Fiberfab Subaru Conversion Update

Relax. Carey won’t send you home with a problem.

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I second what Tom just said above. My comment and cooling diagram was presented only to show how I have done it, not to recommend how others should do it. Carey knows his stuff and you'll get a good product. 

Hitting the hay. Will be up and getting ready to drive up to Special Edition in less than 6 hours. 

OK,  OK... Let me clarify a few things here...

What I said to Jim was that the coolant system was "being stubborn".  They are almost ALWAYS stubborn on a re-bleed.  It was 9pm and I decided to walk away from it for the night, let it fully cool and contract, and then start the cycle over in the morning...  Since the tone of a text/e-mail is hard to decipher I am sure I may have sounded concerned or frustrated when I was really just tired and driving home.  We have the best coolant system in the industry and I'll stand behind that 100%.  I have Subaru powered cars that are flogged in climates such as Kuwait/Dubai and all the hottest points in the US and the coolant system usually out performs the driver...

FYI: Our initial bleeds are done  under 30" of vacuum, and nearly fool proof.  I have very few issues with the initial bleeding of Subaru systems.  But, when rebleed, it never fails that you have a pocket of coolant that didn't flush from the system and vacuum re-bleed doesn't always work, so you have to manually purge air.  There are a variety of ways to do this, and if anyone would like to know some "tricks" feel free to PM or e-mail me.  Yes, you can add purge valves to a system, but I prefer a fully sealed system, properly bled, and eliminate as many points of potential leak/failure as possible.

Regarding the coolant diagram posted,  I had to look at it a few times and edited my original comment.  I now see the bypass for when the heater valve is shut and I see how/why that set-up works.  It is similar to the set-up we use, however we use all fo the stock bypasses with a few "tricks" added.  You'd be amazed at how many "manufacturers" don't understand this system.  I've corrected more than a couple that were overheating and just plain plumbed wrong.  

Anyway, I put another 30 miles or so on Jims new gearbox yesterday before giving her a final torque check and cross-check indicator markings.  System ran a high point of 194 in stop and go, and mid 180s at speed (verified with live data scanner and not just the needle...).  Can't ask for more than that!

@chines1:

You rock.

Of course he does.  His coupes will rock even more. 

Fiberfab Subaru Conversion Pick up Day. 10-19-18.

 I arrived at Special Edition around 11:30 AM. I was later than I wanted to be because I had trouble with my tow vehicle. The night before I had the 21' enclosed trailer hooked up to my new to me 2009 Ford F150 King Ranch that we bought earlier this summer to tow our three horse trailer. I was all set to leave at 5 AM. Jumped in the truck and placed the key in the ignition, I turn the key to start the truck and nothing.. no click no electric fuel pump starting, nothing. HMM... I don't drive the truck every day so I am thinking the battery may just be low enough not to engage the starter circuit. So, in the dark I run an extension cord the 100' from my house to the road and hook up my charger. I also do a voltage reading before hooking the charger up. The battery read 12.64 volts which is good. I charge anyway. After 15 min quick charge I initiate a start attempt with the charger on the 50 amp jump setting.. Still no click no fuel pump humm.. I then turn to the internet all the while thinking I will need to postpone picking my Speedster up until Monday.. Is there No God!!??? (I was thinking LOL) At that point , I did say a prayer, really I did. Once on the internet I find a couple of clips concerning similar issues. I find that the security system can get out of sync and need a reset by locking and unlocking the power pocks while the key is in the ignition. I do this and the truck starts. It is now 6:30am. I proceed to the route, 5 hours later I arrive at Special Edition.

 After 20 minutes of Carey going over the car and showing me everything, I get to drive.   The wait was worth it. The car drives better than I imagined or hoped for. It is amazing. This thing pulls hard and is quiet, quick and smooth with no rattles or vibration. The rancho gearing is perfectly matched to the Subaru engine's power. The new Vintage Speed shifter is tight and easy to shift. I am better off with the new transaxle. The trans that went bad had stock gearing with a 3:44 R&P. The Rancho trans has a taller 1st gear that you can actually use without immediately shifting to 2nd and a 3.88 R&P with a taller 4th (.82 compared to .89). All in all I couldn't be happier.  I had lunch with Carey, Mike and Randy Beck. I was with replica car royalty, LOL. I then wondered around there multi building operation and took pics and some videos while chatting with the workers. I will post some of that later when I have time. Around 2:30 I loaded up and headed back, getting home around 8:30pm. I haven't even unloaded the Speedster yet. Getting ready to do that now. I will post more shortly. A huge thanks to Carey , Mike and the others at Special Edition, they are amazing and seem to love what they do and also very fair on the price they charge. Now, out to unload my toy, it is sunny and 60 degrees outside.

The car looks great. Enjoy the drive!

One of the best color combination existing imo. Looks great

Thanks I love the color as well. The PO who built the car told me it is a Jaguar color.

Congrats, JImmy.  I know you will enjoy your superb Speedster for many years to come.  Congrats!

 

It's a great day when you get a newly installed Soob and rebuilt transaxle.

Had a great time driving my Speedster today. Its going to be sunny and in the 60's for the next 4 days and I plan to enjoy them driving my car. Couple of questions for the guys running Subaru engines. How would you know if the AVLS wasn't activating the high speed cam lobe? Is it something that ever fails? What weight and type of oil do you run? conventional or synthetic? Carey has 20-50 Valvoline VR1 in it now. I ran that oil in all my flat tappet engines because it has the high ZDDP levels. I was surprised he runs it in the Suby engines. 

 I am in the process of getting the know the engine and how it sounds, feels and drives. This way I feel or hear any changes that may be trouble. Any suggestions for a good shop manual for the Subaru engine?  I have a small amount of oil weeping from where the dip stick tube pushes into the shorty oil pan. Anyone have this issue? Carey said they use 2 "O" rings and sealant of some type. I am going to need to fix it. The black stuff feels and looks like high temp RTV sealant.  It isn't pouring out but it is a steady drip that while driving is blowing back and hitting the exhaust and burning off and leaving stains.

Oil: I run 10-30 in Bridget (stock 1995 EJ22) and would run the same or lighter—maybe 5-30 or 5-20—if I had a newer engine like yours. The oil fill cap usually says what it likes. If the cam's a little choppier maybe go a little heavier but 20-50 seems needlessly thick for a modern Subie, imho. I think you're maybe running break-in oil?

oil leaks: rare and fixable in the sube. My Small Car "shorty" pan does not leak. The sealant: Permatex Ultra Grey. 

The black stuff is what Permatex says is for oil pans and such. But others told me that stuff squeezes out inside the crank case and ends up like little black turds in the oil passages, and I found a few such droppings in the case when I opened the engine, so I used the high torque grey instead.

Anything O-ringed shouldn't need a sealant. Mine leaked at the rear cam cover on the driver's side and a new O ring cured it. I'd check yours to make sure the ring (or rings?) aren't pretzeled. My guess is they are.

If it's not that then the pan casting may be flawed, which occasionally happens. If it's that then maybe take it up with Carey and he takes it up with Small Car. Unlikely though; those pans are spendy and good quality.

Can't help you with AVLS, since that is only used in NA, SOHC engines, and mine is DOHC turbo.  Google around to see what other users say.

I run 15-30 full synthetic.  The modern metallurgy for rings and cylinder walls and machine shop tech has gotten so good that Subaru barely mentions anything about break-in period, break-in oils, etc.  The only recommendation I can find from Subaru of America is to change the oil at 1000 miles and try not to exceed 4000 rpm during that initial mileage.  Period.  End of break-in worries.  Much different from the old days babying for the first few hundred miles with break-in oil, change oil to straight dino oil, repeat for the next few hundred, repeat, etc.

Great Thanks Guys. The car runs better than I was dreaming it would. It is very quick and the engine is smooth and quiet. The exhaust system is perfect. I am past the need for a loud car. I would rather have fast, smooth and quiet.  Once I get the dip stick leak fixed it will be perfect.

Jimmy....your earlier post shows a pic with a red painted dipstick tube with black sealant around it. Your most recent post shows the oil pan again with red sealant in that area. Am I seeing things wrong ? 

If the AVLS solenoids quits, it throws a P code and puts the motor in limp mode with a max RPM of 3000 (maybe 3500?).

We ran an actual break in oil during the first 100 miles and then it and the filter are changed.  Feel free to play with oils, our choice of a heavy weight VR1 is base don oil consumption and we've found that its is consumed at a slower rate than many others, but results will vary from engine to engine.  We used to use Joe Gibbs LS30, and still recommend it as an alternative, however it is pricey and the VR1 seemed to be on par with it.

Yes, Ed is correct, anything o-ringed "shouldn't" need sealant, however we've found that the common leak area on the small car aluminum pan is the dipstick tube and even with new o-rings, it's generally the first place we see oil drips.

My 2008 impreza uses 5/30 not 20/50

Yes, David you are correct. I added some red Hi Temp sealant over the black , of coarse it didn't work. I will be talking with Carey and assume I will be pulling the dip stick tube out and replacing the O rings.

@Jimmy V. Love the blue color and will have fun with Subie. They make black caps for your  wheels lug nuts which will make the wheel look clean. 

Enjoy. 

I am going to order the Porsche style aluminum black enclosed lug nuts. I had some on the car and Carey found they had incorrect bases and weren't seating in my wheels correctly. He switched them out to the lug nuts you see in the pics. 

This has come up before, but 🎵I see my lug nuts and I want to make them black🎵


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Jimmy V. posted:

Yes, David you are correct. I added some red Hi Temp sealant over the black , of coarse it didn't work. I will be talking with Carey and assume I will be pulling the dip stick tube out and replacing the O rings.

I would certainly try to get a more permanent solution than that sealant.  My 2007 Impreza does not leak at that location.

I drove my Speedster to work today, 32 degrees outside going to 60 later. Top up side curtains in, heat on, no jacket required. Bravo Carey! Loving my car.

Yes the dip stick tube leak will be fixed. I won't stand for it. I am going to pull it out and try two new O rings first. 

Bob: The dipstick is on the Small Car oil pan which is different than the stock Impreza dipstick... just saying.

IaM-Ray posted:

Bob: The dipstick is on the Small Car oil pan which is different than the stock Impreza dipstick... just saying.

Well, mine still doesn't leak from that location... 

Mea culpa.  

Jimmy V. posted:

Yes, David you are correct. I added some red Hi Temp sealant over the black , of coarse it didn't work. I will be talking with Carey and assume I will be pulling the dip stick tube out and replacing the O rings.

I built up a 2.2l Soob and the dipstick tube was perfectly in line with the fitting it went into on the oil pan when all was bolted up. On my 2.5l engine, for some reason the dipstick tube was not perfectly in line when bolted up. When I was assembling everything, the dipstick tube fitted into the oil pan ok but then needed to be forced over a fair bit to put the top attach bolt in. That would put some pressure down where the o-rings are. I wasn't ok with that so I removed the dipstick tube and re bent it a bit so it would still fit into the oil pan tube nicely and then bolt up without forcing anything  at the top. 

If I look at your first picture with the black sealant on it, am I mistaken or does that dipstick tube not fit squarely into the tube built onto the sump ? Are you able to remove the top bolt on the dipstick tube, move the tube around or over a bit and see if the dipstick tube would now fit better ( more squarely ) into the fitting on the sump ? 

 

Thanks for the input and support of your experience David. This is exactly what I need. I will do as you have suggested. I will get this figured out.

  I just returned from a 50 mile drive and it was great. The car is driving so nice. The Subaru torque and power matched with the Rancho gear ratio's make for a nice ride. The engine makes a nice low purr when cruising and an aggressive growl when accelerating. It really is everything I had hoped for. It is a totally different car now. No more clogged jets and worry of an overheating engine. This is the way to go, and it is not far out of the financial neighborhood of a type 1 or type 4 built by Pat Downs or Jake Raby.  I now have a truly usable Speedster.  What a blast!

@Jimmy V. The sub experience is for sure lots of joy. Puts a nice big  smile on your. Pick up is awesome from dead stop to cruising speed. 

We have a nice twisty roads here in N Cal. La Honda has been my park learning  how to drive the mid engine/ subie power configuration 

enjoy

Joy is Driving my newly finished Fiberfab Californian Subaru powered Speedster to work. I love the look of this car. Wouldn't have happened without the hard work and craftsmanship from Carey and the guys at Special Edition. Thanks again guys, you have brought my dream to life.