24/03/26: More info added on aftermarket Subaru thermostats and testing thermostats https://rjes.com/aftermarket-subaru-thermostats/
23/01/26: New clutch release shaft and arm kits added to site. Designed to solve the unavailability of VW clutch shaft arm 251141713B (petrol), which went obsolete in about 2007, and 251141713C (diesel) which went obsolete about 2 years ago, but which we still has stock of until more recently. Our new arms attach to the shafts differently to VW’s ‘4 spline’ arrangement, which cannot be reproduced with out a significant investment in bespoke tooling. So they come as a set, with the correct shaft.
There are 2 kit variants :
800-00107 to suit petrol VW applications or Subaru engine conversions using ‘push to release’ clutches.
800-00108 to suit diesel VW applications (not used with any Subaru engine conversions)
22/01/25: Subaru’s small flange, M10 x 1.25, 14mm nuts are a common part in Japan, but incredibly hard to get in bulk here. Because many Subaru parts were designed around using these nuts, in some cases a European spec (i.e. ISO or DIN) M10 x 1.25 nut with it’s 17mm hex either won’t fit, or will, but you then can’t get a socket on. Typical uses in VW engine conversions are lower bell housing studs, lower rubber mount studs, exhaust manifold to cylinder heads, and the lower starter stud on Phase I EJ series or EG33 engines. There are the same spec that Subaru used, i.e. non self locking, not serrated (the self locking type are much more likely to pull studs out when removed, and serrated versions tend to chew up the face they’re clamping if it’s aluminium:
06/12/24: Large batch of high grade fasteners back from being zinc flake coated – the same spec as is typical in modern vehicles. Fasteners with this finish are generally not available unless you but them as spare parts from the OEM’s, at insanely high prices – i.e. your average fastener stockist is unlikely to be able to get them for you. To get this finish for real-world prices, you have to take have the finish applied to your own parts. Very few companies can do this, and those that do are typically set up to very large quantities (like hundreds of kg or each part), for the OEM’s tier 1 suppliers. Some will do smaller batches, but it’s only economical if you mix up all the different parts to have them done as a single batch, and then have the tedious task of sorting them all back into the individual parts. Per bolt, this is not too expensive, but the minimum order values mean you have to take large quantities to be coated:
04/12/24: Coolant plumbing kits 800-00012 (38mm) and 800-00044 (32mm) now include parts to support the large hose where it passes below the starter motor and over the RH drive shaft. Same prices as previously.
29/11/2024: Miscellaneous For Sale / Wanted page added – random stuff we have for sale not directly related to our regular products.
16/10/2024: All bell housing kits now include a pilot bearing retainer. This component should not ever be necessary. The pilot bearing a press fit into standard Subaru flywheels, and there is nothing wrong with this design. However, as we have now seen aftermarket flywheels from 3 different manufacturers with the same design or quality control error resulting in the bearing sometimes not being a tight enough fit, including a bearing retainer in the bell housing kits , Using the retainer is never necessary with genuine Subaru flywheels, but doing so doesn’t do any harm either. They should always be fitted with aftermarket flywheels, as the manufacturers of some of them clearly don’t understand how to get the fit correct. The bearing retainer suits all flywheel s where the flywheel bolt heads are not recessed into counterbores in the flywheel.
16/10/2024: Bell housing kit range rationalised so half the number of kits now cover the same range of applications. Each kit now covers both long and short VW gearbox input shafts. Previously there was a separate kit for each, as this enabled the long shaft kits to be priced slightly lower, due to the much higher price of the (uncommon size) pilot bearing in the short shaft kits. However, these bearing s are now available in bulk for a much more reasonable price, negating the previous advantage having a different bearing in each kit.
30/09/2024: New range of induction systems for Subaru powered T25 / T3 / Vanagons introduced.
06/12/2023: Oil seal scrolls in our bell housing kits discontinued. Replaced by a seal backing ring (a design already proven in other RJES products, and used in various VAG, Subaru and Porsche gearboxes). The new design is backwards compatible, so can be retro-fitted into any older bell housing kits.
Not sure why we’ve never thought to have ‘news’ page before. So here is one. It’ll be updated whenever we have new products, or news about existing products.