de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Been meaning to do this for a while. Goals here thread-wise are in arbitrary portions show and tell, tutorial, random blog-type nonsense, bragging, and most importantly, upping my post count

Car-wise, it's been an ongoing process deciding what I want to do with the machine. This is my first performance car (only my second motor vehicle to begin with) [update: I've had two more cars as well since, but still have this one!], and it's been a learning experience seeing what does what and how it got done. Enter the tutorial element here, to explain what I did, my reasoning, if results were as expected or otherwise, and how to do it if you think you can get comparable improvements.

If and when I sell the car, these will serve as documentation as to what I have found out about the car's history as well as my contributions to it, in miles, mods, and gee whiz, memories. I've been keeping receipts and taking pictures.

I've a publications background so I get a little intense about formatting, which is liable to change over time. Ease of navigation and heavy use of hyperlinks, on and off i-Club, is to be expected.


El coche: 2004 PSM GDA WRX
Miles: 130K and rising
Bought: XYZ

I'm the 4th owner and there's been some good and bad surprises associated with that, but more about that later.

The equipment list here will reflect current state of affairs, with planned upgrades in italics. Annotations will eventually take you to individual posts about information regarding the part(s), install, improvements or not, etc.

Name hyperlinks provided as reference and will take you to manufacture site or a vendor at least. These provide further "official" descriptions and serve as a starting point if you wish to find these parts for yourself as well, and are not intended to be "I $pent $o much on my $exy $ubaru" wankery. If anything, I got them for less than MSRP via sales, careful hunting, the occasional hookup or buying used.

re: Frequent linking to Rallysport Direct, I am not on their payroll and do not necessarily endorse nor disapprove of their organization (save for RS Rick's openings to the "What's in the Box?" videos - go easy there Rick), and use it simply because they are a popular and recognizable distributor of performance wares for Subarus, and frequently have reviews and other interesting (or less exciting, but nonetheless important) information on the part at hand.

As always, shop around for the best deals kids, and don't be afraid to churn the community economy by buying from other forum members.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

ECU:
-Stock Map
-Tactrix OpenPort 2.0
-EcuFlash 1.44 Software
-Open Source 91/E85 Tune by Concilian (Part Installations Pending)

Motor
-Stock EJ205 [Hydrolocked ]
....-"EJ256" Hybrid in progress
-Grimmspeed 160 Degree Thermostat
-NKG Colder Spark Plugs
-Koyo OEM Replacement Radiator
-Stock TD04 turbo
-Megan Racing Reinforced Engine Mounts
-S2 Industries Air/Oil Separator
-STi Oil Pan

Steering:
-Momo WRX Steering Wheel
-Whiteline KSR202 Steering Rack & Pinion Mount Bushings

Wheels/Tires:
-Stock 02-05 WRX Wheels 16x6.5 +53mm Offset
-Continental Control Contact Sport AS 225/50/16

Brakes:
-Stock 4-Pot Front Calipers
-Stock 2-Pot Rear Calipers
-Stoptech Street Performance Brake Pads Front/Rear
-GoodRidge G-Stop Stainless Steel Brake Lines Front/Rear
-Powerslot Slotted Front Rotors
-Unknown brand rear slotted rotors

Transmission:
-Stock 5MT
-Short Shifter (OEM Option)
-Kartboy Rear Shifter Bushing
-Torque Solutions Shifter Bushings
-Excedy Lightweight Flywheel
-Excedy Stage 1 Clutch
-Goodridge Braided Steel Clutch Line
-Megan Racing Reinforced Transmission Mount
-Whiteline W0584 Gearbox Positive Shift Kit Bushings (Transmission Crossmember Bushings)

Intake:
-Stock Airbox/Snorkel Delete
-AEM Cold Air Intake System
-Stock Turbo Inlet
-Stock WRX TMIC (STi TMIC, 04-05 or 08 planned)

Exhaust:
-Stock downpipe
-Custom TurboXS Muffler + Titanium Exhaust Pipe

Suspension:
-Stock struts
-STi Aluminum Control Arms
-Swift Sport Springs
-eBay Pink Front Strut Tower Bar
-eBay Pink Rear Strut Tower Bar
-TiC Giuyngmyo Fender Cowl Braces
-Whiteline: (All Bushings Medium Hardness Polyurethane)
....-W61383 Trailing Arm Lower Rear Bushings
....-W61381 Trailing Arm Lower Front Bushings
....-W91379 Differential Support Outrigger Bushings
....-W91380 Differential Mount in Cradle Bushings
....-W61382 Rear Control Arm Lower Inner & Outer Bushings
....-KCA414 Camber Adjusting Bolt Kits 14mm Front/Rear
....-KCA335 Strut Mount Offset Assembly ("Com-C Top Hats")
....-KCA313 Roll Center/Bump Steer Correction Kit (Purchase Pending)
....-KCA362 Control Arm Lower Inner Rear Bushing (Anti-Lift/Caster Correction) ("ALK") Comfort
....-W52837 Control Arm Lower Inner Front Bushing
....-KLC31 Sway Bar Link Assembly Extra Heavy Duty Alloy
........-Front and Rear Extra Heavy Duty Link Assemblies
....-BSF33XZ Front Sway Bar 24mm Heavy Duty Blade Adjustable
........-With W0406-24 24mm Sway Bar Bushings
....-BSR36XZ Rear Sway Bar 24mm Heavy Duty Blade Adjustable
........-With KLL124 24mm Alloy Lateral Locks
-Perrin Stout Mount Rear Sway Bar Mounting Kit
....-With Perrin 25mm Polyurethane Bushings

Body:
-STi Hood Scoop
-OEM WRX Wing
-Debadged Trunk
-Moon Roof
-Tinted Side and Rear Window(s) (% Unsure)
-Front License Plate Delete
-Sexy Scars

Lighting:
-Stock Headlights (Wet Sand and Resealing Pending)
-Osram H1 Headlight Bulbs
-LED Map Lights
-LED Dome Light
-LED License Plate Lights

Audio:
-Stock Stereo
-Polk Audio Front Door Speakers

Etc:
-i-Club.com Decals Front/Rear
-Whiteline Flat Out Decal Rear
-Heated Seats
-Project Mu Sweatband on Shifter

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Alright, ima go to bed. See some of you at Alice's tomorrow.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Between work and my other whip, I've been a bit lax on working on the rex (and in turn posting here), but there remains plenty of backlog of content to show up here, to everyone's benefit and interest, I can only hope. Stay tuned kids.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Flushed my intercooler with diesel, got a set of standard (you know... inches and stuff) deep sockets so I could tighten the T-bolts on the IC to TB coupling in a timely manner (just wrenched it beforehand, sigh), tightened associated hoses.

Car is at about 11-12 PSI - should and has been more than that, what with the shear size of the Perrin TMIC I have on, even without the Cobb I had on previously. Sold that a while back, kinda miss it though. Not a proper tune, but boy better than the stock map.

I suspect something may have gone afoul post install of my air oil separator, not sure though. Cleaned my PCV valve in the process, maybe should have replaced it, but seems like it takes a heat gun to beat the Loctite/whatever holding the valve in the housing.

PVC cap/bike tube step pressure test to follow soon, and maybe even a catch can alongside the AOS.

Pictures and stuff to follow too. I know that's all you kids really want.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Other day I was talking to another 04 PSM owner (had a wagon, it was *******, and a pizza delivery car at that) about his blow off valve. Don't hear them too often on Subarus, and the car was decidedly un-ricey, though it did have a roll cage and neon green wheels, so imo, it works.

Prior to this, some gears had been turning about a BOV that could act like an electric cutout - variable, operated from within the cabin. Noise when I want it, hush when I don't.

So far, I'm thinking of a large water valve with ball-based actuation (imagine a sphere with a hole in it), opened and closed by a servo. Getting the shear width of opening to thoroughly evacuate the pressure is on the agenda, as this would be inbetween the bypass hose and its feed point on the turbo inlet, as is something that sounds cool. Much like mufflers, it is an instrument in ways, a horn or trumpet or something equally grandiose. I don't need nor want that fanfare all the time though, hence the want for a variable one.

As always, more updates from the bench as details develop.


In other news, fixed my Camry All-Trac daily driver's overheating problem today. Turned out the coolant return line from the top of the radiator to the reservoir was ****packed with ferrous poopy poop. Some forceful coaxing, naval jelly and CLR later, I had the hoses cleaned, but still flushed the fluid again as it was toilet brown, as I put a bottle of flush in it last night and drove from SJ to Dublin and back for a Toyota meet. Flushed it again today, more cleaner, and no more overheating even after driving around downtown SJ for a bit, getting a little spirited in the SJSU parking structures.

Interesting bit of nostalgia driving an SV20 Camry though there, as my first car was just such a Camry. We'll see if I can find a white All-Trac with a blue interior, in good shape, to start going a 3SGTE swap on, but that's for another day on another forum.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Here's a lame bump...

A while back I was feeling frisky after having driven my brother’s AW11 MR2, and at that for the first time since learning to drive stick on it. Felt nice to be able to drive with some agility, and not stalling every other shift – aaaand having to get out and bump start the car each time as the car was having starting issues at the time. And if you’re gonna do that on any car, hope it’s a first gen ‘2 like that, RWD for less drivetrain resistance, and 700 pounds lighter than a WRX.

But I dun goofed. On the way home in the rex, I took an onramp too fast on balding tires, oversteered off the road, and borked up my driver side strut and some associated suspension parts, some body damage too.

I had been putting off tires for being unsure if I’d run the LE37t’s I had purchased some time prior. They were somewhat of an impulse buy, made without being super sure of what I wanted performance or size-wise out of a wheel. I’m not into stance, don’t want to go flared or even roll my fenders if I have to, am only dropped an inch in front, 0.8" in back… 18x7.5 just wasn’t right for what I wanted. Too tall, too narrow, something I know now.

Still dig and want some LE/TE37 wheels, just in say 17x8. If you have any leads there, I'd be interested eventually.

Anyway, lesson learned kids, is research before you buy, and replace your tires when they get bald. What else is new.

Deutschland represent (that’s the “de” in “de_engineered” btw).

I let the car sit for about a month, hoping to not get insurance involved if possible, before giving up on that. A "friendly" neighbor, though I also suspect my old man, reported me to the cops for an abandoned vehicle at some point. The car did look a bit derelict, and had a flat tire, though I still wish whoever it was had just minded their own business. I had had the car towed to my parents' court as it wasn't readily pushable, and street sweeping is monthly where I live. Just my luck I got it taken to the shop a day before it may have gotten impounded. I don't know if Fremont cops truly have that little to do, but I'm glad I sidestepped that potential headache.

But enter another one...

It's been in the shop for 3 months, and counting. I’ll talk about that off forum about it if anyone’s curious. Know though, that the shop is in large part to blame for the delays, and lack of communication, but I still hold myself accountable for problems reaching further back, and some of the arrangements I made re: repairs.

It has been my experience in life so far, that my problems have been of my own manufacture, and that things actually insurmountable are very few and far between.

I’m calling this a lesson (re)learned, and encourage you kids to draw from it too. It could happen to you.

Pending the car coming back soon, I hope, upgrades will be on hold for a time until I get some better employment. Stay tuned for more talk on what I have done, and how I believe these things helped prevent me from having an even worse crash, and other mindless musings.

Of course, the best, and in theory cheapest mod, is always, to tighten the nut behind the wheel.

In other news, the block on my Camry All-Trac cracked (well, popped open - there's a quarter sized hole, and not from one of the freeze plugs). I'm selling it to a friend who can work on it more and better than I can. In a way, it's all the wrenching fun without any of the headaches of ownership. I'll work on my ultimate Camry that never was but should have been, one of these days.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

And now it's 4 months kids, and I won't even have a car in time for BAM. Def not show worthy this year or even next, but sadface I won't be rolling in on my own steam to a car meet on the scale of BAM. Been biking to smaller meets and just about town, and I'm down about 15 pounds for it, silver lining there.

Post repairs and all, car is looking like so:

-Whiteline Com-C top hats
-Turn in Concepts fender cowl braces
-STi aluminum control arms
-AEM Cold air intake*
-2.5L oil pan
-Whiteline steering rack bushings
-Newish bumper
-New (reman) hood
-New front driverside fender
-New strut, knuckle, axel
-Whiteline 24mm front sway
-Whiteline reinforced from endlinks
-New Continentals on stock wheels (one wheel is new)

All said and done I hope between all the time it's been in the shop, the mechanic will just call it a wash, but we'll see what he wants to charge me in the end.

I wish I'd have put a Killer B oil pickup tube in while the pan was being installed, but oh well. Maybe by the time I get the new headers and turbo in I'll make that move. I drive aggressively now and again, but don't plan to track the car anytime soon, so OEM should be ok, and at that this here is the STi pickup, presumably flowing a bit more than a WRX, and out of a deeper, fuller pan at any rate.

**I'm agnostic about the whole intake debate, but this part has a big ol' EO number on, so I can pass smog.

04GG

iTrader: (33)

What time shall I pick you up? Sorry man. Sounds like a stiff but nice setup. I have the aluminum arms and WL RCA and endlinks on the FXT.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

How do you like the WL castle joints/arms versus stock? Bit of a different beast with your fozz, but shouldn’t be too different.

I’ve found "stiff" to be extremely subjective from person to person. When I'm rolling again we can go for a ride and you can see for yourself. I do like how my setup is very "square" feeling versus how it was when I got it, when all it had mod-wise were Tein S-Techs.

Flukewrx aka Tim inspired the setup I’m going for. He has most if not all of the Whiteline bushing catalog, and 24mm front and rear sways, not sure about the endlinks though. He has rear subframe lock bolts, but stock ALKs. Konis and RCE yellows for shocks.

He took me out for a ride one time, and his bugeye sedan was a board-level magic carpet, at any speed or turn angle.

Whiteline bump steer/roll center kit, and Konis are next on my agenda, as are rear Group-N tophats (Tim has that and the Com-Cs). To note, in between alignments, his specs did not budge whatsoever, didn't even need to get anything adjusted. He drives hard, but well, so far as he says haha.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Still no car.

Equipment list updated with what is and is not on the car anymore.

What is not:

Rally Armour Mud Flaps

One tore out on a curb behind me I was backing up towards. It looked silly with just one, so I took the other rear out. Front one got torn out in the accident. And same deal there - asymmetry with these things looks silly.

These were the plastic, Ikea cutting board style ones. They look kinda cheap to be honest, and I only put them on as I got a set for not much. The previous owner also had some as well, and left the hardware intact. They're not bad for utilitarian purposes, aka actual mud, and probably best for stock height cars.


Perrin Afta-MAF Intake Tube + Blitz SUS Short Ram Intake

Didn't pass smog visual when I last took it in, though somehow it did when they car was sold, weird. Perrin is based in Oregon, so basically none of their parts are CA legal (I hear oddly enough that they have a CARB'd downpipe), and Blitz is from good ol' Nippon.

It accentuates your turbo spool, aka sounds cool, but as for any performance gains, probably nothing, and especially so without a tune. Did make working in the engine bay a bit easier, less to take out of the way than the stock box and snorkel.


Stromung Catless Shorty Downpipe

I had this for sale for a long while with no bites, so I thought I'd put it on to put it to better use. As a bolt on, it's not bad considering it did add a few poinies even without a tune so far as the butt dyno could tell. Like the Blitz, it makes the spool sound spool-ier.


More actual descriptions/reviews/pictures to come.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Quick comparison, IHI VF37 twin scroll on the left, stock Mitsubishi TD04 (the turbine housing at least) on the right.

04GG

iTrader: (33)

Well?

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Got it back, mostly-sorta. Been meaning to do a full write up and explain what's next...

The All-Trac got towed the other day too, which was fuuuuuun getting back, so I've been a bit busy.

I'll throw something together before the meet tonight.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Seemed a decent idea to check in for my quarterly update...

As some of you may know, I hydrolocked during Stormzilla. Never think that sort of thing will happen to you, but then again I didn't think I'd ever have a Subaru either.

Remember kids, just say no to cold water intakes (see what I did there?).

Silver lining for my silver car though is a chance to rebuild/replace the engine, because even if I do get the current one up and running (hopes aren't high), I wouldn't trust it too much, and with 147k on it plus three prior owners who likely hooned the hell out of it, it was due for this probably sooner than later.

Thus far, I've an EJ255 short block in very nice shape, as per the assesment of Noah at LIC. I played with getting my EJ205 heads machined (EQ offers a service) to be used with the 255 block, but it looks more costly than it's worth, and this assumes mine aren't borked from the water as is.

So, looking at 257 heads, because why not - they're said to flow better than the 255s. The 255 block is essentially the same as the STi 257, save for stronger pistions and/or rods, forget which.

I call the hybrid... EJ256. Do da math.

In lieu of all this, I'm also putting on my long neglected VF37 rig (TD04 is also at 147k, and I've seen/smelled the thing smoke, eek). I'm getting a "half" tune from my tuner, with the work done and money paid here going towards a fuller working through once I get all my parts and goodies in place. I'm just looking for a running car, which has been awfully scarce for me this past year unfortunately.

Funds are tight, so progress will be a bit slow, but not total snail's pace. Call it about 2 months or less and I should be rolling again, or possibly sooner if I get some better employment elsewhere.

Any y'all hiring?