The Subaru Engine Thread

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Pedro del monkeybike, Oct 27, 2016.

  1. Moons

    Moons Supporter

    Never said I don't like air cooled, always say they are more work and comparatively not much in it cost wise when comparing like for like performance.
     
  2. Moons

    Moons Supporter

    The question, and let's face it implied answer, was that it's an expensive conversion with no benefit.

    At least my opinion is based on years of trouble free ownership.....conversely I've never owned a big air cooled, but ran the 1641 for a year and hated it.

    As for usage, I don't get time to camp but I do use the van to lug kit about....I don't do 7500 a year in my daily and am impressed you have.
     
    Baysearcher likes this.
  3. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    Which is no doubt why you have replaced your engine several times in the last year or so, culminating in a 2.4?
    You can't have found the original engine that attractive.
     
  4. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    For fun. Nothing went wrong with any of them, never been let down. Anyone can fit any engine they like obviously, no need for anyone's approval, but it's you Subaru converters intent on dissing the old air cooled to support your decision who are the main offenders on tlb.

    2l and above will cruise happily at 70mph. Mine gets there quick enough for modern traffic. They're perfectly good engines though I happily concede they take more of ones attention to remain so.

    @Moons - 10,000 miles since Christmas, oil which hasn't been changed is still clean, so no servicing even. :) a/c not all bad, though yes, 1600 requires a certain set of mind, oblivious to the tail back behind you.
     
  5. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    So for exactly the same reason most of us scooby bus owners do it. I've said from day 1 that I did it because I was bored of the bus. My air cooled also never let me down.

    I've never dissed an air cooled; and if I have it's obviously been tongue in cheek.

    Contrary to your assertion that us scooby owners bang on and on about them, I think you'll find it pretty much goes unmentioned. It's generally someone else who brings the subject up. . Look who started this thread: Was it a scooby converter?
     
    Moons likes this.
  6. Faust

    Faust Supporter

    I am certainly not anti Subaru , they do impress me for the ones i have seen Baysearchers and Sick Boy .
    I wouldn't rule out never having one .
    But i do like the originality of the Type 4 in particular , the air cooled engine is not a common fellow in the classic vehicle world ,and a very interesting engine system and i enjoy being responsible for running one .

    If you have the mechanical know how to fix what ever goes wrong ...there not a big deal . Quite often when these old buses to go wrong it is because of lack of maintenance , and if you don't like doing and knowing both of these factors ...then the Subaru is the perfect answer ...if you have the money .
    One thing i would like to know is and will there be a permanent supply of the Subaru engines , as mMoons said the newer vertions seem to present a problem .

    So if the Subaru does go hugh breasts up , can you get one pronto ?
     
  7. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    When asked "why" on here, almost to a man, your good self excluded, peeps who have, or are thinking of converting will list reliability, the ability to cuise at 70mph and overtake, then mpg. I'll concede mpg but the other reasons leave me scratching my head.

    On the other hand, the love of staying vw air cooled either gets you or it doesn't.
     
  8. Indeed:)
     
  9. Well thats bo11ox!
     
    pkrboo likes this.
  10. Moons

    Moons Supporter

    It required the mindset of nearly getting wiped out if the on ramp wasn't downhill, of being stuck behind tractors, of having to try and pace your run up if going up anything steep, being unable to pull out of t junctions for ages, of any large roundabout being a nightmare if remotely busy.

    I can help you with the consternation over reliability...untouched at all subaru's engines work....pretty much any machine works if fettled.....these require next to no interaction...if you dig fettling and can actually do it and not see it as a chore, then of course you won't understand my point.

    It's a bit like wrist watches...you can buy a digital one that will lose 1 second every 1000 years for £1, or you can spent £10,000 on one that loses accuracy if you switch in the central heating.

    Me, I just want it to work without me having to do anything.
     
  11. Moons

    Moons Supporter

    That's actually the first point I've ever read that has genuinely given me a pause for thought.

    In the context of classic cars, indeed it is a different beast.

    It's not a big job to convert back I conclude should someone want to.

    I think now is the time to buy spares, though the ej20 is a world car and it went in to imprezzas, legacies and foresters, so not that rare and available globally.

    As I said, I bought a whole engine, loom and brain for £100...locally I bought two alternators for £30 second hand, gearboxes are £95.

    A lot of new parts are available and Subaru has a pretty big Motorsport and brand following....due to flat 4 water cooled being an unusual and rare beast in modern classics.
     
    Faust and Zed like this.
  12. I think the only reason im not doing this is that my bus needs cash spending eslewhere and frankly the type 4 thats in there is fine. If and when i do it it will be for fun and possibly to use it more. Id like to think that bodywork done and throwing cash at the conversion would make me consider using it as more of a go-to vehicle. That said ive used it loads recently and its currently sat outside waiting for me to empty it after clearing my mums house.

    It came back from my mums packed floor to roof. Theres fridge freezer, drier numerous boxes of all sorts, oh yeh, and a bed etc etc. The back was so well loaded i couldnt hear the engine at all which almost made for a dead engine. I could hear a rattle, pinking i decided. Was thinking that wasnt good and it was pulling well. I know it was full and i had a fully loaded trailer on but struggling at 65 !


    Changing up to 4th solved those issues. Close... but no yellow taxi. Will check the oil at some point. So type 4s arent that fragile!
     
  13. Faust

    Faust Supporter

    Just a word of caution . What you say about gathering spares , you are absolutely right to do so the sooner the better .
    Cars are getting scraped far quiker than ever before .
    Gov legislation is trying to get rid of vehicles that have become end of life . Vehicles don't hang around as long as they used to .

    My old Foden 2 stroke diesel tractor unit i have which was restored some 15 years ago . I could get every single part off the shelf no problem , but now very very difficult .....i have just rebuilt the engine as it had water in the oil requiring new liners and rings and so on .
    I was apparently the only owner of a new set of 6 liners and rings for that engine in existence , which i bought 15 years back .
    What i am saying is better to buy TWO of everything . :thumbsup:
     
  14. Is that the foden with the split screen
    They are lovely
    A bloke up the road had an Atkinson silver knight
    I love them old Lorries :)
     
    Moons likes this.
  15. Faust

    Faust Supporter

    Yes it has a split screen . It's a 1967 glass fibre cabbed tractive unit , i have taken the fifth wheel coupling off it and fitted a winch on the back which i use for tugging on trees . the two stroke diesel has exceptional immediate power so ideal and the engine is light wieght .
    Go on to u tube ...put in foden 2 stroke engine and there is a guy filmed inside the cab flying around on the roads in it.
     
    Pedro del monkeybike likes this.
  16. JT1

    JT1

    Mine too and the front valance, front wings, inner wings, windscreen surround, petrol filler flap, tailgate - in fact anything not made from plastic. I learnt to weld on that car.
    Fabulous engine and drive-train though :)
     
  17. I went from a 1776 type 1 to a 2 litre scooby and I was totally honest with the insurance company. I told them exactly what was happening and who was doing it, and all they said was "thanks for letting us know, we'll note it on your policy". No admin fee, no increased premium, they didn't even want a letter from Fellows or an engineer's report. And when the renewal wasn't competitive, I changed insurance companies and they weren't bothered either.
     
    bernjb56 likes this.
  18. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    That's my experience too. Went from 1.6 to 2.4l with nothing more than "thanks for letting us know".
     
  19. What kind of mpg do Scooby owners get?
     
  20. It's interesting how the scooby engine devides opinion so much, even more than lowering and rat look.

    Advocates can't understand why the rest of us can't see the light of increased power, mpg and (for now at least) reliability.

    Detractors like the purity of owning an 'original' van with the pulling power of a milk float and can't see the need or appeal.

    I'm always amazed how devisive this is. I suspect the truth is that for the advocates it has to work and be worth it having spent a gizillion pounds sorting it. The detractors are probably all slightly jealous deep down at the thought of doing more than 40mph up hill and having mpg in the 30+ region (I am!)

    I have a 1600. It's 'original' (it's got no engine number though so it's not really original any more). It's slow, but I like it for now as I can't afford anything else and at least I can just about slowly move the van to nice places to look at the view.

    When it dies I'm planning a large type 1 motor as that's what I understand. It's not the best route overall but it will suit me. It will probably cost more than a scooby and have less power and won't be original, so I'm probably a mug.

    I think we should probably all move on from worrying what others are using to push their vans round, at least they are keeping them on the road and enjoying them. I'd rather see everyone go scooby than see them all mouldering on drives and rusting away with 'original' engines in.
     
    tyke2 and matty like this.

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