Monster wagon

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:37 am

AndyT - I think you'll find that it is not the diff centre that is whining, rather the carrier bearings or the R&P gears...

So it won't really matter which CLSD centre ends up where, just so long as the carrier bearings/R&P gearsets that are whining end up being the one out the front

Cheers

Bennie

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:07 am

Yep I know that - as mentioned;

AndrewT wrote: The CLSD one has been whining ever since I first got it years ago (even when it was just an open diff before I put the CLSD centre in), I think the main gears are worn and the whining has been worsening recently.

If I have time I'll try to find another 4.1 open diff in really good condition and stick the CLSD centre in that....but yeah...this one wouldn't whine anyway when offroad unless I'm going really fast with 4x4 engaged. But it's probably still good to get a better condition one in there for reliability I guess.

Subi101 · Post by **Subi101** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:02 pm

Just wondering how well dose an EJ engine fit to a 91 L Series thinking of doing mine up like the one on wagon tribute on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KSVIcyXq8M

taza · Post by **taza** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:38 pm

Subi101 wrote:Just wondering how well dose an EJ engine fit to a 91 L Series thinking of doing mine up like the one on wagon tribute on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KSVIcyXq8M

That's Alex's Wanky Wagon. It was a real weapon.
The EJ fit's very very well into the L-Series. give a huge performance increase. Most people go with an EJ22. There are many threads on here about doing it.

Welcome to the forum.

Taza

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:02 pm

taza wrote:That's Alex's Wanky Wagon. It was a real weapon.
The EJ fit's very very well into the L-Series. give a huge performance increase. Most people go with an EJ22. There are many threads on here about doing it.

Welcome to the forum.

Taza

Subi101 You should really start you own thread. Andrew may be pissed. Tho his hasn't been here for a while.
I'd got ej25 single or like mine quad cam over the the ej22. Simple really. For the same amount of work and time spent, you get a much more powerful engine and if you look for the right bargain, They are not that much more expensive.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:04 pm

It's been a really really long time between updates. Been lurking around here and a few of the other forums the last couple of weeks, like an old L series I too feel quite rusty.

Briefly:

- Drove Monsterwagon ages just in RWD, never did get the transfer case working in it. I just never got enough time and it seemed like it was going to require a huge amount of mods to the actual body (cutting massive holes in tranny tunnel etc). Was using it for work for quite a while, fun to get around in.
- Got married, built a new house, moved 3 times finally ending up in the new house, had a first child... so the wagon didn't really get much use for a long time.
- Let the licence lapse and really didn't want to source basically all the standard L series driveline, suspension etc and convert it back to standardish to pass the pits. The body was pretty gone anyway, fair bit of rust coming through and some worrying stress fractures and panels not lining up from a couple of pretty bad "accidents" offroad.
- Stripped it down to a bare shell and got rid of the body.

But did I want to quit old Subarus? heh...

- Found an identical car...white, MPFI, registered touring wagon and picked it up. Already came with 3" lift, chunky tyres, and an EJ22 adaptor plated setup. Most of the mechanicals are pretty ratty but hey, it's rego'ed and it drives. I can technically go offroading any time I want.

So basically still have Monsterwagon, it's just technically a different car now (hah), and most of the ridiculous parts are sitting around my workshop.

The 6" / transfer case idea had merit I think - the car was surprisingly balanced to drive in the 6" configuration, worked really well. I just never actually got the transfer case in.

So now that I have a fairly clean slate, and all my tools organised in a proper workshop for once, I'm going to do a bit more work on it now. I still have basically NO time, but I think the next phase should only really need a bit of tinkering after work here and there.

Planning to configure it not as extreme this time, but still fairly special and unique.

- Will stick with 3" body lift
- Still will be running an EJ engine crossmember and wishbone control arms. Likely going to get the block / adaptors off RSR Paul for this (I don't have the time to mess around with this again and my 6" ones certainly aren't suitable!)
- Re-use my existing Outback struts/springs (which are still pretty much new condition Kings / KYBs I bought new)
- Return to running a traditional AWD gearbox setup (no more crazy transfer case). I just need to source a nice Forester gearbox for this.
- Rear end will just be an RX clutch LSD diff

The unique part will be the engine - going to do something nobody (to my knowledge) has done before in an L series. A few hurdles to get over but it's looking like it should work out quite well.

Also been picking up a few nifty exterior accessories, and will spend a little more time getting things looking nicer, including interior, actually get aircon going etc, things like that.

Hopefully going to make some pretty fast progress from here. Probably going to rip the EJ22 out this weekend and clean the engine bay up a bit then test fit the new motor. Might even run it on the adaptor plate at first because it's a bit hard to find a new gearbox at the moment.

For a change this time around, I think I'll just post pics and more specifics only after I've actually done them

Bumpty · Post by **Bumpty** » Sat May 03, 2014 9:00 am

WOOHOO!
Monster wagon lives ...sort of haha

An H6 twin turbo?

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:09 pm

haha dont think that'd fit!

She certainly doesn't live now anyways. Nothing in the engine bay. Going to give the bay a lick of paint before anything goes in.

Proton mouse · Post by **Proton mouse** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:41 pm

AndrewT wrote: - Drove Monsterwagon ages just in RWD, never did get the transfer case working in it. I just never got enough time and it seemed like it was going to require a huge amount of mods to the actual body (cutting massive holes in tranny tunnel etc)

Shame, would have been awesome to see it in action!

AndrewT wrote:- Got married, built a new house, moved 3 times finally ending up in the new house, had a first child...

Cant believe you would use these as excuses, where were your priorities!! lol

AndrewT wrote:So now that I have a fairly clean slate, and all my tools organised in a proper workshop for once..

And doesn't it feel good!! After 25 years of working on outside, uneven driveway surfaces, open to all the elements, I finally built a 6x9 shed. Its like heaven!!

AndrewT wrote:- Rear end will just be an RX clutch LSD diff:)

Hope you have one already!! They're as rare as a queer tomcat!!

AndrewT wrote:- The unique part will be the engine - going to do something nobody (to my knowledge) has done before in an L series.

Electric? Nuclear powered?

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:49 pm

Yeah, it's awesome having a shed now. Mine's 6x9 too. Strict rules too - no storing shit. It's a workshop not a storage shed

Just two old project cars and a heap of tools and equipment.

Have three old clutchpack lsd's already.

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Sun May 04, 2014 2:52 pm

Congrats on being a Dad

Will be great to see this develop

So what are you doing to the engine? very curious lol

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat May 10, 2014 1:47 pm

EJ22, supercharged and turbo charged

That would be awesome.

Congratulations - you've been a busy boy in more ways than one!

So I guess this would be Monster Wagon MkII?

Cheers

Bennie

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sat May 10, 2014 11:49 pm

Hm it's had a few incarnations.
I guess this is a pretty clear cut version change being a different body.

Haven't made alot of progress the last week or two. Just cleaned up the engine bay but still need to paint it...although first I have to repair some rust in the spare wheel well :/
Test fitted motor, seems like it will work.

Found a gearbox finally. Just a 2001 Forester box. Should do the job for now. Can't argue with the price: free. Also comes with the entire car too, running, driving, 100% complete, just rear ended. Might adapt the L series part time box into it, hack the back up and make it into Wackybug 2.0. I kinda need a ute for the property anyways

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:33 am

Slowly slowly SLOWLY making little bits of progress here and there. In an entire weekend I might be able to get a sly 20 minutes, maybe an hour if I'm lucky in the shed. Work commitments, family commitments, HUGE list of home improvement projects all in progress at once.

Been getting lots of cool bits and pieces, fitting some of them up, sizing up others. The main mechanicals seem to be fitting together, pretty sure I've resolved the main sticking point and have more or less proof of concept.
I hope to have the car actually sitting on it's own wheels without any jacks, jack stands or crains in a couple of weeks time when I get back from Bali - just need a solid couple of hours for that.
Then it's pretty much wiring, lots and lots of wiring, to complete and maybe it'll drive!

Hm, still need to jump under and measure up to get the tailshaft cut down. All the years I've had EJ'ed L series and somehow I still need to get a new tailshaft done. All my old ones have totally buggered uni joints. Another thing for the list.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 9:03 pm

AndrewT wrote:Hm, still need to jump under and measure up to get the tailshaft cut down. All the years I've had EJ'ed L series and somehow I still need to get a new tailshaft done. All my old ones have totally buggered uni joints. Another thing for the list.

I thought it was the WA fellas that were having the factory unis machined out and the tail shaft modded to fit replaceable unis in there?

This is something I've been meaning to do!

Cheers

Bennie

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 9:00 am

Holy heck that's a hell-of-an ausubaru thread updating binge you went on last night Bennie!
Yeah I don't know about that, it's something I want to explore this time. The place I used (because it happened to be close to my old work) wasn't that great - they could only replace uni's with these cheap chinese ones which were terrible, didn't last at all. This time I'll get the uni's inspected and replaced if required hopefully with something good quality.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:32 pm

AndrewT wrote:Holy heck that's a hell-of-an ausubaru thread updating binge you went on last night Bennie!

Yeah mate I was hanging for a long time to get back on the forum - had to strike while the iron was hot!

I'm yet to look into doing that uni joint mod - but I've found a place that can do it - they replaced a steering knuckle with a unit from a Rodeo and it's working as it should. Only cost $40 including the new knuckle!

Let us know what you decide to go with

Cheers

Bennie

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:53 pm

Think I'll go out to the shed and measure it up now actually. Might have time to drop into a driveshaft place tomorrow to organise it

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:58 am

Measured, needs to be 65mm shorter, that rings a bell.
Front uni's seem to have a bit of play and the centre bearing doesn't seem to run very true...probably will need a few replacement parts.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 4:17 pm

So I have dropped the tailshaft in to a place to get the work done.

It's getting:
- New front yolk, which will come with replaceable / greasable joints (holden type).
- Shorten front section by 65mm.
- Entirely new rear section, with all new joints the same type as above.
- Fully balanced.

They checked and the centre bearing is still in perfect condition.

This new job isn't cheap, but should be a lot better.

The previous place I used could only supply new joints which were similar to the originals (non removable, very cheap, very poor quality).