Ruby Scoo’s epic build, ten years and counting...

[El_Freddo]

Here's the sump I re-sealed on saturday, with the excess goo trimmed in the second photo:





And the gearbox waiting on the bench for a seal kit - looks like I've gotta go genuine to get a quality kit:



Today I cleaned up the powersteering rack and the engine crossmember that the EJ will mount to, these came out of the '84 L leone parts bomb:





I got working on some wedges for the difference between the crossmember and the EJ engine mounts - I didn't want to create my own so started thinking about where I could find an appropriate wedge, so I checked out the old holden's steering column where there's a wedge used in there. Two of them were sourced from other parts cars and I got working. Here's the progress images as I was trying to nut it out:

Difference in the two parts:



The wedge before it had some shaving:



The two wedges, one in original condition, the other shaved - I took more off after this pic:

[El_Freddo]

This is one of the wedges fitted, some BFH work removed the little bump at the top of the engine crossmember to make it flat inline with the mounting face for the engine mount:



I replaced the boots on the steering rack while I had easy access:



The rack and engine mount fitted to the EJ:



With the alternator and AC compressor pump fitted and the PS lines connected to the PS rack (not that you can see this):



If I'm not working tomorrow, I'll start cleaning up the shed for the shuffle so I can start pulling bits off Ruby Scoo while I wait for the gearbox seals to arrive. I've got baz to drive now - and I also found out that Ruby Scoo has done a CV boot on the outter front right as well as a nasty oil leak, I think its from between the head and the block... fun fun.

That's it for now.

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Friday, Ruby Scoo was backed into the shed after any area had been cleaned up to fit her in. That afternoon I'd got the guards and front bar removed. I also got the seats and console out and was a few wires short of pulling the dash out too.



The dash, fan, AC and heater box removed:



Saturday I got the dash out after sorting Baz (sister's L) for me to drive while Ruby Scoo's off the road.

Yesterday (monday 3rd aug) I pulled the wiring out - I'm replacing the loom with one that has not been changed from factory. I spliced two looms together when I originally converted to MPFI EA82. This will give me central locking on the rear tailgate too. The tailgate wiring, I couldn't have done it without my mate Jim who knows how to pull wiring through tricky spots, it took some time but now its done.

After that was sorted I wanted the floor pan to dry out, its still very moist with quite a bit of mud that needs to be cleaned out (next job to do). So in the meantime I'm shoving power windows, mirrors and central locking. This is a lot more involved than I previously thought. To get the central locking I need to take the whole locking mechanism out, to get that out I need to remove the door handle, to remove the door handle I have to get the glass out, to get the glass out I have to take the side mirror and it's support panel out which only leaves the window runner guides in the door... It'll be worth it though. Here's the driver's door gutted:



And this is the mud at the bottom of the door sill channel:



For the power windows I'm using an MY system as I prefer the location of the switch panel - on the centre console. To do this I have to play around with the door wiring to remove the L series system, while I'm at this I'm incorporating the speaker wiring. I have a hurdle or two to overcome with the fitting of the centre console, its do-able but will need some work to mount it properly.

This is the wiring that is to go in (L series MPFI from a 91 touring wagon) after the floor pan has been cleaned up.



^ This may look messy but its pretty simple once its spread out - until you're looking for one wire, then it gets tricky... The EJ ECU wiring will be laid out over the L wiring once its installed, then I'll splice the appropriate wires together and tape it all up. By then the interior should be ready to go back in.

For now, mechanically, I am still waiting on the gearbox seals - the EA82 will stay in until the EJ unit is ready to be put in. It will be all go from there (can't wait!). Hopefully the seals will be in today or tomorrow, I've also got a set of drive shafts on order.

That's it for now.

Cheers

Bennie

[ScubyRoo]

NOICE! Massive amount of effort going in bennie, I thought you were just going mechanical, not full electrics too! Are you putting cruise control in?

I'm thinking a trip out eildon way once you're all done?

[AlpineRaven]

awesome!!!!! gee... lots of work going on and reminds me of doing similar thing long time ago but didn't splice any wires as i transferred the wire loom from one to other and it worked... awesome lol...
Cheers
AP

[AlpineRaven]

NOICE! Massive amount of effort going in bennie, I thought you were just going mechanical, not full electrics too! Are you putting cruise control in?

I'm thinking a trip out eildon way once you're all done?

mmmm... wouldnt that be on these tracks below mansfield/bonnie doon road bridge?
Cheers
AP

[El_Freddo]

Owen - At the moment I'm not going to put it in, basically it comes down to the extra $$$s that I really can't afford. It won't be hard to add it later. The trip sounds good, I'd like to have lift before I do any serious offroading again, this could take some time - I want to keep my floor pan in the original shape now that its been pushed back out

AP - I'm taking out the loom that had been spliced and replacing it with a complete touring wagon loom, this is what allows me to run electric windows/mirrors and central locking without too much work. I'm enjoying what I've done so far, I'm finding it rather theraputic!

The radiator was sent in today to have its inlet and outlet ports enlarged to the same size as the liberty's standard radiator. While its there they'll clean it out too, not that it should need a clean as its only about a year and a half old (custom 3 core). It should be ready for pick up next week. I'm hoping I don't need to purchase some slimline fans - time will tell on this one!

Cheers

Bennie

[Captain Obvious]

what an awsome effort bennie!!! love watch these threads!!
just a point and i know it come down to $$$ but why not put the lift in as your going??

bryan

[El_Freddo]

what an awsome effort bennie!!! love watch these threads!!
just a point and i know it come down to $$$ but why not put the lift in as your going??

Thanks bryan. I love doing the work and can only show my progress due to my camera, without it my write up would only be words and imagination.

The lift? You got half of it right. The other half of the story is that I'm going to visit an engineer to make it all compliant - and I want to build it myself with a few areas done differently to how I've seen them done. Also one step at a time!

Tonight I put a towbar on Venom's L - and checked out some aspects of his install

Cheers

Bennie

[AlpineRaven]

Thanks bryan. I love doing the work and can only show my progress due to my camera, without it my write up would only be words and imagination.

The lift? You got half of it right. The other half of the story is that I'm going to visit an engineer to make it all compliant - and I want to build it myself with a few areas done differently to how I've seen them done. Also one step at a time!

Tonight I put a towbar on Venom's L - and checked out some aspects of his install

Cheers

Bennie

Fair enough so you ended up getting in touch with him.. Had a good day today at PAP? Did you find anything interesting?
Cheers
AP

[El_Freddo]

Fair enough so you ended up getting in touch with him.. Had a good day today at PAP? Did you find anything interesting?

Nothing really, only got to kilsyth - there was only one liberty there and it had nothing I wanted, the internet site said there was at least 3...

Rhys happened to check the forum and managed to contact me about 5 minutes before I was going to leave - talk about good timing! So I got him a towbar and offered to help fit it when he came to pick it up. So about 2 and a half hours later off he went with a fitted towbar

I wanted to see if I could mod a liberty exhaust to fit an L series - I was going to do a test fit on an L in the yard and buy depending on the outcome, same for a set of seats. Only problem was that both items were already gone on the only liberty that was there... next time! I also had the start of a migraine but got on to it early so it was more of a discomfort rather than full on disabling...

I did get the power mirrors I was after - and I only got charged for one!

Cheers

Bennie

[ScubyRoo]

Sorry for the hijack bennie, but if you (or anyone else) sees any rear cam covers for the ej22 at wreckers can you please nab them for me? Beers and cost of parts will be the just reward.

Cheers,
Owen.

[El_Freddo]

Sorry for the hijack bennie, but if you (or anyone else) sees any rear cam covers for the ej22 at wreckers can you please nab them for me? Beers and cost of parts will be the just reward.

No worries mate! Why do you need them?! The rear cam cover - I'm guessing you're talking about the cover on the driver's side at the back of the motor?

Update will come early next week with pics...

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Well it’s been a while since I’ve written an update...

Friday I was planning to pick up parts I’ve ordered but I scored some work so I put that off to Saturday. So Saturday I picked up a new set of front driveshafts - $330 for the pair; I got a few bits from Jaycar, including a fuse panel that holds 4 fuses, it should be enough for what I want to do.

I posted a question about the speed sensor or the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) as its known sometimes. I traced the board on the back of the speedo after pulling it apart. This is the reed switch:



^ The terminal on the right goes to earth, the left goes to the board where the tracing begins… Where you see the screw driver and two dobs of solder, its to indicate a joining wire behind the board:

The screw that joins the reed switch to the board:







And finally after an around the back of the speedo trip, the pin that is for the speed sensor:



There’s a wire from the dash wiring, followed by the wire at the ECU plug – its yellow with red trace and gold dot:





I’ve decided to connect my speed sensor to the EJ wiring because its there – apparently you don’t have to have it connected for the EJ to operate properly. I’m also thinking of adding cruise control at a later date so tapping a wire will be easier and neater than the magnet/sensor setup on a driveshaft.

I also changed the fuel return line for another L series fuel to engine line – it had to be re-shaped to fit into the engine bay, and it’s a little longer than it needs to be but I don’t want to cut it because I won’t be able to get the flare at the end to help seal the joint. Here’s the difference between the old return and the new return line:



Saturday night with a few mates over for a bbq and a drink or two, I got most of the L series wiring installed as it should be, the rear end wiring is still sitting on the area for the back seat for now.

[El_Freddo]

Here’s the wiring as it went in and then with the EA MPFI wiring wrapped and tucked away safely:





I also wrapped the EJ wiring and checked out how to thread it through the L’s firewall – I’ve got a few ideas but I’m going to leave it out for now while I get the fan/AC/Heater box back in. I’ve managed to confuse myself on the AC wiring too. Long story for another time. Sunday I installed the last electric window and central locking units in the rear right door. I wired in a battery and tested the windows… All works well with exception to the driver’s window that will only go down – so I guess I’ve got my AC in winter sorted! I know the motor will go up, so its gotta be a switch thing.

I took a pantographic photo that the camera organized with three images I took, this is the mess I’ve created and how Ruby Scoo look at the moment:



Tonight I got stuck into the gearbox, and had plans to go back out after dinner but I got stuck into other things (namely this post series). After I got the seals on Friday I was able to get stuck into the gearbox closure work – below, all goo’d up:



^ I’m using some locktite stuff that a mate gave me from his work – made it very easy as it comes in a syringe like tube.

The main case sealed, all bolts torque and in sequence:



Maybe I put a little bit too much of a bead around the edge of the casing, I can clean the outside but the inside seam I cannot get to:



Tomorrow I plan to put the rest of the gearbox together after work, then look further into the electric window switch issue and hope its not a wiring thing – I’ve just taped all the electric window wiring neatly and I don’t want to be stripping it all down again…

Cheers

Bennie

[AlpineRaven]

getting there slowly... good on you... need to pop over sometime soon to see how you going.
Cheers
AP

[El_Freddo]

getting there slowly... good on you... need to pop over sometime soon to see how you going.

Yeah mate, saturday's good for me - hopefully I'll be doing the mechanical swap by then

Cheers

Bennie

[ScubyRoo]

No worries mate! Why do you need them?! The rear cam cover - I'm guessing you're talking about the cover on the driver's side at the back of the motor?

^^ Actually I mean the plastic covers that sit in front of the heads, behind the chamshaft sprockets, what i'd call the backside of the timebelt cover sandwhich.

I have to get a few things genuine from subaru anyway so I'll get a quote from them.

FYI for a new timing belt - cheapest i found a timing kit without the hydraulic tensioner was $220 through my engine rebuilder, but you can get just the belt from subaru for ~$110. Unfortanetly I'd already ordered the kit.

I took a pantographic photo that the camera organized with three images I took, this is the mess I’ve created and how Ruby Scoo look at the moment:

^^ Chaos! Awesome, I love it. I'd be so lost... Awesome work dude. What are the plans for the interior, lib seats or L going back in? I also reckon it would be worth running a decent power line from the battery to the cabin while you have good access to the firewall. Then if you want to install a decent stereo or wire in an inverter next to the handbrake like i did then you've already got a reliable power source handy - just relay it to the ignition so it works in acc and on. Would also be good for running cb and any additional interior lights...

[Captain Obvious]

top work bennie!! i havnt got the patience or time to do what your doing so my hat is off to you mate!!

bryan

[El_Freddo]

First of all, thanks Captain I had a lot of time to do this, but now I'm working all week - on the one week that I wanted to do nothing but get Ruby Scoo back together for a bit of time to give her a bit of a test run before heading to the snow...

Owen, I understand now - you're after the cam belt cover backing "plates". Did your's warp from overheating??

Tonight's news is that I've just come from the shed after doing this:



^ That's right, the gearbox is in one piece!!! Very happy that's done and everything moves as it should At one point I was bear hugging the gearbox with it up-side down trying to get one of those bloody little dedent balls to come out from the "middle" section of the gearbox. I was very happy to see it bounce out onto the bench after a second attempt.

Before heading in for the night the top plate was fitted after checking that all the rear end parts functioned properly and all gears work etc. I also fitted the clutch fork, throw out bearing and clips, as well as the low range lever from the back of the gearbox and the instrument panel wiring too.

So to elaborate, this is now an EJ cased EA gearbox. The dirty rear section is the EA rear housing, the clean bit is the EJ casing... Someone forgot to clean the EA rear housing I probabily won't bother either as I've just fitted new seals all over (and they weren't cheap!)

With some luck it'll be bolted to the EJ on friday night after work, nothing will be done before then as I'll be moonlighting

Cheers

Bennie