'93 Legacy SS w/5spd conv

[Bane]

Bought the car back in the summer of '05. I had already owned a '96 Legacy 2.5L DOHC wagon for 4.5 years and loved the AWD platform and the significant step up in power it had over my previous car ('91 Corolla). Unfortunately, it was a real let down in terms of the problems i encountered with it (not to say that no one else hadn't encountered these problems as well)

98k small block was replaced due to oil consumption
200k first head gasket repair
300k second head gasket repair
325k fubar'd the engine

After the first rebuild, I had joined the local Toronto-Subaru-Club.com, and found some great resources and friends. Was bit by the modding bug, and had some fun: cold air intake, ram air hood, borla headers, borla cat back... got in on some amazing cruises, a track day or 2 and a rallyX, but as time passed I really started to consider a wrx swap due to the constant rebuilds on the stupid thing.



Thankfully right around 320k i found an ad for a low km '93 Legacy Turbo Auto. Having discovered that I had bought the wrong generation the first time round (lol), I knew I had to pick it up and treated myself to a cool birthday present that year!

Car cost me $5000 w/93km



Did a little preparation ahead of time, knowing that building it up was going to be much easier and more affordable then a swap, so I started gathering different parts and idea's.

Within 1 week of owning it, I had a 3" HKS down-pipe (no cat), custom mid-pipe with a hi-flow cat, and Greddy EVO2 exhaust installed. Great step-up from stock, which was already noticeably more torquey then the '96. Don't get me wrong, the Borla setup on the '96 had a wicked growl at WOT, but this was evil on a completely different level!



As a bonus, buddy that I bought the parts from, also sold me a wrx intercooler, a wrx coolant reservoir, as well as the exhaust for $600 all in!

Found a link to this board through someone in the TSC.

Started talking to Nuwan and he hooked me up with his mechanical FCD setup; I did this mostly because I had bought a Dual Stage MBC from Nico and found I really didn't like fuel cuts all that much, lol. Set the boost at 8psi and 13psi.
At the same time also picked up a 3 pillar gauge pod, as well as an A/F, oil pressure and boost gauges.
All of those were installed by the end of the summer. And of course I managed to hook up the boost controller wrong (no restrictor when I bought it)




Got in a track day and had a blast!

I didn't figure out the restrictor until a week later. Lol, too bad I didn't catch that for the track day!

found the suspension really soft, so i installed a set of wrx struts and springs.

Unfortunately, I encountered a major roadblock on the modding trail about 2 months after buying it, after the first round of mods. Due to the age of the car and relative babying it got over the years, one of the coolant hoses split from age and abuse I was giving it. Patched it, and I think it lasted for about a week, then I roasted it on a back road cruise. Lost all of reverse. Drove it home. You'd be surprised at the planning one has to put into parking when you can't put it in reverse!

2 weeks later and I had a supposedly "bulletproof" rebuild of the automatic.
I had wanted a manual, but I only had the one car (the '96 had literally just died a month before) and needed it repaired immediately for work. Of course... when you need something, they're nowhere to be found! There were absolutely no 5spds available anywhere to do the conversion, but 3 days after starting the auto rebuild, I think three 5spds were available for local pickup!!!

Got it back and took it out for a 1/4 mile run. Ran three 15sec runs.

Over the winter had some fun with a new set of winters, but didn't do a hell of a lot else.

Once the following summer rolled around, I managed to find a good deal on a low mileage vf34 for $600. Since I knew I couldn't get the intercooler in without fiddling with the a/c lines, I had a shop replace the metal dogleg pipe that ran over the pitchmount with a rubber a/c line, and retrofitted it to r134. Also installed the wrx coolant reservoir.



Eventually convinced Nico to help me out with the install of the turbo and intercooler.

Biggest hassle with the install wasn't the turbo, it was getting the intercooler to fit right, ended up banging down the pitchmount edges so that the y-pipe could fit around it. Cut the lip of the intercooler about 1/2". Didn't modify the firewall.
Used a pair of vibrant 90 degree elbows for the inlet and outlet of the turbo. Threw on a Blitz DD BOV.



Raised the stock boost to 11psi and set the second stage to 16psi.

WOW. That first day was a freaking riot to drive. Think I took twice as long to get home, because I went looking for every back road home!



Bought a set of used 18's and had them off more times then on due to a strange flat that kept reappearing. Did several more cruises, futzed around with a new head unit for the stereo and towed a couple of people out of snow banks over the following winter.



That following spring had to get one of the 18" rims machined because the leak eventually killed the tire. Eventually replaced all the tires with the correct profile for the car. 225/35/18zr. Also added a lightened crank pulley from a local manufacturer and friend Group A Performance. However I think that the wrx struts wore out, and ended up installing a set of KYB GR-2's with the stock Legacy springs.



The warranty on the transmission repair ran out... and about 20k (2years after the first transmission rebuild) later I managed to toast it again. Lost 1st and 4th I think from overpowering it... though i suspect it was a shitty rebuild to begin with.

Car went into the garage for the winter, and to make my life easier (actually just to stop hearing the wife bitch about "stoopid subarus"), I bought a big ol' domestic wagon.



Part of the agreement was that as long as I didn't order the RT or SRT8, I'd get to keep the Subaru and fix it up again. Since i didn't really want to spend the monthly amount on either of those new, i settled for the big v6.
So I managed to drive the Leggy out to a barn, where a friend performed resuscitation on it and it's up and running again!
5spd out of a 98 Impreza RS, with a frankenstein'd rear diff (part RS rear diff, but made it to work with the rear axles from the legacy)

Cost of conversion was half of the auto rebuild!

Brought it home, had a little spare time and toys to put in.
installed a 7" touch screen installed w/DVD player and backup camera... however the backup camera wasn't doing anything for me, so i have it pointed in the opposite direction (still need to whip up a solid mount for it), with a line out from the control unit to record lapping days and other fun times. Installed an 02 wrx scoop, had fun learning fiberglass! replaced the send unit for the oil pressure gauge, as it had failed during the previous year.







Spent the next week or 2 learning how to drive stick.

Finally had a dyno run done, only to discover the RS clutch isn't taking to well to the power, as neither the guy who installed it or I, thought I was actually putting down that much power... as a result it slips under WOT.


The first run was done at 11psi, flipped the toggle in the cabin and ran it again for the second run. Even with the slipping though, still managed a 204whp and 263wtq at 16psi.



was concerned that it wasn't accurate, but the dyno guy said to draw two converging lines from the rising and fading slopes to see where it ended up.



next step is adjust or replace clutch
upgrade the injectors (got a set of ver2 sti injectors and fuel rail swapped for my original exhaust)
and go tune the thing at Neetronics.

Actually talked to performance shop today whose owner actually had just gone through this himself... jdm sti swap on an RS tranny and toasted his tranny. I was thinking i could get by with a stage 1 or 2 clutch kit, but based on my goals, Bullyclutches actually suggested a stage 4 RS kit (much stronger, but still streetable).

[Bane]

HAHAHAHA, bought a pressure washer... knew that i would take off some of the wheel arch rust, but OMG, i hit a chip on the drivers fender!

think after all was said and done, it grew from the size of a dime, to a 1' x 0.5' of exposed primer!



so the next step was to clean up the rust and this big section of fender.

Having never done this before, all i can say is that:

1. make sure you have enough primer to finish the job
and
2. if not, make sure you are using a brand that can still be found in the stores!

LMFAO!

well, at least the car is now monochromatic again, and not yellow, brown and silver.

Friend that converted the transmission, picked up a quart of original quicksilver... i am so afraid of wasting it (saving it for the whole hood), i grabbed a can of dupli-colour silver, to do just the primed rust spots.

anyone have tips for the step between primer and paint?
Sand down the primer edges (800grit), and try to "blend" it?

[the_watts10]

how hard was the tranny swap
how long did it take
what about the rear diff
and also how about the pedals

[Bane]

Tranny swap on level of difficulty was probably harder then it should have been.

What we should have done was find a 92-94 Legacy turbo 5spd for parts.

We didn't because there wasn't anything with low mileage around or from a trusted source, and i think also because my friend had all the RS parts readily available (he had been planning his own swap for his Legacy).

Because it was from a smaller newer car, a number of things didn't "match up" properly and needed some ingenuity for installation.

problems:
driveshaft was too short
speedo cable didn't work, because the rs used a sensor
rear diff and axles were a little short

length of time? lol, i was told it would take about a week, but then his wife got her medical placement in a town 4hrs away (so many weekends were used for house shopping), so there were a lot of distractions. As well, i had told him i was in no rush, and to just make sure it "was done right". All said and done, it didn't come back to me until a month and a half had passed. Actual work time? probably a week and a half - 2 weeks. Resolving the 3 previously mentioned trouble spots probably contributed to a weeks worth of delays by themselves.

Driveshaft, originally thought that he could piece together 2 or more to make it work, but realized after a little experimenting that nothing fit perfect. Spent quite a bit of time testing different setups, before deciding to try the driveshaft from a 98 legacy outback... worked almost perfect, but had move a mount point/bracket, because of the added angle from the raised platform the outback used, something like joint was exactly where my hflow cat was... moved this bracket and voila... no need to rebuild exhaust

Speedo cable was an issue, because the RS transmission was located further away using an electrical sensor and hookup to the speedo, whereas my legacy auto speedo was mechanical and much shorter then needed. He ended up splicing a speedo cable together (not entirely sure how) and got it long enough to work.... otherwise, he would have needed to get a centre gauge cluster from an RS and had to frankenstein it (problems would have been accuracy of gauge and actual odometer reading). As it stands now, the gauge is almost perfect reading. When my friend and i drove it home... i was following him, he said he was doing 82 and my speedometer said 79. Took it up to about 120 later on with another friend, and said that we were doing about 116-117. Since both of those comparison speedometers were from different cars (the 2nd was a frankenstein Legacy in itself) I put it down as damn close.

now in terms of the exact build up of the rear diff, i can only tell you what he said he did. He had installed the rear diff and axles straight off the RS, but he found that it didn't line up geometrically the same as the Legacy.

So using the housing and diff itself from the RS, he said he modified where the axles connected, and inserted the Legacy axles instead. The process required changing something in the diff itself, and made it more of a mechanical diff then viscous? Said that 1... it lined up better, and 2. would be stronger.

One of the things i learned later is that the original legacy 5spd and the wrx share the same type of transmission and clutch (pull), while the earlier NA impreza and new Legacy turbo's share the same type (push).

pedals are from an '03 wrx. This apparently did require some fiddling to get right as the clutches use 2 different connection methods.

Lastly, the only other thing i know about was the autostart/wiring issues.

Because it came with a factory autostart/door locks remote system, he had to wire in a neutral/park relay, so that the car would start properly with the clutch depressed. Autostart isn't currently setup to work, but the door locks do. He said it could be made to work, but might be a safety issue, as it would need a procedure everytime you parked the car ... ie. park, put it in gear, start and stop the remote (priming it) etc... sounded stupid complex, so i just said not to worry about it, i'll pickup a 5spd remote starter later.

Did need to splice in a relay for the backup lights. I actually came across the instructions for this here (after the fact). He initially mixed the wires up, and the backup lights only came on when the clutch was depressed. He walked me though it over the phone though, and i was able to connect the right ones.

Unfortunately i never thought to bring the camera with me when i went up for my "family visits with the patient".

If you need a specific question answered beyond the info i've provided, i can ask him directly and get back to you.

Hope that answers your questions.

[Bane]

I'm a little torn between the new Bully clutch kit ($650 parts only) and a used setup from my friends new Leggy turbo... used RPS Pressure Plate and a brand new (still sealed in package) ACT performance clutch ($200). Parts numbers are for a 98 RS.

He says he was putting down 250/295 at the wheels and it was fine... he only changed it because he upgraded his turbo and figures he's putting down closer to 340/350 now. because of the new power it started to slip, so he replaced it right away.

any opinions?
brand new? or slightly "well loved, and looking for a new home"?

i figure even with upgraded injectors and a tune, and possibly going fmic in the next year or so, i'm not expecting more then his first set of numbers right?

I would still need to do an install on top of this... roughly another $400

[douglas vincent]

Wait.....

You MET Nico?



Anyway, nice build writeup!


As for NA clutch reccomendations.

Get an unsprung 6 puck and a new cheap chinese flywheel of of the Internet. Flywheel is a flywheel when it comes down to it and I have been happy with the 2-3 chinese cheapies I have used. And since the 6 puck "may" eat it up faster than your standard clutch disc, they are good "throwaway" flywheels.

I have used both SPEC and Clutchnet with good results. Although there are caveats!

SPEC pressure plate was not flat and had to be remilled. Since I needed to use it the day it showed up, I could not return it. But it does work fine now with the 6puck.


I got a custom dual pressure plate made from Clutchnet.com . Good for over 500 torque!!!! But I think it may be a tad agressive for daily driving! Check them out for regular stuff though!

[Bane]

hehehe, it's not THAT unbelievable is it?

lol

I actually met him in person before i found this site. Been friends ever since.

His message spelling and grammar might be atrocious, but he's fairly well spoken in person, and one of the most knowledgeable Subaru guys i've ever met. Guess he just doesn't have time for complete sentences online.




The Bully kit is a sprung 6puck
the act clutch is a sprung disk.

both are rated for the power (Bully more so), and both drive like OEM.
friend will throw in a flywheel for $100

http://www.bullyclutch.com/stage4.html

since you've obviously been through similar power issues and clutch wear, have you had to upgrade again, because you thought you had gone strong enough, and still had to do it again anyway?

have you measured what you are putting down lately?

[BXSS]

If you were planning on buying a p-plate from your friends Turbo Tranny it will not work with your N/A tranny (not sure of the details or if he is running a N/A tranny on his Legacy).

I had a Local clutch / brake-lining shop make me a sprung 6-puck in the past. They used the old center splined disk section & put a new 6-puck disk on it.
Total cost was like between $60-80.

[Bane]

hmmm, something to consider i guess.

I haven't done ALL of the research into it, but my friend says that the new 05+ Legacy turbo, uses the same type of transmission as the 98 RS. The clutch is the same part # between the two cars. I would assume that this means the p-plate would work as well.

If it won't work, i guess i'll look into a custom one or the Bully kit.

Thanks!