KiwiGL Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 Have now installed an aftermarket digital temp gauge. The one on the digi dash only works about 50% of the time and seems to jump around randomly a bit. Numbers seem sensible on the digi one, sits around 85-90 in all driving. Also did a full coolant flush - the colour could best be described as rust. Took 15 litres of distilled water and about 3 hours of repeated flushing to get that out of it... Now pristine green. I also have a idler bearing on its way out. I suspect it's the aircon. Which is a pain. General maintenance wise, it needs a few belts and seals replaced. That's a longer term thing to do though. Also want to do the trans and diff oils after seeing the coolant... Wasn't flash. And lastly, the electric fan wiring is definitely a little dodgy. Doesn't come on with the switch on the dash anymore. Need to take a look at that. But she drives beautifully. I've got a few Subaru nut friends and they all can't believe how good it is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 Star Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Love these pre-facelift third-gens. Has the early dash-gauge-bezel without the sun-shade that you normally see on '86 + Leones... and the triangle-less, door-skin-mounted side-view-mirrors, perfect for making the wind whistle... Had an '85 USDM wagon myself before... many of the same early body features... Did they use the Orange Coolant?... or just never serviced... The cooling fan wired to the toggle switch is par for the course, half my rides are set up that way... although it is nice when they work the way they're designed. Enjoy the Sedan, looks like an awesome ride. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbodog Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 7 hours ago, KiwiGL said: Have now installed an aftermarket digital temp gauge. The one on the digi dash only works about 50% of the time and seems to jump around randomly a bit. Numbers seem sensible on the digi one, sits around 85-90 in all driving. Also did a full coolant flush - the colour could best be described as rust. Took 15 litres of distilled water and about 3 hours of repeated flushing to get that out of it... Now pristine green. I also have a idler bearing on its way out. I suspect it's the aircon. Which is a pain. General maintenance wise, it needs a few belts and seals replaced. That's a longer term thing to do though. Also want to do the trans and diff oils after seeing the coolant... Wasn't flash. And lastly, the electric fan wiring is definitely a little dodgy. Doesn't come on with the switch on the dash anymore. Need to take a look at that. But she drives beautifully. I've got a few Subaru nut friends and they all can't believe how good it is. check and clean the harness grounds, and if you un clipped and re attached all the clips behind the fuse panel im sure most of the electronics would start working again as intended, as mine did during my ecu install... half my accessories didn't work prior to me reseating all the clips, now they all work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 (edited) 46 minutes ago, turbodog said: check and clean the harness grounds, and if you un clipped and re attached all the clips behind the fuse panel im sure most of the electronics would start working again as intended, as mine did during my ecu install... half my accessories didn't work prior to me reseating all the clips, now they all work Yes, forgot to mention that but I do intend to clean the grounds. Made a big difference on my old Forester. I was informed by the PO that he ran green coolant in the radiator and red in the WAIC to ID which was leaking, if that were to occur. Edited March 16, 2021 by KiwiGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 On 3/17/2021 at 4:51 AM, KiwiGL said: I was informed by the PO that he ran green coolant in the radiator and red in the WAIC to ID which was leaking, if that were to occur. That’s good thinking! I would’ve run the same coolant for simplicity of only using one product... Cheers Bennie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share Posted March 29, 2021 Well, took her out for a couple of drives with the temp sensor installed. Works a treat, now have an accurate digital readout of the top rad hose temp. However, last time I took her out, it sat at 40 (minimum readout) for ages, and then spiked to 90 very suddenly. It then proceeded to sit in the mid 90s for the rest of the drive, spiking to 107 (!!!!!!!) at one point for a couple of seconds at rest, before cooling off. Switching on the e fan manually (which is definitely working) helped a bit. Diagnosis IMO is bad thermostat. I was intending on replacing it anyway. Have ordered a 160 C thermostat, gaskets etc. I have also done the twin e fan mod ( ) on Gertie (my wagon) and I will be replacing the temp switch with the Hyundai part when I do the thermostat on the sedan. I have also ordered a new radiator as I suspect the current one is a bit blocked from when I did the system flush. $200, cheap insurance. I think the thermo fan hub is ok, as it spins when cold and locks up when the engine is hot. If replacing the thermostat, radiator, and fan switch doesn't help temps then I may have blown the HG when it spiked... Really hoping not. I've also ordered a new temp sender so will see if that helps the factory gauge read properly. Should I replace the water pump? Seems to pump ok at the moment, but while I'm in there... May as well rip it out and fit an EJ257! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbodog Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 (edited) On 3/28/2021 at 9:41 PM, KiwiGL said: Have ordered a 160 C thermostat get an oem subaru one from an ej. it fits if you slightly shave off the outside of it. best mod. aftermarket ones are poopoo. recently i tested what looked to be the best aftermarket one id ever seen... till i tested it agenst a stock one.... oem one opened faster at the right temp, and stayed open compared to the aftermarket that only opened a few mm and then promptly shut when i removed it from the burner... the oem one stayed open till it hit its rated temp, then went to about 50% open till about 10 degrees below the rated temp and then closed... Edited April 3, 2021 by turbodog 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted April 19, 2021 Author Share Posted April 19, 2021 (edited) New radiator, dual e fans, thermostat replaced, and a bad idler bearing replaced. Just waiting on a coolant hose and extra temp sensor. I have also spotted what looks like a coolant leak from the coolant return pipe where it bolts onto the turbo. Anyone have a lead for the copper crush washers for this? I suspect this may be the source of my slow coolant leak. Old thermostat was super crusty and definitely in need of replacing. Old hoses also pretty crusty internally, I would hate to think what the old radiator looked like inside... Then I need to do the diff seals and replace all the front CV boots, and she's done! Will also bleed brakes and do trans fluid, looked a little dirty when I pulled the cooling hose off the radiator. Power steering fluid was pristine... Until I stupidly pulled off the reservoir without draining it... Edited April 19, 2021 by KiwiGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ionstorm66 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 2 hours ago, KiwiGL said: New radiator, dual e fans, thermostat replaced, and a bad idler bearing replaced. Just waiting on a coolant hose and extra temp sensor. I have also spotted what looks like a coolant leak from the coolant return pipe where it bolts onto the turbo. Anyone have a lead for the copper crush washers for this? I suspect this may be the source of my slow coolant leak. Old thermostat was super crusty and definitely in need of replacing. Old hoses also pretty crusty internally, I would hate to think what the old radiator looked like inside... Then I need to do the diff seals and replace all the front CV boots, and she's done! Will also bleed brakes and do trans fluid, looked a little dirty when I pulled the cooling hose off the radiator. Power steering fluid was pristine... Until I stupidly pulled off the reservoir without draining it... Not the best fix but you can refurb crush washers. Anneal them by heating cherry red and dropping in a bucket of water. Then use sandpaper on a flat surface like plate glass, and flatten both sides. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 7 hours ago, Ionstorm66 said: Not the best fix but you can refurb crush washers. Anneal them by heating cherry red and dropping in a bucket of water. Then use sandpaper on a flat surface like plate glass, and flatten both sides. Works like a charm and is 100% acceptable from a field service standpoint. Use MAP gas, not propane. Heat to red hot, then drop in water and flatten on sandpaper as stated above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 Star Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 So, have never had to deal with Copper Crush Washers on Turbos... knock on wood... However when annealing crush washers for hydraulic systems and fuel systems for these cars and others; I've never sanded down the crush washers after annealing... Just hit them with the map gas torch on a sacrificial piece of wood until cherry red... momentarily watch the washer bathe in the dancing flames of the wood... and then let the thing cool down on its own... Never Quenched... Now, Turbos may be different, but I've not had a problem with fuel or hydraulic leaks with my no-sand no-quench method. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 The water dunk helps blow off some of the carbon and oxidization that inevitably occurs during the heating process, but the main purpose of quenching copper is to quickly cool it, as copper doesn't harden when quenched (unlike some other materials). It's not required, but it results in a better finished product, and less chance of a burn. Same goes for the sanding, it just knocks down the high spots from the previous installation, giving you a better surface to seal with. If the washer has ridges that catch your fingernail, that is a good candidate for a quick post-anneal sanding. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 Still working on the wagon... However my new parts arrived, so have got it basically back together. Just need to fill with fluids and give it a shakedown run. Although, the right side intake manifold gaskets appear to have a bit of a leak... That may be where my coolant is going (as opposed to the turbo) so seeing as I've got the radiator drained I might just whip off the intake, cut some new gaskets and put it back together with some quality anaerobic sealant. Does anyone know how to get the plugs off the injectors without destroying them? I don't like the look of those bits of wire on the plugs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 There are little clips that need to be removed to get the plug off the injector. Use a small pick (And a magnet!) to remove the safety clip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 Use genuine intake manifold gaskets! Don’t skimp, not worth it. Also replace all coolant hoses while you’ve got full access to the intake manifold. You’ll thank yourself later for this work. And there’s that pesky little hose under the intake manifold to deal with too. Cheers Bennie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted October 21, 2022 Author Share Posted October 21, 2022 So, today I got her back from Crowesport (my local Subaru expert). The head gasket was the culprit in the end. All back together and running smoothly! Off to Flat Nats tomorrow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted October 22, 2022 Author Share Posted October 22, 2022 Great day out at Flatnats 2022! Some very fast subies there and a few other old school subies. Even took her for 5 laps at Ruapuna Raceway! And a shot of the old head gasket. Definitely blown. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted May 1, 2023 Author Share Posted May 1, 2023 Have been enjoying driving her lately. Have now acquired full manual swap parts with a rare FT4WD box and Link ECU from a rolled rally car. This combined with s 5 stud swap and full STI brakes and wheels are sitting in my garage... Exciting stuff. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 Get cracking!! Make sure the centre diff is good in the AWD box before installing it. Make sure it can differentiate smoothly and that the spider gears are the same colour all the way through. If it’s been rallied with the centre diff open I’d say the centre diff will be worn out or cooked. You'll need to remove the rear housing and remove the centre diff to get a good look at it. Very easy to do with the gearbox out of the car and VERY VERY easy compared to removing the rear housing on the PT4wd box! I hope it’s good. AWD is awesome compare to front wheel drive Cheers Bennie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted May 18, 2023 Author Share Posted May 18, 2023 On 5/17/2023 at 8:46 PM, el_freddo said: Get cracking!! Make sure the centre diff is good in the AWD box before installing it. Make sure it can differentiate smoothly and that the spider gears are the same colour all the way through. If it’s been rallied with the centre diff open I’d say the centre diff will be worn out or cooked. You'll need to remove the rear housing and remove the centre diff to get a good look at it. Very easy to do with the gearbox out of the car and VERY VERY easy compared to removing the rear housing on the PT4wd box! I hope it’s good. AWD is awesome compare to front wheel drive Cheers Bennie Nope the rally car came with a PT4WD box, the full time box is out of a different car so hopefully all good! Will be getting into it early next year after getting married, with any luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 You don’t need luck to get married! Just someone else that agrees to and that you want to marry All the best when the time comes! Cheers Bennie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGL Posted February 27 Author Share Posted February 27 Well, she's still trundling along nicely. Haven't done anything with the manual swap yet - my vehicular priorities are to get Gertie EJ swapped and certified, and then get a WOF on the green machine again first. She'll be our wedding car next month though so that's exciting! It almost seems a shame to rip her to pieces - such a perfect and original piece of JDM machinery, and the auto box is great with the cruise control for cruising. If this thing had a 4 speed auto and torque converter lockup, it would be perfect. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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