Upgrades to start with for more power

[ZACHARYSBEADLE]

I just got myself a 2005 Legacy GT Limited, automatic (COMPLETELY STOCK) and wanted to know what are the first few upgrades I should get for more power/horsepower with my Legacy. Already purchased new brakes

[coldsoda]

all the preventative and needed maintenance you can afford 1st. check out the sticky threads here about banjos, then find a reputable tuner. set a budget, then start with keeping your tuner in the loop, since a protune is the best money you can spend, then when it comes to parts you will likely do the exhaust first (up pipe, downpipe), then from there things can start to add up. a new turbo is the next large jump in power after the exhaust, but with that comes quite a bit more extra parts.

[battelready]

What he said. Check out the build threads either here or the pictures section. You can get a good idea of what to start on.

[BrianEarlSpilner]

Read, read, read. It's as simple as that. There's a ton of build threads out there. See what others are doing and being successful with. Have a plan or some goals in mind. These cars don't do well with random mods, not in the engine bay at least. Just about every performance part will require a tune so if you if you can do it all in one shot that will save on tuning.

As coldsoda said preventative maintenance above all else. Mistakes don't come cheap with these cars. To answer the question though, an Accessport (or laptop w/tactrix cable) for protune and up-pipe/downpipe combo seem to open these cars up nicely from stock. You'll wanna get rid of the catted up-pipe anyway for your turbo's safety, along with the banjo bolt screen filters.

Good luck!

[Max Capacity]

How many miles on it ?

 

A compression test might be a idea.

 

These cars have been known to burn valves on the stock tune.

[ttnio]

I just got myself a 2005 Legacy GT Limited, automatic (COMPLETELY STOCK) and wanted to know what are the first few upgrades I should get for more power/horsepower with my Legacy. Already purchased new brakes

 

Welcome!

 

I would put in a Cobb accessport.

 

Good luck on your power. Don't forget to read the forum's topics.

[ZACHARYSBEADLE]

How many miles on it ?

 

A compression test might be a idea.

 

These cars have been known to burn valves on the stock tune.

 

70k miles

[Max Capacity]

Learn how to check the oil and keep it topped off.

 

Cobb AP version 2 or 3 will be fine, if your good with a lap top get the cable and learn how to data log that way. It can be cheaper.

 

I would drive the car for a while, learn how it feels and sounds before you spend a lot of money and then something breaks.

 

Clean the MAF sensor and make sure the air filter is clean.

 

Keep the stock cold air intake, its hard to beat until your way up in HP.

 

 

You'll want to get the stock up pipe replace with a catless one, at that time you put on a 3" down pipe too, along with removing the banjo filter from the back of the passenger side head. Replace the turbo oil return hose too.

 

My Tuner is www.tuningalliance.com contact him when your ready for a great safe tune.

[ZACHARYSBEADLE]

Learn how to check the oil and keep it topped off.

 

Cobb AP version 2 or 3 will be fine, if your good with a lap top get the cable and learn how to data log that way. It can be cheaper.

 

I would drive the car for a while, learn how it feels and sounds before you spend a lot of money and then something breaks.

 

Clean the MAF sensor and make sure the air filter is clean.

 

Keep the stock cold air intake, its hard to beat until your way up in HP.

 

 

You'll want to get the stock up pipe replace with a catless one, at that time you put on a 3" down pipe too, along with removing the banjo filter from the back of the passenger side head. Replace the turbo oil return hose too.

 

My Tuner is www.tuningalliance.com contact him when your ready for a great safe tune.

So is a turbo-back exhaust straight from the headers to the mufflers? Why would you want to remove the banjo filter? Where can I get the oil return hose replaced?

 

Thanks!

[coldsoda]

no... turbo back is from the turbo back to the mufflers. the header (called manifolds in the diagram below) is fine, but you'll want to consider changing out the up pipe that is between the manifold and the turbo. check out this diagram to make more sense of what we mean:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=62001&d=1231172289

 

here is more information on turbo failure and banjo / oil return line answers:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/turbo-failure-wiki-173358.html

 

and: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/2-5gt-turbo-oil-supply-banjo-bolt-filter-removal-61689.html

[ZACHARYSBEADLE]

no... turbo back is from the turbo back to the mufflers. the header (called manifolds in the diagram below) is fine, but you'll want to consider changing out the up pipe that is between the manifold and the turbo. check out this diagram to make more sense of what we mean:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=62001&d=1231172289

 

here is more information on turbo failure and banjo / oil return line answers:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/turbo-failure-wiki-173358.html

 

and: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/2-5gt-turbo-oil-supply-banjo-bolt-filter-removal-61689.html

So up-pipe & turbo back is what i'd want to free up the car?

[Rhitter]

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/begin-modifications-your-legacy-gt-19037.html

 

Have you read this thread?

[Merc6]

So up-pipe & turbo back is what i'd want to free up the car?

 

Up pipe and banjo free up the possibility of epic failure. People overuse epic but this isn't one of those times. Epic failure usually cost about $4k bare minimum to un ***k yourself.

 

^ no tune needed for that

 

Turbo back will free up but downpipe you really need a tune for.

 

Besides that, you should still be knee deep in 10 years of 4 gen posts. I skimmed though until epic failure happened.

[Max Capacity]

I got my oil return from the dealer. But you can also use a high temp oil resistant hose from the auto parts store.

 

When you see the old hose you'll understand why we say to replace it. It will be hard and close to cracking.

 

 

Take a look through my click here link.

 

Here's the service manuals. In the back of it there are flow charts on things work.

 

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ilh/vacation/

[Tuning Alliance]

Replace your up pipe with a catless, and replace banjo bolts.

 

Send us a PM and we can help you out on parts/tuning!

 

-Brian