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

[El_Freddo]

So I'm still arguing with the tyre joint... Even though they gave me my car back without having done a proper wheel alingment - if they had've done that I would've found out that I had the wrong tie rod ends installed, turned out after two scrubbed tyres that I had liberty tie rod ends installed due to a dodgy part number in the new parts book at my local parts supplier.

In other news Venom just sent me an excell spreadsheet to enter my logbook into - it tells me the km's per tank, ltrs per 100km, average ltrs per 100km, cents per kilometre and a few other things...

Some stats:

Average litres per 100km: 9.71L
Most litres per 100km: 11.77L
Least litres per 100km: 8.64L
And I've spent $865 on fuel since putting the EJ in...



Cheers

Bennie

[pezimm]

In other news I found out that my front tyres are basically shot due to a dodgy wheel alignment - both are worn on the inside edge and are heavily feathered to the right. For a vehicle with obvious permenant negative camber and a more powerful engine installed I would have thought the tyres would wear on the outter edge like they did with the EA82, just not within 4000kms!

Hey Bennie,

I might be missing something here, but why do you need / end-up-with a permanent negative camber?

Cheers,
Pedro.

[El_Freddo]

I'm pretty sure I mean negative camber - its where the wheels are like this \-/ Subaru built this into the front suspension geometry from factory, and its not adjustable. Due to this the outside edge of the front wheels always wears quicker than the rest of the tyre does.

The extra weight of the EJ has pushed the suspension down a little bit and I've gained half a degree of positive camber so now I've got -0.5 degrees of camber. I still need to call the mob about my tyres that need replacement. Its not going to be fun.

Cheers

Bennie

[AndrewT]

\-/ = positive camber
/-\ = negative camber

Negative camber is for hardcore racing, and other activities that require extra stability
Good thing to have in an L series in moderation.




You can get adjustment for camber on the front end by use of a strut top adaptor thingy like this;
http://www.amsperformance.com/cart/imag ... camber.jpg
U can get them to suit L series / Liberty / WRX

[El_Freddo]

Thanks AndyT! I always get that stuff mixed up...

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

An update of a few things that have been done/will be done soon:

Over the australia day weekend I wired up a thermo fan switch so I can operate it when I want or have it run on the auto setting via the radiator temp switch (factory). I am wondering if it would be better to have the ECU trigger the thermo fan when it wants to or to leave it as the radiator switch?

Anyway, here's the wiring diagram, I've currently only got one thermo in there due to space restraints:



And this is the wiring diagram I'm going to use to put the Dual Battery system in:



That's it for now for wiring. I'm organising my lift kit from the left over steel that dad's ordering for another project I'm aiming for a 2 inch body lift with 3 inch strut lift.

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Bennie

[AlpineRaven]

Thumbs up... awesome... what a tough beast..
Cheers
AP

[Captain Obvious]

omg bennie its grown!!! looking good mate well done!!!

[El_Freddo]

omg bennie its grown!!! looking good mate well done!!!

Yeah cheers. Still got some work to do on the interior - going to replace it for a grey one and give it a good clean out in the process. Still have to add the flares, do the exhaust etc.

Then there's my gearbox I hope to be building soon with 4.11 ratio diffs. This brings me to a question from AP in the vic 4wd'n session thread (lerderderg and wombat forest trip report):

Since you had 3.7:1 final drive Bennie, what is 4.11 like - would be revving hard on highway?

Since adding the 27's with the 3.7 diffs I wonder how the hell anyone with an EA82 drives these things. I feel that this combination with the EJ sucks. Having broken a front drive shaft on the 4wd outting I got thinking that I can effectively change my diff ratio without changing the box. So I borrowed a 4.111 rear diff. Now I'm back near the original revs/speeds as factory, probabily about 100 rpm less, which is a very nice place to be. I got a big kick out of dragging a P plater off a the lights in a lifted L that doesn't really look the part. Admittedly he was in an EF falcon but he was still trying hard. Cheap thrills

So just have to get a part and a casing for the next box build. I'll be very happy once that is done.

Another question: The EJ block is basically the same for the 2 liter to the 2.5 with different internal moving parts right? Thinking of an evil plan to get around the capacity increase with an EJ20 block Just need to know if I can bore one out far enough for an EJ22 and throw in a set of EJ25 internals at the same time

When I have more time I'll go into where the lift came from - I didn't get around to making my own...

Cheers

Bennie

[maxxair]

Looking good mate. Whata Weapon!!!

[El_Freddo]

haybales says subies suck suzies rule hehehe

Yep, we've had a few drinks over here for Kez's (fiance's) birthday, 27 on the 27th That's her sister being a little silly like the rest of us

Maxxair, Ruby Scoo will be quite the offroad weapon once I'm done with her setup! Need to get this 4.111 diff ratio'd gearbox sorted and then I'll be very happy with the drive train. I'm hatching plans of an EJ22 in an EJ20 block to get the engine number past vic roads without an engineers report...

I picked up the replacement driveshaft today. They reckon the boot split then the CV joint failed. I agree but did not expect that to happen so soon... Ruby's bearly done 20K km before this happened.

So now to install it and get Ruby on the road again...

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

WHOOP WHOOP!!!

After a HUGE day of spending savings (back to being poor again) before heading to the snow I'm still running around like

I gave Ruby Scoo a bit of dosh for once. Yesterday she got an oil change, back to 23 inch tyres with mud/snow toyos for our snow season, two new ball joints and a front end alignment. Pretty boring stuff but it needed to be done. But today, she was dropped off at one of the few exhaust joints left in benders for some work - probably the most I've spent on her in one hit that doesn't include rego or tyres...

So now she's cruising around with a 2 and a 1/4 cat back system, flexi joint mid way with a hot dog and new rear muffler while I'm looking goofy like VERY stoked. The exhaust is now tucked up under Ruby instead of hanging low saying "Look at me, look at me".

I don't have my camera with me, so pics next week of her new (lower) look and new exhaust too.

Cheers

Bennie

[Alex]

good stuff Bennie! Exhaust on an ej22 is a must!

alex

[D3V1L]

faaantastic bennie...now your due for another visit to WA so show us the LONG awaited progress!!


davo

[El_Freddo]

Totally agree Alex! Kinda wish I got it done when the lift went in... Only problem is that there's no joint until just before the rear muffler - so its basically a two piece. Should be interesting to remove if the time ever comes.

faaantastic bennie...now your due for another visit to WA so show us the LONG awaited progress!!

Yeah, we'll see about that. I'm hoping to get the wife to be over there at the end of the year after she says "I do" Been told there's no 4wd'n to happen but I dunno about this clause

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Well, I'm STILL trying to upload images, it's uber annoying and I've tried with various image host sites which means my wicked internet must be dropping out every so often for a split second

Anyway, here's the one image of the exhaust that I've got so far, unfortunately its not even the one that I reckon looks awesome, it'd be no2 in the 3 images I've got of it:



And here's Ruby on Higgi Drive with her "new" snow boots on - the rims came with the tyres :



That's my "new" trailer she's towing. A rusted out toyota tub on an MY torsion suspension rear end. NB: anyone using an MY rear end for a trailer - make sure you use some shocks as my trailer's a little bouncy but goes ok on the road once you're moving. That'll be getting some fitted once I'm home again, they'll have to be stubby little things! Also, when building the frame, make sure everything is square! That frame was meant to be for the camper van but I mis-measured in one area and that threw out the rest. So I cut it up for my trailer

I had a little coolant issue when we arrived up here. I thought the stuff I'd put in was anti freeze, but it turned out not to be. Again I've got photos but I can't upload them I've not seen things like this happen before and I'm just glad that the radiator or the block didn't split. Even the heater core appeared to be frozen! Crazy. All sorted now and she drove well after the coolant was swapped with anti freeze. She'll be headed off the mountain tomorrow so that'll be a really good run for her.

Cheers

Bennie

[steptoe]

green stuff that ain't anti freeze? That'd be what I bought in error too, simply corrosion inhibitor - not really worth a pinch of poop in our colder climates

[ScubyRoo]

nice work bennie! rims are sh*t hot, looks the part, I reckon you get big floaty tires for them come summer so you can keep them, they look sic.

The ej's sound pretty good with a resonator, what size muffler?

Trailer... oh dear.... rolf!

[T'subaru]

Your wagon's lookin good Bennie!! Bumpers really add to the L wagons apperance..wish we had the bull bars in the states that you guys have there:mrgreen:
Cheers, Mark
ps may want to read the fine print