Tronic

We have a long weekend sale on at Repco, will just get 5 litres of the Penrite.

https://www.repco.co.nz/oils-fluids/engine-oils-fluids/coolant/penrite-7-year-450-000km-green-coolant-concentrate-5l-coolgreen005/p/A1270778?kwSearch=penrite green oem approved

Further investigation shows you can pretty much move to the red or the blue as well as long as you sufficiently flush the system. The green is pretty cheap, used it for years and even mixed this with the factory coolant so no problems with it.

The new radiator coming has a core thickness twice that of the OEM radiator, cooling is not going to be a problem.

Hi,

Has anyone changed from the old green coolant to something more modern in these older Subaru's after a complete flush with plain water ?

We have really good quality tap water here, its derived from a spring I can leave the hose running in the radiator until all traces of the old green stuff is gone.

Anyone tried the blue or the even newer pink stuff in their 2005 Subaru Legacy ?

 

I'm going to go for a FEXIX performance radiator. Happy to spend the extra cash, the car has cost me next to nothing to run over the years as I have done all the work myself from rear door locks that didn't work to perished washer hoses, front inner CV boots, brake pads, stuffed manual shifter bushes (twice after I reused nylon ones that looked perfect and then they also disintegrated a year later so I custom made some on the lathe out of phosphorous bronze with oring seals).

Will post up a review once its done. Also fitting a new lower radiator hose.

Update, Don't laugh but a quality superglue is amazing stuff, it wicked into the crack after cleaning and drying with compressed air enough to stop the leak.

Ran the car and the head gaskets are good. no air bubbles in the tank after the system pressurised.

Will just decide what to buy in terms of a replacement, got the money so may just spend it on something that will last the rest of the cars lifetime. 

Plastic bits at the top of the radiator where two inlets feed in boiling water up to about 110Deg C is not really a good idea. My new Hyundai i30N Hatch has plastic end caps but I notice they are at the SIDES and not the top and bottom. Still cannot beat an all alloy radiator like they fit to my GSXR-750.

Thanks for all your help guys.

Update, topped the radiator back up and its immediately leaking, its stuffed the plastic has a horizontal hairline crack between the hottest part of the two inlets at the top that blasts the front continuously with boiling hot water.

I can stop that leak temporarily and run the engine with the radiator cap off and check that there is not a continuous stream of air bubbles caused by a blown head gasket and just buy a new radiator if the engine is okay.

If the head gasket is gone its going to be bad news, the cost of getting that done over here would be prohibitive on a 20 year old car and I no longer get on the wrench to do that type of work, I'm 57 and cannot be bothered anymore, that's why I recently bought a new car so I don't have to do that type of work anymore, I do filters, oil changes and brake pads, spark plugs etc but nothing major anymore.

Lucky I have a second car so it can just sit in the car port for now.

 

Right so my OEM radiator stared leaking from the top after 20 years, probably a pretty good run.

Subaru do not stock it but can get one the price for the Subaru OEM radiator is NZD$1250. Very expensive, nobody buys one at this price in New Zealand.

I have done a pretty professional silicone repair job (not like the YouTube clips) and will turn the key in a couple of days after the Dow Corning 734 has fully cured. Temperature spec its good to like 180Deg C and as there is only 1.1Bar in the radiator and the leak was not exactly spraying out, it should be fine as it now has a 4mm layer due to the masking tape and flowable characteristics of this silicone, it self levels. It is clear so any leaks are going to show up immediately and I'm not refitting the top foam strip for now as it masks any leakage problems from being visible.

FENIX make the SUB7092 and the RACE7092. The SUB7092 is the standard version again with the crimped over alloy core on plastic for NZD$399. The RACE version is not stocked here and can be obtained from Australia for AUD$648 (NZD$700) delivered so not bad but still twice the price as an all alloy version on AliExpress for $330 made by FLUIDYNE.

At the very least it should provide a temporary repair to see if the head gaskets are still good and then time for a new radiator to arrive and fit.

Anyone had any experience with aftermarket radiators for the 2005 Legacy 3.0R ?

Thanks for the information.

 

Has anyone here gone with a Fenix Radiator ?

They make both a standard radiator and a performance radiator for the 3.0R, the part numbers are SUB7092 and RACE7092.

The local Fenix distributor here doesn't get in the RACE version but it is available in Australia.

Also there is a really cheap alloy version on AliExpress made by FLUIDYNE has anyone used one of their radiators ? They look pretty good.

 

 

 

Well after all these years I'm back here.

The OEM lower hose is still on the car, I added a second clamp and it stopped it leaking BUT now the top of my radiator has started leaking.

Basically I'm going to have a play, clean it up and use some Dow Corning 734 flowable clear silicone around the top, leave for a few days to dry and try that first.

If that doesn't work then I'm going to get a Fenix replacement radiator part number SUB7092 which is about 1/4 of the price of the Subaru OEM one that lasted almost exactly 20 years. Anyone tried a Fenix radiator ? They make some all aluminium performance ones but possibly not for the 3.0R.

Bottom hose looks like its now available on AliExpress as a replacement for the OEM part 45161AG05A and gates look to do a replacement part 22509

Will keep you posted.

 

 

I have decided to keep my 2004 Subaru Legacy 3.0R even if I buy a new car. The 6 speed manual is now officially dead and it cannot be replaced anymore and it dollar terms its not worth selling. Such a great car and Subaru have gone backwards since 2005 its really sad to see.

 

Its been quite funny over here, every man and his dog is trying to sell his STi now for twice the price of a new one. A second hand limited edition SAIGO 2022 STi was listed for NZ$140K which is more than a NEW AMG A45S with the full Aero package which is a total joke.

 

Subaru over here has just moved to selling SUV's as they now account for the majority of new car sales. The STi is gone forever I recon, the future is electric SUV's, nobody is interested in a sedan anymore anyway.

 

The biggest mistake Subaru made was dropping the hatchback, the hot hatch is still a viable market.

 

By the time Subaru come out with any form of STi replacement the market will have moved on to other car brands, there is no coming back from their decision to drop the STi.

No Subaru just dropped the ball about 10 years ago now, the STi has gone nowhere, perhaps it didn't need to as it had no competition.

 

Subaru just gave up. Perhaps take a look at the AMG A45S matic+ with the aero package its like something from another world.

 

310kW/421Hp and 500nm from the worlds most powerful production 2 litre engine and an interior you can only dream about having on a Subaru.

 

I didn't even know this car existed I was so hung up on the new STi.

The EZ30R is simply an awesome engine in the JDM spec wagon with 6 speed manual.

 

All very sad at the end of the day when your hanging onto a 2005 car because Subaru didn't make anything better to replace it with.

 

The ship has well and truly sailed for Subaru as well now. Just sold my Toyota MR2 Turbo after 23 years of ownership back in January because Toyota didn't ever come to the party with a replacement for one of those and was waiting for the new STi and now weeks later thats a no go as well.

 

Very disappointed in the Japanese. I understand its all going electric but I'm not waiting another 5 to 7 years for another pipe dream, I want a new car NOW.

 

I never would have considered a European car but they have left the Japanese cars in the dust. Cannot get a manual but will have to put up with an 8 speed flippy paddle I guess.

"If you look objectively at the H6 series the engines never produced much power for their size and fuel consumption."

 

 

Not true the JDM EZ30R that the USA probably never experienced way back in 2005 with only half of the variable cams was 250Hp.

 

I own one, its epic and easily exceeds the WRX 2L turbo engine over here which was 168kW vs the 3L 184kW.

 

A modernised version with full variable cams and a turbo would punch out 400-450Hp without Subaru needing to do a whole lot of work. People have done a hack job of putting a Turbo on these and got over 400Hp.

 

The 6 cylinder can be perfectly balanced, the 4 cylinder cannot. It has a free reving engine to 7000rpm where as the FA24 is like 6000rpm.

 

I just don't understand what went wrong at Subaru besides the fact that the new gen WRX and STi should have hit the market 3 or 4 years ago.

 

I can only think that Subaru hit technical problems with the STi, the Japanese are super conservative. The FA24 was not the ideal engine for the STi.

 

What you don't get in the USA is the Mercedes AMG A45S smatic+ or the Audi RS3. These two make the STi look total rubbish. Sure they cost like 50% more but you get 50% more car for the money.

 

There are more hot hatches entering the market and the sedan only option was another fail from Subaru, nobody wants one of these anymore.

The STi has been dead in Europe for quite a while now. So it's probably only in Japan and a few select countries.

 

Came as a huge shock for us, I mean have you seen all the YouTube stuff on it and even all the rumor's about the engine output and even some Japanese advertising on it. Its like everything was fake news and its been going on for years and years.

 

I will point out that we have options to move to that you don't appears to have in the USA. They are much more expensive but the Audi RS3 and the AMG A45S are a much higher spec hot hatch and I'm beginning to think Subaru just gave up.

 

Very sad I have loved my 3.0R and really couldn't understand why Subaru didn't just turbo charge an updated version of the 250Hp H6 EZ30R engine. Its simply the best engine with a high redline and it would make 400 to 450Hp if you put as turbo in it. Subaru had this engine way back in 2004 and didn't take it anywhere. Kept trying to take their 4 cylinder forward with the FA24 and then quit.

I’m pretty sure I saw Japanese language promo ads for the new STI. It’s just not sold in the US I think.

 

I saw these as well and I think it maybe its only dead in the USA ?

 

Maybe they simply cannot be bothered building a left hand drive version ?

 

The real problem is that I have been waiting to buy a new STi for YEARS now to replace the wagon and I was gutted they have killed it.

 

So my STi wallpaper has gone and has been replaced with the AMG A45S. The problem is if you look at this car you don't want to buy an STi anymore.

 

Maybe the time for the STi is gone, they should have stayed with the hot hatch market segment which has really taken off or even a hot hatch and a wagon.

 

Not sure I can buy an STi now I'm so pissed off its taken this long to get it to production and its moved to far from the concept car.

 

Subaru have not kept up with technology with the EJ engine and apparently Euro cars have had the likes of an electronic wastegate for years. I think they simply cannot get the reliable performance out of the FA24 and are struggling with emissions. Maybe the price point is creeping up, maybe nobody wants a manual anymore when you can get a proper 8 speed auto thats not CVT rubbish ?

 

Hate to say it but the mercedes is simply not as conservative. I have always wanted a Yellow car for several reasons and guess what both Audi and Mercedes make the RS3 and A45S in yellow. Subaru sticks to the same old boring colours.

I had an idea, the Subaru OEM cabin filter is not paper.

 

What I did was fill a sink with hot water and dishwashing liquid and gently swirled the filter around in it.

 

95% of the crap washed out of it and its reusable. I didn't even need to hit it with compressed air, just let it drain out then just put it flat to finish drying out.

 

I suspect you can wash it at least 2 or 3 times before you need to chuck it.

If you can get Wix filters in NZ you should be able to get them cheaper. They are carbon activated. I get them in Canada for about $10 so $23NZD for two, shipped, is pretty good.

 

SuperCheap Auto has Sakura brand ones (SPO4160242) for $22NZD as well if you have one local and can't wait for shipping. Not sure if it is carbon activated though.

 

Not down here, pricing is expensive on everything. Buying more and more on E-Bay these days. No chance of getting anything at that price here, for starters nobody does free shipping. Try at least $7.50 just to get it sent to you locally. Pretty much anyone can wait for it they need changing at the same intervals as the engine air filter, 40,000Km and they look pretty stuffed.

Okay so the OEM Subaru one is a horrendous price so I finally found one on E-Bay that fitted the OEM measurements and it works.

 

Not as easy to fit under the plastic retaining tabs as the OEM one but got two of them delivered for like NZD$23 and you pay $60 for ONE from Subaru and it doesn't even have much filtration and no carbon in it.

 

Fitting is easy, lower the Glovebox and pull out the plastic shelf thats to the left of the NAV CD player in the JDM version. The white tray just pulls out from the bottom by flexing the removal tabs slightly.

 

The part number your looking for is 1J912025 on E-Bay.

Replaced the cabin filter with one from E-Bay. These are really cheap compared to the OEM one the part number is 1J912025 from OEM Massive, even cheaper if you buy 2. Direct shipped from China.

Thats an open deck block. Its no good for high power.

 

Not sure why you would bother to pin the head. I have thought about pinning intake and exhaust manifolds so they line up perfectly after port matching to the gaskets to improve flow but never the head. Even then it would be weak alloy tube that could deform if need be due to different thermal expansion.

Its not as hard to pull the one plug out thats under the battery to inspect it. Do it from the top of the engine.

 

Chances are the rest of the plugs will be similar.

 

The condition of the engine is all about how well its been looked after and the quality of oil thats been used.

 

The engine could easily be stuffed at 135,000 miles with poor maintenance.

 

Pull the oil filler cap off and look underneath it and down inside the engine, I'm guessing its not spotless and there is black buildup.

How many miles has it done ? something in the engine is shot like valve guides or piston rings or oil ring or pistons. how much oil is on the spark plugs if you pull one out ?

 

Changing your oil viscosity will make no difference, something is stuffed.

So basically they are all very similar flow rates at working temperature.

 

What would be more interesting is extending the graph out to 150 Deg C.

 

This is where things start to go wrong for the cheaper oils.

 

Of course it only tells part of the story and has nothing to do with how good the lubrication properties are when it gets there.

 

4 strokes are blessed with oil pressure, my time with 2 strokes really showed up the difference in oils when its just "splashed about" inside the engine.

The 3.0R is truly a sweet engine. I would aim to get 350-400Hp out of it.

 

Very surprised Subaru didn't take it further and add a Turbo, easy and reliable power all day long.

The clamps don't come loose, the rubber shrinks and also goes soft.

 

Subaru is now making the front inner boots in a "Kit", it contains the boot, two OEM clips, the large wire clip, the clip on the shaft and the grease.

 

The OEM clips are VERY tight on a new boot, actually quite hard to fold over.

 

Various tips like remember to put the new small clip on the shaft before the boot.

 

The tripod bearing holder has a chamfer on one side to assist it sliding on.

 

Put the clips on so the direction of rotation has the clip arms trailing.