Venoms lifted H6 Gen2 Lib

New pictures. Car lifted with a 2" Crossbred lift kit, new KYB outback struts and standard height springs, WRX rims and 215/65/16 Dunlop AT3s, crossbred front and rear bash plates. It is much nicer to drive around town with the extra suspension, and the taller gearing makes it easier to drive too.



I needed new top and bottom radiator hoses after the lift went in. The "stock" ones were either very short or at the limit in terms of bending. I ended up cutting down holden V8 hoses for both top and bottom and the result was perfect fit for both. I also had to grind down the thermo fan bracket which started fouling on the stainless pipework for the radiator piping.







H6 looks sexy.



Rear diff protector is like 4 or 5mm steel. Very strong. Required some cutting to get it to fit but overall shape was correct.

Front bash plate is not as thick as the diff protector, but it would weigh a tonne if it was. Covers the full width under the car between the tow points. Also folds up around the sides. Required some cutting around the headers.





Cheers,
Rhys

Oh yea nearly forgot a new rear muffler has been fitted since above photos. Universal oval shaped 3" straight through.

While my car is sitting at the body shop having the front end respray after some minor damage, i have been hatching a plan to build a dual range box with lockable centre diff. Why simply go dual range when i can go the whole hog?! Basic build will be along the lines of:
Gen1 Liberty dual range casing (Don't have)
4.44 ratio (already in car, want to find spare so i don't lose down time when getting this cut/shut)
Front LSD (already in car)
Lockable centre diff (currently in my L series)
L series low range (Don't have)

So i have the hardest parts to find/most expensive of the build already in my possesion. A day driving around the self serve wreckers in Melbourne should net me the rest.

Cheers,
Rhys

Awesome! Love your Lib mate - you know it!

As for the gearbox, the hardest part for you to find/make is the 4.44:1 pinion shaft for the L series AWD locking centre diff. The L series AWD pinion shaft is the longest out of all the AWD pinion shafts, all EJ ones AFAIK are the same length and easily interchangeable.

So you'll need to make up an L series pinion shaft with the 4.44:1 pinion gearing on the end. If you don't want down time on your subi I suggest you source one from somewhere else and have it made up, then the only down time you'll have the getting the front LSD out of the current gearbox.

An L series gearbox should be easy to find for the low range and same for the EJ dual range casing

The real tricky part is working out the gearbox ratios you want to use for the 1st-5th gears for your driving needs. I'm looking at keeping my cruising 5th gear from the turbo box as I'm sure even with 4.11 diffs, 27 inch tyres it'll cruise at 2750rpm at 100km/h. This should work well as putting on the standard tyres will bring it back to the 3100rpm at 100km/h... Something I would like to keep if I could.

Anyway, enough about my gearbox, you'll get it sorted one day. Even a stock liberty dual range box would be a start while you build your frankienbox... You know you need a dual range

Cheers

Bennie

Stock H6 4 speed auto is around 2250RPM at 100km/h! I'm doing 2750 maybe 2800 at 100km/h! I think alot of fuel could be saved by dropping 5th gear revs. H6 develops approx 70% of torque at 2200RPM, i want to be much closer to that in 5th. This could require a rethink and 4.1 ratios.... or bigger tyres? haha.

Cheers,
Rhys

sweet ride. keep it muddy and you wont need a respray:iconwink::lol:
how does the H6 manual feel offroad?

Sweet nice Gen2 - that is really sexy engine I agree..

I agree what bennie said above....
You can't use L series lockable in EJ AWD's rear housing.
You could use your front LSD in Gen 1 box.
for as 5th gear/highway ratio - get the highest from a turbo box - sourcing it would be tricky but they are there, someone will have a blown up box and will have that 5th gear, but has to be pre 99 box!
I personally think its worth mucking around specially custom made gearbox for your H6. Otherwise you'll screw up the clutch on offroad use. Gen 1 gearbox is on the money.
Cheers
AP

That is one sweet motor you have in the Lib mate. Together with a 2" lift it looks fanastic.

Regards
Mr Turbo

Also its possible you can use 4.44 crown in your D/R Box but the problem is you will need to machine down the crown to fit because the low range section is in the way..
Cheers
AP

H6 is sweet with a manual off-road. Only been caught out by the lack of dual range a couple of times now, the torque makes up for it.

AlpineRaven said:

Also its possible you can use 4.44 crown in your D/R Box but the problem is you will need to machine down the crown to fit because the low range section is in the way..
Cheers
AP

Click to expand...

Plan is to have the 4.44 CWP and FT4WD pinion cut and welded together, plus the 4.44 CW machine as you've mentioned. This allows the use of the locking centre diff and EJ internals. Job will be done by a pro and the weld is x-rayed to check its integrity. Jeff at Crossbred has this exact gearbox already, and others do to. I figure if it's good enough for Jeff's STi Brumby then it can handle my H6 Can't wait. Just need some time to do a wrecker run, and maybe some help if someone could help out?

Cheers,
Rhys

Venom said:

H6 is sweet with a manual off-road. Only been caught out by the lack of dual range a couple of times now, the torque makes up for it.



Plan is to have the 4.44 CWP and FT4WD pinion cut and welded together, plus the 4.44 CW machine as you've mentioned. This allows the use of the locking centre diff and EJ internals. Job will be done by a pro and the weld is x-rayed to check its integrity. Jeff at Crossbred has this exact gearbox already, and others do to. I figure if it's good enough for Jeff's STi Brumby then it can handle my H6 Can't wait. Just need some time to do a wrecker run, and maybe some help if someone could help out?

Cheers,
Rhys

Click to expand...

I dont think you wont be able to use EJ internals with EA centre locking diff it wont be possible as its completely different. I may be wrong tho... If you could I would have it in my liberty by now!! Have you got FTAWD EA box?

Cheers
AP

AlpineRaven said:

I dont think you wont be able to use EJ internals with EA centre locking diff it wont be possible as its completely different. I may be wrong tho... If you could I would have it in my liberty by now!! Have you got FTAWD EA box?

Click to expand...

Yes it can be done AP - with the cut and shut on the pinion shaft as Venom has spoken about. I'm waiting on a unit for mine so it'll be a 4.11 AWD locked centre EJ cased gearbox

It doesn't get any better than that I reckon, other than a lower than L series low range...

And yes, Venom has an L AWD box lurking around his place too

Its pretty exciting, as it stands Venom might beat me to the punch with his efforts while I'm still stuck in the snow waiting for one part to arrive and no gearboxes nearby to play with

I suggest you start hunting AP!

Cheers

Bennie

El_Freddo said:

Yes it can be done AP - with the cut and shut on the pinion shaft as Venom has spoken about. I'm waiting on a unit for mine so it'll be a 4.11 AWD locked centre EJ cased gearbox

It doesn't get any better than that I reckon, other than a lower than L series low range...

And yes, Venom has an L AWD box lurking around his place too

Its pretty exciting, as it stands Venom might beat me to the punch with his efforts while I'm still stuck in the snow waiting for one part to arrive and no gearboxes nearby to play with

I suggest you start hunting AP!

Cheers

Bennie

Click to expand...

Keep us updated.. I'm interested to hear about it!
I'm just curious/interested about the torque & stress on that "cut/weld" point/area...
Cheers
AP

Nice looking ride!!

Saw this vehicle in action in the Cobaws a couple of weeks ago. Impressive machine. Well done mate.

Ok so update on my last post from over a year ago.

Whiteline swaybar links fitted front and rear.
Whiteline Anti-lift kit fitted to the front.
This car handles as good as any standard liberty on the road, despite the lift and bigger tyres.

4 pot front brakes






Vented rear disc brakes


215/65 R16 spare tyre was shoved into the spare wheel well.

So i have had huge plans for a centre diff lock gearbox, l series low range, front LSD, rear clutch pack LSD. Slowly i was turning dream into reality by colecting little bits and pieces.

The fulltime 4WD centre diff locking gearbox i have had for about 3 or 4 years now as it was fitted into my now deceased L series wagon.

On ebay i came across a Gen1 Liberty gearbox fitted with L series low range! Sweet! Had also been rebuilt completely at the same time. I picked it up for $500, couldn't have it done for that much so i was very happy.

My lockable FT4WD gearbox and dual range liberty gearbox lived side by side on the shed floor for about 6 months.



Clutch pack LSD i picked up from RSliberty.com. These pre-98 WRX LSD's have a rare male type inner CV joint. Did my head in trying to find new replacements untill i found out my current driveshafts for the 98 viscous rear diff were the same! Also picked up some low KM second hand driveshafts for it on the same site a few months later.




A few months ago i had my gearbox built.
Gen1 Liberty front gearbox casing. L series fulltime 4WD centre diff lock and rear gearbox casing bolted to Gen1 front casing. L series FT4WD gearset. L series part-time 4WD low range gearset (1.59). OBX torsen front LSD.

Basically the best possible Subaru gearbox i could think of for an off-road. Front air locker would be better, but it doesn't currently exist.

L series rear casing shortens the gearbox by 62mm, that requires a custom driveshaft.


Liberty gearbox crossmember drilled for L series gearbox mounts.



L series shifter linkages (gearbox side) cut and welded onto the Liberty shifter linkages.



Vacuum servo's for the centre diff lock mounted in the engine bay.


I tapped into an unused sensor with a barb fitting, running an oil line to an MY series fuel pump which feeds into some low range gearset oil drips.



MY pump mounted to gearbox.

Oil feeds to the low range gearset, situated on the gearbox just above the RH output shaft.


I installed some high output H.O.D globes. Don't ask me how they work, also installed a seperate headlight relay at the same time. Gives out a nice white light.


My workshop for the past 12 months.


My occoasional helper, Sophie.

Looks great Venom!!!

Has all this been tried out yet??? Hope it all works well.:ebiggrin: