I want more power. I have a 2007 2.5i legacy ltd. I have a couple questions.

I plan on keeping this car to get me throughout college, I've come across many threads saying to just buy a new faster car, but I don't feel like dealing with another car note.

 

I just feel like I'd make money to pay for car parts in full a lot quicker than I'd be able to rack up enough money for a fairly new low mileage wrx or something paid in full.

 

so here's what stumping me now.

 

-I want to get the kakimoto intake chamber. which should be a simple bolt on right ? I haven't found any online video tutorials so I'm just guessing you disconnect the oem manifold and install the kakimoto one, right ?

 

- I'm interested in installing an after market camshaft. haven't found any ej253 specific videos for it though.

 

would i have to get engine hoist and take apart the engine to break in a new camshaft? would that be something I should pay to have done for me?

 

 

 

^^ that stuff I'm okay with doing, and I feel like I won't regret it. Here is some other stuff that I'm on the fence about:

 

-AVO turbo kit. what else is involved in installing the new avo turbo kit? I would need a turbo manifold? new pistons and gaskets. Reading these threads I've seen a lot of people say it would be better to get a new car.

 

When I imagine myself buying a new car, I see myself dropping $15,000 - $20,000 for one that's actually in good shape. I'm kinda confused ( confused as in find it hard to believe) how a turbo installation could end up costing $15,000 - $20,000.

 

 

- Raptor supercharger kit. I've read on another thread that the 2.5 legacy, manifolds, pistons, etc can't handle turbos for very long, and that it'd be cheaper to get a supercharger.

 

- ej257 swap. this would be the route I would feel the most comfortable going with if I wasn't already aware of the financial downsides to doing this engine swap. In one of the threads I've read , a commentor tells the OP that an engine swap would be cheaper than the $3,400 avo turbo kit. so i guess it's debatable.

 

so those seem like the three options to see any real difference in power, and all of them aren't that great. Would it possible to reach at least 200hp without any forced induction or swaps? come to think of it I haven't heard very many bad things about the supercharger..yet.

 

Which route do you think I should go?. I have come across very few people who haven't had issues with the turbo or motor swap, not much on supercharger.

There is hope for you, People mainly WRX, and LGT people that come to the N\A section to try to hate will tell you to sell it, do not waste money, your car will not be fast. Just do not even waste your time and reply man. This is coming from a guy who had a 04 STI tuned to the gills, Tune 03 Evo, and much more. I also agree to not get another car payment just to have a fast car even though I could buy what I want cash now, but my priorities are different now. I have been payment free for 10 years.

 

Yes, Get the Kakimoto chamber. (I ordered min and it is on the way from Japan) Many N\A guys are running it now and have now issue.

Yes, you can do cam’s I (I am not going that deep for power, so I opted not to) If you get them you will need a tune.

I am not sure about pulling the motor to do cams, but if you have a bunch of miles I would refresh the motor maintenance wise before an install of cams. If possible do it all yourself to save tons of money.

Turbo kit wise the AVO would be fine, Yes, it’s a straight up install, but you need a TUNE for sure. I am pretty sure you can bolt the kit right up, but check that out to make sure.

I would stay away from the Raptor kit and go turbo, I would also not do a motor swap, cause it’s just to costly and time consuming. If you have the cash do it, but you’re in school right?

Since you’re going to keep this throughout school, and if I were you this is the way I would go:

Do a nice one over the car’s maintenance:

Plugs (Change if old)

Wires (these last a while just check not need to replace)

Oil (change if needed, run some good quality of your choice)

Belts (check them out)

Fluids (check all and change if needed)

You get the point, if all look well and is running strong and maintenance is good (no matter the miles), then proceed to add parts. Now these cars are not going to be street killers. I get a ton of flack on my XRT tuning thread because people want paper stats and dyno numbers, oh well. I not modifying for that. Plus numbers mean nothing in real life.

Here is what I would do/Am doing now:

Kakimoto Intake Chamber (Get this now, take 6-12 weeks from japan)

Hard pipe section (replaces the black ribbed section from the Stock chamber)

High flow Panel filter (I have K & N and it’s great, or AVO panel filter)

Remove Fender Silencer (this is under the panel filter box)

Blackbird Fog light Ram Air (run a silicone hose or duct to the fog light)

XRT Extreme Racing Tuning (I have stage 1 engine tune, and Stage 2 trans tune, a must)

Pitch Stop mount ( I have the torque solution after market one)

Now that’s just motor wise. I would do that first and see what you think. I am sure you will be very happy. If performance is what you want first then that should work. You really should look into Better, brakes, rotors, SS lines, All suspension (coilovers, swaybars, endlinks, strut bars), and tires which are very important. I have all of this done and more. My can is a 08 2.5i (Now 2.5X, with 145K miles and is running very strong. If you have questions on tuning or parts let me know. There are many JDM parts from japan that fit our cars that many have no clue about. Sorry this was long , but it can be done man.

Oh and make sure to get a proper tune when you get the motor parts on, not to make a street beast but to have it run proper.

What is your car putting down on a dyno now with all these changes NORU? Would help the member A LOT to see how great this tune and parts are doing in real world numbers.

Oh and make sure to get a proper tune when you get the motor parts on, not to make a street beast but to have it run proper.

 

This part is the most important. Your stock tune is meant to handle the amount and ratio of air and fuel that is entering your engine in stock configuration. As you change things to increase the amount of air and fuel that enters your motor, you need a tune to calibrate your motor for it. This is vital because the wrong mixture can literally blow up your engine. When looking for a tuner, make sure you find someone reputable who has done a lot of builds and has dyno charts to back it up. Feel free to post when you find someone and we will be sure to let you know if they seem like they know what they're doing. Any good tuner will be more than willing to answer any questions you have in a clear and concise manner. Remember, it's YOUR car and YOU are responsible for it. If it blows up the tuner is absolved of responsibility and they are free to absquatulate with your money. With that said, someone local is preferable.

The AVO turbo kit is your best route. Here is a dyno chart from EFI logics that they did on a 2.5i.

 

Here's the N/A baseline map:

 

http://efilogics.com/dyno/graph.php?gb=0&hp=1&torque=1&rpm=1&sl=1&sln=1&sat=0&cb=0&dgr=1&smm=0&sg=1&runid1=1550&rgb1=000000255

 

Now here's it with the Turbo kit:

 

http://efilogics.com/dyno/graph.php?gb=0&hp=1&torque=1&rpm=1&sl=1&sln=1&sat=0&cb=0&dgr=1&smm=0&sg=1&runid1=1642&rgb1=000000255

 

 

This is your best route for more power. You can see your N/A Baseline there isn't much power to be had. You can add an air filter/intake, a cat back exhaust or a better header and tune you will see a 5 HP gain at most, only to strain your engine a lot more than what it's engineered for and you're on the fast track to blowing the block.

 

A few years back Rallitek and cobb teamed up to make a N/A Accessport that "stage 1" adds 10 HP and it's meant to be used with Camshafts and Valve Springs that were good for a 40HP gain on your car. If you don't want to deal with turbo upgrades I honestly think this is your best way to get more power. If you can add Cams, valve springs and tune I think you can make your car 180hp with no boost lag to worry about you'll have a nice little pep to it. I think you can have more fun with that than a $3500 turbo kit that can only put out 6psi

Sell the car, buy a used LGT

profit

Alternately you might consider just keeping it stock. I know this option isn't very exciting. On the other hand you're not talking about modifying and tuning a motor that has a lot of aftermarket for it. So your cams and head work or whatever else you have planned will not give much bang for the buck. I hate to discourage enthusiasm for your car, but I'd take a step back and honestly assess better uses of your money.

 

The Subaru EJ253 is not like the turbo mills, there's just not the potential there. If you want to get serious power from a naturally aspirated engine, your best bet is the GM LS series V8's: tons of aftermarket support, lots of displacement, and the block and heads are pretty much derived from GM's racing programs. A cam, head work, headers, intake, and tune on one of those can make ludicrous power.

^^ This is the direction I am going to go in. Adequate reliable efficient daily driver, and a second, weekend car that has more mod-ability. This allows me to tinker and break, without disrupting that great regular everyday car.

I just feel like

 

One thing you'll learn wicked quick around here is that your feelings will get crushed by objective facts, so be prepared and don't take any of it personally.

 

I'd make money to pay for car parts in full a lot quicker than I'd be able to rack up enough money for a fairly new low mileage wrx or something paid in full.

 

Maybe, but in the long run that money will be wasted because you will get extremely poor returns in gains for that money.

And yes, stay away from a WRX even if you can afford the car, because insurance will absolutely murder you at your demographic. Young and single driving a WRX. I can think of only a handful of worst scenarios for insurance.

 

-I want to get the kakimoto intake chamber

No

 

I'm interested in installing an after market camshaft.

NO

 

would i have to get engine hoist and take apart the engine to break in a new camshaft? would that be something I should pay to have done for me?

No, no.

 

 

 

that stuff I'm okay with doing, and I feel like I won't regret it.

You are wrong, just like those before you, you will likely ignore the voice of reason because you are at the age that you tend to be driven by emotion and conviction, and just like most before you, you will look back on these decisions and regret them once you're in the WRX you truly want.

 

AVO turbo kit

For the love of god no

 

Raptor supercharger kit

No, no, no.

 

I've read on another thread that the 2.5 legacy, manifolds, pistons, etc can't handle turbos for very long, and that it'd be cheaper to get a supercharger.

Listen to me, nothing will be cheaper, there is no good solution here talking about forced induction on this car. You're weighing the options between a good raping vs an ungodly amount of raping. So really, the question here is, how much raping are you comfortable with? The correct answer should be zero.

 

ej257 swap

:lol:

You cannot do this. You have to swap the entire drivetrain pretty much.

 

 

I've read , a commentor tells the OP that an engine swap would be cheaper than the $3,400 avo turbo kit

That's not the only expense you're looking at.

Assuming everything goes absolutely perfect and the turbo install goes turnkey, you're still looking at the money and especially time invested into tuning it right. Just no

 

so those seem like the three options to see any real difference in power, and all of them aren't that great

You've finally said something sane

 

Dude seriously, the used car market can offer you many, many reliable options with great power, for the money that you would be investing into all.

 

So you've got two sane choices:

-do nothing and put your money into a savings account (you should do this)

-dump the NA and buy a used, reliable, already mildly modded Legacy GT or something else for comparable power and money

Fishbone: destroyer of dreams, emotionless voice of harsh logical reasoning.

 

[emoji106]

My name is Legion, for we are many.

I'd go halfway. Sounds like you're going to have your current set of wheels for a little while so I'd spend a little on adding a couple of personal touches (tune, wheels, exhaust) and then save up the rest to put towards something you can really enjoy.

 

Set yourself a budget that you're happy to tip into the car ($1,000 say) and then stick to it.

 

As others have said it's not the right car to be doing major power upgrades as the $ spent to do it right is going to be more than selling/buying a better car (GT/WRX).

 

Better off just doing a basic tune and some cosmetic stuff and leave it at that. If you can afford to, keep the old parts so you can return it back to stock when it comes time to sell.

Tigger73: Bringer of comfortable hope, enabler of smart decision making.

Buy my Spec.B

 

 

 

::Bringer of Joyous woosh sounds, taker of money.

 

 

I kid I kid, Tigger is on the nose with this one IF you're super set on modding. Otherwise Listen to the Fish.

My name is Legion, for we are many.

 

I loved Legion I always picked him over Tali!

 

On topic keep one thing in mind the BL is getting old even when it was current there wasn't a ton of parts for either platform. Yes exhaust and bolt on bits but that was due to the WRX more than the Legacy GT. The Legacy 2.5i is even more sparse as Subaru made sure the EJ 253 wouldn't appeal to modders.

 

For a 2007 you should be more geared towards replacing the HGs and all those old rubber bits under the intake and around the engine. Once you have the reliability box checked/routine maintenance then you can branch out. But there isn't much. Search the forum for tuning and suspension advice. Save your money at this point the platform is old there are newer more reliable cars to have fun with.

Agreed, especially as you want this car to last you through college as a daily driver. Don't go too crazy.

 

My suggestion: coilovers (check out Fortune Auto, American made), rear sway bar, AVO panel filter, axleback exhaust; make sure headgaskets are in good condition (I had to get mine replaced, I went with the STi ones). Run good oil (recommend 5W40 synth for warmer climates). Tuning would probably help if you really wanted to invest in it, if not --throw some high octane fuel in there once in awhile for extra fun points. Your butt dyno will love it. Find some good twisty roads to wreak some havoc on, it should be enough to keep you entertained.

 

Spend your extra money on aftermarket wheels, for the ladies.

Agreed... spend your extra money on the ladies.

 

+1

Agreed, especially as you want this car to last you through college as a daily driver. Don't go too crazy.

 

My suggestion: coilovers (check out Fortune Auto, American made), rear sway bar, AVO panel filter, axleback exhaust; make sure headgaskets are in good condition (I had to get mine replaced, I went with the STi ones). Run good oil (recommend 5W40 synth for warmer climates). Tuning would probably help if you really wanted to invest in it, if not --throw some high octane fuel in there once in awhile for extra fun points. Your butt dyno will love it. Find some good twisty roads to wreak some havoc on, it should be enough to keep you entertained.

 

Spend your extra money on aftermarket wheels, for the ladies.

 

This is perfect. Adding to this there are many JDM parts from japan, and Whiteline bushing to tighten up the car. Those stock ones are junk after many miles

 

the reason I say keep the car is this, I was at a show this weekend and I saw one legacy. it was a 2.5i 2014. There was no 08-09 body style like mine there. I am waiting for my wheels to be done before the big shows start.

 

Of course there were WRX old and new, and STI's and so on. you see them all the time. That's why you need to keep it and add a few things to make it your own. PM me if you want to know what parts (JDM) and chassis bracing fit. Also another great cheap addition is adding the Spec B bezel and leather boot, and add a nice shift knob. Gives the appearance of a MT car.

NORULZ, just own the fact that you have an automatic. If you cared that much about looking like you have an MT, you should just own an MT. Do you even open your hood when you go to these car shows to show off your tuned 170hp engine?

NORULZ, just own the fact that you have an automatic. If you cared that much about looking like you have an MT, you should just own an MT. Do you even open your hood when you go to these car shows to show off your tuned 170hp engine?

 

Yep sure do pop the hood. Ahh I know I have a 4EAT . I tell people that. I just sold 2 MT cars. People love the look of my mighty 170hp 4eat 2.5istreet killer where ever I go . I could care less if you think it's rice . I could care less what any of you really say or think. I herd things 10 times worse .

 

OP, these guys will give you shit and I am sure they do to others, Oh well just ignore them man. Like I said, PM me, I am sure you can get that 07 you have looking, sounding, and running nice. No need for WRX or LGT. work with what you have. Like you stated, you do not want a car payment man.

 

Hell when I was in college I had 2 Escorts ( ZX2 and LX-G), I still love ZX2's. So you legacy is a nice leap from my 88hp car I had in college .

how about you just give the kid logical advice while being in college? It's not wise to waste money on modifying a car that isn't a good platform to modify to begin with. Ok if you have the itch to modify it that bad, put some springs and new wheels/tires on it and some sway bars. I don't just harp on the N/A guys about modifying their cars, I do this to the turbo guys as well on nasioc and club WRX who are 18-20 years old driving a WRX/STI/LGT when they shouldn't be owning a car that fast to begin with at such a young age, let alone modify it.

 

The same shit you did when I discouraged that 17 year old kid from putting an exhaust on his 2.5i because he wouldn't get a rumble out of it, and told him to enjoy the car for what it's worth since it's his first car and he's in high school and enjoy the freedom of driving period.

 

Now as for tuning your N/A. let us know how your engine holds up 20-30k more miles down the road, you re-tuned it so now the engine is constantly being pushed to its limits and it's not a good platform to be tuned to begin with. Hell most turbo platforms from Subaru don't hold up too well over a decent span of mileage and they are a good platform to tune and modify to begin with. 170hp street killer let's see a dyno sheet that proves you have 170hp.

 

Honestly if you pulled up next to me and started flooring it to mess with me, I'd just laugh and let you go. I save my speed for the track, not to be a ricer.

Here's a dyno of a 2.5i stock

 

http://efilogics.com/dyno/graph.php?gb=0&hp=1&torque=1&rpm=1&sl=1&sln=1&sat=0&cb=0&dgr=1&smm=0&sg=1&runid1=1550&rgb1=000000255

 

This one's a manual, some how your automatic 2.5i with this magical tune gained 44 horsepower over a stock 2.5i?

NB2 Miatas with I/H/E make better numbers. And I'll bet they handle better, too.