TMBLKDG

Looks like we found the compression problem. Shortblock appears to be good. One rebuilt set of heads coming up.

Thanks for the responses! It sounds like people don't think the forged pistons & STi rods are worth the extra $1000. Finding a reputable engine builder around here is tough to do. Hopefully I won't actually need a new short block. Should know this week.

Haven't found anything out yet. The project kind of got put on a back burner as my buddy and I were out of town all last week. Should have some info this week, I hope.

Thanks whitexc, I appreciate your input and willingness to help. I'm not sure where people get that I'm asking for handholding or for someone to tell me what to do based on the very simple question in my first post in this thread. Is asking for people who've used a product to give some feedback on how long and how well it's worked for them frowned upon around here?

Scored a complete top feed fuel setup from a '13 Forester XT today. TGVs, injectors, rails, pipes & hoses, mounting hardware, FPR & dampeners. Now I just need to figure out how to make it fit my car (per rhino6303s info about coolant tank bracket and wiring harness clip.) Thanks for the good information!

Bit of good luck today. Found a guy selling a VF52 on Craigslist. The price was a bit high for a core but not terrible so went for it. When I got to his place it turns out he also had the complete intake/TGVs/fueling parts from a '13 Forester XT. I got all of the fueling parts (TGVs, injectors, rails, pipes & hoses & mounting hardware, FPR, dampeners, etc) thrown into the deal for $80.

Welcome! Details?

The mystery deepens. Wet compression test didn't change numbers significantly. Leakdown test showing 10%, 6%, 6%, 4%. So, maybe it is valves after all. Heads have been sent to machine shop for evaluation and leak testing.

Keep in mind jmp needs a core and that turned out to require a bit of searching. Not too hard to find lightly used, low mileage, etc. stock ones for decent coin but way too much for a core you're just going to send off for a rebuild. Fortunately I found one on Craigslist and am picking it up tomorrow. Still feel like I'm paying too much for it, but beggars can't be choosers and total cost with jmp rebuild will still be less than a brand new stock one.

I'm afraid I don't understand the second part of your response. Googling "IAG Stage 1" or "IAG Stage 1 Subaru" doesn't produce much in the way of real world reviews from users of this product. If it's so common, why is it hard to find info on people who are actually using it? I'm just trying to determine whether this is a quality product that people have had good success with or is this an overpriced product that is shoddily built, or something in between? I trust people who are actually using a product to be the best judges of whether it's any good or not. In a past life I worked in a machine shop and built my own engines and I've seen the incredibly crappy work that some places pawn off. We were occasionally paid to fix engines built by others. Bores that weren't round or finished improperly, crank journals tapered or improperly finished, valves that didn't seal, etc. etc. The world of Subarus is new to me. For the most part I have no idea which manufacturers make good stuff and which are best avoided and I can't think of a better place to ask than here. Is this inappropriate?

Anyone using one of these? If so, how many miles on it?

So there are both a pressure regulator and a dampener? I knew about the existence of a pressure regulator but didn't know it was different between the two systems. For my car I'd planned to replace it anyway as I've read the stock regulators don't work all that great with high flow pumps and big injectors. I did NOT know about a dampener. I'll have to do some research to figure out what it is/does and where it goes in each system. Thanks very much for helping me fill in the gaps.

Ahhh, details that might bite you in the butt if you don't know about them, and I didn't. Of course it couldn't be as easy as it seemed. Thanks! By "damper/regulator system", are you talking about the fuel pressure regulator?

Excellent, thanks much for confirming! i just stumbled across a good deal on some ID1000s and my tuner had mentioned these to me before as being a good way to go for my ultimate goals, so just wanted to make sure I understood what other parts I need to gather to get them installed.

I can see y'all rolling your eyes and thinking "doesn't this noob know how to search?" Well, yeah, I've been searching and reading and some of the info isn't crystal clear but I think I've got it. The purpose of this thread is to confirm whether I can do a top feed conversion on my '05 with the following parts list: - Top feed injectors - OEM top feed TGVs, either later LGT or WRX - OEM top feed fuel rails, either later LGT or WRX - Misc. fittings to adapt fuel lines to fuel rails Is there anything else? Seems pretty simple. Will my intake manifold fit & work with the top feed TGVs? Are the TGVs and fuel rails interchangeable? i.e. if I find a good deal on some WRX fuel rails and then later on come across some LGT TGVs, will they work together? Thanks for your input!

I might. I'm waiting to see what he can cook up for me. He's a good, longtime friend and he's been going out of his way to help me with this so I owe him a chance to put a plan together. Should know more by end of day today.

Test was done warm. I've asked for a leakdown on that cylinder, but the bottom line is it's not likely a valve problem unless it's *just* starting to go bad - burned valves generally produce lower numbers than that. A headgasket issue would have to be really bad to get a number that low and there would be other signs and symptoms of a bad head gasket if it was that bad (and there aren't), so that leaves rings as really the only thing that would cause something like that without any other symptoms. The engine burns a lot of oil and there is a lot of blowby which is likely why it's leaking from just about everywhere, which also points to rings.

This is turning into a real hassle. One of the reasons I bought this particular car is the paperwork the PO had that showed a rebuilt engine was installed about 75K ago. I figured a car with a relatively fresh engine would be the best foundation for my plans. Now it looks like I need a new shortblock. The biggest issue at this point is that my buddy's shop doesn't really do custom work. It's a very busy, successful shop and they stay busy and successful by sticking to a particular business plan, which is repairs, not customization. He'd already stepped outside his comfort zone by agreeing to install aftermarket exhaust parts and modified parts and ordering a non-stock replacement clutch and flywheel, etc. If a customer comes in with a borked engine they would normally replace the whole engine. Disassembling an engine to replace just the shortblock, which is what my engine needs, isn't the kind of thing they normally do. It's not that they couldn't do it, but his crew isn't used to this kind of thing and as mentioned, it doesn't fit their normal business model. I'm hesitant to ask him to step too far beyond what he's already agreed to. But, I'm waiting to hear what he says. We talked yesterday afternoon and he said he'd research what options he can offer me today. I wasn't counting on having to replace the damned engine and I don't have the room or the time to do it at my house currently. Bleh.

Yes, there are specific models of the AP for various years and transmissions. I was just looking at an Ebay auction where a guy is selling one because he bought the wrong one for his car. Unfortunately it's the wrong one for my car, too as it's a good price. Cobb's website will tell you what you need and how to identify the variations.

Definitely! I'm in the same boat with my car. I figured I could either buy a new car or build my own, so I'm building one because I don't really like any new cars anyway and I've always wanted one of these 5MT wagons in black with black ltd interior. I'll have way more money into it than it's worth when done but it'll be "my" car and it'll be as close to new as it needs to be for me to be happy driving it for a good long time.

Ouch. Sounds like something I'd do. Good luck!

Well crap. My buddy texted me earlier and my compression readings are not good. 115, 125, 125, 140. What the hell, this engine only has 75k on it. Is Subaru manufacturing junk replacement shortblocks? I've asked him to research further to see if he can determine why the comp is low. He said valve problems usually result in much lower readings, which of course is making me think cracked ring or somesuch in that one cylinder.

This thread makes me tired just reading it. Great job! I've done this kind of thing to cars before, I'm impressed you have the energy and stick-to-it-ness to get it done.

Thanks Max Capacity. I've read quite a few of the stickies but must have missed the one with body panel interchange info. I really need to find an OBP car with a straight driver's door and fender and just do a swap. Dropped the car off at my buddy's shop this evening. I'll get some pics once they pull the engine. I'm going to get the TGVs and intercooler from them, modify them at home then give them back.

I really need to get some! All I have at the moment are these from my crappy cell phone the night I brought it home. That dent is in the driver's side front fender. The picture makes it look worse than it is, but it's still pretty noticeable. If a PDR guy can't fix it I'll be wanting to get a new fender. Probably a dumb question: Are the Sedan & wagon fenders the same?