SVX on a dynomometer
 

Hello, I am concidering buying a '96 LSI but I want to have it run on a dynomometer first. How can this be done/can it be done?

also, I read a thread talking about the timing belts, seeing that some say there are 2 and some say there is only 1. I took the liberty of calling a subaru dealer and they said in fact there are 2.

Thanks,
-Alan

Then the dealer doesn't know what they're talking about. I've replaced my timing belt myself and there is only one.

Anybody who tells you that there are two hasn't actually seen the belt in question or the timing gear - your dealer included.

As for the dyno run, that's going to be a little difficult since you need a 4WD dyno, and those are kinda rare I'm told. Unless, that is, you're planning on buying a FWD SVX - because then you can run it on a 2WD dyno.

Edit: I can't imagine why a Subaru dealer would tell you that there were two timing belts. I can't think of a Subaru car with two of them. The only answer I can come up with is that the dealer also sells other makes of cars, and one of those models uses two. :confused:

This SVX is an AWD...
As for the dealer... I have no idea, but the guy says I need to pick up a shop manual for special information about getting it back togather without screwing up anything (overtighting things and the such) so I think that kinda rules out trying to bill me for 2 when in fact there is one....

as for the dyno.. I kinda figured as much, but I also see all over the forums that there is a way to switch the car from AWD to "FWD".... via switch.. or fuse..?
can this switch be flipped, fuse be pulled/put in to run on that dynamometer?


-Alan

Yeah, I suppose you could. I actually have the FWD fuse installed in my wife's Legacy because her car has a problem with the transfer clutch right now. My 4WD dyno answer didn't consider that and harkened back to a time when I wasn't sure the FWD fuse did what it was advertised to do. :)

Why do you want to run the car on a dyno, anyway? Isn't kicking the tires enough? ;)

My RX has two timing belts.

Mike

Beleive me, kicking the tires and druleing all over the leather and paint is enought for me, but unfortunately, not enough for my father the mechanic (who takes second role as $$ lender)

The car as 130K on it with the timing belt replaced at 85K, bearing replaced at same time. BUT.. it is on it's origional transmission. the fluids were drained and refilled every year for that transmission... maybe that's why it's still okay? or maybe it's the fact that the current owner is a 50+ yr old lady..... don't know...
but if this fuse thing will work, please elaborate with any +'s or -'s and where exactly this fuse goes... the more info, the better.

I appreciate it,
-alan



Um... after thought... what stops a guy from hooking that fuse in-line with a toggle switch in a handy location to be able to turn that on and off at will?

The 'FWD' fuse slot is in the fusebox under the hood (driver's side, close to the fender) in the SVX's engine compartment.

With the fuse in, no signals are sent to the transfer clutch's solenoid, so no hydraulic pressure is applied to it.

I can't think of any risks associated with inserting the fuse - one member here drove his car halfway across the country and back with the fuse installed. So inserting the fuse just for a dyno run should be no big deal.

Thanks, Mike. Thinking about it some more, I know I've seen diagrams of some Subarus with two timing belts. But, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, nothing since the 80s.

Probably nothing. But if you have an AWD car, I don't know why you'd do that.

Those are certainly good things. The clutches wont be as worn, there is less of chance of there being debris in the fluid, and its less likely that the tranny have been overheated by aggresive driving.

But why dyno the car? To get a feel for the condition of the motor, I think you'd be better off just driving it, and doing a compression test (if you can get the fitting in the spark plug well).

Keep in mind if you put in the fwd fuse for the dyno run there is going to be less drive line loss so the chart won't actually be real comparable to a chart of a car tested on an awd dyno.

Quote

Probably nothing. But if you have an AWD car, I don't know why you'd do that.




better fuel economy...less ware'n'tear on the transmission?

(awd good for the winter siberia I live in).. but I can't drive anything other than a sports car... for now

1.) I don't think you'll see an appreciable change in fuel economy since you're still carrying the stuff around and the tranny would still go through its complicated method of getting power to the front wheels.

2.) When my transmission died at 133k, the transfer clutch was working fine. That's the only part you'd be affecting - you wouldn't be saving the rest of the tranny any work.

3.) If you're just tooling along on the freeway, the tranny divvies up the power 90/10 anyway.

4.) If it was me, I'd want the AWD working if I hit a patch of ice, a puddle, or needed to evade something. That's the point of having such a nice active AWD setup in the first place.

As we understand, the primary investor wants the car Dyno'd. So if you can dyno it with the FWD fuse inserted, thats how you force FWD, then throw in a 15a fuse, put it on a dyno, and make your investor happy. The last thing you want to hear is " I told you so, we should have put it on a dyno"
BTW, oncw you install the fuse, a light on the dask will come on in green I think, says FWD.

Now go take the SVX to a dyno and tells us what it says, I'm curious:p

If you want to wait for some-one to tell you its a bad idea, then do that, but you will probably find most people agree that using the FWD fuse for a dyno test isn't going to hurt the car.

And to clarify, once the dyno is complete, take the fuse out and drive the AWD SVX, not some cheesy tuned down FWD cause I may save gas thing:D

haha, thanks,

the fuse being taken out after the dyno test is done makes sense. provided there won't be much of a notible difference in fuel economy.
narrowing that down to a 15a fuse is exacytly what I needed to know, being this being done tomorrow at noon. this system stops hydrolic pressure from going to the rear as I understand, but this isn't needed for lubrication or anything like that, is it?

... nevermind, I will take your word for it being alright..

also, does anyone know the specs on the factory alternator?
I'm a bit of an audio enthuesest(sp) and went through 3 (factory, 60A and... I wanna say 105A) on my firebird before it bit the dust.

if this were to go out on me, how much of a pain is it to replace? it looks to be sitting right in the center of the front of the engine...

-alan