Taza's Foz 2.0

Well I thought I better start again as it's like a new car since the last journal (here: https://www.offroadsubarus.com/showthread.php?t=2887 - RB).
Modifications have been severe! :lildevil: Damage has been extreme :surprised: Repairs have been expensive and tiresome :cry: After all she and I have been through over the past 3 years and 100+k km. You could say it's really been an adventure :lol: With many more to come :cool:

Stock in June 2010
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Now as of September 2013
8o5w.jpg


Mods

Suspension
  • KYB front SF shocks/struts
  • KYB rear SG(04 Forester N/A) shocks/struts
  • Heavy duty raised dobinson springs all round
  • GC8 WRX STIheavy duty rear swaybar(19mm)
  • Whiteline rear swaybar endlinks
  • Audi A3 light weight 15" cast alloy wheels(+38 offset, 5kg each)
  • Impreza 15" alloy wheels
  • 65mm rear strut top lift blocks(made by Stilson)
  • 50mm front strut top lift blocks
  • 50mm rear trailing arm spacers

Engine/Drivetrain
  • Fully reconditioned SF Forester gearbox(170,000km on foz from All Drive Subaroo in eastern states)
  • Fully reconditioned EJ25 N/A SOHC block from 2003 Outback
  • Custom made front CV shafts with lifted Toyota Hilux CV boots, heavy duty inner joints(cup, balls, grease, etc...)
  • 2004 Forester VLSD rear diff
  • Grimmspeed lightweight crank pulley
  • Grimmspeed Phenolic manifold spacer
  • Haltech Platinum Interceptor Piggyback ECU(wired in by myself - apprentice auto sparky) - Manages fuel and ignition timing for the new engine.

Interior
  • 2000watt worth of Stereo - Sony headdeck(wth bluetooth, USB, Auxilary), 2x amplifers, Pioneer 12" Sub, Alpine S-Type 6 1/2" speakers
  • Dynamat sounder deadener
  • Clarkrubber 10mm sound proofing(boot, tailgate, under passenger seat, rear doors
  • Repco plain black seat covers
  • Supercheap bucket heavy duty rubber mats, front and rear
  • Led interior light conversion
  • Tint-A-Car Octane 35% on front two windows(drivers and passengers), 20% from B-Pillar back - Darkest legal all round
  • Momo WRX steering wheel
  • Genuine Dash mat
  • 12v auxilary sockets in glovebox
  • Uniden UHF radio 80channel(mounted where ash tray goes)
  • Hard wired android Samsung phone charger on drivers side A-Pillar

Exterior
  • TJM bullbar(to Suit SF Forester - airbag compliant)
  • Subaru genuine reece-hitch towbar 40x40mm - rated at 1300kg
  • Rhino sportz roof racks
  • Lightforce 170's
  • Dual battery setup in boot with Redarc smart solenoid under bonnet(100amp alternator)
  • Subaxtreme sumpguard
  • Resprayed bonnet(faded)
  • 225/70R15 Dunlop Grandtrek AT3's(soon to change to Toyo Open Countrys's)
  • Uniden 7db aerial
  • ARB 2m side awning(stolen one night :()

Future Mods
  • Gearbox done - L-Series 1.59 low range, front STI 5 speed helical LSD, DCCD centre, taller 5th gear, shorter 1st gear, oil drip feed
  • Dyno tune for piggyback computer running EJ25
  • Subaxtreme rear bar
  • HID kit for Lightforce 170's
  • GCD(2004) WRX dash swap(SF dash looks very old fashion and makes car feel old and sad) - This is a major!
  • Safari Snorkel (NK Pajero)
  • Rear mounted winch
  • LED lightbar
  • 2 1/4" exhuast from catback with high flow cat and UEL headers for that awesome boxer rummble :cool:
  • OBDII Computer conversion/upgrade to replace stock ECU and piggyback computer

Damage
  • Ripping front end of chassis off(tow point LHS)
  • Blown gearbox(chattered first gear)
  • Blown rear diff(stripped teeth off spider gears)
  • Snapped CV axle shafts
  • Dented drivers door due to a sand dune
  • Oil rings gone in Engine 1 (EJ20 N/A)
  • Oil rings gone in Engine 2(EJ20 N/A)
  • Snapped timing belt in Engine 2
  • Bent steel rim(15" stock LHF)
  • Bent rear struts
  • Snapped Dobinson heavy duty coil spring(2x on different occasions 6 months apart)
  • Broken spot lights(due to ramming a fence down)
  • Stereo amplifer catching fire(evening peak hour traffic)
  • CV boot ripping
  • Split radiator (while offroad, had to get towed home)
  • Clutch burnt out x2
  • Bent towbar
  • Ripped off front and rear bumpers
  • Ripped off trailer plug
  • Ripped off passenger side skirting
 
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Click to expand...
Bugger about your gearbox, Taz ... :(.

Hope the new build works better for you.
 
Hey Taza. Not much having much luck with your drive lines lately.

Which Sooby was it?
 
The foz. It's had a bearing noise for well over a year. It wasn't sounding healthy but I thought I'd give the motor a run.
Oh well... the box was a full reco box from All Deive Subaroo 3 years ago.
 
My low km SG Foz box is in... had a few small issues but Davidov and I sorted them out.
Installed the light weight flywheel with my old clutch at the same time..
First impressions are I love the light weight f/w
The car revs much more freely and pulls out of corners in 2nd or 3rd gear like a rocket. Pulling power seems slightly less but then again I haven't driven the car in 6 weeks!
Gears 1-4 are pretty much identical, very smooth. 5th gear is where it wins. Did a small freeway run
.. im not doing 2550rpm at 100kmhr where before I was doing 3100rpm. Now 2800rpm at 100kmhr. It still pulls better than the 2.0l in 5h gear but nothing like what it had before when it used to rev its ring off.
I feel this will drop my fuel economy down from 11-12l per 100km quiet drastically.

Only been for a 30min drive but time will tell.
I did launch the car from a set of lights and it just slipped the clutch real bad. The pressure plate didn't loom great, a fair few burn marks and scores but the disk had plenty of meat.
 
Hey Taza

Congrats on the new install mate. Late 9 to early 10's / 100k's I'm willing to bet.

2750rpms @ 100km/hr with 60r profile tyres and 4.44 ratio diffs was returning me late 9's so I can't see it being any different with your new set up.

3100 rpms @ 100km/h is unacceptable for modern motoring IMO so I'm ecstatic that the change in ratios is more compliant.

I'm shaking my head at the launching part:rotfl:
 
Gidday Taza

Good to hear that your 'new' gearbox is working well, mate.

After spending a bit of time finding your original member's journal thread, I figured that I would add the URL to your OP in this one ... Hope you don't mind :).
 
Thanks Ratbag,
After more driving I'm very happy with the box and ratios. The lwf has changed the car dramatically. I can comfortably corner in 3rd now with not need to use much throttle... less effort from the motor.
the 5th gear is good however I the gap between 4th and 5th is large. I wiSh 4th was taller as doing 60kmhr 4th gear is over revving and 5th labors too much at 1500rpm..

Low range isn't very low at all.... but if I use it the engine revs out way too much and too quickly. Maybe this is due to the new flywheel.
I'll have to see how the gearing is once the big tyres go on. For now its great!
 
G'day again Taz

taza said:
Thanks Ratbag,
Click to expand...

You're welcome, mate. Just seemed sensible to me, as easy for your original thread to get "lost", and it contains a lot of interesting, useful info.

After more driving I'm very happy with the box and ratios. The lwf has changed the car dramatically. I can comfortably corner in 3rd now with not need to use much throttle... less effort from the motor.
the 5th gear is good however I the gap between 4th and 5th is large. I wiSh 4th was taller as doing 60kmhr 4th gear is over revving and 5th labors too much at 1500rpm..
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that, mate.
I agree about the gap between 4th -> 5th, as does ST. Mine is doing 38 kmh/1000 revs in 5th/HR. It could go higher, as SWMBO's SH (with the EJ-253 and 4EAT Sportshift) is geared at 40 kmh/1000 revs in top.

Fourth/HR ought to be about 34 kmh/1000 revs, IMO.

Overall, the gear ratio choices are far better matched to the car and donk than they were in my '93 Impreza, where they were woeful. So was the ECU tune ... :(.

The EJ-251 is stressing at 1500 rpm. It is one of the big differences between it and the EJ-253. The EJ-253 is getting about 80% of maximum torque at about 1,200 rpm, and holds at above 90% from about 1,800 - 6,300 rpm.

Low range isn't very low at all.... but if I use it the engine revs out way too much and too quickly. Maybe this is due to the new flywheel.
I'll have to see how the gearing is once the big tyres go on. For now its great!
Click to expand...

Much more likely to be due to the 4.444 FD ratios. However, this also gives you plenty of torque low down with the EJ-251, which is what you want. I want the opposite, in a lot of ways. Going up the nasty side of Halifax Road with the trailer pretty full on behind, I was in no danger of running out of revs in 2nd/LR before I got to the top ...

With the stock 4.111 FD and rims/tyres, mine will pull around 80 kmh in 2nd/LR, with bundles of torque all the way through. This is flaming useful with the trailer, as one just cannot afford to have to change gears on a long dirt climb (about 300m), and there mostly won't be a second chance ... :poke:.

It's equally useful to me that the EJ-253 doesn't run out of puff over 5,000 rpm, for the above reason. It sure as heck has plenty of grunt all the way through the rev range - something I didn't realise when I first bought it. Happy coincidence, and I am very pleased with the flat torque curve. The EJ-251 is a far better engine than the EJ-20 for the Forester, but the EJ-253 just takes that up a goodly notch again.

Lots of little things that Subaru have done to the later engine - tumbler valves on the inlets; MAF sensor instead of the MAP sensor; VVLT on the inlet valves. These things allowed changes to the camshaft profiles and lift/s, which in turn allows for the engine to be tuned for terrific low rev torque while preserving that torque curve up to the red line. Very tractable. Roo2 is quite happy crawling around in all gears in LR at between 1,000-1,500 rpm.
 
NL; Yes stock SG box.

RB; I'm not saying it lacks at 1500rpm. It still has power but doing 60kmhr up a hill at 1400-1500rpm in 5th gear with a 1600-1700kg car just isn't healthy for any small petrol engine.
doing 70kmhr is fine at 1800rpm. Its fine on a flat and will maintain speed uphill but doesn't really have any acceleration. However I wouldn't expect any better from a turbo subie in the same situation.
while before I'd be doing around the 2000-2200rpm mark at 60-70kmhr which gave heaps of pulling power up hills.

The box is very smooth, not quiet like a turbo box but not far off. Doesn't make any noises which is wierd to me. Both the foz and my brumby have noises from the gearbox and have done for well over a year.
the Brum only has a whine in 4th at certain speed, that being said its allowed to considering its done a good job for almost 30years.

Ratbag the LR might be suitable for your application but for most of us here (OFFROAD Subarus) it isn't adequate. I bet you any money you couldn't go on a soft beach, drive and take off without burning, riding and dumping your clutch. Both Stilson and RedCS can't manage and they have the same vehicle as you. I could manage with my 'old skool' engine and 1.47 LR.

The LWF is great.. even in neutral it revs much more freely.. I feel this will help wiyh fuel economy when cursing.
 
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taza said:
The LWF is great.. even in neutral it revs much more freely.. I feel this will help wiyh fuel economy when cursing.
Click to expand...

Its important to have good economy while cursing...gotta let those expletives fly!!! :rotfl:
 
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Gidday Taza

taza said:
NL; Yes stock SG box.

RB; I'm not saying it lacks at 1500rpm. It still has power but doing 60kmhr up a hill at 1400-1500rpm in 5th gear with a 1600-1700kg car just isn't healthy for any small petrol engine.
doing 70kmhr is fine at 1800rpm. Its fine on a flat and will maintain speed uphill but doesn't really have any acceleration. However I wouldn't expect any better from a turbo subie in the same situation.
while before I'd be doing around the 2000-2200rpm mark at 60-70kmhr which gave heaps of pulling power up hills.

The box is very smooth, not quiet like a turbo box but not far off. Doesn't make any noises which is wierd to me. Both the foz and my brumby have noises from the gearbox and have done for well over a year.
the Brum only has a whine in 4th at certain speed, that being said its allowed to considering its done a good job for almost 30years.

Ratbag the LR might be suitable for your application but for most of us here (OFFROAD Subarus) it isn't adequate. I bet you any money you couldn't go on a soft beach, drive and take off without burning, riding and dumping your clutch. Both Stilson and RedCS can't manage and they have the same vehicle as you. I could manage with my 'old skool' engine and 1.47 LR.

The LWF is great.. even in neutral it revs much more freely.. I feel this will help wiyh fuel economy when cursing.
Click to expand...

I agree with NL about the amount of help this will give you while cursing ... :poke: :lol:. My phone made a similar rather embarrassing "correction" in a text to my wife ... :rotfl: ... we make a joke about it often.

As to what constitutes "off road driving", there are many different "definitions" that can be used when referring to this activity. I don't see it as my right or mission to insist that my use is either the only "right" one, or even "right" for anyone else ... However, even the US OM states (at chapter 8-6 of the US OM for the 2006 Forester - mine has the identical text in the same place):

"Off road driving
---------------------------------------
Because of the AWD feature and higher
ground clearance, your SUBARU can be
driven on ordinary roads or off-road. But
please keep in mind that an AWD
SUBARU is a passenger car and is neither
a conventional off-road vehicle nor an
all-terrain vehicle. If you do take your
SUBARU off-road, certain common sense
precautions such as the following should
be taken: "

and those continue for 4 columns (I added the bolding).

Much the same passage is in the US 2001 Forester OM at chapter 8-7. It is probably in the same place in yours ...

This passage is pretty much in accord with my own use of my vehicle.

I need and expect it to take me safely to all sorts of places. I also do not require it to take me to hell and back. I expect to be able to use my experience to recognise potentially dangerous situations (to me ... ), and use my vehicle to either avoid these safely, or turn around and find another, safer way. Or just forget about it altogether.

I fully understand the desire for thrills and excitement that some of the hard core off-roaders on this forum seek. I have done all this sort of stuff when I was younger - sometimes, not very much younger :rotfl:. As I have said before, I have no desire to re-live this part of my life. For me, life is bloody dangerous enough without adding to it!

Speeding is my real weakness, and cruise control is a great benefit to me. I use it all the time, even around the suburbs.

If I were going to engage in hard core off roading, I wouldn't choose the vehicle I have chosen for doing it. The vehicle I have suits me very well for my uses. I don't criticise others who want to do this with their vehicles, but I do try to encourage them to do it safely and legally. There is often no going back if you screw it up badly. Some injuries to either people or vehicles cannot be fixed.

BTW, the only clutch I have ever fried was recognised by the car maker as faulty, and replaced under warranty in about 1971. When the clutches in my LC and Austin Kimberley wore out at very high mileages, I replaced them with "velvet touch" linings in both. These are fork lift clutch linings. Nothing uber-smooth about them, but they didn't ever slip, and were designed to run and work properly with oil on them. They grabbed like a saltwater croc ...

IME, dumping and slipping the clutch is never a good idea. It should be unnecessary if one is driving properly, within the limits of the vehicle. Just a thought :iconwink:.
 
I have fun, seek thrills but don't go out of my way to hurt myself or others....
my modifications suit my needs and I feel are safe and within safe limits, even if all are not legal.
As you'd probably know sand driving puts the most strain on any 4wd. Especially clutches.. when you do thousands of km of heavy, soft sand driving and towing you have to work with and ride the clutch in situations. Doing this a few times a month takes its toll on the life of it. To change a clutch which will cost me around $250-350 for it to last a few years and on more than 30 offroad trips as i see is acceptable.

I have chosen an appropriate lift kit that suits my needs and thus allows me to safely travel through and over obstacles without damaging my vehicle (which has been done in the past on atleast 10 seperate circumstances). Having gone to my current setup has eliminated that.
I do feel the need for more lower gearing and limites slip diffs which is my next move. Having my engine setup as is gives me plenty of usable torque and power without having to thrash the engine or the gears.
 
^ Exactly my feelings about my car too.

Try some of the heavy duty after-market clutch linings. There is no way one could burn out the velvet touch linings, for example.

Guess what? I just goggled them, and they are still in business!

Lookie here:

https://www.velvetouchproducts.com/

If they are as good as they used to be, you will almost certainly never have to replace your clutch linings again. Check if they will still do one-off re-facings, and for how much.
 
I'll get in contact with them RB...
I was going to go with a SF designed exedy kit on my LWF when the custom gearbox goes in soon...

Gearbox is good, that 5th gear has dropped my down to 9l per 100km now with a mix of freeway n city driving.. I found I can cruise between 2-3 gear in peak hour. As soon as im at 70kmhr I slap iy in 5th and I'm doing a low 1800rpm which is for a good 12km trip to and fom work each day. I feel that Is playing greatly in the general economy of my vehicle.
Ive dropped a good 3l per 100kmhr. That may be due to the LWF too, reducing load on everything.

Ratbag, are you able to make me a chart or get me a specs sheet of a SG gearbox (ratios) compared to a 2006/2007 2.5l manual dual range outback gearbox? I have gotten hold of a low km one(70k km) that I'm planning to put the new low range and diffs in.
 
^ Gidday Taza

I'm still trying to find that Outback gearbox info, mate. I have a number for Inchcape that I will ring this arvo. Just had to finish off some gardening this morning ...

Check with Exedy too. Maybe they even use Velvet Touch linings?

Great to hear that your fuel economy is so much better. Maybe that's telling you something ... :poke: :iconwink: :lol:.

How are you finding the 1.196:1 LR? Or no chance to test it out yet?

I agree with ST and Red that it's really the equivalent of having a 10 speed GB, and when you want a "half gear change", it's the deal ... :cool:. That doesn't mean it has to suit you, or anyone else, FTM.
 
^ Looking good ... :biggrin:.

Just got off the phone to Inchcape. Nice chap there is going to send me all the PDFs they have on their system for all models by email ... Maybe even as far back as the L series ... :ebiggrin: :biggrin:

:bananapartyhat: :banana: :bananapartyhat: :banana: :bananapartyhat: :banana: :bananapartyhat:
 
Thanks Ratbag... that'd be great.

Just did a ling trip in the foz to go buy another Brumby with Davidov. Took the foz; sat on 115-130kmhr and did 400km on 2/3 of the tank. If the trip was longer I'd expect to get 600km before the light comes on going by the current data.
thats 8.3l per 100km which is acceptable. If I sat on the limit at 110kmhr I'd image it'd drop below 8 which I'm more than haooy with.
doing these speeds the vehicle is sitting at just over 3000rpm which is what I used to do before at 100kmhr.
 
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