So I picked up these 3 Foresters last summer, and am ramping up to really work on this 2001. 20200912_153824 by Numbchux, on Flickr Not quite sure on it's back story. The chassis is low mileage and virtually rust free. But most of the good mechanical parts have been robbed. Well, I'm putting it back on the road. I've been slowly accumulating parts, but the biggest one showed up yesterday: 20210608_212524 by Numbchux, on Flickr JDM EJ20. A lot of parts have to be swapped over to use this, so I started the teardown last night. Internals are very clean, and no sign of head gasket seepage 20210608_223013 by Numbchux, on Flickr I have a new timing set, lots of engine gaskets, spark plugs, radiator, etc. to go in. I got a nice Silver '00 hood, so I will be using the glass headlights from my white parts car. I also plan to swap all the "S" parts I can from it (rear disc brakes, larger mirrors, woodgrain trim, etc.). Get some KYB GR2 struts. Some sort of Double-DIN radio with navigation and Android Carplay, or whatever.
I think it's the über-utilitarian nature that makes them so appealing. Just so dang practical at the expense of anything else.
A couple hours a night during the week last week got the intake and oil pans swapped, new plugs, valve cover gaskets, Mitsuboshi timing belt, NSK idlers and Aisin tensioner, swapped the crank and LH cam sprocket. Then, I spent most of yesterday in the garage. New transmission cooler hoses, new fuel filter, new radiator and hoses. Here's about where I ended. Not an inch of exhaust on it, which was super annoying, so I didn't run it very much. But I got out my testing kit and pressurized the cooling system, to find the bypass hose from the water pump to heater pipe has a nick in it, so I'll have to grab a new one. Started harvesting the exhaust off the '00, hoping to put that all together tonight. I need to get my mom's 2012 Impreza into the garage tomorrow to pull the valve body, so I can swap the Lock up Solenoid and she can return her rental Kia by Friday.
I haven't been taking pictures, but in the last couple weeks. I've installed the exhaust. Rebuilt the LF brake caliper. Replaced the ball joints (actually got the pinch bolts out intact! That's been awhile). Rebooted the RF CV axle, wrecked the threads on the end of the LF axle removing it from the hub, so swapped it for a good OEM one (with a new boot) from a parts Outback and new struts all around. Put a few miles on it late last night. Still needs a few things, but getting there. Cruise and A/C work!
After the last test drive, I noticed a leak in the RR corner. In replacing the struts, I moved the brake hoses around a little, and the steel line broke. And so....the snowball began to roll.... The brakes were a complete rusty mess from sitting. So I decided to do the rear disc swap from the '00 that I've got. BUT, the parking brakes on it were locked on (I had to cut the rotors off), and THE BOLT in the rear suspension was seized. So I started ordering new parts. Dorman backing plates, Timken bearings, OEM seals, Dorman suspension bolt, Altrom lateral link bushings, etc. etc. Someone had been into the LR knuckle before, and put a new backing plate and bearing in it, but they left out the ABS tone ring! So, after a considerable fight with the rusty parts car, I managed to get that out. A couple chunks of NiCopp brake line, and I spliced those in where the lines were good under the rear seat, and used stainless flare nuts outside. 20210805_221408 by Numbchux, on Flickr New Centric rotors. Donor car had good pads, and one good caliper, so I got another reman caliper, and painted both. So much better! 20210808_115409 by Numbchux, on Flickr I need to pick up a new bleeder screw, and then I should be able to finish assembling, and start driving it!
What do you use to paint the calipers? I've heard of POR15 being used. Last time I looked into it I just ended up getting reman powdercoated PowerStops since after the core it was pretty reasonable.
Yep, POR15. I've done it a few ways, but since I had this one off and apart, I wire wheeled it and soaked it in Metal Ready, and then painted with POR15. The Reman caliper came with a gray coating on it, so I just washed it, scuffed it, and painted over it. Should look nice for quite awhile.
Drove it to work today. Needs many small things, but it drives very nice. It's no hot rod, but the 2.0 does just fine. 2021-08-25_02-19-59 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Been driving it for a week. Runs and drives excellently. I'm glad my new phone has a loud speaker, I really need to get a radio set up in here. Throws a P0170 code (running rich). LTFTs in the ~20-25% range, which makes sense with 25% less displacement. I read people have luck swapping smaller injectors in, hopefully the ones that came in the 2.0 will work.
Been busy, driving it every day. I need to wrap up the finishing touches so I can get it sold before winter. I let my wife drive it one day, and she really wants to keep it. Finally put the last piece in the engine bay (battery tie down) and took a picture the other day. 2021-10-01_02-32-39 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Drove it out of town over the weekend, so I thought I'd check on the spare tire. F'n mint original spare (date coded mid-2000), lug wrench and unopened roof rack tool. 20211001_191821 by Numbchux, on Flickr 20211001_191937 by Numbchux, on Flickr
I tried a couple times with this. But being that the Forester has air assisted injectors, I could not get the 2.0 injectors to fit and seal correctly. I ended up swapping back. So far, the code has not come back.... It was on the back burner most of the winter. But one of my wife's coworkers asked to buy it, so I put some nicer tires on it, and cleaned it up. 20220326_161411 by Numbchux, on Flickr 20220326_161537 by Numbchux, on Flickr Still has a "0" in the first digit. Crazy. And it drives so nicely. But it was a very good offer.... 20220326_161919 by Numbchux, on Flickr
