snow you get down there .

[SunnyHouTX]

Right??? Speaking of snow, it snowed for 8hrs on December 4th, '09 and it is 82*F today! Oh well, that's Texas for ya.

 

Got the rack on today:

 

 

Trimmed off about 9" off the cross bars and it looks good to me.

 

Also will be picking these up in the morning for $100 for the set with plenty of tread left:

 

 

 

Edit:

 

Thanks to all the contributers in this thread for all the tips on the 6 lug conversion. It also has a link to this "how to" (credit to Thomas Paine).

Edited January 19, 2010 by SunnyHouTX

[Legacy777]

Welcome!

 

Another Houston member. Not too many people on here are in Houston.

 

I'm around the Galleria area myself.

[SunnyHouTX]

Agreed! Makes me that much more motivated to have one of few, if not the only, lifted Suby around these parts

 

Update: the wheels did not pan out. The guy had a set of 4 wheels alright but they were not a matched set Drove 45 miles one way for almost nothing. I say almost because I located a salvage yard close by and scored two fenders off a sedan to replace the damaged ones in the car. The lower valance panel will be beaten as straight as possible and painted with black bedliner. The two fenders will get just a matching base coat.

 

Looks like I will be replacing the rear struts next within the next couple of weeks.

[SunnyHouTX]

The more I read, the more I think I'm gong about this the wrong way. I think I may have to get a dual range 5sp in here before I do the lift. I will be using 14" rims for sure and might only go for 25" to 26" OD tires. What are your opinions on this?

 

Searched on the forum and the trend is to go for the dual range 5sp but the tires they put on were huge. So it's a little harder for me to decide which way to go.

[crazyman03]

The more I read, the more I think I'm gong about this the wrong way. I think I may have to get a dual range 5sp in here before I do the lift. I will be using 14" rims for sure and might only go for 25" to 26" OD tires. What are your opinions on this?

 

Searched on the forum and the trend is to go for the dual range 5sp but the tires they put on were huge. So it's a little harder for me to decide which way to go.

 

 

Well, a D/R 5sp is a very fun little tidbit to have. Either way you will need to lift before you can fit 14" 25's under the fenders I would think. You can get away for a little bit not having a D/R.

 

 

-Justin

[SunnyHouTX]

Hey there Justin, yeah the D/R 5spd is definitely a "must get" item and I am looking for one close to where I live. I guess my concern is if I should get that first before getting the lift and 25" OD tires. Can the stock EA82 handle 25" tires if I primarily stay on pavement and the beach? Heavy off-roading will be out till I get the D/R 5spd for sure. So if what you say is true, then I will go ahead and start with the lift/25s for now while looking for the D/R 5spd.

[McScooby]

Your Wagon looks nice. :banana:But it's a pity that she it has no hub caps.

[The Dude Abides]

Having mildly (real mild) offroaded my soob and generally beaten the crap out of it. The single range 4wd is enough to get you through most situations but not serious ruts, rocks, tree stumps, real slippery hills, etc etc. But starting out you should be ok. If i were you i would buy the lift first but then hold off on putting it on until you have your wheels and tires. That way you lift it, its ok then put your wheels on and your good to go. You can still do some mild offroading with your single range until you can find a dual range. Depending on what lift you get is what size tires. The 2 inch lift im getting says i can have 27 inch tires on it. Do some more checking around on the search function and you will see what others have done. Hell check out oneeye he has done many 2 inch lifts and he has lots of pictures in the threads he does. So you can compare stock to 2 inch lifted.

 

Ben

[SunnyHouTX]

Your Wagon looks nice. :banana:But it's a pity that she it has no hub caps.

 

Thanks McSooby! Fortunately, I don't care for hubcaps, doesn't do me anything when I want to go off-road

 

Having mildly (real mild) offroaded my soob and generally beaten the crap out of it. The single range 4wd is enough to get you through most situations but not serious ruts, rocks, tree stumps, real slippery hills, etc etc. But starting out you should be ok. If i were you i would buy the lift first but then hold off on putting it on until you have your wheels and tires. That way you lift it, its ok then put your wheels on and your good to go. You can still do some mild offroading with your single range until you can find a dual range. Depending on what lift you get is what size tires. The 2 inch lift im getting says i can have 27 inch tires on it. Do some more checking around on the search function and you will see what others have done. Hell check out oneeye he has done many 2 inch lifts and he has lots of pictures in the threads he does. So you can compare stock to 2 inch lifted.

 

Ben

 

Ben, that seems to be my line of action. I too think that the 5spd single range will do for me for now. I plan on getting a 4" lift and will go with 26" to 27" wheels. Still waiting to hear back from SJR or BOSS about getting stuff from them, but I've not got a reply to my PMs to them yet What lift are you getting? On a 2" lift, I always thought that one must do some fender trimming to make 27"s fit? Am I wrong or what? Thanks.

 

Update: went to play with my RC 4x4 at the local track and the driveway to the place is gravelly, so I got to test the 4wd system. I am happy to report that it works as it should in that there is no bind and it disengages smoothly when I switch it of and back up about 5' - 6' or so.

Edited January 26, 2010 by SunnyHouTX

[The Dude Abides]

The measurements figure out to be 27 inches if you went with a 205-75-15 or a 215-75-15. You might need alittle trimming or bashing but nothing drastic. I dont know how extreme of offroading your planning on doing but check out The Beast I Drive, he has 31s or 33s and he has a lift about where your wanting. Spend lots of time in the off road section and you will see what others have done. Theres even a thread on 2010 off road vehicles so you should bet a good idea on what others are doing.

[SunnyHouTX]

Ben, I plan on sticking to 195/75/14 (max 205) tires with the 4" lift in the hope of not having to do any sheet metal trimming/bashing. I did read the off road section quite well and that led me to the above conclusion, since I won't be doing the kind of off-roading those guys were doing. Especially not here in Houston. For now, it'll be trips to the beach, and some hill country trails. I think the above should suffice, no?

[SunnyHouTX]

Got tired of not having any heat in the car. Got some Peak cooling system flush and did the reverse heater core flush and also cleaned out the radiator and block. Wow, what a difference that made. On max heat, the air coming out of the center vent got to 183*F! Obviously, I am very happy about spending the time today to get it done.

 

Edit: I also fixed the resistor pack for the blower motor and I now have all speeds working. Only speeds 3 and 4 were working. I ended up removing the two bad coils as well as the good coil in order to put in all new resistors. Works like a charm now.

Edited February 2, 2010 by SunnyHouTX

[SunnyHouTX]

Got a little bold about the Loyale and took her on a 460 mile round trip to San Antonio, Texas to participate in a RC drag race. Oh, in case I failed to mention, my other hobby is RC drag racing. Not just a hobby anymore since I am co-owner of a chassis manufacturing outfit called Urban Assault Racing (more about that later).

 

So we loaded up all the gear we need for me and my buddy Greg (other co-owner of UAR) into the Loyale and off we went. I think we had about 300 lbs of gear and about 450 lbs of human in it.

 

Wow, both of us were impressed by how she did. Averaged 29.3 mpg doing about 70 mph. Also found that the rear passenger side strut was failing so that will be replaced tomorrow.

 

Well, back to RC drag racing. Here are some photos of my cars:

 

 

 

 

[SunnyHouTX]

Since the last post, nothing much exciting has happened with the Loyale other than that she's my daily driver now. To that end, I replaced brake pads (shoes this weekend) and also the rear struts.

 

Well, with the warmer weather coming in, it's time to tackle the A/C now. It was working when I got the car, but late last summer, it was operating rather erratically until one day the A/C didn't work at all. The blower was fine, but the compressor never kicked on. Early this month, I evacuated the system and pulled a vacuum and converted to R134. At that point, the compressor kicked in and worked fine UNTIL I turned off the engine after the job. When I started her back up to run an errand, no A/C.

 

So I started reading more about the problem on this forum and learned about the need to upgrade the relays to newer Bosch type relays. Well, I got 4 of them and I got down to start the project... and hit a brick wall.

 

I started with the A/C relay behind the fuse box. I put my multimeter to it and found two +12V feeds no matter if the A/C switch was in the ON or OFF position.

 

My question is, should I first replace the two relays by the passenger side front strut tower? Will the failure of one of the other two relays cause the interior relay to have two +12V feeds?

 

Anyway, the A/C works now with the interior A/C relay dangling down without any work done to it. It even cuts in and out when pressing the On/OFF switch. What's gong? Don't know enough to figure it out.

 

Thanks for your help.