randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Information about specific car builds.

Moderator: Moderators

randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Image
Image
Image
Image
Having a little fun.

Alright. I currently own two Subaru's and had a wagon in the past. I sold the wagon a while back and danced with a few other vehicles but ultimately they were not as much fun\practical and so here we are.

The above photo is the 93 SS with the 5MT and relatively low mileage. Body and interior are certainly not perfect. Runs and drives great at this time -- the transmission and brakes will need some attention soon.

and the 1994 Touring Wagon: Bought with plans of bringing it back to previous form and while this is still the plan, the plan itself has changed some.

Engine was pulled, prepped for basic rebuild but things got a little tweaked.

I ditched the idea of the basic rebuild. The bearings were certainly due for replacement and new rings were in order too-- the cylinder walls themselves were in pretty good shape. Few Oil squirters reached an early grave but did not neglect the internals fortunately.

I decided to pull the trigger on replacing the pistons and connecting rods with the Wiseco .020 over and Eagle rods with some ACL bearings. Parts are here.. Currently awaiting my block/heads/flywheel back from the machine shop to start the reassembly.

Heads will be pretty close to rebuilt - everything minus springs. Plugging the oil squirters. Crank was ground back into spec and everything else should be gravy.

Had the cams reground over at Delta a few weeks back.

annnnnd.

The motor is going in the SS when its built. I'm gonna pull the current motor and continue the slow rebuild to get the wagon back going.

Next updates should be the reassembly and lots of post hot tank engine block goodness
Subaru-less
Legacy777
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 27884
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 11:37 am
Location: Houston, Tx
Contact:

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by Legacy777 »

Thanks for sharing.

Keep us posted as you work on the rebuild.
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
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

So. Engine isn't back yet so I decided to occupy myself with more more superficial and cheap mods.

The hood scoop! Not replacing it with something different but instead just shining it up a bit. It was originally supposed to be paint color but this car has some time spent in the sun and so it goes. Normally I would prefer going back to body color for it but with the dark color of the car black doesn't look too bad.

Planned on removing it to paint but I decided against battling the studs holding it in. So the before:
Image
& the final product: Image

Went ahead and cleaned up the headlights-- Pretty amazing results but no accompanying before and after shots.

Preparing to paint the valve covers:
Image

Room mate recommended a sort of aircraft removal thing that did a pretty decent job at cleaning those up. Awaiting paint.. Not 100% what color is going on there.

annd we like to take dirty pictures!
Image

chicks like thick rods, right?
Image

Removed the chrome trim on the front and rear bumpers & will clean up the rest here shortly. Car is gonna need a wee bit of body work down the line before its repainted. Hit the wipers with a fresh coat of paint. Changed out the gear oil with some lucus synthetic & gonna see if that makes life any easier on the transmission.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Removed the heat shield near the turbo & downpipe so I could inspect a bit. Removed the in fender snorkle and might look into opening up the inlet point a bit more. Went into it thinking about trying the makeshift coffee cup mod from the other motor but decided against it. Going to fabricate my own next weekend.. Something a bit cleaner.

In the process of sorting through some of the various vacuum lines I remember pulling this off the other engine:
ImageImage

and I'm not really sure what it is. Doesn't look like any MBC/FCD type stuff I've seen.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Coffee cup mod is complete. Super snug and certainly not the best fit but it works for now. Tapered aluminum tube fit about right, drilled a few spots for the fittings and sealed it back up. Car does sound a bit different now. Sticking the cone filter intake in the fender was a bit tempting.. I do have a lot of plumbing pieces. Stuck with the stock setup as from what I've read and seen, it makes little difference on these cars.

Experienced the joy of starting the car while forgetting a vacuum line for the boost solenoid. Was certain 2nd gear had went. WHOOPS.

room mate & I installed a cannibalized wrx exhaust? No clue, still fairly restrictive just less weight & sounds pretty mean.

No pictorial on this update.

Ground mod & a few other things coming up next. As much as the superficial stuff should not deserve as much of my attention- I still want to make the trim look better minus the chrome.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Image

annnd so the fun begins. Going to go through and plastigage and check the clearances, probably have the bottom end together this weekend ideally. Waiting on the head bolts before this comes together.

It does sound like I could reuse the bolts but I prefer peace of mind.

Peace of mind is expensive!
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Short block has been mostly assembled. Need to tie up a few loose ends- water & oil pump etc.

So much to do, never enough time. Maybe I'll have this engine wrapped up by the end of the week. Might be learning a thing or two about welding in the coming weeks.. Could certainly prove useful.

Also, plastigage was a no go. Other clearances appear to be good to go.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Starting to look more like an engine. I'm not entirely sure why my heads are so much cleaner than the block.. Pretty much rebuilt though.
Image

These are snug.
Image

and after having installed the new water pump I took a closer look at the oil pump:
Image

The amount of RTV on the INSIDE of the oil pump is a bit concerning.. Almost want to take it apart further to ensure its clear; Has anyone done this?
Subaru-less
mike-tracy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5000
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:52 am
Location: Des Moines, Wa

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by mike-tracy »

I took mine apart no problem. Cleaned the crap outta it, and with only (supposedly) 114k miles mine looked pristine with no wear marks to speak of. I had an impact driver to get the screws out since they were embedded really, really well.
1992 Legacy SS 5mt, build in progress
Josh Colombo wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2002 10:23 am Wait....I'm confused now.
kimokalihi
Fifth Gear
Posts: 8360
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:41 am
Location: Tenino, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by kimokalihi »

Yeah those impact drivers are the shit combined with a 3lb mini-sledge. Great for breaking loose flywheel bolts too and drum brake screws.

That thing you took a picture of with the vacuum lines looks like an air/water/oil seperator for a compressor. Somebody trying to keep oil out of their intake.
98 Metro Hatch Daily Driver :)
91 SS EJ20G Engine/Tranny/Diff Swap Build Thread Here
"Your testes are close to your bottom but you still play with them all the time." Jeremy Clarkson
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Motor is nearly together and ready to be dropped in. Still need to sort out some plumbing and sensor business. Old motor was pulled out of the sedan and man it was a bit of a chore compared to the wagon motor. I think the wagon had probably been gone though and pulled previously.

Sedan had some tranny work before I got it; I think they might have busted one of the lower transmission mounting studs. Not cool.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Well. Motor is 90% complete. Had a few hiccups along the way and behind schedule but its looking good. I can safely say I have learned a lot more putting the motor back together than I did taking it apart.

Lower pcv hose is holding me back.. Shame on you Subaru. Plastic and turbochargers don't mix!

Just gonna run hose and the appropriate connections.. Can't be much worse than the previous stuff.

edit: the sedan motor was pretty nasty too. Thing is leaking out of cam seals/rear plate covers etc. Due for a decent reseal.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Well. SUCCESS!

Mostly. Had to adjust a few things prior to to drop in but all things considered things went pretty smooth. Fired up on first go! After an initial no spark/no fuel cycle to help cycle some oil in there.

Looks to be running alright butttt I think I goofed up my slave cylinder on the clutch in my attempt to bleed it.. Damaged part of the internal piston seal/rubber and well, that sucks. Previously the clutch pedal would only drop to the floor or spring completely out.. Still concerns me some. Guess I'm on the lookout for a new slave cylinder so I can get it back on the road.

edit: Damnit. I should have checked that damn thing before dropping it in. I'm 90% sure my throwout bearing isn't locking into the pressure plate as it should. Out comes the motor again I guess. Was reallly hoping to have this going before the weekend.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

I'm not actually clear on what this should look/feel like as I don't have another point of reference handy so here is a quick video I took of the fork and bearing assembly as seen through the housing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVmtVxIs ... e=youtu.be

If someone could point me in the right direction, that would be awesome. Really don't want to pull motor again tonight.

hah holy shit I think it might be backwards.

god damnit.
Subaru-less
Legacy777
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 27884
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 11:37 am
Location: Houston, Tx
Contact:

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by Legacy777 »

Yeah it looks like the throw out bearing isn't clipping into the pressure plate.

How do you have it installed?

Here is a pic of how it should look:

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/s ... P_5949.JPG
http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/s ... G_3746.JPG

pressure plate:

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/s ... G_3742.JPG
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
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

I got it worked out. I did in fact, somehow mount it in backwards. It still didn't seem to want to clip into the back of the clutch until I removed the slave cylinder for a little more swing of the fork. Seems to be working so far.

The car is running and out of garage. Noisier than hell.. Gonna put a few miles on it and see if the lifter noise sorts itself out before pulling them and investigating. Found a few coolant lines that weren't long for this world and remedied them. I'm pretty tempted to replace my power steering pump, get some better lines and go through/replace my rack setup soon.

'tis a long list of other stuff that needs to get done.

edit: I have watched at least 30 different youtube videos of various subaru engine idle sounds. Has to be the lifters. Paranoid as all hell haha.
Subaru-less
Legacy777
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 27884
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 11:37 am
Location: Houston, Tx
Contact:

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by Legacy777 »

If it's the lifters, you can pull the valve covers and rocker assemblies pretty easily to bleed the lifters.
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
jp233
Second Gear
Posts: 259
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:51 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by jp233 »

I'm sure i"ll be going through the same lifter thing. I had heads built oh, about 3 years ago and they've been sitting on the work bench ever since. Moved aruond several times and probably have had them sat in every possible direction, so I bet they need bleeding.
12 Outback 3.6R Limited
94 Leg LS wag AWD, sold
93 Leg L wag FWD, sold
06 LGT 5EAT, project
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Haven't done the lifters yet.. Not much driving yet; seems to suddenly crank but not want to continue: Gonna give it a good diagnosis tommorow or this weekend to get to the bottom of it so I can get it back on the road and reliable. I have been distracted though; Haha.

Anyway, pictorial away.
'Tis finished! Hopefully!
Image

Annnd distractions:
Image

$400 holla! It's not mine though! Room mates. I'm converting him over from Hondas haha. It's auto/180k/has front end damage & some rear from an accident but otherwise the interior is incredible for the miles. It was sitting for about 6 months :(

Image
Image

The bumper is in decent shape, still. Radiator and AC Condensor got pushed back and are toast but they never hit the pulleys. We pulled out the front end earlier and hooked up a new radiator as we slowly begin to get it ready to be roadworthy again. Got the lights/radiators fixed/mounted. Not amazing looking but its functional for now.
Image

Bonus wagon collection shot
Image

Hopefully I can get the last few gremlins on the sedan sorted so I can break it in proper.
Subaru-less
dscoobydoo
Fifth Gear
Posts: 2275
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2004 2:30 am
Location: Auburn, WA
Contact:

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by dscoobydoo »

glad you saved it. Just needs a little work and should be good to go.
Yes I have too many Subarus
No you can't have one
05 GD-STI
01- RS- Swapped-07 STI
00- GF
93 SS- "the original Robtune" (now in new hands)
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Well. Not much progress on my sedan. Checked for spark.. Looks good, cranks, starter is good, battery is no issue, fuel pump appears to be fine; Gonna swap out the fuel filter check the timing and possibly injectors next.

We made more progress on the white touring wagon today:
Image

It's nowhere near perfect but its functional. We caught a huge break on this thing -- apparently it never actually got totalled out and we were able to get it legal for the road today. Pretty sweet! Rear back hatch and bumper and it should be pretty improved. The interior on this car is just stupid clean for 180k.

'Tis leaking oil but we're just gonna keep an eye on it, maybe replace the valve cover gaskets and the easy stuff eventually.

edit: Actually-- Should we be concerned about running the non turbo hood? In past reading I had gotten the impression that the temperature difference was not significant- have others run without the scoop? I personally like it without the scoop but it could make for a fun project. $20 hood!
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Well, today was a little disheartening. Went out an grabbed a compression tester and did got the following the first time around:
cylinder 1 - 150
cylinder 3 - 150
cylinder 2 - 90?????!!!!!!
cylinder 4 - 120

My initial thought was possibly head gasket seeing as how it was the two driver side cylinders but previously when the car running there was no clear signs of possible issue - temps fine, no smoke or indications of anything mixing. I decided to check out the timing belt before jumping to conclusions and it was a few teeth off- I redid the belt and it should be nearly perfect now.

second compression test:
cylinder 1 - 150
cylinder 3 - 150
cylinder 2- 120?!!! ARGH
cylinder 4 - 150

So it appears that the adjusted timing belt did improve things some but cylinder 2 still remains an issue. It appears to be outside of spec and its really not acceptable in the least-- I'll try rigging this thing up to do a sort of leak down to see if I can determine why this cylinder has less compression.

I''ll go ahead and try a "wet" compression test this next time and see how that turns out. I hope its just a valve issue.

edit: "wet" compression test - a few squirts of motor oil prior to test in each cylinder
cylinder 1- 180
cylinder 3 - 175ish
cylinder 2 - 150
cylinder - 4 - 180

It's really consistent. Gonna probably get some new spark plugs and fire it up and see if burning the liquids off and doing a dry test will be any different. It seems possible there was excess fuel in the other 3 cylinders. Seems like its very possible the compression numbers won't be entirely accurate until the break in period has taken place and the rings are allowed to set. We'll see.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Went ahead and checked out the hla's and a few were in need of attention.. It has quieted some but its still fairly loud.

Got it running and took it for a few spins around the neighborhood earlier. Seems to be working alright but somewhere along the lines I seem to have lost fourth gear :X..

That and the oil pressure light likes to kick in at low idle rpms.. Going to swap the one from the other block and see if it persists and probably rig up a manual means to check it. Assuming I can sort that issue out I'll go ahead and put some more miles on it before checking the compression again.
Subaru-less
randomiam
Second Gear
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Auburn, WA

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by randomiam »

Uploaded a quick video of what I'm hearing on idle right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r6GLANS ... e=youtu.be

It sounds like it still might be something with the lifters-- I'm gonna switch them out tomorrow and see if it makes any difference. It doesn't sound like rod knock, though.
Subaru-less
LegyC-LegyDO
In Neutral
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:01 am
Location: State of Jefferson

Re: randomiams 1993 Legacy SS with bonus TW action within!

Post by LegyC-LegyDO »

Most definitely sounds like the HLA's to me.
rallyOre.
91 legacy turbo
Post Reply