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As a follow up (long term) to my other posts, just did a fresh flush yesterday with some ATE superblue and it helped firm up the pedal some more. The Valvoline fluid I had in it was fine but there was a little slack at the beginning of the pedal travel, possibly some air left in the lines or just not as good fluid, who knows. Still feels awesome and I love the difference. -Steve

Posted this in another thread, but I knocked out the Koni/Epics on my car last night after work. Only took me about 4-5 hours including taking a break between front/back for dinner. All my bolts surrendered to my Makita cordless impact easily so I think I got lucky, everything went back together with anti-seize for the future. So far the quick impression is great, good bye lift/dive!

Or a socket it can't break? For 1/2" drive 780 is pretty good, but yeah if you need some real ogre power 1" drive is where it's at. -Steve

I'm pretty sure my car must have been an early-year production of the MY08. I checked my hardlines before I bought/installed the MBC/booster and they were the correct size, 10mm. My car also didn't have the stretchbelt that is supposedly part of this model year as well, I had the tensioner so I didn't need all the Gates parts from Grimmspeed. -Steve

If PB Blaster + MAPP gas + breaker bar/impact gun can't get it, you're in trouble. My Makita cordless impact is still only mostly effective on the big suspension bolts. The real stubborn ones take heat + impact. One of my next purchases will be: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-Rand-2135TiMAX-2-Inch-Impact-Wrench/dp/B000WMN2GU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=IONJFLUXTAGII&colid=M7MT1E81HIML]Amazon.com: Ingersoll-Rand 2135TiMAX 1/2-Inch Air Impact Wrench: Home Improvement[/ame] -Steve

I had to use a round file to knock down the lip on the inside of the stock strut housing that the pipe cutter made. Took a couple minutes. I got them all assembled last night and I have Epics being delivered today along with a lot of other bushings from Infamous Performance. Can't wait to get these on the car, first I have to get my truck put back together and out of the garage though. -Steve

Update after a couple weeks driving with the STI booster/MBC. I LOVE this thing. -Steve

Did you have a barb/neckdown where the pipecutter pushed the metal inwards necking down the opening on the strut? I know it did that to me when I cut mine, I still need to go back and grind it flat before I put in my front inserts. -Steve

Heat the nut up with a MAPP gas torch. Don't waste your time with propane. Spend the 45-50 bucks on the one with the push-button start from Lowes and you'll thank me later. I love my little torch, I use it for tons of stuff.

Good to see the KDT905 kit fits out cars for the cradle. I might consider doing these with some other bushings going on the car. I'll probably go buy the Harbor Freight 20 ton press to do it though.

Why remove it? Just cut the checkvalve out of the STI line and push it a couple inches into the LGT line. That's what I did and everyone else. Works great. -Steve

I KNEW that was the charlotte skyline! I'm pretty sure I have a picture of my old DSM on top of that same parking deck. Did you get your slip out at Rockingham? -Steve

I posted this in the other thread, but the brake pedal free play is very minimal, 2-3mm so it isn't that. (tested by pumping up the pedal until totally firm, then pushing on the brake pedal with 2 fingers lightly to check how far it will still travel, it will move about 2-3mm until it hits the first stop point, then you have to push really firm to get it to move a little bit more, still the total travel is minimal) Also, after driving around with the new booster in, it really does firm up the pedal. There isn't a lot of nothing at the top of the pedal now that I've given it some time, I had to do the first test drive in the rain so that could have been contributing (wet rotors?) Overall I'm very happy. -Steve

The pedal freeplay is minimal, maybe 2-3mm at most, it's not that. -Steve

As a follow up the 'nothing happening' at the top of the pedal travel I am almost sure is 100% the booster. When I had everything apart I could push the rod that bolts to the brake pedal in a little ways before it started to move the rod that pushes on the master cylinder. I wish I knew how to make that takeup less, that would make the brakes even better. The upside of having that bit of travel before the brakes bite is that the brake and gas pedals aren't at really different levels, which means you can still heel-toe without having to really crank your foot into a weird position. -Steve

Posted in the other thread as well, just did mine today. Long story short it helped the pedal firm up a little, but there is still a bit of the "nothing happening" at the top of pedal travel (right as you start to press it down). It did help get rid of a bit of the mush out of the pedal. For the ~100 bucks I paid for the booster/MBC, and a few quarts of fluid for the various flushes I did, I would say it is definitely worth it. Now for pads, SS lines and some ATE superblue. -Steve

I just put my STI master cylinder/booster in tonight after having it sit on the shelf for over a year. Everything went in without a hitch in my MY08. First impressions are good, there is still a bit of 'nothing happening' at the top of the pedal travel but then once it engages the pedal feel is definitely better, not nearly as mushy as it was before. I think with some good pads (bobcats), SS lines, and some ATE superblue, this would make for much better brakes. It wasn't as dramatic as I was expecting, but then again I just spent the weekend driving my parent's IS350 and '10 acura TL. THOSE things have touchy brakes. I flushed a full quart of new Valvoline DOT 3/4 synthetic fluid in using my vacuum bleeder, I had flushed it out a couple months prior with some crappy Wear Ever fluid and it turned back to mush within a couple months so this was a good time to swap the booster in. I flushed/cleaned the crud out of the master cylinder using the same technique of detaching it from the booster and the reservoir, putting it into a cup filled with brake fluid, and working the piston back and forth a bunch of times to work the dirt out of it. I only had to do it a couple times, there wasn't much coming out. I also did rinse/shake the reservoir out with brake fluid as it had a bit of dirt inside it. A word of warning, if you are doing the bench bleed like I did using rubber vacuum caps to plug the threaded holes for the lines, WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. I was working it back and forth and managed to blow one out of the hole and spray brake fluid all over my face and into my right eye. I washed it out right away with saline a bunch and it is fine, but that is nasty stuff you don't want in your eyes. I did have one thing to add to the whole thread, and that was that I had to "clearance" (read, hit with a hammer and bend over on itself) the back lip on the STI booster to give some more clearance to the hardlines right behind it on the firewall on the left side. I have a couple pictures I will add to this thread to show the differences clearer of the boosters. The shape of the STI booster is more flat on the back and puts part of it closer to the firewall and ran into the lines. For clarity: In the first picture, the STI booster/BMC is on the left. In the second picture, it is on the right. In the third picture, you can see where I had to fold the lip over using a hammer on the back side of the booster, from approximately 1-o'clock to 3-o'clock. This should have zero affect on it's reliability/functioning. You can see how the STI booster will be closer to the firewall.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=320-290 http://www.parts-express.com/images/item_standard/320-290_s.jpg I use one of these. It works. -Steve

Yeah I know you didn't mean the actual nut size. That being said in the pictures on monkeyboi's thread you can see that the m12x1.0 thread has a larger nut than the m10x1.0.... http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv233/monkiboy/WP_001154-1.jpg ...I'll bet money that the m12 has an actual 12mm nut on the end of the sliding flare fitting. The diameter of the threads on my car are the same diameter as the MBC from the STI so I should be good to go! Now I just need to order my booster hose from the local stealership so I can get the checkvalve put in. EDIT: Mine is a '08 5mt so I guess I got lucky with no VDC. -Steve

So, just to add to the thread, my car, MY08 LGT has 10mm flare nuts on the ends of the hard lines on the brake master cylinder, NOT 12mm. I don't see any reason why they won't screw right into the MY05 sti master cylinder I have.

Well doesn't that just throw a wrench into my plans! Thanks for the heads up before I pulled it all apart, I may have to rethink this. Is the strut tower clearance on the LGT's the same as the WRX's? -Steve

In case anyone else is wondering, I have used Deflex pads from www.parts-express.com glued to the outter door skin (inside the door! ) with contact cement. They did seem to help. Also making sure there is a layer of sound deadener on the outter door skin helps as well. P/N: 268-242 http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=268-242 I use contact cement to glue Volara foam to door panels/sound deadener as a top layer and it really helps road noise. I'm going to do the Legacy one of these days..... Link to Volara that I have used before (same purpose as ensolite): http://www.foambymail.com/Volara.html -Steve

Picked up a booster/MBC from an '05 sti, now I just need to get the booster line with the check valve so I can install it. This is going on an '08 LGT for anyone reading. Will post back once it's on with issues/impressions/results. -Steve

I didn't read the whole thread, but I've found a way that reduces a lot of road noise in subaru's without adding hardly any weight. Go to Walmart and buy about 4 large overstuffed poly-fiberfill pillows and cut them open. Stuff the fiberfill into all open spaces in the dash and a-pillars, b-pillars, under the door jams next to the wire looms, especially in and around the spare tire, and behind the carpet covering the strut towers in the trunk. I did this on the last two cars I have owned (one being a subaru forester) and it produces noticeable results for only a couple hours of work and about 20-30 dollars. I never had any issues from electronics overheating or anything. Don't forget to pack it in around and under the center console and behind/underneath the stereo and around the shifter as well. I guarantee you will notice a difference! I already have started doing this on the LGT and it quieted down the road noise a good bit already. Now I need to seal up the doors with some RAAMmat and some Volara foam and I'll be good to go! EDIT: The only spots I feel you need to be careful around are areas where there are moving parts for valves with the HVAC system and where the inlet for the in-car recirculation vent is. There is a flapper that actuates and sucks air in from under the dash that you don't want fiberfill getting pulled into and wrapped up in the squirrel cage fan. I usually leave a little breathing room on the back of the stereo, and a little bit of room behind the stock gauge cluster just for piece of mind. You would be surprised how much room there is inside the dash that is just wide open and allowing a lot of engine noise to come in through the firewall. I also pack the C-pillars behind the passenger doors full up as high and as much as I can go. Overall the effect is definitely worth the time of pulling the interior pieces out. I do NOT stuff the insides of the doors as the fiberfill can/could trap moisture and cause premature rusting IMO. Now all of you go out and stuff your dashes! -Steve