[WhyHelloOfficer]

I've got the intercooler core mounted and I test fitted the charge pipes. Everything is looking good.
I took everything back apart and I am going to wait and install the turbo and injectors while I've got the car in pieces. I'm just waiting to make sure I can get a break-in map for the before I install everything, just in case I need the WRX in the mean time before I can get tuned.

Slightly off topic-- After talking to the tuner, he is busying testing/tuning the new Porsche they're working on until the 3rd week of Feb, and it looks like the quickest/easiest way to get tuned is to go to him in Alpharetta. Does anyone have a flat bed trailer I could potentially make use of? I'm trying to weigh out my options and see what will be the most cost effective and get my car on the road the quickest. Unfortunately I don't think they will go hand-in-hand.

[dbdragger]

WhyHelloOfficer, on 29 December 2009 - 02:10 PM, said:

I've got the intercooler core mounted and I test fitted the charge pipes. Everything is looking good.
I took everything back apart and I am going to wait and install the turbo and injectors while I've got the car in pieces. I'm just waiting to make sure I can get a break-in map for the before I install everything, just in case I need the WRX in the mean time before I can get tuned.

Slightly off topic-- After talking to the tuner, he is busying testing/tuning the new Porsche they're working on until the 3rd week of Feb, and it looks like the quickest/easiest way to get tuned is to go to him in Alpharetta. Does anyone have a flat bed trailer I could potentially make use of? I'm trying to weigh out my options and see what will be the most cost effective and get my car on the road the quickest. Unfortunately I don't think they will go hand-in-hand.

I have a 21ft car hauler, that I used to use for my vans.

[WhyHelloOfficer]

I guess I should change the thread title to 2k9-2k10.
So the WRX underwent some serious surgery this weekend. Everything is buttoned back up. I am waiting on one small gasket to come in the mail on Monday and a break-in tune for the turbo and I am going to fire it up. Installed new 900cc Injectors, Greddy Turbo and the TurboXS Front Mount Intercooler Kit. Also had a chance to relocate the coolant reservoir that hangs out on top of the intake manifold to the firewall, cleaned things up a little better too.

Old TD04-13T vs. the new T518Z TD05-18G





Mid-Operation, a little picture of the progress/carnage


Lookie what is peaking out under the bumper now


All buttoned back up. The coolant reservoir relocation cleaned things up pretty well. I'm happy with it. I will be getting tuned next Friday at Subaru of Jacksonville. I'll keep you guys posted how things turn out.

[FlaHP]

Awesome man your going all out

[WhyHelloOfficer]

Car fired up tonight on the new break-in map.
A couple hiccups with needing to tighten down the oil feed line to the turbo and topping off the coolant and stopping drips that surfaced here and there.

Got 4 miles on the new turbo. Probably going to put another 30 or so on it before I start getting into any serious positive manifold pressure. Plan is to drive it 25-ish miles tomorrow after work and then change the oil and see how things look.

Getting tuned on Friday

[WhyHelloOfficer]

Update: Got about 45 miles on the new turbo. Everything feels good and solid. Starting to tip into the throttle a little bit, sounds like pure seks when the turbo starts leaving vacuum and building boost. Tried doing a mild 4th gear pull onto I-10 last night and it started to hesitate after about 6-7psi. Talked to the tuner and he said the limp map is switching to open loop fueling after about 25% throttle position, so it is basically just running pig rich. The injectors I have in there are a little on the overkill side, but it will leave me headroom/options to go more boost or e85 later.

So unfortunately I can't lean into it and see how it is going to run, just going to have to wait until Friday. I'll be limping it over to Jacksonville trying to stay out of boost and then hopefully going to make some decent numbers. I'll keep you guys updated.

[FlaHP]

WhyHelloOfficer, on 03 February 2010 - 10:22 AM, said:

Update: Got about 45 miles on the new turbo. Everything feels good and solid. Starting to tip into the throttle a little bit, sounds like pure seks when the turbo starts leaving vacuum and building boost. Tried doing a mild 4th gear pull onto I-10 last night and it started to hesitate after about 6-7psi. Talked to the tuner and he said the limp map is switching to open loop fueling after about 25% throttle position, so it is basically just running pig rich. The injectors I have in there are a little on the overkill side, but it will leave me headroom/options to go more boost or e85 later.

So unfortunately I can't lean into it and see how it is going to run, just going to have to wait until Friday. I'll be limping it over to Jacksonville trying to stay out of boost and then hopefully going to make some decent numbers. I'll keep you guys updated.

Sick build!!! Is the tranny gonna take all the extra power???

[FlaHP]

WhyHelloOfficer, on 03 February 2010 - 10:22 AM, said:

Update: Got about 45 miles on the new turbo. Everything feels good and solid. Starting to tip into the throttle a little bit, sounds like pure seks when the turbo starts leaving vacuum and building boost. Tried doing a mild 4th gear pull onto I-10 last night and it started to hesitate after about 6-7psi. Talked to the tuner and he said the limp map is switching to open loop fueling after about 25% throttle position, so it is basically just running pig rich. The injectors I have in there are a little on the overkill side, but it will leave me headroom/options to go more boost or e85 later.

So unfortunately I can't lean into it and see how it is going to run, just going to have to wait until Friday. I'll be limping it over to Jacksonville trying to stay out of boost and then hopefully going to make some decent numbers. I'll keep you guys updated.

Sick build!!! Is the tranny gonna take all the extra power???

[WhyHelloOfficer]

FlaHP, on 04 February 2010 - 05:13 AM, said:

Sick build!!! Is the tranny gonna take all the extra power???

With how it sits now, the tranny is probably going to be fine. Once I get things dialed in and probably pick up a better clutch, the 5 speed is going to be on borrowed time.

The tuning experience was extremely frustrating.
Didn't make the numbers I expected, tuner was distracted with personal life drama, my own oversight cost power too.

In my on-going quest to keep the car quiet, I have been running a catless 3" downpipe to a 3" to 2.5" to 2.25" to the stock catback (stock muffler/resonator, no cats). The car was coming on really late (4800-5000 RPM) for full boost and just wasn't making the numbers we expected. We took the catback off and just ran open downpipe, and the car immediately picked up 30whp and 30tq (boost came on about 600 RPM quicker) without any tuning or adjustments. The tuner tried doing a few pulls to tune it on the open exhaust and then I'll just have to wait to beat on it until I get a 3" catback, but the open downpipe was so loud it was vibrating the engine too much. It set off the knock sensor, so the tuner couldn't do much with it.

We left the car at 290hp/280tq at about 17.5-18.0psi because that is all we could do with the stock catback. Once I get my tax return I'm going to pick up a 3" catback, and the tuner said I can send him some logs and he'll tweak it more and probably add a little boost.

The graph looks like a GT35 dyno graph, minus the GT35 power. Just starts off slow and then is just linear to redline. It holds 18psi at redline versus the stock turbo only at 12psi. The car feels much stronger on the top end, a heck of a lot of fun to drive, but for now it is pretty laggy until we can get it dialed in some more.

The good news is, the new injectors right now at redline are only at 50% IDCs, so there is plenty of headroom in the future to throw some 100 octane at it or possibly e85 as it becomes more available and see exactly how far we can push it. That is definitely going to be when I have decided if I want to ever crack into doing a motor swap on the car or not, because that sort of power level is going to be way outside the limits of the stock shortblock.

I'll keep updating as things develop.

[FlaHP]

Great to still have all that head room

[98safari]

sounds pretty sweet man

[WhyHelloOfficer]

I finally broke down and bought the rest of the exhaust.



My biggest fear was it was going to sound ricey, but it is nice and deep and not raspy. The boxer rumble seriously sounds good. Now that I have a full unrestricted 3" exhaust all the way back, boost definitely comes quicker and smoother. I'm going to be doing some logging and tweaking of the tune. I will keep you guys updated.

Thinking about taking it back off and getting the whole thing coated texture black. I don't know what it is, but I like the texture black on white. What do you guys think? Super Rice? Super Subtle?

I'll get some recent pics of the car in the next week or so. Now that I'm done wrenching on it (for now) I am going to get it washed again and get a good coat of wax on it.

Maybe in the next month or so I'll bring the car down to Gainesville (instead of the beater) and we all can catch up for some Beers and Zingers at Ale House.

[98safari]

If thats full stainless man i wouldnt touch it, looks sweet

[FlaHP]

WOW sexy pipes!!!

When ya coming back to GV??? I want a ride

[WhyHelloOfficer]

98safari, on 26 February 2010 - 04:33 PM, said:

If thats full stainless man i wouldnt touch it, looks sweet

It is 3" and Polished. Don't know about it being stainless or not. I bought it on serious discount, so I doubt it is true stainless. Basically it is some knock-off asian stuff. Only cost $219 to my door. I figured the coating would keep it from rusting early. I am just not a huge fan of polished/shiny. Once I get a pic of it on the car, you can barely even see the exhaust anyways. It sticks out less than the stock catback.

FlaHP, on 26 February 2010 - 06:35 PM, said:

WOW sexy pipes!!!

When ya coming back to GV??? I want a ride

I'm in Gainesville every weekend, I just never bring the WRX. I'd rather put 450 miles a week on the Lexus.
I am going to be moving again in April to a new more permanent place with a garage, so once I get settled in and the car is dialed in, I'll bring it down so we can take it for a spirited drive around the Gainesville area.