Subaru Crew - Modifications II

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  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    Okay I finally got pics of my Sub from my friends camera, they aren't digital pics, just scanned. Quality arent' that great but they are better than nothing. Hopefully people can make out the blue badge on the front grill. I swore I took a much better pic of the front grill, I'll have to check with him to see if he has it or not.


    Since Geocities wouldnt' let me link pics from their server, I just decided to create a really cheezy temp page to post them. so here is the link.


    http://www.geocities.com/garfield424/MySubaru.html


    Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I like the black on black with deep tint. Looks kind of sinister.

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Sweet. Black Foresters rule. ;-)

    Are those Hella fogs on your front bumper? Looks very good.

    Ken
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    just because you Forester has a power name doesn't mean the rest of ours are inferiour. :-)

    Ross
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
  • dzartmandzartman Member Posts: 112
    I bought a used LSD from a front-end wrecked MY01 Outback Limited and am going to install it in my MY00 OB with AT (obviously i never bought the all-weather package.)

    Any advice from you tech gurus on the swap? I hear it is pretty much a straight swap. Thanks in advance!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hopefully it is. MY00 is a different body style than the MY01.

    -mike
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    mike, The Legacy/OB body style changed between MY99 and MY00 for the North American market. The MY00 NA is MY99 JDM/Australia/New Zealand. Are you thinking of something else?

    Dave, How have you been? We haven't seen you around here in a while. Sorry, I don't know the answer.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm on crack. Hadn't had my Rally Bread and eggs yet with Hash Brown. Too early in the morning. You are correct 99 was the last year of the old body style.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Welcome back, Dave. I was wondering when you'd pop back in.

    I have heard of Miata.net members that installed torsen pumpkins in their cars with open diffys for the track.

    It's not easy, because you are disconnecting a driveshaft and two half shaft to do it. They had photos and instructions I saw that won't apply directly, but surely will help you get an idea of the scope of the project. I kept thinking it was more than I would be willing to take on by myself.

    Poke around, starting here http://www.miata.net/garage/garageengine.html. I don't recall exactly where it was. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll ask in the forum.

    DOH, now I'm hungry again. Off to an early lunch.

    -juice
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Given your numerous other helpful posts, I think we can let that one slide. ;)

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • dzartmandzartman Member Posts: 112
    hey everyone...

    it's good to be back, been awhile indeed... cool to see you all here, and Colin too!

    I heard you take off the two rear wheels, then disconnect the axes. From there it's pretty straightforward swap, remembering to put in the special fluid too.. ha! so i hear anyway. i doubt it's that simple, but we'll soon see!

    dave
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Prolly gear oil, 75w90, but check to be sure.

    May as well go synthetic, since it lasts at least 30k miles and you're changing it anyway. Mobil 1 GO is about $8 a quart, and you probably need only 1 or 2 quarts.

    -juice
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    Appreciate your opinions.

    Ken: those are actually PIAA 520 series Driving lights on the bumper, I got Pilot Fog lights under the bumber, although I am thinking of switching to more powerful ones. maybe something from Hella or Catz.

    Juice: Yeah, I am trying to stay with the dark color theme. Didn't want any chrome or stand out graphics on my car. Just wouldn't go.

    Mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hey I know that you guys are going to go on how the reflectors aren't setup for it, and how it's illegal etc.


    Saw these HID conversions and thought some people here might be interested. http://www.rollhard.com/eagleeye.htm

     and only $450 it's not bad.


    -mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    $425, did you include shipping?

    How long would those bulbs last? I was disappointed with the <1 year life of the Hella bulbs I had.

    Hmm, they'd work perfectly with E-codes, no?

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep they should work with E-codes.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I mean without bothering oncoming drivers, though. Drew?

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    I installed this on Sunday. I bought a pair of ramps and went to work on the rear bar swap. The job should've only taken me about 30mins but because of my ability (lack thereof) and crappy tools (my ratchet kept disintegrating on me) it took me about 2hrs. Anyhow, the change is really noticeable. The rear end doesn't roll as much and seems to stay planted better. I'm not sure how this swap would affect the ride but it seems a bit firmer (in a good way). I know that I could still get the rear to come around but I have to work at it whereas w/the 17mm it didn't take much effort. I'm going to be buying a fellow i-clubber's 22mm Whiteline front sway bar as soon as his 24mm one comes in the mail. He offered to help with the install. Of course, I took him up on it! :-) I'll let everyone know my impressions after the swap.

    As a side note...I finally got a big, obnoxious (aren't they all) windshield ding on Saturday. It's to the left of my sightline. Some truck passed me going the opposite direction on a 2-lane hwy and something flew off, smacking me loud and hard on the glass. I really thought the whole thing was going to shatter, especially after reading the posts about the supposedly weak glass. The impact left two concentric half circle cracks about 2 1/2 inches a piece. By Sun AM I saw that cracks had started on either side of the circles. Fortunately it's all to the left of my sightline. I'm definitely going to need a windshield replacement. I may wait until after winter...we'll see (pardon the pun).

    Stephen
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Stephen- I doubt it'll last that long. The constant heating and cooling of the windshield caused by winter driving usually accelerates the cracking process. Better go ahead and replace it while the weather's still decent.

    -Frank P.
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    The crack that was heading towards the center abruptly turned downwards toward the bottom of the windshield. I'll pay attention to it. I'm going to call my insurance co. this week. I did get one quote of $301 for the windshield and has to be ordered.

    Stephen
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Even more reason to go ahead and order a replacement. Otherwise, if your windshield decides to go, you'll be stuck until a replacement finally arrives.

    -Frank P.
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    jello all!
    ok, it's time for me to switch to some redline synth oil for my rs. So what's the consensus here? Righ now I am set with :
    Tranny : 75W90NS 3.7q
    rear diff : 75W90NS 0.7q

    any opinions on this? Is this good?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I swapped to Mobil 1 75w90 in both places on my Miata and it's been working fine. I use dino oil in the engine but that's because it does not last 30k miles or more.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Hey Alwin, you must be busy at work or school-- haven't seen you post much here or on the iClub.

    I wouldn't use the Redline 75w90NS in the tranny... lots of folks have reported grinding afterwards. Some folks have had good luck with the Redline Superlight Shockproof, although it is pricey.

    -Colin
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    On Cobb Tuning's website:


    http://www.cobbtuning.com/tech/gearoil/index.html


    they have a write up on gear oils although it doesn't provide a clear answer. One thing I did notice is that they seem to like the Amsoil stuff.


    Ken

  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Yeah, quite a few i-clubbers reported grinding while using the 75W90NS. Some have switched to MT90, a GL4 gear oil because of it.

    I've been using Amsoil standard synthetic (not Series 2000) for almost a year now and have not grinded once. I don't think the shifting is that much faster, just a lot easier. Especially in the winter.

    Dennis
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Dennis,

    Can you describe how much "easier" shifting became after switching to Amsoil gear oil? Is it smoother? Less notchy?

    Ken
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Maybe slightly less notchy, not much. Definitely smoother and requires less effort. The most noticeable difference is in the winter. Last winter it felt like I had 140W in there. I would have to sit a let my car warm up before driving. Now I just get in and go.

    Dennis
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    colin,
    yeah i was away most of the summer. Then with the wedding preparation, my scooby's been neglected for a bit. But now things are much calmer so yup... back to fiddling with the car.
    OK, according to the manual, we need GL-5 oil. So MT-90 is out. I've used 75W90 redline before with my old OBS. It was fine then. Maybe I should stay away from 75W90NS instead? Or how about 80W90?
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Welcome back, I hope you had a good trip, now if I can just bug you for the seat back map pocket instructions again.

    Last time I asked just before you left you posted a couple nice pictures of the Gt and said since I was the inventive type here you go, well Bit I think that the information was a little scant even for me, Ha! Ha! pretty hard to figure out how to make the pockets from photos of the complete car.

    If you would not mind posting your full instructions I would really appreciate them.

    Cheers Pat.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It would seem to me that the difference between 75w90 and 80w90 are tiny, but I'd still go with what the manual recommends.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I'd personally only use:

    * stock
    * Redline Shockproof superlightweight ($$$)
    * whatever AMSOil Cobb Tuning recommends

    Anything else and I'd fear for the synchros.

    -Colin
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Cobb recommends MT-90 which is a GL-4 oil!!! Subaru wants Gl-5. Well maybe I should just use 75W90 Redline across the board instead of the NS for the tranny.
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    what's up in your garage lately? I guess you've stopped building up the RS?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, and this topic has died down with it!

    I'll do the tranny oil service on the 626 on Thursday and try to share photos. I also need to rotate the tires on Sandy.

    -juice
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    IIRC, the non-NS shouldn't be used in the tranny.

    FYI - There's a poll on the i-club in the transmission forum about gear oil. You could do a search for more NS info on the i-club or call Redline direct.

    Dennis
  • mod7mod7 Member Posts: 13
    I find my Outback Sport to be jarring when I hit bumps or uneven pavement.

    Is there anything that can be done by service dept to help with that?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, they went to 16" alloys with 205/55 tires. Your sidewall is only 4.4" tall.

    For comparison, the Forester L gets 5.6" of sidewall, but a lot more flex to go with it. The ride is more absorbent but also bouncier and offers less precise handling.

    I think it's a fair trade-off. Check your tire pressures to make sure they aren't too high. For a softer ride, I'd go with 29psi all around. For performance I'd use about 32psi.

    -juice
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    I use 32psi. all around in the Titan and find that to be a good compromise.

    BTW. changed the regular GT mags and tires back on for the winter and am amazed at how much noisier the re92 is compared to the eagle RSA,s that I had on for summer.

    I know the re92,s are not a great winter tire but since they are new and I will get not much for them I might as well use them until they are completely useless for winter.

    Cheers Pat.
  • mod7mod7 Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for your response to my 2002 OBS suspension question.

    Besides the tire pressure do you know if the suspension itself can be modified in any way?

    Would the suspension on the TS Sport wagon be more absorbent because it is not "Heavy-Duty"?

    Thanks again MOD7
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    buy struts and springs for the TS from a local shop and have em installed. You will lose the ride height and it will be softer, but then you could have bought the TS then :(

    -mike
  • mod7mod7 Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for the advice--I'll ask my service dept about it.

    --MOD77
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Pat: no surprise all-seasons are louder. You have more grooves on the tread. If you think that's bad, imagine all terrain tires!

    I don't think TS springs would make much of a difference, to be honest.

    It's a short wheelbase, nimble car with sporty handling. It's just characteristic of that type of car.

    You could consider a tire with taller sidewalls, maybe on 15" rims, but you'd be sacrificing handling.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Pat: no surprise all-seasons are louder. You have more grooves on the tread. If you think that's bad, imagine all terrain tires!

    I don't think TS springs would make much of a difference, to be honest.

    It's a short wheelbase, nimble car with sporty handling. It's just characteristic of that type of car.

    You could consider a tire with taller sidewalls, maybe on 15" rims, but you'd be sacrificing handling.

    -juice
  • rplumrplum Member Posts: 48
    FWIW, I'm trying Redlint MT-90 (75W-90) in my 1998 2.5RS Tranny right now. Yeah, it's GL-4, we'll see what happens. So far, it performs no differently than what was in there before (generic Subaru GL-5). Haven't had cold weather to try it out yet. More to come.

    This is just personal experimentation on my part, and by no means official Subaru anything (I'm not a tranny/oil expert at all). If it ever starts to sound funny I'll change it.

    I'm Running Castrol Synthetic 75W-90 GL-5 in my non-LSD rear diff.

    My car is also equipped with the Full STi short shift linkage and Cusco shock bushings. So its shift effort is "hard" anyway......

    Ryan
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Does anyone know if the auto-dim mirror will fit a 99 OB Ltd? Is there wiring needed for it?

    What about the cabin air filter? Can that be installed? juice, is that what you did?

    Thanks,
    Dennis
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yes, but on the Forester. It wasn't hard.

    You just cut out a plastic plug with an exacto-knife, then slide in the filter and bolt-on the cover.

    It's harder on the OB. You have to remove the glove box, and some 20 screws, I've heard.

    If it's for your OBS, you can pretty much follow my instructions here.


    -juice

  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I'll bring you up to speed, Alwin... And wow, a post from Ryan too. Plummer has been pretty quiet here and on the iClub, at least in the forums I watch.

    Anyway, yes I've pretty much stopped spending money on my 2.5RS. I'm satisfied with it, having done most of what can be done for a reasonable amount of money. When it was warmer--might get in a few more days--I've been riding motorcycles and it would take a huge amount of money to make any Subaru product as fast, and none could duplicate the feeling of being one with the machine.

    I might get wild with the engine when it's time for a rebuild, or I might sell parts and return it to stock(ish) form if an STi version arrives for a decent price. (or if something else appealing shows up, sorry subaru!)

    -Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Like an EVO? ;-)

    Subaru is small and can't meet everyone's needs. They shouldn't even try to.

    -juice
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