the F*$k it project

just want to start off saying thanks to all the veterans on here for sharing their experiences so others can learn.

I have lost compression (well most) on cyl 1 and 3. I had the head checked and was told I had a couple valves not seating correctly. had that fixed and head cleaned, along with other head. new gaskets, oil change, and other work later I still have low compression and now the car is apparently running too rich. so after days of researching and printing, I decided to start the fu*k it project and took out a loan to do so.

heres my plan.

new fuel pressure regulator

upgrade fuel injectors "looking into the bosch 1000cc"

new 02 sensors

upgrade fuel pump

ams basic engine rebuilt kit

crower 272 cams

new pcv valve

new egr valve

new oil control valve

new maf sensor

new 3 bar map sensor

new throttle position sensor

new coolant temp sensor

new thermostat

mishimoto radiator

new oil pressure switch

new oil pump

upgr8 coolant/heater hose kit

blouch 18g xt turbo

supertech dual valves springs and retainers

bronze valve guides

crower ss standard intake/exhaust valves

oem Subaru oil separator upgrade kit

cobb stage 1 power package with v3 tuner

cobb lightweight crank pulley

another new gates blue timing belt

another set of arp head studs

another oem complete gasket kit

replace both front wheel bearings with oem ones to be safe

all new rotors and pads (looking at different aftermarket options)

tomei exhaust manifold

invidia divorced catted dp

cnt fmic

re-use already in use perrin up pipe

couple things id like to upgrade, but could use some input.

torque converter? only found one and link is to ebay "makes me iffy"

flywheel? everything im finding is for MT, is auto and MT the same size?

-do I need to stay around a certain weight? whats too light?

any upgrades for the drive shafts? like a lighter one?

plan is just to build a bullet proof motor, that's realistically only going to see maybe 300-330 awhp daily, low boost "around stock level"

once build is complete, ill update with pics, costs, walk through and dyno numbers "plan is to dyno tune before dd"

any other suggestions welcome. ill check once in awhile, build begins next Saturday and plan is to finish by fall.

See http://www.ynansb.com, for starters.

If you're looking for only 300-330ish, you'll be fine with an OEM block. Don't dick around with the machining and forged pistons -- you won't come out ahead on it vs buying the OEM block and gasket kit. With that in mind, you can cross the headers off your list -- won't do you any good below 350; Save yourself the $800+

If you don't know the difference between a flywheel and a flexplate (Which is what's in the 5EAT) I suggest you do a bit more reading before diving all into this!

Consider going with a different turbo -- A Blouch 18G is a very poor choice for a DD. You want good throttle response and powerband to the left, which, an 18G can't give you. Further, on a 5EAT, it's stupid, since you can be in boost before 3k and actually use most of the power your turbo can push before it's time to shift. Again, for your power levels, your stock 5EAT is fine, but you'd do well to get the Hexmods F1 valvebody. I suppose you could spend a grand on a carbon driveshaft, but, again, negligible gains for the money. Stock is fine.

Don't get the blue timing belt. It doesn't do anything the regular belt can't do, aside from get blue shit all over your engine. Not worth the extra money.

Stage 1 power package? Awful way to blow $1800. Stock airbox is fine up to 350hp. Again, for Daily Driver duty and your power goals, a $40 KN panel replacement filter is just fine.

Why do you need another set of ARP head studs?

AOSs are the quickest way to blow up your motor, aside from running a bigger turbo on the stock tune. No need for them on a DD.

I would really think about revising your list. You've got a hodgepodge of parts that don't really fit your direction of Daily Driver -- new cams? C'mon, man, I know you know better than that. Low boost, but you want an 18G? This just doesn't add up. But what does add up is your list-- that's about 10k, just in parts, up there, and then there's the motor. . .

If you want a good DD, it's not going to be the fastest car in your holler. If you want to be the fastest, it's not going to be a very good DD. Pick what you really want (I think you really want a good DD!) and build a parts list that reflects that goal.

I'm not picking on you, but, this list is ALLL over the place! PM me if you want some one-on-one, and we can go over it together.

ive read the ynansb, and pm'd mr tris since I bought the car in October.

before I get started, in no way am I trying to be a douche and putting off a vibe its my way and I don't care what anyone says...because im honestly all ears.

I really didn't think I was all over the place. the car has 124k on it, and its been one thing after another... and with it running too rich it could be a number of things. so my thought was, why not just build a pretty much brand new car for the long haul.

I picked the 18g, because its capable of pushing more cfm with less effort than the stock vf40. im a dsm guy, an 18g is a very common, responsive, and capable platform for the money. I compared it to several other turbo's "cfm, price, etc" and that's how I chose that.

I decided to replace all the sensors due to age, and currently possible defects in one or several of them causing running issues. while its out, instead of trying to troubleshoot everything I fixed id just replace it all and have no worries for yrs to come.

as far as the motor, I didn't see anything wrong with upgrading the pistons and bearings with a kit capable of handling a couple hundred more hp for a couple hundred more dollars? confused on what you mean by 10k plus the motor? ive added up around 6600 in parts, to rebuild the motor with...the ams BASIC rebuild kit can be ordered in standard bore, stroke, and compression and comes with an oem engine gasket kit. not shabby for 950.00 imo.

1800 and a waste of money on stage 1 cobb? yeah id be fine with a drop in filter and basic tune for a dd...but the kit I found, on the cobb website, was half the 1800 you mentioned. the cobb tuners ive found were around 650.00, and the intake around 200.00, throw in another couple goodies and 900.00 for the package seemed reasonable to me.

ive never owned an auto before, let alone a Subaru. I assumed the difference was torque converter and pressure plate/clutch in mt's and auto's. so I guess my question would be, where can I find an upgraded torque convertor and flexplate?

I wanted new head studs, because I like to replace them each time I pull heads (on anything ive built before) and trust arp. im new to Subaru, heard about head gasket issues, and like to be safe than sorry by knowing my head studs aren't going to fail (unlike most engines, the h4 has to be pulled just for a head job) "DOHC" anyways. anyways, as I stated before, I had just pulled the heads and re-installed. still low compression, so im assuming rings are bad. (read Subaru stock pistons commonly lose compression, another reason for ams rebuild kit)

thanks for the advice on blue belt, that's currently whats on there after I did the timing belt the first time...then put back on after head install. haven't had the chance to drive it enough to see what happens. but deff ordering a new belt, even though it might have 70miles on it, its been pulled off and put back on 3 times. id rather be safe than sorry.

I figured I didn't need the manifold, but as is the point of the fu*k it build...id like to see a much higher potential when I ask for it, and know the equipment is there to produce it. I haven't read too much into the tuning portion, just that stock tune sucks, and knowing that major changes "like many im performing, or plan to perform" requires tuning to function properly. I assumed the cobb tuner had stages that could be programmed. for example, my jetta gli "1.8t" has 3 programs "ecs chipped ecu" that allows me to choose what program I want through my cruise control switch. I thought, hoped I could have a dd of lets say 300-330ish... and the option to change the mode, stop at the pump and get some 110, and hit the drag strip for a day. is that not possible? is asking for the ability to dog the crap out of it, raise the boost, and run high octane for a few hrs on supporting mods (engine, drivetrain) without grenading my hard work asking too much?

im honestly not trying to be a dick. im really not. but ive spent days searching for a replacement motor which is around 3000-5500.00

ive read almost everyones rebuild/ build threads

ive put together almost every combination of rebuilding to make this as cheap as possible.

to be completely honest, I seen no harm in spending the extra 2-3k and having the potential for a very fast car, or a pretty damn reliable 300ish dd. the biggest wall I feel most ppl throw in front of me is the turbo choice. ive ran 18g's on my 4g63 cars "smaller displacement, lower hp" and had no issues pushing it. yeah boost may come in a few hundred rpm later, but honestly that's a lot less noticeable than the difference in dropping to 10psi on stock vf40 near redline, and maintaining a set pressure till redline "or shifting whenever in a 5eat". that's besides the difference in power delivered in the full powerband, 14psi @ 320cfm vs 14psi @ 550cfm lets say, is 2 totally different smiles in my opinion.

anywho, lets get on the same page. the wife agrees the Subaru is here to stay. a loan has been taken out for 8k. the motor has to be pulled, and rebuilt. there are things that need replaced. I just figured id go out all "not cosworth long block all out, im an 18yo whos first car is a turbo Subaru and want 600hp all out" but a 30yr husband, father, and combat vet who would like a fun, very reliable daily driver "just to work and back really" with the ability to douche out some hurt to some vettes and turbo lsx friends with a push of a button or two and not grenade the drivetrain in the process.

also, I did read up on the hexmod. trans dropped and starting on that tomm.

pulling motor apart next sat.

my bad btw, didn't see it was you tris that I was responding to. I thought about the turbo you recommended...but for the price, and history ive established running 18g (couple 16g, though it wasn't much better than a standard t25 imo) I figured there wasn't much, if any difference in the compressors. with that said, it should respond just as well, if not better, than ive experienced in the past with the ej255 being a larger displacement motor than the 4g63, or even the 4g54b ive ran in my starquests.

You make several assumptions based on other car makes/models. Instead of doing that, you should research and understand Subaru-specific modifications and tuning.

Users have had varying success with running multiple tunes. Most stick with 1. Each different configuration will need its own dedicated tune. Before assuming you can just switch between 3 power levels at your leisure, talk to Cobb and your tuner about what is involved.

Generally with these cars, the most reliable parts are stock or near stock. Don't put on performance parts to plan for the future if you aren't going to use their capabilities now. For example, many on here have had their aftermarket headers crack. That would suck if yours cracked before your car was even ready to use them to their full potential.

Also, I would not recommend comparing DSMs to Subarus. The EJ motor is a great series, but the 4G6x and 4B11T are in another league as far as easy power potential. Just because a 4G63 Eclips likes an 18g as a mild upgrade, with its short header and intercooler runs doesn't mean it will act the same way in a boxer motor with much longer intake and exhaust runs.

I'd recommend selecting a tuner (person, not just an AccessPort) first, discussing your goals, and then plan a build together. Tris is right that these cars can either make great power or can be great daily drivers, but rarely can they be both (especially without huge $$$).

Ok, so rebuild block.. To OEM spec, with OEM parts.

No sense in building heads, which I is usually a major performance increase.

Just keep pushing the stock turbo.

Get a dp, standard tune, stock headers.

Enjoy the auto, with the same setup and power levels as almost every other legacy owner, because these engines can't perform in the middle of the spectrum. Its either a very mild DD, or its a full out race car.

This sucks guys.

Here we go again

I'm sure we get one of these a week

And they usually are abandoned

I was almost tempted not to reply, because I agree...you see it alot, on EVERY vehicle forum out there.

However, I'm not some punk out of hs being supported by mommys funds.

I'm not some rich dick that doesn't know the difference between a spark plug and brake rotor.

I'm a certified diesel tech, taken auto mechanics, built several dsms of 300 to even over 400whp. Even my Jetta puts down a tad over 280. And all of these had less hp in factory form, and some less options and research (g54) platform for example.

My car needs #ynansb. Instead of the 1645 or whatever to buy a stock platform, I seen an option to buy OEM spec internals capable of handling twice the power over stock for 950. So I saved me 700. That 700, why not just add a few hundred and build the heads? From what I've researched, other than strengthening upgrades...the cams were only major modification. As I read, its a mild cam, slight lope etc.

What's wrong with building up the torque converter? What I've read, reliable power limits for the 5eat was close to 350-400hp. I would assume FLEXPLATE and torque converter would have similar limits. So id like to upgrade other things, than just the hexmod (which videos really didn't seem any faster shifts imo)

Turbo. 18g seems to be an awful choice, unless a proven member here chose it for their ride. Everyone else, who has yet to prove they have money, realistic goals, or mechanical knowledge is told to buy any form of OEM turbo, or a hybrid of it. I'm weary of a hybrid, I know that guy about as well or less as you guys know me. I'd prefer buying from a company, other people gave tried and tested...then recommended...including the 18g option.

Tuning, I am limited here on finding someone to do custom tunes. We have a couple shops, with dynos, that can load tunes or do plug and play. Part of the reason for the original post was to start off with a wish list, update when complete, then ask for help on tuning software or custom programs I start with as a base. Dyno tune, then complete thread.

So while its disappointing to join a site for guidance when its needed... To only be picked on, hear the "oh here we go again", and your list and goals make no sense, and be treated like an ignorant 16yo.

This build will happen, with a realistic completion of September.

The block has to be rebuilt, its getting stronger internals.

The heads have to be pulled, its getting stronger internals.

The trans is pulled, its getting hexmod. Might as well do flexplate and trq conv while I'm there.

Exhaust has to be unbolted, upgrade do while I'm there.

Turbo has to be removed, why not upgrade it and sell my brand new 0miles OEM turbo.

Why not choose a turbo (the 18g, regardless of my experience on different engines) since that seems to be a popular choice on legacy's /sti when the vf40/52/hybrid isn't popping up?

18g's are not worthless turbos? Not sure where that is coming from but

A 18gxt or xtr on a 2.5 subie with head work will spool right around 3k and make fantastic top end... Hex Mods valve body will be needed to prevent slip.

As for tune and what not, install a wideband O2 and get a custom tune from one of the etuning vendors such as Cryotune or Bren. You already stated you were getting a v3 accessport.

Blouch 18gxtr 8cm

2.4" turbo inlet

Ipt oil feed line

DW65c pump

DW850c topfeed injectors or id1000 with 05 I would do a top feed conversion or run at most a 740cc dw

3 port ebcs

Full 3" turboback

Upgraded intercooler

Upgraded bpv

Tgv deletes

Grimmspeed riser

Hexmods valve body

Uppipe with external wastegate

Could do an intake and el header if you want. With built motor and heads 300 all day.

Ok, so rebuild block.. To OEM spec, with OEM parts.

No sense in building heads, which I is usually a major performance increase.

Just keep pushing the stock turbo.

Get a dp, standard tune, stock headers.

Enjoy the auto, with the same setup and power levels as almost every other legacy owner, because these engines can't perform in the middle of the spectrum. Its either a very mild DD, or its a full out race car.

 

This sucks guys.

I think everyone is trying to give you recommendations off of your "power goals"... you gotta understand that it doesnt take much to get these cars to 300whp in factory form. OEM is the most reliable way to replace 9 out of 10 parts. If you want to up your goals, then upgrading different things would be more beneficial. Id say do alot more research on subarus, and leave the mitsubishis behind. These cars are sensitive to certain mods where with other cars you can just throw an intake on and go. Not the case with these! Best of luck to you with your build! Keep us posted

Ok, so rebuild block.. To OEM spec, with OEM parts.

No sense in building heads, which I is usually a major performance increase.

Just keep pushing the stock turbo.

Get a dp, standard tune, stock headers.

Enjoy the auto, with the same setup and power levels as almost every other legacy owner, because these engines can't perform in the middle of the spectrum. Its either a very mild DD, or its a full out race car.

 

This sucks guys.

OK, let's cool out for a sec.

I cannot stress enough to you that buying the OEM block is the best, most cost-effective choice here, given your sub-350 power goals. It really is all in the tune! To rebuild an existing block -- have it machined for aftermarket pistons, plus install the bearings and such, which NEEDS to be done by someone who has successfully built other turbo Subaru motors -- just isn't as cost-effective and low-risk as buying the OEM block. That, and it'll last longer. Piston slap causes damage to the cylinder walls, which significantly decreases longevity, and, in some cases, can lead to early death due to out-of-round cylinders consuming oil via excessive blow-by, and ultimately, loss of compression.

We didn't say keep pushing the stock turbo, just that an 18g is more about top-end and will spool significantly later than a 16G or something smaller. A fun and fast DD is all about the powerband to the left; anything else, such as for racing, will be less fun below 4k, which, really only leaves you about 2k of "fun" on the highway at 100+. These cars were not really built for top speed or to be track cars, they were designed to be fast and fun streetcars. They're supposed to peter out up top.

. . Which brings us to the heads. Without an actual dyno tuner to heavily tune for your upgraded valvetrain, it's wasted money. Even so, for the $800-ish it will cost in just parts for all 16 +1 valves, the gains are rather slim for the money, to be honest. Again, for your power goals, stock valves will need to be inspected when the heads are serviced, however, they should be just fine for your application.

A DP and an OTS Stage2 tune is a really great setup. It puts you only 50-85whp away from your goal. That leaves you with some options for your turbo and fueling.

1000s are probably too much, but, some people believe it's better to have too much headroom and not even approach the 90% IDC barrier, than to tune into that and hope the injectors don't shit the bed from working too hard.

That said, you'd do well to do a topfeed conversion. If you can find some TGVs from an 08+ WRX or LGT, snag those and the fuel rails and you're in a much better spot than the stock sidefeeds, or even modded stock sidefeeds. Otherwise, topfeed kits can run into the thousands, which, again, for your power goals, is just money not-well-spent.

For a best HP:$$ ratio, I'd suggest thinking about doing a top feed conversion, along with an STi intake manifold, so as to run the STi TMICs/STi-Style TMICs, of which, there are myriad aftermarket options, however, an '11 TMIC can often be found on CL/eBay for a decent price. This combination leaves you with options for STi-Style turbos, which, with upgraded injectors and something like, say, a VF3, you could get a protune that will put you into the 300 mark. There are other STi-style turbos that are a step up from that, which can get you some better results.

Add a catback (~$800) for another 10hp, plus some noise, and you're basically in the ballpark of where you wanted to be.

We're not saying that it's so black-and-white that we either build DDs or all-out racekors, it's just that the biggest difference between us and NASIOC is how we choose to spend our money on our cars. We spend for practicality and usefulness; if our car isn't going to see track days or anything above 90mph more than 95% of the time, then there's no need for full-race parts. Whereas, there are plenty of guys on NASIOC who are building 500+hp monsters that will never see anything other than DD duty and the occasional highway pull to 120 or so, and then it's done. And even then -- how many times can they do that before they goto jail? It's not a matter of IF, it's a matter of when.

With that in mind, we generally like to keep things as practical and cost-effective as possible. No one wants to be that guy who's got a full-race setup, caged and all, who's never seen a track or an autox day. I have a neighbor with an '02 bugeye who has just that. I talked to him briefly about his car and asked if he'd ever been out to a track and guess what he said? He's got 20k on the line and didn't wanna risk it. So, instead, he drives it back and forth to work.

The point of all of this is, by the time you're done with the motor, Stage2, and then a new turbo and TMIC, you'll basically be at Stage3, which is pretty competitive in terms of light-to-light street racing. But these cars were not meant to be stripstars -- AWD is a dog on the strip! Sure, it launches amazingly well, but, aside from that, it's meant to see corners.

So if you're looking to build a car that will "douche out some hurt" to some guys on the street, which I assume will be some light-tolight action, you've got the wrong platform, entirely. After 300hp, the best mods you can make will be driver mods, which, above all else, will net you the results you're ultimately looking for.

Altimately don't what makes you happy.

Lots of people have used 18gs with great success. With the cam and head work will you be running out of air before seeing the benefits of a higher rpm range? I will be going with +1 valves and stage 2 plus cams on my efr8374 build, because that turbo won't run out of steam. Maybe you should try looking at some of the smaller efrs? They are spool monsters and you can meet your goals easily. They will also require more mods, like injectors, fpr etc.

There are mods that will strengthen the 5eat ie, valve body, clutch packs, diff bushings as well as upping the stall in your tc. Plenty of people have gone that route.

My plan is for over 500hp on pump gas and I didn't feel comfortable with my built 5eat so I sold and will be doing a 6mt swap. It has been sold to another member of lgt and is holding strong for him.

I think some of the other members who have chimed in here are trying to save you some money and headaches by saying what they would and would not do. Many will agree that headers and air intakes are not worth the price of admission until you are shooting for a high hp number (350+). Plus with an el manifold you will loose that boxer rumble. Even though a loopy cam will sound good , will you really be reaping it's benefits with an 18g?

In the end those numbers are very doable and you will have a fun DD.

Thanks everyone. Right now I'm just gonna step back and say, step 1 is pulling the motor out Saturday. Order #ynansb thanks to tris "page saved in my favorites btw lol"

And ill go from there, it'll give me a couple more weeks to read up on other members builds and tunes.

I'd say ill just avoid nasioc for awhile, I've seen alot of successful builds on there and several mean fireball throwing DD sti's here in town and just thought, almost identical motor.. Leggy equally competitive. Honestly, I used to spend every weekend at the track before I had my daughter, sold my starion, and been a grown up 4yrs now. Honestly, I looked at this as an opportunity to end up there again on Saturdays, get my daughter involved and interested "actually likes helping me work on the car" since it needed pulled again, and block rebuilt or replaced. Wasn't a go big or go home attitude, it was man... This could be possible to build a badass street car "without my wife getting mad" because realistic aftermarket options seemed obtainable, financially anyways. But, we will see what direction I take, I could save a couple months by just ordering a replacement block instead of machining. So I guess that's became a definite.

I'll update in couple weeks when

a trans shop can raise the stall of the torque converter, its what i have and lets the engine jump up and gets the turbo spooling.

i broke my subie flex plate , i replaced it with a 2003 2.5i with a 4 eat flex plate basically any auto flex plate thats older is almost twice as thick. as any of the 5 eat flex plates.

also keep in mind the 5 eat center diff is weak, if you plan on boost launching you're going to think about getting at the very least center diff bushings,

its just when i see new thermostats and pcv on a mods list .. makes me just roll my eyes.

why would you change 90 % of the stuff ? just like throwing money at something ? fix whats wrong install bigger injectors and turbo and away you go its not hard to make power on any turbo motor.

First of all, before you can even assemble a parts list and a to do list, you need to know why your compression is down on cylinders one and three. It is still low after having the head rebuilt? Did they/you do a leak down test the motor?

It would be rather pointless to put all those mods on the car if the engine is not up to snuff so to speak.. How did the heads of the pistons look when you did the headgaskets? These motors are prone to cracking the ringland areas on the pistons themselves. Usually it is just cylinder #4, but you may have an issue. You cannot inspect the ring land on the piston with it still in the block.

Whats your oil consumption been like?

All this talk about DD vs track has me thinking about my own setup. I run a BNR68 (HTA 68 in a Legacy GT housing), RacerX FMIC, KSTech CAI, and Invidia downpipe on e85. Stock catback for sound. My car is very much a DD, though I will track it some day. My car is very driveable as a DD, and it is fun to be able to beat my buddy's e85 WRX in my quiet silver sedan.

If I were to do things over, I'd skip some of the other supporting mods, such as TGV deletes, phenolic spacers, GM 3-bar MAP sensor, hybrid manual/EBCS, and turbo inlet. I'd also either run a bullet-proof stock or aftermarket TMIC. FMIC is nice, but it is more maintenance and more opportunity for bad things to happen.

68/71s are excellent all-around turbos, especially in bb/rb form. With the right tune, they can have a nice, wide powerband with plenty of on-demand torque. FMIC will always have drawbacks to TMIC, although the ability to keep heatsoak at bay is a nice plus.

The TGV deletes are as much about reliability as they are about performance. They never should have been there in the first place, really. They're closed for the first like, 90 seconds of runtime, and then open until the next key cycle. Electric motors that close to the flame are likely to die sooner rather than later.

Yeah, I tend to agree about the phenolic spacers -- Having run them, I'm starting to see that although GS is a good ol' American company, and I support that wholeheartedly, it takes people like us who will buy the hype products, like those, to pave the way for the real engineering, like their TMICs and handcrafted metal goods. The good thing about them, is that the 8mms make it real easy to shove an aftermarket inlet under the manifold, such as a Perrin/AVO/Tomioka, which are significantly larger than the OEM unit. Seeing how often those fail, I'm inclined to always recommend an aftermarket replacement as insurance against tears and the lean conditions they can cause later on. I don't know about you, but I only like to buy parts once!

I've been running the Perrin TMIC for a couple days now, and, I gotta say, hands-down, it's worth it. An excellent choice for a DD, with plenty of ability to go the distance in a weekend autox or track day.

http://www.brokenboxer.com/

They sound really good.

http://www.brokenboxer.com/

 

They sound really good.

Yes, they do!

Subaru engine's require specific Subaru related experience. Regardless of how many engines a tech or shop has worked on, nothing will prepare them for the unique attention to detail required when assembling a Subaru engine. Very little principals from a typical "V" formation engine carry over to a boxer engine! Don't sacrifice the longevity & durability of your investment with inexperience.

1. OEM shortblock

2. Refresh heads

3. VF52

4. Downpipe, uppipe, top mount intercooler

5. Injectors (750cc+)

6. Solid tune

7. Make 300whp/320wtq

8. Be happy you didn't waste your money.

This is coming from someone going rotated, building a motor, all to make 4xxwhp and probably continue breaking stuff.

Ditto

This coming from the guy who put a turbo v6 in his legacy

I just keep breaking drive line parts

sorry been, working 12s and pulling the motor in any spare time I had.

to answer the question about why replace pcv and thermostat and wasting money...yeah its probably a waste now cause its not broke. but im running extremely rich, im not positive whats causing it, motor is out, most parts are inexpensive, and Subaru is here to stay for the long haul = just replacing while its easy access and so I don't have to for many yrs to come.

also, to the question about leak down test. the build wasn't created based off of the current engine condition. it was based off of the shop not doing a leak down test, told me it was a head issue, and after heads rebuilt and installed nothing changed. so plan b became a rebuild. I figured, if I had to pull motor again, and either A rebuild motor or B buy a shortblock I might as well upgrade. when I pulled the heads, the pistons had some slight carbon buildup, cylinder walls looked ok from what I could tell. basically my past posts of how car ran when I bought it, the timing a tooth off on intake cam on the head that eventually had low compression, cyl 1 and 3 misfire, and tested according to the shop as that side had low compression...I didn't look too much at the block. the pieces of the story fit together enough for me to rush the heads to the shop, have 1 rebuilt and one cleaned "head shop said there was issues the cyl 1/3 head" and then put back together while I wasn't down long. I did fix another issue "bad turbo" while doing this work which I hoped would solve my problem "separate post on that, it was about the hot side of turbo sounding like rod knock" anyways, it now has a brand new factory replacement unit straight from Subaru.

so the list started as really opinions from others on my choices for a turbo setup, bottom end rebuild package from AMS (or as most suggest an oem shortblock from mr tris's #ynansb link) and opinions on head work for a possibility of nnot only more power but maybe better wear ability vs stock.

honestly, im still on the fence on oem shortblock vs rebuilding with the AMS basic rebuild kit.

think ive decided to just keep heads stock, especially since they were just rebuilt (both of them)

decided to go with sti intake manifold, stock sti intercooler, top feed injectors. still researching and ordering stuff for this project.

intake from spt im still debating. im reading stories where aftermarket doesn't work well, and some where they have no issues. im assuming at this point is about the tune. still reading into it, when I have time anyways.

im still seriously considering the 18g, maybe not the exact one I originally posted. still looking around at options and reading other builds with 18g and such.

im actually looking for a new center diff, only because awhile back I posted a thread about my car being towed in park. really, from the conflicting stories im not sure it was actually towed in park, my with says this, father-in-law says this. I dunno...trans shifts in and out of gear fine, unfortunately I haven't been able to drive it because rebuilding the heads didn't solve low compression issue. however, its confirmed car was towed on rear wheels. with all the other issues ive constantly ran into on "what appeared to be a well taken care of car" has me assuming the 124k miles and car towed on back 2 wasn't kind to center diff.

1. OEM shortblock

2. Refresh heads

3. VF52

4. Downpipe, uppipe, top mount intercooler

5. Injectors (750cc+)

6. Solid tune

7. Make 300whp/320wtq

8. Be happy you didn't waste your money.

 

 

This is coming from someone going rotated, building a motor, all to make 4xxwhp and probably continue breaking stuff.

this is the route im considering, because everything you listed seems to be popular options, and work just fine for everyone with this.

however, im still reading on stage 3 builds. im not exactly sure id like the comfort of stage 3, a stage 2 seems ideal..but maybe with a tad bit more power. like top of stage 2 going into 3, if that makes sense. that's direction im heading on this rebuild.

Just FYI - Stages are very loose

stage 1 - tune

stage 2 - downpipe

stage 3 - replacement turbo (some argue if the VF52 is really stage 3, because it's really like Stage 2 WRX)