My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

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entirelyturbo
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by entirelyturbo »

The red car in the picture is a 2015 Legacy ;)
2000 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by Legacy777 »

Damnit! I was right....help us all!
Josh

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1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

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SILINC3R
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by SILINC3R »

Please tell me you are going to be at the Mega Meet!!!!

I'll be in the 4th gen.
Tony
90 LS Spec rio red sold
91 SS rio red R.I.P
90 Mazda Miata
2005 GT SWP
92ss satinsvoice wrote:LOL! that block was like F*** THIS! IM OUT!
mike-tracy wrote:Word. I'd love to get my hands on one of those trannies, but I just can't stomach the cost
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by entirelyturbo »

I couldn't make it... I was working that day.

The weather was pretty crappy too, but it looked like it was an awesome meet nonetheless. Sorry I missed it!
2000 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

*Formerly DerFahrer*

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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by entirelyturbo »

My God, it's been nearly a year and a half since I've updated this thread.

After replacing the timing belt, the clutch (same pull-style as an EJ205 WRX), the struts (using ZF Sachs struts for a USDM BE chassis Legacy; I will try to have Bilstein USA rebuild my originals), and the saga with the leaking rear differential (4th time's a charm I guess), I took the B4 on an unforgettable road trip where I drove the entire length of US 441, from Miami, Florida to Rocky Top, Tennessee. No interstates or turnpikes allowed.

The night before I got on 441 in Miami:
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Few things make me happier than an open, deserted two-lane road through nowhere:
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I took it camping in Paynes Prairie outside of Gainesville, Florida:
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I stumbled upon an old, deserted gas station:
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Through Georgia, US 441 is a scenic and historic highway (also, hello officer!):
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On the scenic parts of US 441 on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee:
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As an added bonus, after I finished US 441 and headed to Nashville, she hit 100,000km:
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It was the best vacation and road trip of my life, and I'm planning another even more grandiose one hopefully in the next couple years!
2000 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

*Formerly DerFahrer*

@entirelyturbo on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by Legacy777 »

Glad you had such a great time!

I'm pondering a relatively epic road trip myself, but it wouldn't take place until summer of 2018.
Josh

surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
beatersubi
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by beatersubi »

And you managed to keep her immaculately clean the entire time!?
Beautiful car and amazing scenery. Sounds like a blast.
93 legacy wagon L, 22T swapped (TW imitator) now with five forward speeds. (Gone, but never forgotten)
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by James614 »

That looks like a blast. I plan on doing similar one day. How did you keep the car so immaculately clean the entire way? Did you keep a clay bar and wax kit with you?
93 Touring Wagon (EJ20G 5spd Swap) -- Finally back and running strong as ever!

05 Outback 2.5XT 5spd -- Now the wife can have her SUV and get in on the turbo Legacy goodness at the same time.
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by SILINC3R »

So, Subaru Mega Meet is at Sebring next year!!! Think you might try and make it?
Tony
90 LS Spec rio red sold
91 SS rio red R.I.P
90 Mazda Miata
2005 GT SWP
92ss satinsvoice wrote:LOL! that block was like F*** THIS! IM OUT!
mike-tracy wrote:Word. I'd love to get my hands on one of those trannies, but I just can't stomach the cost
entirelyturbo
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by entirelyturbo »

I actually only ran the car through two car washes on the trip. One on the south end of Georgia and one when I got to Nashville. I actually have video from my dash cam somewhere of the car going through the car wash in Nashville at the hands of the personnel there and them flipping out over it being right-hand-drive.

Tony, I can't promise anything about making it to the Mega Meet next year. If I think I'm gonna go I will let you know.
2000 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

*Formerly DerFahrer*

@entirelyturbo on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by entirelyturbo »

Thanks to Photobucket's assholery, I've decided to download all my worthwhile pics from Photobucket and upload them to Flickr instead and slowly update all the hotlinks throughout this thread.

I still have Okichi, of course. In fact, she's my only transportation right now as Hurricane Irma is predicted to make landfall in Central Florida tomorrow, thus I don't have a press car this week. Don't worry, she's safely secured in the garage with a full tank of gas.

As for how she's doing, she's running fine, but she has gone from being a 10-year-old car to a 17-year-old car :lol:. The fuel gauge is currently going haywire; I'm assuming one of the sending units is shot, so I just got them in from Japan last week and will put them in soon. Right now I'm just going by mileage on the tank so I don't run out. Also, I'm gonna hafta replace my second OEM coolant temp sensor in 5 years; she's starting up and going straight to warm idle and she's really grumpy when she's cold.

Also, since last summer, I've hit both an opossum in the middle of the road (which cracked the front lip and took some paint off) and an armadillo in the exact same spot on the bumper (which did the same damage x5). So I found a GT-B bumper with a lip in Blaine, WA (so it made about as long of a journey as can be made across the USA :lol: ), and had it painted and then I installed it.

But other than that, she still serves me very well and hopefully will continue to do so for many more years.

Here's my two most recent Instagram pics of her:
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Quick shameless plug: you're welcome to follow me on Instagram as I post pictures there of my general life activities plus lots of pics of Okichi if you want to see how she's doing :)
Last edited by entirelyturbo on Thu Aug 04, 2022 2:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
2000 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

*Formerly DerFahrer*

@entirelyturbo on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by DLC »

Glad to see pics of that car.
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by beatersubi »

Car looks great, as always.
It really is sad that enthusiast forums are falling by the wayside. Especially with the knowledge base like we have here on the BBS. I hope it never goes away.
93 legacy wagon L, 22T swapped (TW imitator) now with five forward speeds. (Gone, but never forgotten)
johndrivesabox wrote: Rally, my kyboard is brok, his has nohing o do wih h liquor.
Originalcyn wrote:Apparently everyone hates Gabe.
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by entirelyturbo »

So, for the past few months, Okichi had been occasionally throwing a code for a knock sensor. That infuriated me to no end, because that is unequivocally the hardest sensor to replace on the entire car, if not any Subaru ever made.

On a typical Phase II single-turbo Subaru EJ engine, the intake tube goes from the airbox under the intake manifold to the turbo, but on twin-turbo engines, the intake tube has to split off halfway and reach across the block to feed air to the primary turbo on the left side of the engine, crossing directly over the knock sensor. That means... I absolutely had to take the intake manifold off to replace the knock sensor. I had no choice. The sensor isn't even visible with the assembled intake manifold in place.

So, off came the intake manifold:
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I stripped it and tossed it in the parts washer:
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Then I reassembled it:
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Beforehand, I had a set of the same yellow 550cc side-feed injectors out of another EJ208 manifold I bought used, and I sent those off to RC Engineering (per the recommendation of Josh/Legacy777 from a thread on this forum LONG ago) to be cleaned and balanced and blueprinted. Those were then put in place of the old injectors.

I also had a BEWILDERING amount of brand-new OEM vacuum and PCV hoses, T-fittings, and a new intake tube sent in from Japan (which was NOT cheap, lemme tell you) on the assumption that it was all going to fall apart in my hands being nearly 20 years old. The only thing that ended up actually coming apart was the PCV tree off the block, but it all got replaced anyway. It was a painstaking process taking massive amounts of pictures and ensuring that every hose went back into the exact same place and connected to the exact same connectors as before I disassembled it, but I managed to get it all done on a slow Saturday afternoon at work.

With the help of my master tech at my dealership, we reinstalled the refreshed intake manifold after the new knock sensor was in place, and then, once I knew she was screwed back together tightly and running properly...

... I mounted some snow tires on SG Forester steelies and took her on a winter road trip!

I finally met three of the guys who've I've previously podcasted with in person, James from Crank Journal, Cam from the Cammed and Tubbed Podcast, and Joe from various podcasts such as Just Cool Enough and a frequent guest of Crank Journal himself!
ImageImageImage

I randomly snapped a few pictures as I drove through the East River Mountain Tunnel in Virginia and on the bridge over the Ohio River as I crossed from West Virginia into Ohio:
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I, being a Florida native, had also never actually SEEN snow in person before, so Okichi and I both had that experience together! This is her parked at Cam's house in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio after an overnight snowfall (that's his SUPER rare SN95 Mustang Cobra Mystichrome in front of it!)
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This is her parked in some Midwest slush outside of the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum in Ypsilanti, Michigan (where the Chevrolet Corvair was assembled):
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She saw some pretty serious winter weather on her trip, and as cars do in Midwestern winters, she got covered in snow and salt:
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But don't worry. Once the trip was over and I got back to Orlando, she got the most professional detail I have ever given any car I have ever owned... a detail on a level more commonly reserved for exotics like Ferraris and Rolls-Royces:
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It was an amazing experience to take what still may be the only Legacy B4 RSK in the United States of America on a winter road trip across the country (from my starting point in Orlando to as far north as Detroit!) and meet some friends along the way, and I'm glad that the car is just as ready for another road trip as it was before I began this one!
Image
2000 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

*Formerly DerFahrer*

@entirelyturbo on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by Legacy777 »

Awesome :)
Josh

surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
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Re: My JDM Legacy B4 RSK

Post by entirelyturbo »

I've got a few spare moments so I'll update this thread one last time... pretty hard to believe I'm 38 now and life is just getting too busy to devote to recreational online activity anymore.

So I was starting to have a rather serious clunk whenever I would let off the throttle in gear, and while I initially thought it to a bad transmission mount, once I saw what my rear diff mounts in the subframe looked like, I no longer thought that :shock:

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So, nothing I could do but drop the rear subframe and press in new mounts. So, last summer, I got to work.

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Subframe out completely:

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The rear diff mounts are NOT the same as the USDM mounts... and since my contact in Japan is apparently no longer shipping parts to the USA due to COVID, I had to order them from Austria, of all places, if you can believe it.

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There were several supersessions on the part numbers, and what I think Subaru did was realize having the rubber supports go straight across was a bad idea (as it means they are constantly bent down from the weight of the differential) so they redesigned them to curve down slightly so the rubber can bear the weight better while also preventing lateral movement.

Either way, in they went...

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... and since I had access to a press, I figured... what the hell? I'll just do ALL the suspension bushings!

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With the exception of the subframe bushing/mount inserts themselves (which are not available separately from the subframe itself, and appeared to be in good shape still anyway), every bushing you can see in the above picture was replaced (the lateral links are only sold as assemblies so I just bought new ones, as well as a new mustache bar for the differential.

I replaced all the hardware as well (nuts and bolts). First, I figured it may not be a bad idea since the car went through a bunch of salt on the winter road trip in February 2019, and second, I see this as a one-and-done project. I don't think I will ever do this to this car again, and I definitely hope I don't have to.

All put back together...
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So the clunk is gone, and the car feels absolutely AMAZING now :-D

It feels like I'm now driving a brand-new 22-year-old car!

It's nigh on impossible to believe I will have had the car for 12 years one week from today, but it's true. The car has now been with me longer in the States than it was in Japan :shock:

It's got a pretty nasty stumble right now that I think I can trace down to the vacuum reservoir in the front left (passenger) space behind the bumper, so I haven't been driving it much. There's a solenoid there that I think might be the culprit. It seems to be acting only on the primary turbo, and one of the hoses from that reservoir goes through that solenoid and directly to the primary turbo. But we will see. (EDIT 12-26-22: after replacing the vacuum reservoir, that aforementioned solenoid, the ignition coils, then after inaccurate diagnosis at a dealer who told me it was the throttle position sensor, and replacing said throttle position sensor, the stumble FINALLY turned out to be the O2 sensor. The car had me very frustrated for several months but it's finally running absolutely tremendously now with over $1000 of parts it didn't need and $250 of O2 sensor it did need :lol: )

EDIT: aw, what the hell? Might as well add a couple recent (i.e. post-op/after the above work was done) photos:
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Anyway, for the very few members who are still active on this board... hope life is going well for you all. If you want, follow my social media outlets in my sig. I'm not even active there as much as I used to be, but it's where all my time on the Internet is spent these days, like everyone else.
2000 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

*Formerly DerFahrer*

@entirelyturbo on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok
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