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Hi all,

I've been thinking of starting a post just so I can show others what's happening and maybe get some pointers along the way

Well.. how do I start this I've been planning and putting aside lots of bits and pieces to build myself an awesome offroad vehicle I can take fishing and camping. It's going to have..

An engine is a EJ20 Turbo from a 99 WRX. It's pretty much stock with the standard ECU and wiring, thanks Dave (Subarino) for the cut down. I've just fitted new head gaskets and had the heads fully serviced. The engine had done 130,000kms when I brought the car.


The gearbox will be a EA82 AWD with Centre Diff Lock and will have the EJ 8 Bolt front housing so no need for the adaptor plate. I'm planning on using the EA so that all the crossmembers, gear linkages, tailshaft, etc.. all line up as standard.

The Diff is a RX Turbo plated rear with ratios to match the gear box.

The brakes are thanks to Jeff and his Crossbred Conversion Kit. They will be WRX front calipers and RS turbo rears.

The wheels are 15" and are off an import Impreza hatch and have 205/70 tyres on them. I'm hoping they will fit??


Suspension is mainly stock but with a 2" lift kit. I'm hoping to buy new KYB struts and some King srings.

The exterior is really clean and has only 76,000kms on the clock. It has never seen the dirt or sand. The only mod so far is the Bull Bar (thanks Andrew) and later will be the spare wheel carrier on the back.

good to see you finally took some pictures

will be good to see it finished and digging up the sand

TOONGA

aaahz at last he has put it up!!!

Thanks Jules and Dave.. I'm working on the box today because I received my early xmas present yesterday Thanks Mark. This will become my control for the Centre Diff Lock

yep Mark is good at that if I had a camera that worked for more than 2 seconds I would take a picture of my last delivery from the US of A

I got this set of ratchet spanners http://www.gearwrench.com/catalog/wrenc ... ?part=9308 but in metric for around 50 dollars Australian delivered very happy

TOONGA

Sick Paul!

The only two things I could suggest to "change" with your build:

1) Go a touring wagon - I can see why you'd want to use this unit though.

2) Build the gearbox with a better ratio on the diff. Can be done, I've got a 4.11 ring and pinion shaft for a locking centre diff AWD L series gearbox. Cut and shut. From what I can gather you take two EJ pinion shafts, one being the 4.11 pinion gear, cut the 4.11 to add to the other shaft. Weld, strengthen, x-ray for cracks if you want, then build into the gearbox. Also look at the L series NA low range

I wish I had some body building and spray painting skills/tools - I too have a little project that would move faster if I knew how to do these things myself...

All the best with it, I can't wait to see what you've got when its done - stoked that you've gone down the L series route

Cheers

Bennie

Thats a nice looking wagon Paul

76K's, that thing is way too nice but we're gonna need to find a good flat beach.......Sand drags lol.

d_generate wrote:76K's, that thing is way too nice but we're gonna need to find a good flat beach.......Sand drags lol.

now that I would pull the really good video camera out for

TOONGA

good to see you are finally doing something with that l series paul! haha....

and i have a mate that does pant jobs cheap...... just let me know......

clarkey wrote:good to see you are finally doing something with that l series paul! haha....

and i have a mate that does pant jobs cheap...... just let me know......

ehhehehe male or female pant job like to see that
Hylton:twisted:

You probably already know this one - engine stabiliser rod: Use a liberty unit with the bracket that mounts to the top of the gearbox. Simple, neat and factory looking.

And you probably know about the hard to get to sensors/purge control valves under the intake that can be moved to the strut tower for easier access. Gee passed this one on to me - I haven't done it but down the track it might be on the cards...

When are we going to see some build pics rather than "just parts"

I'm jealous that I've got to collect the coin to get my project off the ground. The way it looks it will still be sitting there this time next year

Cheers

Bennie

TOONGA wrote:good to see you finally took some pictures

will be good to see it finished and digging up the sand

TOONGA

Yep.. I can't wait to see it going too

D3V1L wrote:aaahz at last he has put it up!!!

Yeah thanks Dave

TOONGA wrote:yep Mark is good at that if I had a camera that worked for more than 2 seconds I would take a picture of my last delivery from the US of A

I got this set of ratchet spanners http://www.gearwrench.com/catalog/wrenc ... ?part=9308 but in metric for around 50 dollars Australian delivered very happy

TOONGA

He's a legend and I owe him big time.

El_Freddo wrote:Sick Paul!

The only two things I could suggest to "change" with your build:

1) Go a touring wagon - I can see why you'd want to use this unit though.

2) Build the gearbox with a better ratio on the diff. Can be done, I've got a 4.11 ring and pinion shaft for a locking centre diff AWD L series gearbox. Cut and shut. From what I can gather you take two EJ pinion shafts, one being the 4.11 pinion gear, cut the 4.11 to add to the other shaft. Weld, strengthen, x-ray for cracks if you want, then build into the gearbox. Also look at the L series NA low range

I wish I had some body building and spray painting skills/tools - I too have a little project that would move faster if I knew how to do these things myself...

All the best with it, I can't wait to see what you've got when its done - stoked that you've gone down the L series route

Cheers

Bennie

Thanks Bennie firstly I like your idea with regards to the 4.11 ratios, I might look into that but as for the low range I'll have to leave it single range for now as I can't make the box both low range and have centre diff lock with the parts I have maybe one day I'll be able to get one from the States. As for the Touring Wagon.. If I could find one with low kms like this I would.

T'subaru wrote:Thats a nice looking wagon Paul

Cheers my mate

d_generate wrote:76K's, that thing is way too nice but we're gonna need to find a good flat beach.......Sand drags lol.

hahaha.. yeah Tom. I'm just hoping to get to the top of that hill at Two Rocks

clarkey wrote:good to see you are finally doing something with that l series paul! haha....

and i have a mate that does pant jobs cheap...... just let me know......

Cheers Mike but I'm happy with the white

olddog642 wrote:ehhehehe male or female pant job like to see that
Hylton:twisted:

Me too

El_Freddo wrote:You probably already know this one - engine stabiliser rod: Use a liberty unit with the bracket that mounts to the top of the gearbox. Simple, neat and factory looking.

And you probably know about the hard to get to sensors/purge control valves under the intake that can be moved to the strut tower for easier access. Gee passed this one on to me - I haven't done it but down the track it might be on the cards...

When are we going to see some build pics rather than "just parts"

I'm jealous that I've got to collect the coin to get my project off the ground. The way it looks it will still be sitting there this time next year

Cheers

Bennie

Like this? showthread.php?t=18272 haha.. thanks bud

More pics as the build is underway.. get Glen's car finished then it's full steam ahead.

haha, nah, saw someone else say something about a paint job......

and it is a nice example of a l series paul! good luck with it! i want another subie offroader! or just a subie in general!

Missed comming on this site, allways something to make me laugh about on here!

Cheers Mike.

RSR 555 wrote: I like your idea with regards to the 4.11 ratios, I might look into that but as for the low range I'll have to leave it single range for now as I can't make the box both low range and have centre diff lock with the parts I have maybe one day I'll be able to get one from the States.

You should be able to build a dual range locking centre diff AWD box from an EJ AWD box, you just need to swap the pinion shaft to add the locking centre to the EJ AWD gearsets, this will allow you to then throw the L low range in too. It'd be a sweet setup with L low and turbo - so long as you go easy on the boost in low range!

Just a thought as you're going to split the box anyway... Speak to Gee about it - or Disco as he built up a dual range locking centre AWD box from a single range L awd box, he'll be able to shed more light on how to go about it

Cheers

Bennie

El_Freddo wrote:You should be able to build a dual range locking centre diff AWD box from an EJ AWD box, you just need to swap the pinion shaft to add the locking centre to the EJ AWD gearsets, this will allow you to then throw the L low range in too. It'd be a sweet setup with L low and turbo - so long as you go easy on the boost in low range!

Just a thought as you're going to split the box anyway... Speak to Gee about it - or Disco as he built up a dual range locking centre AWD box from a single range L awd box, he'll be able to shed more light on how to go about it

Cheers

Bennie

Cheers Bennie.. I will contact Gee/Disco but just for your info.. what I found was where the diff lock shaft goes inside the box there is no provisions in the EJ box.. so I thought I'll use the rear extensions from the EA box.. but then there was no provisions for the dual range rods??? I can see how to make an EJ single range with diff lock but no dual range

I'll let you know how it goes with Gee or Disco

RSR 555 wrote:Cheers Bennie.. I will contact Gee/Disco but just for your info.. what I found was where the diff lock shaft goes inside the box there is no provisions in the EJ box.. so I thought I'll use the rear extensions from the EA box.. but then there was no provisions for the dual range rods??? I can see how to make an EJ single range with diff lock but no dual range

Hehehe...

If I've read you right - and I think I have - You're saying that the extension housing on the EJ gearbox won't fit the locking centre diff? And the locking centre diff doesn't have the rod for the dual range?

From what I've done with my EJ conversion, to use the L series gearbox I swapped ONLY the front half casings that split down the middle. The L series extension housing out the back was used as well. This is what you'll do with the L series AWD gearbox internals, just swap the casings to suit the EJ stud pattern (advantage is stock EJ clutch too). If going with the dual range you'll have to mix and match the 1st-4th gear sets + the dual range gearing on the input shaft. The EA pinion shaft should fit the EJ gear sets without an issue.

As for the rods to do the selecting of the dual range ratio, I think the EA AWD used a solid rod from the dual range selector lever to the gear lever. The L AWD I've got in the shed does not have any rods passing through the rear extension housing, it only has the shaft and arm out the side (driver's side) for the locking of the centre diff.

I think the gearbox you have has a lot of potential that could be achieved in the first gearbox build rather than having to do another one later on - that's pretty much the angle I'm coming from.

My plan is L series low range, EJ dual range casings, locking centre diff, 4.11 diff ratio, 4.11 speedo gear from a foz (I think, still sussing this one out) running either foz size wheels that I'm yet to work out the diametre of or stick with the 27's - hopefully the foz is very close to the 27 inch tyre.

So now that's out of the bag, I just need to get the gearbox built as I want it done properly + I won't have the room when I move tomorrow...

Cheers

Bennie

Cheers Bennie.. I understand what you've said and I'll look at it better when I get home in 3 weeks. I'm using a Foz d/r box as it has the 8 bolt housing like my EJ20T. I too was hoping to use the 4.11 because of the large wheels. I'm hoping the power output wont be too much for the box, I'm not planning on racing it.. I have the 22B for that

Don't let 8bolt/4bolt restrict your decisions on which housing to use - a 4bolt box bolts up to an 8bolt engine and an 8bolt box bolts up to a 4bolt engine. Minor stud mods required in some situations - ie I'm running an 8bolt gearbox in my RS, bolted up to the original 4bolt engine and required an extra stud mounted for the bottom of the starter motor. Easy stuff tho.

Cheers Andrew but the whole 4 bolt or 8 bolt is no issue.. I'm just using what's in the shop and that it's 4.11

I really wish I was at home now so I could play again