jf1sf5's forester

I bought my '97 Foz in 2002, second hand with 90'000 km.

The first year, I changed the OEM springs for Dobinsons, the wheels and tires, 1 inch lift blocks and a 8 mm thick aluminum sump guard after a big dent in the sump but no hole !

The rear Dobinsons were too hard, changed them for SF springs on SG self leveling struts.

In 2006, I wanted to go further with the mods and prepared the Foz for a saharian trip to Morocco, fitted some BFG AT's, Quaife front diff, rear SG LSD diff, SG disc brakes and larger SG rear track.

In october 2007, ready for the trip, drove about 1'500 km on very sandy/rocky trails and corrugations that blew the rubber of the rear top hats but drove back home with pieces of truck tires (no Subarus in Morocco !)

https://www.forum4x4.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=55663&d=1364158577
https://www.forum4x4.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=55664&d=1364158647

2010, bought some second hand Proflex evo2 coil overs that were made for the Forester engaged by Bruno Picard for the 2008 Dakar rally...cancelled.

2012, changed the BFG AT for General Grabber AT, as good or better off road with less noise on road, with Compomotive 16x7 ET30 wheels.

And discovered "www.offroadsubarus.com" that helps me modify my Foz !

2013, 1,59:1 low range, DCCD and rear Quaife diff because after some readings, I think the helical diffs suit my needs better (rain, snow)

Pics to come but I'm no good with computers !
 
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jf1sf5 said:
In fact, it does have more grunt than the EJ20, I can drive up a looong hill without getting in 4th speed but it actually only has 6hp more than the EJ20. By the way, on the EJ20 heads swapped on the EJ22, I have some roller rockers…that rocks !

Moab awesomeness…mmmmmh, I can smell it from here and its soon time for solid swiss winter fuel too !

Maybe some of that Etheopian and Honduran liquid fuel could boost my EJ22 ? I'll give it a go !!!!
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I've been wondering about that for a while, you've basically made a version of the higher compression franken motor but with a 2.2 bottom end. Since you put phase two 2.2 cams in the ej20 heads, as i mentioned before, i've read ej251 cams can go into ej22 phase 2 heads and work much like a cam grind iprovement. I think it yields similar gains as ej251 cams with a 1000 delta cam grind to stock ej251, when 251 stock cams are put into phase 2 ej22 heads. So if you put phase two 2.2 cams in a 2.o head than maybe you could put 251 cams in there too. . .

:twisted:

enjoy the java my friend! :cool:

ciao
 
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Yeah, I might one day try that combo but I'm very happy with my EJ22 with EJ20 cams... has much more torque than the stock EJ20. Drove on highway and mountain roads, did an average of 9,8 L/100km….less 4% because of the bigger tires. (10km on the highway with marks every 100 meters gave me 9km600 on the tachometer…)
 
Nice! You'd love my 11.0:1 EJ251!
I now have an L-Series (loyal), with ej22 and awd running 27" types. Its very torquey for a tied old motor... much more so than the ej20.
Got any vids offroad with the new motor?
I was looking at a delta 1000 cam grind but haven't been able to get in contavt with them.
 
taza said:
Nice! You'd love my 11.0:1 EJ251!
I now have an L-Series (loyal), with ej22 and awd running 27" types. Its very torquey for a tied old motor... much more so than the ej20.
Got any vids offroad with the new motor?
I was looking at a delta 1000 cam grind but haven't been able to get in contavt with them.
Click to expand...

I don't think i'll change anything more, I want to keep it non-interferential :iconwink:

No, no vids yet...
 
Yeah, for on road driving, its like if the Foz was 300kg lighter, and off road, it behaves like a tractor ! I did the engine swap because I found a good donor and my best friend is a mechanic but I must say its a very good mod, better than I thought. In fact, I love this motor, Subaru should have put it from factory !
 
taza said:
Nice! You'd love my 11.0:1 EJ251!
I now have an L-Series (loyal), with ej22 and awd running 27" types. Its very torquey for a tied old motor... much more so than the ej20.
Got any vids offroad with the new motor?
I was looking at a delta 1000 cam grind but haven't been able to get in contavt with them.
Click to expand...

Hey Taza, long time no read!
How's the 2.5d fozzy treating you. I read up on a few of your threads and it sounds like it put you through the works for a bit there but it also sounds like you've stuck with it and worked it out. Whoa 11:1 ej25? WHOA! I bet that's quite an improvement from the stocker NA 2.0!!!:lildevil:

and now an ejed loyale? nice!!!

Have fun out there and keep the dirty side down and shiney side up.
 
Changed the spring rates.

Now on front 2 springs 250 x 60 x 60N/mm per strut that give 500 x 60 x 30N/mm.

On the rear 1 spring 250 x 60 x 60N/mm and 1 spring 300 x 60 x 50N/mm per strut that give 550 x 60 x 27,5N/mm

Now that is a perfect ride !
 
And added a switch to control the DCCD so that it stays "locked" when I pull the handbrake. This modification allows me to control the rear Quaife helical differential by hand braking lightly both rear wheels but most important the one spinning in the air when it occurs.

I think this modification is useless without a helical rear differential.
 
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Went for a test today.

It does work BUT…I have to pull the handbrake very gently otherwise it just locks both rear wheels and the transmission doesn't seem to like the treatment. Its the same effect as locking the DCCD on tarmac and trying to make a U turn.

I'll have to find out how to brake rear wheels separately (I want something very discreet)…already have an idea !
 
I find its usually a front wheel in the air that's the problem. By using the foot brake it applies the brakes to the front but not much to the rear overcoming the spinning wheel
 
^
It's a tricky proposition, I find, trying to brake, while driving slowly, but not too slowly so as to stall the motor, but stilll fast enough to maintain requisite Subaru momentum and avoid front wheel lift-off and subsequent wheel spin....with a stick shift.
I'm intrigued with your indendant rear braking idea V; another CO, forester guy in SF.org posed the question as well, but i don't recall any follow up.

I agree with NL, that controlling front wheel lift-off and spin is a crux to overcome.
 
With the DCCD in the lock position, if I pull the handbrake I am able to stall the engine. That means that its not very important if I lift a front wheel because it will not spin as long as both rear wheels have adherence and thats what I'm trying to do, find an easy and discreet way to slightly (thanks to the torsen type rear LSD) brake each rear wheel independently.

It should work…I think !
 
I think that I should make a write-up of my HotBits coil overs for everyone to understand how I calculated the lengths of the coil overs, of the strokes, of the springs, etc…I'll try to do that in an understandable english…soon !
 
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