Ruby Scoo’s epic build, ten years and counting...

The Loyale · Post by **The Loyale** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:28 pm

AWESOME Video mate!

-Tom

El_Freddo wrote:Video of Ruby Scoo's transformation, a few of the early years missing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwudtary2_A

Cheers

Bennie

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:54 pm

The Loyale wrote:AWESOME Video mate!

Cheers Tom, glad you enjoyed it. I was trying to show what I've done in and with Ruby Scoo and her progression/modifications without going into the technicalities of the whole thing...

Plus I got bored while at Hotham

Cheers

Bennie

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:13 am

Too

Bennie! I think your going to be a tough act to follow for anyone posting up a video of their Subi.
Looking forward to the next one:-D
Mark

Thalass · Post by **Thalass** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:08 am

You've a brave man flooring it in a snowy car park! haha

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:12 pm

Thanks Mark. I reckon Subarino is a hard act to follow, he's got some awesome video's of the WA boys.

Thalass wrote:You've a brave man flooring it in a snowy car park! haha

Yeah well, "when in Rome!" Loved it and depeding on the conditions its sometimes not as slippery as you'd think. Good fun none the less!

Cheers

Bennie

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 10:48 pm

Ok, finally got a bash plate made up - I modified the original one for my stag weekend. It came in handy when I showed off the subaru's potential to some of my best mates. They couldn't believe it!

With this confidence I headed off with Venom to Mt Black area and had some fun. On the Monday (1st Nov) we headed to bendigo where I know of a 4wd area in an old quarry. After a water crossing that was rather deep and doing it twice successfully I got cocky and over confident - so I had a go at the water puddle that was on the way in to the area, being on the road I thougt it wouldn't be too deep and not too much to handle. Well I was wrong, it was deep, Ruby Scoo was ploughing through it nicely but then the momentum of the slow pace slowed to a stop. With water halfway up the door on the outside water started coming in quick.

If stuck in deep water here's a check list I came up with really quickly:

1) any important electrical equipment - radios, laptops, GPS units, Ipods etc - get them out regardless of where they're located - put them some where safe high and dry.

2) enter and exit through open windows - DO NOT open doors as water will come in quicker

3) do not turn off engine if it is still running, let it idle. Idling the engine stops water entering the engine via the exhaust - only one exhaust valve has to be open for water to back flow into the cylinder. DO NOT rev engine if you know you're air intake is submerged!

4) Get snatch strap connected quick and get a mate to tow you out. If this doesn't work then go for a snatch.

5) ONLY attempt stupid things like this with another vehicle that can pull you out without getting that one stuck.

This water got up to the top of the base of the driver's seat - I was sitting in a big puddle in my subi before we got her out. It came within an inch of the immobiliser

Cleaning the mess out is not fun - I've finally got the interior dry, now to scrape out all the mud...

Here's the pics for those that have not seen them yet - a snorkel is high on the list of priority after I replace bearings and replace/repack leaking CV boots. Gearbox and rear diff oil had to be replaced. Extended breathers wouldn't go astray either. Anyway, pics:

^ That's the fun I had to look forward to with the clean out...

A mate reckons someone came along with a digger and dug that hole out to its current depth - the council had this hole filled in with some pretty full on blue steel stuff so it couldn't possibly dig out like this in that time - the chicken tracks were no where near this rutted out or deep.

Hope someone learns a lesson from this posting - just use caution and ignore over confidence. I guess over confidence is a hindsight thing...

Not fun!

Cheers

Bennie

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 10:58 pm

Looks like alot of clean up Bennie...I think a snorkle would be high on my list as well:) ...wondering if dielectric grease would be a good preventative maintenance item for your rig as it seems to be a puddle magnet;)
Cheers, mark

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 11:09 pm

T'subaru wrote:Looks like alot of clean up Bennie...I think a snorkle would be high on my list as well:) ...wondering if dielectric grease would be a good preventative maintenance item for your rig as it seems to be a puddle magnet;)
Cheers, mark

Only a puddle magnet due to the rain we've had! And I like to give things a go. Never had an adrenaline rush like the one I got in the first water track when I stopped moving! This one was heaps worse though...

What is this dielectric grease you speak of? Never heard of it!

Cheers

Bennie

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 11:26 pm

Here's a photo account of the water "race" that I nailed - after getting stuck in the middle for a minute (and truly panic'd for the first time ever) Ruby kept moving through and came out victorious on the other side. Only a drop or two of water on the air filter. So I did it again with the tarp covering the air intake to reduce water induction so we could get some video.

Here's the series of pics. The entry was steeper than expected:

The fourth image is where I got momentarily stuck - notice no bow wave infront of Ruby Scoo.

Good times. This is ultimately what got me into the spot of bother in the above posts...

Cheers

Bennie

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 11:43 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Only a puddle magnet due to the rain we've had! And I like to give things a go. Never had an adrenaline rush like the one I got in the first water track when I stopped moving! This one was heaps worse though...

What is this dielectric grease you speak of? Never heard of it!

Cheers

Bennie

dielectric grease is a non conductive, usually clear grease typically supplied with ignition wire sets for the spark plug boots and also ignition point sets for lubing the contact surface on the dizzzy shaft. I think it would be well used on all the water vulnerable harness plugs to help keep the water out of them and prevent corrosion.
cheers, mark

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:37 pm

Ouch... you'll learn eh... I did that recently as well in my Liberty for some reason I bogged down and i panicked as the engine wasn't running right so went backwards as it distance was "shorter" than going forward and it was my fault for under estimate how deep and i didnt plan properly which-way I went thru, I knew that water hole as well, just the matter of underestimate what your compatible of & the car as well. After I got out of the water I checked everything and the engine was spluttering as well, air filter was soaking wet.. so lucky it didnt drunk all of the water into the engine... the exhaust was steamy for little while... But its all sweet now anyway...

That is why bigger 4WDs has a shelf where the sun visors are to store items up high away from the floor in case it gets wet!!!
Cheers
AP

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 8:14 pm

So after the water situation as posted above, I had a 600km round trip for a first aid recert course. Wheel bearings held up and I had new units to replace the water effected ones.

I got 600 + km from the tank

- doesn't happen often, but I got it this time - then forgot to fill up, drove the missus to work (about 3km), it started running odd, I thought it due to running out of fuel. I put a 20L jerry can in at work, drove home with no change in performance. With little time to fix the problem I drove like this for another day then put her half in the "garage".

I started with the replacement of the front bearings with the repacking of the CV boots as well. 2 problems here - first, the CV boot I ordered was the wrong one so no front drive shaft to use. Second problem, one of the front bearing kits came with the wrong bearing seal, so no front bearing either.

While I had the front end apart, I found that my ball joint and tie rod ends were full of water for some unknown reason, so I cleaned them out and tried my best to repack with some CV grease - gotta be better than muddy water!

Then I had another issue - the cam belt was the issue here as it was loose - enough to push it more than a tensioned fan belt! So here was the miss issue. And after checking the spark plugs (before finding out about the cam belt at 3am - I was on a mission! but failed) when it started up first kick there was a gut wrenching sound that made me think something fell into a cylinder. That's where I got onto the cam belt and found the real issue. Some may remember a thread about a new bearing for a cam belt idler pulley as one of my idler pulleys had a collapsed bearing causing the issue:

Due to xmas funding issues I decided to have a go a importing a kit to replace the cam belt, idlers and the tensioner pulley as all idlers had noisy bearings and the belt had bits of metal imbedded in it plus some bits missing, best to replace. I opted for this kit.

I've also got two of these units and one of these units for the cooling of the radiator, these will fit easily between the EJ and the three core... Should keep Ruby Scoo nice and cool in the slow going stuff

I'll keep you updated as to what happens. Hoping all the parts arrive well before the Robe sand trip the weekend before australia day.

Cheers

Bennie

FROG · Post by **FROG** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 8:28 pm

T'subaru wrote:dielectric grease is a non conductive, usually clear grease typically supplied with ignition wire sets for the spark plug boots and also ignition point sets for lubing the contact surface on the dizzzy shaft. I think it would be well used on all the water vulnerable harness plugs to help keep the water out of them and prevent corrosion.
cheers, mark

Eggsellent stuff , use liberally everywhere , lived on the stuff in wet season Northern Territory

it just doesn't conduct electricity

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 8:36 pm

FROG wrote:Eggsellent stuff , use liberally everywhere , lived on the stuff in wet season Northern Territory it just doesn't conduct electricity

Should I ask where I can get this stuff??

Cheers

Bennie

FROG · Post by **FROG** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 8:32 am

Should be off the shelf in auto stores , pretty sure bursons supply it also

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:56 am

El_Freddo wrote:

Cheers

Bennie

Nice idler pulley there Bennie

I see you also have the early type tensioner too

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:45 pm

RSR 555 wrote:Nice idler pulley there Bennie I see you also have the early type tensioner too

Yeah, that idler makes an, ah, "HORRIBLE", noise!

I'm really starting to itch as I'm waiting on a replacement kit from the US and I've got no idea when it will arrive. Usually not an issue but the Robe 4wd trip is coming up next week

I'm really wanting to be there plus I'm kinda the trip leader...

finger's crossed!

Cheers

Bennie

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:42 pm

Got my fingers crossed for ya too Bennie.. Hope your kit doesn't end up in Russia like Jules's Clutch Kit

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:25 pm

RSR 555 wrote:Hope your kit doesn't end up in Russia like Jules's Clutch Kit

Bugger me I didn't hear about this! I seriously hope that's not the case for me - I'm starting to experience some anxiousness over the whole thing. Got a week to have her back together and on the road! No packages at work today

This is starting to effect my health!

Cheers

Bennie

Post by **TOONGA** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:27 pm

RSR 555 wrote:Got my fingers crossed for ya too Bennie.. Hope your kit doesn't end up in Russia like Jules's Clutch Kit

Bennie don't listen to Lord Blowie Catcher, it wasn't Russia. For some reason my clutch was shipped to Germany, USPS got it well and truely wrong.

TOONGA