Subaru Conversion and Rebuild of a 1984 Blue Westy

[BlueNorthWesty]

UPDATED: I'll be updating frequently. Scroll down to see how the work is progressing.

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I've been browsing this site for a few months and I've found it a great source of information and inspiration. It got me thinking I need a Westy. I've always wanted a VW camper - our family had one when I was a kid.

Recently, after a particularly cold and rainy camping trip (me, my wife and 9 year old daughter in a tent with a Jetta as our camping car) I decided it was time for our own Westy.

I don't do things the easy way. I looked for a van that needed some help and I found one with an blown head gasket and some rust that was going cheap.

I'll be posting photos as I go through the process of getting it running again and dealing with the rust. I look forward to your comments, maybe some advice and sharing the adventure!

[hogan029]

Nice!

I am also from Calgary and just picked one up. PM me.

[BlueNorthWesty]

Hey Hogan029. I can't PM for 1 day because I just joined. Maybe you can PM me instead? I'd be glad to connect with someone local!

[leathersmyth]

I am in Calgary as well with a 85 westfalia.

[BlueNorthWesty]

Hey leathersmyth nice to see another local here.

[the joker]

Great startup westy

Please do the fuel lines , buy two new fire ext ,get a bently manuel

Get your hands dirty , learn your ride, you'll either love it, or hate it

I can tell you there will be dumps along the way, but the first time you camp in the rain, it will be worth all the efforts

Welcome to the madness , keep us posted

[BlueNorthWesty]

Thanks the Joker. The van came with the Bentley manual - what luck, and the funny thing is I was thinking about doing the fuel lines - not sure how, but since I will have the motor out it seems like that would be a good time.

Fire extinguishers are a good idea - but why two?

[the joker]

One by the slider, one behind your drivers seat

Fire is a major destroyer of old westy's

I'm installing a third one the back closet cabinet

Like the boyscouts say be prepared

Gates fuel lines are the best

There's a lot to do with the engine out

[Smudge1]

Nice find - for Calgary - BlueNorthWesty.
There's a small group of owners in Cowtown that meet from time to time at Angels Drive In near Bowness Park.
Keep an eye on this forum for the next get together.

Smudge

[BlueNorthWesty]

Update 1: I found a 2002 Subaru Forester for $850. It runs great and has a dealer replacement engine with only 160k on it and the timing belt was done 6 months ago. The brakes are not so good but otherwise it's almost too nice to send to the wreckers, but oh well.

Here it is with the van. I tackled the worst of the rust on the back panels but sadly the rockers had rust that was too deep to completely get rid of. I'm planning to replace these panels with new. Time to hone my welding skills. At least there's no sign of rust in the kitchen area yet.

[hogan029]

nice! im trying to get mine back running as well.. just doing an engine tear down over the winter.. maybe once spring comes, we can do a banff run or something.. might be fun!

[BlueNorthWesty]

I'd like that!

[BlueNorthWesty]

Phase 1 of the Subaru engine project complete. Thanks to my friend Jason for lending his garage, block and tackle and the afternoon. Five hours and the engine and harness are out!

[gbrandt]

Another Calgary Westy. We have to have a get-together sometime!
_________________
'Lucky' our 1987 Red Westy, ASV 1.9 TDI ~130HP, Peloquin differential (had a GW 2.3 that we loved, but it died, we drove it hard!)
We've driven in 49 countries and 5 continents to date
Canada to Argentina and back, 2015 to 2017.
Canada to Europe and back (including Turkey, Morocco and Iceland), 2017 to 2019
Mexico 2022-2023
https://www.instagram.com/live.travel.play/
http://livetravelplay.ca

[BlueNorthWesty]

Yesterday I replaced the head gaskets which I wanted to do before the cold weather hit. It's snowing like crazy here today so I'm glad I got it done.

I began by cleaning the crud off the engine. Here is before:

And after:

Here is a photo of one head.

I think the leak was coming from the bottom right, but it's hard to be sure. In any case, I'll have the peace of mind knowing the heads should be good for a while.

The engine is in nice shape and ran well. The cylinders have the factory cross-hatching and no signs of wear. Compression was 160-165 across all four cylinders

The new gasket in place:

I used Felpro which are highly recommended and appear to be good quality. The gasket is a three ply metal type.

Here it is, back together! I just have to put the covers back on. I didn't replace the timing belt since it was done a few months before I bought the car. The belt and parts still look new.

Done before the cold weather arrived. It made for a long tiring day but it was worth it.

[Itsamoto]

You're making this look way too easy. Can't wait to see the results (when the snow clears)-- keep it coming.

[JeffRobenolt]

[boroko]

Jeff, I got the same advice from perusing the various Subi forums. The set that I have in have been holding so far (~10k).

The ones you mentioned were the other viable candidates from what I read.

Mark
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[BlueNorthWesty]

Jeff,
I read about Felpro on a few forums like this one, just as Mark did (my name is Mark as well, weird coincidence.) I liked that they were much improved over the gaskets originally installed in the engine at the factory. Felpros (and others) are now three-ply coated stainless. I saw several good reviews of build quality so I ordered them right after I bought a donor car with leaking heads. Since then I have read there are others as you mention with higher ratings.
The best thing I found in my research was an article by Justin Stobb on Allwheeldriveauto.com that went into the specifics of why boxers are more prone to head gasket failure. He attributes it to the fact that horizontally opposed engines allow the coolant and oil to be in constant contact with the gasket. If the fuel and/or coolant become acidic they tend to work on the gasket 24/7 instead of only when the engine is running. Although a good gasket is critical to avoiding failure it appears that regular oil changes, using Subaru coolant and conditioner and good electrical grounding of the engine, all of which keep the pH of the coolant and oil from getting too low (acidic), are just as important. The article recommended OEM or 6 Star but did not mention Felpro.
What I found most interesting was that the article mentioned faulty knock sensors and corroded battery terminals as potential contributors. My donor vehicle came with garage receipts indicating knock sensor failure that was dated 2 years ago. The owner chose not to replace the sensor; I checked the OBD and sure enough the knock sensor error code was still there. I doubt the coolant had been changed recently or was Subaru quality, and the battery was so coated in powdered acid that it had corroded through the positive cable clamp. This helps explain why the heads were seeping on a dealer replacement engine with only 160,000 kms (100,000 miles).

Mark

[kalispell365]

MLS steel head gaskets are the only way to go for longevity, I have installed many many for my customers with no problems. This vintage of motor loses the coating from the original head gaskets and leaks externally, the steel gasket is a much longer term repair for these.

100,000 miles is a very normal lifespan, and is in no way premature. You should expect about the same life expectancy out of your new gaskets as well. Just the nature of the phase 2 EJ25 motors.

Good job!
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1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l