It's broken, but it's not a BMW ... new project car

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Donnie Barnes wrote:

I've got spare sets of STi springs. Unsure if they are 04 or 05, but Mike you can have a set. Least I can do for almost buying the 540.

--Donnie

Awesome, I'll give you a call. Do you happen to have a stock STi exhaust you want to get rid of?

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Nov 26, 2010 10:53 pm

so is this what you got instead of a Saab?

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Fri Nov 26, 2010 11:41 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

Awesome, I'll give you a call. Do you happen to have a stock STi exhaust you want to get rid of?

Pretty sure we don't, but can check on that on Monday. Won't be till then I could have the springs for you, either.

--Donnie

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Sat Nov 27, 2010 11:45 pm

If you want to play with the open source tuning I've got the Tactrix OpenPort 2.0. You're free to borrow it whenever you'd like. So far I've just used the open source tuning tools to backup my POS Cobb "stage 2" tune and swap in a much smoother and more drivable (feels like similar power - haven't measured it yet) tune from the net that matches my mods a bit better. I've also cleared codes and logged some data, but haven't launched into modifying the tune yet.

I highly HIGHLY recommend just going straight Extra-S on the tranny fluid. Steven Rankins' shop 42autosports.com sells it for the best price I've found. The only other mix I have any confidence in at _all_ is 100% Motul Gear 300. Whatever you do, don't use Mobil 1. It just plain doesn't work in the WRX 5-speed. (Notchy and slow)

--Kevin H.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Thanks for the advice Kevin. I just put the Extra-S in today, got it from the guys at Turbotime. I'm happy to give a local indy shop my business, especially since they were open on Saturday and willing to dispense free advice with my order

I found out today that changing a clutch is a good way to burn off those Thanksgiving calories. Spent the better part of 2 days doing it, but it's working great. 2 new axles, clutch, trans fluid, and an OE STi exhaust that the Turbotime guys had in the attic I got for cheap all went on today. Got a bit of an exhaust leak at the downpipe to cat because of a bad gasket, but it kinda sounds cool on a turbo car

Now I gotta tackle the heater core to make it a driveable car again. Time to take the dashboard out!

JamesShort · **Posted:** Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:04 pm

Kevin Allen wrote:

Oh, yeah - forgot to mention that you may have to switch to a push-type clutch with the FXT transmission. 2.5RS transmission is the same type as FXT, so same deal.

I've seen a few JDM STi transmissions for sale on various forums - nasioc, iwsti, rs25, that are basically the FXT transmission but with a pull-type clutch.

And there's a thread on nasioc in the transmission forum that details how to swap in a USDM STi 6spd for about $3000. Been thinking about this for my WRX - which is one reason I should sell it.

04-05 FXTs are pull like the WRX

so it's a straight swap, but you'd need the 4.44 R160 rear diff from the same car or you'll fry your center diff. The WRX has a 3.545 rear ratio with a 1.1:1 xfer ratio for a total of 3.90:1 FD.

For tranny's, the 08+ WRX have the strongest gears (same gearset as the V6 JDM STI 5 speeds) but they are really long (not good for rallyx). They'd be nice with 4.11 or 4.44 gearing, but with 3.90, it's just really long for rallyx (maybe desirable for track). If you get a 05-09 Legacy 2.5GT tranny and rear diff, then you'd have the same gearset but with 4.11 FD gearing. With these options, you'd need a new clutch, pressure plate and TOB and a different slave cylinder as these are push style clutches. Also you'd need the rear diff from what ever car you get it from since these transmission have a 1:1 xfer gear ratio so you need the 3.9, or 4.111 rear diff (not 3.9/1.1 or 4.11/1.1).

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Anyone know where I can get a new heater core FAST? Turns out the one that all the aftermarket places sell is the wrong one for the car, so I need to get a dealer part. All the local dealers are out of stock and I don't want to wait until Thursday. I am really worried I won't remember how the million pieces I took off go back together. Interior is stripped to the firewall...

If anyone has ideas for a place that is likely to stock it and willing to ship overnight please let me know.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:10 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Anyone know where I can get a new heater core FAST? Turns out the one that all the aftermarket places sell is the wrong one for the car, so I need to get a dealer part. All the local dealers are out of stock and I don't want to wait until Thursday. I am really worried I won't remember how the million pieces I took off go back together. Interior is stripped to the firewall...

If anyone has ideas for a place that is likely to stock it and willing to ship overnight please let me know.

http://www.subarugenuineparts.com/index.php

This is a good one. You can call Chaplins and ask for Jamie (she) and she'll figure it out for you and hopefully have it out very quickly (if they have it in stock).

Another one I've had success for is:

http://www.subarupartswarehouse.com/

Also, go to opposed force to find your part numbers:

http://opposedforces.com/parts/impreza/

Looks like your PN is 72130FE010

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Jeremy Gast is my hero! He hooked me up with a used heater core today at Wagner's. A few hours of dash reassembly later, and I have heat! Car is useable now except for the potential oil fire from the valve cover gasket leaking onto the exhaust manifold

Also picked up several hundred dollars worth of parts to refresh the t-belt, tensioner, STi water pump, STi oil pump, etc etc. The list goes on and on, which makes me happy.

I'm sad that my "Thanksgiving auto orgy" week is ending... Gotta go back to work in the morning. In the last 7 days I bought a car, swapped a motor in the lemons car, changed a clutch, changed a heater core, went to VIR twice, once to instruct on the skidpad and today to test the new Lemons car motor, which was a resounding success. Whew!

Fyi here's what you have to do to change a heater core in a Subie:

JohnByers · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 12:53 pm

F that noise...

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Here's my spreadsheet so far. Yes I have a problem....

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:02 pm

Mike,

I know you have a job and I assume you are a dedicated family man and your house/yard must need some maintenance, and you must spend some time on the internet looking for all this stuff . . . so, when do you sleep?

:lol:

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:11 pm

All I know is this is why Mike never has trouble selling cars.

--Donnie

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

you should see the lemons documents. three cars, five motors, multiple transmissions, countless spares...

JamesShort · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:22 am

Mike, if you are going to do the fuel filter, you should put a Walbro 255 fuel pump while you are at it since you have to pull the back seat and pull the whole 'wand' out of the fuel tank. The oem pump is probably on it's way out and it'll keep your injector duty cycle down once you get tuned.

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