2.5t engine risk ?

Hi all,

 

I currently own a '05 3.0L Spec B wagon with the 6 MT. Very happy with the car. No problem so far except the classic rear wheel bearings and the door lock motors. As it has 130 kmiles, I am looking to change for a newer car. The 5th generation wagon could be an option. I talk about the 2.5 turbo motor (265 hp) and the 6 speed CVT gearbox (unfortunately the only available here in Switzerland).

 

I know the Imprezza with the 2.5 turbo motor have risk of piston ring failures. Is it the same on the Legacy ? Is there a trick to prevent this failure (header ? hi flow cat or decat ? oil breather?) ? What is the risk if I purchase such a car with ~ 50 kmiles.

 

Talking mods, would it be risky to do basic mods like filter, downpipe, exhaust and remap ? What is the power I can expect (safely) ?

 

Sorry for all these basic questions that have perhaps already been debated here. I just wanted a summary.

Here in the US the HT cvt used I the wrx is limited to around 300 lbft of torque, which is just above stock levels on a custom tune. At those numbers I wouldn't be concerned with the engine as long as you are consistent with your fuel and get a good tune.

 

A downpipe wouldn't do you much good either since the power will be so limited by the cvt.

 

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Something else to consider is that ringland failures in the EJ255/EJ257 tend to be due to the stock tune being a little on the lean side under boost, so getting off of the stock tune and on to something with a little more fuel in it will definitely help with the longevity.

Thanks for the answer. I will try to learn on this CVT. If 300 lbft is the limit, it does not let a lot of room for upgrades.

Gruetze.

 

As above, the CVT is pretty weak and only holds about 40kgm reliably. Aftermarket fluid cooler highly recommend!

 

The pistons crack from detonation. The stock tune is very aggressive in places for emissions reasons, as evidenced by IAM floating up and down, rarely being at 1.00

 

Tschau