ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 *IN SERIOUS NEED OF ADVICE AND HELP* Alright guys, please excuse the forthcoming long post. So after about 5 months of owning my car, I have had up and down affairs with the way my motor was running and recently was greeted with weird intermittent misfires upon WOT use. I proceeded to swap the plugs along with doing my valve cover job and in the process decided to go ahead and run a compression test on the motor (which I merely regret not having done prior to purchasing the car). needless to say, the results were bad, we went ahead and ran the test on 2 cylinders to find a compression rate of 120 PSI and didnt even bother with the other 2 knowing that the chances of a miracle are slim and that at this point it wouldnt matter. Now to make matters worse, it appears that the previous jackass who owned my car decided to swap the use of gaskets for SILICONE, yes, silicone. the valve covers were SILICONED together to the point that the silicone was nearly inside the valves, one of the 4 coil packs was replaced with a cheap replacement which causes roughness at idle and to top it all off, theres a cheap eBay VF40 replacement with shitty seals and the damn BOV was siliconed into place for the lack of use of a gasket. Now heres where I need help. I am trying to plan my future steps in accordance to the fact that this motor is on its last leg. I currently have some parts that could be used in the future (Torque Solutions TMIC, IHI VF52 and some more) but the question is should i rebuild this motor with forged internals? Should i make use of a different block and have that built (i was offered a ringland failure EJ257 shortblock from the local subaru dealer with all internals for 400 and the same with spun bearing for 250) or finally should i swap a japanese motor and if so which one? the other thing my friend has been urging me to do is avoid the use of boring the block and not to replace the internals with performance oriented parts but rather keep it towards the OEM spec. I am at the very beginning of this planning process and am open to any suggestions. Things to keep in mind: the lower the amount spent the better! power goal: 300-mid 400's WHP/WTQ, nothing insane. would like to make use of whatever i can salvage off my current motor. need/want to keep downtime to a minimum. I am really counting on some honest and smart opinions from you guys, im assuming im not the first to be in this position and that is why im reaching out to you since our cars are not the normal impreza plug and play game. Thank you for your time in reading this and the suggestions to follow! (BTW I'm located in south florida for the sake of any builder's recommendations that may come!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spritefiend Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 needless to say, the results were bad, we went ahead and ran the test on 2 cylinders to find a compression rate of 120 PSI and didnt even bother with the other 2 knowing that the chances of a miracle are slim and that at this point it wouldnt matter. Now to make matters worse, it appears that the previous jackass who owned my car decided to swap the use of gaskets for SILICONE, yes, silicone. the valve covers were SILICONED together to the point that the silicone was nearly inside the valves, one of the 4 coil packs was replaced with a cheap replacement which causes roughness at idle and to top it all off, theres a cheap eBay VF40 replacement with shitty seals and the damn BOV was siliconed into place for the lack of use of a gasket. that made me cringe.. the previous owners sound like true assholes. good luck with your rebuild! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 that made me cringe.. the previous owners sound like true assholes. good luck with your rebuild! ugh I know, I knew she wasnt treated 100% right judging by the makeshift downpipe that is on there (stock flange cut and stock pipe replaced with just normal 3" pipe, essentially not supporting any increase in airflow) and the clutch i took off the car when i replaced it (N/A flywheel and clutch, dont even ask...) so yeah, hopefully someone has some good suggestions and im gonna go through this smoothly. i appreciate the good luck wishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spritefiend Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I'm planning on compression testing/leak down testing my car sometime soon, and if needed I'm thinking of a rebuild as well. I'm planning on going with a brand new short block, with a few small mods, and sending the heads to a local head shop to be serviced. i want to keep everything relatively oe because i'm in an emissions nazi state and have to be smogged every 2 years. i'm not looking to go crazy with making insane power, just want a nice reliable close to stock engine. i think you have a great opportunity to fix some of the other issues with the car, re: turbo, downpipe, etc. but it would be my opinion to go with something stock and guaranteed reliable, as far as a stock short block vs forged internals, or a jdm engine. not to mention you would be putting an engine back into your car that is brand f-ing new. but maybe i'm just getting too conservative with my desires as i'm getting older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 haha, I hear you, i understand the hardships some of the northern state members go thru with all these emissions, thankfully florida doesnt put me thru that. my concern with OE internals is that they are proven to have those common issues of spun bearings and ringland failures which is why i figured forged internals. i dont assume 350 WHP to be insane power, just something to have fun in and should remain reliable at those figures. the local subie dealer offered me ringland failed motors with all the internals for 400$ (EJ257) and i figured i may go for it, salvage the crank and sell the rods and the good pistons. that should also theoretically keep my downtime smaller since ill be able to build it on the side and then mate my heads upon being ready Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike07LGT Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 This has been covered a million times already.. max capacity and mrtris have both been through it and can offer help with their signature links... read up and do it right the first time if you are gonna do it.. oh and have about 5 grand ready for the project at least 03 WRB WRX (RIP) 04 JBP STI (sold) 07 DGM Legacy GT (RIP) 12 OBP STI (DD) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Don't spend $400 for a junk block. Put that towards new pistons for your block. As long as you crank and rods are good reuse them. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Even despite the nitrated crank shaft? Not worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 You still don't really know the history. Use that 400 to put into your block. With a good tune a ej255 will hold that power or close to it. These cars are quicker then you think. 350whp is a lot. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTris Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Even despite the nitrated crank shaft? Not worth it? Nope, not for all the extra work it'll be. Spend the $1645 and $237, get it shipped to your door. Heck, call Bryce in the parts dept and tell him what you need -- should be just over 2k to your door. EZ-PZ. If you really must have that nitrided crank, you can buy 'em online (Like, Amazon) for about $350, maybe less. I skimmed most of your shit, because it was TL;DR, but, 350whp in an LGT IS, in fact, insane power. That's nearly 150whp over stock, which, is pretty potent to begin with. I understand you're in Florida, and you'll actually be able to make use of all 350 ponies on your freeways there, but, to get there, you'll need about 20k. Ask Boxkita, he's got (had) 335, and it's ALOT of power! Furthermore, I think building to a number instead of a goal is a dumb idea. Your goal should be a daily driver with a good tune, then focus on suspension, even though most of your roads are straight. The OEM block can handle quite a bit of power as long as it's tuned right. Follow my Shopping List and I can almost guarantee you, that at the end, you'll have a nice, reliable ride that is OK on gas and a blast to drive - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Nope, not for all the extra work it'll be. Spend the $1645 and $237, get it shipped to your door. Heck, call Bryce in the parts dept and tell him what you need -- should be just over 2k to your door. EZ-PZ. If you really must have that nitrided crank, you can buy 'em online (Like, Amazon) for about $350, maybe less. I skimmed most of your shit, because it was TL;DR, but, 350whp in an LGT IS, in fact, insane power. That's nearly 150whp over stock, which, is pretty potent to begin with. I understand you're in Florida, and you'll actually be able to make use of all 350 ponies on your freeways there, but, to get there, you'll need about 20k. Ask Boxkita, he's got (had) 335, and it's ALOT of power! Furthermore, I think building to a number instead of a goal is a dumb idea. Your goal should be a daily driver with a good tune, then focus on suspension, even though most of your roads are straight. The OEM block can handle quite a bit of power as long as it's tuned right. Follow my Shopping List and I can almost guarantee you, that at the end, you'll have a nice, reliable ride that is OK on gas and a blast to drive - Where is this list you speak of? At 2K are you talking about components or an assembled motor? I'm very open to suggestions I just ultimately want the least amount of down time as possible without breaking my college fund on this. And as far as figures go, I'm not necessarily going to go as high as that but figured if I was to shoot for that goal then the motor will be reliable at the lower numbers too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTris Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Where is this list you speak of? At 2K are you talking about components or an assembled motor? I'm very open to suggestions I just ultimately want the least amount of down time as possible without breaking my college fund on this. And as far as figures go, I'm not necessarily going to go as high as that but figured if I was to shoot for that goal then the motor will be reliable at the lower numbers too Shopping List in my sig. (re)build thread is worth a read, too. Honestly, if it's tuition or rebuild, my suggestion is that you sell the car and take the bus to school if you have to - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Yep, education comes first. They'll be plunty of time to play with a car later. See my sig, that's on a true reading Mustang Dyno. I'll tell you 60-100mph comes much fast then you would think. The wagon catches cars pretty fast on the highway. It still surprises me with how quickly the gap goes away. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 The tuition factor here is at play but not extremely large. I have over a year to continue saving and as an accounting major I've managed to plan a budget and am still sticking to it despite this hiccup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTris Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Yep, education comes first. They'll be plunty of time to play with a car later. See my sig, that's on a true reading Mustang Dyno. I'll tell you 60-100mph comes much fast then you would think. The wagon catches cars pretty fast on the highway. It still surprises me with how quickly the gap goes away. Same here -- That 55-85 climb just goes so fast. (and it doesn't feel like it!) I swear the needle moves faster between those two than it does 0-20! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Plus I value and cherish this car too much to give up on it. I rather buy a daily beater and live with that for a while and let this one wait it's turn to be fixed truthfully. I know the rarity and the odds of coming across another one are pretty slim especially down in Florida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTris Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 The tuition factor here is at play but not extremely large. I have over a year to continue saving and as an accounting major I've managed to plan a budget and am still sticking to it despite this hiccup. Did you attend public school in the state of Florida? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Just senior year. Moved here from Canadia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTris Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Just senior year. Moved here from Canadia Good answer. Yes, LGTs are rare in the south, and, many of them have been abused and poorly maintained, on top of being poorly modified. However, you should examine your financial choices carefully -- You WILL buy your car twice, maybe three times, if you don't do it right. You're quite a distance from any reputable Subaru shops, and we Internet Mechanics can only help you so much. My suggestion is that if college isn't out of the way yet, and you're not out on your own, working a good-paying job and supporting your own life, it's financially irresponsible to invest in this kind of a project. I know that's not going to stop you, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Good answer. Yes, LGTs are rare in the south, and, many of them have been abused and poorly maintained, on top of being poorly modified. However, you should examine your financial choices carefully -- You WILL buy your car twice, maybe three times, if you don't do it right. You're quite a distance from any reputable Subaru shops, and we Internet Mechanics can only help you so much. My suggestion is that if college isn't out of the way yet, and you're not out on your own, working a good-paying job and supporting your own life, it's financially irresponsible to invest in this kind of a project. I know that's not going to stop you, though. There are a couple of reputable dealers in Florida, one being close to me in pembroke pines and the other is supposed to be the most mod friendly one in the U.S. and is in Orlando. That being said, the community here is very diverse and I do have several ways to go for help all of which are reputable locally. I'm only talking about a rebuilt at the end of the day, at most it's not more than 2 months of salary for me so it's not so out of proportion. I will definitely consider it but would also like to look around thru my options Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Misread that as far as the shops comment. There are several local shops which specialize specifically in subarus and evos. It's just a function of money of course as to who I'd like to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Between our link in our sig's, most everything is covered. Make a list of what you want, then make a list of what you can afford 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Can't see it on the phone app. I'll have to look into that when I get home to my computer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 In fact both our threads are in the current front page of the 4th Gen forum I think. I'm sure mine is just look... well here. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/got-some-new-stuff-engine-r-r-184106.html and here http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/engine-rebuild-shopping-list-226719.html Also check out JmP's sticky up top. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/idea-web-links-saved-various-parts-219238.html 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShermanLGT Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 ok heres a quick opinion question, local subie shop (not dealer) has BNIB EJ257 shortblock for 1500, good buy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.