Subaru Libero

[Ady_E12]

Hello everybody!

My name is Adrian, I live in Bucharest, Romania and I am the proud owner of a 1992 Subaru Libero. I bought the van last summer with the money I raised working on my dad's ranch. I'm still in college and I'm currently unemployed(working here and there), so the budget is kind of tight.

I would like to find some Subaru Libero owners to help me with my restoration project. I hope you guys can help me.

The van is in not that bad of a shape, but it needs some tweaking before I can actually use it.

It has a rear mounted 1200cc engine with a single barrel Hitachi carburetor. It's the Subaru EF12 engine, mounted horizontally.

106000km on the clock, with a engine rebuild done by the previous owners 6000km ago, before they let the van sit for like 5 years.

I had the engine started a couple of times and it runs super smooth. The starter only cranks with jump leads from another car and the idle isn't working properly because the vacuum lines on the intake are kind of messed up. Because of that, the 4WD system might not work.

Exhaust gas kinda stinks, but that's to be expected since the hasn't started for that long. Also, bad catalyst warning light stays on all the time(might need a replacement).

Body is not that bad, it has some rust here and there, some surface rust on the underside of the car and a couple smalls holes on the sides. Will fix them. No war damage, everything looks nice and straight(except one small corner panel, but that's no biggie).

Since I bought it, I put new filters in it(air, fuel, oil), new 10W40 oil, new rubber fuel lines and clamps to hold them in place. I bought and installed an used alternator(the original was not working), I pulled the starter off the car and gave it a little bit of TLC(bench tested it, lubed it, gave it a few coats of primer paint and put it back in). I cleaned all the electrical connections in the engine bay. Some of them were really corroded.

I found a tiny MAIN fuse box in the engine compartment that is really corroded. I would like to take it all apart, maybe replace it. The power line for the starter(coming out from that tiny box) was so corroded I was able to rip it apart really easy. Will put new connectors on it, properly insulate it and screw it back in place.

Please tell me if you guys know these cars and if you can help me with some advices. Finding Subaru Libero forums with English versions is really hard.

I'll be waiting for replies. Cheers!

[desertsubaru]

Would like to see Photos of it if you can. I cant help with the problems you have but it sounds like a neat car.

By the way I own a 1954 Romanian Mosin Nagant M44 rifle. It is my favorite firearm in my collection.

[Ady_E12]

Here it is:

. Such as it is, this is my van. I love it. It's a great little van and I can't wait to get it on the open road.

Also, here are 2 videos that I made last winter, trying to show the van to a friend from Germany(great guy, fellow Libero owner, helped me a great deal):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCLES5FACCU&context=C4e6097bADvjVQa1PpcFM_cvhwKQEBUWmnbru1GHCpGWWlzVdJReE=

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCLES5FACCU&context=C4e6097bADvjVQa1PpcFM_cvhwKQEBUWmnbru1GHCpGWWlzVdJReE=

 

 

Also, Moisin Nagant=> awesome rifle. Never got the chance to shoot one IRL, but I saw lots of videos(I do like firearms). We used to build lots of cool weapons(actually we still do). I love the Romanian versions of the AK47.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Ady_E12
Forgot to add smth.

[The FNG]

Man, that is a bad rump roast van! I don't think any of those made it to the states, but I would rock one:headbang: Good luck and I hope someone can help you on here.

[Ady_E12]

Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like it. It's quite a quirky practical little van. It has 6 seats that turn into a breakfast table for 4 or a really comfy bed for 2, selectable RWD/4WD, sun visors, sun roof, music, etc. Also, unlike other key vans, it's built on a really tough ladder frame. Even if the sheet metal is very thin, the frame is rock hard.

Actually, my only concern here is that no one ever heard of these vans. According to Wikipedia, these vans never made it to the US. I realize that probably most of the users are from the US so I'm afraid I'd be barking at the wrong tree(so to speak). I don't want to bug anyone for no proper reason or anything like that.

[desertsubaru]

Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like it. It's quite a quirky practical little van. It has 6 seats that turn into a breakfast table for 4 or a really comfy bed for 2, selectable RWD/4WD, sun visors, sun roof, music, etc. Also, unlike other key vans, it's built on a really tough ladder frame. Even if the sheet metal is very thin, the frame is rock hard.

Actually, my only concern here is that no one ever heard of these vans. According to Wikipedia, these vans never made it to the US. I realize that probably most of the users are from the US so I'm afraid I'd be barking at the wrong tree(so to speak). I don't want to bug anyone for no proper reason or anything like that.

I'm sure someone here knows a little about them. Stick around this is a great forum with lots of great people.

 

I to like Romy AK 47s and sks

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Welcome!

 

They Didn't went like That to the USA, but in the Past, Older Models of the Sambar (360 Van) and Newer from 1980 but Converted to Electric Vehicles (Electra Van), did.

 

 

 

 

We Have many of those E10 and E12 Vans, named here just like That; here's a Picture of one of Those in a Mountain Village named "Santa Lucia" in my Li'l Country:

 

 

 

 

So They came here, to Latin America... there is another USMB member with one of Those in Chile, his Board name is "Libero" and here's a Link to his Thread:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=131994

 

 

Kind Regards.

[TeamCF]

Those are neat little vans. Wish we had more of them here in the US, they never got officially imported. I do see them from time to time though, that and the Sambar (version with a truck bed) around Portland. There was a guy out near me that had a bunch for sale for awhile, every one of them plated for road use. A couple were lifted with bigger tires.

 

And I also own a Mosin Nagant. 1942 M91/30. Russian made though, so it only half counts. (they made them everywhere, even a version that was made here in the US for a couple years. And there are still some in use with some of the smaller militaries of the world.)

[man on the moon]

Welcome! You are not the only person from outside the US, though to my memory there are not too many from eastern Europe at the moment. About time to change that .

 

Your english is good, by the way--are you a native speaker, or did you learn in school? Just being curious, sorry if it's too much.

 

Good looking van, btw! Hope to hear many stories about it as time goes on.

[Ady_E12]

@desertsubaru:

Yes, I will stick around. I've been reading some of the threads here and I realized by myself that it's a really nice community. That's why I actually decided to join. I mean, even if I wouldn't be able to get specific Libero know-how, it's still a Subaru owners community and it's great to find new people that share the interest in these cars.

I've been a Subaru fan since kindergarten(used to see kick rump roast 1980s Wagon on the way home and it kinda' got to me), but I never actually thought that I'll get to own one. That is until I found this little puppy a few years back(saw it sitting there for like 5 years, finally decide to buy it last summer).

AK47=> AWESOME, my fav weapon of all. I got to play around with a Romanian Draco AK-47 Pistol once, but I don't own one. I did had an airsoft model AK47 as a kid, but it was plastic and it broke down.

 

 

@Loyale 2.7 Turbo

I'm glad someone here has heard of them. They are great little machines, imported almost everywhere, but you don't see them in North America that often. Probably because the Americans love big cars(amongst other reasons, not gonna start a debate about it though).

Mine has the E12 badge on it(actually a sticker), Super Deluxe and it also used to have a 4WD Wagon badge. It's called a 4WD Wagon in the pink slips.

 

 

@TeamCF:

They are actually very rare here. And apparently, really desirable. Two days ago, I saw an ad on the net for a really cheap 1992 that only lasted 3 or 4 days. I would love buy a second one myself, probably a non-runner to use as a parts donor. I actually got in touch with a guy in Romania who sells parts off his non-runner. Got me a replacement alternator(which I fitted on the car, but never got to test it) and a carburetor(mostly for parts, it's all dirty and old, I don't think I'll ever use it in my van as a complete unit).

 

 

@man on the moon:

Yeah, I may be one of the first from Eastern Europe. I'm glad I can help diversify the ethnicity of this community. My English is not that bad, but also not as good as I would like it to be. My grammar and pronunciation are not that good. I'm not a native English speaker, but I've been studying at school.

Also, I hang out on various forums where English is the main language, so I get a lot of practice. I'm sorry I never got that kind of practice with my French. That one got really rusty.

Thank you all for the kind words, I will try my best to get the van fixed and keep you posted with any and all progress.

Have a good one, everybody!

[desertsubaru]

Salut si bine ati venit! Aceasta este o maşină frumoasă.

[Ady_E12]

Salut si bine v-am gasit!

Ma bucur ca va place duba mea Subaru.

*Switching to English, Google Translate kinda' sucks rusty exhausts*.

 

Let me tell you guys a bit about myself, just to let you know what you're dealing with.

21 year old, college student, full time car freak. Big time Ford freak(Ford Europe that is) and big fan of pretty much everything Jap.

Got my first car when I was 18. 1987 Merkur XR4Ti(I know, luckyyyyy).

Found it on the side of the road, sitting for a few years, just like the Subaru.

That's my first project, stagnant for the time being(parts really expensive to get here).

The logic behind it is: The XR is fast, furious but thirsty on gas. The E12 small, practical and economical(and lots of fun).

I'd use the van as a daily driver, road trips, camping, stuff like that and the XR for turbocharged RWD fun around corners at night.

I am really REALLY into drifting so that's where I'm heading with the XR.

 

Now, the Subaru. Founded a few years ago, long before I bought the XR. I wanted to buy it on the spot, but I decided not to, on the premises that it's a rare model, parts are expensive and hard to come by, etc.

Last summer, I was in the hunt for the perfect small car and I remembered the old Subaru. It's actually a great thing that I waited, in the meantime, the previous owners have put a lot of work in it. Full engine rebuild, new rear end suspension, some rust treatment, etc.

I would like to restore it to the original condition and maybe decorate it with a few window stickers(Jap stuff, anime stuff, also a small Jap flag on the antenna, stuff like that).

 

Since I bought it, I installed a replacement window(the original got smashed by someone who broke in a couple of weeks before I bought it), put a new battery(the old one was stolen), new filters, new oil, new fuel lines. I cleaned the electrical connectors, I replaced the bad alternator, I took the front and rear shields off, power-brushed the rust out and they are currently awaiting rustproofing. I also got a hold of a LG CD player and a couple of speakers to change the old AM setup.

I bought a set of slightly used, but in great condition 13" VW Polo steel rims. Smaller ET, look a bit buffed up on the van.

Problems that need addressing:

Vacuum lines need to be put back in the proper order(hopefully it will restore the 4WD function);

Intake must be taken apart and cleaned(carb is dirty and unresponsive to fine tune-up);

Electrical corrosion in the engine bay must be dealt with;

Body, frame and mechanics power-brushed and rustproofed(most likely I'll have to flip the van on it's side to do it);

Fix the hand brake.

Check and fill transmission oil levels, preferably replace the gear oil with new;

New tires, tuning the headlamp beams, new horns and projectors;

Yeah, that's pretty much it. I'll start working on it as soon as the weather clears(right now it's rainy and stormy). Will tow the van to my dad's ranch outside town so I can work properly on it. Unfortunately, it's an open air project, I don't have a garage to work in or to store my rides.

Will keep you guys posted, will take more pics and make more vids.

Sorry if the reading was too long, but that's just how I roll .

Sanatate! Numai bine!

[Ady_E12]

Got me some new terminals for the power line from the MAIN fuse box to the starter motor. Will solder them on a piece of thick ground wire that I got off my donor XR4Ti and install it on the van.

Also got some new washers for the starter terminals(old ones were really corroded).

I'm gonna give the van a quick wash today. A wave of sand came from Sahara(weird, I know) and completely F-ed up all the cars here. My Subaru was parked in the shade and therefore a bit protected, but it's still really dirty.

[Cougar]

Welcome to the forum Adrian. It sounds like you have a lot of good knowledge already to work on your project so, good job and nice van. If you need some help with getting the starter going let us know.

[bhazard]

They actually called them Merkur there? I figured they were Ford Sierra just like the rest of Europe.

 

Sweet van, and your English is better than most Americans.

[Ady_E12]

Thanks! I'm glad you feel think so.

Actually, one of the XRs(the one that I'm going to restore) was imported from the States a long time ago by some of the previous owners. It was registered in Connecticut. It's now registered in Romania, but it still has the DMV sticker on the windscreen.

Don't know much about the history of the donor XR and I don't really care.

I bought it as scrap metal, took the useful bits out, the rest will be recycled.

 

As far as the little Subaru goes, I'm afraid I have some bad news. For whatever reason, it decided not to work anymore.

I re-attached the engine bay ground brackets that I took out a few weeks ago(all power brushed, sprayed with Zn-Al spray and a few brushes of paint in the non-contact areas), installed the 60A main fuse back on and NOTHING.

I did not connect any wire to the starter(one of them being the power line coming from the main fuse box(with the 60A fuse), but that should not be an issue. I had the damn thing taken off the car all winter and everything else worked just fine(lights, indicators, window washers, the lot).

The battery is ok(12.6V), but no 12V going to that main 60A fuse. I really don't know what to do.

 

Misplacing wires is impossible since I only took out 2 and I made a video to remind me the correct order.

I remember connecting the battery without the ground brackets on and it slightly buzzed my arm when I touched the car. I took it off immediately.

No smoke, no sparks, nothing. All the fuses look intact.

 

Also found a big junk of rust on the underbelly. Driver side, rear. Lots of it and probably inaccessible without taking the shell off the frame.

 

Please help! Will work on some pics so you can understand better what I'm talking about. Perhaps a video tomorrow.

Cheers!

[Ady_E12]

I busted my head trying to read/search through some pics of a German Subaru Libero manual and I didn't get to a valid conclusion.

I did found out that one of the rusty bits that sits on those ground mounts is the 4WD/2WD solenoid valve.

It's something similar to these two, but less corroded: http://www.lowlevel.cz/log/images/subaru-libero-canister-purge-solenoid-1_s.jpg .

I think the 4WD\2WD selector is actually working, but the vacuum lines might be misplaced. The 4WD light on the dash never popped up(tried to engage the system with the engine running), but I was able to hear a clicking noise when I pressed the 4WD button with the ignition on and the engine off. Some guys on a Jap mini-truck forum said that the clicking is the 4WD electro-valve doing it's thing.

Will take it off, power brush the rust off of it, spray it with Zn-Al spray and paint it primer red.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Ady_E12

[Cougar]

Adrian, you stated you replaced the main 60 amp fuse and have no power to it. Battery power is provided to the distribution panel under the hood usually by a smaller red wire tied to the positive battery post along with the main battery cable to the starter solenoid. Sometimes manufacturers come off the connection there at the solenoid for the power wire to the fuse panel under the hood. You just need to find where the connection comes from and look for the break in the wire. You also stated you didn't replace the wire from the fuse to the starter and the main cable to the starter solenoid so that sounds like that is causing the trouble. A very simple problem. Your vehicle may also have some fusible links inside a small plastic box that will feed to various things in the van. Once you get power to the fuse panel under the hood then hopefully power will get to the ignition switch and to other things. Make sure the negative side of the battery has a good ground connection to the chassis and the main cable to the engine block for the starter grounding.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Cougar

[Ady_E12]

Now that you mentioned it, there is a small red wire tied to the the battery + lead and it has a normal 20A fuse on it. I didn't check that one because the last owner told me it's a wire going to an old alarm system(car also has a alarm sticker on the window, but no actual alarm at the moment).

I will check that wire too. Hopefully it's that one and it's just a blown fuse. Don't really think it's that, but I do hope so. It would be a cheap fix and I would then be able to sleep at night.

I didn't replace main 60A fuse. It looks alright so I just put it back in.

The power line to the starter solenoid will be soldered tomorrow and connected. I don't believe that it is the culprit since I had it disconnected all winter long and stuff worked.

Battery negative lead had a very corroded bolt holding it down to the body. It broke off when I tried to remove it. I drilled it out, threaded the hole and replaced the bolt and washer with shiny new ones. I also removed the connector from the cable and soldered a new one.

In the meantime, I came across some better quality silver plated copper connectors so I will replace that one too. I have half of mind to replace the whole cable with a piece from the salvaged cable from the XR(I can cut a longer piece longer and I think it's a bit thicker too). I will also use heat shrink instead of electrical tape to insulate the soldered part.

 

Now for a bit of hard hitting truth: Electrics aren't really my thing. I'm new at it and I can't say I fully understand it. I'm more into mechanical stuff. That I can relate to.

For the sake of me actually doing something electric, I will DIY the audio system(CD player + 2 speakers mounted in the doors) with supervision, of course.

I will do that when power will be restored to the car.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Ady_E12

[Cougar]

You need to see why the 60 amp fuse isn't getting power to it. I assume it is used as the main power fuse. Somehow, it should be tied back to the positive battery post. It also may be used for the charging circuit and a larger fuse is used for the main connection to power. Usually the fuse is around 80 to 100 amps in the newer vehicles but yours may be less.

 

NOTE:

Sometimes the main power connection from the battery to the main fuse panel under the hood is connected by a fusible link. A link looks like a ordinary piece of wire and is designed to handle a specific amount of current. They are current rated by color coding the insulation of the wire. You may have this type of connection and the link is blown which can be hard to see visually at times. When they blow out the middle section of the link flexes easier than the rest of it. Of course power will be seen on the battery side of the connection but no voltage will be seen on the other side of the blown connection if that is the case.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Cougar

[Ady_E12]

Yeah, I just came back from the van, I think I figured it out.

I connected the battery and I tried to find out where the + line goes. I followed it a bit and I found out that it's one of the two cables that are attached to the same terminal on the starter solenoid.

I pulled it a bit until I accidentally touched the 4WD/2WD solenoid valve with it. Big spark, big scare... the works.

Then I realized that I found out which is the actual power line going to the starter.

The corroded cable that I took off the 60A fuse box was a line that connected the rest of the electrical system to the battery. So it's normal for nothing to work since there's no cable there to get battery power.

Will solder it tomorrow and, hopefully, it will work.

I am currently uploading a video that I made on YT so you'll actually be able to see what's going on there.

Anyways, thanks a lot! I'm not really into the whole cable following, pulling and investigating thing so I would've probably get someone else to do it if it weren't for you guys.

[Ady_E12]

This is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC_Mdwwodmk.

PS: I was not high or under the influence of any substance. This is just how my voice sounds on tape.

[Cougar]

The corroded cable that I took off the 60A fuse box was a line that connected the rest of the electrical system to the battery. So it's normal for nothing to work since there's no cable there to get battery power.

Will solder it tomorrow and, hopefully, it will work.

 

It sounds like you are now on track. I will watch the video when I get a chance to. I don't have the time right now.

[Ady_E12]

I've installed the power line that I made, I've installed the 4WD/2RWD vacuum switch that I took off to restore and the oil pressure sender that I restored and IT FIRED UP!!!!

I'm SO happy!

Lots of smoke at first(running really rich and the carb needs a nice thorough clean), nasty cranking, a bit of a cough(again, the carb is dirty), but it starts.

I'm concerned about the clutch/transmission(will barely engage), but all in good time.

This is for you guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF8O6ez-XhE .

Thank you!

[Cougar]

Glad you got it going and you're welcome for the help. You might try changing the fuel filter if you haven't done that already.