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Old 07-09-2019, 01:58 AM   #1
knightangle
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Member#: 492769
Join Date: Oct 2018
Chapter/Region: NESIC
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Vehicle:
2003 WRX Wagon
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Default 03 WRX built for reliability?

So this is something I’m seriously considering. I just graduated college and just got a full time job in accounting. Trying to counter that boringness with an exciting car.

I did a JDM swap with my tax return this year cause I thought I blew my engine (it was the ac pulley hitting the TB cover) I’m just a paranoid tard.

ANYWAY! I want this car to be as reliable as possible. The engine I got from jspecauto.com and had great compression and roughly 50k miles on it.

I f***ing love this car guys, it is a friggin blast! But I get nervous driving it long distances cause it’s old.

My goal is anywhere from 350-400 hp in the most reliable way possible. I don’t want to send rods through heads, spin a bearing, blow a gasket, worry about any of that.

I spoke with guys at signalmotorsports in Salem MA about what I want and they say I don’t need a full blown built engine.

With those goals in mind what’s the best way to go about it? I plan on doing a full mishimoto cooling system and have my exhaust picked out, turboXS and Tomei. (Still reading and learning about turbos).

I know the stock internals are only good for around that much power (or so I’ve read) and I don’t want to ruin that.

In the end if I wanted to take it on a road trip to see my grand parents or go for a drive too and through the mountains I could with out having to worry.

Thanks for your help guys!

Ps. I know it’s not all over night and of course saving for it is part of it. Doesn’t hurt to get a head start and thinking of my options now and planning for it
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Old 07-09-2019, 10:19 AM   #2
Shik
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Member#: 132
Join Date: Jul 1999
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Cold in winter, hot in summer
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If reliability is a concern, first look at things that can screw up your engine before you add ANY more power.

Fuel injectors. If they are original, have them cleaned and tested professionally and re-install with new seals/grommets. If you plan on replacing them for larger, brand new ones are preferred but if not, again, have them cleaned and tested.

Fuel pump: Replace it. The 255 Walbro plug and play works fine, is a good price, and is a direct drop in. Make sure it is a genuine Walbro though and not a copy. Personally, if you don't mind wiring, the Supra TT(Denso) is probably the better option in terms of reliability, simply because OEM parts are made to be quiet and last 100,000 miles, but you'll have to wire it in yourself.

Sensors: First, genuine oem Subaru parts from a Subaru dealer. I know some buy "Denso" parts from AutoZone or the like, but I avoid that.

MAF sensor. Replace it. The ECU relies far too much on what the MAF sensor is telling it for there to be any question of it's reliability. Old MAFs can cause all sorts of issues that are hard to track down. Replace it.

Temp sensor. Cheap and easy to replace. As they get old, they get a tarnish on them that can have the sensor read inaccurately.

Front 02 sensor. Again, like the MAF, old, original ones can start causing annoying issues that will have you running around in circles to try and fix.

Knock sensor. Original ones don't necessarily "go bad" but corrosion that forms underneath them can hamper it's ability to listen for knock. Replace it and install the new one in proper orientation.

Boost Control Solenoid. They don't often go bad but do control your boost and will get dirty over time. A new one is never a bad idea, and they work perfectly fine in terms of performance.

Coil packs. They do tend to go bad with age. Replace all four with oem coil packs.

Spark plugs. Stock ngks gapped at .028 work fine.

Oil:
Oil pump. I replaced mine when I did the timing belt. I know it is said they never go bad and whatever, but for the cost and the old one was already removed and the function it performs, I don't know why more guys don't replace them. Use the stock pump. Bigger is NOT better

Oil pick up. Yes, there are instances when the factory pick-up has cracked. But, in the grand scheme of things, the percentage of Subarus with cracked pick ups vs ones that are perfectly fine is virtually non-existent, especially on an ej205. BUT! I did not want to "win the lottery" and have one of mine crack so both of my ej cars have KillerB pick-ups.

Oil and filter. Don't get caught up in what kind of oil to use. Make sure it is always topped off and change it often, especially if you take short trips(like less than 15 minutes). I prefer 5w40 but 5w50 is quite common for WRXs in Japan. I do use the JDM black Subaru oem filters, the blue Subaru filters are fine as well, as are many aftermarket ones.

Oil temp. Never drive the car hard until the oil is up to temp, which takes much longer than the coolant. Oil temp and PSI gauges are very good to have.

Also, don't redline the car all the time. At this point, anything above 6000rpm is likely doing nothing but making noise anyway.

Oil leaks. Fix them. Valve cover gaskets, oil pump, front main, rear main, oil cooler(if your JDM motor has one), power steering lines, are all common culprits.

Equal length header. This is one area where I stray from OEM. The idea of an ELH is to get the exhaust pulses out of the heads, through the manifold, and to the turbo as quickly and efficiently as possible is a sound one. While this does aid in turbo spool, it is also said to get the ultra hot exhaust gas out of the heads far better, possibly aiding in less chance for detonation. I do love the factory reliability of cast iron and all the heat shielding, but the design of an ELH is legit. FWIW, Subaru of Japan has been using factory ELHs since 2003 or around there on their cars that use twin scroll turbos, and switched to an ELH on their WRC car in 1997, so they thought it was a good idea as well. the factory jdm ELH will not work on your car unless you get a custom up pipe done or you use the twin scroll turbo the elh was intended for.

Downpipe: Any good quality one will do the job and last a while. I prefer bell mouth designs but that is splitting hairs.

Up pipe: Your JDM engine may or may not have a cat in it, but if it does, replace the up pipe with a catless version. I prefer an oem catless up pipe simply because you cannot beat the fitment and longevity. Get as new as possible since the heat shields do tend to come loose.

Intake: Use the factory air box. The power that you give up(if any) is worth it knowing the MAF reading will be 100 percent accurate just as the Subaru engineers intended. It is also a "cold air" intake by design.

Turbo Inlet tube. If your original factory one isn't torn yet by the turbo, it will be. Replace with a new oem factory piece or and aftermarket tube. A new factory one will require you to remove the intake manifold for installation, an aftermarket one will not.

Vacuum lines. Replace all of them. There are some like the boost control return line that routes back to the front of the inlet turbo, that will turn solid and literally snap in half. Old vacuum lines suck to work with and will never seal properly again once removed. Replace them all. Vacuum leaks are trouble makers.

Coolant line. Replace them all. There are a lot of them. The will swell up and begin to not seal in a best case scenario. Worst case is that they just split and fail when you are driving to work.

Water pump. Replace it.

Getadomtune's #4 cylinder coolant mod kit is engineered to get some of the hot coolant out of the head around the number 4 cylinder. This evens out the coolant temps a bit better, which is good. But, Subaru listens to the number 4 cylinder for knock, since that is the hottest, most aggressively tuned cylinder, thus, keeping knock out of that cylinder should definitely keep the others safe as well. But, many feel between the tune and the higher temps, it's too aggressive for the US drivers/fuel/etc. I have it installed on our ej205 as I like the idea of things being a bit more even.

Timing belt, tensioner and running gear. Replace it all if you are not sure when it was done.

Fluids: Make sure to have new fluid in everything. This includes brake/clutch fluid, rear diff/transmission fluid, etc. Use oem Subaru gear oil for the trans/diff.

Replace the alternator. High mileage ones will not give you peace of mind when traveling long distances. A genuine Subaru reman one will work perfectly.

For performance, to get to the level you want(assuming that's brake horsepower and not to the wheels), I would do this:

Find a super low mileage VF48 from a newer STi. They are factory turbo's and as long as they are taken care of properly, will likely last 100,000 miles with no issues. DO NOT get VF turbo such as a 39 that has been "rebuilt". The last time I looked, IHI doesn't offer genuine parts for their turbos so the parts these rebuilders are using are always in question.

Intercooler. No need for a front mount unless you are going to do track days often. An STi intercooler and splitter is by far the best bang for the buck.

Injectors/exhaust-see above.

Tune: Get a tune from an ultra reliable tuner. This can not be stressed enough. Not the popular local guy, the popular nation-wide shop that has tons/years of experience with tuning Subarus. If you don't know anyone in your area, call COBB or someone similar and ask who they would recommend in your area. Do your research!

This will give you a very fun, reliable street car. At this power level, I would be far more worried about the stock 5 speed than the engine. The ej205 is a wonderful motor that can take far more of a beating than "STi-everything" guys give it credit for.

The stock 5 speed will work fine for a daily driver/commuter. However, there is no comparing it to an STi 6 speed. Keep a stock clutch in the 5 speed. If you are making enough power that a new clutch begins to slip badly, it's time for a 6 speed. You will always find a few guys that have been running 350 whp through a stock 5 speed that don't drive like fools that can get them to last, but the odds will not be in your favor.

Not too many people enjoy spending money on all the things that don't result in immediate gratification. And you will spend a lot of money just getting the car back to great mechanical condition. But, this is also why so many guys new to Subarus buy a car that's 15-17 years old, bolt a big turbo and exhaust on, blow something up, then go on facebook and make stupid memes about how Subarus are unreliable.

Best of luck with it. My biggest piece of advice is to search here. There is so much fantastic info on NASIOC from extremely knowledgeable guys, there is very little you will not find here.
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Old 07-09-2019, 01:52 PM   #3
subaru_gc8
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by knightangle View Post
So this is something I'm seriously considering. I just graduated college and just got a full time job in accounting. Trying to counter that boringness with an exciting car.

I did a JDM swap with my tax return this year cause I thought I blew my engine (it was the ac pulley hitting the TB cover) I'm just a paranoid tard.

ANYWAY! I want this car to be as reliable as possible. The engine I got from jspecauto.com and had great compression and roughly 50k miles on it.

I f***ing love this car guys, it is a friggin blast! But I get nervous driving it long distances cause it's old.

My goal is anywhere from 350-400 hp in the most reliable way possible. I don't want to send rods through heads, spin a bearing, blow a gasket, worry about any of that.

I spoke with guys at signalmotorsports in Salem MA about what I want and they say I don't need a full blown built engine.

With those goals in mind what's the best way to go about it? I plan on doing a full mishimoto cooling system and have my exhaust picked out, turboXS and Tomei. (Still reading and learning about turbos).

I know the stock internals are only good for around that much power (or so I've read) and I don't want to ruin that.

In the end if I wanted to take it on a road trip to see my grand parents or go for a drive too and through the mountains I could with out having to worry.

Thanks for your help guys!

Ps. I know it's not all over night and of course saving for it is part of it. Doesn't hurt to get a head start and thinking of my options now and planning for it
207 swap wih a bigger turbo, doesnt get much better than that.. espeically for reliability.. to be honest, a stock block will always be more more reliable than a built one. the built one you have to worry more about the machinist haveing a bad day or not.
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Old 07-09-2019, 04:29 PM   #4
knightangle
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Massachustts
Vehicle:
2003 WRX Wagon
Sonic Yellow

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shik View Post
If reliability is a concern, first look at things that can screw up your engine before you add ANY more power.



Fuel injectors. If they are original, have them cleaned and tested professionally and re-install with new seals/grommets. If you plan on replacing them for larger, brand new ones are preferred but if not, again, have them cleaned and tested.



Fuel pump: Replace it. The 255 Walbro plug and play works fine, is a good price, and is a direct drop in. Make sure it is a genuine Walbro though and not a copy. Personally, if you don't mind wiring, the Supra TT(Denso) is probably the better option in terms of reliability, simply because OEM parts are made to be quiet and last 100,000 miles, but you'll have to wire it in yourself.



Sensors: First, genuine oem Subaru parts from a Subaru dealer. I know some buy "Denso" parts from AutoZone or the like, but I avoid that.



MAF sensor. Replace it. The ECU relies far too much on what the MAF sensor is telling it for there to be any question of it's reliability. Old MAFs can cause all sorts of issues that are hard to track down. Replace it.



Temp sensor. Cheap and easy to replace. As they get old, they get a tarnish on them that can have the sensor read inaccurately.



Front 02 sensor. Again, like the MAF, old, original ones can start causing annoying issues that will have you running around in circles to try and fix.



Knock sensor. Original ones don't necessarily "go bad" but corrosion that forms underneath them can hamper it's ability to listen for knock. Replace it and install the new one in proper orientation.



Boost Control Solenoid. They don't often go bad but do control your boost and will get dirty over time. A new one is never a bad idea, and they work perfectly fine in terms of performance.



Coil packs. They do tend to go bad with age. Replace all four with oem coil packs.



Spark plugs. Stock ngks gapped at .028 work fine.



Oil:

Oil pump. I replaced mine when I did the timing belt. I know it is said they never go bad and whatever, but for the cost and the old one was already removed and the function it performs, I don't know why more guys don't replace them. Use the stock pump. Bigger is NOT better



Oil pick up. Yes, there are instances when the factory pick-up has cracked. But, in the grand scheme of things, the percentage of Subarus with cracked pick ups vs ones that are perfectly fine is virtually non-existent, especially on an ej205. BUT! I did not want to "win the lottery" and have one of mine crack so both of my ej cars have KillerB pick-ups.



Oil and filter. Don't get caught up in what kind of oil to use. Make sure it is always topped off and change it often, especially if you take short trips(like less than 15 minutes). I prefer 5w40 but 5w50 is quite common for WRXs in Japan. I do use the JDM black Subaru oem filters, the blue Subaru filters are fine as well, as are many aftermarket ones.



Oil temp. Never drive the car hard until the oil is up to temp, which takes much longer than the coolant. Oil temp and PSI gauges are very good to have.



Also, don't redline the car all the time. At this point, anything above 6000rpm is likely doing nothing but making noise anyway.



Oil leaks. Fix them. Valve cover gaskets, oil pump, front main, rear main, oil cooler(if your JDM motor has one), power steering lines, are all common culprits.



Equal length header. This is one area where I stray from OEM. The idea of an ELH is to get the exhaust pulses out of the heads, through the manifold, and to the turbo as quickly and efficiently as possible is a sound one. While this does aid in turbo spool, it is also said to get the ultra hot exhaust gas out of the heads far better, possibly aiding in less chance for detonation. I do love the factory reliability of cast iron and all the heat shielding, but the design of an ELH is legit. FWIW, Subaru of Japan has been using factory ELHs since 2003 or around there on their cars that use twin scroll turbos, and switched to an ELH on their WRC car in 1997, so they thought it was a good idea as well. the factory jdm ELH will not work on your car unless you get a custom up pipe done or you use the twin scroll turbo the elh was intended for.



Downpipe: Any good quality one will do the job and last a while. I prefer bell mouth designs but that is splitting hairs.



Up pipe: Your JDM engine may or may not have a cat in it, but if it does, replace the up pipe with a catless version. I prefer an oem catless up pipe simply because you cannot beat the fitment and longevity. Get as new as possible since the heat shields do tend to come loose.



Intake: Use the factory air box. The power that you give up(if any) is worth it knowing the MAF reading will be 100 percent accurate just as the Subaru engineers intended. It is also a "cold air" intake by design.



Turbo Inlet tube. If your original factory one isn't torn yet by the turbo, it will be. Replace with a new oem factory piece or and aftermarket tube. A new factory one will require you to remove the intake manifold for installation, an aftermarket one will not.



Vacuum lines. Replace all of them. There are some like the boost control return line that routes back to the front of the inlet turbo, that will turn solid and literally snap in half. Old vacuum lines suck to work with and will never seal properly again once removed. Replace them all. Vacuum leaks are trouble makers.



Coolant line. Replace them all. There are a lot of them. The will swell up and begin to not seal in a best case scenario. Worst case is that they just split and fail when you are driving to work.



Water pump. Replace it.



Getadomtune's #4 cylinder coolant mod kit is engineered to get some of the hot coolant out of the head around the number 4 cylinder. This evens out the coolant temps a bit better, which is good. But, Subaru listens to the number 4 cylinder for knock, since that is the hottest, most aggressively tuned cylinder, thus, keeping knock out of that cylinder should definitely keep the others safe as well. But, many feel between the tune and the higher temps, it's too aggressive for the US drivers/fuel/etc. I have it installed on our ej205 as I like the idea of things being a bit more even.



Timing belt, tensioner and running gear. Replace it all if you are not sure when it was done.



Fluids: Make sure to have new fluid in everything. This includes brake/clutch fluid, rear diff/transmission fluid, etc. Use oem Subaru gear oil for the trans/diff.



Replace the alternator. High mileage ones will not give you peace of mind when traveling long distances. A genuine Subaru reman one will work perfectly.



For performance, to get to the level you want(assuming that's brake horsepower and not to the wheels), I would do this:



Find a super low mileage VF48 from a newer STi. They are factory turbo's and as long as they are taken care of properly, will likely last 100,000 miles with no issues. DO NOT get VF turbo such as a 39 that has been "rebuilt". The last time I looked, IHI doesn't offer genuine parts for their turbos so the parts these rebuilders are using are always in question.



Intercooler. No need for a front mount unless you are going to do track days often. An STi intercooler and splitter is by far the best bang for the buck.



Injectors/exhaust-see above.



Tune: Get a tune from an ultra reliable tuner. This can not be stressed enough. Not the popular local guy, the popular nation-wide shop that has tons/years of experience with tuning Subarus. If you don't know anyone in your area, call COBB or someone similar and ask who they would recommend in your area. Do your research!



This will give you a very fun, reliable street car. At this power level, I would be far more worried about the stock 5 speed than the engine. The ej205 is a wonderful motor that can take far more of a beating than "STi-everything" guys give it credit for.



The stock 5 speed will work fine for a daily driver/commuter. However, there is no comparing it to an STi 6 speed. Keep a stock clutch in the 5 speed. If you are making enough power that a new clutch begins to slip badly, it's time for a 6 speed. You will always find a few guys that have been running 350 whp through a stock 5 speed that don't drive like fools that can get them to last, but the odds will not be in your favor.



Not too many people enjoy spending money on all the things that don't result in immediate gratification. And you will spend a lot of money just getting the car back to great mechanical condition. But, this is also why so many guys new to Subarus buy a car that's 15-17 years old, bolt a big turbo and exhaust on, blow something up, then go on facebook and make stupid memes about how Subarus are unreliable.



Best of luck with it. My biggest piece of advice is to search here. There is so much fantastic info on NASIOC from extremely knowledgeable guys, there is very little you will not find here.


What are your thoughts on doing Mishimoto radiator, rad hoses, ancillary hose kit, and fan shroud? From what little I do know, a lot of head gasket issues come from over heating and rapid temp change.

Also if I’m doing gaskets should I take heads off and do headgaskets and new studs?
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Old 07-09-2019, 06:54 PM   #5
Shik
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
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GDA- D, GDA-A, VAG-A
GDA-A - ShinjiTuned

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Quote:
Originally Posted by knightangle View Post
What are your thoughts on doing Mishimoto radiator, rad hoses, ancillary hose kit, and fan shroud? From what little I do know, a lot of head gasket issues come from over heating and rapid temp change.

Also if I’m doing gaskets should I take heads off and do headgaskets and new studs?
I have no experience with Mishimoto anything so I cannot comment. I'm sure the radiator will be fine.

Always remember this when you are speaking in terms of reliability; No aftermarket company has the R&D money, tooling, and the enormous sample size that the OEMs do. While I was always a Subaru guy, back in the 90's I was fortunate to be able to hang around some very fast Mitsubishi guys. All of them swore by sticking with OEM parts until your goals no longer allow you to. OEM parts are engineered to be safe, last forever, and fit as good as anything is going to fit.

That being said, as far as hoses and whatnot, I always buy oem whenever possible. When we got our bugeye with 167,000 miles on it, most of the coolant hoses were still original. Most were in rough shape, but still original. I don't need any more reliability than that.

The same goes for the factory spring clamps on most hoses. I replace those when doing the hoses as well(some hoses from Subaru come with new clamps). They are simple, will not cause damage to the hoses, and work perfectly.

I smile when guys run about yelling that the factory clamps are junk, the plastic radiator is junk, and the factory hoses are inferior to silicone aftermarket kits. Those parts fail due to age and mileage, not because they are junk.

All of this is not to say there are no good aftermarket parts out there. Of course there are! But the engineers at Subaru are no dummies. Take advantage of their vast amount of knowledge and resources and use OEM whenever possible.

As far as head gaskets, the ej205's have a very good track record, with guys surpassing 200,000 on stock head gaskets. Acutally, all the ej turbo motors do well with head gaskets. All of the "Subaru's have head gasket issues" are due to the older naturally aspirated 2.5 engines, not the turbo engines. But, if you are going to worry about them and if it will keep you from driving long distances, you may want to have them done eventually. You would want to pull the motor to do head gaskets. Doing any of the other gaskets really don't have much to do with the head gaskets, other than the minor step of removing the valve covers, so you are not really saving any time or money by doing head gaskets now if they are perfectly fine. Based on my past experience with turbo head gaskets, if your engine really only has 50,000 miles on it, I wouldn't worry about head gaskets other than some weird instance if the engine was overheated in the past. Probably not likely though.
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Old 07-09-2019, 07:49 PM   #6
D-Rodman
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EJ207, ver 8 or ver 9 swap time.
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Old 07-09-2019, 09:46 PM   #7
oren
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Originally Posted by D-Rodman View Post
EJ207, ver 8 or ver 9 swap time.
That's the way I went. Can be a bit pricey and take time, but it is fun.
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Old 07-09-2019, 10:39 PM   #8
knightangle
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I don’t want do a 207 swap it’s not something I’m interested in yet. If anything I could just get the heads later on down the line... right?

I want to build a reliable ej20 short block first before I go crazy
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Old 07-09-2019, 10:58 PM   #9
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You’ve already gone crazy, you want a built ej20. You’ll never have the reliability of a factory sealed motor. This forum is littered with the horror stories of experience built motors. There is also plenty evidence that the junkyard ej207 people have been swapping have proven to be more reliable. You want 350-400 hp, I’m guessing you are talking flywheel because to support that power level on an ej205 reliably you will want to build a strong motor. You aren’t going to get 350 whp out a vf48 on e85, you are going to need a bigger turbo. You will have a laggy setup that will have you putting down lots of power after 4,000 rpm to redline. If you want to keep it lively you’d be best of with a 16gxt, you will have around 280-320 whp depending on fuel. At those power levels you don’t need to worry about building the 2.0l to be reliable. Assuming you start with a healthy motor, don’t abuse it an do plenty oil changes and preventive maintenance.
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Old 07-10-2019, 12:54 AM   #10
subaru_gc8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by knightangle View Post
I don’t want do a 207 swap it’s not something I’m interested in yet. If anything I could just get the heads later on down the line... right?

I want to build a reliable ej20 short block first before I go crazy
youre not interested because you dont know the difference. take a ride in someone's 207 swapped wrx and see.
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Old 07-10-2019, 08:02 PM   #11
knightangle
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Quote:
Originally Posted by subaru_gc8 View Post
youre not interested because you dont know the difference. take a ride in someone's 207 swapped wrx and see.


End game would be an Ej207 swap and a 6pd swap no idea which versions. But I want my 205 to last as long as I can and just be reliable while I work on the body work and suspension set up
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Old 07-11-2019, 11:02 AM   #12
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Reliability on these engines has more to do with proper care and maintenance.
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Old 07-11-2019, 05:10 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by knightangle View Post
End game would be an Ej207 swap and a 6pd swap no idea which versions. But I want my 205 to last as long as I can and just be reliable while I work on the body work and suspension set up
i would just jump right into a 207 as my belief is do it one and do it right. I hate redoing things if I dont need to. also just to let you know my experiences of doing a 205 build, now i did do a 2.1 stroker so a little different but the first build had issues, had problems with the machining, second build something wasnt right so had to get it done again. third time everything went alot better. and, cross my fingers it seems to be all good. It took like a year and a half to get that all done. that is why I am saying for time sake and all, there are alot of varibles that go into building a block and sometimes it turns out grewat, but sometimes it doesnt and you have to super patient about the whole issue. So yeah why do it twice if your goal is a 207 just do a 207
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Old 07-12-2019, 03:53 PM   #14
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Side note because thoughts are flowing and you all are invoking thoughts that my bank account won’t appreciate.

If I do a full sti conversion, which engine with which transmission/drive train? I’ve read that the v7 (i think) has one of the best drive trains? Correct me if I’m wrong. But ya... which engine with which drive train?

Tried googling to find a thread or anything about it. It if any of you know a thread to link me too that would be great!!!
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Old 07-12-2019, 11:07 PM   #15
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An entire drive train is getting deeper into it. Yeh, it’s awesome, I paid $5300 for mine, did not include struts, brakes nor knuckles. I got a Ver 7 motor, transmission, prop shaft, cv axles, rear diff, ecu and harness. You can just start with a motor. To run an ej207 with enabled avcs you have to run a jdm ecu, no Cobb tuning. Ver 7 you can use the same aftermarket down pipe you may already have on your wrx. Ver 8 and ver 9 come with twin scroll turbo, requires a twin scroll turbo down pipe. Ver 8 and 9 come with factory equal length header, no rumble. If you want to learn more about an ej207 motor swap search here for ej207 owners thread. Vlad put a lot of time and information into that thread, check it out.

A good alternative is a jdm ej205 with avcs, much cheaper initial investment, leaving money for new turbo and supporting mods you’d want. You’d have to run a jdm ecu for enabled avcs, use same exhaust type as you have now. You do a vf48 or a 16G and have a great setup, depending on fuel and supporting mods you can get to around 300hp, reliably, if you take care of it. A jdm wrx full drive train is also an alternative, lower gearing on the transmission/rear diff.

Last edited by D-Rodman; 07-12-2019 at 11:22 PM.
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Old 07-13-2019, 12:02 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D-Rodman View Post
An entire drive train is getting deeper into it. Yeh, it’s awesome, I paid $5300 for mine, did not include struts, brakes nor knuckles. I got a Ver 7 motor, transmission, prop shaft, cv axles, rear diff, ecu and harness. You can just start with a motor. To run an ej207 with enabled avcs you have to run a jdm ecu, no Cobb tuning. Ver 7 you can use the same aftermarket down pipe you may already have on your wrx. Ver 8 and ver 9 come with twin scroll turbo, requires a twin scroll turbo down pipe. Ver 8 and 9 come with factory equal length header, no rumble. If you want to learn more about an ej207 motor swap search here for ej207 owners thread. Vlad put a lot of time and information into that thread, check it out.

A good alternative is a jdm ej205 with avcs, much cheaper initial investment, leaving money for new turbo and supporting mods you’d want. You’d have to run a jdm ecu for enabled avcs, use same exhaust type as you have now. You do a vf48 or a 16G and have a great setup, depending on fuel and supporting mods you can get to around 300hp, reliably, if you take care of it. A jdm wrx full drive train is also an alternative, lower gearing on the transmission/rear diff.


Already have a JDM ej205 with AVCS. I’m thinking of next steps. Where to go from here. I got some body work that needs some looking at (rip New England)
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Old 07-13-2019, 10:24 AM   #17
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I recognize your username now, you have a good enough foundation, make sure avcs is enabled and motor is healthy, start mods. E85 would help get you into that 350whp territory, you'll need something like:
Blouch 1.5 turbo.
Id1050 injectors.
Proper fuel pump.
Aftermarket turbo inlet.
Bigger top mount or front mount intercooler.
3 port boost controller.
Aftermarket turbo back exhaust, your motor should have come with catless up pipe.
Tune.
At a minimum to get you there.
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Old 07-13-2019, 11:20 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by D-Rodman View Post
I recognize your username now, you have a good enough foundation, make sure avcs is enabled and motor is healthy, start mods. E85 would help get you into that 350whp territory, you'll need something like:
Blouch 1.5 turbo.
Id1050 injectors.
Proper fuel pump.
Aftermarket turbo inlet.
Bigger top mount or front mount intercooler.
3 port boost controller.
Aftermarket turbo back exhaust, your motor should have come with catless up pipe.
Tune.
At a minimum to get you there.

Thank you for that, and ya you helped quite a bit when I had some questions I couldn’t find answers too, thank you again.
And just to shoot the **** a little more, I know intercooler will be interchangeable between a 205 and 207 but what about turbo back exhaust. I guess it would just be a down pipe. I don’t want to buy things twice unless I have too. Also I don’t want to run only E85 so is a flex tune possible?
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Old 07-13-2019, 10:26 PM   #19
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Avcs ej205 is a lot like a Ver 7 ej207., many parts are interchangeable. You’d also use the same usdm length aftermarket down pipe on either motor.
Ej207 Ver 8 and Ver 9 come with a twin scroll turbo, requires a usdm length twin scroll down pipe.
I have not looked into flex fuel kits for factory 16bit ecu, I see them aimed at 32bit ecu platforms. You’d want to talk to a tuner to see what is possible in terms of flex fuel.
350-400 whp on pump fuel is possible but will require a big turbo and supporting mods.
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Old 07-14-2019, 12:20 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D-Rodman View Post
Avcs ej205 is a lot like a Ver 7 ej207., many parts are interchangeable. You’d also use the same usdm length aftermarket down pipe on either motor.
Ej207 Ver 8 and Ver 9 come with a twin scroll turbo, requires a usdm length twin scroll down pipe.
I have not looked into flex fuel kits for factory 16bit ecu, I see them aimed at 32bit ecu platforms. You’d want to talk to a tuner to see what is possible in terms of flex fuel.
350-400 whp on pump fuel is possible but will require a big turbo and supporting mods.


I don’t want to throw reliability out the door just yet! From what I’ve read jdm ej205 with single AVCS makes around 250 hp. Another 50 or so would be a good start. Do some preemptive things with the JDM ej205 now and then get the turbo back, different turbo, and a good tune and I should be good for 300ish right? Maybe do injectors to. I’ve been told to talk to the tuner about that specifically.
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Old 07-14-2019, 11:32 AM   #21
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if you change your turbo you will have to change the injectors and the pump
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Old 07-16-2019, 04:25 PM   #22
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i kept everything stock on my 04 wrx and the car has given me ridiculous reliability past 16 years/275,000 miles.

Listen to what Shik has to say on this thread, he/she has given you excellent info.

imo if you want 400whp, just buy an sti, it will be cheaper in the long run. Good Luck!
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Old 07-16-2019, 09:47 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by SIMPFLY View Post
i kept everything stock on my 04 wrx and the car has given me ridiculous reliability past 16 years/275,000 miles.

Listen to what Shik has to say on this thread, he/she has given you excellent info.

imo if you want 400whp, just buy an sti, it will be cheaper in the long run. Good Luck!


That’s the plan. I’m going to end up doing a very moderate tune because I’m stubborn but I have new TBWP kit coming with OEM gaskets and T Stat, along with a new MAF and some other goodies. Going to clean the IACV and order some other new sensors tomorrow.
Not going to go too crazy with it at all
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Old 07-23-2019, 05:29 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by knightangle View Post
Already have a JDM ej205 with AVCS. I’m thinking of next steps. Where to go from here. I got some body work that needs some looking at (rip New England)
Hi, I just bought a 2005 Impreza Wagon and dropped a JDM EJ205 with AVCS in. I'm new to the Subaru game so I'm looking for a little help with info on getting that hooked up. Right now I'm on the US ECU, I'm wondering if I should find a JDM ECU and harness and just switch back to US when I have to smog or can I get the harness and flash the US ECU to control AVCS?
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Old 07-23-2019, 11:41 PM   #25
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JDM ecu is a must and iaTuning makes a kit that I used that gives you all the wires you need and very clear directions. You should us JDM engine harness with this wiring kit and a jdm ecu and you should be set. Is it from a WRX? Is the throttle body cable driven? If so just the things I listed are what you need. A long with everything else that everyone else says you should do in the thread lol. Still working on all that myself
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