Bessie II - Enlight's '05 6mt Matte Blacke Wagon

Maintenance, To-do, and Wish List Logs (link)

I've been a member of this forum since 2004 when I was purchased my first '05 BSM 5EAT Wagon for college. For the six years I had Bessie all I did was install a lightweight pulley, Swift springs, and a Swift RSB. Bessie was sold soon after I moved to Chicago for a fellowship along with her Prodrive P1's .

My main purpose for this thread is to catalog the history of this car and gather advice on DIY fixes/maintenance. There's a ton of wisdom on this forum and I'm very grateful for this resoure.

 

Background

Fast forward to winter of 2014, I returned to New York and was in the market for a new car. I wanted a sporty AWD wagon that came in stick shift. I would have waited for the Levorg but it seemed uncertain whether it hit our shores and other wagons were either unappealing or exceeded my budget by a decade worth of career advancement.

The idea of owning a modified car always appealed to me but I knew that I could never justify the expense. However, if someone else decided to put their money into modifying a car and then decided to sell it, the prospect suddenly seemed more viable.

I began browsing the classifieds on this forum before I finally settled on bsax14's listing (original FS thread). This car was originally owned by Atwood, so it's a forum car through and through.

Purchasing Bessie II involved flying out to NorCal and driving her back across the country, so I timed it to coincide with a reunion I had in Las Vegas. I put over 4,000 miles on her over the course of the 2 1/2 week trip and it was a great way to familiarize myself with her. On day one of ownership I took her through the Redwood Highway and day two was the Pacific Coast Highway. After Las Vegas I drove through S. Utah, visiting Zion, Monument Valley, Moab, and Arches before I headed to Denver. Denver was followed by Des Moines, IA, a weekend spent at old stomping grounds in Chicago, and finally a straight drive back to NY.

The name Bessie comes from an inkling that the name belongs to a cow which I think is fitting for a wagon. Since she's black maybe I should take the next step and paint some white spots on her.

 

Goals

1. Preserve normal operation
2. Preventative maintenance
3. Perform work independently

Even though there's value in buying a pre-modified car the fact remains that it's 10+ years old with all the issues that accompany that age. It doesn't make sense to purchase a car for the purpose of "value" then spend large amounts on upkeep. For that reason, I would like to perform as much of the maintenance myself as long as it makes financial sense. As it is, the car has more power than I know what to do with so I'm leaving her as she stands. I'm not too concerned about the cosmetics of Bessie II until I have enough disposable funds for a full repaint (the matte paint isn't holding up well). Also, I have very little experience tooling on cars so this will all be a learning experience for me.

 

Mod List (updated 09/27/23)

 

Engine

IAG Stage 2 Tuff Short Block
JMP VF52 Turbo
Perrin Top mount Intercooler
HKS Airbox to Turbo Inlet Duct
'02-'05 WRX Top Feed TGV Conversion
Injector Dynamics ID1050x
AVO 340LPH Fuel pump
GSC Power-Power Division Single Valve Spring
IAG V3 AOS
NGK iridium Spark Plugs (1 step colder)
Fluidampr Pulley
HKS Racing Timing Belt
Cobb V3 Accessport (Vinny Ten Racing Tunes)

Cooling and Lubrication

Koyo aluminum racing Radiator
COBB Radiator shroud
PTP Turbo Blanket
GetaDomTune Cylinder 4 Cooler
Killer B v2 Oil Pan
Killer B Windage Tray
Killer B Oil Pickup
Autobahn88 Silicone Hoses (complete)
Subaru 400w Block Heater
Rallitek Aluminum underpan

Exhaust

Killer B Holy Headers (Swaintech Coated)
Cobb Inconel Uppipe
Grimmspeed v2 GESI Downpipe (Swaintech Coated)
HKS Helmholtz Resonator Midpipe
HKS ES Premium Mufflers

Transmission/Drivetrain

2008 STI 6 Speed Transmission
DCCD Pro controller
South Bend Stage II Clutch
South Bend Flywheel (Dynamically Balanced)
Cobb 6MT Short Shifter
Motul tranny fluid
WRX rear differential
Spec B Transmission Mount

Wheels/Suspension/Brakes

Prodrive GC-010e 17" x 7.5JJ Wheels
Mcgard Black Spline Lug Nuts
Ohlins Road & Track Coilovers
Brembo Brake Conversion (powdercoated black)
Centric Rotors
Thicker ebrake shoes for Brembo conv.
SST brake lines (Smoke color)
Swift F/R sway bars
AVO Chassis brace kit (F&R)
AVO Sway Bar End Links (F&R)
Perrin Rear Sway bar bracket
Hawk Ceramic Brake Pads
Complete Whiteline Control Arm Bushings (F+R)
Whiteline KTA124 Control Arms
Spec B. Aluminum F/R U/L Control Arms

Exterior

JDM Spec. B Front bumper conversion
JDM Spec. B Rear Bumper conversion
JDM Spec. B Optional Sideskirts
JDM S402 Front Grill
JDM Waist Spoiler/Garnish
Ichiban Engineering Clear Timing Cover
Mud Flaps
Blitzen Roof Spoiler

Interior

STI Turbo/Oil pressure/temperature gages
Spec B. Shift Knob
Redline Leather Shift Boot Kit
Kenwood DNR876s
CocoMats
STI Pedal Set
Recaro Style XL Driver Seat
Odyssey ODP-AGM35 Battery
Rexonix Sound Deadening
Rockwool insulation in body cavities

 

Thanks for following!

Reserved

Nice

Thanks, @nightmaresmk. Are you in Upstate NY?

 

• Timing Belt
  
• Clutch Replacement
  
• O2 Sensor
  

So, even though the car only has 85,500 miles, it's 11 years old now and it's probably a good idea to change the timing belt. I heard a lot of whining coming from the engine bay over the winter on startup when I was in steering lock. That's a separate belt but it got me thinking about changing all of them. I found an awesome video on head gasket replacement that includes timing belt replacement that was very helpful:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddFsFfiyOvg]Subaru Cylinder Head Installation - YouTube[/ame]

 

I think that should be an easy enough first project. I should add that I don't really have any experience working on cars except working at a garage over one summer changing oil and rotating tires.

 

A much bigger undertaking would actually be changing the clutch, which I've just started thinking about. I was driving on Monday when I mis-shifted to 2nd instead of 4th, whiplashing my head forward. Luckily I was not hit from behind though my tires emitted a chirp. Beginning on Tuesday the Clutch Master FX350 felt less on/off, more forgiving, and much less chatter. All good things in a clutch I think, but in this case it means the clutch isn't functioning as it's supposed to. Two threads I've found on clutch replacement are here:

 

DIY Clutch Replacement Video

Day 1 of Clutch Replacement

 

I'm on the fence about undertaking a project this big, as I've read that it's taken some over 20 hours to complete. Also, I don't have a garage though I do have access to a secluded driveway.

 

Lastly, I threw codes P0031 and P1578 when I was going WOT a few weeks ago. After clearing them only P0031 has returned, which is supposed to mean my front O2 sensor needs to be replaced. The Perrin ELH came with this car and I dug up a thread about how the bung orientation on the header was problematic. I'm wondering what to do about this.

 

Lastly, I've created a Google spreadsheet of all the stuff I want to undertake with this car (link). Commenting is enabled to all advice is welcome - check out all the tabs.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Enlight

Such a clean wagon! Glad it went to a good home. Change that 02 don't buy the Bosch use the Denso. As for the bung, they are pretty easy for an exhaust shop to weld on if you wanted to change it's location.

Such a clean wagon! Glad it went to a good home. Change that 02 don't buy the Bosch use the Denso. As for the bung, they are pretty easy for an exhaust shop to weld on if you wanted to change it's location.

 

Thanks! I have to thank bsax and atwood for building and taking care of her. Atwood is overseas now but I've actually been able to get in touch with him and he illuminated me on what he was trying to accomplish with this car. I don't think he'll mind me sharing:

 

The theme for the car was to have a great handling daily driver that had good power and good MPG’s. I didn’t want to overdo it with the power since it would sacrifice both MPG’s and longevity of the car. I did as much to the suspension as I could do to have a nice ride height and make the car both comfortable for daily driving, but stiff enough to feel it while in the turns.

 

What I would do next… hmmm maybe driver and passenger seats, steering wheel, tires (summer/winter) to make summer driving even that more enjoyable, maybe look into the leak in the rear diff, a retune (car did well with smog at the higher RPM’s and was difficult to pass at idle… also CA smog laws are prob. the most stringent in the US)… the VR52 in there was ported and polished so switching it out to a more powerful turbo was on my mind, but like I said above, there might be some sacrifices as well, and all the pipes are ceramic coated (except the uppipe which was inconel… If you went with a bigger turbo, then maybe a front mount intercooler would be worth it.

Glad to see the wagon sold, why do anything else but paint? Awesome ride , jealous!!

Enjoy.

Glad to see this wagon is in good hands. I'm very interested to see where you will take it to make it your own.

02 sensor could just be going bad. go to Subaru and get a new one. the clutch with a couple buddies is a 5hr job. get a tsk snout kit. the timing belt another easy one. get a company 23 timing belt tool. makes life easier.

Yep Albany NY area. I'm in CRS/Upsatate subies and Mass Subies since i travel so much. lol

$122.99 here: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/denso-air-fuel-sensor-direct-fit-234-9120/20475116-P?searchTerm=denso+234-9120

 

Use coupon code TRT41 for $40 off.

 

Thanks. I'm going to change out the AFR sensor as soon as it dries up down here. I was able to pick it up for about $90 shipped from Advance Auto Parts after the discount code. I think the guy in the YouTube video above uses the timing belt tool too.

The oem from Subaru was only $95

Oh? Fred Beans had it for $120. Either way, the OEM is just a repackaged Denso which is what I got.

Hit up my control arm and sway bar bushings with some [ame=http://www.amazon.com/BEL-RAY-PENETRATING-AEROSOL-Manufacturer-99020-A400W-AD/dp/B008Y20DK8/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1427930835&sr=1-1&keywords=bel+ray+6+in+1]Bel-Ray 6 in 1 Spray[/ame] today and it took care of all the squeaking I had been hearing. The control arm bushing removal process seemed daunting without having access to a press so I figured spending $12 wouldn't hurt. Glad I did as it took care of the problem. I went with the spray over the grease because it's less viscous and better able to penetrate.

Confused, does the car have FX300 or FX350 clutch ?

 

I have recently gone to a Spec 2+ Clutch, it has not chattered once, over 2000 miles on it. The Spec 2 before that never chattered either.

 

How is the driveline noise with the LWFW and 6MT ?

 

I also have a steel SMFW now. The LWFW made to much noise.

You're right, it's an FX300, I didn't remember correctly.

 

I don't have much to compare it to since I've never driven a stock 5mt or 6mt for that matter, but driveline noise is noticeable in 1st and 2nd gears. It actually reminds me of driveline noise you might hear in the cabin of some WRC videos.

 

I might think of switching to a SMFW too but that's probably still a long ways away. After further observation it seems that my clutch isn't getting any worse. When I do I think I will consider a Spec 2+ or Southbend. You seem to be the lone cheerleader for the Spec 2+ on this forum .

 

Are you going to WBM? Thinking about going but it's also gonna be my 30th birthday that weekend and I plan on melting my face off.

 

Let me know if you ever need a hand tooling on your car, you're a bit a ways but I need some more experience under my belt.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Enlight

My car is up at Ultimate Collision Center to have it's windshield replaced. I'm insured through GEICO and I wanted OEM glass. They said that I would have to pay the difference b/w that and aftermarket glass of $213. I accepted, as it's still not much out-of-pocket, but I wonder has anyone gotten OEM glass completely on their insurance company's dime?

Not OEM glass, but I'm on the 4th windshield now. Watch for rust to form if they chip the paint around the glass.

 

I can't remember which glass is in there but it's one of the better ones. Member IAG, is a glass guy. He commented on which windshields are better then the rest and few years back.

I snapped this pic of what I believe is my LCA bushing - is it supposed to look like that? These are SuperPro's will probably switch them out for Whitelines if they need replacing.

Yes, that's what aftermarket ones look like, as I recall.

Yup same design as avo and whiteline. i'm surprised they didn't design them more like oem. If you make a bushing out of rubber it tears. use the same design and make it larger front to back with recessed left to right for movement and out of a softer polyurethane.

But back to this make sure u spray in that gap every year with with lithium grease so the don't bind

Thanks guys.

 

I just sprayed it down with Bel Ray 6-in-1 which helped to eliminate some of the bushing noise, but there's still some present when there's more suspension travel at higher speeds. Looks like I'm going to have to find access to a press to really get to the insides of them.

Replaced the timing belt, idlers and did a coolant flush last week - biggest job performed thus far. Everything worked out ok but the car did stall a couple times due to a low idle. The problem seems to have gone away, but I wonder whether it has to do with my AVO hose that goes from the intake to turbo. It doesn't look very smooth for the airflow.

 

Also, I was unable to get my Gates A/C-P/S belt on (K050344). The Perrin LWCP is supposed to be stock sized. Does anyone have any experience with this?

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/12/9e006115b1b5e3df12317cba92a4fd4e.jpg

 

How does this look to you guys?

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/12/9e006115b1b5e3df12317cba92a4fd4e.jpg

 

How does this look to you guys?

 

Whats with the additional wire going to the MAF?

You mean the MAF sensor with the screws sticking out of it ?

 

Or that blue wire ?