Factory Five Forums - Blogs - longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/blog.php?7934-longislandwrx Builder community site for Factory Five Racing. en Sat, 02 May 2026 22:30:05 GMT vBulletin 10 https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Factory Five Forums - Blogs - longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/blog.php?7934-longislandwrx <![CDATA[It's Turbo Time!]]> https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1071-It-s-Turbo-Time! Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:02:45 GMT Attachment 20875 (https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20875)Attachment 20876... [ATTACH=CONFIG]20875[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]20876[/ATTACH]


Well it took about 2 months but my Turbo finally came back from Six Star Speed, and it was 100% worth the wait.
This thing is spotless and looks so much better than a brand new unit.
The turnaround was of no fault of their own as I had requested upgraded bearings which took a while to get.

The unit started out as a stock VF48 from the new style STi with about 50k miles on it.

Six Star installed their billet wheel which not only reduces spool time but increases efficiency by 15+%

It received a full port, and all new water and oil lines. They also upgraded both the journal and thrust bearings with high performance pieces as well.

I topped it off with a Turbosmart wastegate actuator which has some neat features and should really help with controlling boost.

• Silicone diaphragm with Nomex reinforcement to withstand high temperatures.
• High grade, billet aluminum construction.
• Stainless steel rods and connecting clevis for corrosion resistance.
• Locking Collar design cap allows for quick spring changes.


I'm really excited to get this installed.
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]]> longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1071-It-s-Turbo-Time! Simplifying the EJ Part 2 https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1062-Simplifying-the-EJ-Part-2 Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:58:33 GMT *PART 2.* Air Pump The 06 and up have an air pump that feeds air to the heads to improve emissions. the system is hideous and heavy at... [B]PART 2.[/B]


Air Pump

The 06 and up have an air pump that feeds air to the heads to improve emissions. the system is hideous and heavy at about 10lbs. The whole assembly and associated wiring can be removed. You'll have to remove some codes with your tuning software and purchase some block-off plates $30-$80. But the difference is huge.

ditch this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19583[/ATTACH]

for these

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19584[/ATTACH]

Coolant reservoir

The EJ has a coolant fill at the top of the motor since the turbo is higher than the radiator. However, being right on top of the motor it looks sloppy. On the 02-04s it's more prevalent than the 05+ but it still gets in the way on all models.
This is easily relocated to the firewall or other discrete location (as long as its higher than the turbo) If you replace your turbo with a non water cooled variant, you can remove this fill altogether (although this doesn't apply to most aftermarket turbos.) We'll have to see how the coolant routes on the 818 before finalizing the coolant routing. My thought is they will use this reservoir mounted high as a fill/burp for the coolant system.

relocated:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19585[/ATTACH]


EGT Probe

Many WRXs came with a catted up-pipe. removing this cat is a great upgrade making both power and decreasing spool time. In order to keep tabs of this cat, Subaru installed an EGT probe in the uppipe to make sure the cat doesn't overheat. This probe is useless one the cat is removed but just removing it will cause you to throw a code. two options, use your tuning software to delete the codes or remove the probe from its wiring harness, and insert a 2.2 K Ohm resistor, available at any radio shack. There are only two pins in the plug, so just insert one end of the resistor into each lead of the plug. Wrap up the end with electrical tape to make sure your resistor doesn't fall out. You can also pull the wiring all the way back to the harness and save even more weight.

here's the dead weight
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19586[/ATTACH]

Thanks For Reading, Stay Tuned
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]]> longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1062-Simplifying-the-EJ-Part-2 Simplifying the EJ Part 1 https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1061-Simplifying-the-EJ-Part-1 Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:57:52 GMT Looking at the EJ motor can be intimidating so I wanted to make a post about what can go in the trash to make the motor easier to work on, and what... Looking at the EJ motor can be intimidating so I wanted to make a post about what can go in the trash to make the motor easier to work on, and what can be done clean it up quite a bit.

These are just a few of the things I will be doing personally, and is by no means complete and or necessary. I'll just touch on everything briefly and we can discuss any of them in other threads if necessary.



[B]Emissions Equipment[/B]

The motor has several fuel emissions componants mounted to the engine. Connected to the turbo inlet/intake manifold/hose that runs to the back of the car is the Evap diaphragm and valving. Its job is to burn fumes that would otherwise escape from the fuel tank. It is used with a charcoal canister at the rear of the vehicle. since the 818 utilizes a different fuel tank and most likely a vented gas cap this entire system is unnecessary and can be removed.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19574[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]19575[/ATTACH]

remove this, cap off the nipple on the turbo inlet and use a cap to close the tube on the intake manifold (also a easy place to hook up a boost gauge) You will have to turn off evap codes with your tuning software

TGVs! the tumbler valves on the car are bulky restrictive and heavy. People argue that they help with cold starts but really their main purpose is cold start emissions. Removing them saves a ton of weight, and the accompanying motors/wiring/vent tube really cleans up the top of the motor. Its also good for about 8-15hp depending on who you talk to. This is an easy and pretty much free mod anyone can do at home with a drill and a tap, a few bolts and some grinding equipment. It is well documented.

ditch this

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19576[/ATTACH]

for this

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19577[/ATTACH]

Air Pump

The 06 and up have an air pump that feeds air to the heads to improve emissions. the system is hideous and heavy at about 10lbs. The who assembly and wiring can be removed. You'll have to remove some codes with your tuning software and purchase some block-off plates $30-$80. But the difference is huge.


[B]Engine Venting[/B]

There is a mess of hoses that accomplishes the venting of both heads, and the crankcase. These hoses travel around the engine bay in a series of rubber hose and hard pipes. The problem this presents is that it forces your engine to suck up and try and burn a ton of oil. leading to messy intercoolers, and lower octane ratings. the system also includes a pcv functionality sensor, which is typically bypassed (by closing the circuit in the harness and removing the sensor, and plugging the extra nipples). You can go a step farther and remove the wiring altogether from the harness. Don't remove the PCV itself, just the monitor, it limits the vacuum flow that the crankcase receives. Removing it altogether may cause problems. If doing this mod though its a great time to clean your PCV with solvent so make sure it moves freely.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19578[/ATTACH]

As far as what to do with the venting, a good quality catch can or air oil separator should be utilized to capture the oil from the intake system, and in the case of the aos, return it to the crankcase.

a few plastic elbows tees and careful hose routing can really clean up the venting system

not the cleanest aos install, but you can see what is happening here

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19579[/ATTACH]

[B]AC and PS removal[/B]

Removing ac and power steering will make a big difference in the front of the motor as to how much room you have, and you'll also be able to remove the wiring from both (not sure if all power steering pumps have a pressure switch. The factory bracket for the alternator and ac is massive, luckily you can use a alternator bracket for the 2.5RS with no factory AC which is a fraction of the size. Subaru P/N: 11711AA051, they are like $25 or less from the dealer . The item is shown in my post cool parts thread as well.

[B]Throttle Body[/B]

See my blog post on this one, the factory throttle body has a coolant passage to keep the throttle and IAC from icing up.. many people just remove the hoses from both ends and connect them with a nipple. Pretty sure you can remove these hoses altogether but I will verify. You can go the extra mile and remove the nipples from the TB and even machine the passages all together if you want to really trim it down. Cooler air is always better so running it through a hot throttle body makes little sense.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19582[/ATTACH]

[B]Fuel system[/B]

the fuel system on the wrx is pretty visually complex when you look at it, it's also run in series meaning certain cylinders run the risk of getting less fuel. Aftermarket fuel rails, while not a necessity until about 400 whp really clean up the look of the fuel system and let you ditch the spider under the manifold. They also eliminate having lean cylinders. Ditching the green brackets of death, designed to protect the injectors in a front end crash, make the injectors a lot easier to get to.

trash these before you lose your fingers

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19581[/ATTACH]


replace this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19573[/ATTACH]

with something like this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19580[/ATTACH]


See part 2 for a few more items.
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]]> longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1061-Simplifying-the-EJ-Part-1 <![CDATA[Cleaning up Aluminum Lateral Links & New Bushings]]> https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1060-Cleaning-up-Aluminum-Lateral-Links-amp-New-Bushings Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:42:42 GMT My Aluminum lateral links were pretty nasty. They had a nice layer of undercoating, oxidation and rust from the bushings. I started out with... My Aluminum lateral links were pretty nasty. They had a nice layer of undercoating, oxidation and rust from the bushings.

I started out with some solvent to get the rubber off (a razor blade helped get the rubber out of the grooves) and then gave them a quick sanding with 400 grit and then did a quick polish with wet 600 grit which gave them a nice shine. I guess they could be further polished but they are perfect for me.

Next step was pressing out the old rusted bushings. If you are planning on reusing yours you may want to use an actual bushing tool. I wasn't planning on it so I just did it the quick way and pressed them out with the press itself, the aluminum is soft so make sure its well supported on the other side. They pop right out without much pressure. a little silicone spray lube on the top helps as well.

I cleaned up the inside with the 600 grit to get a smooth finish for the new bushings, here you can see the before and after, before the final cleanup.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19564[/ATTACH]

The next step was to install the new bushings. I ordered these bad boys from Turn in Concepts:
[url]http://turninconcepts.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_9_7_479_43_1329&products_id=1204[/url]

I also ordered the trailing link bushings and got $15 off. BOOYAH!

The crush tubes are stainless so rust should be a thing of the past.

A little lube and they slide in. I'm very happy and the whole process took less than an hour. Keep in mind one of the crush tubes is smaller that's for the forward inside camber bolt. Here's some more shots.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19565[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]19566[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]19567[/ATTACH]

I plan on running 4 of these as they are lighter than the steel link and the 818 doesn't require the endlink mount.
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]]> longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?1060-Cleaning-up-Aluminum-Lateral-Links-amp-New-Bushings Ported WRX Throttle Body Final Assembly https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?955-Ported-WRX-Throttle-Body-Final-Assembly Sun, 24 Feb 2013 02:09:37 GMT After changing oil and transmission fluid on my daily driver I still had a little energy left and decided to assemble my new ported throttle body. ... After changing oil and transmission fluid on my daily driver I still had a little energy left and decided to assemble my new ported throttle body.

I had previously sent the throttle body out to Grimmspeed to have it coated and ported. It came back dissasembled, cleaned and looking sharp. The charge for the service was $130 and seems very reasonable.

My first stop was to Ace to get replacement hardware in stainless to replace all the soft sensor screws and the bolts that secure the throttle body to the intake manifold.

If you are interested in doing this yourself the shopping list is:
4x M8x40 socket head cap screw (throttle body to manifold)
4x M8 lock washer
4x M8 flat washer

2x M5x25 socket head cap screw (IAC valve)
2x M5 lock washer
2x M5 flat washer

4x M4x12 socket head cap screw (map and tps sensor)
4x M4 lock washer
4x M4 flat washer

All these cost about $12

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15617[/ATTACH]

I also took the time to clean up the IAC valve and motor, which gets a little grungy after a few miles. The o-ring gasket should be replaced as it will probably will be stretched out. About $6 from the Subaru dealer, pn 22659AA120

Replace all the bolts and torque them down to the following specs.

4 bolts holding TB to intake manifold = 15.9 ft/lb (22 N-m)
MAP sensor screws = 1.2 ft/lb
Idle Air Control solenoid valve screws = 2.1 ft/lb
Throttle Position sensor screws = 2.1 ft/lb
(thanks stage infinity)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15616[/ATTACH]

Some final thoughts...

I'm not going to be running coolant through the throttle body, so I drilled out the hose fittings which gives the TB a cleaner look, in my opinion it didnt make sense to coat the TB to keep it cool, then run hot coolant through it. This 818 is going to be a fair weather car so I am not worried about the IAC or the throttle icing up.

I also will not be running cruise control so I removed the additional cable track and spring and also shortened the spring rod. With the porting and chop job, it probably saved a few ounces off the final weight.

Thanks for reading. Have a great day.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15615[/ATTACH]
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]]> longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?955-Ported-WRX-Throttle-Body-Final-Assembly Stockpiling Parts https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?946-Stockpiling-Parts Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:27:03 GMT I've started the process of getting all my aftermarket parts together that I will be adding to the build. My kit wont be ready until August 14th so I should have time to get my ducks in a row.

Friday my grimmspeed ported intake and knife edged throttle body arrived. they took a lot of material out of the runners so i'm excited to see how it mates up with my TGVs.

I had hoped they would have taken more (any) material out of the main body of the intake, at least removing the flash but they did not.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15027[/ATTACH]

I may have my father in law who is a porting master give the main plenum a final cleanup.

Stay tuned for what's coming next.
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]]> longislandwrx https://v1.thefactoryfiveforum.com/entry.php?946-Stockpiling-Parts