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JO5H's Hellacheap Kitchens Thread

125K views 409 replies 78 participants last post by  bue car 
#1 · (Edited)
I finally have an Impreza! I was still stuck on my FXT and searching craigslist high and low for a black 05 and kept coming up short. I decided to look at for GC Imprezas to see if anything good popped up and came across this black beauty in Samammish priced at $3400



The guy I bought it from had a repair shop and he said he was using this car as a service loaner, the body looks pretty good just a lot of dings



The tires are pretty new and the maintenance looked good, I got to see it on a lift and everything looked great



The tan interior is not doing it for me at all but it is in decent shape I suppose, I do like the accordion shift boot though. The car has 204,143 miles and looks as well as I would expect with barely a spot of rust, I test drove it and about pooped myself when I hit the brakes doing 40. When I picked it up yesterday I was still thinking I would just keep it a while until I find another Forester but on the ride home I fell in love, just really want to upgrade the brakes

- Current Mod List 8/11/2023 -
  • Mileage on Cluster: 205,162
  • Mileage on Motor: (-111,881) 93,281
  • Mileage on Chassis: (+22,744) 227,906

Engine
  • Subaru (2005 Forester XT) EJ255 8.2:1, B25 Heads 55cc
  • Subaru (2004-05 STi) IHI VF39 Turbo
  • Subaru (2008-14 GR STi) Intercooler
  • iWire (GC/GR) Intercooler Splitter
  • Cobb LF Bypass Valve
  • Samco Sport (TCS292) 2004-07 STi Silicone Intercooler Hoses
  • Cobb (AP3-SUB-002) Accessport FXT+VF39 v350 OTS Tune
  • Invidia (HS05SW1HDR) Equal Length Exhaust Manifold
  • Invidia (HS02SW1UPP) Cat-less Up-pipe
  • Invidia (HS055SW1DPO) 3" Divorced Wastegate Downpipe
  • TurboXS (WS202-MP) 3" Midpipe V2
  • TurboXS (WS202-RMA-TI) Rear Muffler Titanium Tip
  • Cobb SF Intake
  • Cobb (712010-BK) Post MAF Hose
  • DeatschWerks (9-201-0791) DW200 Series Fuel Pump
  • Subaru (2005 Forester XT) Fuel Tank
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Koyo Radiator
  • STi 1.3bar Radiator Cap
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Coolant Expansion Tank
  • Greddy (16401638) Water Temperature Sensor Hose Adapter
  • iWire (Build #1303) Merged STi Harness
  • Subaru EJ257 Oil Pan & Dip Stick
  • AVCS Oil Screens Removed
  • Killer B Oil Pickup
  • Killer B Sump Baffle
  • Crawford V2 Air/Oil Separator
  • Tomei Timing Belt
  • Thermal Zero (TZ1195-C) Turbo Blanket
Coming Soon...
  • IHI VF48 Turbo
  • Cobb (COBBEBCS-SUB) 3-Port Boost Control Solenoid
  • Invidia Catted Downpipe
  • Protune

Suspension
  • Whiteline (BSF33XZ) 24mm Adjustable Rear Sway Bar
  • Whiteline (KBR21-24) HD Rear Sway Bar Mount Kit
  • Cusco (666 474 LB) Adjustable Rear Lateral Links
  • Subaru (2004-07 STi) Aluminum Rear Lateral Links
  • Perrin (PSP-SUS-212) Rear Sway Bar Spherical End Links
  • STi Pillowball Trailing Arms
  • Whiteline (BSF33X) 24mm Front Sway Bar
  • Subaru (2004-07 STi) Aluminum Front Control Arms
  • Cusco (660 541 A) Rear Strut Tower Bar Type OS
  • Cusco (660 544 A) Rear V-Brace Type OS-T
  • Cusco (660 540 AN) Front Strut Tower Bar Type OS
  • Swift (4F005) Sport Lowering Springs
  • Tokico (2002-03 WRX) D-Spec Struts
  • Whiteline Com 'C' Caster/Camber Adjusting Front Strut Mounts
  • Subaru (20370AA240) Group N Rear Strut Mounts
  • TSS Tubular Rear Subframe
  • Subaru (2005 Forester XT) Front Subframe
  • Cusco (666 477 A) Lower Arm Bar Ver. 2
  • Subaru (2005 Forester XT) Steering Rack
  • Subaru (GC/GD Hybrid) Steering Shaft U-joint
  • Whiteline (KSR202) Steering Rack Bushings
  • Subaru GC8 JDM 5x100 Rear R180 Knuckles
  • Tru-Line Specialized Alignment
Coming Soon...
  • Cusco Adjustable Lateral Links

Brakes, Wheels & Tires
  • Stoptech (2002-03 WRX) Stainless Steel Brake Lines
  • Dorman (M630616) Non-ABS Brake Master Cylinder
  • Grimmspeed Master Cylinder Brace
  • Subaru (1990-94 Legacy) 4-wheel Disc Brake Bias Controller
  • Braid Winrace-T Acropolis 15x6.5J ET+45 - Kumho Solus Xpert 195/60R15 (Winter)
  • STi 5-Spoke 16x7JJ ET+53 - Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 225/50R16 (Spring/Fall)
  • Prodrive P1WRC 17x7J ET+52 - Falken Azenis RT660 225/45ZR17 (Summer)
  • Subaru GC8 JDM 4/2 Pot Calipers
  • DBA (KNS4656) Gravel Spec Rear Rotors
  • Hawk (HB700N.562) HP+ Front Brake Pads
  • Hawk (HB179N.630) HP+ Rear Brake Pads
  • Subaru Single Stage Brake Booster
Coming Soon...
  • 195/65 Rally Tires or Snow Tires for the Braids

Drivetrain
  • Subaru (TY752VB5CA) Version 3-4 STi Type-RA Transmission
  • Exedy (15802) Stage 1 Clutch
  • Fidanza Lightweight Aluminum Flywheel
  • DCCD Pro Manual Controller
  • Cobb Adjustable Short Throw Shifter
  • Kartboy (KB-002) Shift linkage Bushings
  • TIC (1001-01-0003) Shift Linkage Update
  • Perrin (X-PSP-SUS-522) Differential Front Support Bushings
  • Subaru (38410-AA011) R180 4.44 Rear Differential
  • GSP (NCV66014) Rear Axles
  • GSP (NCV66505) Front Axles
  • Cusco (660 911 SET) Engine and Transmission Mounts
  • Kartboy (KB-025) Transmission Cradle Bushings
Coming Soon...
  • Exedy (15802HD) Stage 1 Heavy Duty Clutch
  • Cusco Rear Differential Cover
  • Replace Rear Differential Bushings
  • RWD Center Differential maybe?

Interior
  • STi Duracon Shift Knob
  • Sparco (015TMZSI) Steering Wheel
  • Sparco (01502033) Hub Adapter
  • Subaru (2002-03 WRX) Red Stitch Parking Brake Lever
  • Subaru (2002-07 WRX) Aluminum Sport Pedals
  • Flock-It Black Flocked Original Dash
  • Subaru (2000-02 Forester) Double Cupholder
  • Subaru (2000-01 2.5RS) White Face Gauge Cluster
  • Top Dash Pocket Replacement Triple Gauge Pod
  • VDO Boost, Oil Pressure & Water Temperature Gauges
  • Subaru (2000-04 Legacy) CD Player Head Unit
  • Subaru 2.5RS OEM Tweeter Upgrade
  • Polk Audio 6.5" Speakers
  • Subaru (1998-01 2.5RS) Black Interior Swap
  • Autopower (1993-01 Impreza non-Sunroof) Street Roll Bar
  • Recaro Profi XL Seat
  • Recaro Pro Racer HANS Seat
  • Planted (1993-01 Impreza) Steel Seat Bases
  • Planted Aluminum Side Mounts
  • Schroth 6-Point Harness
  • Schroth (SR20013) Profi II-6H 2" HANS Harness
  • 6OVRCRST Rear Seat Delete
  • Subaru (2004-05 2.5RS) Floor Mats

Exterior
  • Subaru 2.5RS Front Bumper Cover
  • HT Autos STi Replica Fog Covers
  • Replica STi Front Lip Spoiler
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Lightweight Front Bumper Beam
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Clear Corner Lights
  • Subaru GC8 STi Version 5/6 Grille
  • Subaru GC8 STi Aluminum Hood
  • Subaru 22B Hood Vents
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Smooth Rear Bumper
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Rear Spats
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Lightweight Rear Bumper Beam
  • Subaru 2.5RS Sideskirts
  • Rallitek Mud Flaps
  • Subaru 2.5RS Fender Liners
  • Subaru GC8 STi Fender Badges
  • Subaru 2.5RS Fender Braces
  • Subaru GC8 STi Side & Trunk Decals
  • Subaru STi Version 5 Rear Spoiler
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Tail Lights
  • Subaru GC8 STi Type-R Tail Light Trim
  • Subaru GC8 STi Type-RA Roof Vent
  • Shaved Door Mouldings
  • Subaru GC8 JDM Rear Glass With Wiper
  • Unknown Manufacture Hood Dampers
Coming Soon...
  • Repair Busted STi Sports Front Bumper
  • Paint Match Mirrors, Door Handles, maybe Skirts & Spats too
  • JDM Aeroguards and ditch the Mudflaps

*Previous non-abs brake setup, currently for sale;
Subaru (2000-04 Legacy) 289mm Rear Rotors, Subaru (2000-04 Legacy) Rear Caliper Brackets, Subaru (2002-03 WRX) Rear Calipers
Brembo (26300-AE060 09.9077.10) 293mm Front Rotors, Hawk (HB352F.665) HPS Front Brake Pads, Subaru (2002-03 WRX) Front Brake Calipers
Centric (13047014) 1-inch non-ABS Master Cylinder, Subaru Single-stage Brake Booster, Subaru (1990-94 Legacy) 4-wheel Disc Brake Bias Controller

*Formula for mileage on body: Original cluster broken at 212,042 (4-21-2014) Replacement cluster installed with 113,199 + Last recorded mileage of replacement cluster 124,826 = 212,042+11,627 = 223,669 - Installed RS cluster with 200,925 = Difference +22,744 miles

*Formula for mileage on motor: Removed from Forester at 89,044 - Installed with RS cluster at 200,925 = Difference -111,881 miles
 

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#309 · (Edited)
No, I didn't notice any increase in vibration from the driveline. When I installed it I had a wheel bearing die due to the toe out situation and lack of adjustment so those issues took more of my attention

Absolutely, I don't actually drive my cars I just like to dress them up in different outfits like a little girl playing barbies

The reason for the lack of update is complicated and personal but can be blamed mostly on a lack of interest. Now my desire to finish this project has never been stronger and I'm going to push hard/spend money to get it going again. I've had to add some things to the list that I wanted to do at a later time and go backwards a little bit, It basically feels like every time I get close to the finish line it moves further away but it's all about the journey right



First step was to remove the FXT harness, I gave up on retaining the body computer and adapting all the electronics and I'm just going to do the normal merge. I need to find a complete body harness now and I'm looking for a 99-01 5MT to pull from, makes the cluster swap plug-n-play and I can keep the FXT alternator. The 98 doors need to be adapted and I'll need to add a rear wiper harness if it's not from a wagon but that's it, much easier just some of the amenities I wanted won't be there



Going straight to VF48 turbo and skipping stage 2, I don't want to replace a turbocharger ever again. The downpipe had some thread issues on the rear O2 bung so I got a M18x1.5 tap to straighten them out, cleaned all the ceramic paint off of it too to show off that shine. I threw away the OEM heat shield when I moved and had to get a replacement mount from Subaru to use the cobb shield, exhaust can be checked off the list now



The top radiator hose I just couldn't get to fit without kinking it or it rubbing on the timing cover so I'm swapping the crossover pipe with one from an Impreza. I've seen crossover pipes with two sensor bungs and I would like to use one of those if it fits so I can put my temp gauge sender in there, I'll be going to the junkyard later today to source a bunch of stuff and check them against each other and probably get both if I can find them



Before I took the manifold off I was going to put the oil pressure sender in the front location under the alternator and just pull the light for the factory switch from the cluster. With the manifold off I have better access to the rear port and I'm going to use that one since it will see a drop in pressure sooner



I got a new oil galley plug that has NPT threads for my sender, the OEM pressure switch uses BSPT which is almost right. The PCV hose that comes from the block right next to the new sender was all cracked and broke in half when I removed the PCV hard lines so added that to the list



There was a lot of corrosion on the manifold bolts when I removed them the first time and rather than replace them I just brushed them clean and reused them, decisions that come back to haunt you later. I've been soaking this guy in pb blaster for days and haven't even tried to remove it yet, probably won't touch it until I need to reinstall everything and just keep soaking it until then



With the heat shield on I can finally figure out placement of the crawford AOS and hose routing. I've tried to find pictures of a GC with this AOS but turn up nothing on google, there's such limited space with the hood right above, the strut bar to the rear, the turbo below and the prop valve in front. I'm not going to be able to use the mounting holes for sure, just going to have to live with whatever these tight tolerances will give me



I was going to save the brakes for a later time but the braided lines I've had forever are so tired and won't work with the GD struts and it's just time to replace them. Since I'm opening up the hydraulic system I took the liberty of swapping the proportioning valve with one from an older Legacy that had 4 wheel disc and no ABS, they look identical and I'm not sure if there's any difference but I did it anyway just in case



One of the rear lines was rubbing on something and is all frayed, the rubber is bulged and I'm pretty lucky it didn't bust on me. The front lines look fine and could probably be used again on the older style struts but the rears look like they really didn't like the angles they were at with my lifted setup, They have been good to me for over a decade but it's time to say goodbye and new StopTech lines are ordered



It may not make a difference like the prop valve but I'm going to get the 1" non ABS master cylinder also from the older Legacy, the non ABS SVX master would be ideal but I can't find one for the life of me so sacrifices are being made. I filled the clutch reservoir and bled that system so at least one of the three pedals works and that's progress in my book
 
#312 ·
There was not a single gen1 Legacy at the junkyard for the first time in forever, figures that the cars I need are only there when I don't need them. There's usually 10-15 of those cars to choose from at any given time so I didn't think twice about pulling the master cylinder, thinking about ordering a new one anyway



Looking at the neck you can see a clear difference between the two crossover pipes, I was really pleased with the GC having another bung for my sender too



And then I tested the fitment, at first glance it fits perfect but it looks like the neck would be right in the path of the turbo inlet and there is a pcv nipple in the center of the block that prevents bolt holes from lining up



Clearly this is not going to work, I'm stuck using the Forester pipe



It's just barely too close to that nipple, the neck is a totally different route too



The upward and straighter angle gives me the most issue but the longer neck leaves less length for the top hose to compensate



It's so close, I think a hose with one 45 degree bend right after the radiator should fit



There's still the upward angle and not on the same plane but it really is a tight turn the hose needs to make and I think that is what causes them to collapse in the middle



The regular hose fits perfect with the GC pipe and I trimmed one down at both ends but it just can't make the turn without folding in half, the universal hose I got fits the best but I'm probably just grossly overthinking a rubber hose



I managed to drill through the bolt and get to the bottom of the hole, I really beat those walls up but that's the only way I know how to make big things fit in a small hole



The bolt ate everything but the cobalt bit and wrecked the hell out of my bolt extractor, a few threads at the bottom I was able to save. Helicoil kit is on the way, never done one of those before so should be a learning experience
 
#317 ·
I'm still making progress, slow and steady wins the race. The car I needed to get a harness from finally appeared in a junkyard by me so I spent a few hours inside a 1999 Impreza L wagon with 5MT and no ABS. Now the harnesses are at iwire and I am trying to get everything else put together before it's shipped back to me, the race is on...



The 1" master cylinder from a non ABS Legacy fit perfectly, similar pushrod depth and 4 ports so everything except that extra 1/8" the SVX has



All of this caliper business because the notch for the brake hose is at a different angle, luckily when Subaru makes these pointless changes there are only slightly annoying differences that can be remedied by combining parts from different years



I slapped the old calipers on the new brackets and got my core deposit back even though they aren't "exactly the same part number" The backing plates were coming off the old pads so they got some anti squeal and new hardware on the bracket for them



All installed with a happy angle on the hose this time, the whole thing could have been avoided if I wasn't lazy and did this bracket swap with the Forester calipers instead of just using the whole unit from the Legacy then throwing out the Forester calipers because "I will never need them" but you live and you learn



Finally found a pair of endlinks that fit and don't cost a million dollars, found them on rockauto but I don't remember the details



I think I nailed down the location of the AOS I just don't like the lower hose so close to the turbo heatshield, I removed the original TMIC bracket for more hose freedom since it isn't really necessary and it was getting in the way



Couldn't stand that pristine white cap that came with the new master so I got an old black one at the junkyard when I was pulling the harness



Since I had a wagon harness in before I don't have to modify as much stuff, the wiper plug is already lengthened and connects right up



Had to fish the rear defroster wire out of the loom to run it to a much closer rear window, the rear hatch dome light and open sensor will just get scrapped along with the rear doors



One of the things I forgot to grab was the fuel tank pigtails, I have to go back for them and convert the Forester plug to the 99 spec
 
#319 ·
Centric 13047014 here it is on Rockauto



The only issue is the plugs are not compatible and another pigtail I need added to the junkyard shopping list, it's probably not going to be possible to get the SVX master any more so this is the best non-ABS guys can do using OEM parts



The 1,303rd harness done by iwire showed up and I can't say enough good things about Brian's customer service but I can try. I literally sent him a jumbled mess of cut up wires and had a million questions for him but he was kind and courteous to me and very understanding of my situation, the final product turned out amazing. Thank you Brian!



I quickly got to work installing the harness starting with the engine and following along with the iwire instructional videos, the section that connects near the battery goes through the fender just like on the FXT



I left the fender off after putting in the 99 wagon harness and I've been wanting to put it back on for so long, the body is finally put back together and now my anxiety level when I look at it is reduced considerably



The harness fits on the firewall just as the old one did and it felt so good to put the dash bar back in, things are really coming together and it feels like I've gotten over the wall



One of the things Brian warned be about when converting from a 98 harness to 99-01 is the door harnesses are different plugs so I pulled them with the rest of the harness at the junkyard



The diver side window switch connector is 4 pins bigger for the rear windows that I don't have but it was easy to pull all the pins out of the connector and swap them over to the coupe connector



There is a bunch of unused ports so Subaru totally could have used the same connector but of course they did not because that would be too easy, the wires are also in different positions than on the sedan/wagon connector so I used this close-up as a guide



The final issue swapping the door harnesses was with the power door lock actuator wiring being too short for a longer coupe door so I had to extend it using the coupe wiring



Steering column is bolted in, almost all the wiring is in place and the last thing I have to do before putting the dash back in is wire up the gauges
 
#322 ·
Quarantine hasn't affected me like most people, I worked over 50 hours last week and almost 60 the week before. Despite this, I have been getting a lot of stuff done at home too. My deck project is nearly done and it looks amazing, I set up another computer in the office for my wife to work from home, I got a great dane puppy and I also put in some work on the Impreza



The last plug I had to convert to 99 spec was the fuel tank and with help from the diagrams the merge was pretty straightforward match same colors with just a couple exceptions, the fuel pump controller is now up by the dash and that's where the fresh white wire is going



I got the sensor wires and the boost gauge hose run through the firewall so I could fit the dash in, I ordered the long hose kit from WRXtra and I would say it's more than long enough to satisfy



I also got the oil pressure sender kit from WRXtra hoping the alternator would fit better and it does but the factory pressure switch will not fit in the rear port so close to the bpv hose, I want to keep the factory switch so it just wasn't meant to be



This is the way the kit was meant to be installed anyway and it just made everything so much easier, I'm willing to sacrifice a little accuracy just to be done with this and move on



Since I was having so much trouble with the top hose fitting it made a lot of sense to cut it for the temp sender, made the hose much easier to fit and I can expect a fair amount of accuracy from this location



The aos just really doesn't want to fit and every way I try to fit the hoses they come really close to heat or sharp edges, the can itself has such a small area it can be in and I have spent a lot of time trying to make it work but it doesn't seem possible



I want to revisit these header tank hoses but for now it will have to do, I completely ditched the power steering cooler and maybe it will make a comeback if for some reason it feels necessary



I ditched the aos and just put in the factory pvc so, with the intercooler in, all that's left is to hook up the boost gauge hose T to the bpv reference hose and connect the ground wire to the battery then I can flash the tune



I primed the oil pressure a bunch by cranking it over with the non chipped key then fired her up for the first time since 8 August 2015, that's almost 5 years of sitting so it burned a lot of oil but so far no check engine light



All the oil burning turned my muffler into a milkshake but it has stopped burning at idle, when I drove it around it still puts out smoke if I get it close to boost so I'm hoping the rings find their seats again soon. There's just so much to shakedown I'm really hoping everything works out but I'm expecting there to be setbacks, thanks to everyone for your help and support I couldn't have done this without the people willing to share their knowledge on forums
 
#331 ·
Try having a grocery store.
Some of us haven't had a day off in a month.
Thanks disgusting hoarding people.
I am a meat cutter so I know it. To top it all off we are in contract negotiations right now and, among other bullshit things, they want to cut our sick pay rate down to the state minimum... during a pandemic... when we have massive support from the public... The CEO sends thank you emails out every other week though and that makes all the difference

Back to this nightmare project, the big issue is oil leaks. I'm sure sitting for 5 years was not kind on any of the gaskets and seals which is why you should always seal up a motor for storage properly even if you think that it will be a super quick turnaround because you are only kidding yourself and all your projects take way longer than they should. Maybe I'm just projecting, but it isn't a bad idea



First off, oil is leaking from the pressure sender hose so I tightened that up as much as I could in the limited space



When I took off the intercooler noticed a lot of oil in the elbow so makes me think the old pcv is not doing it's job



There wasn't so much oil going through the intercooler though, when I took off the throttle body I saw a bunch of oil dripping into the intake manifold from the pcv hose



The pcv from the Forester was tired and I remember replacing it on my wife's XT solved the oil consumption issue on that car so even though it feels like throwing a glass of water at a forest fire I replaced it with a new one



I was concerned about the bpv hose coming into such close contact with the pressure sender hose so I tied a piece of rubber hose around it to insulate



The milkshake is gone and now I have a lot of wet oil in the exhaust, it doesn't smoke as much now but it is sure leaking



The left side looks dry but the right side it looks like oil is coming from the valve cover, the oil cooler, the timing cover...



For sure coming from the oil cooler



Oil coming down the exhaust ports on both sides seems to be only the forward ports though



Right side not as bad as the left, I'm wondering if the crankcase pressure is so great and that's why it's leaking from everywhere but I didn't do the test of taking the oil fill cap off because I'm retarded. Today will be putting the exhaust back on and running it on the jack stands to see if there is just a ton of blowby, I'm hoping it isn't turbo seal but it seems to be a combination of failures
 
#327 ·
Here's some of the other thing I've got going on in pictures





New puppy's name is Blue and she's purebred Great Dane



Toyota made it ridiculously hard to change the oil in the new 4runner, a big fuck you to the home mechanics






I reused as much wood from the old deck as I could and added a water channeling membrane, The new beam is 6x10 and the 4x12 stringers are the old beam and ledger. Why anybody would use a 4x12 for a ledger I cannot explain, they also used 2x6 and subfloor sheets for the shed roof



New fish's name is Spike and he's a freshwater puffer



Drippin
 
#328 ·
Damn! 5 years...had some free time at work and just finished reading your build thread to date. Your dedication to this build is impressive. You've got a lot of really cool parts and customization, in addition to swapping the FXT drivetrain and harness merge. I wish I had parts yards full of Subarus where I reside. Seems like you've been able to source a bunch of choice parts form there. Keep up the good work.
 
#333 ·
I ran it again with the oil cap off and it didn't feel like a lot of pressure, some pulsing for sure but doesn't feel like a ton of blowby



With the intercooler off it seems even a brand new pcv isn't able to stop oil getting sucked up and that's what I expected but I bought one anyway because I am stupid



This time a lot of oil made it into the intercooler so I have to clean that out now



Pretty sure oil is not supposed to pool up here, the pcv seems to be injecting oil at all points of contact



The vf39 tune from Cobb doesn't seem to be able to keep up with the vf48, obviously the fact it is an ots tune and for the wrong turbo I'm not expecting AF to be perfect but I'm seeing high teens and 20's with learning as high as 18%



The codes are starting to roll in and the dbw pedal codes I'm a little confused by and not sure how to reset it's range of motion, I'm hoping the misfire in cylinder 4 is just from so much oil getting into the intake



So it's pretty clear I need to install the aos and in trying to see how the hell I'm going to fit the crawford in there I found a video of the install on Bucky Lasek's at Crawford but 99% of the video is guys standing around chatting, the install is done in superspeed at the end without narration or anything helpful at all so thanks for the quality content Crawford



Another video of his car had some good stills of the engine bay and they were a little more helpful, I could probably find better images if I was connected on social media but I'd rather have mental health



This is the ideal location but my Cusco strut bar is right in the way, can't have both Crawford aos and Cusco strut bar at the same time it seems



To position the aos in it's ideal location an adapter plate is needed, I used a thick mending plate and painted it black



There isn't a better location than this, I will miss my strut bar dearly but I only wanted it for aesthetic reasons
 
#336 ·
I didn't actually want the added stiffness up front, I just liked the matching set front and rear and thought it looked good so I'm fine with leaving it off just disappointed since I spent so much time restoring it and polishing the aluminum was not easy
I just went thru the whole build. wow. i applaud the persistence. thanks for shedding light on the cusco underbrace. After installing mine, I knew something was wonky because there was a binding sound but I blamed it on worn bushings. I put in the whiteline anti lift bushings and new control arm bushings and there is still some binding. It doesnt help that I dont know whatever front subrame is on my car, but I assume it is from the donor 02 WRX that my EJ205 came from.
I don't think different subframes will make a difference unless they have the spacer like in a Forester and in that case you could just space the rear mount of the brace and probably keep the Forester FCAR



The AOS is in place and fitting without issues, now that the location is nailed down I will replace the hoses and work on better hose fitment



Not nearly as much oil in the intake now so I would call it a successful mod, the VF48 is not playing nice though so I'm stepping down to stage 2 while I work out all my issues



I tried to put the huge intercooler on with the TD04 and I discovered the wastegate actuator wasn't going to allow that to happen



I had hoped I could just swap actuators but that is not possible, easiest solution I could think of was to use a smaller intercooler



I picked up a JDM intercooler and I don't know if they fit differently but the mounts aren't able to line up so it just rests on them, the tune is perfect now and I see nothing out of the ordinary but still getting a strange tapping noise from the passenger side



The FXT column and steering link was causing some binding issues like I thought it would so I decided to use the Impreza column and swap the lock over, not knowing how it was secured I just started drilling the Impreza lock to see what happens



Turns out it is bolted on and the heads of the bolts snapped off for "security" so fucking stupid, the bolts were loose and turned out super easy



The problem with the FXT column was it's too long yet the Impreza column is actually longer, the mounting points to the dash bar are off just slightly but the length between the firewall and the dash beam is a greater difference



You can clearly see the rod is longer in the Impreza column and if Subaru would have just kept the coarse threads the links would just be interchangeable and this would be so much easier but nooooooo



Swapping the lock over was actually pretty easy and I thought it would be the most difficult part, making the hybrid steering link is definitely going to be the most difficult part
 
#335 ·
I just went thru the whole build. wow. i applaud the persistence. thanks for shedding light on the cusco underbrace. After installing mine, I knew something was wonky because there was a binding sound but I blamed it on worn bushings. I put in the whiteline anti lift bushings and new control arm bushings and there is still some binding. It doesnt help that I dont know whatever front subrame is on my car, but I assume it is from the donor 02 WRX that my EJ205 came from.
 
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