High Mileage Donor Maintenance

[JAubin]

Hey I didn't see a topic that covered this, so I wanted to get a discussion going:

I'm planning on using a donor that (will) have a lot of miles on it. That combined with the fact that I probably won't be buying the kit for a while leads me to this conclusion:
I'm going to have lots of time to refresh and/or replace parts. So what are some thoughts on what parts you would:
A. Use as is until they wear out (assuming this would happen on the 818, and possibly when it's being drive hard)
B. Tear down, clean, refresh before going onto the 818.
C. Replace with new/used part before going onto the 818, even if the parts seem ok.
I imagine this will vary wildly based on what people are doing, and since the target for most is to get a low mileage donor.

A. Personally I don't have much that I will probably put into the "A" category that is a wear item specifically. Most likely the tranny...

B. Brake calipers will get a rebuild, probably blast and repaint or powder. Steering Rack, if I end up depowering it. Motor will most likely have the bottom end replaced, check heads, have
valvetrain inspected, etc.

C. The Steel A-Arms will most likely be replaced with the Aluminum ones, potentially replace the wheel bearings just to not deal with potential failure, exhaust (currently all stock), change lines to SS, replace hoses, plugs, injectors(higher flow), oil pan, rotors, pads.

[longislandwrx]

Just a few things off the top of my head...

step one check compressions then...

Change the belts, hoses, plugs, idler pulleys, turbo inlet, valve cover gaskets, water pump, thermostat, install sti oil pump, get your injectors cleaned and blueprinted, check the turbo for endplay, replace broken electrical connectors, new front o2 sensor.

I would leave the motor in the car while you do all this work so you can run the engine while doing so. run some clean oil through the system run it for a few hours and then change it again. Then pull the motor fog it and bag it.

[wallace18]

I had a high mileage donor 276K. I had to replace all hoses, belts, wheelbearings, brakes, mastercyl, clutch master and slave cyl, clutch assembly, rebuild trans, ect,ect. It was not worth it to me from a money standpoint, but I now have like new parts for my 818. If you look at the working on donor thread you can see what I have done. If I had to do it again I would source a low mileage donor. Or get an AJW donor kit. :rolleyes:

[JAubin]

Whoops, yeah I didn't list belts or other stuff that I would be changing. O2 sensor is definitely a good call too.

That's one thing I always see regarding turbos is "shaft play" IMHO I imagine that by the time you can detect play in the shaft by moving it around, in a part that spins at 100,000 rpm that's going to cause serious problems. Is there a better/more reliable way of checking a used turbo? I'm thinking I'll probably buy a used low mileage TD04 and P&P...

[Mechie3]

My donor had 70k miles, 20k on the motor, 15k on the trans. I'm rebuilding/cleaning a lot of parts. 1: I have until June to finish 2: It's much easier when it's already taken apart, then to have to take it apart (again) later and reassemble (again).

Removing rust and painting parts
New wheel bearings
New Wheel Studs
Blast and powdercoat calipers and rebuild with new seals
Timing belt is new, so not worrying about that
Change any bushings that are visibly worn/torn
Cleaining off dirt, grease, etc.

[apexanimal]

What is the deal with the sti oil pump?

[longislandwrx]

The WRX came with a 10mm pump, the STi 11mm and now the latest ones have a 12mm pump.

The 11mm has the best oil flow (about 20% more) and a slight pressure improvement over the 10. IIRC The 12mm is a higher pressure pump, but doesn't flow as well as the 11mm.

Theres discussion about the benefits, but concensus is that the 11mm is a smart upgrade.

[AJW Performance]

In our opinion it depends on a lot of factors, like condition, budget and needs. Small blog post sharing our opinion on the topic can be found here:
http://818donors.com/general/do-the-miles-on-the-donor-really-matter/

[longislandwrx]

Speaking of dirt and grease... whats everyones favorite engine degreaser. I had a leaky valve cover gasket and I want to get everything shined up. any products stand out above simple green and super clean?