Frosty Boy - Kiwi's SG Forester

Ratbag · Jun 23, 2014

G'day again Luke

RON 91 is fine. I have run my old '93 Impreza (Roo1) almost entirely on 91 RON. Occasionally on 95 or 98 either for an experiment or because I couldn't get 91. No perceptible difference in economy or performance, just a (much) lighter wallet

!!

The engine is designed to run on the recommended fuel, 91 RON.

Unless you are going to bash lots of rocks very hard, lose the steelies and get OEM alloys (NOT after-market - my insurer has told me that they do not like after-market alloy rims ... 'nuff said

).

Reasons are numerous:

The OEM alloys weigh around 4 Kgs less each than the steelies (approx 8 vs 12 Kgs each). This decreases the unsprung weight, improving handling and ride noticeably, and also a slight improvement in fuel economy and performance (less inertia).

The main reason is that the steelies could not have been designed better as excellent mud traps. The alloys shed mud like teflon ...

:biggrin:

.

Make sure that you get five. The spare has to be the same weight (etc) as the other car wheels.

Otherwise sounds like a plan ... :poke:

:ebiggrin:.

kiwifoz · Jun 23, 2014

Yeah I need a new spare tyre too - the car's tyres are 215/65 but the spare is 215/60 and mostly worn to boot. I've been keeping an eye out for a set of gold STi 16s already mate, love that rally look.

Having said that, the offroading I do has a lot of rocks that do get hit hard, but I've never yet damaged an alloy wheel in other 4x4s. I'll probably keep the steelies until I find some alloys that aren't in Auckland and haven't been stolen.:rotfl:

Ratbag · Jun 23, 2014

kiwifoz said:
Having said that, the offroading I do has a lot of rocks that do get hit hard, but I've never yet damaged an alloy wheel in other 4x4s. I'll probably keep the steelies until I find some alloys that aren't in Auckland and haven't been stolen.:rotfl:

That's possibly the reason why my insurer insists on OEM only ...

First thing I did when I got both of ours was to buy security nuts for both ours. They can be forced, but do make it more difficult to steal them.

It cost me just under Oz$200 for an as new 215/60 16" OEM matching alloy rim for my spare on Roo2. Bloody thing came with a steel spare, in spite of the dire warnings about rims and tyres in the Owner's Manual ... Go figure that out :puke:

!!

My SWMBO's SH came with an OEM alloy spare.

idw · Jun 25, 2014

Looks good over the pond there kiwifoz, alloys would be nice but i wouldn't hurry wait for something to turn up that you can get. My foz has stealies and heavy a/t tires, the alloys would help as its a little slow off the line, but lets face it I'm not racing the dam thing :lol:. How do the led's in the grill go? they look good

And ratbag from my experience, I hated customers with alloy wheels because when they damaged the dam things aftemarket ones were always really difficult to obtain. More than once I had to have a difficult conversation with a car lover, saying we couldn't replace the wheels here's a payout for them, oh and you'll need to buy some wheels to pick up the dam car because we don't cover that.

kiwifoz · Jun 25, 2014

idw said:
Looks good over the pond there kiwifoz, alloys would be nice but i wouldn't hurry wait for something to turn up that you can get. My foz has stealies and heavy a/t tires, the alloys would help as its a little slow off the line, but lets face it I'm not racing the dam thing :lol:. How do the led's in the grill go? they look good

And ratbag from my experience, I hated customers with alloy wheels because when they damaged the dam things aftemarket ones were always really difficult to obtain. More than once I had to have a difficult conversation with a car lover, saying we couldn't replace the wheels here's a payout for them, oh and you'll need to buy some wheels to pick up the dam car because we don't cover that.

Lights in the grille are good. They're way brighter than just parkers but will avoid having to change bulbs all the time - 50,000hr life apparently. They make the car look aggressive and stand out well.

I'm not going to get aftermarket alloys for that reason, because if I damage them I'm screwed. Subaru/OEM only. There's nothing wrong with the OEM steels at the mo though.

Ratbag · Jun 25, 2014

Gidday Id

idw said:
And ratbag from my experience, I hated customers with alloy wheels because when they damaged the dam things aftemarket ones were always really difficult to obtain. More than once I had to have a difficult conversation with a car lover, saying we couldn't replace the wheels here's a payout for them, oh and you'll need to buy some wheels to pick up the dam car because we don't cover that.

I hadn't thought of this from that angle. Thanks for that tip.
You are right, of course. Fashion dictates what's on the shelf, and that changes at about the same speed as the weather here in Melbourne ... :lol: :rotfl:.

Getting a matching replacement in two weeks time could be problematic, let alone a couple of years down the track ...

.

kiwifoz · Jun 25, 2014

So today I had a free afternoon, so I got busy. The original intake design wasn't the best for river crossings, so I fabbed up a new pipe out of PVC to replace the original front silencer. This was then attached using a hose clamp and a piece of rubber from an old bike inner tube to create a good seal.

I'd already bought some 8mm clear vinyl tubing, so I decided I'd make the rest of the rear diff breather. I'd already read through a few threads here so I knew roughly what to do and how to do it.

So, I started off with a 17mm socket and ratchet handle, and managed to remove the diff hanger bolts by holding onto the sway bar and pushing the handle with my foot! Only just managed to break them free. After getting them undone, the next job was to remove the diff studs - I had to buy 2 new nuts in order to do this. I placed the jack under the diff to lower it slowly and hold it while I put bolts etc back in - I also didn't want to damage the exhaust by resting the diff's whole weight on it. This worked really well and I was surprised how easy this part of the job was.

After this, I reinserted the breather, with the hose attached through a hole I drilled. Hopefully watertight but time will tell. I routed the hose through a plug at the right rear of the spare tyre well, and sealed it with marine silicone. Also sealed the trailer light hole at the same time. One day I'll take off the back bumper and seal the side vents too.

After this, I got some wire and fed it down the side of the strut tower between the insulation/soundproofing and the carpet. Then I hooked the hose and brought it to the top of the strut tower, before cutting the excess, and pushing the end under the insulation to stop any oil vapour entering the cabin. Cover was then replaced.

One more water-related mod to come, fan switches, but they'll have to wait until my electrically-minded mate gets back. I'm also going to do the gearbox and diff oils with synthetics at some point and replace the spark plugs as I suspect they've never been changed/replaced respectively. Previous owner did oil and filter every 5000km but apart from that, not a lot.

While I was at it, I dug out the rated shackles and tried them in all the recovery points, they fit in both the right-side front tow point and the left-side front tie-down point, as well as through a convenient hole in the right-side of the OEM Subaru towbar (removable hitch, not Hayman-style unfortunately but this gives better departure). I suspect this hole is replacing the OEM tow point which is lost when the bar is fitted.
Also, what's the purpose of the black box in this photo?

I also discovered that my drivers' seat appears to be tilted to the left - both seats are at same position, drivers marginally more reclined but is turned more to the left?

Lastly, I think I may actually have an EA81 jack in my Foz... I noticed these stickers on my jack, which indicate "model Subaru L series sedan & wagon"...? There is also a sticker with a picture of an EA81 low-roof wagon on it which seems to confirm that this isn't a Forester jack. The central line on the bonnet and sloping rear window are clearly not SG Forester. Seems I'm accumulating a few EA parts on my Foz!

The funny thing is though, this jack fits PERFECTLY into the moulded polystyrene in the boot...

I also discovered that the PO bent one of the pinch welds. Not happy but it's pretty minor really.

And lastly, I did the diff test when I had both the back wheels off the ground - they spun different ways which would seem to indicate I have an open diff - although I think I read somewhere that the vLSD also does this? If anyone could confirm either way/knows which diff my MY03 SG 5mt DR would have, that'd be great thanks.

Cheers.

idw · Jun 25, 2014

No the jack is the correct one, subuaru just didnt bother changing the sticker

lefty · Jun 25, 2014

good job removing the little front flaps. I removed mine when I drove on the beach - it ripped off along with half my wheel liner

you need GD sways i.e bugeye
black box is a charcoal canister for emissions.
I have KH18s on my Honda , great road tyre for the price.

kiwifoz · Jun 26, 2014

lefty said:
good job removing the little front flaps. I removed mine when I drove on the beach - it ripped off along with half my wheel liner
you need GD sways i.e bugeye
black box is a charcoal canister for emissions.
I have KH18s on my Honda , great road tyre for the price.

Yeah, for $133NZ each fitted and balanced I can't complain, they seem as sticky as the Goodyear Assurances that were on it when I bought it. The Kumhos also have a 2-ply polyester sidewall, compared to the 1-ply sidewall on the OEM Geolandar G900 spare, which surprised me a bit as the Geo is an SUV tyre.

I also found this pic of Dad's old 1989 Legacy, rather stuck, at Waianakarua in North Otago. No chains, road tyres and no low range didn't help, not to mention the mud and the torqueless DOHC EJ20. Had height-adjustable air suspension though.

kiwifoz · Jun 29, 2014

So today I had a free day, so I got busy. I replaced the spark plugs, the gearbox and diff oils, and the fuel filter, and I also cleaned the PCV valve as well as touching up some paint chips to prevent further rust.

Spark plugs were well overdue for replacement, I used NGK BKR5E-11 plugs. The old ones (NGKBKR6E-11, so they must have been changed at some point as OEM is Optima) were past worn-out, the gap was well past spec and they were covered in white corrosion and carbon deposits. After changing these, she fired up first turn of the key as usual, but within a second, not the usual couple. Also has more torque and is more responsive too, which the fuel filter replacement probably helped with as well.

PCV wasn't too bad, still rattled so I hit it with some degreaser and scraped a bit of carbon off it.

Gearbox oil was bad. About a mm below low mark on the dipstick, and pretty filthy, I don't know when/if it had ever been changed. Shifts smoother now! I used Valvoline 75W-90 semi-synthetic. To fill up the rear diff, I used the 1L bottle, with a cap off a PUMP water bottle screwed on (direct fit) and squeezed it in. Easy. Filling up the gearbox was harder, I had to remove the aribox to get access and then use a tiny funnel attached to some 10mm diameter vinyl tube I found lying in the garage. Took forever to fill and spilt a bit. There were also quite a few iron filings on the magnetic plug. The rear diff oil wasn't too dirty but wasn't clean either.

Rust spots really weren't bad but I had noticed some progression since moving the car to coastal Dunedin so I though I'd better address them, I used khaki etch primer. Will get a body-coloured can sometime to colour-match with.

Are there any downsides to running without the massive pre-filter intake box? I don't like the look of it.

Tomorrow, it's getting a wash and polish, and then I'm heading up the peninsula for photos. :discomonkey:

NachaLuva · Jun 29, 2014

You've been busy :lildevil:

kiwifoz said:
Are there any downsides to running without the massive pre-filter intake box? I don't like the look of it.

kiwifoz said:

Is this the "pre-filter intake box" you mean? Thats the intake resonator & its a common mod to remove it. Remove it & run some suitable size hose or PVC pipe to the other side of the intake. You'll get a much better induction note & marginally better power, depending on the rest of the intake.

Also, what's the purpose of the black box in this photo?

Thats the charcoal cannister, SF's have a more traditional one in the engine bay.

I would also use the towbar as the rear recovery point, it will be much stronger as the load is spread over a large area. You can either use the hitch with the towball removed (never recover off the towball - its extremely dangerous) or put the strap inside the hitch receiver & use the pin to hold it :iconwink:

And lastly, I did the diff test when I had both the back wheels off the ground - they spun different ways which would seem to indicate I have an open diff - although I think I read somewhere that the vLSD also does this? If anyone could confirm either way/knows which diff my MY03 SG 5mt DR would have, that'd be great thanks.

I can confirm an open diff spins opposite, a plated LSD spins the same way but I'm not sure about a viscous LSD

kiwifoz · Jun 30, 2014

NachaLuva said:
Is this the "pre-filter intake box" you mean? Thats the intake resonator & its a common mod to remove it. Remove it & run some suitable size hose or PVC pipe to the other side of the intake. You'll get a much better induction note & marginally better power, depending on the rest of the intake.

Thats the charcoal cannister, SF's have a more traditional one in the engine bay.

I would also use the towbar as the rear recovery point, it will be much stronger as the load is spread over a large area. You can either use the hitch with the towball removed (never recover off the towball - its extremely dangerous) or put the strap inside the hitch receiver & use the pin to hold it :iconwink:

I can confirm an open diff spins opposite, a plated LSD spins the same way but I'm not sure about a viscous LSD

I have been busy :lildevil:

On holiday at the moment. Polished it and blacked the bumpers today.

Sweet, thanks - that was the 'pre-intake box' I referred to. Car does have better note without it and seemed to respond more quickly too - I went for a drive minus the box, before doing the sparks and filter/oils.

Yeah I already knew the shackle fitted through the towbar, I was just looking for alternate spots - there's no hole on the other side which is strange.

I've done a bit of 4wding with my Dad and I always wince when I see towballs being used. They make nice projectiles.

I think I read somewhere that the vLSD spins opposite ways like the open diff, as it needs the oil to warm up before it kicks in?

Thanks for the help NL.

Ratbag · Jun 30, 2014

Gidday KF

kiwifoz said:
I've done a bit of 4wding with my Dad and I always wince when I see towballs being used. They make nice projectiles.

Sure do!

kiwifoz · Jun 30, 2014

I just really enjoying driving it now, after doing the sparks, grounding mod and oils it's so much quicker off the line and no jerking/lag, as well as shifting better. Runs better on 91 than it did on 95 octane!

Ratbag · Jun 30, 2014

Also great to hear that your car is working so much better for the basic servicing you have done. It does prove the benefits of reasonably regular maintenance.

I run both ours on 5W-40 Shell Helix Ultra fully synthetic. Neither uses any measurable amount of oil or water.

The Impreza was run on 10W-40 Castrol Magnatec mineral oil. Just before I traded it in on Roo2, I drove to Brisbane and back in 40+°C heat, with the air-con on most of the way, and at just over the limit most of the way. It finished up with about 236,000 Kms on it. During this trip of some 4,500 Kms, it used no measurable amount of oil or water.

I have always run the Impreza on 91 RON, and now run both our SG and SH on 91 RON. The engines are designed to run on this grade of fuel. It's hardly surprising that they work just fine when run on it ... :iconwink: :lol:.

I did some testing with the Impreza, way back. I got no noticeable increase in power from running it on either 95 or 98; nor any significant improvement in fuel economy. Certainly nothing like enough to justify the price difference!! I have kept detailed log books on all our cars ever since the early 1980s; both for tax purposes and as a guide to maintenance and condition. Every fill is recorded, trip meter reset.

NachaLuva · Jun 30, 2014

So you put in a grounding kit, good work :biggrin: I've been meaning to do that myself! Where did you get the kit from or did you make it up yourself?

kiwifoz · Jul 1, 2014

The grounding kit was made up of some stereo wire I had lying around, not the thickest but it's bigger than the guage used for the factory head ground on the driver's side! I also had some terminals left over from my DRL mod, I bought a packet of 8 when I needed 1. I just soldered the wire to the terminals (I don't have a crimper but soldering lasts longer anyway) and then bolted it all down - battery negative to LHS intake, LHS intake to alt/RHS intake, RHS intake to throttle body. I also cleaned up the factory LHS/RHS head grounds for better connections. Along with changing the sparks and fuel filter, it pulls very nicely now with no lag/jerking. Couldn't find any evidence that adding extra ground points to the strut towers does anything and the heads are grounded from the factory so I left these bits alone.

The car currently has non-synthetic oil in it, 15W-40 I think. It's due for a change in 3000km so I'll put some synthetic in then, probably 10W-40 as 5W-40 is heinously expensive. Or I might just use some non-synthetic Magnatec. Does the oil type make that much of a difference?

Cheers for the help guys.

kiwifoz · Jul 1, 2014

I went up the peninsula this morning, and spent a bit of time taking some pics, mostly of the car. So here they are.

Our old property. Turning to gorse now, unfortunately.

That's all my hosting site would let me upload for now, but more coming.

Frosty Boy - Kiwi's SG Forester

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