Time for an update.....

[richbaker78]

Cheers ricola I'll be I touch when I get to the backlash setting
I bit the bullet and started to shorten the box this is the bit u need

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Basically mark it up, there is a really useful vid on the subaru gears site. 9cm all round but not the selector tube or reverse lock out. It doesn't need to be super accurate but I drew it out very accurately to be sure.

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Before chopping you have to remove the reverse lock out bits, and the ball bearing , a magnet was ideal for this. This area shouldn't get touched by the grinder....


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Using a 9 inch grinder (I used a 4 inch as well) I rough cut the 9cm off.


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Then polished it all up with a flap wheel. As I'm fitting in a van I left a little more material on it than would be if put in a beetle. This took me about 45 mins all in.


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This pic is about half way thru polishing. I then put it back together on the box so I can get on and sort the mountings while I wait for the bits to arrive from Oz.

[Kai]

I did mine wth a 4 inch grinder. What a pain it was, especially trying to hold onto it

Make sure you drill out that hole for the oil filling level, and weld a baffle plate at the bottom of the dip stick tube. I've not done that and it throws oil up the tube and will make a oily mess outside the box, probably get it all over the turbo too.

You can use the speed sensor for the ty754 box instead of a speedo drive one.

There is an BMW think e30 or e36 steering UJ (but any can be used just the BMW has the right size) that can be used to create a link between the Subaru gear selector and VW shifter rod.

Can't think of anything else, Todd doesn't really mention how much of a pain it is to convert the ty752 box , my mate found this out but did manage it in the end.

Oh did you get the plans for the engine support bar from Todd? This allows you to use the Subaru sub frame to mount the engine using the Subaru engine mount and attaches to the VW chassis rails.


Good to see your having a go at it yourself
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Think......

Don't sleep and drive!!!

[richbaker78]

Hi Kai,

Thanks for the tips. I was lucky enough to find a cheap 754 box so hopefully ive saved myself some effort there and the speed sensor issue.

My engine support bar was already there from previous set up so I have modified that (had to raise engine about 20mm to accommodate new box). in a van we don't have the frame horns like bugs etc so the whole support system is different and they don't offer parts on Subaru gears that looked worth the investment. With my fuel tank raising I will even be able to use the box top steady and I reckon still access the box dip stick with some judicious bending of the tube

I have the box and engine in now (pics will follow and looking at the shifter set up I assume it is just a for aft movement and no twisting like the old VW shift rods? The subaugears example of a shifter link looks like they just plate the two rods and bolt them together which wuldnt allow a twist action? can you shed any light on this bit to save me any time?

Ta

Rich

[richbaker78]

been meaning to update for a while....
this arrived which was exciting.....until I got the customs bill for £290!!!!
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so I removed the engine and fitted the box to it to get the gearbox mounts sorted.

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I modified the OG vw mount to take the Scooby box front mount which was very easy


many people don't fit the box top mount but I wanted to mainly because I could and my petrol tank shelf was moved and strengthened previously enough to take the power.....the problem is the impreza mounts are made of alloy - but a trip to the scrappy scored me one from a Scooby outback in steel which could be modified - here it is a few inches shorter!

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then fitted a clevis to the fuel tank shelf....nuts to be replaced with proper spacer



so box all mounted it was the gear linkage - I did quite a bit of research and there are many ways to do this - I wasn't really happy with the offset rods and joining the two knuckles together so off to the scrappy again and found a double UJ from a Vauxhall corsa steering column for a tenner which fitted easily to the Scooby box and also has the benefit of being adjustable in length...I had to shorten it by a few inches

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then with lots of measuring etc I chopped the van shift rod to make it all fit.



it probably wasn't necessary to cut out the floor (ive since made a cover panel) but I wanted to make sure I had good access and also I needed to clearance the top of the torsion tube a tiny amount and I also did the same to the box to avoid any contact under load...you can just about see the clearanced area here on the top rib of the casting

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There has been more progress since ...but more on that later when I have some pics!

[Superleggo]

Nice work Rich.

A brave move to go backwards after finishing the gearbox years ago. I have banned myself redoing anything or I will never complete the van. However it did not spot me buying a mini for my son which had been in a barn for 10 years!!

My camper is now out of the garage as the mini has taken over. I should have taken the gearbox out to stop ti being moved!

I will watch with interest

[richbaker78]

cheers superleggo - I have redone so many things now its a joke...

update - I have FINALLY finished the wipers - ther are many parts to it....but its lovely and smooth now - I used rose joints on all bits and its really a nice mechanism now. Hard to see really - but there are about 15 pieces!

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the rest of the van is being stripped - but JP came over an fitted the rear light (audi q7) in the headlining before it got dismantled.

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which means all fabrication is now finished.....
and now its many hours of boring rubbing down and stripping down the main body....

heres the start - years of fab has made a right old mess of the floors - this is going to take a long time!

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[richbaker78]

So somehow a year went by a baby has joined the Baker household, I have a new job and have just sold my house so once again the van has been on back burner whilst eclipsed by various other projects but lots of rubbing down and boring stuff has been happening slowly throughout....here are the updates....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/95888253@N03/shares/b3WZz1
It's been so long they changed how to post pictures from flikr !

[VW_Kraft_Dinner]

This is an incredible build. I will be using some of your solutions in mine. Thanks

[richbaker78]

Cheers for the comments ...I'm looking forward to getting it all together now but have to move house first !!

[1Kingy79]

Hi Rich

How's it going pal

[Alex (FTS)]

Good work on the gear box and paint mate! Look forward to seeing all put back together!
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www.faltownskateboards.com

[richbaker78]

Hi mate good to see you are back - another few years and I'll be done :-) how's yours going ?