t.ridden's L series - Scooby

Hi all

Having been lurking around on the forum for plenty long enough and just about to get stuck into an EJ swap into my beloved little red wagon, I figured it was about time i started my own thread!
Saves me hijacking everyone else's with my questions and eeps you guys up to date :iconwink:

So, introducing Scooby -

I bought the 'old girl' in early 2012 while looking around for a first 4x4 of some sort, mainly for bush camping, rally marshalling and the occasional beach run. I was tossing up between a suzuki sierra/jimny or an L series and this one came up at the right price. My family had a white L series while I was little and we've always had Subarus, so I guess it was in my upbringing . I found her on Gumtree in a break between lectures at uni and by that night I had a deposit down!

When i bought her, she had roof crossbars, aluminium roobar with Narva 150mm spotlights and 14" desert rat wheels, but otherwise stock.

Since I've owned her, I've added:
Roof basket with another pair of Narva 150 spots.
Moved front spotlights in front of the bar to reduce glare.
- I've actually gone through a few spotlight setups but this is my current one
LED camping lights in the boot and on the hatch.
LED interior light (best thing ever).
Fender flares to keep Constable Care happy with the offset rims.
Deleted center muffler (courtesy of a hidden rock) which gives a very nice note and no noticeable difference in power.
Numerous small dents on the undercarriage (needs bigger tyres...therefore i need a lift kit!)
A few scratches from bushbashing, but hey, thats what its for.

As she is now (but with a different spots setup)

^ one of my favourite photos

^another of my favourites

In the next few days I'll add some details and questions regarding my EJ transplant and general refresh and servicing over the next few months

Feel free to pitch in advice, questions, comments, etc.
I'm always open for ideas and to learn from others experience

 

[taza]

Yeah Boi!!!

Time for a 4" full body lift kit, 30" muddies and an ej22 with blower on there...


I know where you can get a supercharger if your keen?

 

[El_Freddo]

An EJ is an awesome step in an L series.

So what's it going to be - EJ22 or EJ25?
Full DIY or have others do bits for you such as a wiring loom cut down?
Buy a donor vehicle or collect bits as you go?
Adaptor plate or re-case your gearbox (or go EJ gearbox) to run factory EJ clutch? If you do go EJ gearbox I recommend going for a 2L foz dual range - 4.11 ratio and 27 inch tyres is a winning combination

So many different options it's not funny!

Have fun, keen to see the build come a long. Another tip, don't drive like Taza or take offroading tips from him

Cheers

Bennie

 

[taza]

Oii!!

Yeah don't drive like me you'll go through a gearbox every 18months lol
I'm tame offroad compared to you easten state blokes. I wont touch water or mud with a 10f pole. I give the guys advice that I should probably follow myself. Haha

When I don't.... this happens... then everyone has to wait up because of my smart act.

 

[t.ridden]

Suppose I'd better mention, it's currently carby'd and is a manual p/time dual range 4WD, also has water temp and tacho gauges added as well as a UHF.

Yeah Boi!!!

Time for a 4" full body lift kit, 30" muddies and an ej22 with blower on there...


I know where you can get a supercharger if your keen?

Oh I'd be keen, but I might let the wallet recover from this round of abuse before I hand it another one :iconwink:

But a 2 or 3 inch lift and 27s shall be in the pipeline, probably for next year.

Also in the pipeline, more immediately - EJ22 swap in from a 97 auto fwd Liberty
-Mild upgrades to the brakes to keep the engineers happy about the above.
-new front suspension, as mine currently sits on the stoppers with three smallish adults sitting on the bar.
-raised springs, if the bank account can stand that final blow.


This is my first big project of this kind so I'll be taking steps slow(ish), steady and thoroughly researched!

 

[t.ridden]

An EJ is an awesome step in an L series.

So what's it going to be - EJ22 or EJ25?
Full DIY or have others do bits for you such as a wiring loom cut down?
Buy a donor vehicle or collect bits as you go?
Adaptor plate or re-case your gearbox (or go EJ gearbox) to run factory EJ clutch? If you do go EJ gearbox I recommend going for a 2L foz dual range - 4.11 ratio and 27 inch tyres is a winning combination

So many different options it's not funny!

Have fun, keen to see the build come a long. Another tip, don't drive like Taza or take offroading tips from him

Cheers

Bennie

Sooo many options!
As this is my first go at it, I'm keeping it simple, EJ22, adapted to the EA box, adapter plate made by Paul at RSR. I'm going to try to do the wiring myself as it's a skill I think would serve me well to pick up.

I have sitting in my carport a rear-ended 97 liberty sedan as my donor car, and am slowly stripping any remaining good bits off it to flog and recover costs as much as possible (if anyone in Perth needs bits, hit me up, rear is stuffed but interior, doors and some front bits are good and apart from the engine, I don't need the power train or suspension, etc).

I've seen you drive Taz, you're not totally mental... Not yet :iconwink:

I quite like mud, and nearly cooked Scooby on sand a few weeks after I bought her, so mud and gravel tracks are where we go!
I'll try the beach again after the EJ and new front suspension, should be better.

 

[taza]

Thanks mate. I just like to have fun, a little more than most. Atleast when cutting sick out at the pines its not hurting anyone.

Let me know if you need a hand with any of the conversion. The wiring can get very confusing so if you get stuck just fb message me.
Just remember check twice, even 3 times before cutting. Pick a main plug and start tracing back from there. Ive got ej22 wiring diagrams if you need them. Also have access to some very helpful info at work too.

 

[El_Freddo]

Sounds like you've got a plan.

For springs the EJ front springs should go well in the L and for the rear pic up a set of front springs from a Honda accord/prelude/civic from the 1990 era - that'll have the rear sitting up nicely even better with a bit of load This can be done before you get lift. Good rear struts are a must with these springs!

You should get a snorkel while you're at it

5 stud upgrade or just rear discs on the L? Also braided brake lines are an awesome upgrade with new rotors Then get some scorpion rims

Cheers

Bennie

 

[t.ridden]

Sounds like you've got a plan.

For springs the EJ front springs should go well in the L and for the rear pic up a set of front springs from a Honda accord/prelude/civic from the 1990 era - that'll have the rear sitting up nicely even better with a bit of load This can be done before you get lift. Good rear struts are a must with these springs!

You should get a snorkel while you're at it

5 stud upgrade or just rear discs on the L? Also braided brake lines are an awesome upgrade with new rotors Then get some scorpion rims

Cheers

Bennie

I had heard a bit about the Honda springs for the rear...but not about the EJ ones for the fronts! Might be worth looking at...
Snorkel is in the same pipeline as the lift and muddies
For now (for the eng. cert.) it'll be new pads and vortex slotted rotors in front and new shoes in the rear with any adjustment wound up as much as reasonable. Then I'll decide if I need the $500 hubs to run the rear discs...or I'll wait for RSR to finish designing his 5 stud swap kit!!!

Taza, I've got a few pics of some sensors or modules or whatever they are that I need a hand IDing, I'll put them up here and Fb you when I get back to a computer.

 

[catchya]

Nice car mate. Love this model. Look forward to seeing this build progress.

 

[t.ridden]

Thanks catchya.
As you can probably tell, I love them too!

 

[t.ridden]

Alrighty, a bunch of questions for you who are good with the electronic gadgetry in modern-ish cars.

My donor is a 97 Liberty Automatic with the EJ22 Phase 1 engine.

This thing on the drivers side strut tower....what is it?

This one on the firewall, dead centre...I suspect is the trans control unit?

This one (terrible picture, my apologies) is the sensor/module/thing on the intake manifold (i think, hard to see, might be straight into the block) near to the throttle body, and in the pic, is UNDER the obvious connectors. Just had a vague memory come, is it the Knock sensor?

Many thanks!

 

[NachaLuva]

Sorry, can't help with that stuff.

It's going to be a great little L after all this work. Looking forward to seeing how it all works out :biggrin:

 

[TheInterceptor]

Hey Tom! Not sure about the plug on the strut currently, but the knock sensor will be a black round object about the size of a 20c peice with a bolt through it with a plug in its bum beneath the throttle/cruise control cables.
That one in the last picture might maybe possibly be an air temp sensor or something for the manifold.

Knock sensors love cracking, when they do theyre stuffed. So if its good, take care of it and dont do it up very tight. If removing then reinstalling, lightly sand its seat down and the knock sensors underside for a good contact. If the knock sensor is no good you'll have a couple of dead spots when accelerating under load.

 

[t.ridden]

Apologies for the break in posting, i was down at Collie for the weekend driving a 78 series Landcruiser (not at all a bad thing, if I win Lotto....) and closing roads for one of the WA Rally Championship rounds.

Also, the donor car has now been retired from paddock bashing- Dad has been using it to teach my little brothers how to drive and yesterday it decided to go and gently (~10 kph) headbutt a tree... radiator crushed back onto the engine, causing cracked timing covers and a bent idler pulley support but no other engine damage. the chassis member under the radiator is mangled in a way that 10 kph impacts should not...worrying, but not significant.

Don't mind the residue on the crank pulley, its WD40.

Knock sensors love cracking, when they do they're stuffed. So if its good, take care of it and don't do it up very tight. If removing then reinstalling, lightly sand its seat down and the knock sensors underside for a good contact. If the knock sensor is no good you'll have a couple of dead spots when accelerating under load.

Cheers for that, found it this morning but no photos yet I'll take good care of it!

 

[t.ridden]

I'm cross-posting to AUSubaru as well, especially for help with the technical side of things, so here's the latest update.

If it has grey injectors then it's a pre 8/91 (Gen1 Ser1) Liberty engine. All EJ22 engines from the face-lift 9/91-94 (Gen1 Ser2) onwards came with red injectors. Have you removed the injector plug to check? Have you got a pic of them?

Absolutely, positively, 110% Grey

Also, I'd try and find a pin out for the EJ22's wiring loom as some things aren't as obvious as they could be. The only way I reckon you could get around this is by labelling EVERY plug with what it is as you disconnect stuff and remove the wiring from the vehicle...

EDIT: I was getting your wiring loom and Justincase41's wiring loom wanted thread confused! Are you sure you've got a 1997 liberty? I thought Subaru Australia phased out all FWD units at the release of the GenIIs and went with the All wheel drive slogan from there. IMO an EJ22 from an earlier vehicle with the grey injectors would be pretty sluggish if it was meant to have the red injectors, and I don't see how the wiring loom from the engine would line up with the ECU wiring loom at the engine plugs... Got a pic of the vehicle?

Labelling each and every thing it exactly what I'm doing, but I'll get a wiring diagram and pinouts to help ID the things I'm unplugging too!

^ Before the weekend's incident, and also 110% a Gen II!
VIN plate says 1997, built late 1996.
I suspect this is a replacement engine!
Which may mean it's got less than the chassis' 250000 kms on it... :biggrin:

The removal of the front end has made it much easier to work on things...silver linings and such.

So double checking some more sensors!!
[will get manuals and diagrams soon so i can stop bugging you with these!]

RSR555, your suggestion of an idle air valve sits well now that i can get in to see the rest of the module, its got a pipe to the intake and all, many thanks.

Dead obvious i thought, but might as well check, crank angle sensor?

Slightly grubby thing smack in the middle, cam angle sensor?

On the intake manifold...2 ideas - 1) O2 intake sensor or 2) Intake temp sensor?

This little module sits under the intake and has 2 little rubber hoses coming off it. I haven't been able to trace them accurately, so unsure if they're vacuum lines or coming from the carbon canister. Is it an emissions thingy of some kind? I'll keep it anyway, just curious.

Many thanks all!

 

[NachaLuva]

They're very good with the technical side of things, esp for older Subies :biggrin:

Good job labeling everything, although it can be difficult knowing what everything is lol :lol:

 

[t.ridden]

Today's update:

Wiring is out!
Now comes the tricky part...
And it turns out I have a '92 engine in a '97 Liberty with the original '97 wiring and ECU...so all my plans for the wiring need reviewing, mostly just finding the right pinouts and replanning. But it shall be done!

 

[t.ridden]

Went and raided a Gen 1 Liberty for some more parts...ended up with more than I bargained for!

Got the engine, loom, most of the front end bolt-ons (lights, etc) [if anyone needs parts in WA....] also have the seats because they're mint and blue and WILL be going in Scooby at some point soon!!
oh and the steering rack, because I could and have been thinking about fitting it to fix the looseness I have at the moment. I know its not a direct bolt-in, but I'll work it out...
ECU is much nicer, multiple plugs and have already found the diagram and started reducing it down.

Removing an engine without an engine crane makes for some interesting engineering... I'm just glad the poor car was destined for scrap anyway (had chassis cancer).
Some photos from the last few days WARNING...IF YOU ARE A DIEHARD GEN1 LIBERTY FAN, THIS MAY CAUSE PAINFUL FEELINGS

^ We may have put a bit of a bend in the crowbar...it originally bent the opposite direction

^ Victory!

Tom's guide to slamming your L series
1) place EJ22 (and about 100 kgs of other liberty parts) in the boot, behind the rear axle
2) feel sorry for bump stops and shocks.
3) cringe at speed bumps, potholes, etc.
4) also cringe at needing low range to get up your driveway!

 

[TheInterceptor]

Nice work guys haha. 8cyl l series!

So it looks like its full speed ahead now for this conversion!