All_talk

It would be interesting to hear from someone that has ran both Konis and Bilsteins. I can't comment on comparisons as I have had the factory Bilsteins on my '07 Spec B it's whole life. I will say that they are a great balance between performance and comfort, maybe leaning just slightly to comfort for an enthusiast driver. But of course this is all subjective. I can say the longevity of the Bilsteins is very good. I drove my first set to 305k miles, and though they were not the same as new, they were still very good, with no leaks and a well controlled ride.

I love the "dial-a-sound" idea, I've always wanted to build a system like that. I think I would make the cutout after a resonator, to mellow the tone a bit. True straight pipes (even on a turbo) always sound a little harsh to me. As for louder than stock but not actually loud, I found a great deal on a lightly used Apexi WS2 Dual Exit Catback. With the stock DP its just slightly louder than stock but a really great tone.

Should this say FAN or TEMP?

Somewhere on this board I read about a issue with the temp switch that sets the low temp limit. And there was mod to fix it/make it adjustable.

The first one looks to be a Dual Zone, correct? Do you have the part number (s)? The second is a Single Zone?

I'm a little surprised that these car have a reputation for poor A/C systems, my '07 Spec B will freeze you out, coldest and quickest cooling car I've ever seen. And mines got 310k miles on it and the A/C has never been serviced.

I don't think an AOS is necessary for a stock or mild street car. I have the IAG on my (stock) car but only because it came with a parts car and I figured it couldn't hurt... if installed/functioning properly. If you are going to do it, make sure it's going to be as good or better that the OEM setup (which is pretty good). If not you could do more harm than good. For the IAG I found that I had to change the mount and raise the can as far as possible to eliminate any low spots in the drain line that would impede drain back, at least with the stock intercooler and A/C line. I also simplified the pluming and a few other small tricks.

I've never done Facebook, never really understood what its about. But when you explain it that way it sounds fun.

If the tank straps off an '07 will work I have them, PM me.

As long as you are cranking slowly by hand (with timing belt installed), the engine can be turned either direction as much as you want. All the moving parts are mechanically timed and that timing will hold in either direction. I would be looking for some external interference with the flywheel or other rotating parts.

Is it worse when it's hot or cold? Does it get better or worse when you tap or push on the radio face just below the display? There is a common issue with the solder joints on the connector between the radio and faceplate, resoldering can fix it. Some info here: https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/radio-display-fix-142191.html?highlight=radio+lights

Note: there is no rear camber adjustment with factory parts. Given there is some camber gain (more negative) with compression, I would suspect that lowering will result in more negative camber. Will it be outside factory specs? Depends on how much you lower it.

Also, if you had the battery disconnected the ECU was reset. These cars are known or rough idling and stalling for the first few starts after a reset, the ECU needs a few cycles to relearn.

I agree with the others, mostly unnecessary for a stock or near stock street car. What you should do is make sure the stock system is functioning correctly and no lines are leaking or plugged. When I pulled my high mileage engine for replacement I found the PCV side of the system was clear but the plastic crossover pipe for the valve cover vents was nearly plugged with goopy sludge. I have the IAG AOS on my car, but only because it came free with my parts car and I symplified the hose routing. It retains all the stock functionality and fits with the engine cover.

I just went through this decision myself, my '07 Spec B was nearing 300K and the oil consumption was starting to effect the way the engine ran. So I asked myself, what do normal people do in this situation (I am not normal when it comes to cars)? Answer, it's time for a new car. So are started looking, trouble was I couldn't find anything that I liked better, at least not in my price range. My choices were limited by by two deal breakers, must be RWD or AWD and must be manual trans. So I doubled down on the Spec B and after a couple of months searching I found a perfect donor, a relatively low mile (130K) '07 Spec B that was totaled due to a hit at the A-pillar. I payed little more than a engine rebuild would have cost and got a much smoother shifting 6 speed and color matched body and interior parts as a bonus. But the only thing that made this work is that I did all the labor myself (and had a spare car to drive). I have now swapped the full drive train and both front/rear subframes complete. All the lower mile mechanicals have be installed, even the clutch/brake hydraulics and fuel tank. I'm now working on moving over any body and interior parts that are in better shape. Point is, its a ton of work, and if you have to pay a shop to do it, the numbers don't make sense. Gary

Run the car until it’s fully up to temp, let the fans cycle on and off a few time to be sure. Shut it OFf, then try and reach through the fans and feel the face of the radiator from top to bottom, if there are any cold sections it’s time to replace it. If it’s sporadic and not related to heat load it could be something else. Some cars benefit from being nose up (ramps or jack stands) while burping air from the system. Though I find that turbo cars with the high mounted tank don’t really need this. Has the water pump been replaced (hopefully when the timing belt was done)?

Maybe a stupid question, but what's the advantage of this setup over stock? Does the hard pipe from the VF40 not fit the VF52?

Has the radiator ever been replaced? How many miles on the car/rad? Is it worse when the weather is warmer, going uphill or when the A/C is on? Does the temp go down if you turn the heater on full blast? Radiators are a wear item, especially in subarus, the cross tubes get build up on the inside, sometimes to point of completely clogging. I had to replace the rad in my spec B at about 250K, even with occasional flushing and always running clean quality coolant they have a lifetime. Mine was around 50% plugged by the time I pulled it, only passing coolant through a few tubes at the top and bottom, the center was stone cold after running the car. I have seen the same issue on most of the (high mileage) Subarus I've owned. Gary

Just wanted to close the loop on this one. After doing a little digging I was able to determine the parts had less than 15K on them. I contacted Whiteline and they have replaced the kit no questions asked. They said the parts should have lasted longer but no further reason was given for the failure. Top marks for customer service and overall I'm happy with the outcome. Gary

All recalls performed? I would double check the brake lines, many times the dealer does the wax coating over corrosion and the lines fail anyway. I second the compression/leak-down test. Broken ringlands are a know issue. Given the cars location, RUST. It's more about time than mileage. (Be sure to check the bottom door seams.) All turbo cars should have the intake tract checked for excessive oil film or pooling. I'm sure others will add more.

Front axle? Torn boots?

I suppose this was inevitable but the timing is not great. After driving my bone stock Spec B to over 300K I have swapped in a low(er) mileage engine and was thinking about a VF52 and a stage 2ish setup. The Cobb AP was my first choice to buy my way past the learning curve on opensource. But if $800 downpipes and living with CELs is now part of that path maybe I'd rather learn opensource. I will be watching to see how this plays out. Gary

Now that you have explained I see it. If the current buyer falls through I might be interested.

For comparison, a pic of the stocker that just came out of my car. 305K miles, no oil goop but the inlet pipe was very soft and squishy right at the clamp to the turbo. Gary

Pre-face sold? Is the blue tint a film over the clear coat?