kimokalihi's 91 SS EJ20 Swap

[kimokalihi]

Also will this be a direct swap for my 97 Forester 5MT Rear 4.444 LSD diff? Has the male axles that insert into the diff? Are the axles the proper length? I just don't want to blow this money and then be stuck trying to sell a diff that's not in high demand due to rare gear ratio and possibly not have enough money to buy another one before the show.

[kimokalihi]

Surprise Surprise! Guess what I found...









Looks like they lied to me and sold me an open diff. Great. Glad I only paid $100 for it. I think what may have happened was they thought it was an open diff without ever checking to see if it was. The reason being is they listed the swap on ebay as an Automatic. I've noticed a lot of the subarus with LSD rear diffs only feature the LSD on automatics and not 5MTs of the same model and year.

So, I toasted an open diff. That oil is pretty black considering it was nearly empty when I filled it with brand new Redline oil. I don't really know what to inspect or how to inspect it.

Should I bitch to the seller about them selling me an open diff and telling me it was an LSD? It's been over a year now since I bought it.

I got my new shift boot in the mail yesterday. It's a newer WRX boot. The STI one didn't fit because it's from a 6spd. But this one fits the knob perfect but it's a lot taller than the STI shift boot and needs to be shortened to fit the car properly. Looks good though.








I finally bolted my seats in the back. Looks very nice and it's comfortable back there. Really nice arm rest for the passengers. I'm jealous of them haha. Everything bolted right up except the center mount on the bottom. Had to drill out a hole to bolt that up but other than that it fit great.

[mike-tracy]

So the open diff is from a JDM forester turbo? Yeah, it's been a year, I'm pretty sure you're SOL.

Use the LSD from this thread
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... hlight=lsd

to swap into a good 4.44 carrier.

[Deride]

Got more pics of your 6 speed boot? and do you want to sell it? :P

[kimokalihi]

Hell yeah I want to sell it. Reason being, it doesn't fit a 5MT knob. The top is too wide in diameter. This WRX boot I got snaps right onto the bottom of the 09 WRX knob I have. The boot is nice, just isn't going to work with a WRX knob without modification. I'll sell it for $20 shipped. Just paid $30 shipped for this one.

[kimokalihi]

So the open diff is from a JDM forester turbo? Yeah, it's been a year, I'm pretty sure you're SOL.

Use the LSD from this thread
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... hlight=lsd

to swap into a good 4.44 carrier.

I don't have time to piece together a working diff. I need a bolt on solution this week. I'll spend $225 at the junkyard so long as it's an LSD and is in good condition. I may go down there tomorrow and get it. I think they remove it for you but I'm not sure. I will make them remove the cover before I buy it though so I can confirm it's LSD.

[kimokalihi]

Just took my rear diff down to I5 Auto down in Napavine, WA because they require a core exchange even after charging you $225. I hate that place and try to avoid it if at all possible because those guys are assholes and they don't let you go pull your own parts. They're the rudest establishment of any sort I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. So after waiting for and hour and 40 minutes for them to remove the diff (could have done it myself in 10-20mins) it was an open diff and I told them there's not a cold chance in hell I'm paying $225 plus giving them my diff for another open diff. I'm pissed off now. Wasted 3 hours of my time and gas money for nothing.

Did all the 2000-2001 impreza 2.5 RS automatic come with 4.444 LSD? From the research I did on google, they all come with it and even in the junkyard computer it says Viscous Limited Slip. Someone must have replaced it.

[kimokalihi]

I was just thinking since the seller listed my swap as an automatic and it was a 5MT, maybe they got the gear ratio wrong as well. Which means I could wind up buying an LSD diff and putting it in my car only to feel it fighting with the transmission due to different ratios.

How do I find out for sure what gear ratio this 97 JDM Forester 5MT is? I'm thinking maybe I should just buy an LSD diff of any raitio and swap my gear onto it? This is very stressful and it's really pissing me off.

[mike-tracy]

According to your tranny code,

http://spda-online.ca/modules/tinyconte ... tc_28.html

says your TY753VB1AA tranny is 4.44 and open rear diff.

-Mike

[kimokalihi]

Very interesting. It does not show a rear diff. It says center diff and front diff. Is the center diff the rear diff? Also, it doesn't show any USDM subarus as having a 4.444 gear ratio but there are several that do.

[kimokalihi]

So my safest bet is probably to buy an LSD diff and swap my ring gear into it to keep the right gear ratio right? The ring gear is the gear that goes around the LSD right? Anything else I would need to change?

[07Evolved]

This might solve your problem Kimo, but it would have to be shipped...

Not sure if its an open diff or not...

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=44735

[kimokalihi]

Thanks Brad but I bought a diff off ebay on wednesday. Should be here by tuesday.

[kimokalihi]

Been slowly making progress while I wait for my new LSD differential. I removed the last piece of AC from my car. The radiator or whatever it's called. While I was at it I removed the charcoal canister that I had lost the check valve for and plugged up the vacuum lines that go to it. Looks much cleaner with out.








I got tired of my battery sliding around under the hood. Makes me nervous because the positive side post is exposed. It only moved maybe 2" max but I'm somewhat of a perfectionist with a bit of OCD and that wasn't going to fly. Besides I learned my lesson with my last Red Top when I didn't bolt it down because I lost the nut and the tie down bracket touched the positive post while I was wheeling in the woods in my Toyota 4x4. The battery instantly welded the bracket to the battery terminal post clamp and killed the battery in 1 second. Would never charge again after that. So I took an hour out of my day and fabbed up a nice battery tie-down bracket. Bought the tie-down rods and wing nuts from autozone for $3. Turned out nice.

After cutting a rough draft piece of aluminum out with a hack saw.







Finished product after cutting it a bit more and doing a lot of sanding with a belt sander.

[Legacy777]

Nice work on the battery clamp down.

Yes it's very important to have one!

[kimokalihi]

Thanks Josh. I learned my lesson!

[kimokalihi]

Reserved for hood scoop install.

[kimokalihi]

The car is back on the road! Picked up my diff from the post office and installed it today. Had to swap over my stubby studs on the diff cover and my driveshaft mounting flange. The ride is so much better now without that howling. It's nice and quiet. For the most part.

Bad news is, the guy sent me an open diff and told me it was a "locking" diff. I will elaborate on that issue later. But basically I just paid $230 for an open diff. Junkyard 15 mins from here sells them for $40 but they don't have the 4.444 diffs because all they have is first gen legacy's and loyales.

It's running though and I'm going to deal with the seller later. Here's a little amateur photo shoot I did when I got home. My GF's 2000 Civic LX is next to my car sittin on the new Rota Slips I bought her last week for her birthday. I think I'm going to paint my door handles blackness. Yeah that'll look sick and a black roof will come later.

[PhyrraM]

Looks great Kimo!

Glad to see it finally on the road. Don't forget a review of Rob's tune.

[kimokalihi]

Thanks Jess. Not finished yet though! I have more plans for the future. I haven't forgotten. I'll do it probably when I get back from WCSS next week.

[kimokalihi]

Just got back from WCSS and the car runs excellent. The steering rack is toast though. It's sticking BAD and sometimes doesn't want to turn at all and then it'll come loose all of the sudden and start working again.

Won't be driving it much anymore for a while.

[fatgc8]

Sounds to me like theres air in the system.

Just got back from WCSS and the car runs excellent. The steering rack is toast though. It's sticking BAD and sometimes doesn't want to turn at all and then it'll come loose all of the sudden and start working again.

Won't be driving it much anymore for a while.

[Deride]

Im willing to bet it's the swivel joint that attaches the rack to the column.

[kimokalihi]

Can you bleed the steering rack?

[mike-tracy]

Sounds like you need my rack sooner rather than later. We went to town when the food situation was out of control at WCCS, sorry to have missed you.