First Reliability Mod

[K3rm1tth3fr0g]

I don't consider that figure estimate to be "made up" when it was provided by one of the top engineering groups in the industry regarding their experience.

Originally Posted by rtv900

Now we are just making up stats. You think 1% of cars have an oil pickup fail?
Really?

Try several orders of magnitude less than that, like go out 3 or 4 decimal places.

Now who's making up stats? :P

Don't mod a car that you want to be as reliable as possible, period.

This is just not good advice, OEMs make mistakes. I once again ask if you've ever heard of the Cummins KDP?

Originally Posted by Blackfin

No, not that either. The boxer engine has access holes front and rear to allow the wrist pins to be removed and the pistons to then be removed from the cylinders without touching the rod big-ends or splitting the cases. For example:

Easy way to pull Subaru pistons - YouTube

Lots of stock cars have broken ring lands over the lifetime of the EJ.

I get that you're opposed to the suggestion because it's a lot of work but it would help your case if you knew what you were talking about.

His experience with Subarus seemed to be with a stock 2016 STi that is no longer around - and obviously just dailying a stock car doesn't educate you on the platform or force you to engage directly with the car the same way building up the same vehicle meticulously would

He even admitted himself he's never even seen let alone used a KB product and hes raving about how reliable the OEM pickup is.

Given how how much berating of others he does on this forum you'd think he'd know what a wrist pin access port is.

Gotta love diehard OEM fanboys

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[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by rtv900

1) his car is a 2019
2) his car is a 2019
3) yes
4) correct, however it is NOT an issue therefor it is irrelevant. This is the classic, "just because something can be a problem that means you need to treat it as if it is a problem. . . .even when it's not"
5) seriously? Where in this country is there "crap fuel". There's what, 300 million cars in this country. You are seriously telling somebody that protunes are needed in some areas because of fuel? What percentage of those 300 million cars do you think got protunes dude? This is total nonsense.

You know, I was going to respond to this with more information, but I just discovered you've been a contrarian ******* for awhile here, so I'll just go ahead and post report you with an ignore as well.

If the OP wants more info, let me know.

[Unabomber]

Originally Posted by rtv900

1)
1) Crack open your oil pan and replace the oil pickup when the chance of failure is orders of magnitude below 1%
2) Replace your radiator because the end tanks might blow up (think about that for just one minute.
3) Remove the HEADS from your motor, separate the rods from the crank and pull the pistons out to remove the rings so you can file a little out of the gap and re-assemble. . . . . . .because that is totally a rational "reliability mod" considering the risks of 100 things that can go wrong in that process just to change a damn ring gap
4) Do some AOS mods to "increase effective octane" even though the factory configuration has ZERO, ZERO issues with octane level on the factory tune or even a slightly bumped up OTS tune, but do it anyway.
5) and pro tune it, because everybody totally knows pro tunes increase reliability by being MORE conservative than stock and leaving even more power on the table

Lemme just say all the above is factual. Now some may have an issue with the method in which it was stated. Hell, I've been accused of being a dickbutt with my words...probably more than ya'll. But read past the rhetoric and read the facts.

1. An owner losing an oil pickup is a very rare thing. Some would say replacing it is wise, but using a risk assessment analysis where the likelihood is low and the severity is high, this is a topic where there is no right answer. I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
2. Radiators fail, mine has twice. Both times were drama free and I nursed them along with a Pepsi bottle of water for a few months until I could swap it out. Explosive failure is probably more rare than oil pickup issues as I've actually heard of oil pickup issues. I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
3. Re-gap pistons. Now someone posted an easier way to do this, which is a great knowledge share! But...seriously...pull the whole motor? The cost/benefit of this is incredibly low and what if the motor has terrific ring gaps once checked? I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
4. AOS. I've gotten in trouble about this topic before. I was there with Elrond 3000 years ago when no one was running one and motors were failing at the same rate then as now. And there's no good way to test the claims that I'm aware of. They aren't hard to hook up(ish) and aren't expensive(ish), but I doubt the practical benefit and doubt their ability to "save" a motor as death-knell knock is more caused by the right foot than 92 vs 93 octane. I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
5. Tuning of any flavor. I don't view this so much as a motor saver as a driveability mod and I'm a huge fan of it vice it being critical to motor longevity as there are some high mile OTS cars out there. I lean towards no for reliability but yes for driveability. My opinion means zero.

And to all, please quell the need for rhetoric in posts. I just dropped $1400ish on a new stereo setup in my 04 ****box. Dumb as hell it is. Worse I dropped 6 large on a paint job last year, again dumb. We all do dumb stuff. But do dumb stuff based on your financial and personal wants with eyes wide open....listen to opinions and make an informed choice with eyes wide open even if its "dumb".

And again, my recommendation for all motors is https://shop.getadomtune.com/gdt-cyl...ooling-system/ which is cheap and easy and has documented cooling equalization benefits which may be the very reason people pop motors. And if dumb, its 1 hour and $100 of dumb which is a really low cost of entry to reliability.

[timpala11]

Originally Posted by KillerBMotorsport

IDK what TMIC you've tested, or how you're testing it, but the 2019+ TMIC outperforms all previous OEM TMICs. Not by a little, by a lot. We tested it against 7 top dollar TMICs that you can buy today, and it performed better than all but one.

I don't suppose you want to tell me which one?

As far as reliability mods, I picked up my 61k bone stock 2010 STi and have bought a bunch of the mentioned mods but haven't gotten around to installing them yet. Up to 67.5k now. Unfortunately I have bought so many things that can be installed together that I haven't had time to do it.

Example: AOS, cyl4mod, KoyoRad, oil cooler. While I'm doing the cooler I should do the KB pickup/baffle/pan...etc, etc. My car is not a fancy 19+ though.

[djoye]

Looks like that 2019 TMIC part number is used for 2017-2020 STI models.

[K3rm1tth3fr0g]

Originally Posted by djoye

Looks like that 2019 TMIC part number is used for 2017-2020 STI models.

Yes 2017+ is the best OEM TMIC

2015-2016 has a separate PN

[rtv900]

Originally Posted by KillerBMotorsport

Just to throw out some data points, 30-60K is the meat of the bell curve for pickup failures,

uhhh, sorry bro you literally just made that up. There's no legitimate data in any way, shape or form to support that statement even slightly.

Originally Posted by KillerBMotorsport

It's a guess based on feedback from individuals, shops, dealers (warranty and non)
Which is also why that number is a guess based on some data, and why it's a range.

^this is an accurate representation, it's a guess based on conjecture and a tiny set of randomely obtained data making it statistically irrelevant to make a claim like this.

Originally Posted by Blackfin

I get that you're opposed to the suggestion because it's a lot of work but it would help your case if you knew what you were talking about.

This has nothing to do with knowing what I'm talking about. Pulling a motor to do this in the context of reliability is ridiculous plain and simple.

Originally Posted by K3rm1tth3fr0g

Given how how much berating of others he does on this forum you'd think he'd know what a wrist pin access port is.

Great point. You might as well have just said I have a bad hair cut or something. Please let us know about your real world work experience though. Curious what technical field you work in if you are even working yet.

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

You know, I was going to respond to this with more information

Thank you for not adding more nonsense to this thread of horrible advice.

Originally Posted by Unabomber

Lemme just say all the above is factual. Now some may have an issue with the method in which it was stated. Hell, I've been accused of being a dickbutt with my words...probably more than ya'll. But read past the rhetoric and read the facts.

1. An owner losing an oil pickup is a very rare thing. Some would say replacing it is wise, but using a risk assessment analysis where the likelihood is low and the severity is high, this is a topic where there is no right answer. I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
2. Radiators fail, mine has twice. Both times were drama free and I nursed them along with a Pepsi bottle of water for a few months until I could swap it out. Explosive failure is probably more rare than oil pickup issues as I've actually heard of oil pickup issues. I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
3. Re-gap pistons. Now someone posted an easier way to do this, which is a great knowledge share! But...seriously...pull the whole motor? The cost/benefit of this is incredibly low and what if the motor has terrific ring gaps once checked? I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
4. AOS. I've gotten in trouble about this topic before. I was there with Elrond 3000 years ago when no one was running one and motors were failing at the same rate then as now. And there's no good way to test the claims that I'm aware of. They aren't hard to hook up(ish) and aren't expensive(ish), but I doubt the practical benefit and doubt their ability to "save" a motor as death-knell knock is more caused by the right foot than 92 vs 93 octane. I lean towards no. My opinion means zero.
5. Tuning of any flavor. I don't view this so much as a motor saver as a driveability mod and I'm a huge fan of it vice it being critical to motor longevity as there are some high mile OTS cars out there. I lean towards no for reliability but yes for driveability. My opinion means zero.

And to all, please quell the need for rhetoric in posts. I just dropped $1400ish on a new stereo setup in my 04 ****box. Dumb as hell it is. Worse I dropped 6 large on a paint job last year, again dumb. We all do dumb stuff. But do dumb stuff based on your financial and personal wants with eyes wide open....listen to opinions and make an informed choice with eyes wide open even if its "dumb".

And again, my recommendation for all motors is https://shop.getadomtune.com/gdt-cyl...ooling-system/ which is cheap and easy and has documented cooling equalization benefits which may be the very reason people pop motors. And if dumb, its 1 hour and $100 of dumb which is a really low cost of entry to reliability.

^rational statements

[K3rm1tth3fr0g]

Originally Posted by rtv900

This has nothing to do with knowing what I'm talking about.

It actually does.

Originally Posted by rtv900

Great point. You might as well have just said I have a bad hair cut or something. Please let us know about your real world work experience though. Curious what technical field you work in if you are even working yet.

LOL the real-time deflection cope from not knowing jack about the platform you are attempting to give advice on

Stay mad and stay stock my friend.

[tunze06]

My daily driver is an '06 WRX with 283,000 on the clock. The engine has never been out or apart. Figured I'd share my .02 about what I have done, and what has failed along the way. All maintenance and repairs have been done by me.

- Replaced failed secondary air injection valves at 90K

- The upper tank of the factory radiator split open the day after returning from a cross country road trip at 120K. I replaced it with an aluminum Fluidyne. At that time I also did the timing belt and water pump for the first time ( I know I was late ). While doing the timing belt I replaced the oil pump with a Cosworth blueprinted high flow oil pump. Figured that would be a little extra insurance. The car also got it's first mods at this time - Cobb SF intake, Access Port w/ stage 1 OTS map

- At 140K I installed a Grimmspeed TMIC, and a Perrin AOS solely to keep any oil residue out of the new intercooler.

- 150K the release bearing completely failed leading to the first clutch and a transmission case repair.

- Replaced both noisy front wheel bearings at 160K

- Replaced leaking valve cover gaskets and leaking oil cooler seals at around 200K.

-Replaced a failed ignition coil around 210K

- Timing belt and water pump for the second time at 220K ( Gates water pump from the first time had started leaking )

- Fluidyne radiator failed at about 250K. The larger tank of the aluminum radiator rest against the core support and eventually rubbed through and started leaking. Probably could've been prevented with a more careful install.

- and now at 280K I can hear the release bearing starting to fail again so it's time for clutch number 2. Will also address some oil leaks - rear main seal and petrified crank case vent hoses. Also check engine light is on again, and I have verified that the secondary air valves have failed again. It's not causing any driveability issues so I will probably install a used set I have laying around. I will also pull the intake manifold to replace the rubber fuel lines that leak and cause a bad fuel smell when it's below freezing out side

My best advice for reliability is regular oil changes with quality oil. Most of mine I have used Amsoil 5W30. Not sure if the Cosworth oil pump had anything to do with the engine longevity, but I think it was worth it for me. I drive back roads on my work commute, so the car gets driven aggressively on a regular basis, definitely not babied. The mild performance mods made the car fun enough for my daily. I always think about doing more, but the reliability would suffer. Hope this helps the OP with your modification decisions!

[EvaUnit01]

So--in short, here's what's been done, based on this thread and advice from others that I've met:

IAG AOS Street Version
Getadomtune Cylinder 4 Cooling Mod

I will say that the AOS has been really helpful. Doing a drive from NJ to Indiana, I still regularly checked my oil at each fill up. Before, I noticed that there was some oil being burnt, and normally after a back and forth trip I had to top off oil.

Now, this may be placebo or not, but doing the same checks I noticed my oil levels are consistent and don't need topped off.

Next mods I plan on doing is getting a Cobb downpipe and EBCS to then get tuned. I'm happy with the stock airbox and a GS Drop In Filter, but I may upgrade the turbo inlet like I did on my 19 WRX.

[EvaUnit01]

So--in short, here's what's been done, based on this thread and advice from others that I've met:

IAG AOS Street Version
Getadomtune Cylinder 4 Cooling Mod

I will say that the AOS has been really helpful. Doing a drive from NJ to Indiana, I still regularly checked my oil at each fill up. Before, I noticed that there was some oil being burnt, and normally after a back and forth trip I had to top off oil.

Now, this may be placebo or not, but doing the same checks I noticed my oil levels are consistent and don't need topped off.

Next mods I plan on doing is getting a Cobb downpipe and EBCS to then get tuned. I'm happy with the stock airbox and a GS Drop In Filter, but I may upgrade the turbo inlet like I did on my 19 WRX.

[BlackFighter]

I still say go with the killer bee oil pickup over the AOS. If not, atleast change the oem with another oem, but if you are willing to do all that, you might alwell just upgrade.

[K3rm1tth3fr0g]

Agreed - modding other parts of the engine for more power on a stock pickup is not smart

[EvaUnit01]

I think then on that token, the Killer B oil pickup and the oil pan would be next before more power.

Agreed?

[EvaUnit01]

I think then on that token, the Killer B oil pickup and the oil pan would be next before more power.

Agreed?

[rtv900]

Originally Posted by K3rm1tth3fr0g

LOL the real-time deflection cope from not knowing jack about the platform you are attempting to give advice on

Stay mad and stay stock my friend.

Still waiting to hear about your real world experience and what you do for a living?

You keep forgetting to mention that.

[BlackFighter]

Don't see the point of a larger oil pan from killer bee. At your stock power level its a want and not a need. The other two I would say they are a need to be on the safe side. If you really want the oil pan too but short on cash, get one of their Blemished High Performance Oil Pan, EJ Series in their "garage sale" section, 30% off. Same thing but at $300. Only different is that its blemished, but who cares if its under your car. With the extra cash left over get the cooling mod

[EvaUnit01]

@BlackFighter - the cooling mod and AOS are installed, might have missed it, not sure why I'm getting these damn double posts.

Fair point on the oil pan, but the pickup sounds more necessary.

[K3rm1tth3fr0g]

Originally Posted by rtv900

Still waiting to hear about your real world experience and what you do for a living?

You keep forgetting to mention that.

Jesus christ, you're back for more? That reply was from 15 days ago

[K3rm1tth3fr0g]

Originally Posted by EvaUnit01

@BlackFighter - the cooling mod and AOS are installed, might have missed it, not sure why I'm getting these damn double posts.

Fair point on the oil pan, but the pickup sounds more necessary.

It's because this website is 20 years old and barely functions on good days

[rtv900]

Originally Posted by K3rm1tth3fr0g

Jesus christ, you're back for more? That reply was from 15 days ago

ha ha ha
that answered my question
we're taking advice from a 19 year old who doesn't even work yet

[rtv900]

Originally Posted by EvaUnit01

not sure why I'm getting these damn double posts.

the website is older than Kermit, that's why

[EvaUnit01]

Fair on the website comments, lol.

All in all, I'm happy with the mods done so far, I had gotten the AOS oil return line to the PCV insulated as well, as a precautionary measure. So we'll see how that works out.

Thankfully, the dealership I got it from (not Subaru) is good with the modifications, and they have a lifetime engine warranty that even covers modifications (which it states in the warranty.) Only thing I have to do is take it in every 6 months and get a checkup on the engine and make sure I change my oil every 3 months or 4000 miles.

[EvaUnit01]

Fair on the website comments, lol.

All in all, I'm happy with the mods done so far, I had gotten the AOS oil return line to the PCV insulated as well, as a precautionary measure. So we'll see how that works out.

Thankfully, the dealership I got it from (not Subaru) is good with the modifications, and they have a lifetime engine warranty that even covers modifications (which it states in the warranty.) Only thing I have to do is take it in every 6 months and get a checkup on the engine and make sure I change my oil every 3 months or 4000 miles.

[rtv900]

Originally Posted by EvaUnit01

the dealership I got it from (not Subaru) is good with the modifications, and they have a lifetime engine warranty that even covers modifications (which it states in the warranty.)

sigh

dude, they are not warrantying your engine for lifetime, period.
that's not a thing
There's fine print in there that will mean they are literally not going to cover a single issue you have, and it will be BECAUSE of your mods, not in spite of them.

Just like the advice you've been getting in this whole thread, think about that one for just a few minutes.
A non subaru dealer sold you a car and gave you a lifetime warranty on the motor even if you mod it?
Not one dealer on the planet provides a legitimate warranty like that, (because they don't have to) but this particular dealer is giving out that level of coverage to compete with zero other dealers that give that level of legitimate coverage and it means they will be on the hook for your engine for a decade plus potentially?

sheesh, even Kermit can't possibly go along with that one, and that's saying something