Subaru Impreza 2.2L Perfomance Mods

[somperson]

Hey,

I am new to the forum and I'm looking at getting an impreza L. Being my first car I want to make it a good car so I decided to go with a subby. As everyone knows that 2.2L just isn't enough for us performance wanting people. I know you guys always answer these questions about HP gains. I did a lot of searching, but alot of the things were several months old, and who knows what new stuff comes out.
I want to try to get some nice gains. Money isnt too much of an issue, I would like to say 3-4k (US) or less. I am confused on what parts I can put on my car because it isn't an RS or WRX. I see lots of posts saying that people put RS parts on the 2.2L and others talking about the 2.2L Legacy. If someone could try to clarify as much as they can without taking up much of their time that would be great.
I looked at Cobb Tuning. They have some stage 1, 2, 3 kits but no pricing. From what they say and what I've seen on the boards they definitely know what they are talking about. I was interested in the charged cams. I don't know what they do or what they offer but look promising. If some people could give their opinions on the products, pricing and what they offered performance wise, that would be incredible.
I didn't find much in the way of Turbo kits, well mainly because its N/A. Any options on this is a definite possibility.
I saw Rallispec had a 2.2L to 2.0L turbo conversion. I wanted to know if anyone tried this or what it offered and again pricing. Their sites been down so I don't know much about it at all.
Then the option of dropping a new engine in. I thought this was outrageous until I heard someone say dropping WRX engine in for 3k. If this is true I'm all ears.

Basically I'm looking for the best options, Im open to many as you can see, and I want peoples opinions on what I can do to the lovely subby..

Thanks,
Jason

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[Kevin Thomas]

Intake, Exhaust, and Pulley (either lightened and/or underdriven if you don't mind the dimming lights in extreme power usage conditions).

Then...put beefier sway bars, better tires, and an RS suspension on it. Take it to an autocross and smile for a long time.

Yep...I said an autocross.

[RaceCarRiot]

yep, what Kevin said.

as far as parts that fit, 99.99999% of what fits on an RS will fit on any L (exhaust, suspension, bodywork, etc), since they are the same car for all intents and purposes.

as far as engine internals (cams) go, you're kinda on your own. you'll find most companies are only manufacturing stuff for the 2.5.

Rallispec is out of business.

don't buy anything from JC sports.

i'd love to know who will do a EJ20T WRX engine swap into my car for 3 grand...

basically, if you want SPEED, your best option would be to turbo the 2.2. the 2.2 is a far better candidate for a turbo than a 2.5, because it's much more understressed as a result of it's design.

but if you're just starting to drive, why don't you hold off on this for a bit?

-a.-

[yuzo]

yup pretty much all rs parts well fit an L.
rosco

[LegacyW90]

Originally Posted by Kevin Thomas

Intake, Exhaust, and Pulley (either lightened and/or underdriven if you don't mind the dimming lights in extreme power usage conditions).

Then...put beefier sway bars, better tires, and an RS suspension on it. Take it to an autocross and smile for a long time.

Yep...I said an autocross.

Lightened pulleys are a big no no. They eat Subaru engines. So do not buy lightened pulleys. The unbalance the crank and throw it off to eventually kill the engine.

[GrimmSpeed]

Originally Posted by LegacyW90

Lightened pulleys are a big no no. They eat Subaru engines. So do not buy lightened pulleys. The unbalance the crank and throw it off to eventually kill the engine.

We have confirmed directly with Subaru that the OEM pulley is not a balancer and merely a pulley. We have found no evidence of a lightened pulley causing harm to and engine.

With that said basic bolt ons like exhaust and intake are some of your only options for power. Honestly though, you will gain VERY minimal performance for the $$$ you spend. You're better off saving and collecting parts for a swap if you want more power.

Mike

[subi400]

Delta cams and an obx equal length header will make a difference. Open up the exhaust so it flows better and it will feel more alive.

[philikon]

I personally love the EJ22 for its simplicity and reliability. So here's some out of the box thinking that doesn't necessarily involve tuning the engine. But feel free to ignore

- You might get the best bang for your hard earned bucks by selling your current car and buying a used RS or even WRX with the money and the 4 grand you're willing to spend. Rather than spending it on aftermarket parts, mechanics, etc.

- Rather than making the engine more powerful you could also lighten the car. I'd do a cost/horse power analysis on all the kinds of engine mods (pulleys, cams, headers, etc.) and then do the same for lighter seats, body panels, etc.

- If you want to go round corners more than in a straight line, spend the money on suspension. Momentum cars are fun.

[NH8991]

Holy 12-year old thread bump Batman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yarrgh]

Originally Posted by LegacyW90

Lightened pulleys are a big no no. They eat Subaru engines. So do not buy lightened pulleys. The unbalance the crank and throw it off to eventually kill the engine.

Sooo....care to back up this 12 year bump with any sort of evidence? I've been using a lightweight pulley for the past 8 years with no issues attributed to it.

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by yarrgh

Sooo....care to back up this 12 year bump with any sort of evidence? I've been using a lightweight pulley for the past 8 years with no issues attributed to it.

+1....I think I have 10+ years on my COBB light pulley.....