Monster wagon

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:17 pm

A few more things have been done.

Engine and gearbox are now fully mounted and bolted up. There is bulk clearance at the front end now with no exhaust or sump hanging down anywhere.

I had to make up a new gearbox crossmember. It's only temporary at the front part of this - it will need to be changed later to allow room for the front diff.

Also cut and shortened a fresh shifter linkage and mounted that.

Pretty much now she just needs the new hydraulic clutch setup and clutch pedal fitted, tailshaft bolted in, turbo dump pipe, and all the engine stuff connected up and fluids etc and she should drive in RWD. Perhaps end of next weekend if I'm lucky.

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brumbyrunner
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Post by brumbyrunner » Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:46 am

Sounds like it's progressing well.
How close will the front tailshaft be to the sump?
Settlement Creek Racing

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Tue Aug 04, 2009 10:51 am

I won't be anywhere even close to it. The front diff will mount behind the engine crossmembers. The sump is in front of the upper engine crossmember.

The front diff mounts facing the opposite way to the rear diff. It's stub axels end up being exactly where the gearbox stub axels used to be (gearbox stubs are still there just ~6 inches above now). The front tailshaft will connect to the front diff about halfway down the gearbox, underneath it and that tailshaft will continue past the shifter linkages and then into the transfer case.

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:16 am

I whipped up a really crappy MSpaint diagram, not to scale, angles pretty wrong, but it shows the basic layout.

Image

Note that initially I'm going to be running it without the transfer case or front diff - just a long tailshaft from the gearbox to the rear diff.

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tex
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Post by tex » Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:53 pm

I like! what are the low range ratios like in the 720s but curious why not go for something a bit more current?
87 targa brumby (Neglected),
92 targa brumby (weekend runabout),
97 Lifted Outback (Dailey drive),
05 outback safety (Too cheap to pass up),
90 model liberty (was to be scrapped instead sold to workmate)
+ others.

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:01 pm

2.27:1 low range reduction.

This particular xfer case has a few advantages;
- Tailshaft bolt patterns match Subaru (no need to have different uni's custom welded onto the tailshafts, altho i will still need the lengths changed)
- Connecting tailshaft slips straight into the Subaru gearbox
- Supposedly good ability to handle quite alot of power without failure
- Relatively simple mounting setup

USMB forum has quite a few members who've done similar setups into Subaru and this is supposedly the most popular one to use so I'm giving it a shot.

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AlpineRaven
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Post by AlpineRaven » Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:03 pm

too complicated for me lol!!! looks good but i can see where you're coming from...
Cheers
AP
Subarus that I have/had:
1995 Liberty "Rallye" - 5MT AWD, LSD - *written off 25/8/06 in towing accident.
1996 Liberty Wagon - SkiFX AWD 5MT D/R, Lifted.. Outback Sway Bar, 1.59:1 Low Gearing see thread: 1.59:1 in EJ Box Page
Sold at 385,000kms in July 2011.
2007 Liberty BP Wagon, 2.5i automatic
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brumbyrunner
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Post by brumbyrunner » Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:10 pm

AndrewT wrote:I won't be anywhere even close to it. The front diff will mount behind the engine crossmembers. The sump is in front of the upper engine crossmember.

The front diff mounts facing the opposite way to the rear diff. It's stub axels end up being exactly where the gearbox stub axels used to be (gearbox stubs are still there just ~6 inches above now). The front tailshaft will connect to the front diff about halfway down the gearbox, underneath it and that tailshaft will continue past the shifter linkages and then into the transfer case.
Of course Andrew, I don't know what I was thinking!
Yes I do. One of the advantages of the "transfer case mod", is the opportunity to move your front axle-line forward (away from the firewall) and/or move the engine rearwards (for better weight distribution).
I need to work out what height to mount the transfer case to get the front tailshaft level with the front diff and then the motor as close to the tailshaft as possible. I want as least amount of body lift as I can.
So to summerise, I was thinking of my proposed layout, not yours. Sorry.
tex wrote:I like! what are the low range ratios like in the 720s but curious why not go for something a bit more current?
What other divorced tranfer case gives you a centered front tailshaft? Other than Suzuki (too weak) and Lada (too Lada).
Settlement Creek Racing

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:28 pm

Ah cool I'd be interested to find out abit more about your proposed setup that does sound interesting.
I didn't feel a need to change the front axel position further forward. It did occur to me that it would be possible and perhaps and advantage for fitting bigger tyres but to keep it simple I'm leaving it in original position for now. The wheels still fit with my tyre size and I don't seem to have an issue with poor weight distribution that I'm aware of. Moving the engine back would create other issues for me like clearance for the turbo dump pipe, clearance for the intercooler etc etc.
I like this setup at the moment because it's a very simple engine install and everything fits very nicely with basically no mods.

Perhaps something to experiment with in the future, but I'm starting to get used to the idea of this being the last major modification to my wagon!

Yes I forgot, that was the other advantage of this particular transfer case - centered tailshaft outputs to match the Subaru centrered diffs.
(altho I did think of mounting larger R180 or R200 diffs off-centre with custom driveshafts....but I think the R160's will do alright for now!).

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:00 am

Update.

Well it's sat dormant for a while now. I've been concentrating on getting my house ready to rent and finishing it's renovations.

The wagon currently only needs the tailshaft connected up, clutch hydraulics installed and connecting the engine bits up to make it run then it should drive in RWD.

However now that I'm going to be parting out the RX sedan, the wagon is going to go backwards a little, then come back stronger.

I plan to remove the wagon's engine again and swap in the RX's engine. Still the exact same model (Legacy EJ20G) but the RX's is in much better condition. The oil actually stays inside and it runs well!
I'll also be using the brand new single-piece tailshaft from the RX (temporarily until the transfer case goes in).

Not going to do the swap just yet, dispite it being a fairly straight forward operation. I'd like to keep the RX sedan driving/complete for the time being as it's much easier to move this way.

But I need to relocate both cars down to the other side of Perth first (wagon on a car trailer naturally)....and before this can happen I need to erect a shed/workshop down here too. So it is still a ways off, unavoidably. Frustrates the hell out of me but I won't give up!

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Thalass
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Post by Thalass » Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:22 am

I like the sound of this setup. How much does a 720 transfer case set you back?
Living in Canada now. Looking at all these SVXs for sale...
I'VE GOT AN OUTBACK AGAIN WOOT

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:44 am

hard to put a "they go for this price on average" figure on it.
I had a bugger of a time finding it actually, not many 720s around wrecking these days.

I paid 350 for an entire 1981 720 4x4 ute.
Kept the wheels and tyres (bonus, the tyres are exactly the same size as the ones ive used on MW - 29"). an obviously kept the transfer case.
The rest of the ute just got taken away by Sims along with Wackybug just yesterday.
Just over 200k on it and apparently it was in really good mechnical condition apart from the head gasket. Body was....well.....absolutely farked. Skip back a few pages in this thread for pics of it.

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:59 pm

Been tinkering a little in between other things the last few days.
Working on stealing all the good stuff from the RX and putting them in the wagon.

- Removed the engine/gearbox
- Removed the RX Leone's engine
- Mated the RX's engine to the wagon's gearbox, swapped for the new clutch etc
- Fitted the engine/gearbox package into the wagon
(so I've tossed the wagon's motor and swapped it for the one out of the RX basically)
- ripped out and chucked away all the old dodgy wiring in the wagon's engine bay (yay, finally)
- fitted the RX's radiator to the wagon
- started hooking up the engine bits n pieces (sensors, fuel lines etc)
- removed the RX's custom clutch pedal (it's better done than the first one I did for the wagon)
- hooked up the shifter linkage, thats all working now, it shifts gears
- stole the new single-piece tailshaft from the RX, put it in the wagon (so I can run just in RWD for now)

Slow and steady, just piecing it together, all easy stuff. I think the hardest thing is going to be customising up yet another dump pipe, shouldn't be too hard tho.

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:16 am

Just dropped the EJ power steering lines in to EnZed. They are going to replace the rubber sections of both lines with new ones approx double the length. This is required now because the engine is a fair bit further away from the steering rack than it once was. Should be picking them up again end of the day.

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twilightprotege
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Post by twilightprotege » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:41 pm

man i'm loving what you're doing to your monsterwagon
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06 Foz, 2" lift, 225/70/16 tyres

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:04 pm

I'd be loving it more if the thing had driven more than like 100 kms in 3 years heh.

Did abit more;

- Test fitted new extended PS lines, they need to go back for a slight shorten before the final crimp together.
- Put together the hydraulic clutch setup (man it's an absolute bastard doing that stuff under the dash). It's not working properly yet, the slave isn't pushing the clutch fork enough to actually disengage the clutch. I think it needs more bleeding perhaps, altho I'm sure I've got all the bubbles out.
- Hooked up battery, tested she turns over okay.

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:45 pm

- Got the PS lines back, fitted up.
- Filled her up with coolant
- Re-mounted the Bosche coils
- Slapped the intake, afm etc together
- Hooked up boost solenoids

She's running now. No intercooler or dump pipe yet so not too well, but running none the less :)

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:07 pm

Okay she's now driving. Been around the block a few times. Seems to drive pretty well, shifts gears great, looks like I scored a good gearbox.

Still to do;

- wire up thermo fans
- wire up WAIC intercooler pump
- cabletie some wires and crap up nice and tidy in the engine bay
- mount the Magna handbrake and connect up the cables to the rear brakes
- weld up some kind of exhaust (still only the dump pipe in there at present)

Then she's ready for some nice long runs. I'll probably switch over to using it daily for work for a few weeks to rack up the kms and iron out the gremlins.

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:24 pm

Image

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Captain Obvious
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Post by Captain Obvious » Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:50 am

Monster!!!!!
[SIGPIC]http://www.ausubaru.com/forum/image.php ... 1468060434[/SIGPIC]



The 4x4: 2004 Nissan Navara d22 ZD30 dual cab.
The Wifes car: 2005 SG9 Facelift forester 2.5l auto XS

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