Franks recommended mods to ensure long troubble free life.

So I'm wrighting this for several reasons, but that is besides the point.

So over my years of being a mechanic, farmer, student and finally an employed engineer that does mechanical hydraulic and electrical system development. I have come to a few ideas or beliefs as you will that can improve the life span of major parts of a car. Some of these changes are only nessasary if certain modifications have been done. Others should be done if your the only person or your often driving the car.

Engine The major essential part with any engine is the oil system.

Strainer oil pump filter bearings bottom of pistons and then oil resovoir.

But did you know when you start your engine cold the oil filter is bypassed? This is a downfall assoiated with all engine and hydraulic systems. This is done for a reason, and that reason is in the case of oil filter blocking or reducd flow oil can still reach the bearings and other parts. The reasoning is better dirty oil than no oil. Well that is totally true, but what about an indication to those who would pay attention, of when the filter needs to be changed? Because the 3000 mile or 6 months is merly a estimate that is not taylored to each engines specific situation.

Oil filter bypass removal or blocking. Is my recomendation for the owner driver that pays attention. To be combined with the addition of oil pressure gauge. This modification would prevent 99% of debris entering the engines oil system that will scratch engine bearings, block the banjo bolt screens and premature failire of the turbochrger and or prevent the turbocharger failliure from distroying the rest of the engine.

The possible down side for some one who will not pay attention, the oil filter can block and cause engine and turbo faillure. so this modification is not to be taken lightly. for this modification on a 4th gen legacy is actually very easy, the bypass is located inside the oilfilter, so simply replace the oilfilter with a older style subaru oil filter that does not have this bypass inside.

Automatic transmission, the automatic tranny is cooled from the engines cooling system. on cars that are driven hard or pulling trailers its recomended to add a external radiator. This radiator works very good at keeping thr trans cool, but when driven easy or in cold weather it works to well. My recomentdation is to add a thermostat, the thermostat will not add life to the tranny but will allow it ro reach its operational temperature quickly and then stay there. The reason for this is the ecm will act in a way to try to warm the tranny up. This behaviour causes the engine to use more fuel.

Manual tranny, in the case of a manual tranny the clutch is designed from subaru to march the engines rotational mass and torque. as is the rest of the drive train. When increasing the torque output of the engine the cluch usually needs to be replaced with a stronger unit. But with harsh driving and or driver where "clutch dumping" or letting off the clutch very quickly, can cause damage. I have seen some cars trucks and tractors have Hydraulic flow restrictors to limit the maximum speed of the clutch pedal release. The addition of a "flow out control" in the line of the clutch pedal is a very in expensive modification that will prevent axel and tranny and diffrential from breaking. But with a possible reduced clutch life, but the cluch is the cheapest part to replace anyways.

I am open to disussion to any of the above, and if you have any questions.

more to come ....

Well I got 142,000 miles on my oem turbo using cheap dino oil from Walmart and Fram filters. As most know, I tend to let my engine coast as much as I can. I let the engine coast on the off ramps and before the rest stop if on the highway traveling. I'd guess the shortest time I let it cool was maybe 30 seconds.

If I drove it hard around town I'd could always coast the last 1/2 mile or so before the house.

Most oil changes were done around 3750 miles some as long as 5500 miles during winter because it was to cold to change the oil when I got home from work. No garage. My typical winter week with the car was, 5 day's to work and back, Friday night 2 hours to VT, than Sunday night 2 hour drive back home, every weekend.

Not sure about the +/- side of oil filter bypass valves. I'll trust you Engineers on that one, BAC5.2 where are you ?

I think most of us the OEM clutch is weak at best. But with that in mind, the Engineers most have felt it's cheaper to replace then some other items that could break with a stronger clutch.

We all have one, but some of us get scolded for stating it to often:spin::spin:.

Mike

Well I got 142,000 miles on my oem turbo using cheap dino oil from Walmart and Fram filters. As most know, I tend to let my engine coast as much as I can. I let the engine coast on the off ramps and before the rest stop if on the highway traveling. I'd guess the shortest time I let it cool was maybe 30 seconds.

 

If I drove it hard around town I'd could always coast the last 1/2 mile or so before the house.

 

Most oil changes were done around 3750 miles some as long as 5500 miles during winter because it was to cold to change the oil when I got home from work. No garage. My typical winter week with the car was, 5 day's to work and back, Friday night 2 hours to VT, than Sunday night 2 hour drive back home, every weekend.

 

Not sure about the +/- side of oil filter bypass valves. I'll trust you Engineers on thathe oil pan is pumped through t one, BAC5.2 where are you ?

 

 

I think most of us the OEM clutch is weak at best. But with that in mind, the Engineers most have felt it's cheaper to replace then some other items that could break with a stronger clutch.

yes letting the turbo cool down is very good to do,

and the best oils are probably with in 5% of cheap oils. much rather change cheap oils more often than good oils never.

the oil filter bypass is a common cause of the turbo blowing up. from blocked banjo bolt screens. that debris made it past the oil filter.

then when the turbo does blow the next morning or any time when the engine is started or if the oil filter is already partially blocked. metal parts from the oil pan are pumped through to the engine bearings and cam bearings distroying them also.

and since i have done this modifications i see some filters degrade and both fram and cheap o type block or severly reduced flow.

this i can easily see in low oil pressure or slow responce in pressure building on the gauge. i swap out the filter and back to normal.

now i have the peice of mind that no matter what else happens the bottom end is gonna stay nice. not an entirly grenaded motor.

From a backyard engineer/ mechanic and aerospace machinist that having oil make engines live. and no oil means death. Being most internal components are steel riding against aluminum components any debris will mar the aluminum surfaces. the oil lubricates and cools the components. the reason certain items fail is mainly due to heat. without coolant or oil the heat would cause all of the parts to "weld " themselves together. including but not limited to; bearings, valves, camshafts, crankshafts, piston, and basically any other moving components. turbo failure can be attributed to lack of oil flow deteriorating bearings causing tight tolerances to be out of tolerance and interference occuring from blades rubbing housing to shaft play causing pressure differences. so

point of the story is... make sure oil is full and flowing and coolant is full and flowing. if all of the components get what they need they should last a while if not abused too much.

but abusing the car is a different story for a different thread .. torque specs movement ect.

That is the same basic reasoning I use to remove both banjo filters from the new EJ257 in my 05.

I'm not worried so much about the small particles floating around in the oil or the oil bypassing the filter. I feel any oil is better than no oil.

My car is driven long enough to get the oil hot enough to boil the water out of it.

If someone drivers there car for only a few miles at a time, they should change there oil sooner rather than at 3500 miles.

FWIW, When I pulled my engine at 154,000 miles it had no bearing noises. When I replaced the oem turbo at 142,000 miles it had shaft play and was making noise for about a 1000 miles.

It started out as a whine under boost, this was a few day's after the CEL P0011 and P0021 while driving on the highway about 1/2 way home on my DD doing about 68mph in cruise control. My trusted mechanic pulled the banjo filter and flushed the oil system. The filter was not that bad looking, it had a couple of black particles in it, but nothing that was shiny.

For those that don't know, when the turbo started to whistle one morning about 1/3 mile from home on the DD to work, I turned around and drove home shut it off and ordered the vf52.

Replaced the turbo the next couple days and drove the engine another year (12,000 miles). Then replaced the engine, because it had been using oil for the past 3 years or so. I got tired of adding oil every 2/3 days.

I know this thread is old but someone told me to let the car warm up a little before driving it and after driving, put it in park and let it idle for about a minute to cool the turbo.

Is this correct? I usually let a car warm up a little before driving but mine takes forever just for the needle to go up

question: with all the variances with aftermarket oil filter by pass settings, would it be 'better' to let the car idle for a bit after you get where you're going? my idear is that theres no load on the engine, oil is thinned and circulating, filter should not be in by pass and any 'debris' will now be caught in the filter.... well this goes for if you do not 'cruise' to your destination and the engine gets up to operating temp and stays there long enough

then when you go start the car with a cold engine, there should be very little floating debris from the last drive

subscribed, I like this thread....

Dave

I know this thread is old but someone told me to let the car warm up a little before driving it and after driving, put it in park and let it idle for about a minute to cool the turbo.

 

Is this correct? I usually let a car warm up a little before driving but mine takes forever just for the needle to go up

Letting the turbo cool is a good thing. You don't need to let the engine warm up. I start mine, let the car roll down the 125ft driveway. put it in 1st gear and drive off, I don't go to WOT until it's fully warmed up. But as long as you drive easy, that's the fastest way to let it warm up.

You can also let it cool by coasting a bit before you pull into the driveway, if you can. But even driveing into a parking lot and finding a parking place takes a minute or so.

Just use you head, and plan a head.

Letting the turbo cool is a good thing. You don't need to let the engine warm up. I start mine, let the car roll down the 125ft driveway. put it in 1st gear and drive off, I don't go to WOT until it's fully warmed up. But as long as you drive easy, that's the fastest way to let it warm up.

 

You can also let it cool by coasting a bit before you pull into the driveway, if you can. But even driveing into a parking lot and finding a parking place takes a minute or so.

 

Just use you head, and plan a head.

^+1000. Same here. I never go into boost or high revs when the engine is cold. I just drive it real easy until the engine reaches operating temps.

When I know I am about a mile from destination, I avoid boosting as well to let the turbo cool down a bit.

I know this thread is old but someone told me to let the car warm up a little before driving it and after driving, put it in park and let it idle for about a minute to cool the turbo.

 

Is this correct? I usually let a car warm up a little before driving but mine takes forever just for the needle to go up

Unnecessary to idle before turning off in a Subaru.

Coolant moves through the turbo as long as it's hot. When it's no longer hot enough that coolant flows, it's not hot enough to coke oil or do any other damage.

Coolant moves through the turbo as long as it's hot. When it's no longer hot enough that coolant flows, it's not hot enough to coke oil or do any other damage.

^ Can you elaborate? Are you saying that the coolant continues to circulate even with the engine off?

^ Can you elaborate? Are you saying that the coolant continues to circulate even with the engine off?

That is exactly what I am saying.

That is exactly what I am saying.

Interesting. How can it be though if the water pump is not spinning?

plenty of energy left in the heat itself and thermal dynamics does the rest. Cooler coolant from the tank above the turbo will fall, hotter coolant will be displaced and rise back into the tank and the cycle continues as the whole thing cools down.

Close enough to generalize the concept.

You aren't hurting anything but fuel economy when you idle for a minute after driving.

plenty of energy left in the heat itself and thermal dynamics does the rest. Cooler coolant from the tank above the turbo will fall, hotter coolant will be displaced and rise back into the tank and the cycle continues as the whole thing cools down.

Close enough to generalize the concept.

 

You aren't hurting anything but fuel economy when you idle for a minute after driving.

I see now. I was actually already picturing out this scenario but I was not sure if this was enough to properly cool the turbo down.

On another note, I can add that as soon as you let the car idling after a long drive, the coolant temp is rising quite noticeably (e.g. from 83C to 95C // 181F to 203F) even though the needle does not really move. I've checked this several times using the Torque app on my android phone to monitor boost, cooling temps, etc..

All very interesting and educational but to get back to basics and assuming the automobile isn't been used in extreme conditions...then sticking religiously to the manufacturers service/maintenance schedule and driving the car in the correct manner AND having a motor vehicle which has been designed and manufactured to expectadly high standards (such as a Subaru)...

Then it would be reasonable to assume that one should get in excess of 300,000 miles from the car....as we know, there are many thousands of cars on the road today that far exceed this mileage figure, with relatively minimum maintenance!!

Tapatalk from Galaxy S2

Close enough to generalize the concept.

 

You aren't hurting anything but fuel economy when you idle for a minute after driving.

I notice all of a 1.5 MPG drop(22.5 winter vs 24MPG summer) based on car computer in my wife's 05 LGT winter vs summer with her idling. She lets it idle 5-10 mins for warmup on cold winter days for comfort and defrost/safety in our driveway. She never lets it idle down.