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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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scirocco_crazy Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2011 Posts: 912
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Anyone who says they can do the harness in 16 hours either doesn’t care what it looks like or is a seasoned pro. Props to the latter. I have closer to 40 hours into it which includes the three days it took me to figure out I pulled a bonehead move and fried my ECU...couldn’t figure out why my a/c and fan relays weren’t working properly when the fuel pump and main relay were just fine. Mental note: always unplug the ECU when soldering even at 2am.
So here are some pics of the progress:
The dog was exasperated from removing all the wires that weren’t needed:
Starting to take shape:
Wire porn:
Plugged it all back in and hot wired the fuel pump...success!
Link
Next up I will be pulling the engine and trans to start the refresh. Just waiting on Subarugears confirmed Black Friday sale! _________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Total Spend to date: $7589.29
Well that escalated quickly. Things got expensive recently since I took advantage of Subarugears Black Friday sale to pick up the needed parts to mount the engine/trans and I also sprung for quality electrical parts along the way. Picked up OEM quality parts like the water pump and idlers along with Six Star MLS head gaskets, new plug wires, plugs, etc etc. I may have gone a little overboard with Speedhut's sale as well since I picked up a set of custom gauges which isn't really necessary for this conversion, but it's going to look cool, so why not? AND I picked up a shortened oil pan from Outfront...while I wait for Christmas to come early (ie for parts to show up), I've dove head first into the "while I'm at it" rabbit hole.
I thought I would share my latest side project: modifying the wiper switch to be able to use a motorized washer pump instead of the current pressurized system. Total cost: $1.95 + shipping. I'm sure I'm probably reinventing the wheel with something that has been documented elsewhere, but here is some additional info:
Step 1: Order a tactile microswitch and then pull the mechanical pump activation switch from the wiper switch and yank the little plunger actuator out of it
Step 2: Using the tool of your choice, lop off a section of the mechanical activation switch. Make it close to flush with the base circle.
Step 3: Grab your microswitch and place it in the hole created by Step 2 so the stock plunger is in contact with the microswitch plunger. Use a gob of hot glue to tack the microswitch where you want it.
Step 4: Check Continuity and reposition if necessary.
Step 5: Mix up some JB Weld after thoroughly cleaning the plastic area to remove any grease/grime etc.
Step 6: Place JB weld in a few different spots, but don't overdo it in the event you need to replace the switch at any point in time. Let cure for the recommended time.
Step 7: Check continuity. Reinstall in the wiper switch, solder your new 16awg wires to it to trigger your new relay, and enjoy your new motorized washer pump (that part was omitted for obvious reasons).
_________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker
Last edited by deathman68 on Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:36 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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JSMskater Samba Grease Gorilla
Joined: February 01, 2006 Posts: 5362 Location: Murrieta California
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Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 3:26 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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very nice keep it up
i didn't count how many hours i put into the first or my 2nd harness, but the 2nd one came out a lot cleaner and once you get the hang of it they go a lot faster. _________________ 71 Squareback-FI -- 73 Bay (subaru powered)
TOOB Member #3
I make D-jet FI connectors |
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skills@eurocarsplus Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007 Posts: 16803 Location: sticksville, ct.
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Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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deathman68 wrote: |
Anyone who says they can do the harness in 16 hours either doesn’t care what it looks like or is a seasoned pro. Props to the latter. I have closer to 40 hours into it which includes the three days.... |
thats why i send a box of spaghetti to jeff robenolt with 600 bux and he sends this back
_________________
gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
Jake Raby wrote: |
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
Brian wrote: |
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:55 am Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Quote: |
thats why i send a box of spaghetti to jeff robenolt with 600 bux and he sends this back |
Yeah that's why I said I think anyone doing the conversion should do this just ONCE, then gladly fork over the money to have someone make it art for future conversions.
Skills, the intake and valve covers in the pic you posted look amazing. Are they powder coated or painted? I was considering powder coating the intake manifold but have heard mixed reviews about possible warpage powder coating the valve covers which seems strange to me at only 400F. _________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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skills@eurocarsplus Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007 Posts: 16803 Location: sticksville, ct.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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polished. every fucking miserable inch...all polished
and yea, i use to feel like i had to be the hero and do every single inch of stuff...not worth it to me anymore.
i have built a few transmissions, i have converted a few harnesses...no more, i got a guy for that...
the problem is...when you do a project of this magnitude it just isn't worth the time or space to have shit scattered out in a million pieces when you have so much other stuff to do...
when i built my deluxe i had my buddy shoot it. i did all the crap work like paint the chassis/interior...the rest...fukkit he has a booth.
i try to tell people...pick up a couple hours of OT at work...do what you're good at and pay someone to do what they are good at. no need to be a slave to this shit and zap all the fun out of it
wiring, no matter how big or small is a HUGE time suck to do it right. even with jeff's harness i will have 2-3 hours in laying it out and another couple hours tying it in.
if i did a harness and had 40 hours in it...it would be a 4k harness _________________
gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
Jake Raby wrote: |
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
Brian wrote: |
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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old DKP driver Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2005 Posts: 4145 Location: Los Gatos,Ca.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 10:27 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Skills, you may have to the S.F. Bay Area this next spring/summer as you could
Have 2. Jobs for your experience/expertise including a Vanagon that I purchased
Today.
Happy Holidays to you and yours🙂
Chris _________________ V.W.owner since 1967 |
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Merling Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2008 Posts: 196 Location: Northern California
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 11:45 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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deathman68 wrote: |
Speedhut's sale as well since I picked up a set of custom gauges |
Any chance you'll share the "custom" setup? Been thinking about different gauges on mine but not a lot of info on the subject out there. |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 3:24 am Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Quote: |
Any chance you'll share the "custom" setup? |
Sure thing. They are the 4” dual gauge kit from speedhut. If you go to their website you can filter by kits and then customize to your tastes. The options are endless. I went with the hot start GPS gauges so no fiddling with calibrating for different size tires etc to get an accurate speed reading, though I’m wondering what will happen when I go through a tunnel. I’ll have my BlueDriver app running from the OBDII as backup so I’m not too worried.
Here’s the setup I went with in the end. Disregard the wonky size/position of the VW logos I added since this is before their art dept corrected per my instructions:
Once the gauges get here and I get them mocked up, I’ll include some more pics of how they look in the bus. Just need to recondition the dash first. _________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22568 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 3:35 am Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Wonderful to see wiring craftsmanship of this caliber.
Top shelf work. _________________ .ssS! |
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skills@eurocarsplus Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007 Posts: 16803 Location: sticksville, ct.
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 9:12 am Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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old DKP driver wrote: |
Skills, you may have to the S.F. Bay Area this next spring/summer as you could
Have 2. Jobs for your experience/expertise including a Vanagon that I purchased
Today.
Happy Holidays to you and yours🙂
Chris |
that's what they make transport companies for
it would be very hard for me to leave here for any length of time. someone has to man the gates of hell and keep the nightmare alive _________________
gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
Jake Raby wrote: |
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
Brian wrote: |
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:49 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Progress continues. Got the engine and transmission yanked. Just in time too...my parts just cleared Miami customs from Australia
Engine on the stand and ready to be torn into
No pics of the trans...I was DONE after shearing several bolt heads on the mounts and busting my knuckles. Northern car with too much corrosion. In the end, I man handled it to snap the mounts and get it outta there.
Bring on the reverse cut gears! _________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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badstuw Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2011 Posts: 36 Location: San Diego CA
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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:51 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Hey, awesome work so far. I just got done pulling my harness this weekend, engines already pulled. You mentioned A/C and cruise control. I plan to implement both of these in my build. Cruise control is pretty easy, the column switch (and the dash switch, necessary?), the cable module, and the controller (I'm pretty sure that's it).
But A/C is the only thing I'm trying to make sure I keep all of the necessary components to leave in the harness. I have a DPD under-dash unit and the goal is to have an A/C switch, like the normal subaru console button, which should activate the relay and the clutch of the compressor, along with the fans which should be ecu controlled. Is there anything specific you needed to save off the main dash harness or the fuse/relay box from the driver side? I've saved everything so far. |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 6:18 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Cruise as you’ve gathered is pretty straight forward. The hardest part will be deciding where you want to mount the module and deciding if you want to maintain the functionality of the brake/clutch switches. In my case, I’m adding the wires to the main loom and running the wires from the Engine comp to the dash of the bus. I will mount the main switch in the dash and the sub switch on the column.
Re: AC, there’s nothing special you really need to carry over from the main harness. You can wire your ac switch to your ecu lead so it adjusts engine rpm accordingly when you switch on the A/c. Aside from that just make sure you use a good relay and fuse the power to the compressor. _________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Progress continues. Got the engine torn down to the short block. Heads are currently at the machine shop getting a full refresh. I learned that at minimum the head gaskets had been done previously (MLS Six Star which I take as a good sign) and possibly even the cylinders honed/pistons since they were fairly clean with prominent cross hatching and showed “like-new” compression results. Nevertheless I used my trusty B12 Chemtool to soak the pistons/cylinders to remove what little carbon build up there was and to preempt any coking of the oil rings since the provenance of the engine is unknown. Nasty pic below:
I then proceeded to clean thoroughly and lube the bores with oil. Next up I will use my old school technique of sandpaper on glass plate to achieve the RA 50 finish on the block mating surfaces prior to bolting the heads on.
I ordered about a hundred replacement fasteners/brackets to replace all the corroded ones. Should have the heads bolted back up and the block cleaned and reassembled by early Jan.
In the meantime I get to daydream about driving with my newly delivered custom gauges from speedhut. They feel really solid, but only testing will tell
_________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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skills@eurocarsplus Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007 Posts: 16803 Location: sticksville, ct.
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:10 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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i can tell by the carbon on the piston tops that engine burnt oil _________________
gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
Jake Raby wrote: |
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
Brian wrote: |
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:21 pm Post subject: Re: Annie-other Subaru Swap - Build Thread |
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Good call Skills. Always impressed by your knowledge. Precisely why I pulled the pistons to check for coking of the oil rings and having the heads done with new valve stem seals etc. Hoping this will resolve any oil burning issues while I work out cooling kinks and save for a new short block once I’ve got everything set up. _________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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