EJ Swap endurance test - ROAD TRIP!!!

[Gloyale]

I recently swapped a 96 EJ22 into my 89 GL.

 

After some good long local drives, I deemed it ready for its maiden cross country voyage (the car has been cross country many times, but this is the first time with the EJ engine)

 

Trip was from my home in Corvallis, OR....to the small towns of Emporium and Clearfield PA. On the way there, we detoured down through Kansas to pick up a friend and give him a ride east.

 

After visiting family in PA, we went to "All Good" music festival in West Virginia.

 

Heading home we went the far north route of Hwy 2 (the high line) in order to see glacier national park and hit some hotsprings in Idaho.

 

8400 miles in all. The engine was flawless. never a hiccup, no temp issues, and pretty decent MPG considering how loaded down we where. We had camp kitchen equipment to feed a small army, and on the way back we hauled and Antique Grape Crusher/Wine press and an antique foot powered Sewing machine, none of wich was light.

 

Now the trip wasn't without issues, just not engine ones.

 

Flat tire on the car in Indiana......discover bottle jack doesn't work......flag down motorist to borrow jack......back on the road.......

 

trailer wheel bearing disintegrates and wheel and hub nearly fall off......luckily I noticed in a town that had a napa.....bought jack and wheel bearings and repaired......then drove off and left the jack under the trailer....DOH!

 

Glacier national park a front axle outer joint grenades.....knock out pin, pull broken part and continue in RWD

 

Then finally less than 100 miles from home I pull over to pee, and hear that wonderfull hiss of a tire loosing air....trailer tire popped....and it went flat quick.....flag down another car, borrow jack, put spare on.

 

Here are some pics.

Sorry none of the carnage....wish I had at least gotten a shot of the wheel bearing on the trailer.....it was so close to falling off.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Gloyale

[eulogious]

At least you made it! Glad the engine ran good, and you were at least able to fix everything that happened.

 

Last time I had a trailer tire go flat, I drove on it for about 100 miles without noticing It was dark, and I was tired Needless to say, that rim was messed up! It had compressed in on itself about 3-4 inches Once we noticed it, we said, screw and drove the next 50 miles That was good times. Lucky for you, you noticed BEFORE it went flat

[superu]

I recently swapped a 96 EJ22 into my 89 GL.

 

After some good long local drives, I deemed it ready for its maiden cross country voyage (the car has been cross country many times, but this is the first time with the EJ engine)

 

Nice report, sounds good!

 

I have a question for you (knowing you've done a bunch of good retrofitting), haven't you converted a dual range to 4.11?

Do I recall correctly you have a red first gen legacy wagon with a dual range swap (running the stock NA EJ22), but also swapped from 3.9 D/R to 4.11 dual range?

 

thanks and nice work hauling an engine swap cross-country!

-mw-

[Gloyale]

Nice report, sounds good!

 

I have a question for you (knowing you've done a bunch of good retrofitting), haven't you converted a dual range to 4.11?

Do I recall correctly you have a red first gen legacy wagon with a dual range swap (running the stock NA EJ22), but also swapped from 3.9 D/R to 4.11 dual range?

 

thanks and nice work hauling an engine swap cross-country!

-mw-

 

the red legacy did have a an experimental, AWD, 4.11 D/R in it. But there was something wrong with the mesh of the gears. Blew up second in about 500 miles. The car now has a standard part time, 3.9 D/R from a GL in it. (stubs swapped to 25 spline to mate to legacy axles)