web94

Hey all NEOhio folks, just joined on here and put the following post into new member introductions:

Hello all-

I recently came in the possession of a reasonably decent 2003 GT 2.5. About 110,000 miles. It’s been sitting for a long time, and I need to get it properly into shape. Runs ok, but I don’t know anything about it’s service history. My mechanical skills are generally just good enough to get myself into trouble. So I’ve got that going for me. I’m in the west Cleveland area, so recommendations from that region would be well received.

 

In a nutshell, I don’t know what I don’t know.

 

Thanks,

 

MAH

 

BTW, I’m in Fairview Park

Welcome to the group. Hopefully you enjoy your time with these cars. They can be fun, or a nightmare, or both lol.

Unfortunately this group is not very active, but the forum still has good info and people tend to engage when you ask questions after you've already done some research. If you're on Facebook, check out NEOSOC (North Eastern Ohio Subaru Owners Club). It's a good resource for shop suggestions and meet ups but that's pretty much it. Most of the traffic is people taking screenshots of their AP and expecting the group to tell them what's wrong with their car or asking for the millionth time "wIlL tHeSe RiMs FiT??" so it gets annoying.

It's exactly what you said.. Cobb doesn't recommend using catless dp used with AP because of the risk of over boosting with the stage 2 maps. I hadn't been planning on going catless. I was planning on replacing my rotted dp with a used oem, but I got the invidia for $100 so if I plan to go catted instead, it'll be easy to recoup my money. I don't have any experience with tuning so I'd rather err on the side of caution and listen to the people who at least seem like they know what they're doing. I did talk to a couple guys on here who didn't have issues with the AP/catless so maybe the possibility of over boosting is slim?

Straight from the horses mouth:

"A catted downpipe would be best. We always recommend using a downpipe with a high flow catalytic converter, not only to help meet emissions standards, but also for performance and safety of the car. In some vehicles we support, using a race or non-catted downpipe can cause boost creep, or uncontrollable boost. This is typically something that tuning can not fix as it is a mechanical issue that can only be resolved with a catted downpipe, porting the wastegate, or by using an EWG with a custom tune. You should keep a close eye on your boost levels to make sure the car hits the proper boost target and tapers towards redline.

Kyle@COBB"

Yeah I was just saying I liked the logging features of the AP. I got a good price on a catless invidia dp so the AP is unlikely at this point. I'm leaning more toward getting a tune at TPG.. just need to sort out an oil leak, among other items, to get it ready for the dyno. If I can't, I might get a catted dp instead and go with the AP.

Anyone in the area running a catless dp?

Sorry I meant tuning. Do you plug it in and you're good to go? Or do you have to go do pulls like with the dyno?

The logging and live feed is why I wanted an AP even if I didn't use it for the tune. I hate not having a boost gauge like my speed3 did haha

I've had the generic Cobb stage 2 tune on my car for 65k miles without an issue. There's nothing wrong with them other than they run a hair rich which is safer than lean on these cars.

 

An Accessport is the easiest way to get an e-tune onto these cars unless you're good with the alternative (romraider?) and have a laptop with appropriate OBD2 cable.

Well that's good to know. I would like having the AP even just for the data logging. Maybe I can find one on the cheap. How does the timing work with the AP? Still need to do runs like with the dyno?

I needto nail this oil leak I have, just haven't made the time. Maybe when it warms up

That might be the guy I talked to and got my 257 block from. If that was him, he had a gen 4 LGT and went n/a gen 5 legacy at the time. I totally would trust him, should have let him do it in the beginning vs letting my person tear up parts in the process of removing the cam gears w/o the tools. Someone traded in a 05 LGT and they blew up the engine on it shortly after the original owner drove off wit the new car and he was rebuilding it. He had 2 short blocks in stock, sold me one and used the other on that car since this is common for them to do or gen 4's.

 

Yeah he seems ok but the stereotypical WRX trend was strong and I haven't really done much on there. Their meet ups were when I am sleep so I never been to one. Soooooo miss the F4 days.

 

Yeah that was the pic, I think I was trying to compare before or after unloading the cans and the rear Y with the spring boosters installed. Let me know who you go to, as I won't be trusting my cousin to help on rebuild and install. His way would have had me on the road with a simple head cut and master gasket kit on the new short block vs new turbo and anything that touched oil plus misc "while it's apart" common sense items to address. I still need to have the heat shield on my UP redone as it broke at the welds and rattled for the last year of it running.

Hmm I don't remember that much but it was just earlier this year around April. He has two bajas along with the wagon. he said the guy spent $15k on the engine build. Not sure where that falls in the price range of engine builds but Gene said he'd get about 400hp outta it. I was under the impression the 5eat couldn't handle that much?

Just wrap that up pipe haha. I bought a wrx uppipe recently and cut the heat shields off and wrapped in with the dei stuff. Slowly collecting parts for the spring. hoping to replace the leaky exhaust and finally get a tune

I do most of my own maintenance, but my wife regularly receives ad mailings from Subaman. Good to hear he is reliable, but I find his prices high. Often the ad wants more than a Subaru dealer for the same service. I've called him to share this with him.

Yeah I do what maintenance I can and am pretty sure I need a new alternator and/or ac idler pulley. may try my hand at it but with the cold weather approaching and my Toyota hogging the garage it's looking less likely each day. Either way I'm kinda wary of that shop now after he quoted such an outrageous amount. I had given him some consistent business and thought he'd take care of me in return but now I just feel like I was another person to be had.

Also need to find some place to get an allignment now that im lowered. Probably end up taking it back to Subaru of wickliffe..

Just bought a replacement axle yesterday. Not sure if I missed the distinction or it changed, but the AZ reman axle, 7336, only comes with a 1 yr warranty. The new axle, 7336N, is the one that comes with the lifetime warranty. Soo looks like I'll be swappingng it out next summer??

I'll definitely be keeping my OEM axle and just reboot it as a spare like Max suggests

Yeah I live in the Heights, they are the same way still. Solon and Bentleyville are usually who I get pulled over by the most for random reasons. It literally seems like they pick the very day I have all my guns and lots of ammo for range day. I usually toss my gun in the glovebox and have my CHL card out with the other stuff in a generic auto wallet.

Good tip. My CHL is actually in the mail and I was going to start carrying when I get it.