Subaru conversion start

Discussion in 'Alternative engine in bus' started by pkrboo, Mar 27, 2017.

  1. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    Progress progress progress!
    Why did it get to 90deg going a few feet?
     
  2. Left it running for a bit to get fully warmed up, check coolant etc. Might go a mile drive later ... eek!
    @Razzyh I think you're running 003 box so vacuum kick down?. That or manuals won't have the problem
     
    Baysearcher and Razzyh like this.
  3. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

    Ah yes 003 early autobox - so the earlier box actually makes it easier to convert to Subaru
     
  4. If your box is good then yes. There must have been a reason why they (vw) changed it in 75 to mechanical kick down but for avoiding extra bit of work at the end it's definitely easier with an 003 box

    Even easier not to install Subaru ;-)

    Like everything it can be worked out.

    Happy days
     
  5. So guys what temps are you peaking at in this weather?
    &
    What is "right" or ideal temperature?
    Pg
     
  6. 90 is ideal, but I find I sit at about 93-94 on the motorway. And when towing and I come to a hill my temps can go as high as 100. But mine is a 2.5, your 2.0 should sit below 90 most of the time. My 2.0 was always at about 80 until I went up hills and put real load in the engine
     
    pgtips likes this.
  7. An update of my progress, holiday and some shared experience that might help someone else.

    I got back yeasterday from my hols in the camper, a 1300 mile in 3 weeks holiday down the south coast and it went ok. Lovely to drive. I did have a couple of avoidable problems but as it turned out nothing too major.

    Very smooth to drive, its got acceleration when i need it and my MPG is better. I never really took it beyond 75mph. 60mph was ok loaded up (and for fuel economy) but it always had more to give. I had an exhaust made 2 days before I left (so my old "get over the line/MOT and drive" exhaust is up for sale if anyone is interested in the classifieds same cost as it was for me to get it made but not incl the headers which you can get off ebay)

    My sump from Nick Tune didn't give up its leaks so I needed to keep on top of oil use but it was manageable.
    Coolant - a jubilee clip came loose, luckily I spotted this before it blew in Longleat.
    Threadlock, buy some. I had had a great day out and was heading into bournemouth for a "classics on the prom" when I had a bad rattle, really bad just off a roundabout. In the few minutes before I had noticed a new clunking but it still moved. Then coming off a roundabout a really loud clanking noise from the rear. Engine was ticking over fine but as soon as I tried to engage gear it rattled badly (and loudly). . 250 miles from home it wasn't good. I called the recovery and assumed the worst, gearbox and terminal failure (and end of holiday!). Home on a recovery trailer again :-/

    Luckily for me it wasn't as bad as it could have been. It was the drive shaft bolts, all worked loose on one side and loose on the other.

    No point in trying to figure out how. The why is obviously not tight enough and I didn't use threadlock. I've orderded a new set of 12 and some threadlock. Well worth it for tiny cost (£15 I think all in) so if you just tightened yours back up its worth adding some threadlock. I was a lucky boy and the good day had a happy ending. Lot of decent people stopped to see if they could help too which was nice.

    My temps were around 90 and 82. On the hottest day the temps crept up to 94 but the rads kicked in around 90 and did their thing. You'll notice the floor of your van gets warm so I need to rethink the fridge setup as the latent heat beats the fridge on a hot day.

    I had an engine warning light keep popping on, then off after while. Pkrboo sent me some useful stuff which I'll share here for diagnosing faults:
    I had a code 24 idle air conditioning solenoid so I'll be cleaning that up later.

    Mileage wise I run an auto box so mpg isn't great. The old upright 2.0ltr vw engine used to give me about 17mpg, maybe an optimistic 20mpg on a run but I think, based on beermat calculations, I'm getting around +5mpg but this is all loaded up on holiday driving. Either way 22 to 25 mpg is better.

    My bus is lowered by about 1.5" all round. I didn't bottom out the rad or exhaust. A couple of grazes when hitting humps and loaded up on the motorway but that could be due to my shocks being a bit lazy after 4 years off the ground. I need new rears.

    The subaru engine drive is just so much nicer, smooth, like a modern car, responsive and quiet. Best thing I did. Well worth the effort.
     
    redoxide, Sick Boy, Sydney and 8 others like this.
  8. Interesting mpg isn't better on these as my Vege 2 litre type 4 with twin 34 icts would get around 25mpg sitting at just over 65mph on a long run and around 20mpg around the doors / me putting my foot down a lot and that was on a 74 Westy.
     
  9. Thats pretty good (bloody awsome) for an auto and running carbs, shouldve kept it :)
     
  10. Over the holiday whilst trundling around at circa 50 to 60 I was getting 32.5 mpg from my Subaru and hammering it that fell to 28 mpg.
     
    theBusmonkey likes this.
  11. Dubs

    Dubs Sponsor supporter extraordinaire

    I average about 30 with an ej20 in a panelvan. It doesn't sound like much of an improvement over a decent Vw engine mpg wise, but it's very noticeable. (And you do tend to drive a bit faster, because you can..)
     
    Pickles likes this.
  12. Sorry mine wasn't an auto and I had 5 rib box from earlier 1800 engine that was in it :thumbsup: No match in terms of torque / hp though :D
     
  13. Hi
    In my situation is really responsive to speed.
    Bus full loaded for holliday at 90km/h in 8L/100km, a 120/130 km/h in 12L/100km.
    Between 23mpg and 35mpg.
    Empty is turns to the 8l/100.
     
    theBusmonkey likes this.
  14. Did you have the special washers on the drive shaft bolts?
     
  15. The spring washers, I don't recall when I reassembled (sure I did) but I ordered new of those as well to be sure.
     
    paradox likes this.
  16. They should be Schnorr washers
     
  17. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

    Exactly the same as I was getting. 32 towing a trailer as well and this is with a 003 auto box.
     
    Pickles likes this.
  18. Hi all, great thread. Will be putting one up at some point to document my conversion - quick question, what fuel pump have you used in your conversions? Thought there was a link somewhere in the 43 pages but am drawing a blank. Ta!
     
  19. Std VW electric fi pump. Must be fuel injection pump
     
  20. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

    I got s cheap £20 job which was ok for testing but anything more than an hours use it was rubbish. Swapped out for a 044 Bosch fuel pump

    https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/352445195152

    You’ll need to get a inlet & outlet barb.
     

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