
What did you do to improve your soobie today
The routine used to be: open boot, hold up with head, get vice grips from boot, clamp onto strut, hope it doesn't slip.henpecked wrote:It sounds so minor - but in reality it is HUGE !!! well done.
When I was buying the car, the bloke's dad was helping me install the tow bar and the boot decided to come down at full speed. The corner would have got him in the head except the spare hadn't been swung out all the way and it hit that, just missing him.

Finally separated the EJ20 donor engine from the auto box. I read a lot of people have problems with separating the two, but it pretty much fell apart once I removed the two 13mm bolts running at the top corners (both from the gearbox side into the engine, one the top bolt for the starter and the other under a bit of folded steel). Maybe I was just lucky, or the use of a jack at the end of the gearbox gave me the angle to start the split...
Now to dispose of the box and start the EJ rebuild.
Now to dispose of the box and start the EJ rebuild.
1989 Brumby - Shiny new red paint, stroked EJ20 phase 2 SOHC with Darton sleeves bored to EJ22, Wiseco high-compression pistons, Delta 2000 grind cams , EJ/XT6 5 stud with WRX 4/2 pots, 5-speed, 86 GTS seats and so much more.
Contact me for reproduction XT6 hubs...and EA82 rear discs.
Contact me for reproduction XT6 hubs...and EA82 rear discs.
- Proton mouse
- Junior Member
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- Location: Diagonally parked in a parallel universe
- steptoe
- Master Member
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- Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: 14 miles outside Gotham City
gearbox and front diff all in one oil change - Brumby 4 speed box
unknown frothy looking stuff and G70 out - castrol VMX80 in - looks like sewing machine grade ! is meant for light commercials and older cars needing better cold weather shifts - recommended by RSRPaul
Shifting just as nice as before
Also got a wash, special Meguiars light cut stuff or pre polish cleaner and TopGear by Magnum, [now obsolete] polish. WooHoo !!

Shifting just as nice as before

Also got a wash, special Meguiars light cut stuff or pre polish cleaner and TopGear by Magnum, [now obsolete] polish. WooHoo !!
Was this for the Vort Jonno?gearbox and front diff all in one oil change - unknown frothy looking stuff and G70 out - castrol VMX80 in - looks like sewing machine grade ! is meant for light commercials and older cars needing better cold weather shifts - recommended by RSRPaul
Shifting just as nice as before
Also got a wash, special Meguiars light cut stuff or pre polish cleaner and TopGear by Magnum, [now obsolete] polish. WooHoo !!
J.
- Silverbullet
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2920
- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:20 pm
- Location: Adelaide
Recently I scored a second set of RX rear discs and so of course they went straight on the Brumby
Rear disc stopping power in both my cars now 
Got up super early today (never seen a clock on Saturday reading 7:30 AM!) because it was going to be 40 degrees today...well it was about 30 at 8 AM and sun beating down already (see high tech shade device below)
I have to say it was a frustrating experience...when the tool designed specifically for brake flare nuts destroys the brake flare nut you know you're in for a fun time. The one from the old drum solid line connecting to the rubber hose on the trailing arm...had to remove the rubber hose from the chassis, put the lot in a vice, heat the crap out of it and the nut finally let go with a pair of big ass vice grips...brake fluid dripping from the car the entire time
The other side wasn't nearly so bad, went straight on with no issues in about half the time. Bled the brakes and we're good to go. Haven't tested them yet, will do later today and see how different it is.
*Edit* just came back from the first drive with discs and well, it is different but not shockingly so. The brakes come in alot sooner up the pedal than before, with perhaps some increase in stopping power but overall not a massive difference. I think this must be one of those things; people who rave about them being the best thing ever are comparing them to flogged out, improperly adjusted drums but my old drums had brand new pistons in them and new shoes, properly adjusted and stopped the car just fine. Still, I was sick of always adjusting them and the springs coming loose inside the drum and the drum being filthy everytime you had to take it off...so discs still worth it
Parts laid out and ready to go

One side done, after an hour of toil, frustration and rounded brake nuts.

High tech shade device (at least the old drums are good for something!) actually made a huge difference when the sun isn't on your back.



Got up super early today (never seen a clock on Saturday reading 7:30 AM!) because it was going to be 40 degrees today...well it was about 30 at 8 AM and sun beating down already (see high tech shade device below)
I have to say it was a frustrating experience...when the tool designed specifically for brake flare nuts destroys the brake flare nut you know you're in for a fun time. The one from the old drum solid line connecting to the rubber hose on the trailing arm...had to remove the rubber hose from the chassis, put the lot in a vice, heat the crap out of it and the nut finally let go with a pair of big ass vice grips...brake fluid dripping from the car the entire time

The other side wasn't nearly so bad, went straight on with no issues in about half the time. Bled the brakes and we're good to go. Haven't tested them yet, will do later today and see how different it is.
*Edit* just came back from the first drive with discs and well, it is different but not shockingly so. The brakes come in alot sooner up the pedal than before, with perhaps some increase in stopping power but overall not a massive difference. I think this must be one of those things; people who rave about them being the best thing ever are comparing them to flogged out, improperly adjusted drums but my old drums had brand new pistons in them and new shoes, properly adjusted and stopped the car just fine. Still, I was sick of always adjusting them and the springs coming loose inside the drum and the drum being filthy everytime you had to take it off...so discs still worth it

Parts laid out and ready to go

One side done, after an hour of toil, frustration and rounded brake nuts.

High tech shade device (at least the old drums are good for something!) actually made a huge difference when the sun isn't on your back.

Will it ever end!?
-EA81 TWIN CARB!!!!
-L series 5 speed
-Custom paint job
-2" lift
-Full custom re-wire
-L series front end

-EA81 TWIN CARB!!!!
-L series 5 speed
-Custom paint job
-2" lift
-Full custom re-wire
-L series front end

Good job , well done. My understanding is that some huge percentage of all braking effort is from the front ( 70%+ ?) so the rear disks are really just one of those 10% jobs, plus bragging rights -
My white brumby had rear disks and supposedly the largest front disks, and I have not really seen much difference now I'm driving a bog standard Brumby. But then I'm and insensitive ar$ehole at the best of times




- Silverbullet
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:20 pm
- Location: Adelaide
Bahahahahenpecked wrote:Good job , well done. My understanding is that some huge percentage of all braking effort is from the front ( 70%+ ?) so the rear disks are really just one of those 10% jobs, plus bragging rights -My white brumby had rear disks and supposedly the largest front disks, and I have not really seen much difference now I'm driving a bog standard Brumby. But then I'm and insensitive ar$ehole at the best of times
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When you look at them though, the rear disc pistons are tiny, so 10% is probably about right

Will it ever end!?
-EA81 TWIN CARB!!!!
-L series 5 speed
-Custom paint job
-2" lift
-Full custom re-wire
-L series front end

-EA81 TWIN CARB!!!!
-L series 5 speed
-Custom paint job
-2" lift
-Full custom re-wire
-L series front end

- Proton mouse
- Junior Member
- Posts: 378
- Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:35 pm
- Location: Diagonally parked in a parallel universe
Yep, there is an old saying that a well adjusted set of drums will out brake a set of discs 'once'. After the initial out stopping though, they become out of adjustment and therefore less efficient. The problem is especially exacerbated on front drums where those inconsistencies can be felt with left or right dominance of efficiency. Hence why manufacturers went to front discs many beers ago.Another interesting thing I learned recently from a guy at the brakes shop is that drums are more "efficient" than discs, require less force to actuate
- Silverbullet
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2920
- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:20 pm
- Location: Adelaide
Ah yes there's the other thing, what's their performance like after continuous use. Heat buildup would have to come into it too...Proton mouse wrote:Yep, there is an old saying that a well adjusted set of drums will out brake a set of discs 'once'.
True Jonno, but then all semi's and big rig trucks use drums!
Will it ever end!?
-EA81 TWIN CARB!!!!
-L series 5 speed
-Custom paint job
-2" lift
-Full custom re-wire
-L series front end

-EA81 TWIN CARB!!!!
-L series 5 speed
-Custom paint job
-2" lift
-Full custom re-wire
-L series front end
