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Tue Aug 11, 2015 10:13 pm

So I have decided to start this thread to share my progress on my Subaru conversion, with 5 speed Subaru gears reversed transmission.

Why you might be asking, am I doing this?
Well I have been looking for a suitable Subaru locally for about a year how, and had planed on rebuilding my type IV engine over this summer. Engine was running fine (I thought) and I was just going to do a couple seals. Once I got deeper into the engine I discovered the number 3 piston had some melt damage from over heating and one of the valve seats was pounded into the head and just fell out. I don't want to put $2000-$3000 into a good top end for this GEX rebuilt engine, and I don't want to spent $4000-$6000 on a rebuilt type IV engine when I eventually plan to go to a Subaru anyway. So looks like I'm going right to the Subi.

The final decision was made for me when I found this Subaru Impreza 15 min from my house for sale. $550CAN

2000 Impreza Outback Sport with 165,000km (102,000mi) 5spd

No problem driving it home (save a tow) "Thought that was the parking brake switch, but it was actually low on fluid. Oops. No leak and stopped fine." Engine light is the back O2 sensor, according to torque app.

First look at the engine

Compression check shows 190 psi all around

Found the original never used touch up paint with the jack in the back. Good as new :lol: (typical southern Ontario rust out from WAY to much salt on the roads in the winter)

Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:43 am

Removed Battery, AC lines (it was empty anyway), WW tank, Air cleaner, Rad and hoses. Disconnected throttle and CC cables. Removed vacuum lines for brake booster and CC unit. Also disconnected all electrical connections going to the engine.

Disconnected the fuel lines, shift linkage, and drive shaft flanges (a pin holds them on). Removed the igniter, power steering pump and alternator. Couldn't get the AC compressed off as it had 1 bolt under the manifold that I couldn't get to. And I didn't want to take the manifold off with the engine in the car.

Borrowed a shop crane from my neighbour and out she came (I think it weighted more than my engine, but worked so good). I think a smaller folding on will be on the shopping list for when the engine goes into the bus.
Note: The pin for the shift linkage would not come out from under the car (wasted about 1 hour) so I just disconnected the whole linkage

Got the transmission off and the engine put onto the stand.

Wed Aug 12, 2015 9:09 am

Great start, good luck!

Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:51 am

good deal! welcome to the dark side!

one thing I do is harvest the harness FIRST. when done, use the car as an engine stand, test harness and pull engine, but that ship has sailed :lol:

you will love it with a 5 speed. I am very happy with the re worked 4, but honestly, the 5 would be ideal

Wed Aug 12, 2015 12:30 pm

Be careful with the three wheeled engine stand. When you are pushing them they tip over when you least expect it.
Good going
Tcash

Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:33 pm

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: good deal! welcome to the dark side!

one thing I do is harvest the harness FIRST. when done, use the car as an engine stand, test harness and pull engine, but that ship has sailed :lol:

you will love it with a 5 speed. I am very happy with the re worked 4, but honestly, the 5 would be ideal

Thanks. I would have loved to do that, but I am doing this at my parents place as I live in an apartment and I could only have a dismantled bus and a dismantled Subaru in the driveway for so long. The bus is even starting to overstay its welcome. I was actually pulling the wiring and the engine at the same time. Just wanted to post it in a logical order so I don't look like to much of a crazy person.

Tcash wrote: Be careful with the three wheeled engine stand. When you are pushing them they tip over when you least expect it.
Good going
Tcash

Thanks for the warning. In hindsight I should have got the 4 wheel one for $20 more. It was especially hairy getting it across the gravel driveway.

Thu Aug 13, 2015 12:14 am

What guides are you following to do this yourself? :)

Just curious, no plans to try it out. Maybe on a new bus if I ever find one at a cheap price :)

Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:24 am

I'm with ya. I'll be watching. Good move.

Thu Aug 13, 2015 10:33 am

Nice. I'm very interested in the 5 speed conversion.

Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:57 pm

Terminatez wrote: What guides are you following to do this yourself? :)

No guide as it were. Kind of piecing together builds from different threads and forms. So many variables that no 2 seem to be alike.
Webwalker is working on a SOP and has a great thread that is a big influence on me. Also Skills, and DiVos threads have excellent info . Busaru has some good videos (for when your just sick of reading). For the Subaru gears stuff see YouTube, www.subarugears.com or there is a great product review on www.sterlingkitcars.com

That's just off the top of my head.

Eventual got the pin out and of course the coupler wasn't going anywhere. Had to use the power of physics (and 2 pipe wrenches) to remove it. One on the shaft and one on the coupler (so not to F anything up inside)

Got the back cover off (no pic), then onto the rear section of the transmission (this is the part that will be modified to clear the cross beam on the bus. The guide on sterlingkitcars said "Lightly massage the case apart" :lol: Maybe if you have a brand new transmission. Mine took a severe beating to get apart.

Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:01 pm

Thought I better get at least one pic on page 1 of the Bus with his but in the air waiting for some Subaru power.

Fri Aug 14, 2015 7:37 am

I'm very interested in watching this. I have a 72 I want to do an engine swap in.

Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:53 am

captincanuck wrote:
Thought I better get at least one pic on page 1 of the Bus with his but in the air waiting for some Subaru power.

this picture gave me a great idea for a Busaru t-shirt showing an impreza, front end side, smashed underneath a bus' rear end with the words "just run it" underneath.

Meta....

Fri Aug 14, 2015 6:09 pm

ROCKOROD71 wrote:
this picture gave me a great idea for a Busaru t-shirt showing an impreza, front end side, smashed underneath a bus' rear end with the words "just run it" underneath.

YES I want that shirt. Or how about "Resistance is futile" for us Bus/Sci Fi geeks

Sat Aug 15, 2015 8:10 pm

Modified the front diff housing (rear of the transmission) today. Won't go into huge details as it's covered in plenty of YouTube videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RXEUSVSpGHg if you are interested.

Before Mod (crazy rain storm today)

After some cutting

More cutting and grinding (Nothing fancy. Just an angle grinder and reciprocating saw)
I could probably grind some more down, but I will wait until I get (or make) my mount to see how the clearance is.

Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:08 pm

Split the case to perform the clearancing for the flipped crown wheel

Started with just the hub grinding off as little as needed so make it clear.

Added 1 bolt and continued to cut the fins down

Finally added the crown wheel and ground a bit more off

One tight fit.

Tue Aug 18, 2015 1:25 am

Nice progress. Keep the updates coming in!

Mon Aug 24, 2015 6:50 pm

The finished side case. Just need my gears from subarugears. Unfortunately I am going to have to hold off on ordering them for a couple months due to a tight budget. No worries, plenty more work to do and photos to post. Moving on to the engine.

Every one of these bolts was so rusted that they cracked the cover and had to be taken out with a socket 2mm smaller than the original size. :(
New cover and bolts ordered from Subaru as there is about a 0% chance of finding a good one at the wreckers here.

Inner goodness exposed. Bearing and belt look like new, but the PO said it was never done, and its at 164,000km (100,000mi) so might as well do it now. The Subaru dealer said they don't do the water pump with the timing belt but after I snapped a bolt and then the extractor into it, might as well do that to.

Got the intake off. So nasty.

Started to clean. Trying not to kill the grass.

More cleaning to go. But looking better

Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:15 pm

Any updates/further progress? Im looking into a subaru conversion myself good luck 8)

Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:32 am

mlesniak wrote: Any updates/further progress? Im looking into a subaru conversion myself good luck 8)
Nothing to exciting unless you like pictures of things being cleaned. But since you asked.

Broke my TPS when removing the engine so had to order a new one of those.

Picked up a load of goodies from Subaru. Those are the wrong exhaust gaskets for my engine as mine only have a single port on each side. Guess I'm going back today.
I was hoping my timing belt/water pump would get here before the long weekend so I could do that; but no such luck. Guess I will keep cleaning stuff.

Crusty throttle body

Less crusty throttle body. Needs some paint on the steel bits.

Still a bit of nasty stuff hiding in the there.

A bit more cleaning and then it will be time to do the seals. Got to go pickup my timing belt kit across the boarder.