DJ broke my heart

[cpsyncro]

hi all id love your help my dj has drowned in the floods and need to fit new lump in the green machine (syncro) and at a loss to know which subaru lump to fit and pros, cons ( van no longer dayly drive ) so for playing and trips camping only . hopeing to be ready for first meet cheers Craig

[silverbullet]

Bad luck Craig, hope all's well otherwise? I'd say go for the 2.2 SOHC as they are less hassle (hydraulic tappets) and the timing belt is more straightforward to change than the 4-cam motors. They are capable of mega-mileages, I've got one here that was still passing it's emissions at 220k! The 2.5's might be more powerful but they are not as strong, they can blow their head gaskets without much provocation as the block is at it's limit.
Get a GL-spec non-turbo Impreza 2000 or Legacy 2.2 but avoid the very late ones, the wiring is very tricky AFAIK.

[axeman]

hi all id love your help my dj has drowned in the floods and need to fit new lump in the green machine (syncro) and at a loss to know which subaru lump to fit and pros, cons ( van no longer dayly drive ) so for playing and trips camping only . hopeing to be ready for first meet cheers Craig

when you say drowned what exactly do you mean? is it not fixable?

neil

[lloydy]

i'd be more tempted by a VW 1.8T......
Bad news on the engine front though, i feel your pain

[cpsyncro]

What's the pros and cons of a 1.8t ? I was thinking a flat 4 swap would keep the hatch shut as don't you need to lift it to fit the head in. Plus isnt a Subaru swap more com???? More people do it. just thinking is it worth the hassel and cold fingers this time of year. It mite be fixable need to take plugs out and wd40 all bits and bobs but not looking good so far as the van was sat in 4' of water and all the air way full of cooled cooled water so was it the lecky or did it suck in the water first and cost of getting the DJ back to life V new Subaru lump all help and guidance most most welcom as I only in tend to do it once. Thank you all

[lloydy]

Lots of info on the samba, here for starters http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... e2fd61a68c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Also a few threads starting on brickyard with people doing the conversion. Can't really comment on pros and cons, but I really like the look of it. The engine hatch has to be raised.
I like suby's too, think I'd go for the 2.5 to get the power, again have no knowledge of reliability issues with them

[..lee..]

Svx ??

[cpsyncro]

Svx it's the dream ! is the bell housing the same as say for 2.2 or 2.0t or has some one done a twin turbo ???? Iv looked for a 3.0 or 3.3 and there not that comon to find.

[silverbullet]

Avoid the turbo engines!!! They never make it past 100k without a bottom end rebuild, they have an appetite for main bearings and thrust washers because almost all of them get thrashed in Imprezas. I've seen enough spoiled crankcases and wrecked cranks on these from bearing failure. Plus they make a LOT of heat. In a DOKA it might be a different matter (more air circulation) but in a low-hatch syncro camper like yours it's already going to be working hard enough in the engine room.
If you want reliability, you need a full-house n/a 2.2 conversion sourced from one place, like RJES for example.

[cpsyncro]

Thank you all for helping and just a quick update DJ is startting up but only after plugs out kranked over for a splashey good time then good old wd40 down into the bore then spray the plugs and dizzy gave it one more krank to spit the last bits out. Plugs back in starts but lots and lots of fumes and i think i see black oily spots on the floor. So im thinking it realy is dead but the sort off if you like rolling dead. So long my DJ time for it to go

[Aidan]

check the oil for contamination, if no emulsion run it up to temperature and drive it
then give it a compression test, only then make a decision to swap it out unless you is rich (PK )

[cpsyncro]

Do you think it may come back to life as I did look at the oil at the start befor turning over but after its fight for life it was all mayo well more like subway south west . Think I need to drain the mayo out mite put a flush in too. But I just think its not sounding right and think its only firing on three or two pistons and then a 3rd or just maybe a 4th one. I will have a go tomorow as I would like to keep my rainny day money but it has bin realy raining

[Aidan]

don't run it if mayo give it a filter and oil change, will take ages to drain leave it overnight, then probably a case of run a flush through - Ian will have more ideas,
for the cost of the oil and filter and a flush it's worth checking
remove all the HT leads and take them indoors and get them properly dry as any damp will potentially allow missfires and rough running, worth also drying out the idle stabiliser valve, the idle control unit and unplug the ecu and dry the contacts and maybe run the hairdryer over the multiplug and all the other electrical connections in case they have damp in the connections

how deep did you go ?

[cpsyncro]

Aidan it was deep compleat dunking about 4 foot I think was waste deep when i and lee got out. think the lid stopped the water coming in the back lol about the only seal that worked the ecu was under water when I got my strap and strop on to pull it out.

[ninja.turtle007]

Aidan it was deep compleat dunking about 4 foot I think was waste deep when i and lee got out. think the lid stopped the water coming in the back lol about the only seal that worked the ecu was under water when I got my strap and strop on to pull it out.

Wow, that was pretty ambitious!