Help Identifying my Suby

drakan69 · Post by **drakan69** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:06 pm

Hi guys,

I needed something cheap to run and that wouldn't attract as much attention from Mr Plod, so I sold my VE and bought myself a 1995 Subaru Liberty LX, my first Subaru, having owned it about 4 weeks now i've been very impressed.

Now the help I need is identifying the different bits and pieces that go together to form this little car.
What I was told:
1. 95 Liberty LX body
2. 96 EJ20R from a Type RA with GTB Heads
3. 03 5-speed gearbox with center diff lock.
4. 98 type-RA turbo
5. Other bolt-on modifications; FMIC, bosch 909 pump, bosch coil packs, 3" turbo back exhaust, heavy duty clutch.

So my questions are.

1: what modifications are needed for the interior from a WRX (front and rear seats) to fit my LX?

2: I've tried google and wiki but can't find much information on this Type-RA, or EJ20R or BT Blitzen Heads, can someone shed some info on them?

3: I understand the center diff lock distributes power evenly between the
front and rear diffs, but where does the majority of power go when it's not engaged?

4: As far as I can tell it's still running standard boost, I'll get a gauge on it shortly, but can someone give me an idea as to what this would be?

5: Aside from comedic stuff (sti seats ect) , what's your advice on my next mechanical upgrade?

Thanks

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:17 am

drakan69 wrote: 3: I understand the center diff lock distributes power evenly between the
front and rear diffs, but where does the majority of power go when it's not engaged?

If you're building a streeter - which it sounds like you are - you won't need the locking centre diff AWD gearbox (rare as hen's teeth). An STi box will have one of the tightest centre diffs that will do a better job of power distribution without shagging out your drive train components in the process. So, to answer your question:

When the diff lock is not engaged, all of the power will be evenly distributed between all 4 wheels, but when on a slippery surface it could be possible to spin one wheel only under heavy acceleration. A centre LSD will start to bind and transfer power to the wheels with traction (front or rear) in this situation.

You can get a tighter centre LSD, I think the stock units are a 5kg rating and the STi units 8 or so kg rating. Apparently a 12 kg unit is as tight as you would want for a daily driver. Either way all will work well until you start pushing it really hard on wet surfaces - that's where you might feel a slip in one wheel.

Also, what are you aiming for with this build?

Cheers

Bennie

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:04 am

1. 95 Liberty LX body

Whats known as a Gen2 Liberty, BD/BG chassis code

2. 96 EJ20R from a Type RA with GTB Heads

The EJ20R is a twin turbo motor from a Gen2 GT/GTB, but im gonna assume that it has been single turbo converted

3. 03 5-speed gearbox with center diff lock.

It sounds like it might be a DCCD (Driver Controlled Centre Diff) but i thought that by 2003, the DCCD boxes would have been 6 speed

4. 98 type-RA turbo

Possibly a VF23 or VF22. Grab a torch and have a look at the bottom front of the compressor

5. Other bolt-on modifications; FMIC, bosch 909 pump, bosch coil packs, 3" turbo back exhaust, heavy duty clutch.

All pretty standard mods

So my questions are.

1: what modifications are needed for the interior from a WRX (front and rear seats) to fit my LX?

Should just bolt in.

2: I've tried google and wiki but can't find much information on this Type-RA, or EJ20R or BT Blitzen Heads, can someone shed some info on them?

Type RA is basically the "race spec" of the WRX's. They had the same power as the STI, but were lighter with less luxuries
I mentioned the EJ20R above.
BT Blitzen Heads doesn't make sense. More likely GT-B heads. The GT-B was a Bilstein suspension equipped Gen2 twin turbo Legacy/Liberty

3: I understand the center diff lock distributes power evenly between the
front and rear diffs, but where does the majority of power go when it's not engaged?

With the centre diff in lock mode, it locks the centre diff with an electro-magnetic clutch to give a 50/50 front/ rear torque distribution. In open mode, the diff acts as an open differential, but with a rear bias thanks to different sizes gears in the planetary gear set . Somewhere around the 35/65 mark, but because it is acting like an open diff, the fron/rear torque changes with the amount of front/rear tyre grip.

4: As far as I can tell it's still running standard boost, I'll get a gauge on it shortly, but can someone give me an idea as to what this would be?

Hard to say without knowing if it has a standard ECU, a chipped or flashed ECU or an aftermarket unit.

5: Aside from comedic stuff (sti seats ect) , what's your advice on my next mechanical upgrade?

I think you meant "cosmetic". Id find out exactly what you have first, then go from there. Take some photos of the engine bay so we can see what you have.

drakan69 · Post by **drakan69** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:29 am

Thanks for the replies guys, really do appreciate it and will take some happy snaps tomorrow hopefully if we get some clear weather.

I bought this car how it sits today, wouldn't minding making a few little changes to it and getting into gymkhana a bit, but at the moment its my daily, so can't do anything too crazy. Would like the wrx or sti interior, softer suspension as it's currently got superlows up front and lows in the rear and I'd also like a set of wrx 16" rims as the 17" liberty rims that are on it don't do much for me.
Of the 52km i drive to work and back every day, 12km of it is smooth gravel road, and with 0% lock on the dccd it seems to get a bit tail happy which is kinda fun and can be interesting with the front wheels scrabbling away getting traction, pulling the nose of the car around in an odd way (i've only ever driven rwd remember). But with it 100% its something else! It still goes sideways, but it's like it's on rails and it only goes sideways with this sort of crabbing action, brings a massive smile to my dial.

2. Ahhh yes something about a single turbo conversion was mentioned in the add!
3. Theres every chance that the car was advertised with the wrong year on the gearbox, after reading more on this dccd, that's definitely what it is. does about 3000rpm @ 100kph, so would be nice if it was a 6 speed :/
4. It was advertised as the RA ecu as well, but might be best to just get a gauge on it

Many thanks for your input!

d_generate · Post by **d_generate** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:15 am

Definately not an RA box, if it's doing 2,900 at 100 it's a 4,44 STI box from 97 - 00 or possibly a later WRX box....RA would be around 3.400, you can put early DCCD on the back of pretty much any 5 speed.

GTB heads are pretty good & the block is ok, has press forged pistons against STI's drop forged, with the computer if it's WRX probably running around 10 - 12psi, if it's RA it'll be around 16 - 17psi.

Seats will drop straight in f & r.

Depending on what year it's from V1 or V2 it'll be a VF12/TD05 with top entry or V3 onward VF 22/23/24 with under intake entry to the turbo.

The lightest 16" wheels Subaru made were the MY00 WRX 6 spoke ones, usually $250 - 300 a set.

Next upgrades should be CAI & 3" TBE, the early computers are self learning so no tune needed, then to handling like anti lift kit, sway bars & mounts, mine has king lows in the rear and std kings in the front & sits nice.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:52 am

Yep... I so totally got the meaning of the first post completely wrong

Sorry!

Bennie