Vacuum Solenoid Upgrade
Article by DaveT
Since the original equipment Subaru solenoids just do not last – I don’t think
I have seen one make it to 5 years – I have come up with this upgrade. NONE of
the replacemnet solenoids I have installed have failed. Some have moved from
one car to another. I don’t think I have a working OE solenoid left.
The OE solenoid is the bottom unit. A Toyota solenoid is the upper unit. I went
to a junkyard where they let me look around at a lot of cars, and removed several
solenoids from Toyotas and Hondas. I paid $10.00 each for them. This was around
1990.
The “A” port is the vent.
The “B” port is the line to the EGR valve.
The “C” port is the line to the throttle body or carb.
When you remove the solenoids from the donor cars, grab some of the vacuum tubing
also, because the Toyota lines are slightly smaller ID.
Cut the Toyota connector off, leaving most of the wire on the solenoid. Cut the
Subaru connector off of the dead solenoid close to the solenoid. Slip a piece
of heat shring tubing over each wire. Solder the 2 connections and shrink the
tubing. I have used a small amount of red RTV on the joint before sliding the
tubing over and shrinking it to make a more waterproof seal. There is no polarity,
so either Toyota wire can connect to the blue wire.
The bracket “E” will need a hole drilled for the mounting bolt. Also, the
Toyota bracket may need to be cut, bent, or flipped over. It mounts to the
solenoid with a screw, so it is easy to modify.
This modification also works for the Evaporative Emissions solenoid.
Ultimate Subaru